Muscular strength is determined by how much force you can exert or

how much weight you can lift while muscular endurance refers to the
ability of the muscles to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance
for an extended period of time.

Sports-related activities like jumping, running, galloping, squatting,

throwing, and hitting help to improve muscular strength and muscular
endurance.

• Flexibility is important in sports performance.

• Flexible muscles and joints are important in maintaining pain-free
movements and decreasing muscle soreness especially among
athletes who perform high-intensity training.
• Flexibility is the range of motion in a joint or group of joints or the
ability to move joints effectively through a complete range of motion.
• Flexibility training includes stretching exercises to lengthen the
muscles and may include activities like Yoga, Pilates, or Tai
Chi. Improving your flexibility can help you move more comfortably
throughout the day.

There are three (3) components that affect flexibility, joint structure,
elasticity and length, and nervous system. Elasticity and length, and
nervous system are developed by regular flexibility exercises while the
joint structure is hereditary. Engaging regularly in flexibility exercises
helps to increased joint mobility, better posture, decreased back
pain, and a lower risk of injury

BENEFITS OF FLEXIBILITY
1. Improve your performance in physical activities and sports
2. Decrease your risk of injuries
3. Help your joints move through their full range of motion
4. Enable your muscles to work more effectively
5. Enhanced joint health

Types of Stretching to Improve Flexibility

• Static Stretching: You move into a position that lengthens a target

muscle and hold the position for 15-30 seconds. It's best to
remember to breathe as you hold each stretch.
• Dynamic Stretching: You move in and out of a position that
lengthens a target muscle. Dynamic stretching involves moving
through a joint's full range of motion either slowly or quickly to
mimic a functional activity.
• Active Isolated Stretching (AIS): You move your joint through a
complete range of motion, holding the endpoint briefly, then return
to the starting point and repeat. Many athletes and active exercisers
 use active isolated stretching to prevent injuries or muscle
imbalance.

Stretching incorrectly can do more harm than good. Make sure that you
do it safely and effectively. Here are the tips for safe stretching:

• Don't Consider Stretching a Warm-up. Do not stretch cold muscles.

Take low-intensity exercises like walking, jogging, or biking before
stretching.
• Strive for Symmetry. Focus on having equal flexibility side to side
(especially if you have a history of a previous injury). A flexibility that is
not equal on both sides may be a risk factor for injury.
• Focus on Major Muscle Groups. Concentrate your stretches on
major muscle groups such as your calves, thighs, hips, lower back,
neck, and shoulders. Make sure that you stretch both sides. Also,
stretch the muscles and joints that you routinely use.
• Don't Bounce. Stretch in a smooth movement, without bouncing.
Bouncing as you stretch can injure your muscle and contribute to
muscle tightness.
• Hold your Stretch. Breathe normally as you hold your stretch for
about 30 seconds; in problem areas, you may need to hold longer for
around 60 seconds.
• Don't Aim for Pain. While you are stretch stretching, feel the
tension and not the pain.
• Make Stretches Sport Specific. Stretch the muscles or group of
muscles that are commonly used in your sports or activity.
• Keep up with your Stretching. Stretching can be time-consuming.
But you can achieve the most benefits by stretching regularly, at
least two to three times a week.
• Bring Movement into your Stretching. Gentle movements, such
as those in tai chi or yoga, can help you be more flexible in specific
movements. These types of exercises can also help reduce falls in
older adults.

Basic Ways to Assess Flexibility:

➢ Zipper Test. The purpose of this activity is to test the shoulder

flexibility.
➢ V-Sit and Reach. The purpose of this activity is to measures the
flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscles.

Personal Barriers
➢ With the current trends in technology and development, people’s
lives have become convenient and easier as well as less active.
They may also have reasons or own justifications of their inactivity
that forms their attitude towards physical movement, letting them
live a sedentary life.
Some common personal barriers for resistance to sports participation
are:
❖ Busy schedule as student, sports participation is often not a priority
❖ Inconvenience to play sports
❖ Insufficient time to participate in sports
❖ Fear of being injured or having been injured recently
❖ Health considerations
❖ Lack of Energy
❖ Lack of confidence in their ability to be physically active (low self-
efficacy)
❖ Lack of self-management skills, such as the ability to set personal
goals, monitor progress, or reward progress toward such goals
❖ Lack of self-motivation - Thinking about getting more time for sports
activities, but cannot start
❖ Lack of skill
❖ Lack of time
❖ No enough money to buy for the sports equipment/supplies
❖ Non-enjoyment, boredom of playing sports
❖ Sports participation takes too much time away from other
commitments-time, studies, family, etc.
❖ Too tired after school to get involved in any sports activities

Environmental Barriers
➢ Some may not notice but the space and the setting where people
live greatly influence a person’s participation to sports. The constant
exposure and the daily interaction with the people and things
around have great impact on a person’s preference towards bodily
execution and movement.

The environment in which we live has a great influence on our level of

sports activity. Many factors in our environment affect us. These factors
include are:
❖ Crime around the community
❖ Lack of resources
❖ No access to jogging trails, swimming pools, bike paths, covered
court, etc.
❖ Pollution
❖ Social Influence- None of the family members or friends like to
do the sports activities, so I do not have a chance to participate
too.
❖ Traffic
❖ Unavailability of parks, grounds, or sports facilities
❖ Weather conditions

Teen athletes have unique nutrition needs. Because athletes work out more
than their less-active peers, they generally need extra calories to fuel both
their sports performance and their growth. Depending on how active they
are, teen athletes may need anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 total calories per
day to meet their energy needs.

