LEC23: Masters Athletes Flashcards
What are common elements amongst all masters athletes?
- All want to perform
- All have a training goal
- All must be old enough to be a masters athlete
- All want to compete
- All have a game plan
What does a masters athlete means?
Masters athletes means different things to different people. The term is usually used to describe older active individuals - individuals who are more than 35 years old, participate in sports or events specifically
A masters athlete is set apart from just a healthy aging adult if they…
- Sport (provincial/national) associations figure you are a Master Athlete as long as you register and train with a recognized club
- Coaching Association of Canada says a masters athlete as those who qualify for their age threshold as well as those who have decided they want a coach
Summary: Master’s athlete characterization
Older individuals of varying ages (whom meet some sort of pre-defined age) whom love sport and/or competition might seek coaching advice for skill and training advice who register with a group or club and possess a wide range of performance abilities, varied health attributes and divergent levels of camaraderie
Improved longevity for masters athletes due to what?
- Due to weekly caloric expenditure due to physical activity
- Due to more of the physical activity being vigorous
Reduced age-related decline in physiological capacity and instrumental activities of daily living
- Due to habitual/regular exercise
- Due to types of activities which have beneficial effect on aging
Things to think about when working with Master’s Athletes
- Understand a more comprehensive screening process (musculoskeletal, cardiac)
- Understand age-related injury risk (in their sport, personal history, spending more time on prehab/rehab)
- Understand their baseline fitness/capacities: direct and indirect aging-related declines (increased range of capacities, lowered capacities means you have to really watch overload/progression, loss of movement fundamentals such as balance, agility, gait)
- Spend more time managing their personality and expectations
- Be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of social dynamics for masters athletes
- Remember that masters athletes need more recovery than younger athletes
Neuromuscular strengthening and balance exercises
- Ankle strengthening
- Toe grabs
- Foot doming
- Single-leg bridging
- Balance on unstable/stable surface
- Romanian deadlift
- Nordic curls
- Single leg squats
How can we spend more time managing masters athletes personality and expectations?
Personalities
- Stand firm with Type A personalities (X actually equals XX to them)
- Be encouraging with those who are less confident
Expectations
- Use evidence to manage unrealistic expectations
- Acknowledge their opinion
- Provide a program that delivers on feeling validated
What can we take into consideration when working with masters athletes in a social dynamic?
Training with others can be a very positive motivator
BUT
Training with a group can also lead to unrealistic expectations/feeling of negativity (for less fit people)
What should we consider with masters athletes and recovery?
Because they:
1. Can incur more damage and fatigue for the same workout as a younger person
2. Even if no additional damage recovery process is slower
What is the definition of a super elite?
Championship winners in their youth/adult years
Good genetics, good work capacity, years of training (specific fitness)
Health risk: bad in terms of CVD and MSK
What is the definition of an elite?
Never full-time athlete (but maybe could have been) and impressive athlete success despite job/career and world class
Good genetics, good work capacity, years of training (specific fitness)
BUT less years of training than the super elites
Health risk: good and bad in terms of CVD and MSK
What is the definition of a sub-elite?
Later in life (re-) adopters of competitive sports, competitive on international level (i.e. World Masters)
Good genetics, good work capacity, years of training (specific fitness)
BUT less compared to super elites
Health risk: good in terms of CVD, good and bad in terms of MSK
What is the definition of a well-trained masters athletes
Atypical aging profile, enjoy the competitive and social aspects of sport, seek coaching, want to perform
Highly variable in terms of genetics, better than age-matched healthy active adults for work capacity (but worse than elites), variable in terms of years of training
Health risk: good in terms of CVD, good and bad in terms of MSK