Environemnt, Tapering, Performance Enhancers Flashcards
Physiological Effects of Heat
- Increase in skin temperature and core temperature
- Increase in heart rate
- Increased sweating/sweat loss
- Increase in blood pressure due to plasma viscosity
- Blood flow redistribution from muscles to skin
- Increased ventilation/respiration response
- Sweating
Cardiovascular Drift
A phenomenon where some cardiovascular responses begin to change after about 10 minutes of constant exercise. Arterial pressure and stroke volume decreases while the heart rate increases.
Physiological Effects of Cold
- Cold shock response, or a rapid gasp of air followed by hyperventilation, or rapid breathing.
- Muscles become too cold to contract normally, makes it more difficult to swim.
- A lack of coordination through shivering.
- Reduction in core temperature, blood goes to muscles, through convection heat leaves body into water.
- Afterdrop, occurs when leaving the cold water and some can collapse.
Physiological Effects of Wind
- Cause difficulties in skill executions, battling against extra resistance affects balance and timing and could lead to injury.
- Windchill factor, can lose body temperature.
Physiological Effects of Altitude
- Increased respiratory rate
- Increased heart rate
- Decreased VO2 max
- Sleeplessness
- Dizziness, nausea, headache
- Increased tidal volume
- Decrease of oxygen in blood
- Increased blood pressure
- Decreased stroke/plasma volume
Preparing for Competition in Heat
- Ensure sufficient electrolyte replacement
- Monitor fluid intake with fluid replacement
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol
- Monitor body weight and urine volume
- Undertake glycerol loading to enhance fluid uptake
- Ice vests, cool drinks (cracking a cold one), staying in the shade, wearing appropriate clothing and using evaporative fans
Preparing for Competition in Cold
- Cold acclimatisation (training in the cold)
- Wetsuits
- Body fat, some use goose fat.
Preparing for Competition in Altitude
- Live high, train high
- Live high, train low
- Live low, train high
Peaking and Tapering: Intensities
Example of a Seven Day taper
7) 75% normal training load
6) 50% normal training load
5) 30% normal training load
4) 25% normal training load
3) Warm up, light exercise at 85-90% event speed, warm down
2) Day off, check off all competition equipment
1) Light exercise using event equipment
Tapering
The final phase of a training program prior to a major event, it involves a gradual reduction in training volume while maintaining training intensity.
Peaking
Peaking involves planning training in such a way that the best possible performance is achieved at the appropriate time.
Peaking and Tapering: Duration
Between 4 and 28 days prior to event depending on size of event
Peaking and Tapering: Reasons
- Increased maximum oxygen uptake
- Increased diameter and cross sectional muscle fibres
- Increased muscle glycogen
- Increased strength and power
Peaking and Tapering: Techniques
- Careful planning and monitoring of activity
- Maintaining, or increasing, training intensity to a level greater than, or equal to competition intensity
- Reduce training volume (frequency should be maintained)
- Increasing Recovery between sets or reps
- Applying the principle of specificity
- Monitoring components like psychological, technical and nutritional
Performance Enhancers: Caffiene
+ = Improves the metabolism of fatty acids, some increased utilisation of fat as an exercise fuel.
Improved muscle contractibility, increased time to exhaustion, improved concentration. Alertness, less fatigue.
- = Increased heart rate, insomnia mild diuretic
