h cuttiford
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- 2009
PART 1:
Evaluate how the principles of training are applied in the training program. (12 marks)
The provided training program for the Foster Ironman Triathlon is designed based on the 6 principles of training which are; Progressive Overload, Specificity, Reversibility, Variety, Training Thresholds and Warm Up/Cool Down. These principles are applied in training programs in the aim to achieve the best possible results for an individual in order to improve their performance so that they are hopefully at an advantage against their competitors.
Progressive Overload refers to placing demands on the body which it is not used to. It involves increasing the load under which the body is training in order to cause an adaptation to occur which in turn, improves performance. The load under which somebody trains can be increased by intensity, duration or environmental factors such as terrain. It is very important to incorporate Progressive Overload into a training program in order to improve performance so as to heighten a person’s ability to compete at their highest level.
The application of this principle is seen throughout the 13 week training program. In weeks 1 to 3, a steady increase of 5km of riding per week demonstrates the progression principle by increasing duration, beginning at 45km and reaching 55km at the end of this 3 week period. This is at the start of the week. At the end of the week from weeks 1 to 5 a similar pattern occurs, with duration starting at 90km on Saturday week one, moving up to 100km for weeks 2 to 4 and then stepping up again to 120km for week 5. This same progressive increase trend occurs in the running component of the program. This is to cause an adaption to longer endurance, so as to improve performance.
It is vital that the rate of Progressive Overload is neither too high nor too low. If the load is not being increased enough then the body will not be placed under enough training stress for beneficial physiological adaptations to occur. If the overload is too much then this is likely to be an unsuccessful training method as the participant will most likely suffer fatigue, injury or be unable to sustain the activity and thus the activity will cease. In endurance training, which is a major component needed for triathlons, the progressive increases must be small and the adaptation process will occur more slowly than other types of training. In the case of this training program, the principle of Progressive Overload has been effectively applied and in theory should assist the athlete in achieving optimal performance.
The second principle of training, Specificity is another component to this program which is an important factor in achieving the best possible results. This term relates to the closeness of the relationship between the activities conducted in training and the muscles, energy systems and skills needed in the activity that is being trained for, in this case a Triathlon. Training Programs must consist of activities which are mainly specific to the particular sports needs, but also of some training of other types or other energy systems.
For example, in week 2 on Thursday, the athlete runs 1km at 15 seconds above race pace and on Wednesday week 5 includes hill sessions including max efforts on hills. These activities are designed to push the athlete during training in order to cause an adaption to be able to effectively use different energy systems during a race situation. Endurance is the major focus of triathlon training. However, the other energy systems also play important roles. For example, the anaerobic system is needed when travelling up a steep hill at a very high intensity which the aerobic system cannot handle. The body must revert to the lactic acid system for its main source of energy. But the body cannot continue to use this system for long periods of time because of the accumulation of lactic acid which causes fatigue. Another example of when the anaerobic energy systems are commonly used is to pass a competitor which requires an increase in speed, at an intensity above the aerobic zone.
This training program is obviously well designed based on specificity, with the 3 main activities being riding, running and swimming. Importantly the sessions include variations of these activities which target different muscle groups and energy systems, for example, the inclusion of running; jogging, for example on Wednesdays from weeks 1 to 5; as well as different levels of running (recorded as “aerobic easy” and “aerobic pace” in weeks 5 and 6 on Tuesdays). This training ensures that there is sufficient aerobic endurance training which is a much specified feature of the sport, as well as some training of harder pace and slower pace workouts to enhance performance in areas of the competition which require different muscle and energy systems to be relied upon. The use of continuous training is very appropriate to developing the aerobic system and developing muscle endurance. Hence, this training program has effectively applied the principle, Specificity.
Reversibility, the third principle of training, refers to the level of fitness reverting back to its previous or lesser level due to discontinued training or lack of progressive overload which results in the reversal of physiological benefits of training. This training program shows that the training does not discontinue for long periods, thus the athlete is able to maintain their high level of fitness and continues to improve. Although there are periods of recovery, such as in week 4 when all training drops back down to a lower level, these periods are only short and do not allow time for reversibility to occur, rather simply allow the athlete to heal physiologically and relax psychologically, allowing them time to ‘unwind’.
The fourth principle, Variety is a large component of this training regime as it does extend for 13 weeks at an extremely high level of intensity. This term relates to the inclusion of a diverse range of challenging skills to ensure that motivation remains high. The use of Progressive Overload, discussed above, plays a role in achieving Variety in training. There are constantly changes throughout the entire program to the duration and intensity, at which the trainer runs, rides and swims in preparation for the Ironman event. Although this sport naturally provides some variety, with running, riding and swimming, it is still vital for this type of training that the routines are mixed up to include a lot of diverse challenges and environments. It is seen that this has been achieved in the program by looking at some examples such as the different locations for club racing on many Sundays. Also, recreational rides are a fantastic way to keep an athlete motivated, allowing them to enjoy their sport in a more relaxing environment. Another strategy to increase variety is group riding, seen on many Saturdays of the routine. This is excellent for the athletes overall wellbeing as the social interaction can be very motivating and encourage good competition to further enhance performance. The Variety displayed in this program demonstrates that the application of this principle has been effectively achieved.
