Preventing Injuries through Fitness Training

1. Preventing Injuries through Fitness Training Mrs. Marr Sports Med I

2. Objectives The Student will- • Discuss the foundations and principles of conditioning. • Explain the importance of a proper warm-up and cool-down. • Explain the importance of flexibility, strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance for athletics and injury prevention. • Discuss the various types of stretching and how each is performed. • Discuss principles and specific techniques for improving muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. • Identify the concept of Periodization and the types of exercise that are performed in each phase.

3. Physical Fitness • Proper physical conditioning for sports participation should prepare the athlete for a high-level performance while helping to prevent injuries inherent to that sport. • Physical Fitness definition is that physical fitness is state of well-being that allows a person to perform their daily routines and activities with a sense of vigor, stamina, and energy.

4. Physical Fitness Physically fit can reduce the risk of injury • Physical Fitness means that the elements of: • muscular strength, • flexibility, • cardiovascular endurance, • muscular endurance, • body composition

5. Preventing Athletic Injuries • A comprehensive injury prevention program includes: • Education • Rule enforcement • Proper matching of participations during practice • Elements of physical fitness

6. Educating the Athlete • Includes both: • Teaching about the dangers involved in the sport • Proper techniques for the particular sport • Example: the ATC and Coach should educate the football athlete about his helmet- used for protection not as a weapon. • Document that he has been given instructions (legal liable for negligence)

7. Rule Enforcement • Many rules are designed to prevent injuries • Spearing (FB) was banned in 1976; prevent the head as a weapon • Head/ spinal cord injuries • Enforce rules during practice and games

8. Proper Matching • Factors in matching: • Weight • Age • Skill level • Especially in contact sports • Wrestling • Boxing • Football • Field hockey • Hockey

9. Purpose of Conditioning and Strength Training Athletes’ (and the athletic trainer's) role in conditioning and strength training Optimize performance & athletic development Prevent injury People in other exercise settings Enhance health and wellness Optimize performance Older adults Maintain health and wellness Improve quality of living

10. Exercise Prescription Needs analysis—considering the objectives of the program What muscle groups should be conditioned? Demands of sport: Physiological and biomechanical analysis of the skills of the sport Abilities of the athlete Energy systems Muscle activity: concentric, eccentric, or isometric? Injury patterns Team's injury history Athlete’s injury history

11. Fitness-Testing Procedures Measures the athlete's level of fitness Helps identify muscle groups or energy sources that need to be trained Usually includes tests of muscular function, cardiovascular function, speed, agility, and body composition SPARQ testing provides sport-specific evaluation http://www.sparqtraining.com/ Preseason participation evaluation

12. Fitness-Testing (Evaluations) Ongoing evaluations For athletes Help to identify particular weaknesses that may have developed For physically active (non competitive athletes) Indicate progress toward fitness goals and whether changes in the program are advisable Postseason fitness evaluations Used to plan and assess the off-season training program

13. Body Comp Height, weight, and body composition Uses of anthropometry: measurement and study of the human body and its parts and capacities height and weight To determine position on team an athlete is best suited for Self-knowledge Unexpected changes can be a sign of a medical condition

14. Body Comp Height, weight, and body composition Body composition test is more significant Amount of fat in relation to lean tissue High levels of fat affect ability to move optimally and are associated with certain diseases and illnesses Methods of measuring Skin calipers Body mass index Hydrostatic weighing Bioelectrical impedance

15. Exercise Prescription Goal setting Short-term goals Include immediate (individual day) and short-range (month) goals Contribute to the long-term goal Long-term goals Must be established by the athlete Should be specific, measurable, and attributable to the conditioning program Limitations to the plan Recognize that obstacles to achieving the goal will occur, and establish alternate plans Provide communication and encouragement

16. Exercise Prescription Exercise plans Training volume: Amount of work performed Exercise order Station approach: Maximize overload on one muscle group before moving to the next Circuit training: Work a muscle group to fatigue, and then hurry to the next exercise, maintaining the elevated heart rate

17. Developing the Strength-Training Program Resistance and overload: essential to every program Exercise intensity The percentage of the 1RM: relationship of percentage to strength gains Hypertrophy method Goal is increased muscle mass through increasing the size of individual muscle fibers 5 to 12 reps at 70 to 85% of the 1RM High-intensity training method (HIT) Goal is to improve recruitment of existing muscle fibers rather than to increase the size of the fibers Intensity reaches up to 100%; amount of weight increased if athlete can lift prescribed weight more than four times

