Kanvar said:
Nikhil said:
Kanvar said:
I'm no doctor, but I do have a degree in human biology haha. So you just started trying out for a team and you're cramping? It's just your body's response to the strenuous exercise its not used to. Take nuffy's advice and take time to stretch AFTER you do a light warmup otherwise you're just stretching "cold" rather than when the muscles are "warm." Keep the energy drinks around during practice to replenish those electrolytes. Make sure you eat properly (carb load) before practice to make sure your muscles have enough energy when you need to use em. Prevention is key, but other than that if you get a strong cramp or something apply deep pressure directly where the cramp is for like 10-15s with your fingers and hopefully that should ease the pain.
Just my advice, but never drink energy drinks because they are chock full of sugar, High fructose corn syrup and bull shit. They won't replenish your electrolytes efficiently, since it's all sugar, it's just going to give you a sugar rush that will make you crash hard. It's not improving anything (nutritionally speaking). Drink water and water mostly. Definitely DO NOT carbo load...our exercise in the form of bhangra is mostly anaerobic in 1 setting/performance. Granted we do this all the time so we are getting AEROBIC benefits, but this type of dieting is only good for long distance running, skiing, boxing...any event where we'd be moving nonstop for over a 1.5 hours. All those carbs are going to make you gain weight, which will challenge your attempts to improve stamina for your set even more.
Aight prolly should have been more detailed in my post..but 1) wouldn't gatorade, even though it may be loaded with sugar (along with other electrolytes) be a good drink to take during the activity? and 2) "carb load" was maybe alittle to strong but depending on how much a team is practicing, a dancer has to have adequate carb intake to maintain glycogen stores during practice or performance. and yes i agree, bhangra is an anaerobic activity that uses fast-twitch muscles supplied by glycogen, not oxygen as in aerobic activity, and synthesized by carbs.
That is true, Kanvar, about wanting to supply your body with enough sugar and electrolyte during an activity, and I definitely agree with you. But it depends on the nature of the activity and how long the activity is. Typically, we will really need that stuff if we're running marathons or skiing, some type of prolonged aerobic activity.
You're right about needing to have an ample glycogen store for dancers, to a degree though. I'm sure you're not imagining it in extreme amounts like I am (when I think of loading, lol), but you just don't want to run the risk of over eating and over supplying the body with carbohydrate, because chances are, the intensity of each practice session and even each individual run through won't even have a significant impact on a huge glycogen store we just made after eating a whole lot of pasta; we'd be hurting ourselves much more by eating that much. So yes! Eat carbs, but in moderation and with a good amount of protein too! And Veggies and fruits >> energy drinks for your vits and minerals!
Kanvar, are you an exercise physiology major? I got some wicked stuff related to bhangra that I did when I got my master's, lemme know if you wanna see it. I'd have to get it from home, but I'd like to show you guys! nerds ftwwwww
