Band Aid Solutions for the Modern Athlete
- Derek M. Hansen –
On a daily basis, I am fascinated as I observe my two young kids interact with each other and their environment, negotiating various situations and challenges that arise. I am always particularly interested in how they deal with the situation of an injury (i.e. scrape, cut, abrasion) and getting hurt during the process of play. Simply falling down can elicit a response that includes lots of crying and wailing, despite the severity of the fall. The magnitude of the response often mirrors their mental state or level of tiredness or hunger at the time of the incident. I have specifically tuned into how much they like the idea of having a band-aid applied to their “boo-boo” and how much comfort and security it brings them. Regardless of how much actual benefit the band-aid brought them, it made the difference between a sobbing mess and them continuing on with their business. The injury itself had not changed, and the amount of actual pain they felt (as opposed to perceived pain) was no different. The band-aid was a miracle cure in their minds.
This phenomenon got me to thinking about the different fixes that we see in sporting life, including knee braces, orthotics, tape jobs, neoprene sleeves, supplements and other medicines. So much effort is put into treating an injury – for better or for worse – in ways that simply give the perception of safety, healing and/or improvement. Whether or not actual improvement is occurring is debatable. The same could be said for many physical training regimes. Perception is more important than reality in the minds of many individuals. There appears to be no difference in the psychology behind many treatments and applications – regardless if you are a young child or a mature adult. Among all humans, band-aids and placebos work.
Some modern examples of fixes for athletes can include the following:
Knee braces
In many sports, you will see athletes training and competing with the use of a knee brace. These braces can take the form of fitted neoprene sleeves with an array of supporting straps or cyborg-like braces with carbon-fiber framing and titanium hinges. In all cases, these devices are advertised as providing protection and support while allowing the athlete to perform and move adequately in their sport. In my experience, an individual must spend a good deal of money to get a customized brace that fits appropriately and provides the specific support that is needed. In practice, I see lots of knee sleeves and straps that provide compression and perhaps even warmth, but not much in the way of support. In the case of rigid braces, I see lots of poorly fitted braces that do not offer appropriate support and also hinder proper biomechanics, resulting in poor performance, lots of discomfort and not much protection. Ideally, an athlete would go without a brace in training and practice – where risk can be more closely managed – to allow for proper movement mechanics and natural strengthening. A properly fitted, structurally sound brace could be re-introduced for competition to provide support and maximize safety. Unfortunately, I often see inadequate, loosely fitted braces provided to athletes in a “band-aid” fashion giving them the illusion of protection and security.
Orthotics
When I was training and competing as an athlete, I was constantly prescribed orthotics for everything from shin-splints to knee pain to hip pain and back pain. It was the miracle cure. “Hey, we figure that all of your different aches and pains all stem from your flat feet.” None of the sports medicine doctors ever asked me about training volume, training surfaces, training progressions or technical execution. The thing that always troubled me was that the doctors would always do their measurements for the orthotics when I was injured. They were not working from a baseline of a healthy individual, but rather measuring me up for orthotics when I was injured and heavily compensating for the aches and pains in my body. It made no sense to me. How could the doctor’s measurements be trusted? I was told that I would likely feel more soreness during the break-in period for the orthotics and shouldn’t train very hard during this period. Of course, because my training volume was lower, inevitably I would feel better. “Hey, it must be these new-fangled orthotic-thingies that are making me feel better!” Rest was the cure – the $400 orthotics were the expensive band-aid.
Core Shorts
Groin problems are a common issue for American football defensive backs who are required to change direction quickly, stop and go, turn their hips violently and sprint at a moment’s notice. This is also the case with athletes who play basketball, soccer and ice hockey. While I would commonly implore the coaches to give them more rest between their weekly games and also incorporate some soft-tissue therapy for adductors, abdominals and hip flexors, the team trainers would recommend the athletes go out and buy themselves some “core shorts.” For those of you not familiar with this product, it is the 21st century equivalent of wrapping your pelvis and privates in a corset. The core shorts are advertised as providing the support that your musculature could not provide in the groin and pelvic area, while allowing you to perform dynamically in your sport. When in reality, your range of motion is so compromised by the compression garment that it is impossible to reach any dynamic range of motion that would allow you to stretch your groin and be productive in competition. Instead of bandaging the pain, this band-aid simply does not allow you to reach a level of performance where pain will rear its ugly head. Sitting on the bench for one week and taking part in productive rehabilitation activities could achieve the same results, with a lot less risk and expense.
Ankle Taping
Taping the ankle is a rite of passage for most athletes, particularly if you are a football or basketball player. The intent is to protect the ankle from rolling over during cutting movements, stepping on another player’s foot or having someone fall into your planted leg. How much protection the tape job provides is up for debate. A friend of mine once told me that an ankle tape job is rendered ineffective after about 10-15 minutes of play, primarily due to perspiration loosening up the grip of the adhesive, but also because the tape stretches during repetitive forceful movement. In this regard, ankle taping is a short-term fix that only gives the illusion of protection for the rest of the game or training session.
The other side of the coin is that isolating a joint with tape can shift forces to other joints – forces that perhaps these joints were not meant to bear. A heavily taped ankle can easily shift sheer forces into the knee, leading to ligament strains and tears. As one of my wise friends once told me, “It’s a lot easier to rehab an ankle than it is a knee.” To compound the problem, many of the newer artificial field surfaces are much more resilient than regular grass and can grab the cleats of an athlete quite aggressively. In this type of scenario, taped joints can shift profound forces upward and can even result in strains in the groin and low back. One coach even remarked at the extremely high number of sports hernias he is observing in football, when he was lucky to see one or two per year in the past. The compensational stresses, combined with ever-increasing training volumes and inadequate recovery, is leading to an epidemic of injuries never before seen. We like to believe that advances in training, prevention and rehabilitation have enhanced our athletes, yet injuries are as prevalent as ever.
Over the Counter Pain Medications
What better way to mask the pain of an injury than to take a few pills. This is probably the most common band-aid solution used by athletes from the high school level on up to professional ranks. While it allows them to train and compete without the pain and irritation of the injury, it can lead to further problems. I will agree that appropriate application of anti-inflammatory medication can help to reduce the negative impacts of an inflammatory response and facilitate a more effective rehabilitation process. However, abuse of such medications in an effort to simply mask pain can lead to further damage to the injury in question, as well as compensatory problems throughout the body. There should also be concerns regarding the impact of long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on internal organs such as the heart and kidneys. One coaching mentor of mine was also convinced that use of anti-inflammatory medication significantly affected an athlete’s reaction time and cognitive function – which I have personally observed in football athletes that have heavily relied on such drugs in-season. As with many of the other band-aid solutions listed above, inappropriate use of pain-killers and anti-inflammatory medication can simply shift the risk to other areas.
Nutritional Supplements
The longer I work with athletes, the more I am finding that many of them view supplements as a band-aid solution for their poor nutritional habits. To them, these are not “supplements” but rather “replacements” for proper nutrition. In addition, they seem to believe that some supplements are the answer to their training success, spending lots of money on very expensive placebos. Of course, none of these athletes eat, sleep, regenerate, stretch or train properly. But, the “flavor of the month” supplement pitched in the latest muscle-mag or popular on-line e-zine will solve all of their performance problems. It reminds me of a presentation on TED.com in which Rory Sutherland presents the concept of simply using placebos with the population since they have been shown to work extraordinarily, they are very cheap to develop and they have no known side effects. And, even if they did have side effects, “They are imaginary and you can safely ignore them.”
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One could argue that like placebos, band-aids have their place. They create the perception that the situation has improved, even if it really hasn’t. Band-aids capitalize on the power of the human mind to overcome distressing situations or diminish physical pain. When used sparingly and with the intent of discontinuing their use as soon as possible, they serve a useful purpose. Where athletes go overboard is when these band-aid solutions are replacing more appropriate and effective methods of improving their situation. However, when you have a screaming three-year old with a skinned knee in your lap, nothing seems to work better at calming her down than a good-old band-aid.
Running Mechanics and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
- Derek M. Hansen –
With the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver, Canada, we are exposed to a wide array of different sports that rely heavily on unique skill-sets that are not required for conventional summer sports. Events involving flips, twists, jumps and edge-control, all while wearing either skin-tight or baggy style-conscious outfits, dominate the landscape. Additionally, almost every sport in the winter Olympics is heavily dependent on the effective design and use of equipment – whether it is skates, skiis, sled runners, aerodynamic designs or application of wax. While running is the dominant activity in the summer Olympics, we only catch a glimpse of it in sports such as bobsleigh and skeleton where it is required for starts. So does running play even a minor role in the preparation of Winter Olympics athletes?
General Conditioning
It can safely be assumed that almost every athlete in the Winter Olympic Games has used running, in some form or another, as a means of general conditioning during the dry-land preparation. Whether or not running is absolutely required for their training is debatable. In fact, it seems that cycling is a staple of off-season winter games training, particularly for the longer skating and skiing events. Running tends to work more elastic responses in the lower legs and feet, while skating and cross-country skiing events rely on a longer push and greater ground contact time. However, running uphill for longer durations can simulate the longer extension phase required for skating or skiing.
From a purely exercise physiology point-of-view, running is a good way to build the cardiovascular system, with a fairly good transfer effect to other activities. If a winter endurance athlete wanted to mix up their dry-land training and is ‘tired’ of riding the bike, running workouts over varied terrain may be a good means of achieving a similar end. Running tends to be a higher impact activity than cycling or in-line skating, so caution has to be exercised when prescribing volumes of work and choosing a training surface.