18. Periodization Year-round conditioning is essential in most sports to assist in preventing injuries. • Periodization is an approach to conditioning that attempts to bring about peak performance while reducing injuries and overtraining in the athlete by developing a training and conditioning program to be followed throughout the various seasons. • Periodization – an approach to conditioning that uses various types and intensity of training throughout the year. • Brings about peak performance by constantly changing training stimulus (intensity, volume, specificity, etc.) • Reduces risk of injury and overtraining • Goals • Individualization • Peak performance • Decrease injury • Variety • Macrocycle comprised of Mesocycle, Mesocycle comprised of Microcycles

19. Season Period/Phase Type of Training Activity Off-Season sports Transition period Unstructured Recreational Preparatory period Cross training Hypertrophy/endurance phase Low intensity High volume Non-sport-specific Strength phase Moderate intensity Moderate volume More sport-specific Preseason Power phase High Intensity Decreased volume Sport specific In-season Competition period High Intensity Low Volume Skill training Strategic Periodization Training

20. Developing the Strength-Training Program Macrocyclerefers to the entire training program. Duration of competitive training Annual for most athletes, every four years for Olympic athletes Progresses from high volume, low intensity non-sport specific to low volume, low intensity, sport specific activity

21. Developing the Strength-Training Program Mesocycle refers to the type of training/phases being performed Preparatory phase Off-season (3 sub-phases) Hypertrophy/endurance Low intensity, high volume Non-sport specific Strength Moderate intensity, moderate volume Power High intensity, low volume Sport-specific

22. Developing the Strength-Training Program Mesocycle (continued) In-season Competition phase Maintenance driven High intensity, low volume Post-season Transition phase Unstructured Allows time to recover physically & psychologically

23. Developing the Strength-Training Program • Microcycles- Period of the training calendar composed of several days of training followed by 1 to 2 days of rest

24. Developing the Strength-Training Program Progressive Overload There are two ways to progressively overload your body. First is to increase the number of reps you do with a set weight from the previous workout. If you performed 8 reps of bench press with 125lbs. last time, you strive to get 9 on the next workout. Second, you may progressively overload by increasing your training weight. If you got 8 reps with 125lbs. last workout and you go up to 130lbs. for 8 reps, you have progressively overloaded your body. Gradual increase in the stress placed on a muscle as it gains strength or endurance Accomplished through increasing repetitions or resistance

25. Foundations of Conditioning Physical conditioning must follow the SAID principle-an acronym for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. SAID PRINCIPLE Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands

26. Developing the Strength-Training Program Rest periods and training frequency Rest periods: Amount of time between consecutive sets Longer—3 to 5 min—when training for absolute strength (1RM loads) Shorter—30 to 60 sec—when training for muscle hypertrophy (8-12 reps with submaximal weight) Rest periods in circuit training: 1:1 ratio and when to modify Training frequency: Length of time between exercise sessions Typically, weight training done on alternating days Longer recovery needed if early in exercise program, if exercises are multijoint, if maximal or near-maximal loads are used Shorter recovery needed if low volume used on days between high-volume training, or if athlete has been weightlifting on a regular basis for several years

27. Principles of Conditioning • Warm-up/cooldown • Motivation • Overload • Consistency • Progression • Intensity • Specificity • Individuality • Stress • Safety

28. Warm-Up and Cooldown A proper warm-up should precede conditioning, and a proper cool down should follow. • It takes at least 15 to 30 minutes of gradual warm-up to bring the body to a state of readiness for vigorous sports training and participation (break a sweat) • Warming up consists of general, unrelated activities followed by specific, related activities. • Warm-up Exercises • Why are they important? • How do they reduce injuries? • Cool down • Benefits • How long?

29. Flexibility • Flexibility - the range of motion possible about a given joint or series of joints. • Why is it important? • How can it be limited? • How is it measured? Optimum flexibility is necessary for success in most sports. • Too much flexibility can allow joint trauma to occur, whereas too little flexibility can result in muscle tears or strains. • The safest and most effective means of increasing flexibility are static stretching and the PNF techniques. • Active and Passive Range of Motion • Agonist v. Antagonist Muscles

30. Stretching Techniques • Ballistic stretching • Static Stretching • Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

31. Stretching Flexibility/stretching programs Passive stretching No work on the part of the athlete Another person carries limb through range of motion; must have training Active stretching Athlete takes an active role in the stretching Uses his or her own body to produce the stretch Contract/relax stretching Partner or therapist provides the resistance to the contraction and stretches the muscle group Preliminary contraction may allow the muscle to more fully relax during the stretching cycle Single, straight plane of motion

