Carl jennings Strength & Conditioning Consultancy
Articles
Rugby League World Magazine UK (Published Feb/09)
Recovery Strategies for improved sport performance
Elite Athletes & Coaches recognise the necessity of planning effective recovery programs into their off season, and competitive season preparation plan. Over recent years it is this aspect of preparation that has become a real focus for enhancing training & competitive performance, as well as a main contributor to injury prevention strategies.
Rugby League by nature places the athlete under extreme physical and psychological stress. Modern day rugby athletes have to train long and hard to achieve the required physical attributes to excel in the sport, and must focus on recovery strategies to ensure they reach their full potential, as well as reducing the possibility of developing overuse injuries. Unlike most other non contact sports, the high velocity impact content of rugby league causes constant muscle trauma which must go through a natural healing process. Sports scientist are constantly trying to develop new methods to speed up this natural recovery process, as it is seen as a major aspect to increased training as well as competitive performance. Over the past few years professional sport has become submerged in the variety of recovery tools and methods made available to them. In this article I will talk about what I believe are the best forms of recovery tools and some strategies to put in place to get the best out of your training, and help improve performance.
I must reinforce that training for the sake of training is a waste of time, there has to be purpose, and it has to be planned, enabling the athlete to have a clear understanding of what is required of them. For the athlete to achieve the best results from their training program, they need to be recovered sufficiently. Athletes are often slightly sore and stiff during busy training schedules, but it is essential that their bodies and minds are capable of achieving something from every workout; otherwise I believe it is counterproductive to physical development, as well as skill development.
I once heard someone say that great painters produce works of art not through their great use of paint, but their use of space. This rings true when planning and producing effective training programs.
I believe it’s not necessarily the training alone that the athlete does which makes them a champion, but most importantly the things that they do away from the training environment, this is the power of recovery, the key to sporting success.
12 years ago when I walked into the Bradford Bulls I hammered home my principal of the balance of training; CORRECT TRAINING - CORRECT RECOVERY - CORRECT NUTRITION
At the time it seemed hard for the athletes to understand and accept, today it is recognised as obvious training practice. How far has our sport come!.
So let’s go into more detail about recovery, what is it?
Well in simple terms it’s the time it takes the body to repair damage caused by training and playing sport.
I will discuss the essential aspects of recovery techniques in what I believe is the order of importance.
Nutrition
Recovery is the restoration of carbohydrate stores, energy producing enzymes within the muscle fibre, as well as having healthy hormonal levels. This indicates that the metabolic process is the key aspect of recovery. The metabolic process is driven by the food, and fluid we consume, therefore having the correct nutritional intake is essential for correct recovery. Eating the correct quality, quantity and ratio of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fluid is very important. Coaches and athletes have become aware of the power of correct nutrition relating to performance, but it is the use of nutrition in the recovery process which I believe is much more important to training and competitive performance.
Making sure athletes have carbohydrate fluid and protein sources available directly Pre - During - Post, training and performance, is the norm in elite sport. It is recognised that filtering high quality nutrition into the body at these crucial times accelerates the recovery process, as well as increasing athletic performance. It is essential to understand that in a power sport like Rugby league high quality protein consumption is essential to rebuild damaged muscle, increase strength & muscle mass. You have to consume sufficient protein rich foods if you want to be successful. Research has shown that the optimal recovery ratio for nutritional intake is 1 gram of protein to every 4 grams of carbohydrate ingested. There is no excuse not to implement a nutritional strategy as part of your recovery process, the sports nutritional industry produce many high quality products which make it easy to consume the right micro nutrients. If you wish to source out high quality sports nutritional advice, and products, I recommend that you visit www.bodyscience.com.au. Which I believe are the leaders in their field.
