Fitness and recovery: Health24: Fitness

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Fitness and recovery

How high should a lock jump? How fast should a wing run, or a loose forward? What percentage body fat is the absolute maximum for a prop? How well do our boys measure up?

The importance of recovery

Recovery forms an integral part of the training process. High volumes of training with insufficient recovery lead to symptoms of fatigue with an accompanying high risk of injury.

Practical recovery strategies

Here are examples of recovery strategies which can be used after training and after a match incluidng a sample pool recovery session.

How to warm-up effectively

A structured warm-up should consist of progressive activities and dynamic flexibility and followed by specific movements that are close to the motor mechanics of the sport.

Physical attributes of players

There has been a significant change in the body mass of elite rugby players, with the increase being greater than what would be expected for the normal upward trend.

Rugby fitness Q&A

Need to know some quick rugby fitness facts to beef up your knowledge during the half-time chat? Moneque Roos, a biokineticist at Virgin Active does a quick Q & A for us.

Springbok Rugby fitness norms

Exactly what physical condition are the Springboks expected to be in? These are the exact figures.

Types of recovery techniques

There are a number of different types of treatments and recovery strategies rugby players and teams use, here we look at the most common and the research surrounding them.

Sleep and rugby players

Sleep and recovery after exercise, particularly relating to performance, is important and the link between sleep cognitive function and metabolic function is growing.

The demands of the changing game

To prepare physically for rugby there are basic training principles that need to be understood and adhered to.

Overtraining a concern

Rugby players are expected to peak several times a year, coinciding with the playoffs of the different tournaments, this can lead to overtraining and exhaustion.