Winter endurance athletes should consider using running in their off-season training. Often, the fight to be as specific as possible can lead to over-use injuries, plateauing and general mental monotony that can wear on the athlete both physically and psychologically. The switch to running can also prove advantageous by strengthening areas that are not necessarily targeted in the same manner by more specific activities.
Speed Related Events
In Winter Olympic events that require fast running, sprint training is a no brainer. These events include bobsleigh and skeleton, where a fast sprint of anywhere from 25 to 50 meters can provide a distinct advantage at the beginning of a sliding effort. Many of the top athletes in these sports started in sports such as Track and Field, rugby or American football, where sprinting speed is a valued quality. However, other winter sports may not directly benefit from dry-land sprint training to the extent of the sliding sports.
I had an opportunity this year to work with a good portion of the Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. One of my main tasks was to work on dry-land sprinting with them to improve their starts. The initial phase of acceleration in speed skating tends to be very similar to actual running on dry-land. Dynamic hip extension is required for good acceleration off the start line, with a strong front-to-back arm swing to counter-balance the forces of their powerful legs. As they progress further into the acceleration phase, the athletes begin to lower their bodies and push more to the side. On average, the transition to the lateral push occurs at 25 to 30 meters into the race. Thus, our dry-land acceleration training including sprints over 10, 20 and 30 meters, gradually lengthening out their acceleration range.
We were careful not to sprint beyond the 30 meter distance. Not only are the limb mechanics much different to speed skating at this distance, but the athletes can also be exposed to greater risk of straining a hamstring. Thus, the decision not to run further than 30 meters was made on practical grounds, with the costs of running longer far outweighing the benefits.
Accordingly, dry-land sprinting can be used to benefit both short-track speed skaters and ice hockey players during the off-season. Less enlightened coaches may argue that running is not specific enough for ice skating. However, when you analyze the limb movements, posture and joint velocities, you have very specific qualities being developed by dry-land sprinting. These qualities transfer very readily to one ice acceleration. Additionally, dry-land sprinting during the off-season does not create the same wear-and-tear on the groin and lower abdominals that can accompany high-speed skating repetitions.
Other Events
I would love to be able to claim that running and sprinting could help earn Olympic medals in snowboarding, figure skating, ski jumping, moguls and curling. Unfortunately, sprint training may only help Shaun White escape the adoring fans and paparazzi. Most of these sports require countless of hours of specific skill training and practice, with many of these athletes beginning their sports at the age of four or five years of age. As mentioned previously, they may do some jogging in their warm-up or as a means of shedding some excess weight in the off-season. For the most part, they are hoping for poor weather and slippery conditions. Thankfully, the Summer Olympics are only two years away.
Running and Knee Health: Recent Reports
- Derek M. Hansen –
Once in a while, some of the major media outlets actually publish some interesting articles on the topic of exercise. Those of us that tire of reading headlines about the “Top 10 Exercises for Body Sculpting” or “How to Run Off that Spare Tire” are shocked when we see an article that can be of use to the general public. Time Magazine recently published an article by Adi Narayan titled “Is Running Bad for Your Knees? Maybe Not”.
In the Time article, Narayan initially presents the commonly held belief that excessive running is hard on your knees and can lead to osteoarthritis in later years. Procedures such as knee replacements or joint resurfacings seem more and more common amongst middle-aged adults and not just the elderly population. However, more recent research has shown that people who run regularly, even those that train vigorously, are at no greater risk for arthritis than those who do not run. In fact, study findings out of Australia suggested, “that people who exercised vigorously had thicker and healthier knee cartilage compared with their sedentary peers.” Narayan goes on to point out the fact that “arthritis is caused mainly by genes and risk factors like obesity (obese men and women are at least four times more likely to become arthritic than their thinner peers), rather than daily exercise or ‘wear and tear’ of joints.”
The article also includes a discussion of strategies to minimize running related injuries such as stress fractures. One suggestion was for runners to reduce their stride length (and, hence, air time) and increase stride frequency to reduce the braking forces created by landing out in front of their center of mass. Another suggestion was to simply minimize long periods of time away from running in an effort to keep the body in shape to absorb the ground forces associated with running. During the winter, when running outside is not an option for many people, the article suggests alternative means of maintaining activity such as treadmill running and indoor stair running. Thus, when the warmer weather does return, the body is not presented with the shock of hitting the pavement again.
I enjoyed the article for the simple fact that it presented some common sense information that all runners pretty much knew already but were afraid to boast about. Running can be one of the most basic means of getting the body in shape and staying healthy. We all know that running can be carried out in a manner that is unhealthy and destructive. However, many of the individuals who are running themselves into the ground are driven by behavioral problems (such as obsessive compulsive disorders) that make them exercise excessively. Running isn’t hurting people… people are hurting people.
I do have to include some general principles as part of my own article to give people something to think about when trying to avoid the pitfalls of running and associated knee problems. When performed properly, running is a great way to inexpensively improve and maintain personal fitness. However, common sense does not always prevail when people are in charge of their own health and well-being. This is where the unnecessary injuries become problematic, particularly for hips, knees, shins, ankles and feet. In general, many of the principles I have provided below apply to overall knee health for both athletes and the recreational fitness population.
1. Do not run through the pain.
I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard people say, “Well my knee problem started with a little pain on the outside of the knee and eventually led to it swelling up every time I run. Now I can’t even run.” Unless you are playing American football at the college or pro level, or competing in a combative sport such as boxing, mixed martial arts or amateur wrestling, you are not tough. Let’s face it. Having worked with all of these types of athletes and seeing what they go through week in and week out, I have come to the conclusion that I am also not tough. While their careers depend on the ability to fight through incredible pain and injury, the rest of us can take the time to listen to our bodies and take the necessary steps to rest and recover. So, do not try to tough it out. Running through pain can only lead to further problems in the form of inflammation, degeneration and compensation.
2. Keep your hips loose and limber.
A good majority of knee pain originates with tightness and poor mobility in the hips and glutes. Tight hips can create greater tension along the iliotibial tract leading to pain and irritation in and around the knee joint. High volumes of running can put greater impact stresses on the hip joint, leading to higher muscle tone and greater tension in the muscles around the hip. Simple passive static stretches for the glutes and piriformis can relieve a lot of the tightness in the hip joint and accordingly take stress off the knees. Additionally, massage of the gluteal muscles can help to reduce hip tension and knee pain.
3. Maintain supple quadriceps, calves and hamstrings.
All of the muscles around the knee joint must be kept supple and available for recruitment. If any of these muscles are knotted up and not firing properly, the knee will not be properly supported. As with the muscles of the hip, the muscles around the knee must be kept supple through static stretching and massage. When athletes report knee pain to me during training, a quick assessment typically reveals that they have a combination of quadriceps tightness and/or hamstring tightness. When I perform a simple light pass over these muscles with the palm of my hand or my thumb, the athletes often find it incredibly painful. It quickly raises their awareness of the causes behind the pain and a prescription of light static stretches and massage usually relieves the discomfort.
4. Choose softer surfaces for your running activities.
Heavy impacts on hard surfaces can not only create trauma within the knee joint, but also tighten up key muscles around the knee and hip. Where possible, avoid concrete and asphalt surfaces for longer runs. If you run several times per week, at least try to mix up your surfaces each day to give your body a break. Anything from sand to grass to wood chip trail will give your legs a break, while working on strengthening of the feet, ankles and knees.
5. Limit running downhill to a minimum.
Many recreational athletes love running on mountainside trails with varied terrain. While running uphill can be a good workout, running downhill can not only be hazardous, it can significantly multiply the impact forces on each stride. If you insist on running downhill, take it slow and easy. Additionally, maintain a higher stride frequency to reduce impact forces and keep a better grip on the terrain (as with anti-lock brakes). A cautious approach to downhill running is the best option, particularly on hard surfaces and steep grades.
6. If you are overweight, keep running distances and durations short and intermittent.
One of the most painful things to watch is how the trainers in “The Biggest Loser” have excessively obese individuals running on pavement as part of their training. The risk of damage to connective tissue and joint surfaces is much greater for for overweight individuals when running and performing high impact activities than for less heavy exercisers. While running is one of the more effective ways to burn calories, walking or working on a stationary bike is the best ways to introduce exercise to overweight individuals.
7. Choose running shoes that are appropriate for the surface on which you predominantly train.
Shoes that are too stiff or hard do not provide enough cushioning and flexibility. Shoes that are too soft can sometimes provide inadequate support. Unstable footwear can cause the muscles and tendons in the feet and lower legs to stiffen too much, resulting in harder impacts to the knees and hips. Obviously comfort is very important when purchasing a pair of running shoes. However, be aware of the types of shoes you are choosing (i.e. support vs. cushioning) and how your body is reacting to the shoes over their lifespan. Softer shoes may initially feel good, but over the long term may lead to more leg pain due to lack of support.
8. Don’t get caught up in the wonder cures of orthotics, knee braces and knee sleeves until the problem has been properly diagnosed.
People love to buy equipment to solve their ills. However, I would stress that you comprehensively examine all of your symptoms and running habits before you resort to orthotics or bracing devices. I see too many runners hobbling along with knee braces, but no one has taken the time to correct their poor running technique. Is this type of equipment bad? Absolutely not. In many cases I believe orthotics and braces are simply ill prescribed or overly prescribed. If you have taken the time to evaluate the situation and the appropriate sports medicine professionals have recommended that orthotics or braces are required, then go ahead and buy the gear. Hyper-mobility of the knee joint can be aided by a well-fitted brace. Knee sleeves can keep the joint warm, offsetting possible discomfort. And, orthotics can address foot-strike and alignment issues that may not be improved through physical therapy alone. Hopefully these types of equipment perform as advertised, reducing knee pain and improving your overall running experience.
