The right sport specific workout pants can make a big difference in your comfort and efficiency. As you consider the perfect pair, here are a few points to keep in mind:

Leg style: Sports pants are available in tights, straight leg, boot cut and low rise styles.

Leg length: Many also come in long and short to accommodate leg lengths. Note: Cropped and Capri styles are good choices for yoga if you feel uncomfortable in shorts but you want to avoid pant legs dragging on the floor during twisting and bending poses.

Choose tights or pants sizes based on your waist and hip measurements for standard clothing. For example, a woman who wears a size 10 would be happiest in a size medium tight. If you feel self-conscious in fitted tights, many current styles skim, rather than hug, the body, and feature either boot-cut, wide or tapered legs. Ideally, visit a store and try several pairs, since sizes vary according to brand, just as with any other pants.

But consider your sport before you buy. Many runners and cyclists prefer fitted tights to reduce chafing. For yoga or running, pants that are slightly loose give you full range of motion, but beware of very wide legs that can get in your way.

As for fabric, a polyester outer layer cuts down on wind resistance if you are exercising outdoors in extremely cold, wet or windy weather, but a 100% polyester shell that doesn't breathe can be too hot for intense activity on most days. Read the labels and look for tights or pants that are breathable for the workout itself, but a 100% polyester or polyester blend is fine for warm-ups, cool-downs, and casual running around after the kids in the yard.

One of the most important but often overlooked elements of sports specific training is how to replenish your body after a workout. Post-workout nutrition is especially important for serious athletes who are always training hard and doing multiple workouts per day.

It takes about 20 hours for depleted muscles to fully replenish glycogen. Ideally, consume some high-carb foods and beverages within 15 minutes of completing a tough workout, because that's when the enzymes in your muscles are most susceptible to replacing lost glycogen. To put it another way, a 150-pound person should consume about 300 calories of high-quality carbs within 2 hours after a hard workout.

Although you don't need much protein as part of a sport specific recovery diet, don't neglect it. Protein consumed in combination with carbs help glucose from the blood reach the muscles, so a lean hamburger on wheat roll is a great choice. Aim for a ratio of 1 gram of protein for 3 grams of carbohydrate.

And don't forget electrolytes. When you sweat, you lose potassium and sodium; serious athletes can lose as much as 300-800 mg of potassium during a hard workout. Some good choices are potatoes and bananas. A large potato contains 850 mg of potassium and a medium banana has 450. Many sports drinks don't have much potassium--they are often better suited for pre- or mid-workout refueling.

Most of us get enough sodium from a typical American diet. Most foods that we eat contain more salt than we realize. But if your body needs salt, you will crave it, so if you are craving salt, choose a saltier (but relatively healthy) snack such as pretzels or crackers, or sprinkle some salt on your meals.

Yes, you can wear any old t-shirt and shorts during athletic activity, but with the array of sport-specific apparel available today, why should you? Sport specific clothes are designed to enhance your performance and comfort for a particular sport and can make your workouts more efficient and more enjoyable. Here are two examples:

Biking: Close-fitting, padded biking shorts are designed to minimize wind resistance and to avoid extra fabric catching on any part of the bike. And the padding will make the long rides more comfortable! But most importantly, don't get on a bike without a properly fitted helmet.

Running: You hear a lot about running shoes, but don't underestimate the value of sport specific socks for running. Quality running socks are moisture-wicking to keep your feet drier and prevent blisters. They also have padding in high-stress areas, which can reduce your risk of developing painful calluses and reduce the overall stress on your feet.

Be sure to choose the right sports apparel for specific weather conditions. For example, when biking outdoors, you're generating less heat and more wind resistance than when walking or running. If you choose a jacket that's too breathable, all the wind will pass right through it and you may feel too cold. If you are running outdoors in the winter, a good rule of thumb is to dress as if the temperature is about 15 degrees warmer than the thermometer says, and you may want a jacket that is more breathable than what you would wear for biking, so you don't get overheated. You should feel a little chilly when you first step outside, and after a mile or so feel fairly comfortable.

You can use the same shoes for several kinds of exercises, but if you are serious about a particular sport, having the specific shoes for your sport specific workouts can be the difference between getting in shape and getting injured.

