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Recovery in Team Sports Flashcards

Recovery in Team Sports

Performance and Recovery

  • Performance is a function of fitness and fatigue: Performance = Fitness - Fatigue
  • Recovery is the process of restoring an athlete's physiological and psychological function.
  • Training leads to increased fitness levels and fatigue.
  • Recovery is essential to reduce fatigue and prevent overtraining.
  • It's crucial not to continue hard work when fatigued.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

  • Periodization is modeled around the GAS.
  • The 3 phases of GAS:
    • Alarm reaction phase: shock & counter shock
    • Resistance phase: adaptation
    • Exhaustion phase: failing adaptation
  • Periodization/Recovery aims to force new adaptation before exhaustion sets in.

Training and Recovery

  • Without adequate recovery:
    • Over-reaching: a small negative change in recovery markers, generally temporary.
    • Over-training: a more pronounced negative change in markers, sustained even when training is reduced.
    • Over-use: biomechanical and/or biochemical disturbance due to incorrect loading.

Forms of Recovery

  • Intra and inter-set recovery
  • Recovery between different session units
  • Recovery between different sessions
  • Recovery between different days
  • Recovery between different weeks/games
  • Recovery between different phases/blocks
  • Recovery between different seasons

The Nuts and Bolts of Recovery

  • Sleep/Rest
  • Planning
  • Nutrition
  • Massage
  • Heat Therapies
  • Cold Therapies
  • Light Exercise
  • Compression
  • Stretching

Sleep/Rest

  • Sleep/Rest is the easiest & cheapest form of recovery.
  • Super-compensation occurs during sleep.
  • Sleep is the most important part of recovery.
  • Include meditation, relaxing listening to music, floatation etc.
  • Regeneration of mind can help recovery of body.
  • Sleep is UNDERRATED!

Recommendations for Improved Sleep

  • Maintain regular sleep-wake cycle.
  • Use napping appropriately.
  • Plan food/fluid intake before sleep.
  • Avoid caffeine.
  • Ensure bed and room temperature are comfortable.
  • Remove electronic devices and other light sources.
  • Avoid thinking, planning, or other mental activities while in bed.

Better Planning/Periodisation

  • Plan adequate rest within week/day/cycle.
  • If training 2/day, allow enough time for restoration/regeneration & food digestion between sessions.
  • Plan adequate warm-down strategies & recovery strategies for between sessions.
  • Realize effects of other training when planning sessions.
  • Plan “Unload” (easier) weeks, once every 3-4 weeks with intermediate athletes - part of adaptation process.
  • Plan nutrition for immediately after each session/game.

Nutrition

  • Content, Intake & timing are important aspects of nutrition for recovery.
  • Replacing water and energy substrate vital after training.
  • Intake of CHO’s and Protein immediately after (and before) training has been shown to increase recovery.
  • The “window of opportunity” for the effectiveness of taking supplements/nutrition diminishes the longer after a session before taking in such items.
  • Immediate sources of CHO (lollies etc) and protein (milk/lean meats) are beneficial.

Massage

  • Helps to restore muscle work capacity and / or reduce muscle and nerve tension.
  • Very little research support.
  • Acupressure: relies upon pressure exerted by digital pressure upon trigger point or specific points to achieve muscle relaxation and restore “energy flow”.
  • Acupuncture/Trigger point: similar to acupressure but uses needles.

Heat Therapies

  • Heat therapies work via increasing blood circulation to remove waste products.
  • Examples: Saunas, Spas, Hot Showers
  • Better mid-week
  • Rarely used with contusions

Cold Therapies

  • Work by reducing blood flow, which may help recovery by reducing swelling.
  • Reduced swelling means muscles functioning sooner - can start hard training earlier in week.
  • Ice also reduces nerve excitement.
  • Excellent research support; appears superior to contrast and control groups in studies.
  • Timing: Best straight after game/training
  • Temperature: 12-15 degrees Celcius

Contrasting Heat & Cold

  • This method works based upon the contrasting effects these modalities have upon vaso-dilation (heat) and -constriction (cold).
  • Effectively ‘moving’ waste products.
  • May also have nerve stimulating effects.
  • Typically 3 minutes in a hot shower/spa/bath is alternated with 3 minutes in an ice bath or cold shower (repeat 3 times).
  • Varied research support; few studies have supported the use of contrast water therapy.
  • Timing: Better mid week away from match.
  • Temperature: 14 and 38 degrees Celcius at AIS

Mild Exercise

  • Mild aerobic exercise helps to increase blood flow without generating fatigue.
  • Pool exercise can be mild.
  • Pool great due to athletes being unloaded in terms of their body mass.
  • Any form of light cross-training modality may provide similar benefits (eg bike, rower etc.)

Compression

  • Compression garments & bandages may aid recovery by reducing swelling and blood lactate levels, increasing blood flow, decreasing muscle soreness.
  • Some claim to act as a “pump”, squeezing blood flow out of muscles during normal activities.
  • There are special garments especially made to (allegedly) compress body tissues and help in muscle restoration.
  • Some recent research support.

Stretching + Vibration/EMS

  • Vibration well researched for power, little documentation for flexibility/recovery
  • EMS great in theory, but little research; anecdotally very good.
  • Improved flexibility generally equals reduced injury risk.

Post-Event Recovery Example - Elite Athlete

  • 1 min = weigh players for weight loss
  • 0-10 mins = Light exercise + shake for CHO, Protein & fluid replacement
  • 10-15 mins = Light stretching + injury assessment. Continue CHO/protein & fluid
  • 15-25 = Media commitments + Shower
  • 25-35 = Ice baths
  • 45mins -2 hrs = Solid meal
  • Compression garments where applicable
  • No alcohol till all the above processes have been completed (some sports/teams: no alcohol for injured players or if short turnaround between games (5 days))

Day After Recovery Example - Elite athletes

  • Overnight compression
  • Sleep in!!!
  • 10 am Weigh-in. Check hydration levels (USG?)
  • 10.10 am Water-based mild exercise or walk/jog (Beach ideal)
  • 10.30 am Extended stretching
  • 10.45 am Sports massage (30 mins)
  • 11.15 am Ice baths

In-Season Examples – Elite Athletes

  • 2 sports massage/week
  • 1 * Yoga session/week
  • No heavy contact early in week
  • Ice baths + stretch after sessions
  • Contrast hot/cold at other times
  • Spas/saunas where applicable (especially winter)
  • Extra stretching sessions (1-2 per week)
  • Mental recovery?
  • Sound nutrition
  • Few early morning sessions

Post-Event Recovery Example - ‘Cheap Option’

  • 0-10 mins = Light exercise + CHO, Protein & fluid replacement
  • 10-15 mins = Light stretching + assessment of any injuries. Continue CHO, Protein & fluid
  • 15-25 = Shower
  • 25-35 = Ice baths/bins or v cold shower
  • 45mins -2 hrs = Solid meal
  • Compression garments where applicable
  • Reduce alcohol (esp with injuries)

Day After Recovery Example - ‘Cheap Option’

  • Compression where appropriate
  • Light activity
  • Extended stretch/Foam rolling
  • Beach hydrotherapy ideal

In-Season Example – ‘Cheap Option’

  • Light exercise + stretch after every session
  • Contrast hot/cold bath/shower
  • Spas/saunas where applicable
  • Extra stretching sessions (2 per week)
  • Healthy diet
  • Sleep crucial
  • Foam rolling
  • Keep mobile!