PE Sac Study (Unit 4 AOS 2)

1. Strategies to monitor and record training data

Physiological training data

Physiological training data: information about the body’s physical functioning in response to training

• Training diary can be beneficial as it can be used to record rate of perceived exertion, Changes in HR, track Sleep patterns 

• Digital trackers and wearable technology can be beneficial as it can record step counts, calorie expenditure, sleep patterns

Psychological training data:

Psychological training data: an understanding of mental readiness and capacity to train and perform (thoughts, feelings, cognitive characteristics that affect behaviour)

• Training diaries can be beneficial as is can be used to record emotion and motivation, arousal or stress

• Digital trackers and wearable technology can be beneficial as it can record Motivation, determination, send reminder notifications

Sociological training data:

Sociological training data: provides context about the broader social, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to an athlete’s performance

• Training diaries can be beneficial as it can be used to record time of day, time of training or type of training 

• Digital trackers and wearable technology can be beneficial as it can record time of training session and type of training session

2. Components of an Exercise Training Session

Warm-up

Warm-up: Activities and exercise undertaken at the beginning of a training session that are designed to prepare the body both physiologically and psychologically for the conditioning phase of the training session.

• General Phase: low-moderate cardiovascular continuous exercise (jogging,cycling), increasing HR and blood flow to the muscles and core body temperature

• Dynamic Range of Movement Phase: dynamic stretching (side swings, leg kicks) to increase mobility of joints, muscles and connective tissues

• Sport Specific Phase: involves activities that focus on agility, speed, acceleration and sport-specific skills, which prepares the body for the intensity required during the conditioning phase of training.

Conditioning phase

Conditioning phase: The main focus of a training session, may include skill development, fitness conditioning.

Cool-down

Cool-down: Low-intensity activity completed at the end of an exercise bout that allows the body to recover by maintaining an elevated blood flow to the muscles and preventing venous pooling, gradually returning the body to its resting physiological state.

• A cool-down is needed to reduce the likelihood of venous pooling, remove metabolic by-products, and reduce the likelihood of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

3. Training Program Principles

Frequency

Frequency: Refers to the number of training sessions needed per week to ensure improvements are achieved in the desired fitness components and energy systems.

Intensity

Intensity: The exertion level or how hard the training is being performed. It is commonly measured as a percentage of maximum heart rate which is determined by beats per minute. (Can be measured as RPE or %RM)

• ATP-CP System – 95-100% of MHR

• Anaerobic System – 85-95% of MHR

• Aerobic System 70-85% of MHR

Time

Time: Can refer to the length of an interval, rest period, training session, or training program

Type

Type: Exercises, activities, and/or training methods included into a training program

Progression

Progression: An increase in training load in order to bring about (or resulting in) physiological adaptations to improve performance.

Specificity

Specificity:The process of replicating the characteristics of physical activity in training to ensure it benefits performance.

Individuality

Individuality:Each person will have unique needs and response to training that should be accounted for, training sessions should be tailored towards the individual's specific needs and goals

Diminishing return

Diminishing returns:The rate of fitness improvement diminishes as a person approaches their genetic potential

Variety

Variety: Change in training activity that is still aligned to training goals to maintain interest and motivation levels of the performer and thereby optimise their fitness gains

Maintenance

Maintenance: Upholding training and fitness through a reduction in frequency whilst maintaining intensity, athletes may choose to apply this principal when their focus is to maintain their current level of fitness

Tapering

Tapering: Gradual reduction in training volume in the lead up to a competition, with no change to intensity.

Overtraining

Overtraining: Decline in performance and physical functioning due to insufficient recovery.