When considering shoes, consider the activity. If you are inside on a basketball or tennis court look for "court shoes" with stability--you don't need or want the tread and flexibility of a running shoe. If you get serious about cycling, invest in a pair of stable, lightweight biking shoes. In addition, you will need specialty shoes for boxing and mixed martial arts if you are serious about these activities. And choosing the right shoes is especially important for running. Don't run in walking shoes, basketball shoes, tennis shoes or cycling shoes. You will only end up with blisters at best and potentially more serious foot and leg problems.

When choosing any shoes, but especially running shoes, it's important to know some facts about your feet. Most people's feet fall into one of three categories:

• Flat feet: If you have flat feet, you need a shoe with more stability
• Normal arch: If your arch is neither too high nor too low, try shoes in both the cushioning and stability categories to determine which type suits your feet.
• High arch: If you have high arches you will need a more cushioned running shoe.

Periodization, also called cycle training, is a year-long sport specific training plan that includes four phases: hypertrophy, basic strength, power and peaking.

Of these, hypertrophy is becoming increasingly popular as part of a sport specific weight training cycle. Want to add a hypertrophy cycle to your weight training? Hypertrophy cycles consist of these principles:

Frequency: The frequency principle of a hypertrophy training cycle says that workout training plans should involve chronically challenging your muscles without working them to failure, so you can recover in less time, in contrast to acutely working out to the point of failure and taking a longer recovery.

Mechanical load: Conventional wisdom says that you must reach muscle failure before all types of muscle fibers are engaged and stimulated. By contrast, the principle of mechanical load says when the load is heavy enough, all muscle fibers are engaged without working to failure. Working with heavy loads causes the muscle microtrauma needed to stimulate repair and growth.

Progression: Progression refers to steadily increasing the mechanical load on the muscles. To encourage the muscles to constantly adapt, continue increasing the amount of weight you lift in your exercises.

Strategic de-conditioning: Last but not least, the principle of strategic de-conditioning involves a planned period of no lifting. Why? To avoid hitting a plateau as your muscles adapt to maximal loads (and you feel that you are no longer progressing). A planned period of 9 to 16 days off at the end of a hypertrophy cycle lets your muscles recover and de-condition from your maximum weight, so you can start again and re-challenge them without hitting a plateau.

If you want to design a sport specific weight training program, consider working with a fitness instructor who can help you choose specific exercises to help you meet your goals.

The jury is still out on whether stretching prevents injury, but there is no denying that it improves flexibility. At the very least, the flexibility that comes from regular stretching will help you resist the shortening of the tendons that comes with age, and help you maintain good posture. And for you athletes, stretching improves the ability to move easily in all directions, which makes you more efficient.

For martial arts, running or cycling, try this move to stretch the iliopsoas muscle in the front of the hip: start in a standing position and move to a lunge. Position yourself so that the front knee is directly over the front ankle, forming a 90-degree angle. Stretch your other leg back and rest your knee on the floor, with the foot of the back leg straight out or with the toes curled under. Keep both knees in the same position, and gradually sink the hip of the extended leg toward the floor. You should feel an easy stretch in the front of the hip. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

Whatever stretches you add to your sport specific workout, keep these principles in mind:

• Never stretch to the point of pain. When you feel a stretch in a muscle, stop and hold it at that point.
• Stretching is not a competitive sport and trying to stretch as far as you can--or as far as your training partner can--will only leave you with a pulled muscle.
• Remember to breathe normally. Holding your breath won't help you reach any further.

Although general overall fitness is a worthy goal, you need to include sport specific training in your workout routine if you want to improve and excel in a particular sport. It may sound obvious, but if you want to be a better soccer player, for example, you need to improve your technique and train the muscles used in soccer.

Plyometric drills provide a quick and easy way to add sport specific training to your workouts. Plyometrics are drills that are specific to different types of sports. The best time to do them is after you have finished an easy workout. Your muscles will be loose, but you won't be too exhausted to focus on form.

One example of a plyometric drill is "High Knees." This drill helps improve running rhythm, so it is good training for running, and running-related sports such as soccer, lacrosse or field hockey. You'll work the lower legs, quads, hip flexors and glut muscles.

Here's how to do it:

• Lift your knees as close to waist level as you can while taking short, quick strides.
• Try to stay forward on your feet and move quickly and lightly as if walking on ice.
• Use your arms, but don't let them swing across your body.
• Start with a modest distance (25 meters or so) and increase the distance as you feel more comfortable with the movement.
• Don't go too fast. The goal is to lift your knees and keep each stride quick, not to cover the distance as fast as possible.