9. Use anti-inflammatory medications sparingly and strategically.
Popping pills has always been a convenient remedy for the modern athlete. While I am personally not predisposed to using medications, I can say that strategic use of some anti-inflammatory medication can help to get you through some rough spots in your rehabilitation. Pain and inflammation has a sinister way of perpetuating the problem. Inflammation and fluid in the knee can impair proper muscle function in the vastus medialis portion of the quadriceps muscles. Pain can also lead to compensatory muscle firing patterns that perpetuate the problem. Appropriate use of certain medications – in coordination with many of the other strategies mentioned above – can help to get you over the hump and onto progressively better results in your rehabilitation.
10. Work on running technique and appropriate stride length.
As always, I have to include a recommendation on improving your running technique. As mentioned in the Time article by Adi Narayan, increasing stride frequency can reduce impact forces and the possibility of leg soreness and injury. Higher frequency striding will keep your foot-strike closer to a position directly under your center of mass, thereby reducing the braking forces of heel striking. It should direct forces to the mid-foot or forefoot, as opposed to on the heel which has less shock-absorption properties.
It is nice to read that running isn’t the primary cause of knee degeneration. I would hate to see running removed from our menu of safe and inexpensive activities for improving and maintaining health and fitness. For those of you who may be more predisposed to osteoarthritis, I would suggest that you follow all, if not several, of the recommendations provided above. As with automobiles, regular care and maintenance goes a long way to extending the life of its various parts and components.
If and When to Stretch? The Dilemma Continues
- Derek M. Hansen -
Almost every time I open the most recent issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, I will find at least a handful of articles on creatine supplementation, vibration training or stretching and warm-up. In this article, I will focus my attention on the whole issue of pre-event stretching and running performance. Stretching, like aspirin, vitamin C and moderate alcohol consumption, seems to make the jump between healthy solution and evil snake oil every other research study. So what are we to believe?
Traditionally, stretching has played a significant role in the warm-up process for athletes of all types. Common images that we have seen are the track athlete stretching on the hurdle, gymnasts being aggressively stretched by their overzealous coaches, and martial artists doing all sorts of preparatory stretches as part of their warm-up. If you weren’t stretching, you weren’t doing a complete warm-up. Stretching for the average group of athletes also tends to be a social time where individuals catch up on gossip, recent escapades and ambitious plans for the weekend. For others, it can be a meditative, reflective process. Needless to say, it is an integral part of the overall preparation for training and competition.
More recently, stretching has been identified as an activity that could adversely impact your performance, particularly for speed and power activities. Studies have suggested that pre-event static stretching reduces a muscle’s ability to rapidly exert force. From these studies, the message that is being sent to the general public is that pre-exercise static stretching is bad and may even contribute to injuries during exercise and competition.
The key common-sense issue (yes – here I go talking about common sense again) is a contextual one and relates to not simply the use of stretching, but more the timing and implementation of static stretching in the warm-up process. Is static stretching good or is it bad? Falling back on my most common response to exercise related questions… “it depends.” Given my inability to answer a question with a direct response, the following points may help to clear things up:
- Static stretching in itself does not comprise a warm-up. Static stretching, however, can be used to support a good warm-up for training or competition. Any athlete or coach with any common sense knows that a good warm-up involves movement and rehearsal. Movement gradually progresses from general to specific and less intense to more intense over a specified period of time. In most cases, 45 to 90 minutes may be required to physically and mentally prepare an athlete for an explosive performance in either training or competition. In speed and power activities, a warm-up is used to increase blood flow, potentiate muscles and rehearse technique. In longer endurance events, a warm-up opens up circulatory passageways and optimizes the heart for efficient use of the aerobic energy system. Static stretching can be performed in the earlier parts of the warm-up to loosen up tight areas, particularly where overuse issues can arise. It should be used strategically in modest amounts comprising a small proportion of overall warm-up time.
- Static stretching should rarely be used, if ever, immediately prior to high intensity performances. The word ‘immediately’ should be interpreted as within minutes of the performance. One recent study I reviewed had some subjects performing tests three minutes after static stretching, with others performing tests six minutes following stating stretching. Obviously force production was impaired within such a short window of time. The six-minute group had less impairment than the three-minute group, providing a demonstration of the ability of the body to shed the negative effects of static stretching over time.
- Static stretching can still be used as part of an effective warm-up routine if it is applied at the right time and in appropriate amounts. As mentioned earlier, if static stretching is required it can be used near the beginning of the preparatory process. Stretching can be considered a way to check on the status of key muscle groups. Muscle tone is technically considered to be a muscle’s resistance to stretch. It has also been defined as the amount of contraction in a resting muscle. The process of stretching (best classified as a process, not an activity) should be designed to identify tight areas, such as overly high muscle tone (hypertonic muscle), that may restrict movement in your training session. Stretching is an “awareness-building” process that will help you direct your warm-up appropriately, using a combination of static stretching, dynamic stretching and movement. The term “search and destroy” could loosely apply, but the process of stretching should be considered a subtle one.
- Progressively higher intensity activities following static stretching will help to offset the negative impacts of stretching and prepare you for your training session or competition. If the initial stages of the warm-up include general movement patterns and lower intensity activities (i.e. jogging), the latter portion of the warm-up will include more specific activities of a higher intensity. The majority of studies reporting that static stretching negatively impacted force production did not follow what I would consider a “good” warm-up protocol. Warm-up sessions that do not include some form of light stretching in the early stages to appropriately gauge muscle readiness and suppleness may run into trouble during the latter stages. In fact, a stretching session for some individuals may determine that they are too loose with muscle tone that is too low. In this case, the objective of the warm-up should be to activate the neuromuscular system in a manner that provides active or explosive musculo-tendon responses. These days people like to use the term “potentiation”, but I would say that any activation protocols are part of the comprehensive warm-up process. Call me old fashioned.
As with all other training elements and tools, the context in which they are applied is of utmost importance. Rarely, if ever, are individual training elements applied in isolation. Running sessions must be integrated and ordered appropriately with warm-up routines, strength training, recovery and regeneration techniques, as well as nutritional strategies. Stretching, including static, dynamic and ballistic techniques, can all be a part of an effective warm-up routine. However, as with a recipe for an elaborate culinary creation, the ordering and amounts of ingredients introduced must follow a specific, optimized schedule in order for the final product to be a success.
If and when static stretching is used for either warm-up or recovery purposes, it must be applied deliberately and carefully. Stretching muscle and tendon haphazardly will only lead to micro-trauma and, ultimately, greater tightness and discomfort in the long run. Stretching should be first and foremost an exploratory process to evaluate the status of skeletal muscle. Once an athlete, coach and/or therapist determines the status of muscle, different methods of stretching can be used to either elevate muscle tone (i.e. PNF stretching) or reduce muscle tone (i.e. light static stretching). One of the best books on stretching I have ever read is a book by the late John Jerome titled “Staying Supple: The Bountiful Pleasures of Stretching.” It is a book about the process and experience of stretching, detailing the impact on muscle tissue and functional anatomy. While other books provide lists of stretches, Jerome’s book increases our awareness of the purpose and sensation of stretching.
As with all areas of training and conditioning, rarely do black and white scenarios exist (i.e. stretching is evil). The world continues to be gray. As coaches and athletes, we must persist in our efforts to develop flexible guidelines that apply to a plethora of situations and give us the best chance for success.
Respiration Management and Running Performance
- Derek M. Hansen –
As a running coach and conditioning consultant, I get many requests each week to work with different athletes. I do my best to accommodate most of these requests, referring the odd one to other colleagues where appropriate. One of the most recent requests, however, involved a unique problem. It was the parents of a young female athlete that was having significant difficulty preparing for and performing an endurance running test for her sport (an outdoor field sport). The test is commonly known as the “Beep” test or Leger test, involving increasingly faster shuttles over 20 meters. Athletes achieve specific levels within the Beep test, which can involve well over 10 minutes of constant shuttles. This particular athlete needed to achieve Level 10.5 in order to satisfy the testing requirement for her team.
The issue, however, was that this athlete was experiencing chest pains during the upper levels of the Beep test. When I was told about the chest pains, I thought that perhaps this problem was outside of the scope of my professional experience. They wanted me to create a workout plan for her and I was more concerned that I was going to only exacerbate the problem. My last CPR recertification was almost two years ago and I didn’t want to have to fly into action during a workout with a teenage athlete. Worst-case scenario thoughts were flying through my head and I wanted to dissuade the parents from pursuing a “workout” solution.
Through further discussions with the athlete’s parents, it was determined that the necessary specialists had been previously consulted (i.e. cardiologists and respirologists) and all of them concluded that there were no physiological problems and there would be minimal risks associated with continuing with an intensive training program. There were no allergies or asthma diagnosed, and use of inhalers and other medication resulted in no improvements. So what could it be?
A conversation with a soccer coach colleague provided me with greater insight into the possible cause. According to her, she has seen more and more cases of athlete anxiety – particularly among females – that have directly impacted their performance and well-being. She attributed the anxiety to the higher expectations and greater pressure athletes are putting on themselves these days. She confessed that she had been witness to athlete “melt-downs” and nervous breakdowns over issues that were never a problem in the past. Could this current case be an example of “exercise induced anxiety” I wondered to myself?
I agreed to meet with the family and go over some possible options for the athlete. My first plan was to simply assess the athlete by having her run some very simple workouts and observe her in action. I brought my video camera as well as my heart rate monitor. The video camera would help me document key issues with regard to her running mechanics, while the heart rate monitor would allow us to document how hard the athlete was working throughout the workout. This particular heart rate monitor (Suunto T6C) recorded the heart rate information to be later analyzed on my computer via USB connection. It also gave us instant feedback on her heart rate throughout the workout.
