Altitude training - PNF - RER - Plyometrics

Specialised Training

Topics to cover• Plyometrics• PNF stretching• Altitude training• Glycogen Loading• Periodisation• Thermoregulation• Lactate sampling• RER

Learning Objectives

• Explain plyometrics

• Explain PNF stretching………..

Plyometrics

• This is a method of training for power that uses rebounding techniques and works on the principle that more power is generated following a pre-loading or pre-stretching of a muscle.

• Imagine pre-stretching an elastic band before letting it go!

• As an athlete lands from a jump. hop or bound, their quadriceps (thigh) muscle contracts eccentrically therefore pre-loading or pre-stretching the muscle. If they immediately take off from this landing, a greater force can be generated by the muscle.

• In theory………..

• A greater height can be jumped from a drop-jump

• Than from a normal 2 footed take off

Topics to cover• Plyometrics• PNF stretching• Altitude training• Glycogen Loading• Periodisation• Thermoregulation• Lactate sampling• RER

PNF

• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

• One of most effective methods of flexibility training

• One method – Contract-relax, antagonist contract (CRAC)

PNF – how it works

• Works by autogenic inhibition

• Initially stretch reflex prevents over stretch but....

• Golgi tendon organ in muscle tendon is also stimulated and this overrides the stretch reflexes and relaxes the muscle

Topics to cover• Plyometrics• PNF stretching• Altitude training• Glycogen Loading• Periodisation• Thermoregulation• Lactate sampling• RER

A2 PE

Altitude Training

Learning Outcomes

• Define altitude and explain how altitude affects the gas balance of the air.

• Discuss and explain the effects of training at altitude on athletes.

• Discuss methods of altitude training and how these can affect athletes positively and negatively.

• Define and explain Respiratory Exchange Ratio

What is Altitude?• Anywhere more than 1’500

metres above sea level is classed as high altitude.

• Burnley is 118M above sea level • The higher you go the thinner

the air because the molecules of air are less.

• The % of gasses within the air remains constant (20.93% O2 0.03% CO2, 79.04% N)

• Additional oxygen required the higher you go.

Partial Pressure• The pressure exerted by a single gas in a mixture of

gases.• (The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine)

• pO2 = partial pressure of oxygen• The normal pressure of the atmospheric gases:• 760mmHg and there is 21 percent oxygen, • Partial pressure of oxygen is 760 x 0.21= 160 mmHg.

Drop in Partial Pressure

Increase in Partial Increase in Partial PressurePressure

Effects of Altitude1. Decrease in pO2 in

alveoli = Hypoxia due to decrease in pO2 in atmospheric pressure

2. Decrease in the pO2 causes a reduction in the diffusion gradient

3. Decrease in O2 and Hb association

4. Resulting in decrease O2 transport in the blood

5. Causing a reduction in oxygen available to muscle

6. Leads to - Decreased VO2 max, reduce aerobic capacity, decrease aerobic performance and increase onset of muscle fatigue

Heamoglobin

•Athletes that live high and compete low (at sea level where there is normal O2 in the air) have increased carrying capacity of O2 and consequently greater O2 delivery to tissues. This increases aerobic performance and speeds up the recovery process, because…………

Effects of Altitude

• Colder air increases water loss, as air warms & moistens in the lungs, leading to dehydration

• Decrease in muscle O2 chemoreceptors stimulating respiratory centre to increase breathing rate = hyperventilation

• Long term effect – decrease pO2 increased Hb and RBC production which increases external respiration and O2 transport

The Pressure Gradient

• At rest the pO2 of arterial blood is approx 100mmHg while in the resting muscles and tissues is 40 mmHg.

- The difference indicates the pressure gradient and ensures the efficient movement of oxygen from the blood to the muscle.

• At altitude the pO2 of arterial blood drops significantly is approx 60mmHg while that in the muscle remains constant at 40mmHg.

• This reduction in the pressure gradient reduces the movement of oxygen into the body’s muscles and the performance decreases.

Adaptation to Altitude• Many endurance athletes often undertake a

period of altitude training before a major event. • This is because the body adapts by increasing

red blood cell mass and haemoglobin levels which will cope with lower pO2.

• The return to sea level brings with them the enhanced oxygen carrying capacity which means that because the pO2 has increased, the body can utilise more oxygen giving improved endurance performance.

