ST. LOUIS — Students will likely be doing lots of conditioning during the start of the high school sports season. This can lead to fatigue and eventually injuries. Dr. Richard Lehman from the U.S. Center For Sports Medicine says that one way to reduce injury is though icing. While an ice bath may be uncomfortable, it can really help muscles to recover faster.
Faster recovery decreases injury risk throughout the season. If an ice bath isn`t feasible, students can always use ice packs on injuries or sore muscles to help relieve pain as well as aid in recovery.
Eating healthy and enough calories for the increased output during preseason is very important. Some good choices are peanut butter or almonds. It is important to be well fed and strong in throughout preseason.
Hydration is always important and everyone should strive drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day according to the Mayo Clinic, especially athletes. Hydration for preseason can even start the night before and should continue throughout practice.