Want to Know The Key to Training Success?
Want to Know The Key to Training Success? Plenty of R&R!
Progressive overload.
Athletes love to train. But in order for the body to adapt it must have a period of recovery. This is not a new concept; it is a cornerstone of everything coaches and athletes should be trying to achieve. To understand the significance of recovery, you need to understand the fundamental principles of progressive overload.
Principles of Progressive Overload.
- Training is designed progressively to overload body systems and fuel stores;
If the training stress is insufficient to overload the body’s capabilities, no adaptations will occur;
If the workload is too great (progressed too quickly, performed too often without adequate rest), then fatigue follows and subsequent performance will be reduced;
Work alone is not enough to produce the best results; you need time to adapt to training stress;
To encourage adaptation to training, it is important to plan recovery activities that reduce residual fatigue;
The sooner you recover from fatigue, and the fresher you are when you undertake a training session, the better the chance of improving.
One of cycling’s best coaches, Peter Keen, explains it thus: ‘Nature has given the human body a wonderful engine management system. It actually responds to stress by adapting to cope with it better… the bottom line is the body does not get fitter through exercise; it gets fitter through recovering from exercise.’
Basic Recovery Strategies:
Level 1 strategies.
Sleep/rest (passive and active)
Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and provides time for the athlete to adapt to the physical and mental demands of training. Other forms of passive rest include reading and listening to music. Active rest activities include walking, cross-training and stretching.
Nutrition (refuelling and rehydration)
The most important components for nutritional recovery are fluid and fuel replacement. You should avoid drinks containing caffeine and drink enough fluid (water, cordials or sports drinks) before, during and after training to replace sweat loss. There is a
45-minute window of opportunity for optimal refuelling after a training session. The ideal recovery nutrition strategy (non-sport-specific) is a meal or liquid supplement containing high glycaemic index carbohydrates and quality proteins in approximately a 4:1 ratio that includes 10-20% of your total daily caloric intake of these two macronutrients.
Level 2 strategies.
Periodisation.
Periodisation is the cycling of the various training elements (strength, speed, endurance, flexibility etc) and variables (intensity, frequency, volume, load) over a period of time in order to ensure you peak for a particular competition or event. A well planned programme will incorporate not just periodised training but appropriate recovery planning.
Reactive programming.
Once you have a periodised training plan, accept that there will be times when you need to deviate from it – usually because your need to recover will turn out to be different from what was anticipated.
It is crucial that both coach and athlete can react flexibly and appropriately to situations that arise during the training programme. If you are tired,there is little point in training for the sake of sticking to the schedule.
Cooldown and stretch.
The cooldown is a group of exercises performed immediately after training to provide a period of adjustment between exercise and rest. Its purpose is to improve muscular relaxation, remove waste products, reduce muscular soreness and bring the cardiovascular system back to rest. Stretching is often combined with the cooldown. It is common for athletes to lack sufficient flexibility to perform their sport’s movements with the greatest efficiency, so this period immediately after the main workout, in which the body temperature is still elevated, provides a good opportunity to improve your range of movement and reduce your risk of injuries.
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