Ex phys B: recovery Flashcards
(41 cards)
Define recovery.
the process of returning the body to its pre-exercise state and allowing your body to adapt to the training stimuli presented to it.
What determines the nature and duration of a recovery process?
the duration and intensity of the activity as well as personal factors of the athlete, most notably, their level of fitness.
Define fatigue.
a state of discomfort and decreased efficiency resulting from prolonged or excessive exertion.
Describe the cause of fatigue- fuel depletion.
Fuel depletion:
- In intense activities which rely on the ATP-PC system, fatigue results when our stores of PC are depleted – this usually occurs at about the 10 second mark.
- When working using the LA system, the fuel is glycogen.
It is unusual that glycogen will be sufficiently depleted to prevent work at this intensity level; it generally only occurs at the end of an endurance event and stops a person from sprinting for more than the time available using their ATP-PC system.
What fuels does the body use in endurance events? What happens to the exercise intensity then?
sources of glycogen and stored forms of fat.
As this process occurs, the intensity must slow down due to the increased amount of oxygen needed to breakdown fat into ATP (hitting the wall).
Explain metabolic by-products as a physiological cause of fatigue.
Too many hydrogen ions (H+), generated from anaerobic glycolysis, decreases the pH in the muscles and plasma (increasing the acidity) to the point where the muscles can no longer contract.
Explain dehydration and increased body temperature as a physiological cause of fatigue.
The loss of as little as a couple of percent of body fluids, through sweating (which contains water, salt and electrolytes) can be enough to impact on physical performance.
A range of factors can lead to or contribute to dehydration and an increased body temperature.
What are the factors that contribute to the overall fatigue of an athlete- degree to which each specific cause contributes.
The degree to which each of the specific causes listed above contributes to the overall fatigue of an athlete is determined by a range of factors such as:
- The type, duration and intensity of the activity being undertaken
- The fitness level of the athlete
- The mental state of the athlete
- The nutritional state in terms of glycogen storage and hydration levels
What does a rest day look like for a very fit athlete?
reduced intensity or duration of training.
Can weight training be undertaken every day?
hus, weight training can be undertaken every day, or even twice a day, by alternating the session/day on which each muscle group is worked.
what is the minimal value of rest days?
Generally, an average healthy person can still improve their fitness by training every other day; and even serious athletes should allow their bodies at least one day per week of complete rest to ensure full recovery.
In all instances, attention should be paid to ___ and ____ recovery
nutritional and physical recovery
What is the intended outcome of rest days?
to ensure that fatigue either does not occur, or is minimized, to reduce the likelihood of overtraining and injury.
Physiological conditioning requires a balance between _____ and ____
applying progressive overload and recovery.
what causes overtraining syndrome?
Too much overload and/or too little recovery
How long should symptoms persist for overtraining to occur?
weeks to months
What “marks” overtraining?
Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods.
What are some common warning signs and symptoms of overtraining syndrome?
- Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
- Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
- Pain in muscles and joints
- Sudden drop in performance
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
- Decrease in training capacity / intensity
- Moodiness and irritability
- Depression
- Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
- Decreased appetite
- Increased incidence of injuries
- A compulsive need to exercise
After what sports should active recovery take place?
An active recovery should be undertaken after any exercise that relies primarily on the LA or O2 systems.
Describe the ideal recovery for LA system.
From a recovery perspective, an active recovery can speed up the removal of LA by as much as 50%.
It should be followed by a stretching regime.
What is the most effective type of stretching as part of recovery?
for all types of exercise, passive stretching for at least 5-10 minutes, with each stretch being held for at least 10 seconds.
What’s the purpose of stretching in recovery?
Their purpose in recovery is to help muscles to relax, realign muscle fibres and re-establish their normal range of movement.
What is passive recovery and what is it appropriate for?
This refers to sitting down and not moving after exercise.
It is only suggested as appropriate for high intensity activities which rely primarily on the phosphagen/ ATP-PC energy system.
How can we make rehydration more efficient?
- Ongoing rehydrating during the activity will reduce the amount of rehydration necessary during recovery.
- During recovery, water is fine for rehydrating, although sports drinks, whether purchased or homemade – that include water, salts, electrolytes and carbohydrates are shown to be more effective.