Training Thresholds is the fifth principle of training. This term refers to the level of intensity to which you train and determines how the body will respond. This principle incorporates many other terms which relate to how hard you are training based on maximal heart rate (calculated by 220bpm minus your age). The benefits that you will receive from training are roughly proportional to the threshold at which you train. To gain the benefits of exercise you must be working at an intensity which is neither too high nor too low. The aerobic threshold is approximately 70% of a person’s maximal heart rate (MHR). The anaerobic threshold (or Lactate Inflection Point- LIP) refers to the intensity at which you train which causes a very quick accumulation of lactic acid in the bloodstream. The aerobic training zone, which is very important for training for a triathlon, is the level of intensity above the aerobic threshold and below the LIP. To gain the most benefit from aerobic training you must be working close to, but not excess of the Lactate Inflection Point. This is illustrated by the diagram below. The importance of training closer to the anaerobic threshold than the aerobic threshold is that it increases the tolerance to lactic acid and improves the cardiorespiratory system. This is essential for when speed needs to be increased during the race to get ahead or out of a pack, or particularly in the final sprint to the finish line. The ability to withstand accumulation of lactic acid in muscle cells is a huge advantage over other competitors and highly valued.
The use of these training thresholds is very evident in this training program for the Foster Ironman. For example, in week 1 on Thursday the trainer jogs at 80% for 1km 3 times. This is very close to the anaerobic threshold, demonstrating that the trainer is working hard on slowly increasing their tolerance to lactic acid and improving their cardiorespiratory system. In week 5 on Thursday, the man jogs at 95% for 1 km 5 times. This activity is strongly targeted at improving the anaerobic energy system as it is much higher than the aerobic threshold and targets the cardiorespiratory system, causing it to adapt to this high level of intensity. Any more than this amount of training at such an intensity would be likely to cause fatigue or injury because the body is unable to cope with such extremes. The build up of lactic acid begins to prevent oxygen from being delivered to the cells as well as blocking the removal of other metabolic by-products including carbon dioxide.
Observing the overall program, most of the training occurs between 75-85% intensity. This suggests a focus on developing aerobic endurance at a high level and a capability of tolerating accumulation of lactic acid. From studying the training program it appears that the application of training thresholds has been sufficient as there is a good balance between aerobic endurance training at around 75% intensity as well as anaerobic training at higher intensity.
The last principle of training is Warm up/Cool down. This is a fairly self-explanatory principle yet is a major component of any effective training program. Warm up and cool down are essentials to any training program and when not included you run the risk of injury or not achieving the desired outcomes. The purpose of warming up for a training session includes:
-To increase the body’s core temperature and activity of enzymes to advocate more powerful muscle contractions;
-To reduce the risk of injury or pain by increasing joint mobility (by increasing the flow synovial fluid to lubricate the joints) and increasing muscle stretch, achieved by incorporating a range of joint motions and stretches specific to the muscles being used;
- To allow the athlete to prepare mentally for training, develop strategies to enhance their performance and calm any nerves, and;
- To stimulate the cardiorespiratory system by increasing blood flow around the body and increased breathing rate. This can be achieved through callisthenics (such as push-ups, sit-ups, star jumps etc) as it helps to increase the circulation of blood around the body and to working muscle groups.
In the training program, Warm up is used almost every Thursday from weeks 1 to 7, however does not appear in any other training. The periods in which the warm up is included in the training session are all at levels of intensity which would operate in the anaerobic threshold, outside of the aerobic training zone. This suggests that the athlete is more cautious of risking injury when training at a higher intensity than when within the aerobic training zone.
The cool down component of the program is just as important, if not more as the warm up. Its purpose is:
-To assist the muscles to recover, remove accumulated lactic acid and other metabolic by-products such as carbon dioxide which have been unable to be efficiently dispersed during training. This aims to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness which results from strenuous training;
-To cool the body’s core temperature to advocate ‘normal’ muscle contractions;
-To slow the cardiorespiratory system by gradually decreasing intensity (gradual decrease reduces strain on the body and helps with recovery), and;
-To replenish the body’s energy stores.
Both the warm up and cool down should include some forms of aerobic, strength and flexibility training.
The cool down principle of training is not often recorded in this training program. Ideally, this principle should be incorporated into every training session. ‘Warm down’, meaning the same as cool down, features only three times in the recorded program, on Thursday of weeks 5, 6 and 7. However, it appears that the very poor application of the principle which has been observed can be attributed to unprofessional record keeping of such activities. With the knowledge of the importance of using warm up and cool down techniques in a training program as heavy as this, it is safe to assume that the athlete was applying this principle much more effectively than has been recorded.
Observing this training program overall, the principles of training have all been applied extremely effectively. It can be predicted that if this program was followed that the athlete would be capable of performing very well, also taking into consideration other factors such as psychological influences and environmental impacts.
PART 2:
Discuss how the training program incorporates the energy system demands of the sport of triathlon. (8 marks)
A triathlon requires an extremely high energy demand because this event endures for approximately 10 hours. There are three different energy systems that we use to supply our demand for energy during training. They include the aerobic energy system which requires the presence of oxygen, and the lactic acid and alactacid systems which are both anaerobic as they do not require oxygen. The aim of each of these systems is to resynthesise ATP. In a triathlon event, as in most sports, all three of these systems are used conjunctively in order to supply the demand of energy needed by the working muscles during an activity. The energy system predominantly used depends upon the duration of the activity, the intensity and how fast the activity is being performed.
