News and Tips
Re-Post of Sleep & Performance Issues
Share This Article With A FriendSubmitted by Coach Michelle
March 10, 2010
I've posted this once before...but it's such an important topic that I thought I'd repost. Scroll down for the full article.
John K's Training Update!
Share This Article With A FriendSubmitted by Coach Michelle
March 8, 2010
PH athletes John K. has had some remarkable improvements in his training! Enjoy his report under Featured Athletes link.
Recap of USAT Art & Science Coaching Symposium's 3rd Day
Share This Article With A FriendSubmitted by Coach Michelle
February 23, 2010
And finally, Day 3. Here are the highights:
Sue Enquist
Enquist holds more national championships (11) in softball than anyone in it's history! She recently retired from UCLA softball's head coach position to enter the speaking realm.
Enquist spoke about becoming a better coach. She highlighted 3 components of preparing for "the game":
Preparation - Prep is anticipation of the ultimate goal (the game). The anticipation should be just as enjoyable as the end result.
Love - Coaches are servants of "the game"...we act as messaenger for what "the game" needs.
Honor - "The game" doesn't care how old, how young, how experienced or inexperienced you are. It treats everyone equally. Don't blame "the game" for your result.
Final Thought: Being "the best you can be" requires commitment - you're either committed or your not. It's like being pregnant...you're either pregnant or your not. You can't be "a little bit" pregnant!
Stephen McGregor
McGregor came back to speak on training myths. There was so much discussion of some of these that he didn't make it through his whole lecture!!
Myth 1 - Lactic Acid Myth
Lactic acid is not why you are sore the next day & it doesn't negatively effect your performance the day after. Lactic acid exits the bloodstream within 1hr of stopping exercise. In fact, lactate (precursor to lactic acid) can become a great fuel source for the muscles.
Myth 2 - Perfect Circles for Pedal Efficiency
This one really got folks riled up!! He quoted study results which compared elite cyclists to lesser cyclists. The elite cyclists pushed down harder on their pedals & pedaled LESS circles, but had greater efficiency (economy of movement). The lesser trained cyclists pedaled better circles, but were less efficient. Muscle efficiency comes from muscle fiber type - more Type 1 = greater efficiency.
Note - I asked what untrained cyclists spin scans looked like...were they more circles or squares? He didn't know this answer. My thought is that circle pedaling would greatly improve the efficiency of untrained cyclists whereas elite cyclists might not benefit from this pedal style. Also, the study used cyclists who do not have to run off the bike. Pedal style might need to adjust from cyclists to triathletes. You can see there is much study to be done yet!!
Myth 3 - Intensity in Base training will ruin aerobic fitness
This was another one that got the crowd going. Muscle fiber types come into play again here. Fast-twitch (FT) fibers don't recuite below LT whereas slow-twitch (ST) fibers activate at lower intensity & longer volumes. FT fibers can be trained to be more like ST fibers which is good for endurance athletes. The only way, however, to encourage FT to change is to train hard (30sec all-out efforts 3x per week).
My thought: I think this works great when you have athletes who are solid in technique & have a well-known training history. I would be hesitant to do these short, high intensity bouts with non-technically proficient athletes or with athletes with unknown training histories. The risk for injury increases pretty dramatically.
Final Thought: Training principles are constantly changing as research uncovers more detail about the body. As coaches we have to be willing to adjust...even if it means a complete 180degree turn from where we are now. That's what I love about sport!!
Tim Crowley
Crowley discussed the advent of training with power in swimming. He uses a swim bench with power to train his athletes better in less time.
He is a big advocate of dryland training to increase muscle balance, scapular (shoulder blade) & spinal mobility, & the connection of the core to upper body. Lots of pulling exercises to offset the inward roll on the shoulders that many of us have (from computer work & aerobar position).
Final Thought: Do the volume that will be in the race...just adjust the sets & reps.
And that was it!! Another great Arts & Science Symposium finished. I came home full of new ideas, new contacts, & new motivation for doing the best for my athletes. Now the trick is to implement & practice!! Remind me to do this, athletes!!
Training Tip
Share This Article With A FriendSubmitted by Coach Michelle
March 10, 2010
Training Tip #5 - Performance and Sleep
Wake up to the negative performance effects of sleep deficiencies! If you, like many athletes, think that you need to get your workouts done no matter how tired you are, think again. Recently, a host of sleep studies have begun to show just how important adequate sleep is to sport performance.
