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I.
In this year’s 76 season of UAAP, the basketball competition in men’s division is highly anticipated by sports enthusiasts and loyalists as the university teams’ race to the final four and battle for the final two is on. For the athletes to be on top of their game, healthy living must be a requirement. Information from studies and observations enumerate appropriate practices and ways for athletes to keep a healthy lifestyle.

II.
Athletes have special requirement to be physically and mentally fit and ready for their games. A. Right diet and weight for right muscle mass. B. Quality sleep. C. No pain, no gain.

DRAFT ARTICLE

HOW TO KEEP A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
WHEN YOU’RE AN ATHLETE
(Special Feature)

It’s no wonder when you hear UAAP what immediately comes to mind of most sports enthusiasts is the basketball league in men’s division. It’s a known fact that basketball is still the most popular sports here in the Philippines so its no surprise that among the sports competition in the UAAP, basketball gained a great deal of popularity in the nation a bit comparable I believe to Philippine Basketball Association at its helm during the era of Crispa Redmanizers versus Toyota Tamaraw to Ginebra San Miguel vs Tanduay Rhum Masters rivalries.
In this year’s 76 season of UAAP, the basketball competition in men’s division is highly anticipated by sports enthusiasts and loyalists as the university teams’ race to the final four and battle for the final two is on. News and updates about the games are very visible in television, broadsheets and online. In other words, they are being talked about everywhere. To cite a few, there’s the latest brouhaha embroiled in by Coach Perasol of the ADMU Blue Eagles against some hecklers in their recent game, and there’s also the latest article of Ricky Lo in his column in Philippine Star entitled “The 2013 UAAP Hotties” which featured the most popular basketball players under the sole criterion - based on the “scream” of fans during their games. One article though found online in Philstar website caught my attention. It’s an interview dubbed “Fitness tips from two UAAP basketball stars” with two popular players, namely, DLSU Green Archers’ Jed Bryan Manguera and Ateneo Blue Eaglets Juan Miguel Tilongson. They spoke of their health regimens to keep themselves in top shape and ready for their games. It made me realized how athletes take their sports seriously by earnestly maintaining a healthy lifestyle by following self-imposed personal healthy regimens. It now made me ponder about the benefits gained by an athlete from strictly following or at least maintaining some practices in the direction of healthy living.

Let’s go over the following beneficial facts and information that leads to healthy living among athletes:

Right diet and weight for right muscle mass. According to a report by Melinda Manore, a researcher in Oregon State University, athletes seeking a healthy performance weight should eat high fiber, low-fat food balanced with their training regimen in order to maintain muscle while still burning fat. Manore said that what work for athletes is a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained, even during breaks or when not in training. It's important, she said, to adopt a low-energy-dense diet, which includes a large amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish, and low-fat dairy. Avoid beverages high in sugar, especially soda and alcohol. Manore said half of a plate of food should be filled with fruits and veggies, and processed food should be avoided. Other key points on intakes of athletes she gave are : a) eating breakfast rich with high-fiber whole grains, fruit, high-quality protein such as egg whites, and low-fat dairy, and skipping of processed cereals; b) getting plenty of protein spreading the intake throughout the day to refuel; and avoiding fad diets resulting to a stressed out and tired, athlete.

Quality sleep. An athlete in training, needs more than the seven to eight hours of sleep needed by a regular person. All the stress and grueling practices require more time to recover. Sleep is the time when the body repairs itself and if we don’t get enough sleep, it can be expected that we don’t perform well. Studies have found clear evidence that increasing sleep has real benefits for athletes. A 2011 study tracked the Stanford University basketball team for several months. Players added an average of almost two hours of sleep a night. The results? Players increased their speed by 5%. Their free throws were 9% more accurate. They had faster reflexes and felt happier. An athlete deprived of sleep on the otherhand will have decreased energy, worse decision making and reflexes, and hormone changes causing the iincrease a stress hormone that can slow down healing, increase the risk of injuries, and worsen memory.

No pain, no gain. Regular physical activity can improve an athlete’s muscle strength and boost his endurance. He can match his abilities and interests by adjusting his workout time and intensity so it fits his lifestyle, and his current fitness level and allows him to push himself as needed. An athlete can simplify his training to hard and easy or long and short workouts and practice skills needed in his sport. He should not overtrain. He can build fitness by alternating workouts with recovery. Varying workouts, pace, and intensity to enjoy a well-rounded fitness routine that is less likely to result in burn-out or plateaus. He can be flexible. If an athlete missed a training day, he can simply continue with his training plan. Consistency in workout is more effective. Even if an athlete is starting with very short workouts, it's important to do them on a regular basis, several days a week.

An athlete must keep his body in shape from the inside out to be able to keep up and be consistently competitive in his game. Let me end by quoting American life coach Anthony Robbins, “The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results."