The predominant energy system needed in this training program is the aerobic system as triathlons are an endurance event. It is no use for somebody to be able to run fast or ride hard, if they are not able to sustain this for the duration of the event because it is likely to result in fatigue or injury. Training the aerobic energy system involves working in the aerobic training zone, above a certain level of effort but below the Lactate Inflection Point. Generally the aerobic training zone is between 70 to 85% of the individual’s maximum heart rate. However, for highly trained athletes the aerobic training zone is usually much higher because they train very close to the lactate inflection point. Over time this causes an adaptation to occur meaning that they can train at a higher intensity for longer without huge increases in lactate levels. This adaptation is a huge advantage in endurance events such as triathlons, giving the athlete an edge over their opponent.
This training program documents the effective preparation for the triathlon event by recording the high incorporation of “aerobic pace” training. An example of this is on Thursday week 4 which includes a 40km ride and 15km run, and on Tuesday week 6 includes a 60km ride and 10km run, all at aerobic pace. This demonstrates that the athlete should be well trained for the event to perform at a very high level. For aerobic training to efficiently develop, the heart rate must be raised to a certain level for a period of time, (at least 20 minutes). For aerobic endurance training, which is what is targeted for triathlon events, the training should be continuous, such as running, riding or swimming over long distances without stopping. The application of this is evident in the program, for example on Tuesday week1 the athlete rides for 45km then runs for 8km, all within the aerobic zone at 75% intensity.
The next system is the lactic acid energy system. This is used for extremely high intensity exercise which lasts for approximately 30 seconds to 3 minutes. In this system ATP is reformed without oxygen meaning that lactic acid is produced. ATP resynthesis is limited due to the accumulation of lactic acid. What this means is that after an individual has been working above the Lactate Inflexion Point, lactic acid begins to accumulate as the body cannot efficiently remove the waste product. This results in not enough ATP being resynthesised and the muscles suffer from fatigue and soreness as they begin to feel very heavy and the body tires dramatically. This is why the aerobic system is predominantly used.
The anaerobic system or the Lactic acid system is a major component of triathlon events. This system is often required such as, when overtaking another individual, in a high intensity run or ride up a hill, or in a sprint to the finish line. By performing a lot of the training sessions in the anaerobic zone, the athlete is wisely preparing themself to be able to tolerate lactic acid accumulation better than their competitors. This high intensity training also develops the body’s ability to remove these wastes from the body more effectively and efficiently so that the athlete can work at this high level for longer.
An example of training the lactic acid system in this program is on Wednesday week 5 which includes max efforts on hills. This is known to require the lactic acid system because the aerobic system does not operate efficiently at maximum intensity. By performing training with the lactic acid system, the athlete is setting themself up to have an advantage over their component. The more effectively and efficiently an individual is able to deliver oxygen and remove lactic acid and other wastes, the better their chances of success in this sport.
The third energy system, ATP/PC is also anaerobic, not needing the presence of oxygen to resynthesise ATP. This system only lasts for approximately 10-12 seconds because there is a very limited supply of ATP stored in the body, located in the contraction tissue of the muscles. It is used for extremely high intensity bursts of energy of approximately 95-100% maximum heart rate. Although this energy system is not used often in triathlon events due to its limited nature, it is used in instances such as at the beginning of the event when the athlete bursts off the starting line to get to the head of the pack.
Although there are no recorded examples of this training in the program, there were would certainly be some form of this incorporated into the athlete’s sessions leading up to the event. The ATP/PC system is not used often in a triathlon event however it is an area which can be targeted to increase an individual’s level of performance.
This training program incorporates activities to target the different energy systems based on the need for their use in the event. Those which are used more frequently appear more often in the program than others. Because there is more of a need for the Aerobic system than the Lactic Acid system due to the accumulation of this by-product being a barrier to performance, the aerobic system is therefore more dominant in the training program. All systems are trained however because there is a need for all of them in triathlon events to perform different tasks of varied duration, intensity and how fast the activity is being performed.
PART 3:
Identify a sport that this training program may be applied to. Justify why this program may suit this sport with reference to types of training, principles of training and the energy system demands of the sport. (10 marks)
This training program may be applied to a number of sports based on its application of the types of training, the training principles and the energy system demands of the sport. All sports have some similarities and some differences which determine the need to train in certain ways. One sport that may use a training program such as the one provided is Australian Rules Football. The main reasons for selecting this sport is because of its high focus on strength and aerobic training, the duration of training sessions and their intensity. These factors exhibited in the training program are well suited to the extremely high physical demands of this sport.
AFL is a very intense sport which requires a huge amount of training of different types to cater for all of the varied tasks encountered in a game situation. The high level of competition seen in the AFL league means that it is incredibly important for athletes to train appropriately to the task in order to have an edge over their competitors. Although there are different demands on players, dependant on their position on the field, there are some basic characteristics that players must display to be successful in this sport. These include:
-endurance, an ability to sustain a high level of intensity exercise for an entire games duration
-agility, an ability to move quickly on the field, often in articulate pathways, and also
-efficiency, to withstand the onset of fatigue, meaning their cardiorespiratory and other body systems must be well developed to remove lactic acid and other waste products.