Methods of Training

• Any training at a higher altitude than your body is used to.

• Restricting the amount of air the body can take in whilst training.

• Performance enhancing drugs

• And………………..

The Oxygen Tent, hyperbaric chamber & Hypoxia Training

The Cardiovascular and respiratory system becomes more efficient in the way it utilises O2 and Haemoglobin.

Adaptations

Stages of Adaptation

• Acclimatisation – 3-10 days. The athlete’s body is beginning to adjust and the athlete needs longer rest between work outs and must not take part in too much exhaustive work.

• Primary Training – 1-3 weeks. Over this period the athlete steadily increases their training intensity and frequency until it is at the same point as at sea level.

Stages of Adaptation

• Recovery – 2-5 days. Training is gradually decreased to allow the athlete to return to sea level without the fatigue associated with altitude training.

• There are also three distinct stages to the adaptations once the athlete had returned to seas level.

Secondary Stages of Adaptation

• Positive phase – during the first 1-4 days after returning to sea level. Huge increase in the amount of haemoglobin in the blood.

• Return phase – the athlete steadily returns to the intensity and frequency of their normal sea level training. Performance will be poor at first and then increase greatly over the next several days.

Secondary Stages of Adaptation

• Fitness peak – 15-20 days after the return to sea level.

• This is the optimal time for competition. The body’s adaptations are at the optimal level and the athlete will have adjusted to these changes allowing the best possible performance.

– Speed, power, endurance and recovery

• Optimally: Live HIGH, train LOW– This is tough because it’s a long way up and

down the mountain to get 8000ft down and back up.

• More Common: Live HIGH, train HIGH– Also tough because training intensity is

impaired by the altitude. Athletes are also at-risk for altitude sickness.

Many studies have shown the benefit of altitude training on:

Spanner in the works• Contradictory research has

shown that it is more beneficial to train at sea level if you are a permanent resident of a high altitude area.

• The higher the pO2, the higher the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, up to 150% so when you return to altitude you have more oxygen in your body to perform better.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Improves endurance performance.

• Causes adaptation of the cardio-respiratory system to fuel working muscles.

• Expensive• Can cause altitude sickness• May hinder the amount of

training ability.• Problems may cause a de-

training effect.• Unfair advantage to people

with access to these facilities

• Stressful constant travelling and being away from home.

Legal/Fair Methods?

Topics to cover• Plyometrics• PNF stretching• Altitude training• Glycogen Loading• Periodisation• Thermoregulation• Lactate sampling• RER

Respiratory Exchange Ratio

• The RER is a method of measuring which fuel is being used by the body during exercise – the respiratory quotient (RQ).

• Gives a value of the ratio between the amount of oxygen used by the body and carbon dioxide produced.

• The higher the number the more cO2 is being exhaled.

Respiratory Exchange Ratio

• RER at rest – 0.8• RER whilst fat is the energy source –

0.7• RER whilst fat and carbohydrate are

the energy source – 0.85• RER whilst carbohydrate is the primary

energy source – 1.0 and above.• RER when the body is nearing

exhaustion – 1.1

Lactate Sampling

Topics to cover• Plyometrics• PNF stretching• Altitude training• Glycogen Loading• Periodisation• Thermoregulation• Lactate sampling• RER

Task• Which athletes would benefit from altitude

training?• Try to think of what competitions they could take

part in and where they would take place.• Try to think of ways that an athlete who lives at

low altitude could train to compete at high altitude.• What are the supposed benefits of altitude

training? (4 marks)• Why is altitude training not always as effective as

it should be? (3 marks)

Exam question

• Discuss the suggestion that altitude training always improves performance in endurance events and explain the factors that contribute to a performer’s VO2 max. (14 marks)

Exam Question

• Elite athletes must develop and maintain extremely high levels of fitness to maximise their chances of winning. Elite athletes may use the results from lactate sampling and the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) to ensure that their training is effective.

• Explain the terms lactate sampling and respiratory exchange ratio. (4 marks)

• How may hyperbaric chambers aid injury rehabilitation? (3 marks)

Learning Outcomes

• Define altitude and explain how altitude affects the gas balance of the air.

• Discuss and explain the effects of training at altitude on athletes.

• Discuss methods of altitude training and how these can affect athletes positively and negatively.

• Define and explain Respiratory Exchange Ratio