I had her run some 400m intervals on a running track at a moderate pace. I gave her three-minute breaks between runs and by the third repetition she was exhausted. The one thing that I picked up on when talking to her after the runs was that she felt like her breathing was forced at the 120-meter mark of the run. At the pace she was running, I thought that maybe she would feel something about 200-250 meters into the run. The fact that she felt significant respiratory stress early in the run led me to believe something was up.
Analysis of her running mechanics revealed that she used her arms in a tight, cradled, cross-body swinging motion. It looked like she was carrying a baby in her arms while running. Such arm mechanics would only exacerbate any existing breathing problems with her shoulders and neck tightening, thereby leading to restrictions in the upper torso. However, this alone could not be the reason for her level of respiratory distress.
We then began to run a series of 100m and 200m intervals at about 70 percent of top velocity on the grass soccer field with me running alongside her. As we got into the latter stages of each run, I would notice her breathing rhythm would shorten and she would be almost be gasping for breaths. It was as though she didn’t know how to breathe properly. At that moment I realized that she needed lessons in how to breathe, particularly during periods of physical exertion.
I quickly fell back on my knowledge of breathing exercises as it relates to battle situations. One of my past clients, Academy Award winning actor, Benicio Del Toro, was kind enough to pass on to me a number of books by author David Grossman including “On Combat” and “On Killing”. In “On Combat”, Grossman covers the topic of “battle breathing” taught to police officers and emergency response team members to deal with the stress of deadly force encounters. Grossman would teach individuals to gradually draw a breath in through their nose over a four second period, hold it in their abdomen for four seconds, then slowly blow the breath out their mouth over four seconds. This would be performed over a period of time in order to stimulate a parasympathetic response (“rest and digest”) in their autonomic nervous system.
I instructed my female athlete to perform the “battle breathing” method during her recovery periods between runs (i.e. 4 seconds in, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds out). During the runs themselves, I would instruct her to simply perform a three second inspiration and a three second expiration to manage her breathing. Later in the day when I reviewed her heart rate data throughout the workout, the results were quite dramatic. Before we implemented the breathing management guidelines, her heart rate easily jumped up to 180 beats per minute (bpm) or higher during runs. Additionally, between runs her heart rate would not drop below 135 bpm. Once we implemented the breathing management guidelines, her working heart rate did not rise above 170 bpm for the same running pace and during her recovery periods, her heart rate dropped to as low as 110-115 bpm.
Once I had the opportunity to review all of the heart rate data and the video of her running mechanics, I then provided the athlete with some recommendations for her training as follows:
- Practice your breathing exercises on a daily basis to help develop relaxed, efficient breathing patterns for both everyday activities and exercise. The 4+4+4 breathing pattern will teach you to take advantage of full inspiration and expiration without rushing your breaths. When exercising, resist the temptation to take more breaths of shorter duration. Trust that longer, more relaxed breaths will be more than adequate to fuel your body.
- Purchase an affordable heart rate monitor to allow for biofeedback training during workouts and recovery periods. Being aware of your working and recovering heart rates during exercise will assist you when implementing your breathing exercises. Because you are in the process of getting back into shape, ensuring that you are not over-exerting yourself and triggering any anxiety during exercise will be critical. Initially, maintaining your heart rate below 160 bpm during interval training will ensure that you are in a safe zone. As you get more accustomed to higher intensity training and more efficient breathing patterns, bringing your heart rate above 170 bpm for short periods of time will be much more tolerable. Once you see you can work at these higher heart rate zones without breathing restrictions, your confidence will build.
- When performing your running intervals, as well as your running drills, ensure that your shoulders are relaxed and your arms track smoothly forward and back, as opposed to across your body. Practice easy arm swings in front of a mirror so that you are aware of proper swing mechanics and good shoulder position. During a workout, practice or game, periodically shrug your shoulders ups, then drop them down so that you are aware of the down and relaxed position.
- Stay hydrated and drink water or a diluted sport drink regularly to ensure that your throat does not get dry and irritated during workouts and games. Any irritation in the throat can lead to respiratory distress and tightening of the neck and chest.
After I provided these guidelines and we ran a few workouts together, I could see that the athlete and her family were relieved that an appropriate solution was made available to them. For the past few months, they thought that she was experience anything from allergies to a heart condition. I then provided them with a basic interval training program that progressively built her fitness, without excessively stressing her cardio-respiratory system. She has had significantly less respiratory distress and is finally getting back into full game shape. More importantly, she is regaining her confidence in her athletic ability.
After going through this process, it made me wonder if other athletes and recreational fitness participants could be going through similar problems. It seems that more and more individuals are being diagnosed with asthma and respiratory issues. While many experts point to the environment as the main cause of these breathing problems, I often wonder if for many individuals that this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Stress and anxiety are at all-time highs for society, particularly amongst our youth. I have recently acquired many books on the art of meditation – a practice that heavily relies on the execution of “mindful” breathing habits. Perhaps like the art of running, we need to take a few steps back and spend more time teaching our youth the fundamental mechanics of life. Breathing, eating, sleeping, listening and running all seem like activities that should be carried out easily and automatically, but they are all areas where we could use more attention and direction.
How Many Reps Are Enough?
- Derek M. Hansen -
I am often witness to sporting coaches carrying out their training sessions and preparatory camps for various sports. The coaches have a practice plan and, invariably, an ambitious schedule for what they want to accomplish in a session, day or week. There are always injuries. It is inevitable. Some are accidental (i.e. getting kicked in the knee) while others are the accumulation of stress and fatigue. The question becomes, “Are many of these injuries preventable? Would the optimal allocation and scheduling of work result in a significant reduction in injuries?” These are questions that I find myself constantly struggling with as a coach, particularly when I am not the one in charge of assigning workloads. However, when athletes start going down with injuries, the prevailing attitude amongst sport coaches appears to be that the athletes are either not tough or they are in poor shape. Rarely are coaches suggesting that perhaps they may have assigned too much work.
The recent stories out of the University of Michigan football program highlight how ridiculous training volume can get – even in the off-season. A story from the Associated Press outlined the circumstances with the current program:
“Several Michigan football players claim the program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time they can spend on training and practice sessions, according to a published report.
Players from the 2008 and 2009 teams told the Detroit Free Press for a story published on the newspaper’s Web site on Saturday that the amount of time they spend on football activities during the season and in the offseason greatly exceeds the limits. The players spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions from coaches.”
Other reports claimed that Michigan football athletes on a particular day spent three to four hours in the weight room, followed by another hour of running. This type of workout occurred three times per week with additional three-hour sessions of speed and agility work on other days. If these reports are even remotely accurate, the U of M strength and conditioning coach needs to attend some classes on basic exercise physiology, recovery and adaptation. Training excessively for the sake of sending a ‘message’ or giving the impression that you are doing more than other programs is simply irresponsible.
The Need to Test “Mental Toughness”
“I know we are pushing them hard, but we have to make sure they can push through the pain, testing both their physical and mental toughness.” This is the common rationale given for the combination of high volume workouts, endless repetitions and inadequate recovery between sets, sessions and days. Sports science does not enter into the equation. For sports that are skill intensive, it is deemed necessary to implement enough repetitions to hone and perfect specific skills. Having worked with world-class gymnasts, I could see that numerous repetitions and long hours in the gym were required to master a skill or routine. What many would deem ‘child abuse’ became the norm for athletes who wanted to move up the ladder in their sport. Although I understand that certain skills can only be developed to a high level through constant drilling and repetition, there must be a limit to what is optimal and sustainable. The point of diminishing returns, however, is often passed long before the workout concludes.
The late martial artist Bruce Lee once said that he would rather face an opponent who practiced 10,000 different kicks one time, than one who practiced one kick 10,000 times. The idea being that the latter competitor had developed one weapon to a very high and dangerous level, as opposed to diluting his arsenal. I am of the mind that I would rather face the “one-kick” opponent because that guy is going to have one really sore leg after all those reps! At the very least, he would have developed some significant compensational issues and asymmetry.
Optimal Load, Recovery and Adaptation
We have all experienced or witnessed the occurrence of an injury or illness in a performer, followed by a return to competition at a level of higher performance. One would think that weeks of lost training would result in a significant decrement in performance. However, the opposite often occurs. The only explanation for this phenomenon is that the athlete in question was over-loaded and not given adequate recovery. While they may not be clinically over-trained, their training program likely included numerous occasions where the athlete was over-reaching without adequate recovery and regeneration between such sessions.
In a training camp scenario, over-reaching occurs on a daily basis (if not twice a day) and it is considered the norm. Daily injuries are expected, and the occasional athlete vomiting on the sidelines adds to the spectacle. The combination of urgency, effort, anguish, drama and desperation all make sense to the layperson watching on the sidelines. “This is what training camp is all about!”
I am hoping that coaches and athletes figure out sooner than later that the current trend of accepting “casualties of war” is not the answer. Like the plight of the infantrymen of the First World War scrambling out of the trenches headlong into enemy machine gun fire, one person needs to stand up and say, “This is absolutely crazy! There must be a better way!” The development of tanks and fighter planes soon made trench warfare obsolete. What can be done to curb the current trend in overtraining in athlete preparation?
Is There a Better Way?
The obvious and easy answer to this question is ‘yes’. The more difficult task is convincing both athletes and coaches that doing less may actually yield more. Provided below are some key principles and guidelines to consider when planning and implementing training sessions with athletes.