The training program provided is focused on Aerobic training and Strength training. Aerobic training involves: continuous, Fartlek, interval and circuit type training techniques. Interval training is used very frequently in AFL because it develops the body’s ability to quickly harness stored energy. For this type of exercise the athlete is not able to stop, however high intensity exercise is broken up with periods of ‘recovery’, or low intensity exercise. The adaptation that results from this training is a more highly developed ability to quickly enter a level of high intensity training, which mimics common game situations. It also improves recovery time between bursts of high intensity. This is very important in AFL because of the sports fast moving nature. Players must be able to launch into a sprint immediately, for example when competing to get to the ball first or when chasing down an opponent to tackle them. Often the ball is then quickly moved on and the athlete needs to recover as soon as possible as it may only take a minute or so and the ball will be back in their area of the field and a contest will arise again.
The training program that has been provided frequently uses some form of aerobic training, usually 5 or 6 days each week. This includes a lot of variation, with some days being focused on the anaerobic system and other days targeting the alactacid system, whilst others are directed towards aerobic endurance training. The different energy systems are fairly evenly alternated throughout the 8 week program. As all of the energy systems are used so much in each game it is vital that there is a lot of focus on developing all of them.
Strength training is another major component of this program which is important for AFL training. There are different types of strength training, including: strength endurance, muscular power and absolute strength. Strength endurance, most commonly used, refers to the ability of a muscle group to withstand fatigue. This is a large part of AFL due to the very high intensity and long-lasting duration. Particularly players who are in ‘on-the-ball’ positions or mid-fielders, who also do a lot of running, must have highly developed muscular endurance. These players need to be able to cope with the high demands placed on their muscles because not only are they working at high intensity but they are often chasing the ball for long periods of time, not to mention the long duration of the entire game.
There is a need in AFL, like most team sports to train all three systems to be highly efficient. This explains why each system is being targeted in different sessions. The ATP/PC system needs to be well developed such as when ruckman must run in and jump to knock the ball to their team members. The lactic acid system is mainly used in sprints to cover as much distance with the ball as possible before passing it off, or in chasing down a competitor to tackle them. The aerobic system is predominantly used in situations when the ball is down the other end of the field and players but when players must continue to move around to wear out the man they are marking. This is why there is a need for all of these systems to be trained in AFL and hence why this program is suitable to this sport.
The training program provided effectively applies muscular strength training with training sessions between 30-60 minutes roughly 2 times each week. These sessions alternate between lower body, upper body and whole body workouts. The lower body muscular endurance is needed particularly for getting down low in packs and running, and the upper body muscular endurance is needed mainly in contests and tackling for possession. This is why the frequent inclusion of strength training in the program is suited to Australian Rules.
The applications of the principles of training in a training program are also designed to suit the demands of the specific sport. The principles of training are progressive overload, specificity, reversibility, variety, training thresholds and warm up/cool down. In this case, Progressive overload has been applied, for example, to the increasing duration of anaerobic training from 30 minutes in week1 to 40 minutes week2, 50 minutes week4, 60 minutes week 6 and so on. AFL players must have a very high level of fitness. This means a lot of hard work which needs to be kept constant to be sustained, and increased for improvement. Hence why pre-season training starts so early, so as to build up gradually to the required level of intensity and endurance needed in games during the season. The use of progressive overload in this program justifies why it would be suitable to AFL.
Specificity has been applied to AFL training in this program in that it is targeting the energy system demands of the sport, with Anaerobic training for the high level of sprinting, ATP/PC for the huge amount of explosive actions in packs, tackling and rucking, as well as aerobic endurance to sustain performance for the games duration. These workouts would be designed based on the specific activities in AFL such as Fartlek training and a combination of ball training at the same time, which incorporates the skill component of game preparation. This demonstrates how the program is appropriate to AFL training.
This program does not allow for reversibility to occur as the intensity and duration is being maintained so this program would be well suited to Aussie Rules. If reversibility did occur and athletes then tried to get straight back into that high level of exercise for the next season, or for example after a 6 week suspension, then they are at more risk of causing injury.
The variety seen in the program is in the alternating of different body workouts, but also in other activities such as Paintballing and White water rafting. This prevents boredom and training sessions and keeps the athletes motivated to sustain the high intensity demands that the sport requires. Not only are these activities still very physical tasks, but they are great for team bonding which is a large part of Aussie rules because of the nature of the sport which relies heavily upon a team being able to work effectively together. These are very social activities which are great for relaxing the players and getting them in different environments which helps them to refocus when they get back into their routine training sessions. Thus, the variation in this program is very fitting to AFL.
The application of training thresholds is evident in the high intensity aerobic endurance training at 75% which is developing the body’s tolerance to lactic acid whilst not passing the Lactate Inflection Point. This is needed in AFL because players cannot rely on the lactic acid system alone rather they need the aerobic system to be able to sustain a certain intensity for the entire game.
Warm up/ cool down is not recorded in this program but is a vital part to every AFL training session. Because of the huge amount of lactic acid training in particular, ignorance of this principle would increase the time required for recovery and would probably cause injury, muscle soreness and responses such as cramping.
There are many areas of training such as type, principles and energy systems which are more suitable to different sports based on that sport’s demands. These demands are determined by the intensity, duration and activities of that sport. The arguments above justify why the provided training program is appropriate to the selected sport, AFL. The intensities, activities and duration of these training tools are suitably designed to mimic game situations and improve AFL athletes performance.
