This kind of energy has to come from somewhere!
I read an article this weekend about Andre Iguodala, NBA championships hero for the Golden State Warrior. Iguodala tracked his game performance in relationship to his sleep and found that:
When Iguodala slept more than eight hours on the night before a game, he played 12 percent more minutes and scored 29 percent more per minute, he increased his free-throw shooting by 9 percent and his three-point shooting by 2 percent, and he reduced his turnovers by 37 percent and his personal fouls by 45 percent.
That is pretty impressive, and Stanford track and field agrees:
“Adequate sleep is clearly underappreciated. It can do more for an athlete’s running performance than the proposed benefits of any [dietary] supplements.”
–Dr. Michael Fredericson, MD (Medical director, Stanford Track & Field)
Coaching at Monta Vista, I’ve learned that when an athlete is having a rough day, there are three questions I should start with:
- What did you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner last night?
- How much water have you been drinking?
- How much sleep have you been getting?
Sleep is SO IMPORTANT, team! I want you to get good grades…so I want you to get the adequate amount of studying every day. What I hope is that you organize your life so you can study as you need to get good grades, and also get a solid night of sleep. Not just for your running. A good night’s sleep will make you happier, healthier–and also help you remember what you just studied!
Here is an article I wrote on sleep years ago, but you do not have to read it all to remember–if a Warrior needs his sleep to perform his best, don’t you too?