- It is always better to under-train than to over-train. Training to the point of exhaustion can result in more negative effects than positive ones. This is particularly apparent when such workouts occur in succession – day after day. The end result will be a trend that not only drives the athletes system downward, but also creates a fertile ground for soft-tissue injury and illness. However, training to a point well in advance of exhaustion creates a positive adaptation without the danger of excessive stress on the nervous and immune systems. Good training occurs with the appropriate application of volume per session over time. Many coaches are trying to get the most out of their athletes every session. Not all sessions need to feel as though they are creating a significant physiological adaptation. Some sessions may emphasis skill, strategy or relaxation – which are all positive qualities. Developing the patience and confidence to know that the athletes are getting enough work takes time and experience. Do not be afraid to plan for less work.
- For many training sessions, stop the session before athletes look tired or their biomechanics become sloppy. For speed and power athletes, anticipating fatigue and taking the necessary steps to stop the training session and avoid potential injury is critical. There is always the tendency for coaches and athletes to try to “get one more good rep” in the session. This attitude is a recipe for disaster and we’ve all seen athletes incur injury on this last rep. Cash your chips in and live to fight another day. Don’t hope for good outcomes. Plan for good outcomes.
- Incorporate regular massage therapy sessions to help identify problem areas. Manual therapy and massage often leads to discoveries of tightness, high muscle tone and other soft-tissue problems that would normally not be brought to the attention of the coach or athlete. In cases where I have worked on athletes who were not getting regular massage, they were astounded at not only how sore and tight their muscles felt during the procedure, but also how much better they felt after the session. I’ve heard athletes comment after a thorough leg massage that they now feel 20-30 pounds lighter when walking and running. One athlete told me, “I can lift my knees now!” Experience has shown that well applied massage can be an invaluable tool for soft tissue evaluation and recovery. Those that oppose its use simply do not want to put in the work required.
- If athletes are in poor conditioning entering a training camp scenario, punishing them into shape is not an option. Punishment can occur in many other forms including collecting jock-straps after practice or cleaning lockers. Remedial training outside of practice can occur in low volumes to slowly bring them along up to a level where they can participate in camp at an appropriate level. If any form of short-term high intensity training is incorporated to send a message to these athletes, you can bet that at least 50 percent of these athletes will go down with an injury. Depending on how much you need these athletes, you may decide that they are expendable and go ahead with your punishment on the field. However, a demonstration of good training habits and methodology will go a long way to not only educating these athletes, but also keeping them healthy and productive.
- If a number of soft-tissue injuries arise amongst your team of athletes, a pattern may be developing and the workload must be reviewed and revised as soon as possible. Sure you may have recruited a whole bunch of whiners who cannot stand putting in some hard work and dealing with some aches and pains. However, if the athletes have legitimate injury issues related to workload, you had better make some changes in a hurry before half of your team is sidelined with more serious problems. Small strains and chronic pains can lead to more serious muscle tears or connective tissue ruptures as muscular control is affected and coordination is compromised. Following up a tough workout with more regenerative work that is less stressful (i.e. work in the swimming pool or on a softer surface) can go a long way to reducing risk and enhancing recovery.
Concluding Remarks
None of us know exactly how much work is enough for optimal adaptation. If anyone tells you that they know – they are lying. However, we all intuitively know when athletes are prescribed too much work. You can see it in their movement patterns, their body language and their higher incidence of injury. They key is to err on the side of effective loads, as opposed to excessive loads. The unfortunate part of this whole issue is that some athletes and teams will overcome the excessive workloads and still succeed. Their coaches will then believe that their formula of volume-laden work is the recipe for success, and the vicious circle will continue. This could very well become the case with the Michigan Football experiment. Due to their ability to recruit talented athletes, they may be able to overcome the excessive training and still put together a winning season.
Although scientific advances, such as the use of heart rate variability, can help to better determine levels of fatigue in athletes, common sense must prevail and we must anticipate fatigue, not ignore it. Our athletes will thank us for such an approach.
Where You Look Can Affect How You Look: Running Mechanics and Gaze Control
– Derek M. Hansen –
Back in the summer of 2008, I was teaching a sport biomechanics course to a group of coaches. I was presenting a model for teaching running technique and how to use the concept of vision to elicit a desired postural response. When teaching an athlete to accelerate from a static start, particularly a non-track athlete (i.e. football), it is very common for them to pop their head up immediately after their first step. Therefore, much of the initial acceleration instruction involves teaching them to keep their head down by focusing on a specific point on the ground in front of them. By making them look at a specific area (usually, three to five meters ahead of them on the ground), you can teach them to keep their head in the correct position – in line with their spine.
The same concept of identifying visual focal points applies to weightlifting movements such as the power clean or power snatch. Keeping your head up is very important, as your head position affects your ability to extend the hips. A common cue for athletes is to look at a high point in front of them (i.e. a mark on the gym wall). Athletes who keep their gaze in a downward direction will tend to rotate forward, with less extension at the hips and less optimal balance in the catch phase.
I have also been given visual cues for learning how to operate a motorcycle. I once took and extensive motorcycle safety course and the instructors were constantly telling the students to keep their heads up looking toward the horizon. When making a turn, they would tell us to look well past the turn so that our bodies (and the motorcycle) would follow the direction of our head and vision. In many cases, you were looking 50-100 yards past where you were traveling at that moment. It was initially very difficult to look only past the front wheel. However, as you got the hang of it, you would look well beyond where you wanted to go and it worked much more smoothly.
Once I finished describing my examples of vision-directed instruction, one of the coaches informed me that there was a lot of good research on the concept of vision and sport performance. He mentioned the work of University of Calgary Kinesiology Professor, Joan Vickers, in the area of eye-tracking and performance. He also mentioned that she had a recent book on the subject titled, “Perception, Cognition and Decision Training: The Quiet Eye in Action.” Of course, the whole concept of vision and sport intrigued me and I had to find out more. So I bought the book.
Background on Eye-Tracking and Gaze Control
Once I delved into the science behind gaze control, it all made very good common sense. Elite athletes tend to have significantly different eye movements, attention and decision making than non-elite athletes. According to Professor Joan Vickers, expert performers:
- have superior recall and recognition of sport-specific patterns of play.
- are faster in detecting and recognizing objects, such as a ball within the visual field.
- are more efficient and use more appropriate visual-search behaviours.
- have an enhanced ability to effectively pick-up advance (pre-event) visual cues, particularly from an opponent’s postural orientation.
- have greater attunement to relative motion information when presented in the form of point-light displays.
- have more accurate expectations of likely events based on the refined use of situational probabilities. (Vickers, 2007)
Using special monitoring equipment, researchers can observe where an athlete’s eyes are fixated during sports performances. In some cases, athletes are performing the actual sport and, in other cases, they are watching others performing their sport. In both cases, experts have different eye-tracking patterns than non-experts. Examples of studies that have looked at eye-tracking over the years include:
- Ice hockey goaltending
- Basketball shooting
- Baseball hitting
- Pistol shooting
- Golf putting
- Speed skating
The speed skating example is useful for applying to other methods of locomotion. When negotiating a high speed turn, elite speed skaters will fixate on the tangent or reverse point. This point is often called the apex of the turn and represents the location where the body must be positioned over the skates to ensure the exit from the turn can be properly controlled. According to Vickers, elite speed skaters focus their gaze in this way to counter the forces of gravity that pull them off the track. This would be no different than the elite 200m sprinter focusing on the tangent point when running a curve at high speed. Their gaze would be directed well ahead of their position toward the inside of the track. Novices would tend to look straight ahead or track their vision in their own lane, thus experiencing more difficulty staying on the inside of their lane throughout the turn.
Running, Gaze and Visuomotor Control
In situations where sprinting athletes are accelerating from a static start, you are teaching them to keep their head in line with their spine. Depending on their acceleration power, you are having them focus on keeping their vision on a point on the track surface anywhere from three to ten meters ahead of their current position. I often tell athletes to imagine that we have strapped a laser pointer onto their forehead and a red dot should be visible on the track ahead of them. If their gaze and head position are too low, the laser dot will be right in front of their feet. If their vision and head come up too quickly, the laser dot will not even be visible on the track surface. As the athlete transitions up to top speed, between 30 and 60 meters, the laser dot will slowly move well ahead of their current position and off the track.
For long periods of time throughout the year, I will train sprint athletes in indoor environments to escape the cold and inclement weather. However, I find it is easier to get them to adopt proper posture in outdoor training situations. With indoor facilities, athletes will often see a wall in front of them when performing sprint repetitions. Even if they are not in danger of colliding with the wall, athletes will still change their posture and mechanics in anticipation of stopping prematurely. The body will tend to ‘rear-up’, impacting proper acceleration and/or maximum velocity mechanics. When training outdoors, I find that athletes do not feel the same confinement issues and tend to run more freely. I attribute this tendency to the power of vision and gaze. Almost innately, our bodies respond to not only ‘where’ we look, but also ‘what’ we see and take the necessary steps to change our posture and mechanics to anticipate a potential course of action. Some athletes are more sensitive to these environmental issues and coaches need to be aware of the impact of facilities on visuomotor control and athletic performances.
