Athletes Need to be a Little Strange
“Monk” with a baseball bat? The image of the obsessive-compulsive TV detective swinging away may seem ludicrous, but it’s not so far-fetched after all, because it turns out that the best athletes are all “OC.” And You know you shouldn’t take vitamins after you exercise. We’ve also told you that chocolate milk and coffee work better than sports drinks. The latest recommendation for your recovery after playing sports? Cereal and milk!
In New Scientist, Peter Aldhous reports on what we’ve all noticed when the TV camera gives us close-ups of the dugout: athletes are superstitious. They have certain rituals, such as twirling their bats or wearing their caps a certain way, that they repeat with every game because they think this will help them to win.
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