GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 28 – June 20, 2015 | Page 51

before you join the boys for a beer? Ensure you have access
to a protein carbohydrate mix meal or shake that can be taken within the 30minute window following the game. Have a
stretch and a foam roll on the main muscles used during the
game. Stiffness following match day tells you where you need
to focus more attention as part of your post game recovery. If
you have access to a cold shower or bath, this can also be useful to you if you like that kind of thing. Do this as soon as possible as you come off the field, before having a warm shower
to get into your stretches and foam roll.

Hannah van Buuren of University of Pretoria, South Africa,
has worked with international, national and developmental
athletes, in the UK, Australia and South Africa. She provides
research and sport science support to athletes to enhance sports
performance, by monitoring training loads, education to manage athlete commitments, sport science testing, and strength
and conditioning services. Some of the well-known teams that
Hannah has worked with include SA Proteas (Cricket), Kaiser
Chiefs, British Triathletes, Warratahs, Manly Sea Eagles Rugby
League, and various British Olympic Athletes.

WORK SMART
Professional athletes can have up to 14-16 sessions per week depending on the time in their
season and their sport. Remember, as an amateur
you cannot physically do this, along with your full
time studies or work. Putting heavy loads with
heavy loads can lead to burn out and or injury.
There is a time and place for high volume training
and that is in your off season preparations. The
weekly plan still should come into play - weigh
up volume loads in your studies/work and train
twice a day when this volume is low. For example,
an exam period would not be ideal to train twice
a day unless you are smart. You are already probably sleep deprived and your brain is overloaded
with information and going into gym to lift the
heaviest weights you can will not work, you will
not gain the most from the session - choose something with less thought and concentration. Work
smart! Doing a double session can be a great way
to bring your development on, but only if you are
getting enough recovery in afterwards, and when
you have planned your week properly.
Reilly, T. & Doran, D. (2001) Science and Gaelic football: A review. Journal of Sport Sciences.
19(3) 181-193.

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