I
Isabelle, a student from British School Manila initiatites OptimiseU, a visual, science-backed resource for athletes who don't yet understand the power at their fingertips to become a better and more curious sportsperson.
magine the most obscure language you've heard of. Imagine the foreign syllables. The bizarre intonations. Fusing together to become a string of incomprehensible sounds. That was science to me: a language that my Year 10 self had yet to decode, and truly appreciate. During my GCSE years, being recruited into the U16 Philippines Women's National Football Team, I was suddenly exposed to this novel application of science. Never in my wildest dreams had I envisioned such an inextricable link between a ball-game and science. Yet, I was learning about and questioning Sports Science's vast field through my coaches and my physiotherapist. Here's what I learnt from training at a national level:
Pocari Sweat or coconut juice. Too much salt in the body leads to electrolyte imbalance, leading to cramps and dizziness. We were only allowed 1 bottle of Pocari Sweat per match day. (I fought incredibly hard against the urge to sneak a sip.) 2. Stretching...actually matters. And, if done properly, it could prevent muscle soreness. Like many middle school and high school students, I didn't fully respect the idea of warm-up and cool-down, having never noticed significant benefits from them. However, with a
1. There is a fine line between under and over-consumption of that rich bottle of electrolytes, be it Gatorade, 16
The idea that an understanding of biology and chemistry's intricate mechanisms could allow me to manipulate my performance really intrigued me. There is customisation and adaptation in sports that can lead to optimisation.