Evaluate how the principles of training are applied in the training program. (12 marks)
The provided training program for the Foster Ironman Triathlon is designed based on the 6 principles of training which are; Progressive Overload, Specificity, Reversibility, Variety, Training Thresholds and Warm Up/Cool Down. These principles are applied in training programs in the aim to achieve the best possible results for an individual in order to improve their performance so that they are hopefully at an advantage against their competitors.
Progressive Overload refers to placing demands on the body which it is not used to. It involves increasing the load under which the body is training in order to cause an adaptation to occur which in turn, improves performance. The load under which somebody trains can be increased by intensity, duration or environmental factors such as terrain. It is very important to incorporate Progressive Overload into a training program in order to improve performance so as to heighten a person’s ability to compete at their highest level.
The application of this principle is seen throughout the 13 week training program. In weeks 1 to 3, a steady increase of 5km of riding per week demonstrates the progression principle by increasing duration, beginning at 45km and reaching 55km at the end of this 3 week period. This is at the start of the week. At the end of the week from weeks 1 to 5 a similar pattern occurs, with duration starting at 90km on Saturday week one, moving up to 100km for weeks 2 to 4 and then stepping up again to 120km for week 5. This same progressive increase trend occurs in the running component of the program. This is to cause an adaption to longer endurance, so as to improve performance.
It is vital that the rate of Progressive Overload is neither too high nor too low. If the load is not being increased enough then the body will not be placed under enough training stress for beneficial physiological adaptations to occur. If the overload is too much then this is likely to be an unsuccessful training method as the participant will most likely suffer fatigue, injury or be unable to sustain the activity and thus the activity will cease. In endurance training, which is a major component needed for triathlons, the progressive increases must be small and the adaptation process will occur more slowly than other types of training. In the case of this training program, the principle of Progressive Overload has been effectively applied and in theory should assist the athlete in achieving optimal performance.
The second principle of training, Specificity is another component to this program which is an important factor in achieving the best possible results. This term relates to the closeness of the relationship between the activities conducted in training and the muscles, energy systems and skills needed in the activity that is being trained for, in this case a Triathlon. Training Programs must consist of activities which are mainly specific to the particular sports needs, but also of some training of other types or other energy systems.
For example, in week 2 on Thursday, the athlete runs 1km at 15 seconds above race pace and on Wednesday week 5 includes hill sessions including max efforts on hills. These activities are designed to push the athlete during training in order to cause an adaption to be able to effectively use different energy systems during a race situation. Endurance is the major focus of triathlon training. However, the other energy systems also play important roles. For example, the anaerobic system is needed when travelling up a steep hill at a very high intensity which the aerobic system cannot handle. The body must revert to the lactic acid system for its main source of energy. But the body cannot continue to use this system for long periods of time because of the accumulation of lactic acid which causes fatigue. Another example of when the anaerobic energy systems are commonly used is to pass a competitor which requires an increase in speed, at an intensity above the aerobic zone.
This training program is obviously well designed based on specificity, with the 3 main activities being riding, running and swimming. Importantly the sessions include variations of these activities which target different muscle groups and energy systems, for example, the inclusion of running; jogging, for example on Wednesdays from weeks 1 to 5; as well as different levels of running (recorded as “aerobic easy” and “aerobic pace” in weeks 5 and 6 on Tuesdays). This training ensures that there is sufficient aerobic endurance training which is a much specified feature of the sport, as well as some training of harder pace and slower pace workouts to enhance performance in areas of the competition which require different muscle and energy systems to be relied upon. The use of continuous training is very appropriate to developing the aerobic system and developing muscle endurance. Hence, this training program has effectively applied the principle, Specificity.
Reversibility, the third principle of training, refers to the level of fitness reverting back to its previous or lesser level due to discontinued training or lack of progressive overload which results in the reversal of physiological benefits of training. This training program shows that the training does not discontinue for long periods, thus the athlete is able to maintain their high level of fitness and continues to improve. Although there are periods of recovery, such as in week 4 when all training drops back down to a lower level, these periods are only short and do not allow time for reversibility to occur, rather simply allow the athlete to heal physiologically and relax psychologically, allowing them time to ‘unwind’.
The fourth principle, Variety is a large component of this training regime as it does extend for 13 weeks at an extremely high level of intensity. This term relates to the inclusion of a diverse range of challenging skills to ensure that motivation remains high. The use of Progressive Overload, discussed above, plays a role in achieving Variety in training. There are constantly changes throughout the entire program to the duration and intensity, at which the trainer runs, rides and swims in preparation for the Ironman event. Although this sport naturally provides some variety, with running, riding and swimming, it is still vital for this type of training that the routines are mixed up to include a lot of diverse challenges and environments. It is seen that this has been achieved in the program by looking at some examples such as the different locations for club racing on many Sundays. Also, recreational rides are a fantastic way to keep an athlete motivated, allowing them to enjoy their sport in a more relaxing environment. Another strategy to increase variety is group riding, seen on many Saturdays of the routine. This is excellent for the athletes overall wellbeing as the social interaction can be very motivating and encourage good competition to further enhance performance. The Variety displayed in this program demonstrates that the application of this principle has been effectively achieved.