We have all heard the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel or the mistakes made at work because of poor concentration. Additionally, poor quality sleep has been associated with serious health problems such as weight gain, insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. But, we haven’t heard much about how inadequate sleep impacts sport performance.
To begin, body hormone levels are dramatically affected by inadequate sleep. In as little as six days with sleep duration restricted to four hours per night, hormone profiles of healthy young adults have been shown to replicate those typically found in elderly or depressed individuals. Remember that if we are not mentally 100% ready to train, the benefits of our training may be seriously diminished.
Also, if you are sleep-deprived, your cardiovascular performance can be reduced by 11%. Along with that, your ability to use glucose (carbohydrate) is reduced by 30-40%. And interestingly enough, your cravings for calorie-dense high carb foods such as sweets, salty snacks, & starchy food can be increased by 33-45%! Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that decreasing carb usage while increasing carb cravings is not a good combination!!
So, if sleep is so important, how do we improve the amount and quality of our sleep? Proper “sleep” nutrition may provide the answer. One of the most important sleep nutrients is good ol’ tryptophan (yes, that chemical found in Thanksgiving turkey!). Tryptophan works by increasing the levels of sleep hormones melatonin and serotonin (both of which are lowered during poor sleep patterns).
Another important sleep nutrient is magnesium. If your sleep suffers because of “restless leg syndrome” or periodic limb movement, then you may have a magnesium deficiency. Also know that high training volumes and sleep deprivation may reduce your magnesium stores thereby making the problem worse!
So, how do we get the best sleep possible? Here are a few tips:
1. Avoid caffeine-containing drinks after 3p.m.
2. Avoid alcohol use in the 3-hr period before bedtime (it may help you fall asleep, but it often leads to disturbed sleep later on)
3. Don’t eat a large meal right before going to bed. Also, don’t go to bed hungry, especially if you’ve trained in the evening.
4. If you have sleep problems, increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods like beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholegrain breads & cereals, green leafy veges.
5. Make sure your bed and bedding are comfortable! Experiment with mattresses and pillows if necessary.
6. Keep your bedroom well ventilated, quiet, and cool.
7. Go to bed when you’re sleepy/tired, not when it’s “time to go to bed”.
8. Take time to wind down before bedtime. Keep anxiety-producing TV and reading to a minimum.
9. Try getting an extra hour of sleep every night for 2 weeks and see how your performance improves!!
Training Tip
Share This Article With A FriendSubmitted by Coach Michelle
March 11, 2010
The Latest In Food!
The great thing about endurance nutrition is just when you think you have it all figured out...it changes...again! Just to keep you on top of this very important topic, here are some of the updates I've seen in my latest batch of reading.
Old Idea: During exercise our bodies can only absorb carb at a rate of 1g per minute (hence the 30-60g of CHO per hour recommendations).
New Idea: You can increase the absorption rate to 1.2g per minute simply by altering the type of carb ingested. Instead of straight glucose, add fructose to achieve this benefit.
Old Idea: 2% body weight loss due to dehydration will impair athletic performance.
New Idea: Maybe not for endurance athletes. Recent research has suggested that up to 5% dehydration does not appear to negatively affect running performance. However, if your sport requires complex motor skills (i.e. basketball), you still need to drink up as 2% dehydration will significantly impair your abilities.
Old Idea: Athletes, because they breathe and utilize so much oxygen, need to supplement with large amounts of antioxidant nutrients (such as vit C & E) to offset the negative affects of that oxygen.
New Idea: It still is true that athletes need antioxidants. But you need to EAT your vitamins rather than take them in pill form. Recent research suggests that the antioxidants found in fruits & vege's work far better in the body than those found in supplements.
Recommended foods are (starting w/ highest antioxidant amounts):
- 70% cocoa solid dark chocolate (yum!!)
- pomegranates
- dried prunes
- red apples
- raisins
- blueberries
- garlic
- blackberries
- spinach
- brussels sprouts
- strawberries
- broccoli
- beets
- red beel pepper
- cherries
- onions
- cauliflower
- sweet potatoes
Taken from Peak Performance, #284
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