Win the mental battle

With the most exciting Premier League season for years drawing to an end, teams will be looking back and reflecting on what might have been. Individual decisions taken at critical times will shape the outcome of the winners and losers more so than any other season. What if John Terry hadn't lost his composure against Tottenham or Dimitar Berbatov could have taken his chances when it really mattered against Blackburn?

When there's very little to pick between teams the outcome of a game can boil down to something as simple as who can win the mental battle. At the stage of the game when energy levels have hit an all time low and your ability to change direction is similar to a cruise ship, there is nothing more demoralising than watching the player you were supposed to be marking glide into the penalty box to score the winning goal.

To win the mental battle and get that edge over your opponent caffeine has been proven to improve alertness, concentration, focus and reaction time. To take advantage of the benefits caffeine can bring to your game consume 1-3 mg/kg 40 – 60 minutes before kick-off. In this case, less is more; larger doses of caffeine will do more harm than good and could result in headaches, restlessness and irritability. Consuming a Lucozade Sport Caffeine Boost on the way to the ground is a convenient way to prepare for the mental battle ahead.

- Lucozade Sport Science Team

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