To combat fatigue during a match you are going to have to perform some tests on yourself. A lot of the decision making is relative to how long you have to turn things around, your physical conditioning and how your body reacts to stimulants.
Water has always helped. Also coffee with sugar, Pepsi too.
First thing to do is what was suggested by Hu and others, but first go to the bathroom and remove your shoes and socks and place them in the toilet and flush the toilet several times, giving new life to your feet. OldHasBeen claimed it would give you an additional three hours of prime time.
Not so sure I want to put my feet where others have left their you-know-what. Tried it at home after washing the toilet and didn't do much for me.
What Hu and others also suggested was to run cold water and to cool your face and neck. I like to wash my hands and wrists in cold water first then rinse off my face and neck thoroughly and basically cool down my body. Most of the time when I am fatigued I am also hot. The cooling down has helped me feel better and less fatigued.
That also works for me.
I have used coffee with sugar as a short term stimulant with good success when I am very tired. If I am rested the coffee and sugar have a negative effect on my ability to play and it simply makes me nervous. This is where you have tofind out for yourself how you react to the stimulants. Some people especially the younger guys seem to live on Red Bull.
I am looking forward to trying Rodney Morris's energy drink, EXTREME FOCUS. It is supposed to be debuting at Valley Forge although I don't know if I will make that tournament or not.
I also ALWAYS carry nutritious hi-energy bars that are sold at Whole Food stores around the country.
WATER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STIMULANT THAT YOU CAN USE. I think I will get an AMEN from all of the health gurus of the world for this.
YOu can also test your body out with GatorAid and other energy drinks because I have found that what works well for one person does not always work well for another.
When I prepare for a tournament, I force myself to sleep extra HOURS each night three days before a tournament.
That suggestion is a bit tough for me to do, but I'm sure it's a good one. It seems that I build up a little extra juice in my batteries if I do this. Sometimes I will upon awakening in the morning, simply close my eyes and lay there quiet and not moving for an extra hour or more. My mind is already awake and I will be thinking many thoughts during this time. It will seem like 10 minutes has passed but when I open my eyes to check on the alarm clock I find that an hour or more has passed so I know I have been sleeping. I do this especially on tournament day and it gives me a little more zip.
I also do some stretching and deep breathing which also seems to give me some slight relief from the fatigue. I quit worrying about what others think and stretch to my heart's content.
Like most things in life, you are going to have to learn for yourself what works best for you but these items should be a map for you to get started.
This is an excellent thread!
Yes, the suggestions have been awesome!
EVERYONE who enjoys competition should write down ALL of the suggestions and refer to it from time to time. Most of these suggestions have come from someone's own personal experience and success.
GEEZE................, I almost forgot and this one has saved me many a time: Try different eye drops and find which one works best for you and use them during the match to refresh your eyes. EYES THAT FEEL REFRESHED seem to help me concentrate better.........
That's one I'll have to try.
JoeyA