For runners who are performing over longer distances, I always emphasize the importance of training their gaze to track well ahead of their current position. In open areas, I would have them focus on the horizon. However, in more confined areas (i.e. track stadium, wooded trail), I would have them look as far as they could focusing on a point that sits roughly at the height of their head. Focusing your gaze on points that are in close proximity to your current position will result in greater stress and mental fatigue. Your running mechanics will also subtly suffer and you will find that you are less smooth with your running. When an athlete focuses on points in close proximity, their eye movements will tend to move quickly from one fixated location to another in numerous saccades. Vickers describes saccades as rapid eye movements that bring the point of maximal visual acuity onto the fovea so that it can be seen with clarity. When focusing or “fixating” on a point much further away, you will find that you will run more easily and freely, and feel as though you are being pulled toward that point. It is similar to the concept of not focusing too much on the finish line in a race. From a significant distance (i.e. greater than 50-100 meters), looking at the finish line may work. However, as you get closer to the finish line, it is better to focus beyond the finish line to elicit the best performance. Fixating your vision at the finish line may terminate your velocity prematurely.
Closing Remarks
The more I work with athletes, the more I have found that I focus on ‘where’ they look to improve ‘how’ they look. When instructing, I do not go into the science behind eye-tracking and visuomotor control. I simply tell them where I want them to look when executing technique. I also record video of their performance and often show them that their technique broke down due to where they were looking. Like any skill, getting an athlete to adopt appropriate gaze control takes an accumulation of quality repetitions. However, once they get the hang of it, they easily retain this new skill and it goes a long way to refining their technical ability when running. All I can say to athletes and coaches wanting to improve posture and technique is, “Look into this stuff!”
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Running Mechanics and Shoe Selection: Implications for Performance and Injuries
- Derek M. Hansen -
A few months ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to an article about running shoe technology. The article appeared in the UK’s Daily Mail and is entitled, “The Painful Truth About Trainers: Are Running Shoes a Waste of Money?” Written by Christopher McDougall, the article described how injury rates continue to be on the rise despite many technological advances in running shoe design. The central theme of the article was, “Why pay lots of money for shoes when it won’t make a difference in terms of preventing injury or enhancing performance?” In essence, $50 shoes aren’t any worse than $250 shoes based on their respective track records.
The article went even further to put forth the idea that perhaps no shoes were better than any shoes. References to Oregon University training groups and African runners seemed to infer that running in bare feet not only strengthened the feet, but also resulted in fewer injuries through improved running mechanics. It went on to propose that modern shoes encourage heel-striking on touch-down, while bare feet resulted in forefoot landings that absorb ground forces much more efficiently, with less wear-and-tear on the body.
I found that this article provided an important message to athletes – competitive and recreational – by identifying common flaws in the way running technique has evolved throughout the “civilized” world. Working with athletes on a daily basis, I find that I am constantly correcting technique. Athletes are over-striding, under-striding, running too tall, or running too low. Foot strike is a common problem with heel strikers outnumbering those landing on their forefoot – even when sprinting. It would be irresponsible of me to attempt to direct them to a pair of shoes that would solve their problems, rather than teaching them proper running technique.
An additional issue is that proper running technique allows the body to appropriately prepare itself for harder surfaces, thereby mitigating impact forces. The concept of “muscle tuning” has been studied over the last two decades, primarily by University of Calgary researcher Benno Nigg. His research has shown that a runner’s musculature can compensate for harder surfaces and stiffer shoes by dampening the impact on ground contact. The proprioceptive abilities of the human foot allow the muscles and tendons to prepare for ground impact based on the information gathered from the previous step. It is well known that the musculature of the lower leg is pre-activated as the foot approaches the ground. The human body constantly searches and activates for the optimal level of stiffness to minimize stress and injury, while improving performance.
As such, I have found that there are many “truths” in the world of running technique, athlete training and shoe development that every serious running athlete – both competitive and recreational – should be aware of:
- Running shoe companies rely on athlete endorsements and “technological” advances to secure their share of the market.
It has become painfully clear to me that running shoe companies are more interested in producing a running shoe that gives the appearance of addressing performance and injury issues rather than “actually” making you faster and reducing injuries. Unlike the computer industry, where advances in technology every cycle lead to actual improvements in speed and performance, the shoe industry suffers from a case of technological impotence. No one (including shoe developers) really knows if so-called “improvements” in a shoe will yield better performance. Concepts like Air, Gel, Torsion, Shox, Hydro-Flow and Motion-Control are marketing bait for consumers. In most cases, these names resonate as common-sense improvements to the average person. “Yeah, sure I’d like to run on a cushion of air,” you think to yourself. Other times, oxymoron-like phrases such as “cushioned-support” strangely sound like they might just work. One shoe company’s website included specification sheets in PDF format that looked no different that ones you would find for a motor vehicle or plasma screen TV, with dimensions, weight, technological advances and proprietary components. Yet, despite all these sexy features, runners still seem to get sore injured.
While cushioning and shock-absorption by a running shoe appears to be the biggest priority for shoe developers, use of an overly cushioned shoe can interrupt the process whereby the body is optimally “tuning” itself for ground impact. A running shoe that is too soft can overly-stiffen the muscle-tendon complex and create problems for an individual. I often hear of complaints from athletes that they cannot “feel” the ground and their joints – particularly knees and hips – feel stiff when wearing well-cushioned shoes. Problems can also be found with shoes that are overly stiff or supportive. Again, the foot and musculature cannot properly adapt to the surface upon which it is traveling, leading to higher impact forces and more problems with injury.
Since the early days of Adidas and Puma, using athletes to serve as spokespersons for running shoes was a no-brainer. If Frank Shorter or Steve Prefontaine wore these shoes, obviously you too will benefit from buying a pair. I am pretty sure that kids buying a new pair of Puma’s do not actually believe they will run under 9.70 seconds in the 100m like Usain Bolt, but wearing a new pair of shoes with Bolt’s name on them will surely get you some great compliments at the local track meet. In one ironic story, I heard that an elite triathlete was sponsored by one shoe company, but didn’t like the way the shoes fit. She proceeded to take her sponsor’s shoes to a cobbler, and had him take off the uppers and put them on the soles of a different brand shoe that she felt were more comfortable. In another case, a track and field athlete went directly to his sponsor with another brand of shoe and said, “Make me one like this and then put your logo on the side – then I’ll wear it.” So much for sincere and genuine athlete endorsements.
- Running technique is abysmal for most recreational runners.
On many occasions while I am driving down the street, I see a recreational jogger or fitness ‘enthusiast’ slogging it out on the pavement. My first impulse is to jam on the brakes, jump out and provide some tips on how to minimize the hatchet job I am witnessing. It is the same visceral response you would get if you saw someone trying to mug a senior citizen at the side of the road. Most of the injuries that are experienced by recreational runners are the result of a combination of poor running mechanics over too long a distance. Poor running technique typically involves greater degrees of flexion at the knees, hips and ankles, thereby increasing wear and tear of the joints over long distances. This is exacerbated by running on hard surfaces and $500 worth of high-end running shoes and orthotics will not significantly mitigate the impacts.
Education (or lack thereof) is the main issue at hand here. Like with many other necessary skill-sets that should be paid more attention (i.e. eating, communication skills, financial management, etc.), our formal education system does not appropriately prepare individuals for future application of these skills. While math, geography and biology are all important subjects, the physical education system does not properly prepare students to move efficiently. Running is considered a general conditioning method, as well as a punishment for various transgressions. Fatigue and a sore body are considered simply symptoms of a “good” workout. Run someone around the school yard with poor mechanics and, presto, you can be rest assured they will be tired and sore.
Teaching our youth to land on the forefoot with good posture results in better performance and less wear and tear. Their muscle tuning abilities are enhanced and they are better able to cope with higher volumes of running shoe they decide to pursue a recreational or competitive career in a running sport.
- Volume of training is not being properly managed by recreational and competitive athletes.
If you jog down the block with bad technique, the effects on the body will not be felt. However, if you run for 50 miles throughout the week, chances are you will notice some tender knees, hips and/or feet. The accumulation of poor technique will bite you in the butt. Even those with good running technique and expensive running shoes will not last long if they are constantly over-reaching in their training.
When volume is excessive, injuries to the feet and lower legs are common, including stress fractures and soft-tissue problems. Under fatigued conditions, the ability of the lower leg musculature to properly “tune” itself for foot contacts is greatly diminished. This results in harder impacts and a higher probability of injury.
- Many recreational runners are not integrating appropriate supportive strength and conditioning protocols.
The landing forces during running can be as much as three times the body weight of an individual. While the act of running can condition the body to manage these forces, appropriate strength and conditioning protocols can help to further mitigate impact forces. Vertical loading of the body through weight training can help to strengthen posture and improve lower body strength. A simple exercise such as squatting – either with body weight or an external load – can help to load the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. The connective tissue in the hip, knee and ankle joints will also undergo an adaptive response that strengthens the kinetic chain in both propulsive (concentric) and shock-absorbing (eccentric) movements. In addition, specific drills and plyometric exercises can help to not only develop good running mechanics, but also strengthen the legs and feet to behave in a more elastic fashion.
Runners that are looking to improve performance and injury resistance should first look to strengthening protocols before relying on a new pair of shoes to cure what ails them. Unfortunately, running is often promoted as an easy way to get in shape. Many times people are told that all they have to do to prepare for running is “buy a new pair of running shoes.” The truth is that preparation for running should include instruction on running technique, progressive strength training and a gradual increase in the volume and intensity of work when undertaking a training regime. While buying a new pair of running shoes may be required, it is probably one of the least important steps that will be taken in this process.
- Awareness of exposure to hard running surfaces must be improved among recreational runners.
The phrase “hitting the pavement” has been used irresponsibly in the running community. Paving stones and pavement were initially used to provide a stable and resilient surface for vehicles – not marathoners. Since we cannot provide Mondo track surfaces all around our communities, runners will have to suffer through longer distance runs on concrete and asphalt. However, we can mix up our running surfaces during training. Many runners think that if they will be competing on a paved surface, all their training must take place on the pavement. Not true. Boxers expect to be punched throughout their fights – some more than others. However, they are not continuously punched throughout their training sessions. Avoiding punishment in training is common sense – for both boxers and runners. Running on softer surfaces – like grass, turf, wood chips or rubberized track surfaces – for a good portion of your training will save your body from excess punishment. Additionally, some of the softer surfaces, like grass and wood chip trails, can help to strengthen your feet and ankles.