Training Thresholds is the fifth principle of training. This term refers to the level of intensity to which you train and determines how the body will respond. This principle incorporates many other terms which relate to how hard you are training based on maximal heart rate (calculated by 220bpm minus your age). The benefits that you will receive from training are roughly proportional to the threshold at which you train. To gain the benefits of exercise you must be working at an intensity which is neither too high nor too low. The aerobic threshold is approximately 70% of a person’s maximal heart rate (MHR). The anaerobic threshold (or Lactate Inflection Point- LIP) refers to the intensity at which you train which causes a very quick accumulation of lactic acid in the bloodstream. The aerobic training zone, which is very important for training for a triathlon, is the level of intensity above the aerobic threshold and below the LIP. To gain the most benefit from aerobic training you must be working close to, but not excess of the Lactate Inflection Point. This is illustrated by the diagram below. The importance of training closer to the anaerobic threshold than the aerobic threshold is that it increases the tolerance to lactic acid and improves the cardiorespiratory system. This is essential for when speed needs to be increased during the race to get ahead or out of a pack, or particularly in the final sprint to the finish line. The ability to withstand accumulation of lactic acid in muscle cells is a huge advantage over other competitors and highly valued.
The use of these training thresholds is very evident in this training program for the Foster Ironman. For example, in week 1 on Thursday the trainer jogs at 80% for 1km 3 times. This is very close to the anaerobic threshold, demonstrating that the trainer is working hard on slowly increasing their tolerance to lactic acid and improving their cardiorespiratory system. In week 5 on Thursday, the man jogs at 95% for 1 km 5 times. This activity is strongly targeted at improving the anaerobic energy system as it is much higher than the aerobic threshold and targets the cardiorespiratory system, causing it to adapt to this high level of intensity. Any more than this amount of training at such an intensity would be likely to cause fatigue or injury because the body is unable to cope with such extremes. The build up of lactic acid begins to prevent oxygen from being delivered to the cells as well as blocking the removal of other metabolic by-products including carbon dioxide.
Observing the overall program, most of the training occurs between 75-85% intensity. This suggests a focus on developing aerobic endurance at a high level and a capability of tolerating accumulation of lactic acid. From studying the training program it appears that the application of training thresholds has been sufficient as there is a good balance between aerobic endurance training at around 75% intensity as well as anaerobic training at higher intensity.
The last principle of training is Warm up/Cool down. This is a fairly self-explanatory principle yet is a major component of any effective training program. Warm up and cool down are essentials to any training program and when not included you run the risk of injury or not achieving the desired outcomes. The purpose of warming up for a training session includes:
-To increase the body’s core temperature and activity of enzymes to advocate more powerful muscle contractions;
-To reduce the risk of injury or pain by increasing joint mobility (by increasing the flow synovial fluid to lubricate the joints) and increasing muscle stretch, achieved by incorporating a range of joint motions and stretches specific to the muscles being used;
- To allow the athlete to prepare mentally for training, develop strategies to enhance their performance and calm any nerves, and;
- To stimulate the cardiorespiratory system by increasing blood flow around the body and increased breathing rate. This can be achieved through callisthenics (such as push-ups, sit-ups, star jumps etc) as it helps to increase the circulation of blood around the body and to working muscle groups.
In the training program, Warm up is used almost every Thursday from weeks 1 to 7, however does not appear in any other training. The periods in which the warm up is included in the training session are all at levels of intensity which would operate in the anaerobic threshold, outside of the aerobic training zone. This suggests that the athlete is more cautious of risking injury when training at a higher intensity than when within the aerobic training zone.
The cool down component of the program is just as important, if not more as the warm up. Its purpose is:
-To assist the muscles to recover, remove accumulated lactic acid and other metabolic by-products such as carbon dioxide which have been unable to be efficiently dispersed during training. This aims to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness which results from strenuous training;
-To cool the body’s core temperature to advocate ‘normal’ muscle contractions;
-To slow the cardiorespiratory system by gradually decreasing intensity (gradual decrease reduces strain on the body and helps with recovery), and;
-To replenish the body’s energy stores.
Both the warm up and cool down should include some forms of aerobic, strength and flexibility training.
The cool down principle of training is not often recorded in this training program. Ideally, this principle should be incorporated into every training session. ‘Warm down’, meaning the same as cool down, features only three times in the recorded program, on Thursday of weeks 5, 6 and 7. However, it appears that the very poor application of the principle which has been observed can be attributed to unprofessional record keeping of such activities. With the knowledge of the importance of using warm up and cool down techniques in a training program as heavy as this, it is safe to assume that the athlete was applying this principle much more effectively than has been recorded.
Observing this training program overall, the principles of training have all been applied extremely effectively. It can be predicted that if this program was followed that the athlete would be capable of performing very well, also taking into consideration other factors such as psychological influences and environmental impacts.
PART 2:
Discuss how the training program incorporates the energy system demands of the sport of triathlon. (8 marks)
A triathlon requires an extremely high energy demand because this event endures for approximately 10 hours. There are three different energy systems that we use to supply our demand for energy during training. They include the aerobic energy system which requires the presence of oxygen, and the lactic acid and alactacid systems which are both anaerobic as they do not require oxygen. The aim of each of these systems is to resynthesise ATP. In a triathlon event, as in most sports, all three of these systems are used conjunctively in order to supply the demand of energy needed by the working muscles during an activity. The energy system predominantly used depends upon the duration of the activity, the intensity and how fast the activity is being performed.
