_A.3

A.3.1 Qualities of Training

• Quality of Design:

  • Essential for creating safe and effective health or performance improvement programs.

A.3 Response: Body's Response to Exercise or Training

• Key Factors Affecting Response:

  • Periodization principles.

  • Individual considerations (e.g., menstrual cycle).

• Health Benefits of Active Lifestyle:

  • Risks associated with inactivity.

  • Positive effects on the immune system.

  • Connection between exercise and mental health.

• Fatigue and Recovery:

  • Important considerations for athletes.

  • Integrated, multifaceted nature of fatigue.

  • Key role of recovery in performance.

Page 2 - Responses to Exercise

• Guiding Question: How does the body respond to exercise?

• Definitions:

  • Training: Systematic, repeated exercise with a goal.

  • Undertraining: Inadequate stimulation from infrequent training.

  • Overtraining: Excessive training leading to physical/mental strain.

  • Overreaching: Short-term excessive stress exceeding tolerance limits.

Page 3 - Training Continuum

• Increasing Intensity, Duration, and Frequency

  • Undertraining
    - Minor physiological adaptations
    - Acute Overload
    - Overreaching
    - Positive physiological adaptations (short-term improvements)
    - Overtraining
    - Physiological maladaptations impacting performance
    - Zone of Optimal Performance: Enhancements in competition/training.

Page 4 - Essential Elements of General Training Program

• Components of a Training Program:

  • Warm-up and stretching activities.

  • Cardiovascular endurance activities.

  • Cool-down and stretching activities.

  • Flexibility activities.

  • Resistance training.

  • Recreational activities.

Page 5 - Warm-up vs. Cool-down

• Warm-up:

  • Increases body temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate.

  • Prepares the cardiovascular respiratory system.

  • Includes dynamic stretches to reduce injury risk, leading to cardio-respiratory endurance training elements (walk, jog, run).

• Cool-down:

  • Reduces intensity of cardio activity for several minutes.

  • Involves static stretches to improve flexibility and lower injury risk.

Page 6 - Methods of Training

• Research Task: Explore various training methods.

  • Methods include: Interval Training, Fartlek Training, Calisthenics, Flexibility Training, Continuous Training, Plyometric Training, Weight Training, Circuit Training.

Page 7 - Key Principles of Training Program Design

• Key Principles: I. Progression II. Overload (frequency, intensity, duration) III. Specificity IV. Reversibility V. Variety VI. Periodization

Page 8 - Principles Explained

• Progression: Gradually increasing exercise amounts, intensity, duration, and resistance.

• Overload: Purposeful increase in training stimulus to induce long-term changes.

  • Must strike a balance between insufficient and excessive training.

• Specificity: Tailoring methods to match specific fitness or sport goals.

Page 9 - Overload Principle

• States that performance at levels beyond normal enhances adaptation and fitness improvements.

Page 10 - Principles Continued

• Reversibility Principle: Use it or lose it; effects noticeable within 2 weeks of inactivity.

• Overuse Principle: Overdoing training leads to chronic injuries or fatigue.

Page 11 - Further Principles

• Recovery:

  • Adequate recovery time from training and competition is crucial:

    • Includes rest, sleep, balanced diet, and recovery strategies.

• Variety: Systematic changes in training variables (mode, intensity, volume) to maintain engagement.

Page 12 - Understanding Periodization

• Definition: Structured approach to training with phases aimed at peak condition for events.

  • Sport-specific and tailored to athlete's competition level and experience.

• Phases of Periodization:

  1. Transition (post-season)

  2. Preparation (pre-season)

  3. Competition phase

Page 13 - Athlete Monitoring

• Linking Questions: How can monitoring inform readiness?

  • Methods include monitoring heart rate, sleep, mood, and performance.

  • Adjust training plans to prevent overtraining by considering fatigue and recovery measures.

Page 14 - Training Programme Sub-phases

• Microcycle: Weekly training plan focused on recovery and training goals.

• Mesocycle: Block of training aimed at specific goals within a phase.

• Macrocycle: Comprehensive yearly training program including all phases.

Page 15 - Sample Training Plan Overview**

• Annual plan should showcase macrocycles, mesocycles, and phases focusing on competition, preparation, and transitions.