Expensive running shoes will not ensure that you are fully protected on paved surfaces, particularly as you accumulate significant mileage under your belt. Thus, you must be proactive in selecting alternative running surfaces to alleviate the stress of training for long distance events. You will find that when you return to pavement, you will have more spring in your step – without the hit to your wallet.
- Going barefoot for all your training is not the answer.
Many barefoot running advocates state that running shoes take us out of our natural running mechanics. Modern running shoes encourage heel-striking and result in greater impact forces on the body. While I agree with this assertion, I do not believe that everyone should throw out their running shoes and start training in bare feet. I am an advocate of teaching individuals how to run properly – even in their regular running shoes. Believe it or not, you can land on your forefoot when you run while wearing conventional running shoes. The shoes not only protect your feet from sharp rocks, broken glass and dog poop, they provide the necessary cushioning and support should you mis-step or fatigue and begin to land on your heels. If you do fatigue and lose your technique, the obvious course of action is to stop running and discontinue your training.
If you choose to go barefoot, I would suggest that you do it for sessions where you can be assured that your running surface is relatively safe (i.e. no glass, thumb-tacks, pot-holes or gopher holes). Well managed grass playing fields or modern turf fields are a good place to start. You many not choose to run your longer distances in these environments, but you can definitely carry out interval or speed workouts in relative comfort. You can also practice various running drills (i.e. marching, skipping and running high-knee drills) to reinforce good technique and build foot and ankle strength. Additionally, you can integrate low height plyometrics in bare feet in the form of multiple hops, skips or bounds to further enhance foot strength and elasticity. This barefoot work could be performed one to two times per week, with your longer running workouts taking place on other surfaces with your running shoes.
Other alternatives for barefoot running can include use of light-weight, form-fitting shoes such as the Vibram Five-Fingers product. These shoes fit like gloves for your feet, with your toes sliding into their own individual pockets. On their web site, Vibram states the following:
“FiveFingers footwear connects you to the earth and your surroundings in a way that is simply not possible in conventional shoes. It puts you in touch with the earth beneath your feet and liberates you to move in a more natural, healthy way. FiveFingers stimulate the muscles in your feet and lower legs to build strength and improve range of motion. Our customers report an increased sense of balance, greater agility, and visibly improved posture.”
While I have not tried the Vibram product, I feel that there is some validity to athletes using this type of footwear for a portion of their training. I would, however, be concerned that some individuals would over-use this product initially, creating stress issues for the feet and lower-legs. As with any significant change in footwear or technique, the initial stages of trials should be handled with caution, allowing for a “breaking-in” or adaptation period.
Concluding Remarks
As a result of Christopher McDougall’s article and my review of the recent research in muscle tuning, I have been paying closer attention to athlete behavior around their footwear choices and my selection of running surfaces for training. For softer surfaces, like grass and modern turf, I often opt for lower profile shoes with less cushioning so that the athletes can feel the ground and strengthen their feet. We will also do some running in bare feet, along with various drills and plyometrics, on grass and turf surfaces. The overall volume of such work is carefully managed to ensure that we do not create any overuse problems. I will always check with the athletes the day following our training session to determine if any foot soreness resulted.
I also make a point of telling athletes not to blow their bank accounts on footwear. Many of the athletes that I work with fall in the 18 to 25 year age range that is easily swayed by athlete endorsements and fancy marketing claims. I would rather they buy a number of pairs of shoes (for various uses – running, field work, weight training) for under $80 each rather than spend $200 on one pair. I spend many hours per week teaching athletes how to run properly so that they don’t have to rely on the shoes for injury prevention and performance. This concept is best described by the Chinese proverb: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for the day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” The irony is that most of the running shoes we buy are now made in China.
“My Kid Loves Sports, But He is So Slow: What Should I Do?”
- Derek M. Hansen -
Believe it or not, I’m asked this question at least once per week. Being in the business of making people run fast, you would figure that it would be the only question I would hear. Thankfully, some of my clients are already pretty fast. They just want to get faster. However, I’ve spoken with a long list of parents, listening to sad stories about how their son or daughter feels left out because they are not fast enough to “make the team” that all of their friends are on. Other kids tease them because they are slow on the field or court. And some of these slow running kids may be the hardest workers, the best decision makers or the best team player. But, they will never make it to the next level because they just don’t have the running speed to compete. It is essentially an affliction of slow-twitch muscle fiber composition.
So what is a parent to do? Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to change the genetic make-up of your child (well, not quite yet at least). So, in the meantime, if you and your spouse were slow, it’s a pretty good bet your offspring are trailing behind their friends. While good training may not make them into the team speedster, there are many things that can be done to improve your child’s speed abilities and maximize the genetic potential with which they were born. Provided below are list of recommendations that will give your developing athlete a fighting chance when it comes to running speed.
1. Have them Run at their Fastest on a Regular Basis
Many parents wonder why their child isn’t getting any faster. They send their child off to soccer practice several times per week, and watch them play in games week after week, but don’t see significant differences in their speed over time. The simple truth is that children need to run at top speed on a regular basis. This does not happen at sport training sessions, where kids are inundated with drills and general conditioning. The drills are performed with a ball or other equipment and can impede the athletes from running at maximum effort and velocity. Conditioning and general fitness work typically emphasizes endurance aspects of training, and not speed related activities. Actual games such as soccer, basketball and football do not even involve maximum velocity efforts, as shown by studies. Hence, athletes do not experience the positive speed stress and adaptation required for faster running. Specific training sessions must be implemented to allow kids to run at or very near top speed, with appropriate recoveries between runs. My most common advice to parents is to have their kids “run fast to get faster.”
2. Provide Good Instruction on Sprinting Technique
Obviously, running fast is a necessity for improving your speed. If there is only one thing you do to make your kids faster, it should be to allow them to run fast. However, if you can provide your kids with simple, foundational technique for sprinting, they will be much better off in the long run. Running fast and efficiently is a complex motor learning challenge for most people. At the highest level of competition, the Olympic 100m final, sprinting looks effortless. Turning on the right muscles and turning off the unwanted muscles at the highest velocity of movement is a skill that must be taught, refined and maintained by a skilled coach. Kids must be taught the proper limb movements, body posture and level of effort to maximize their speed potential. If they are simply instructed to “push hard” or “go as fast as you can,” they will most likely run into trouble at some point in their development and develop poor habits that will be very difficult to break later on in their athletic career. Seek out a qualified, proven sprint coach to help out your children. Watch the workouts to determine if the coach is working on fundamentals. If they break out the speed ladders, parachutes and other gimmicks, sprint as fast as you can in the opposite direction. A good coach will have some cones, a stopwatch and a proven plan for teaching the fundamentals of running fast.
3. Avoid Unnecessary Endurance Running
Many coaches associate good training with long bouts of aerobic exercise. If the kids are breathing hard, sweating and even on the verge of vomiting, they believe that they have appropriately improved their conditioning. These types of workouts, however, do nothing to improve the speed abilities of athletes. Not only are the wrong muscle fibers being worked, excessive endurance work will result in poor posture, inefficient biomechanics and low motivation to continue training. Any chance for transitional muscle fibers to move into the fast-twitch category will be dashed by long-distance running workouts. And, even if your child wants to become a marathon, triathlon or Tour de France star, doing speed work at a younger age will only help develop speed qualities that will help them later on in their careers. Remember, the top marathoners in the world can run under five minutes per mile numerous times during a race. Over 99% of the adult population are not fast enough to run even one 5-minute mile. General conditioning is fine, but do not allow it to become excessive. Spend more time building skill and motor coordination with young athletes.
4. Introduce Basic Strength Training Protocols
Young athletes can improve their speed abilities by improving their overall strength. One of the big myths of athlete development is that lifting weights can be harmful to the health and development of young kids. While dropping a weight on your foot can be quite harmful, performing weightlifting exercises with low to moderate loads can be useful in developing general strength and improving movement mechanics. Some kids have problems initiating movement because they do not have the strength to move their own body weight quickly. This is exacerbated when kids go through a growth spurt and their limbs have lengthened, but muscular strength has not improved to handle the new lever lengths. Movements such as squatting and lunging, as well as Olympic weightlifting movements can build strength and power for accelerating. Simple jumping movements can also improve power and starting strength. Jumping up onto a box or up stairs can be performed easily, without the heavy eccentric impacts that often occur with plyometric movements such as hurdle jumps or depth jumps. These types of activities can be introduced gradually and performed at low volumes one to two times per week.
5. Emphasize Relaxation, Ease of Effort and Patience
Running is a complex activity that requires good control and muscular relaxation to be performed effectively. When teaching young athletes proper running mechanics, the initial phase of training must include only sub-maximal efforts to ensure that optimal technique is maintained throughout the workout. Working at a perceived level of effort of 80-85% is optimal for mastering sprinting mechanics. Such effort may translate into 90-95% of top velocity, which is fast enough to effect a positive speed adaptation in the body. Sprinting is a “feel” sport, which means you need to get a feel for proper technique at higher velocities and work on maintaining this feeling. Young athletes that spend a good deal of time perfecting these qualities will benefit from this investment over the long run.
