How the UKSI helps to prepare GB's sports and athletes
The UKSI are sending over 140 practitioners to Paris for this summer’s Olympic Games but their influence on the country’s favourite sports team runs much deeper.
Collaborating with Team GB and ParalympicsGB in a variety of areas, the UKSI has been at the heart of much of the support available to athletes preparing to compete in France.
Ahead of the Opening Ceremony this Friday night, here is a look at some of the ways the UKSI have helped prepare Britain’s athletes for success.
Nutrition
For the past 18 months the UKSI’s Technical Lead & Performance Rehabilitation Nutritionist, Wendy Martinson OBE, has also been performing the role of Lead Nutritionist for Team GB.
Leading a team of five, Martinson has helped coordinate nutrition services across the entire GB footprint at these summer Olympic Games.
Finding a caterer to provide food for all athletes and members of support staff, it has been a significant undertaking.
Having to take into account individual food tolerances, allergies, the size of the kitchens available to them and more, it is a significant feat.
This week, as athletes have begun to filter into the Saint-Germain-en-Laye Preparation Camp, they have finally begun to enjoy the food over a year in the making.
Martinson said: “We try and influence the choices that they make and the food they choose to eat helps them be the best athlete they can be and perform at their best. Especially when it comes to something like an Olympic Games.
“We need to cover allergies, tolerances, gluten free, lactose free – you name it and we cover it.
“It took a long time. We got final menus through in March, we went to a taste-testing to see and feel what the food would be like, and to taste it. It was great.
“Once we had done that, we felt like we were nearly there.
“What we hope is that athletes come in and they will get a delicious meal that they look forward to.
“We hope that they will be able to find something that they enjoy, but also fulfils their needs as an athlete.”
Female Athlete Health and Performance
Dr Kate Hutchings is the clinical lead for the UKSI’s Female Athlete Health and Performance service.
This includes leading weekly clinics for female athletes and has featured on Team GB’s Sporty AF series alongside Olympians Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Jazmin Sawyers.
Regularly educating athletes on how menstrual, pelvic and breast health can affect performance, this work is continuing with Team GB, where she is undertaking the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
Dr Hutchings said: “Every female athlete going to the Games will be having a bag filled with feminine hygiene products.
“That also contains a leaflet about tracking your menstrual cycle, understanding your body, your symptoms with periods, pelvic health and contraception.
“We have also done podcasts with athletes and support staff to try and promote awareness. For the first time at the Olympic Village there is a creche for all the nations, which I think sends a really positive message for athletes across the world.
“Females have periods, they may have issues, pelvic floor, breast health – these are all normal things that affect every single woman and athletes are no different.
“In the past couple of years we have had our clinical service for health and performance and that has been a really big initiative and has been a really big initiative and has had huge benefits across our network, because athletes can come to see us about absolutely anything.”
Mental Health
Over the course of the Paris cycle, the UKSI, Team GB and ParalympicsGB have worked together to establish mental health support for athletes and support staff heading to the Games. This is in addition to the work of the UKSI Mental Health Team and Mental Health Expert Panel, who provide support to sports and athletes year around.
Team GB’s Dr Carrie McCrae has worked with the UKSI’s mental health and psychology staff to establish an extensive support network that will be available 24/7 during Games-time.
Establishing a helpline and clear lines of communication between staff, Dr McCrae is keen to emphasise that this support is an extension of the already embedded support.
She said: “What has been great is that the collaboration with UKSI has been much stronger.
“What we have really looked to do with the mental health team is gather as much intelligence as we can, to really understand what sports are doing in this area and that has been very much shared.
“We have had that regular touch-point to say; this is what we are doing and why.
“The mental health team do the lion’s share of the work during the Olympic and Paralympic cycles.
“We want to compliment that and that has been incredibly positive.”
Sleep
In March, it was unveiled that Dreams and Team GB had invested in athletes’ sleep at Paris 2024.
Investment came following research from Dr Luke Gupta, the UKSI’s Performance Innovation Consultant, which outlined the positive effects of napping.
Sleep pods are now available for athletes and staff at Team GB’s Performance Lodge in Paris to help aid physical and mental performance.
Supported by Greg Retter, Head of Performance Services for Team GB, it is hoped that sleep pods can give athletes a competitive edge in competition.
Dr Gupta said: “Sleep is a pillar of athlete health, wellbeing and performance, and it is important athletes have the capability, and opportunity, to manage their sleep when put under strain at an Olympic Games.
“We know that taking a short nap can significantly boost alertness and have a positive impact on mental and physical performance, which is why the Dreams Sleep Retreat will be such a fantastic addition to the Team GB Performance Lodge.”
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