Recently, Australian fast bowler Brett Lee was invited to undergo special testing at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) in Chicago, Illinois - tests which will help improve his game and extend his career.
Established in 1988, the GSSI is a research facility dedicated to the science of exercise, and over the years some of the world’s leading athletes have been tested there.
For Brett, hydration is crucial. He has to perform all day in some of the world’s hottest climates, so he was eager to discover his body’s needs and how to maximise his performance.
He was accompanied on the trip by one of Australia’s leading sports dietitians, Glenn Cardwell, who’s provided The Coaches Edge with this report.
Brett Lee is entering his fourth season representing his country at the highest level. He is one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history, often reaching speeds of 150-160 km/h.
A powerful weapon in Australia’s cricket arsenal, it’s important for Brett to be at his best throughout a game. Research has shown dehydrated fast bowlers become inaccurate(1), giving the opposition batsmen greater chance to score – not something you want playing Pakistan.
Brett went into the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) tests with a good foundation. He doesn’t drink alcohol during the season, he eats a balanced diet and is very fit, as you’d expect.
"I’ve come in at the right stage when things have changed", said Brett, referring to the Australian cricket team’s attitude to sports nutrition. "Cricket is about being a professional. We are getting paid better and we are playing a lot more cricket, so we have to be a lot healthier and a lot fitter."
At the GSSI, Brett underwent three laboratory tests to determine his fitness, how much sweat he loses and the electrolyte (salt) content of his sweat - information which will help protect him from the debilitating effects of dehydration, cramps and heat stress.
1. Aerobic fitness (VO2 max) test
Brett’s fitness was proved immediately with the VO2 max test, which measured how much oxygen his body uses during exercise. He was pushed to the limit on a treadmill which gradually becomes steeper and faster. Most top class athletes last less than 10 minutes. Brett made 14 minutes, even though he had only been back in training for two weeks after a six-week lay-off. The test shows that Brett has more than adequate aerobic fitness for a fast bowler, which is clearly a positive for a top class cricketer who needs to concentrate on other areas of training as well as aerobic fitness.
2. Sweat test
The next test had Brett riding a bicycle ergometer (effectively a stationary bicycle) for an hour in a laboratory which was set up to mimic a summer’s day in Sydney, 27° and 70% humidity. Brett started sweating after six minutes as expected - fit people start sweating early and profusely to efficiently cool the body. Between the 20-40 minute marks, his sweat was collected by placing a special plastic bag around his arm.
By monitoring his fluid intake and weight loss it was easy to determine how much sweat he lost during the test. Virtually all weight loss during a practice or match is due to fluid loss.
The results showed that in typical Sydney conditions, Brett lost slightly more than one litre of sweat an hour. Brett has been trying to drink at least 600mL of Gatorade an hour during matches, but he now knows that’s considerably less than he’s been sweating out
.When he got off the bike, Brett’s sweat was analysed and it was found he loses quite a bit of sodium – around 1300mg per litre. Athletes can lose between 900-1800 mg.(2) This makes Brett a “salty sweater” and his sodium losses can lead to cramping.
In fact Brett used to regularly get cramps in the last session of play, but recently he’s won that battle by drinking more during games. He’s also been using GatorLytes – an electrolyte mix formulated specifically for cramp-prone athletes.
Before using GatorLytes, Brett was replacing most of the fluid he lost but was restoring only about a third of his lost sodium. Brett now knows specifically how much fluid and electrolytes his body needs to maintain peak performance.
"I used to drink plain water. Water’s great but with water you get to a certain point when your body feels like it is hydrated. It switches off the thirsty feeling so you don’t drink any more but the truth is you haven’t hydrated properly and you can pay for that later."
3. Wingate power test
The final test was the exhausting Wingate power test. Brett was strapped to another bicycle and had to repeatedly pedal flat out for 30 seconds. Peak power output was measured in the first five seconds, and an average taken over the full 30 seconds. The test measured how much anaerobic power Brett can bring to bear – for example, when springing to make a single. His maximum power was 15.3 watts/kg with an average of 8.7 watts/kg. This is similar to international rugby players(3), which is quite impressive.
Sweat loss in bowlers
Research on fast bowlers shows they lose a lot of fluid in warm weather and, although it may not affect speed, it will affect accuracy.(1) In warm weather bowlers lose 700mL of sweat per hour, and this can jump to 1.5L/hr or more in hot conditions.(4) During test matches in Australia, there are four drink stations around the boundary and one or two formal drinks breaks in a two-hour session, depending on the temperature.
Brett is quick to tell you that speed is not as important as accuracy. In fact, he has been told to slow things down a little to get the accuracy required, especially in the One Day Internationals.
Summary
Brett’s time at the GSSI has confirmed his current training regimen – which involves a lot of sand running and targeted weight training - is on track. He is aerobically fit and has good anaerobic power to send down deliveries or smash a six. But more importantly Brett has learned what he needs to do to stay properly hydrated. In conditions similar to those of the Sydney Cricket Ground in summertime, his rate of sweat was about one litre per hour. The sodium content was 1300mg/L (average range 900-1800mg/L). All that liquid and salt has to be constantly replaced to keep him at his best.
"Since I’ve been drinking to a plan the body feels a lot better, I’m better hydrated and I’ve been using GatorLytes which is extra sodium and that’s exactly what’s been taken out of me. You do lose a lot of sweat and a lot of salt so it’s a matter of putting that sodium back in and since I’ve been doing that over the last couple of years I think I’ve had only one cramp," he said.
"I think some cricketers are up there with some of the fittest people going around. Certainly what I learnt at the GSSI is very valuable information which is going to keep me in good stead this summer."
And if Brett’s firing on all cylinders - it should be a very good summer for Aussie cricket fans.
- GLENN CARDWELL, Sports Dietitian