32. Stretching Flexibility/stretching programs Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) Requires that three movements occur: flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, and rotation Diagonal patterns of movement traversing three planes Stretching methods Static: Joint moved to the point at which tightness is felt, and that position held Ballistic: Involves a bouncing movement; not entirely safe Dynamic: Involves sport-specific movements; for example, "high knees" for sprinters

33. Stretching Techniques Examples

34. Flexibility (testing) Flexibility Joint structure Structure of joint surface determines the motions available Ball-and-socket versus other types of joints Effects of muscle size Muscle bulk can limit movement Can avoid this loss of flexibility in two ways: stretching the same muscle that is strengthened and strengthening the opposite muscles (antagonists)

35. Flexibility (testing) Flexibility (cont.) Ligament and tendon composition All connective tissues are made up of collagen and elastin Some people have more elasticity than others have Age and Gender Females tend to be more flexible than males As people age, they tend to decrease in flexibility Active people are more flexible than sedentary people

36. Flexibility (testing) Flexibility (cont.) Testing Importance Hamstring: sit-and-reach test Pectoralis Major muscles: supine, elbows clasped behind head; then relax shoulders to allow elbows to move toward table

37. Muscle Function- Strength Muscular Strength – the maximum force that can be applied by a muscle during a single maximum contraction. Ability of the muscle or group of muscles to overcome a resistance 1-repetition maximum (1RM) test Strength is that capacity to exert a force or the ability to perform work against a resistance. There are numerous means to develop strength including: Isometric exercise Progressive resistance exercise Isokinetic exercise Circuit training Plyometric exercise Calisthenics

38. Muscle Function- Endurance Muscular Endurance – the ability to perform repetitive muscular contractions against some resistance Ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform a repetitive action Sit-ups, push-ups, or more sport-specific evaluations such as the squat with a light weight for a cross country runner

39. Muscle Function- Power Muscle power Rate of performing work: A weight lifted (force) through a range of movement (usually a vertical distance) divided by the unit of time required to perform the lift Vertical jump

40. Types of Skeletal Contractions • Isometric • Concentric • Eccentric

41. Isometric Isometric Muscle generates a force, but there is no joint movement; resistance is greater than the athlete is able to move Strength gains are greatest at the precise joint position at which the contraction is performed Isometrics are not often applicable to sport performance, though consider holding positions in wrestling and gymnastics, abdominal muscles in swimming, abdominal and back muscles in running Difficult to measure the overload

42. Isotonic Isotonic Moving the joint through a range of motion with a set amount of resistance applied Occurs in lifting free weights and in most activities of daily living

43. Variable Resistance Variable resistance Delivers a varying resistance at different points in the range of motion Offset cam on Nautilus/variable-resistance machines; sliding lever bar systems; rubber bands or elastic tubing (provides increased resistance as the band is elongated)

44. Isokinetic Isokinetics Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity (in the form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight stacks) to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction Muscular action performed at a constant velocity Isokinetic machines provide a maximum resistance throughout the entire range of joint movement

45. Concentric Concentric and eccentric training Most sports involve both phases Concentric muscle activity The shortening of the muscle when a limb moves through a range of motion with a resistance applied This muscle action is the force-production part of almost every human movement

46. Eccentric Eccentric muscle activity The lengthening of a muscle (lengthening contraction) that occurs with lowering of a weight Does not occur in every form of isokinetic exercise (some isokinetic machines do allow eccentric contractions), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises, or manual resistance exercises without modifications Does occur with most other weightlifting machines and in all forms of body weight conditioning (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc.)

47. Types of Strength Training- Plyometric Plyometric is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervations of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, often with the goal of increasing the height of a jump.

48. Types of Strength Training- Plyometric Also known as stretch-shortening cycle exercise Stretch phase: Eccentric loading phase Shortening phase: Force-production or concentric phase Every physical activity incorporates the stretch-shortening cycle Critical feature: A concentric force production follows every eccentric load absorption When a muscle is stretched prior to the onset of a contraction, the contraction is greater than it would have been otherwise Can be used as part of a rehabilitation program or to prepare for a specialized skill or performance

49. What Determines the Amount of Strength? • Size of muscle • Number of muscle fibers • Neuromuscular efficiency • Biomechanical Factors • Fast-Twitch v. slow-twitch muscle fibers • Level of physical activity • Overtraining

50. Resistance Training Techniques • Isometric Exercise • Progressive Resistive Exercise • Isokinetic Exercise • Circuit Training • Plyometric Exercise • Callisthenic Strengthening Exercise