Final Remarks
One of the most important reasons for parents and young athletes facing the question of, “Am I destined to be slow all my life?” to continue to work on improving their speed is that all young athletes are developing at different rates. An athlete who is slow now may develop into an athlete with reasonable speed abilities later in their career. This is why it is important for young athletes to try to stay in the game and not give up based on their current performance. One of the biggest problems in youth sports these days is that potentially good athletes are being cut from teams at very early ages. Early specialization is narrowing the potential pool of athletes for various sports. The longer we can keep athletes in the development pool, the greater chance we will have to find the best athletes for the elite level.
Following the recommendations above can give an athlete a fighting chance to not only maintain their career, but perhaps vault them into a new level of performance. If we can prevent young athletes from getting discouraged by providing them with good training guidelines, we will go a long way to improving sport and maintaining larger participation rates in active lifestyles for our youth.
Identifying and Managing Fatigue in Running Athletes – Part 1
– Derek M. Hansen –
While everyone is clamoring to find the greatest new exercise or supplement for health, fitness and performance, I am always searching for easier ways to do more with less. In short, I am trying to determine the optimal amount of work for a given athlete, without falling into the trap of overtraining them. What is the minimum amount of work I need to create improvement? Call me lazy. Call me a pseudo-intellectual. Either way, it is important to understand that the human body and mind have a finite capacity for stress and work, particularly when you are seeking positive adaptation and consistent improvement. Fatigue has also been linked with a higher incidence of injury which reinforces the need to be working from a position of strength rather than weakness.
Types of Fatigue
Fatigue can be classified in one of three categories: Neuromuscular fatigue, metabolic fatigue or neuroendocrine fatigue. Excessive fatigue in all cases can lead to overtraining syndromes that are detrimental to the athlete whether it is creating an environment for injury or a downward spiral in health and overall conditioning.
Neuromuscular fatigue involves the central nervous system (CNS). Fatigue of the CNS creates a state of inhibition, resulting in slower and weaker muscular contraction (lower proportion of motor unit recruitment). Regeneration of a nervous cell is seven times slower than for a muscle cell. Recognition of this type of fatigue is critical for runners who are training for speed. The ability to recruit muscles for fast action can be significantly impacted by recovery times. Recovery times that are too short negatively impact an athlete’s ability to recover for optimal performance on the next repetition. Repeated bouts of speed work must include appropriate rest intervals to ensure proper recruitment and maintenance of optimal running mechanics.
Metabolic fatigue is related to the depletion of fuel and includes the effects of lactic acid build-up. For high-intensity workouts and performances, continued operation at the upper limits of output will lead to the depletion of ATP-CP stores (short-term fuel supply) and the corresponding building of lactic acid. Hydrogen ion accumulation interferes with the production of ATP and the increased acidosis inhibits binding of calcium ions with troponin, thereby affecting muscular contraction. This process also creates discomfort, affecting psychological fatigue and tolerance. For longer duration efforts, fuel in the form of free fatty acids and glucose will eventually become depleted as well.
In neuroendocrine fatigue, the prolonged stress of training impacts hormone levels, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, human growth hormone, cortisol and thyroid stimulating hormone. As fatigue persists and hormone levels are altered, so is the function of the autonomic nervous system, resulting in overtraining symptoms. For high intensity sports (i.e. sprinting and heavy weightlifting), persistent fatigue leads to thyroid hyperactivity, affecting the sympathetic pathways of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. “fight or flight”). Testosterone to cortisol ratio is disrupted in favor of cortisol, resulting in a catabolic state. Key symptoms of high intensity overtraining include:
- Increased heart rate
- Decreased appetite
- Reduced recovery after exercise
- Disturbed sleep
- Increased resting blood pressure
- Increased incidence of infections
- Decreased maximal power output
- Decreased performance
- Weight loss
- Increased irritability
- Increased emotional instability
- Loss of training and competitive desire
- Postural hypotension
- Increased incidence of injury
- Decreased plasma lactate levels during exercise
For endurance sports, high levels of fatigue and prolonged overtraining from too much volume can affect the parasympathetic pathways of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. “rest and digest”). It is the result of diminished activity of the adrenal glands. This type of overtraining is difficult to detect early, due to the absence of any dramatic symptoms. Key symptoms of overtraining as a result of excessive volume in endurance sports include:
- Progressive anemia
- Decreased hemoglobin
- Decreased hematocrit
- Need for more quality sleep
- Low blood pressure
- Low resting pulse rate
- Decrease in free testosterone level
- Mood state disturbance
Identifying Fatigue
One of the keys to consistent improvement in performance is the ability to identify fatigue early and make adjustments to training to ensure recovery and successive loading is optimized. However, sometimes overt signs of fatigue can be detected only after it is too late. Some of the best coaches are able to anticipate fatigue based on their vast experience or subtle cues that they pick up from the athlete. Keen observation is the best tool you will have in your arsenal to determine potential signs of fatigue. While it would be nice to have lab test results at our fingertips on a weekly basis, it is not practical or affordable for most athletes. And, by the time you get the results back from blood work or similar tests, it is too late to implement an intervention. Simple strategies for identifying signs of fatigue before problems arise in the form of overtraining, injury or illness are provided below.
Reductions or Plateaus in Performance
The stopwatch is the coach’s and the athlete’s best indicator of fatigue and overtraining. I am amazed at how many athletes are perplexed by poor times when they are putting in so many hard hours of training every day. I say to them, “If you are working hard all the time and you aren’t improving, what must be the problem?” Many times they are unable to give me a good answer. They question their will, their training philosophy and even their equipment. Very rarely will they admit that they are tired and overworked. We have all experienced having an injury or illness, then coming back to the track and having better than ever performances. The only explanation for the improvement must be excessive fatigue remedied by appropriate recovery and regeneration. If the stopwatch indicates that performances are lacking and you are training diligently, inserting more rest may be the answer.
Deterioration of Biomechanics and Technique
A gradual reduction in the quality of running technique may be a sign of apathy on the part of the athlete, but in most cases it is a clear sign of fatigue – particularly if it occurs toward the latter stages of the workout. For runners, postural changes and foot-strike anomalies are some of the key areas of evaluation for a coach. As the athlete fatigues, whether it be a sprinter or a longer-distance athlete, the hips will be pulled down closer to the ground by the forces of gravity. The amount of knee flexion will increase as well as ground contact time for each stride. Improper foot-strike will also be made obvious by the audible sound of heavy foot-falls. A tired runner will plod, while a fresh runner will make less noise on ground contact. Constant evaluation of technique is critical for a coach, whether it be through real-time observation or periodic review of video footage of the athlete, comparing against baseline video when it was obvious the athlete was fresh.
Evaluation of the Athlete in Different Environments
I highly recommend weight training for runners. Not only does it provide useful strength gains that transfer to the running action, it also provides you with another means of evaluating the status of the athlete. Weights provide a quantifiable measure of performance. Either you can lift a given weight, or you cannot. If fatigue is an issue, it will show itself in an athlete’s lifting performance. Other simple evaluations can be done to determine levels of fatigue or overall preparedness. Something as simple as a periodic vertical jump test – which doesn’t take a lot of energy to implement – can provide you with ongoing information on the status of an athlete.
Hands-On Evaluation
Massage must be performed on athletes on a regular basis to determine the status of muscle and connective tissue. Passes over a muscle can determine status of muscle tone. In some athletes, excessively high muscle tone is a sign of high workloads and inability to recover appropriately. In other athletes, very low muscle tone can be an indicator of excessive fatigue and lack of preparedness. I have worked with athletes who think they are recovered, but when they get a thorough massage on key muscle groups, they can’t believe how much soreness and stiffness they actually feel in their muscles. The “hands-on” method will determine where key problems exist in the musculature and soft tissues. For athletes that don’t have access to a trained massage therapist, self massage with simple passes over key muscle groups will help determine problem areas that can be addressed through further massage, static stretching or work with a foam roller.
Use of Technology to Determine Recovery Status
Significant advances in the study of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) have allowed us to have a deeper look into the physiological status of an athlete through non-invasive means. HRV has been used outside of the athletic realm for determining the stress levels and health of patients at risk for heart attack or those recovering from cardiac arrest. More recently HRV has been used for determining the recovery status and preparedness of high performance athletes. HRV involves the measurement of the time interval between heartbeats (the R-R interval). One would think that a healthy heart beating at a rate of 60 beats per minute would have equal inter-beat time intervals of one second. However, healthy individuals exhibit greater variability between individual heartbeats than those who are stressed or at risk for heart attack. While one interval may be 0.85 seconds, another one may be 1.15 seconds in a healthy athlete. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls the beating of the heart and any disturbances in the ANS (i.e. stress and fatigue) will affect HRV and can be detected by HRV analysis. An advanced heart rate monitor – such as the Suunto T6C – will allow you to effectively record R-R interval data for analysis of HRV. I will devote more time in a future article on the use of HRV for monitoring athlete recovery and preparedness.
Communication and Documentation of Athlete Status
Many of the strategies presented above are non-verbal in nature. However, simply talking to an athlete about how they feel can reveal much about their training status and levels of fatigue. Coaches need to engage athletes on not only training status, but other aspects of their life, including appetite, sleep, academic performance and relationships. This information can also be documented in training journals that can be reviewed by the athlete and coach on a regular basis. All information must be reviewed as a collection of data – verbal and non-verbal – in an effort to determine the status of the athlete.
Next Steps
Once unwanted fatigue has been identified, action must be taken to ensure the athlete recovers appropriately. In the next installment of this discussion on Fatigue Identification and Management, we will address key methods of hastening recovery and incorporating appropriate rest and recovery methods. This will included making adjustments to a training program to avoid excessive fatigue, as well as implementing pro-active methods of facilitating optimal recovery.
