Sports Nutrition
– Ramji Krishnan,Sales and marketing, Chennai
At the age of 23, I had a tear in my right ACL knee during a martial arts event. I was struggling with pain yet managed to continue with my sports activity for 14 long years. I finally decided to operate and correct the ACL tear. The ACL reconstruction surgery was done, and I was out of any sports activity for the next 10 months.
Just within 2 months since I resumed sports activity, the pandemic struck, and the lockdown was declared. My fitness eventually worsened. I gained weight and went out of shape.
In June 2020, I started my recovery journey when I was introduced to a coach from the Holistic Wellness Club.
My learnings during the course of my recovery are:
1. Have a goal to achieve and have a burning desire towards it.
2. Get a good team and/or a partner to keep you motivated and lift you up whenever you feel down or think of quitting.
3. Understand the role of nutrition.
4. Get a proper workout regimen planned by experts.
5. Make a good recovery plan.
6. Follow work-life balance by prioritization.
My coach helped me avoid injuries. I learn that a proper warm-up and cool-down is vital – something many of us don’t give preference to due to excitement or fatigue.
I also learned that taking protein within 20 minutes of completion of a workout helps repair the muscles and develop the muscle targeted on that day.
A gradual increase in the intensity of a workout helps you reach your peak performance without sustaining major injuries.
Patience while recovering and giving your body the time required for recovery offers permanent relief from the injury.