RECOVERY FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES

Overtrained or

under-recovered?

aims

• Understand what recovery, over-reaching, over-training syndrome mean

• Understand how they happen

• Find out what steps we can take to optimise recovery and prevent over-training

• Find out what we can monitor to identify over-training before it’s too late.

Recovery: key defining features (Kallus and Kellmann, 2000)

• Process in time, dependent on type and duration of training stress

• Depends on reduction of stress, change of stress, or a break from stress

• Specific to individual and depends on individual appraisal

• Can be passive, active or pro-active

• Closely tied to situational conditions

AIS: $17 million recovery and swim centre

QAS: $10 million recovery centre in 2008

US Olympic Training Centre, Colorado Springs

Over-reaching

• Accumulation of training and/or non-training stress

• Short-term decrement in performance capacity

• Restoration of performance may take several days to several weeks

• Functional vs non-functional

• Jeukendreup: performance plus mood disturbance

Overtraining

• Accumulation of training and/or non-training stress

• Long-term performance decrement

• Restoration of performance can take several weeks to months

Overtraining symptoms may include

• Depressed mood

• General apathy

• Decreased self esteem

• Emotional instability

• Impaired performance

• Restlessness

• Irritability

• Disturbed sleep

• Weight loss

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Increased resting heart rate

• Increased vulnerability to injury

• Hormonal changes

• Lack of supercompensation

• Susceptibility to infection and depressed immune response

Facets of over-reaching/training

• Physiological

• Biochemical

– No single marker diagnostic

– Reduced sympathetic nervous system response (adrenal fatigue)

• Psychological

– Altered mood states

• Immunological

PRE-REQUISITES FOR ADAPTATION

• Training

– Intensity

– Volume

– Frequency

• Next session timed with peak of supercompensation part of curve ie allow time for recovery and “overshoot”

• Re-set baseline at higher level

• Athlete healthy

Coping mechanisms Stress

Sport Social

Work Friends

Study Health

Family Travel

Money Growth

Positive effects

Negative effects

Stress

Finite capacity

Monitoring Training

• Heart rate : – average,

– %max,

– %lactate threshold

– Time in different zones

• Run/swim pace, TT

• Power: IF, NP, TSS, CTL

• Time

• Distance, Speed

Measuring recovery/overtraining

• Physical measures

– “Performance decrement” universal

– Resting HR unreliable

– Sleeping HR increased

– Submax HR unclear

– Maximal HR reduced

– Body weight

– Biochemistry: lactate, hormone levels

– HR variability (sympathetic vs parasympathetic nerve input to heart)

iThlete

Psychological measures

• POMS, cumbersome, difficult to interpret

• TQR, similar to RPE scale

• DALDA, self administered, sensitive to over-training

• Evidence that psychological changes are evident early in overtraining

• Key is to pick up over-reaching/training before it is established, with a test that doesn’t worsen fatigue or training stress

DALDA

• Daily analysis of life demands for athletes

• Self reported stress index

– Sources: sport and non-sport

– Symptoms

• Identifies sources of stress

• Identifies changes in stress levels, both excessive and inadequate training stress

• Understood by Year 6 students

DALDA PART A

Stress source Worse than normal Normal Better than normal

Diet

Home life

School/college/work

Friends

Training & exercise

Climate

Sleep

Recreation

Health

DALDA Part B: Symptoms

Muscle pains Weight

Technique Throat

Tiredness Internal

Need for a rest Unexplained aches

Supplementary work Technique power

Boredom Enough sleep

Recovery time Between sessions recovery

Irritability General weakness

DALDA Part B

Interest

Arguments

Skin rashes

Congestion

Training effort

Temper

Swellings

Likeability

Running nose

Adaptation vs overtraining

• Majority of body’s resources dealing with training loads

• Resistance to other stresses reduced

• Maximum adaptation: baseline number of sources and symptoms reported as “worse than normal”

• Acute overload: transient increase, reduces next day

• Over-reaching: score remains elevated for 4 days. Need to reduce training.

Other benefits

• Jet lag monitoring

• Undertraining

• Taper/Peaking

– Worse than normal reduces, better than normal increases

Does it work??

• Cyclists (Halson et al, 2002)

– overtrained for middle 2 weeks of 6 week block

– Trained 7 days, tested 5 days (V02 max, 1 hr TT, Intermittent max test (2x 10min intervals)

– Doubled training volume, all in HR Zone 3,4,5

– Lower V02max after 2nd week only, incr RPE

– Lower max power

– TT performance 10% worse,

– No change lactate, fuel used, hormone levels

– Increase DALDA scores 3-7 days into intensive training

Does it work?

