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Chapter 4: Preventing Injuries Through Fitness Training
I.
Fitness is critical for
and injury prevention
a. Improper conditioning is a major cause in sports related injuries
b. Areas of concern:
i. Flexibility,
, endurance, power, Cardiorespiratory
endurance
c. Coaches need to develop program that focuses on injury prevention and performance
enhancement
II. Periodization in Training and Conditioning
a. Traditional
no longer exist for serious athletes
b. Periodization
i. Achieve peak performance
ii. Decrease injuries and overtraining
iii. Program that spans various seasons
iv. Modify program relative to athlete’s needs
v. Year Round Training Cycle
1. Complete training cycle
2. Seasonal approach based on preseason, in-season, and off-season
3. Changes in
, volume, specificity of training occur in order to
achieve peak levels of fitness for competition
vi. Broken into periods or phases (lasting weeks or months)
1. Transition period: Follows last competition (early off-season)
a. Unstructured (escape rigors of training)
2. Preparatory period: Off-season
a. Hypertropy/endurance phase (Low intensity with high volume)
b. Allows for development of
base
c. Lasts several weeks to 2 months
d. Strength Phase- Intensity and volume increase to moderate levels
e. Power Phase (High intensity/ pre-season)
i. Volume is decreased to allow adequate recovery
3. Competition period: May last a < week or several months for seasonal sports
a. High intensity, low volume, skill training sessions
b. May incorporate weekly training cycles (1-7 days)
c. Designed to ensure peak on days of competition
vii. Conditioning Seasons- Sports conditioning is a year around endeavor, encompassing 4
training seasons
1. POST-SEASON = a period usually used for physical
. Athletes
are allowed to let their bodies rest, heal, or rehab. Injuries that occurred during
the season
2. OFF-SEASON = athletes may participate in other sports, or stay in shape
through mild
programs. Athletes must take care not to
become inactive during this time.
3. PRE-SEASON = during this period, athletes are prepared to play their sport.
Should last 6-8 weeks, but often is limited b/c of rules. Flexibility, strength, &
endurance should be emphasized. (Peaking 1/2 way through season)
4. IN-SEASON = during this period, athletes should go through regular
maintenance conditioning in order to maintain conditioning accrued during the
pre-season. If conditioning is not maintained, it will be lost.
III. 10 Cardinal Principles of Conditioning
a. The following principles should always be applied to prevent injuries:
i. warm-up, graduated increments, timing (don’t over do it), intensity (over quantity),
capacity level (performing at or near limits), strength (must be developed), motivation
b.
c.
d.
e.
(very important), specialization (remember the SAID Principle), relaxation (to allow for
recovery from fatigue - physical and psychological), routine (exercise must be done
regularly and consistently)
Warming Up
i. serves to warm the body, increase body functions, allow more
into body
tissues
ii. it takes approximately 15-30 minutes for the body to warm up
iii. warm ups can be divided in 2 categories...
1. General Warm Up - easy running, gradual stretching, and general exercises
2. Specific Warm Up - should include activities that are specific to the sport. They
should progress from a moderate pace to a pace just below competitive level
3. Warm ups should be completed so that no more than 15 minutes elapses
between the end of the warm-up and the start of the activity.
Cooling Down
i. after exercise, the body should be allowed to cool down by slowly diminishing the level
of intensity. This permits the body systems to return to pre-exercise levels gradually.
ii. The cooling down period should last approximately 10 minutes and include a period of
light jogging, followed by 3-5 minutes of walking, and ending with a short period of
stretching.
Flexibility
i. Extremely important in preventing injury. ATCs need to be aware of the specific
stretches that are beneficial to athletes who play specific sports
ii. BALLISTIC STRETCHING
1. bouncing into the stretch. Dangerous to always stretch this way, due to the
risk of injury
iii. STATIC STRETCHING
1. gradual lengthening (stretching) of the muscle, which is then held for a period
of time (usually 20-30 seconds).
iv. Variables in flexibility
1. Flexibility varies among individuals and may be effected by:
a. joint problems,
, elasticity of muscles,
tendons, and ligaments, reciprocal muscle contraction
2. Hyperflexibility should be avoided b/c of increased injury risk
v. Muscular Relaxation & Readiness
1. Relaxation is essential in conditioning. The body must be allowed to rest &
rejuvenate itself.
2. “Mindset” or “Attitude” of readiness is important, too.
3. Athletes who are not able to relax tend to be predisposed to injury & failure in
athletics.