The predominant energy system needed in this training program is the aerobic system as triathlons are an endurance event. It is no use for somebody to be able to run fast or ride hard, if they are not able to sustain this for the duration of the event because it is likely to result in fatigue or injury. Training the aerobic energy system involves working in the aerobic training zone, above a certain level of effort but below the Lactate Inflection Point. Generally the aerobic training zone is between 70 to 85% of the individual’s maximum heart rate. However, for highly trained athletes the aerobic training zone is usually much higher because they train very close to the lactate inflection point. Over time this causes an adaptation to occur meaning that they can train at a higher intensity for longer without huge increases in lactate levels. This adaptation is a huge advantage in endurance events such as triathlons, giving the athlete an edge over their opponent.
This training program documents the effective preparation for the triathlon event by recording the high incorporation of “aerobic pace” training. An example of this is on Thursday week 4 which includes a 40km ride and 15km run, and on Tuesday week 6 includes a 60km ride and 10km run, all at aerobic pace. This demonstrates that the athlete should be well trained for the event to perform at a very high level. For aerobic training to efficiently develop, the heart rate must be raised to a certain level for a period of time, (at least 20 minutes). For aerobic endurance training, which is what is targeted for triathlon events, the training should be continuous, such as running, riding or swimming over long distances without stopping. The application of this is evident in the program, for example on Tuesday week1 the athlete rides for 45km then runs for 8km, all within the aerobic zone at 75% intensity.
The next system is the lactic acid energy system. This is used for extremely high intensity exercise which lasts for approximately 30 seconds to 3 minutes. In this system ATP is reformed without oxygen meaning that lactic acid is produced. ATP resynthesis is limited due to the accumulation of lactic acid. What this means is that after an individual has been working above the Lactate Inflexion Point, lactic acid begins to accumulate as the body cannot efficiently remove the waste product. This results in not enough ATP being resynthesised and the muscles suffer from fatigue and soreness as they begin to feel very heavy and the body tires dramatically. This is why the aerobic system is predominantly used.
The anaerobic system or the Lactic acid system is a major component of triathlon events. This system is often required such as, when overtaking another individual, in a high intensity run or ride up a hill, or in a sprint to the finish line. By performing a lot of the training sessions in the anaerobic zone, the athlete is wisely preparing themself to be able to tolerate lactic acid accumulation better than their competitors. This high intensity training also develops the body’s ability to remove these wastes from the body more effectively and efficiently so that the athlete can work at this high level for longer.
An example of training the lactic acid system in this program is on Wednesday week 5 which includes max efforts on hills. This is known to require the lactic acid system because the aerobic system does not operate efficiently at maximum intensity. By performing training with the lactic acid system, the athlete is setting themself up to have an advantage over their component. The more effectively and efficiently an individual is able to deliver oxygen and remove lactic acid and other wastes, the better their chances of success in this sport.
The third energy system, ATP/PC is also anaerobic, not needing the presence of oxygen to resynthesise ATP. This system only lasts for approximately 10-12 seconds because there is a very limited supply of ATP stored in the body, located in the contraction tissue of the muscles. It is used for extremely high intensity bursts of energy of approximately 95-100% maximum heart rate. Although this energy system is not used often in triathlon events due to its limited nature, it is used in instances such as at the beginning of the event when the athlete bursts off the starting line to get to the head of the pack.
Although there are no recorded examples of this training in the program, there were would certainly be some form of this incorporated into the athlete’s sessions leading up to the event. The ATP/PC system is not used often in a triathlon event however it is an area which can be targeted to increase an individual’s level of performance.
This training program incorporates activities to target the different energy systems based on the need for their use in the event. Those which are used more frequently appear more often in the program than others. Because there is more of a need for the Aerobic system than the Lactic Acid system due to the accumulation of this by-product being a barrier to performance, the aerobic system is therefore more dominant in the training program. All systems are trained however because there is a need for all of them in triathlon events to perform different tasks of varied duration, intensity and how fast the activity is being performed.
PART 3:
Identify a sport that this training program may be applied to. Justify why this program may suit this sport with reference to types of training, principles of training and the energy system demands of the sport. (10 marks)
This training program may be applied to a number of sports based on its application of the types of training, the training principles and the energy system demands of the sport. All sports have some similarities and some differences which determine the need to train in certain ways. One sport that may use a training program such as the one provided is Australian Rules Football. The main reasons for selecting this sport is because of its high focus on strength and aerobic training, the duration of training sessions and their intensity. These factors exhibited in the training program are well suited to the extremely high physical demands of this sport.
AFL is a very intense sport which requires a huge amount of training of different types to cater for all of the varied tasks encountered in a game situation. The high level of competition seen in the AFL league means that it is incredibly important for athletes to train appropriately to the task in order to have an edge over their competitors. Although there are different demands on players, dependant on their position on the field, there are some basic characteristics that players must display to be successful in this sport. These include:
-endurance, an ability to sustain a high level of intensity exercise for an entire games duration
-agility, an ability to move quickly on the field, often in articulate pathways, and also
-efficiency, to withstand the onset of fatigue, meaning their cardiorespiratory and other body systems must be well developed to remove lactic acid and other waste products.
