Ex phys B: recovery

Question 1

Define recovery.

Answer 1

the process of returning the body to its pre-exercise state and allowing your body to adapt to the training stimuli presented to it.

Question 2

What determines the nature and duration of a recovery process?

Answer 2

the duration and intensity of the activity as well as personal factors of the athlete, most notably, their level of fitness.

Question 3

Define fatigue.

Answer 3

a state of discomfort and decreased efficiency resulting from prolonged or excessive exertion.

Question 4

Describe the cause of fatigue- fuel depletion.

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

What fuels does the body use in endurance events? What happens to the exercise intensity then?

Answer 5

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).

Question 6

Explain metabolic by-products as a physiological cause of fatigue.

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Explain dehydration and increased body temperature as a physiological cause of fatigue.

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What are the factors that contribute to the overall fatigue of an athlete- degree to which each specific cause contributes.

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What does a rest day look like for a very fit athlete?

Answer 9

reduced intensity or duration of training.

Question 10

Can weight training be undertaken every day?

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

what is the minimal value of rest days?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

In all instances, attention should be paid to ___ and ____ recovery

Answer 12

nutritional and physical recovery

Question 13

What is the intended outcome of rest days?

Answer 13

to ensure that fatigue either does not occur, or is minimized, to reduce the likelihood of overtraining and injury.

Question 14

Physiological conditioning requires a balance between _____ and ____

Answer 14

applying progressive overload and recovery.

Question 15

what causes overtraining syndrome?

Answer 15

Too much overload and/or too little recovery

Question 16

How long should symptoms persist for overtraining to occur?

Answer 16

weeks to months

Question 17

What “marks” overtraining?

Answer 17

Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods.

Question 18

What are some common warning signs and symptoms of overtraining syndrome?

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

After what sports should active recovery take place?

Answer 19

An active recovery should be undertaken after any exercise that relies primarily on the LA or O2 systems.

Question 20

Describe the ideal recovery for LA system.

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

What is the most effective type of stretching as part of recovery?

Answer 21

for all types of exercise, passive stretching for at least 5-10 minutes, with each stretch being held for at least 10 seconds.

Question 22

What’s the purpose of stretching in recovery?

Answer 22

Their purpose in recovery is to help muscles to relax, realign muscle fibres and re-establish their normal range of movement.

Question 23

What is passive recovery and what is it appropriate for?

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

How can we make rehydration more efficient?

Answer 24

• 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.

Question 25

What is cold water immersion and what is another name for it?

Answer 25

• cryotherapy
• the immersion of part or all of the body into cold water

Question 26

When is cold-water immersion used and how long does it need to be?

Answer 26

• primary used post training sessions, training in the heat, or during acute phases of muscle injury, soreness or bruising
• accumulate up to 10 minutes in plunge pool to shoulder level in a single immersion or multiple shorter immersions

Question 27

What is the temperature recommended for cryotherapy?

Answer 27

• differs but most recommend a water temperature between 10oC to 15oC.

Question 28

give some examples of cryotherapy

Answer 28

For example:
10-minute plunge (relax as much a possible!)
Or
3-minute plunge (relax as much a possible!), 2 minutes out of water (air temperature).
Repeat 3 times

Question 29

Explain contrast water therapy.

Answer 29

Alternating between hot and cold water; primarily used post training session as an alternative to cold water immersion or between training sessions.

Try to have equal time on both spa and plunge pool, and always finish after a plunge.

Question 30

In what circumstance are you not supposed to use contrast water therapy?

Answer 30

Do not use if you have damaged muscles, a very recent injury or bruising.

Question 31

Explain and give example of process of contrast water therapy.

Answer 31

A common recommendation might be along the lines of hot shower (37-43oC)/ice bath (12–15oC).
Hot–cold contrasts should be completed at a ratio of 3:1 (hot:cold).
Example: 2-minute spa, 2-minute plunge; repeat 4-5 times (always finish on cold (plunge).
Re-hydrate before, during and after session.

Question 32

What are the impacts of contrast water therapy?

Answer 32

• reduction in muscle strength loss
• reduction in muscle soreness
  (similar results with cold water immersion
• lower accumulation in markers of muscle damages

Question 33

What are some impacts of cold water immersion?

Answer 33

• increased muscle function
• decreased muscle blood flow
• dec nerve velocity
• dec primary and secondary muscle damages

Question 34

How is hot-water immersion usually done?

Answer 34

This is usually done in a temperature of about 37-40oC and can be done in a spa to use the jets as a form of massage therapy as well.

Question 35

When should and shouldn’t hot water immersion be used?

Answer 35

Spas can be used as a relaxation technique and to loosen stiff muscles, ideally on a rest day.

Do not use if you have damaged muscles, a recent injury or bruising.

Question 36

How long should hot-water immersion be used for?

Answer 36

Do not use a spa for extended periods of time (no greater than 10-15 minutes).

Question 37

Describe massage as a form of recovery.

Answer 37

There is conflicting views on the effectiveness of the use of massage as a form of recovery, some suggest that it has no scientific basis as a means of recovery.

According to the AIS Recovery, massage may be detrimental to DOMS, although as a practice, it is still widely used.

Question 38

Explain sleep as a recovery technique.

Answer 38

Undoubtedly, one of the most important factors that an athlete needs to consider in allowing their body to fully recover is sleep.

Athletes need to get at least 6-7 hours a night of routine/regular sleep, while trying to limit napping and sleeping in.

Question 39

Explain compression as a recovery technique.

Answer 39

In recent times, one of the simplest and most used forms of recovery has become the use compression garments.

They do not seem to have any adverse effects and may have some positive effects from a physiological perspective (studies show a mixed bag of outcomes).

It is from a perceived psychological perspective; they seem to be considered most effective by those who use them.

These tight-fitting items are thought to hold muscles firmly in place and improve blood flow to the muscles, thereby boosting athletic performance.

Question 40

Explain what low-intensity pool sessions are as a recovery technique.

Answer 40

• Pool recovery sessions are a great way to get the body moving again following a match and/or hard training session
• the water minimizes bodyweight and is a therapeutic way to recover
• a combination of swimming, mobility, deep water running and shallow water wading.

Question 41

How are low-intensity pool sessions beneficial?

Answer 41

It’s a perfect way to get bruised and fatigued bodies moving again with very minimal risk of injury.

The pool workout can also ‘offload’ the weight on a strained or injured area while still allowing a player to train at the required intensity through a combination of swimming and deep-water running drills.