Page 16 - Example Plans for Sports**

• Various sports like Football, Swimming, Sprinting, Rugby, and Marathon can follow structured periodization.

Page 17 - Periodization Exam Questions**

• Questions covering transition phase activities, organization for optimized performance, and avoiding overtraining.

Page 18 - Injury Prevention: Prehabilitation and Warm-ups

• Prehabilitation:

  • Proactive injury risk reduction through strength and balance exercises.

• Warm-up Protocols:

  • Incorporate dynamic stretching and sport-specific practices to reduce injuries.

Page 19 - Training Programme Considerations**

1. Baseline values provide reference points.

2. Training status must balance training with recovery.

3. Age considerations for physiological and psychological needs.

Page 20 - Gender and Training Considerations**

4. Male and female biological differences affect training outcomes.

5. Sex differences influence injury risks, with varying rates and types of injuries reported.

Page 21 - Menstrual Cycle Considerations**

6. Menstrual cycle's hormonal fluctuations need consideration in individual training programs.

• Hormones include estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone.

Page 22 - Hormonal Patterns during Menstrual Cycle**

• Follicular Phase: Hormone levels fluctuate impacting performance and recovery.

• Luteal Phase: Increases in progesterone impacting metabolism and hydration.

Page 23 - Oestrogen and Progesterone Impacts**

• Hormones significantly affect physiological systems and exercise performance, complicating research due to variability.

Page 24 - Phases of the Menstrual Cycle**

1. Menstruation: Low hormone levels lead to cramps and fatigue.

2. Late Follicular Phase: Increased hormones can lead to both enhanced performance and injury risks.

Page 25 - Effects during Ovulation**

• Ovulation Phase: Hormonal peaks influence energy storage and injury risk.

Page 26 - Luteal Phase Implications**

• Elevated progesterone leads to thermogenic effects increasing hydration needs and may produce PMS symptoms.

Page 27 - Glycogen Sparing During Exercise**

• Hormonal effects during exercise lead to varying glycogen storage and metabolic responses.

Page 28 - Performance Impacts of Menstrual Cycle**

• Research indicates menstrual cycle phases impact exercise performance and fatigue management.

Page 29 - Perception of Menstrual Cycle Effects**

• Many elite athletes report menstrual impacts on performance; understanding is key for optimal performance preparation.

Page 30 - Research Policies on Gender Inclusion**

• NIH mandates inclusion of women in research to address gender disparities in health studies.

Page 31 - Cultural Attitudes Towards Menstruation**

• Cultural significance and diverse attitudes towards menstruation impact female athletes and their performance.

Page 32 - Individual Training Responses**

• Adaptive responses depend on training intensity/methods and genetic influences.

Page 33 - Non-Responders in Training**

• Explore classifications of non-responders to understand limitations in training adaptations.

Page 34 - Genes and Characteristics**

• Characteristics influenced by genes impact performance potential and adaptations to training.

Page 35 - Factors Influencing Performance**

• Genetics (height, fibre type) vs. environmental factors (nutrition, training, climate).

Page 36 - Implications of Genetic Screening**

• Genetic screening impacts risk assessments, ethical implications, and future concerns over performance enhancements.

Page 37 - Overtraining and OTS**

• Overtraining: Prolonged training leading to inability to recover.

• OTS: Syndrome with numerous symptoms similar to other conditions, complicating diagnosis.

Page 38 - Performance Decrements and OTS**

• Criterion for OTS diagnosis is a sustained drop in performance resistant to training adjustments.

Page 39 - Comprehensive Performance Influences**

• Overall athletic performance shaped by physiological, psychological, and health factors.

Page 40 - OTS Indicators**

• Chronic Muscle Soreness: Persistent pain not eased by recovery indicates OTS.

• Fatigue: Persistent fatigue linked to both brain and muscle issues.

Page 41 - Additional OTS Indicators**

• Reduced Immune Function: High training stress may suppress immune defenses.

• Sleep Disturbances: Contribute to poor recovery and training inefficiencies.

Page 42 - Comparative Study Analysis**

• Data analysis of different training programs influencing performance outcomes.

Page 43 - HERITAGE Family Study**

• Role of genotype analyzed in responses to comprehensive aerobic training programs.