Excelling in sports isn’t just about training harder—there are many strategies that go into competing at your best.
Six Yale Department of Internal Medicine faculty members—many of whom are athletes in their own right—discuss evidence-based ways to enhance sports performance.
1. Sleep
Sleep helps athletes perform at their highest potential, says Klar Yaggi, MD, MPH, professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine), who directs the Yale Center for Sleep Medicine. Sleep not only allows the body to recover but also boosts mental health, accuracy, cognitive function, and cardiovascular and metabolic health, among other benefits.
In fact, Yaggi says, many elite athletes, such as NBA players, nap before games. “There is strong evidence that shows naps significantly improve performance,” he said, adding that developing a sleep routine, or series of activities done in the same order to wind down before bed, can help improve sleep quality.
2. Interval training
As both a runner and researcher, Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD, professor of medicine (digestive diseases), is a strong advocate of interval training, a type of exercise that combines periods of fast activity with slower activity. “This type of training effectively boosts performance by improving cardiovascular fitness, endurance, muscle strength, and running efficiency,” Iwakiri said.
Iwakiri, who participates in the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, alternates high-intensity running with lower-intensity recovery periods. Starting two months before the race, she participates in a weekly group run to prepare for and improve her performance in the half-marathon.
3. Carbohydrates
Athletes need an adequate supply of various carbohydrates for both quick energy bursts and endurance. Raimund Herzog, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine (endocrinology) and cyclist, focuses on optimizing carbohydrate absorption and utilization when he rides.
“In the past, endurance studies used only glucose as fuel,” he said. “Newer research has shown that the addition of fructose and longer-chain—or more complex—carbohydrates such as maltodextrin can provide more energy. As a result, we now see increases in power output over time that were previously thought impossible.”
Herzog adds a combination of glucose or fructose and maltodextrin (more for longer-duration rides) to his drink to boost energy during bike rides.
4. Caffeine
As a physician, parent, and tennis player, Jensa Morris, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine, finds that caffeine is key to performance in sports—and life. “Caffeine has been shown to improve muscular and aerobic endurance, strength, sprinting, and a wide range of sport-specific actions,” she said. “For optimal performance, the recommendation is three to six milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass.”
Morris drinks two to three cups of coffee an hour before a tennis match.
5. Cross-training
Engaging in a variety of athletic pursuits can prevent injuries and help maintain whole-body health, according to Richard Bucala, MD, PhD, Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and professor of pathology and of epidemiology.
Bucala points out that 80 percent of the body is muscle mass. “Since we are integrated physiologically and don’t exist as separate organ systems, we should be using muscle for overall mental, metabolic, cardiovascular, and immunologic health,” he said, noting that staying active is more important than the specific sport one chooses.
A lifelong distance runner, Bucala, who completed nine consecutive Boston marathons in his 50s, found that swimming both strengthened and relaxed core muscles stressed by running.
6. Mental strength
Mark Mamula, PhD, professor of medicine (rheumatology), stresses the importance of focusing on the mental aspect of whatever activity is about to be performed. Mamula, a former two-time All-American swimmer at UCLA, ranked sixth in the world in the individual medley when he retired.
The best performances at any level arise from the convergence of the physical and mental aspects, Mamula notes. “For example, the ability to eliminate distractions through concentration or to channel nervousness can lead to peak performance,” he said.
Another important mental component involves visualizing yourself in every important detail of the activity, from start to finish, according to Mamula. “In a strange way, it’s embracing the pressure of competition,” he said.
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.