What Happens if Teen Athletes Don't Eat Enough?

➢ Their bodies are less likely to achieve peak performance and may even
break down rather than build up muscles. Athletes who don't take in
enough calories every day won't be as fast and as strong as they could
be and may not be able to maintain their weight. And extreme calorie
restriction can lead to growth problems and other serious health risks
for both boys and girls, including increased risk for fractures and other
injuries.

Athletes and Dieting

➢ Since teen athletes need extra fuel, it's usually a bad idea to diet.
Athletes in sports where weight is emphasized — such as wrestling,
swimming, dance, or gymnastics — might feel pressure to lose
weight, but they need to balance that choice with the possible
negative side effects.

If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that you need to go on a diet,

talk to your doctor first or visit a dietitian who specializes in teen athletes. If a
health professional you trust agrees that it's safe to diet, then he or she
can work with you to develop a plan that allows you to get the proper amount
of nutrients, and perform your best while also losing weight.

Eat a Variety of Foods

➢ You may have heard about "carb loading" before a game. But when
it comes to power your game for the long haul, it's a bad idea to
focus on only one type of food.
➢ Carbohydrates are an important source of fuel, but they're only one
of many foods an athlete needs. It also takes vitamins, minerals,
protein, and fats to stay in peak playing shape.
Muscular Minerals and Vital Vitamins
➢ To get the iron you need, eat lean (not much fat) meat, fish, and
poultry; green, leafy vegetables; and iron-fortified cereals. Calcium — a
must for protecting against stress fractures — is found in dairy foods,
such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
➢ In addition to calcium and iron, you need a bunch of other vitamins
and minerals that do everything to help you access energy and
keep you from getting sick. Eating a balanced diet, including lots of
different fruits and vegetables, should provide the vitamins and
minerals needed for good health and sports performance.
Protein Power
➢ Athletes may need more protein than less-active teens, but most
teen athletes get plenty of protein through regular eating. It's a
myth that athletes need a huge daily intake of protein to build large,
strong muscles. Muscle growth comes from regular training and
 hard work. And taking in too much protein can harm the body,
causing dehydration, calcium loss, and even kidney problems.
➢ Good sources of protein are fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs,
dairy, nuts, soy, and peanut butter.
Carbohydrates Charge
➢ Carbohydrates provide athletes with an excellent source of fuel.
Cutting back on carbs or following low-carb diets isn't a good idea
for athletes because restricting carbohydrates can cause a person
to feel tired and worn out, which ultimately affects performance.
➢ Good sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, and
grains. Choose whole grains (such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-
wheat bread) more often than their more processed counterparts
like white rice and white bread. That's because whole grains provide
both the energy athletes need to perform and the fiber and other
nutrients they need to be healthy.
➢ Sugary carbohydrates such as candy bars or sodas are less healthy
for athletes because they don't contain any of the other nutrients
you need. Also, eating candy bars or other sugary snacks just
before practice or competition can give athletes a quick burst of
energy and then leave them to "crash" or run out of energy before
they've finished working out.
Fat Fuel
➢ Everyone needs a certain amount of fat each day, and this is
particularly true for athletes. That's because active
muscles quickly burn through carbohydrates and need fat for long-
lasting energy. Like carbohydrates, not all fats are created equal.
Experts advise athletes to concentrate on eating healthier fat,
such as the unsaturated fat found in most vegetable oils, some fish,
and nuts and seeds. Try not to eat too much trans-fat–like partially
hydrogenated oils–and saturated fat, that is found in high-fat meat
and high-fat dairy products, like butter. Choosing when to eat fat is
also important for athletes. Fatty foods can slow digestion, so it's a
good idea to avoid eating these foods for a few hours before and
after exercising.
Game-Day Eats
➢ Your performance on game day will depend on the foods you've
eaten over the past several days and weeks. But you can boost
your performance even more by paying attention to the food you
eat on game day. Strive for a game-day diet rich in carbohydrates,
moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Here are some guidelines on what to eat and when:

• Eat a meal 2 to 4 hours before the game or event: Choose a protein
and carbohydrate meal (like chicken sandwich, cereal and milk,
chicken noodle soup and yogurt, or pasta with tomato sauce).
• Eat a snack less than 2 hours before the game: If you haven't had
time to have a pre-game meal, be sure to have a light snack such as
 low-fiber fruits or vegetables (like plums, melons, cherries, carrots),
crackers, or low-fat yogurt.
• Consider not eating anything for the hour before you compete or have
practice because digestion requires energy — energy that you want to
use to win. Also, eating too soon before any kind of activity can leave
food in the stomach, making you feel full, bloated, crampy, and sick.
• Everyone is different, so get to know what works best for you. You
may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on
practice days so that you're better prepared for game day.

Figure 1: Sports Nutrition Pyramid

The entire routine can be managed with this Sports Nutrition Pyramid (see
Figure 1) that includes high energy-boosting food before exercise and other
important activities throughout the day.