Mathilde Lacombe

Cricket has become an international pride for the nations that play the game, and hence the players are well paid for their performance. Performance is the key factor that is rated on the fitness and talent of the player, which in turn decides whether he or she can be a part of the team. The Australian team is very popular for their fitness because the board hired talented professionals to their fitness and nutrition team like dieticians, best nutritionists from all over the country, physio in north Brisbane, doctors and nurses. The team of professionals guide the team players and be along with them to whichever match they go for, taking care of their fitness and nutrition. They also help in the complete recovery of the injured players during or practice sessions of the match.

Nutrition in cricket and its importance

Nutrition is the basis for the fitness of the players. Nutrition for cricket must be a balanced mixture of essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and essential oils for recovery. Nutrition for the player includes various diet plans such as diet before matches, during the match, during recovery, snacks during the match and hydration levels. Nutritional diet plans vary from player to player and the task they perform. For example, bowlers need more energy than batters; likewise, batsmen need more endurance than bowlers. So nutritional values in a diet chart are different for each player. Hydration is very important when it comes to nutrition because cricket is a sport where dehydration is high, leading to a loss of energy. Water needs differ for each format of cricket and the climatic zones of the place they are played. The diet plans are updated for each match depending on the factors based on the location of the match, the format of the game and the number of days for practice. Though energy is more important for cricketers, they don’t need as much compared to cyclist and runners, so they are advised to eat carbohydrates rich diet low glycaemic index (GI) during the matchday, cricketers recommended playing on an empty stomach, and low GI meals are taken two or four hours prior the match. A heavy diet is not advisable during a match, so snacks like yoghurt, carbohydrate crackers, milk smoothies etc., can be taken. Also, to avoid dehydration, water, electrolytes and energy drinks are permitted. A post-match diet must contain carbohydrates, proteins, fluids, and vegetables for refuelling, muscle repair, rehydration and revitalising, respectively, for complete recovery.

Role of fitness in cricket

Fitness in any sport is very important, and especially when it comes to cricket, only fitness decides the opportunity of a player to be selected for a match. In cricket, fitness includes energy, endurance, running capacity, muscle strength, flexibility and SAQ.

The trainers use many techniques to gain energy, such as breathing exercises, running, high-intensity workouts, Pilates and yoga. To gain muscle strength and flexibility, they are recommended to perform strength training, yoga, brisk walking etc. Yoga is used to increase energy and muscle strength and reduce stress due to matches.

Physiotherapy is very important when it comes to recovery from injuries caused during the match and practice session. The Australian fitness team consist of the best physiotherapists with proven methods (physio in north Brisbane and other parts of the country) who are capable of helping the players for their extraordinary fitness and quick recovery from injuries.

Author bio: Steffy Alen is a copywriter and content strategist. She helps businesses stop playing around with content marketing and start seeing the tangible ROI. She loves writing as much as she loves the cake.