• Triathletes

– Overreached, training increased 290%

– DALDA, 5 bound test increased in association with reduced 3km run TT and 3 day average training load.

– No change in submax HR, lactate, between groups

Conclusion

• Psychological measures are useful non-invasive, non exerting measure to detect early stages of over-reaching/overtraining

• My proposal:

RECOVERY METHODS

• Physical

– Stretching

– Active recovery

• Passive

– Massage

– Compression wear

• Hydrotherapy

– Cold immersion

– Contrast immersion

• Recuperative

– Adequate sleep

– Daytime naps

– Meditation,

– Self-hypnosis,

– Yoga

– Relaxation

• Dietary

Stretching

• No studies looking at passive stretching and recovery

• Anecdotal evidence: reduces sensation of muscle tightness and soreness

• Sustained stretches 30secs+

Active recovery

• Low intensity aerobic exercise

• Helps lactate clearance (likely to clear anyway by next session)

• Expends energy

• Impractical/unattractive for most endurance athletes

• Incorporate walk at end of session?

Massage

• Reduces muscle force production, increased confusion, decreased vigor on POMS

• Reduced muscle soreness

• Decreased DOMS symptoms, CK release, muscle soreness, swelling. No change flexibility or strength

• Improved recovery HRV, diastolic BP

• No change lactate clearance, better fatigue index on Wingate test

Massage

• Recovery of HRV and diastolic blood pressure

• Decreased soreness biceps after eccentric exercise. No change strength or flexibility

• Decreased soreness hamstring.

• Lack of vigor and increased confusion post-massage, decreased quads activation.

• Improved immune function

Contrast/cold immersion evidence

• Varied findings:

• Lactate clearance, decreased HR, no change

in sprint performance in Rugby players

• Lactate clearance in cyclists

• better performance sprint & TT over 5 days

cycling with cold and contrast

Contrast/cold immersion evidence

• No change leg power, HR, temperature. Better perceived recovery and “lighter legs” in soccer players with cold/active recovery

• Cyclists: no change TT performance, lactate, inflammatory markers. Increased immune response with cold. Perception of recovery better with cold

• Basketball: cold > stretch and CHO > compression for sprint and jump

Cold and contrast protocols

• Cold: 1 minute cold immersion, 2 minutes standing. Repeat x 4-5

• Contrast: 2 minutes hot, 1 minute cold x 4-5. Finish on cold

• Don’t use:

– cold or virus,

– bruised,

– heart disease,

– recent injury

Compression

• Very mixed findings on effect of compression garments. Variety of brands tested.

• Different protocols: – Submax and max running

– Eccentric muscle damage (box jump plyos)

• UK: reduced deficit in jump performance, quads strength, better muscle pain scores, no change in creatine kinase

• Charles Sturt: no change repeat sprint, bounding, muscle strength, HR, RPE, lactate, CK. Better muscle pain scores

Compression: suggested mechanisms

• Increase venous circulation

• Reduce swelling in lower limbs (travel, standing occupations)

• Remove muscle damage by-products

• Reduce blood lactate accumulation

• Reduce muscle oscillation/vibration

• Suggested protocol: air travel, post exercise

Recuperative

• Yoga

– Shifts ANS to parasympathetic, changes HRV

– Improves quality of next sleep

• Meditation

– Reduces stress hormone levels

– Decreased blood pressure, stress levels

– Structural changes in brain stress centre

Sleep

• Need 6.5-8.5 hours per night

• 3-5 90 minute cycles of REM and non-REM sleep

• Stage 3 sleep: release of growth hormones from pituitary gland, immune system response. Time for fighting disease and tissue repair.

Sleep tips

• Turn clocks away from sleeping position

• Turn off mobile phone

• Don’t work in bed: sleep or sex only

• Reduce caffeine late in day

• Avoid high protein food and large meals a few hours before bed

• Develop consistent schedule, slow down 30 mins before bed

• Cool room

• Naps : 20 minutes at 2pm

• Milk and sit in dark if can’t sleep

Shift workers

• Nap at work

• Avoid morning light

– Drive straight home to bed

– Wear sunglasses

• Make arrangements to sleep

– Family

– Room

– appointments

• Schedule a recovery day

SUMMARY

• Nutrition

• Ice bath/contrast

• Compression after session

• Massage when you feel necessary

• Stretching when you feel tight

• Stimulate parasympathetic nervous system with relaxation strategies

• Be aware of signs of poor recovery and make changes early