The training program provided is focused on Aerobic training and Strength training. Aerobic training involves: continuous, Fartlek, interval and circuit type training techniques. Interval training is used very frequently in AFL because it develops the body’s ability to quickly harness stored energy. For this type of exercise the athlete is not able to stop, however high intensity exercise is broken up with periods of ‘recovery’, or low intensity exercise. The adaptation that results from this training is a more highly developed ability to quickly enter a level of high intensity training, which mimics common game situations. It also improves recovery time between bursts of high intensity. This is very important in AFL because of the sports fast moving nature. Players must be able to launch into a sprint immediately, for example when competing to get to the ball first or when chasing down an opponent to tackle them. Often the ball is then quickly moved on and the athlete needs to recover as soon as possible as it may only take a minute or so and the ball will be back in their area of the field and a contest will arise again.
The training program that has been provided frequently uses some form of aerobic training, usually 5 or 6 days each week. This includes a lot of variation, with some days being focused on the anaerobic system and other days targeting the alactacid system, whilst others are directed towards aerobic endurance training. The different energy systems are fairly evenly alternated throughout the 8 week program. As all of the energy systems are used so much in each game it is vital that there is a lot of focus on developing all of them.
Strength training is another major component of this program which is important for AFL training. There are different types of strength training, including: strength endurance, muscular power and absolute strength. Strength endurance, most commonly used, refers to the ability of a muscle group to withstand fatigue. This is a large part of AFL due to the very high intensity and long-lasting duration. Particularly players who are in ‘on-the-ball’ positions or mid-fielders, who also do a lot of running, must have highly developed muscular endurance. These players need to be able to cope with the high demands placed on their muscles because not only are they working at high intensity but they are often chasing the ball for long periods of time, not to mention the long duration of the entire game.
There is a need in AFL, like most team sports to train all three systems to be highly efficient. This explains why each system is being targeted in different sessions. The ATP/PC system needs to be well developed such as when ruckman must run in and jump to knock the ball to their team members. The lactic acid system is mainly used in sprints to cover as much distance with the ball as possible before passing it off, or in chasing down a competitor to tackle them. The aerobic system is predominantly used in situations when the ball is down the other end of the field and players but when players must continue to move around to wear out the man they are marking. This is why there is a need for all of these systems to be trained in AFL and hence why this program is suitable to this sport.
The training program provided effectively applies muscular strength training with training sessions between 30-60 minutes roughly 2 times each week. These sessions alternate between lower body, upper body and whole body workouts. The lower body muscular endurance is needed particularly for getting down low in packs and running, and the upper body muscular endurance is needed mainly in contests and tackling for possession. This is why the frequent inclusion of strength training in the program is suited to Australian Rules.
The applications of the principles of training in a training program are also designed to suit the demands of the specific sport. The principles of training are progressive overload, specificity, reversibility, variety, training thresholds and warm up/cool down. In this case, Progressive overload has been applied, for example, to the increasing duration of anaerobic training from 30 minutes in week1 to 40 minutes week2, 50 minutes week4, 60 minutes week 6 and so on. AFL players must have a very high level of fitness. This means a lot of hard work which needs to be kept constant to be sustained, and increased for improvement. Hence why pre-season training starts so early, so as to build up gradually to the required level of intensity and endurance needed in games during the season. The use of progressive overload in this program justifies why it would be suitable to AFL.
Specificity has been applied to AFL training in this program in that it is targeting the energy system demands of the sport, with Anaerobic training for the high level of sprinting, ATP/PC for the huge amount of explosive actions in packs, tackling and rucking, as well as aerobic endurance to sustain performance for the games duration. These workouts would be designed based on the specific activities in AFL such as Fartlek training and a combination of ball training at the same time, which incorporates the skill component of game preparation. This demonstrates how the program is appropriate to AFL training.
This program does not allow for reversibility to occur as the intensity and duration is being maintained so this program would be well suited to Aussie Rules. If reversibility did occur and athletes then tried to get straight back into that high level of exercise for the next season, or for example after a 6 week suspension, then they are at more risk of causing injury.
The variety seen in the program is in the alternating of different body workouts, but also in other activities such as Paintballing and White water rafting. This prevents boredom and training sessions and keeps the athletes motivated to sustain the high intensity demands that the sport requires. Not only are these activities still very physical tasks, but they are great for team bonding which is a large part of Aussie rules because of the nature of the sport which relies heavily upon a team being able to work effectively together. These are very social activities which are great for relaxing the players and getting them in different environments which helps them to refocus when they get back into their routine training sessions. Thus, the variation in this program is very fitting to AFL.
The application of training thresholds is evident in the high intensity aerobic endurance training at 75% which is developing the body’s tolerance to lactic acid whilst not passing the Lactate Inflection Point. This is needed in AFL because players cannot rely on the lactic acid system alone rather they need the aerobic system to be able to sustain a certain intensity for the entire game.
Warm up/ cool down is not recorded in this program but is a vital part to every AFL training session. Because of the huge amount of lactic acid training in particular, ignorance of this principle would increase the time required for recovery and would probably cause injury, muscle soreness and responses such as cramping.
There are many areas of training such as type, principles and energy systems which are more suitable to different sports based on that sport’s demands. These demands are determined by the intensity, duration and activities of that sport. The arguments above justify why the provided training program is appropriate to the selected sport, AFL. The intensities, activities and duration of these training tools are suitably designed to mimic game situations and improve AFL athletes performance.