The Extras for Athletes
The pressures of being a collegiate athlete. Ever thought about them? Constantly eating healthy, working out, drug testing, and pristine academic records just to name a few. It is a constant demand for excellence.
The division of Sports Medicine within Auburn’s Athletic Department has developed the Optimal Performance and Support Team to help athletes perform at their optimal level in their sport, in the classroom and in their personal life.
Monday afternoon, this support team spoke with Auburn University Cheerleaders, Tiger Paws and Friends of Aubie to inform them of what can show positive on a drug test, the dangers of alcoholism, the importance of nutrition and ways to prevent stress.
Mike Roberts, Director of Sports Medicine spoke to the group about the random drug testing that occurs throughout the year. If marijuana shows up positive on a drug test for the first time, then a warning is submitted. If it shows up a second time then the athlete is benched for 50 percent of the season, and if it happens a third time then the athlete is removed from the team.
Other drugs are taken with more caution and more consequences. If an athlete tests positive for any other drug, such as steroids and amphetamine, then they are benched 50 percent of their season without a warning. The second time, they are off the team. No questions asked. This also includes any prescription that is not under the athlete’s name.
The next issue addressed was alcohol. The cheerleaders and tiger paws have their own 12 hour rule. No alcohol can be consumed 12 hours prior to showing up at an appearance. However, Leon Butler, Auburn’s alcohol educator, informed them that they need to give themselves one to two days alcohol free to achieve a peak performance.
Most people, especially college age students, don’t realize the affects alcohol can have on the body. Aside from causing dehydration, interfering with sleep patterns, increasing fat stores and depleting the body of vital nutrients, alcohol has other affects that athletes in particular need to remember. Athletes need to know that consuming five ore more beverages in one night can affect the brain and body for up to three days. If you double that with two nights of five of more beverages it can take the body up to five days to fully recover. This can lead to an increased risk of injury, increase of fatigue and decrease of reaction time and coordination.
He also taught them a “0-1-2-3� rule. Zero represents no alcohol prior to activities such as a big performance or a test. The one stands for never consuming more than one drink per one hour. Moderation is key. The number two reminds them to never drink more than two times a week. And three means to never have more than three drinks on one occasion.
Butler said, “Following these guidelines will keep you out of trouble and keep you safe.� He went on to say that if you find it hard to stick to these rules, you may have a drinking problem and seeking immediate help is critical. Butler conducts tests that can show where an individual falls and he can provide ways to help.
Dr. Peggy Howland is the Support Team’s consulting psychologist. She coordinates confidential counseling services for student-athletes. She has access to a number of professionals who can help athletes with challenges related to performance and competition, academic difficulties, anxiety, burn-out and depression, eating concerns, confidence and relationships.
Howland enforced coping strategies for a college athlete. She spoke on the importance of establishing a lifestyle for you, developing and maintaining a sense of competence, investing in others, maintaining balance, developing healthy ways of living and maintaining a healthy body. She passed out a list of warning signs of too much stress and said to take notice and schedule an appointment if you have more than five out of the 15 symptoms and they last for over two weeks.
Carol Dillard, the support team’s dietitian was the last to speak with the group. She mainly spoke about hydrations and replenishing the body with nutrients.
She said, “Food is to your body what gas is to a car. When the car runs out of gas it stops working. The same is true with your body and nutrients.�
She handed out a list of good carbohydrates to eat after working out, practice or a performance. She also talked about the amount of water or sports drink to consume prior, during and after the activity.
Within one hour, these 40 student athletes were educated on the foundation of a healthy life. Auburn Athletics goes to great extremes to take care of their students and provide them with help and counseling if needed.
Auburn is fortunate to have such a hard working and caring Athletic Department.
Click to launch pop up and have the text portion read to you.
