Andy Roddick’s amazing run in Wimbledon finally came to an end in the finals when he lost to Roger Federer in a breathtaking and ultra-competitive match that will go down in the record books as the having the longest set in Wimbledon’s storied history. The grueling set was just another in a string of long sets for Roddick during the tournament. Doug Spreen, Andy Roddick’s trainer, is responsible for getting Andy in the best shape for these tournaments. You may have seen him if you were watching the television broadcast - He was sitting next to Brooklyn Decker, Andy’s wife, and was wearing a Crocs™ hat. Doug is here on the Prepair™ blog to share some more training secrets!

1. When should you use heat. Heat packs, weather they are electrical or stick on should be used for more chronic problems. Heat should never be applied to an injury in the first 48 -72 hours. Heat is ok for chronic problems that need to be warmed up before activity. Tight and sore muscles can often benefit from the use of heat before activity as part of a proper warm-up. Sore muscles or other body parts still should have ice applied to them after activity. As a rule heat before activity is good but Ice should be used post-activity.

2. R.I.C.E This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. These are four things that should be followed in the immediate care of many injuries. Rest- Get off of the injured body part. The worst thing you can do is use the injured body-part more and cause more damage. Ice- Always use ice in the first 48 to 72 hours after injured. Compression- Often an ace bandage wrapped around the injured body part with mild to moderate pressure will keep swelling down. Elevation- If at all possible elevate the injured body part, this helps keep swelling down. If possible elevate the injured body part above the level of the heart.

3. Post activity food- After a training session, a run, a game of your favorite sport, or other activity that stresses the body it is important for proper recovery to get some food back in the body. In the first hour after activity your body needs and wants food. During the first hour after activity the body will use a far great percentage of what you put in then it does on a normal basis. Not a large meal at this time but some food in the first hour is important. Fruit, carbohydrates, sandwiches, and pasta are all good choices.

4. How much water should I drink before activity- If you are planning on working out or playing a sport in the heat proper hydration is very important. Not only is important for health, but also for best performance. Dehydration has been shown to negatively affect physical performance. A good way to tell if you are properly hydrated is the color of your urine. Dark or yellow urine is a sign of de-hydration. Clear urine is a sign of being properly hydrated.

Thanks again Doug and pass along our support to Andy for his amazing run at Wimbledon!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 9:26 am and is filed under Editorial Coverage, Recovery Training Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.