Detraining

Detraining: The loss of training adaptations and fitness when training stops

4. Training methods

Continuous

Continuous: Training that goes for an extended period of time with no rest periods

Interval

Interval: Set work and rest periods completed according to the desired energy system to be trained, including short, intermediate and long interval training

• Short - Energy system=ATP-CP system, Work interval time=3-10 secs, Work intensity=95% MHR, Reps=6-15, Sets=3, Rest/recovery interval time= 3-50 secs, Work:Rest ratio=1:5, Training Frequency per week=3

• Intermediate - Energy system=Anaerobic glycolysis system, Work interval time=10-60 secs, Work intensity=85-95% MHR, Reps=6-10, Sets=2, Rest/recovery interval time= 3-180 secs, Work:Rest ratio=1:3, Training Frequency per week=3

• Long - Energy system= Aerobic, Work interval time=30secs-4 mins, Work intensity=70-85% MHR, Reps=2-4, Sets=2, Rest/recovery interval time= 30secs-4 mins, Work:Rest ratio=1:1, Training Frequency per week=4-5

• HIIT

Fartlek

Fartlek: Training that goes for an extended period of time with periodic increases in intensity however no rest periods, working both the aerobic and anaerobic energy system

Circuit

Circuit: Rotation through a variety of stations that can train multiple areas of the body/muscle groups

Weight/Resistance

Weight/Resistance:Use of free, machine or body weight resistance to develop muscular power, endurance and/or strength

Flexibility

Flexibility:Stretching muscles and connective tissue to increase their range of motion around a joint, should be completed 3-4 times per week 

• Static/passive – holding the end point of a stretch for 30 seconds

• Slow active stretching – slowly moving the joints through the range of motion before relaxing the agonist.

• PNF stretching – uses isometric contraction before the stretch to achieve muscle relaxation

• Dynamic stretching – slow controlled movements through the full range of motion

• Ballistic stretching – moving through the range of motion using created momentum to force it beyond its normal range of motion

• Myofascial release – applying pressure to tight areas of fascia (a type of connective tissue) to relieve tension e.g. Foam rolling

Plyometrics

Plyometric: Exercises that draw on the elastic nature of muscles and tendons to provide maximum force in as short a time period as possible, helps athletes develop and increase force production, velocity and power output

5. Chronic Adaptations

Cardiovascular adaptations

• Increased left ventricle size and volume: The left ventricle becomes larger, allowing more blood to be pumped with each heartbeat, increasing oxygen delivery to the muscles.

• Increased capillarisation of cardiac and skeletal muscle: More capillaries develop around the heart and muscles, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery and the removal of carbon dioxide and waste products. This helps increase VO₂ max.

• Increased stroke volume: The heart pumps more blood with each beat, delivering more oxygen to the working muscles for aerobic energy production.

• Increased cardiac output during maximal exercise: Because stroke volume increases, the heart pumps more blood per minute during maximal exercise, allowing more oxygen to reach the muscles and improving endurance performance.

• Increased blood volume: Training increases the amount of red blood cells and plasma, allowing more oxygen to be carried to the muscles.

• Decreased blood pressure: The heart works more efficiently, reducing the force needed to pump blood and lowering blood pressure.

• Decreased resting heart rate and heart rate at submaximal intensities: A trained heart pumps more blood per beat (higher stroke volume), so it doesn't need to beat as often at rest or during submaximal exercise.

• Faster recovery heart rate: A trained person's heart rate returns to resting levels more quickly after exercise because their cardiovascular system is more efficient. 

Repiratory adaptations

• Increased pulmonary ventilation during maximal exercise: More air is breathed in and out each minute during maximal exercise, increasing oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal.

• Increased tidal volume: More air is inhaled and exhaled with each breath because the respiratory muscles become stronger and more efficient.

• Decreased resting and submaximal respiratory frequency: A trained person breathes fewer times per minute at rest and during submaximal exercise because each breath takes in more air.

• Increased pulmonary diffusion: The lungs become more efficient at exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide, allowing more oxygen to enter the blood and more carbon dioxide to be removed.

Muscular adaptations

• Aerobic training - Chronic cardiovascular and respiratory system adaptations to aerobic training are designed to bring more efficient delivery of larger quantities of oxygen to working muscles, and produce ATP aerobically.

• Anaerobic training - Adaptations are designed to increase muscle size (hypertrophy) enabling greater force production, power output, strength and speed. At a deeper muscular level, this can include anaerobic capacity and tolerance to by-products.

• Resistance training - Muscle size is a significant contributor in relation to the strength of a muscle, and initial stages of strength training programs increase neural adaptations.