Abilities required for badminton and the functions of amino acids
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Abilities required for badminton and the functions of amino acids
Badminton requires endurance to be able to dash freely up and down the court in a hot gymnasium. There are many foot injuries, so it is important to take care of your joints and tendons. Physical recovery is also important to get through the match season.
Here we will explain the abilities required of badminton players and introduce the functions of the amino acids that support them.
When playing badminton, it is important to take care of your foot joints and tendons
Badminton is a sport that puts a lot of strain on the feet. The repeated stop-and-go movements put a lot of strain on the Achilles tendons and knees. If you injure yourself once, you may be forced to take a long break, so if you feel even the slightest bit of discomfort, we recommend taking measures as soon as possible.
Six specific amino acids support the joints by improving pain, stiffness, and discomfort in the knee joints.
Intermittent endurance for sprinting, stopping and smashing
Badminton is not a sport where you run at a constant pace like a marathon, but rather you need to run back and forth and side to side around the court.
The endurance required for this type of exercise is called "intermittent endurance." The key to intermittent endurance is how quickly you metabolize the waste products produced by sprinting at full speed.
"Aspartic acid" can speed up the metabolism of this waste product and increase intermittent endurance.
Nutrition is the key to recovering muscle fatigue after consecutive games
Before an important match, you want to be in the best condition, completely recovered from the fatigue of practice. To achieve this, rest and a proper nutritional approach are important. Protein and amino acids are especially important for recovering muscles that have been broken down during daily practice.
In particular, essential amino acids that contain a lot of leucine are effective in muscle recovery.
The fatigue you feel after practicing in a hot gym may be due to damage to your stomach.
In badminton, matches and practice are conducted in closed gyms, so body temperature rises. If body temperature rises to around 38.6-39.0℃, it will damage the stomach. Damage to the stomach (especially the small intestine and large intestine) will lead to fatigue throughout the body.
The amino acids "cystine" and "glutamine" help prevent inflammation throughout the body by maintaining the intestinal barrier function.
A conversation between a top NSCA-certified personal trainer and a licensed sports nutritionist
We interviewed Takahiro Sakai, who has experience coaching badminton at Ryukoku University's Sports and Cultural Activities Center, and Kumi Sasaki, a certified sports nutritionist and former badminton player herself.
![[Special Discussion] Badminton Part 1: Conditioning for a sport that requires power and endurance](https://sports-science.ajinomoto.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/interview06_main01.jpg)
Summary
| Required Skills for Badminton Players | Functions of Amino Acids |
|---|---|
| Be careful of foot injuries when playing badminton. Early treatment is necessary when you experience any discomfort. | Six specific amino acids are effective in relieving knee pain, stiffness, and discomfort. |
| The repeated full-speed sprints involved in a rally require intermittent endurance. | "Aspartic acid" can increase intermittent endurance. |
| If your body temperature rises too much when practicing in a hot gym, your intestines will be damaged, leading to fatigue throughout the body. | "Cystine" and "glutamine" prevent inflammation throughout the body by maintaining the intestinal barrier function. |
| When hard games or practice sessions continue for consecutive days, muscles are not able to fully recover. | The essential amino acid "leucine," which is rich in the compound, helps speed up muscle recovery the next day. |
We have released a checklist to help you check your condition and the second part of the interview article exclusively for members! Please make use of them.
![[Special Discussion] Badminton Part 2: Match preparation is important for improving performance](https://sports-science.ajinomoto.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/interview06_main02.jpg)