Fine Tuning Your Car: Sports Conditioning

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps stands at the podium with his gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte holds his bronze medal, and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh shows his silver medal at Beijing. White House photo by Eric Draper

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a famous and talented athlete? Have you ever dreamed about being at the top of a sport?

Cultures across the world value sports and athletes differently. For example, in many countries, soccer is the most popular sport, and the top soccer players are equally as popular. In the United States, professional sports such as football, basketball, and baseball boost top athletes to celebrity status. No matter the place or the sport, being a top athlete takes a degree of natural ability. However, that alone will not guarantee an athlete will make it "big" in his or her sport.

Michael Phelps' swimming coach, Bob Bowman, saw many attributes in Michael that made him an elite athlete, and eventually an Olympic swimmer (KidsHealth™). The first thing he noticed was Phelps’ competitive nature. He loved winning and hated losing, in anything. Bowman also could see that Phelps had the physical characteristics of a swimmer: long legs, long arms, and good range of motion to carry out the swimming strokes.

Sports Nutrition

Your body requires an adequate intake of nutrients, such as calories, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and water, to run at top levels. The more physical demands you place on your body, the more nutrients you need. Athletes and those who exercise regularly must pay attention to the food and water they consume in order to ensure they are fueling their body for activity, and refueling it after physical activity. Improper fueling, refueling, and hydration can hinder an athlete's or exercise-enthusiast's performance, and can even lead to serious health complications and injury.

Elite Training

Being good at your sport takes commitment. Top athletes train two and maybe three times a day. Specifically, they train in the sport first thing in the morning before school, then again after school. It does not stop there. Strength training, flexibility training, and mental preparation are mixed into the training regimen. To fulfill this commitment, athletes must make sacrifices in other areas of life.

Good athletes eat, sleep, and live for their sport, and often do not have time to socialize. Their friends are their teammates, and their free time is spent practicing.

Athletic training can involve all types of exercises to develop one's body and skills for optimum sports performance. It also involves avoiding fatigue and injury. In this interactivity, you will learn about the types of training athletes perform, and the types of training athletes should avoid. Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of this interactivity.

Sports Conditioning Review

Now that you have learned a bit about sports conditioning, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player button to get started.