Hydration / Rehydration
It is well documented that being properly hydrated prior, and during exercise, is essential for physical performance as well as health, therefore rehydration has to be a major factor when we are discussing recovery. It is during the initial stages of the recovery process that we need to focus on replenishing fluid loss and electrolytes. In Australia heat can be a real problem, and many strategies have been implemented to monitor fluid loss. One common practice is to measure the pre performance weight of an athlete and weigh them again after a game; they are encouraged to consume the corresponding amount of fluid to compensate the weight loss, and often not allowed to leave the changing room until their body weight returns to their pre performance weight. The primary function of a rehydration strategy is to get the required fluids and electrolytes lost during sweating, back into the body as quickly, and as safely as possible. This is affected by the speed in which the fluid is emptied from the stomach, and how fast it can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine. Choosing the correct fluid to enhance the rehydration process is essential. Drinking water alone is not the optimum way to rehydrate for an athlete as it can cause stomach bloating, suppresses thirst, and therefore further drinking when higher fluid intake is required. It also doesn’t contain carbohydrates or electrolytes which are an essential part of the rehydration process after sweating. Sports drinks offer the best solution to rehydration post exercise, choose an Isotonic sports drinks containing sodium and potassium, with carbohydrate levels of about 8% is recommended, this enables the fluid to be emptied from the stomach at a similar rate to water, improve absorption from the intestine and improve fluid retention in the body.
Sleep
Sleep and sleeping patterns are recognised as an essential aspect of good recovery, and sports performance. Although everyone is slightly different, it is suggested that athletes need a minimum of 7 hours sleep per night, with adolescent athletes needing slightly more. If athletes break regular sleeping patterns it will cause drowsiness, lack of concentration and focus, lower energy levels, and mood swings, aspects which directly affect performance. It is important to monitor athletes sleep patterns, as a build up of a number of poor night’s sleeps is recorded by the brain as debt, and can build up over time. This sleep debt can dramatically effect recovery and performance, and can only be reduced by having extra sleep. A one off night of mild sleep loss isn’t a worry but if athletes are regularly suffering from mild sleep loss, it can build up and become a performance inhibiter. On the other hand it has also been shown that even only one nights extended sleep can improve vigilance and mood. This indicates that before a crucial training session or competition sufficient extended sleep is warranted. It has also been shown that having a nap during the afternoon before a training session can add to increased performance, although longer naps of 2 hours or more in the afternoon prior to performance, can cause sleep inertia which can dramatically effect performance.
Recovery Therapies
Stretching post exercise as part of a cool down routine can help the recovery process; its primary purpose is to relax the muscle. Use static stretches of 6 -10 seconds, it can help improve range of motion, reducing further stiffness, and the risk of injury.
Active Recovery as part of a cool down routine helps remove lactate as a result of increased blood flow, it will reduce the possibility of muscle soreness and stiffness, it is essential to perform active recoveries during busy training schedules.
Compression Garments have become very popular in recent years, and are widely used in the NRL, they have been proven to decrease muscle soreness, reduce swelling, and decrease blood lactate levels, promote recovery of force, increase blood flow, and increase venous return. All in all compression garments are an essential aspect of a recovery strategy. Technology in the manufacture of compression garments has moved forward recently, and my choice is the Bsc, Body Science, (Kompressorz). Compression garments can be worn during performance, but in this article we are focussing on the recovery process. I utilize compression garments immediately post performance after a shower. The players are encouraged to keep them on during their sleep, removing them approximately 12 hours post game.
Contrast Water Therapy is the utilization of hot and cold water immersion, utilizing showers or spas directly post training or performance. Recent studies indicate it may increase blood flow, stimulate the central nervous system, stimulate circulation, decrease stiffness and pain, as well as increase the range of motion. This therapy is especially suited to post weight training sessions.
Cold Water Immersion or ice baths are the most common treatment of acute soft tissue sports injuries, this is why it is especially suited to contact sports such as Rugby League, as there is high levels of muscle trauma associated with the sport. The cold water reduces inflammation, and decreases pain. It has been shown that submerging the full body up to the neck is important. The optimum temperature being between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius. If the water is too cold it will have a counterproductive effect. This form of therapy is especially suited post game.
It is essential you are realistic in your approach to building a recovery program; develop a routine which you can implement on a regular basis. Have a look at what is at your disposal, study you’re training and competitive schedule, and plan in times to be dedicated to the recovery process. You must including the three essential aspects, Nutrition, Fluid, and Sleep, as well as some Recovery Therapies.
If you require more help in developing a personalised recovery strategy contact me on my web site www.carljenningsscc.com