Weight training
i. Should be an integral part of the injury prevention program. Strong athletes tend not to
get hurt as unconditioned athletes. Like flexibility, there are specific weight training
regimes for specific sports and ATCs need to be aware of those.
ii. Range of Motion (ROM)
1. Active range of motion = dynamic flexibility
2. Ability to move a joint with little resistance
3. Passive
= static flexibility
4. Motion of joint to end points without muscle contraction
5. Must be able to move through unrestricted range
6. Must have elasticity for additional stretch encountered during activity
7. Joints are capable of multiple movements
a. Quadriceps will extend knee with contraction
b. Hamstrings will stretch during extension
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Quads (muscle producing movement) referred to as agonist
Muscle undergoing stretch referred to as antagonist
Agonist and antagonist work together to produce smooth coordinated
movements
Endurance & Stamina
i. The ability to withstand fatigue is inherited
ii. Two factors which can modify or improve an individual’s endurance are:
1. ability to endure
and discomfort
2. body’s ability to make homeostatic adjustments during exercise
iii. ENDURANCE -ability of the body to undergo prolonged activity or to resist stresses set
up as a result of prolonged activity.
1. Training & conditioning build a given efficiency in the body, allowing individuals
to perform activities at, or near, maximum levels over time.
2. Respiratory responses to training
a. Training increases the amount of oxygen your lungs take in and that is
also transported by the blood throughout the body.
3. Cardiac & Circulatory responses
a. Heart size increases as a result of training
b. Increased size is the result of thickening of the heart muscle
c. Increased size leads to increased stroke volume. This means the heart
does not have to beat as many times per minute. Why???
Major Principles of Training
i. INTENSITY- most important factor. The more intense an activity, the more positive
physical change
ii. SPECIFICITY- training must be specific to the sport/activity . Exercise is an individual
thing.
Muscle Contractions
i. Isometric contraction - No length change occurs during contraction
ii. Isotonic contraction
1. Concentric- shortening of muscle with contraction in an effort to overcome
more resistance
2. Eccentric - lengthening of muscle with contraction because load is greater than
force being produced
3. Both are considered dynamic movements
iii. Fast-Twitch vs. Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers
1. Motor units with distinct metabolic and contractile capability
2. Individual make-up
3. Muscles contain both types of fibers
4. Muscle functioning impacts ratios (postural vs. powerful movement)
5. Genetically determined
a. Slow twitch (Type I): Generally major constituent of postural muscles
b. Fast twitch (Type II) High force in short amount of time
i. Produce powerful movements
What physiological changes occur to cause increased strength?
i. Multiple theories of muscle hypertrophy
ii. Primary explanation of muscle hypertrophy: Increase in protein myofilament number
and size
1. Continued need for additional research
Core Stabilization Training
i. Core refers to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex
ii. 29 muscles in the lumbar spine, hip, abdomen and around the hip and pelvis
iii. Will help to improve: Postural control and muscular balance
iv. Allow for expression of dynamic functional strength and dynamic stabilization of kinetic
chain
v. Improve neuromuscular efficiency throughout the body
vi. Core training is designed to help develop strength, neuromuscular control, power and
endurance within the lumbo-pelvic complex
vii. Exercises must elicit maximal training response
viii. Should be safe, challenging, stress multiple planes, and incorporate a variety of
resistance equipment
ix. Begin with activities where you are able to maintain stability and optimal
neuromuscular control
k. Open vs. Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises
i. Anatomical functional relationship for upper and lower extremities
ii. OKC- When foot or hand are not in contact with the ground or supporting surface
iii. CKC- Foot or hand are weight bearing
1. Widely used = more functional
IV. Plyometric Exercise
a. Rapid stretch, eccentric contraction followed by a rapid concentric contraction to create a
forceful explosive movement
b. Rate of stretch vs. magnitude
c. Jumps, bounds, medicine ball throws
d. Very technical training - skills must be learned with appropriate technique
e. Often develop muscle soreness as a result of extensive eccentric loading
V. Impact on Heart
a. Main pumping mechanism
b. Increase exercise = increased oxygen requirement=increase heart pumping
c. Heart able to adapt through increases in heart rate and stroke volume which will enhance overall
cardiac output
d. Oxygenation of blood
i. What determines how efficiently the body is using oxygen?
1. Aerobic capacity = VO2max
2. More active = higher capacity
3. Average value = 45-60 ml O2/min/kg
4. Increases in intensity require higher levels of oxygen consumption
5. Inherit certain range of maximum aerobic capacity (genetics)
6. Dependent on activity levels
7. Also impacted by muscle fiber types
VI. Muscle Soreness
a. has long been a problem for people engaging in conditioning programs
b. Two major types of soreness:
i. Acute soreness = occurs immediately after exercise and usually resolves quickly
ii. Delayed soreness = more serious, usually occurs after acute soreness and increases in
intensity for 2-3 days following exercise and then subsides gradually
VII. Muscle stiffness
a. different from soreness because there is no pain. Usually results from a buildup of fluids and
muscle metabolites that collect in the muscles after exercise.
b. Can occur in conjunction with, or as a precursor to, muscle soreness
VIII. Muscle cramps
a. caused by the depletion of essential electrolytes in the body
b. two types of muscle cramps
i. Tonic = the muscle contracts and stays contracted for a period of time
ii. Clonic = involuntary muscle contraction marked by alternate contraction and relaxation
of the muscle in rapid succession.
iii. Both types of cramps are extremely painful