Author Archives: James Marshall

  1. Helping your child become happy and active within sport

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    “Youth sports is a business plan that fluffs egos and packs pocket books”

    early specialization

    Randy Ballard

    Said Randy Ballard of Illinois University at the GAIN conference in Houston last month.  He was talking about how parents try to get their children to specialise in sport too early, without realising the dangers of this.

    “75% of kids quit sports by the age of 13, some of which never become physically active again” according to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Sport has become an ends, rather than a means.

    Burnout (where children quit) occurs from 2 main pathways:

    1. Physical overtraining and lack of sleep.
    2. Social psychological reasons: the quest for perfectionism and excessive parent/ coach pressure.

    As coaches “we can’t separate early/over specialisation from the various societal issues at play that drive over specialisation.”

    (As a parent, has anyone told you about how their child competed at a weekend, won a medal, beat so and so, went on a camp with famous person Y, been selected for the TomNoddy under 9s squad? Apart from being an extremely boring monologue, you may feel the pressure to get your child to join the rat race.)

    What follows are some tips for parents to help this from happening to your child, alongside some blunt facts for youth coaches (and parent coaches) about promoting early adult led competition.

    The 3 big rocks of wellness for your child

    athlete wellness

    sleep nutrition stress management

    Randy used this analogy when looking at the wellness of your child. When filling up a jar of wellness, it may easy to think about the pebbles and grains of sand such as compression tights, protein supplements and sports drinks.

    However, the jar should be filled with these 3 big rocks first:

    • Sleep
    • Nutrition
    • Stress Management

    Sleep is probably the most important factor. Late practice schedules, cross country/ city commutes and excessive screen times are factors in producing low quality and lessened sleep hours.

    Some of the early signs your child may suffering are low back pain and knee injuries. Low back pain is often a psycho-social sign that the child is looking for a way out of the sport.

    athlete burnout

    Are kids chasing for parents?

    Randy then used a greyhound analogy about kids being forced to compete for their parents. “What happens if the only reason you chase a rabbit is because your Mum drives you to the track?”

    (As a study in what motivates kids, take a step back and watch the crowd at an adult led football match with kids playing. Then watch kids playing football on their own terms and see what the adults are doing.)

    A lot of kids like competing, but very few really enjoy competing on adult terms and with adult rules in place.

    Randy referred to the “empty dugout syndrome” where parents who have invested time, energy and $$ into their child’s sporting career feel the need to keep that going, even when the child has stopped playing or moved on.

    This then leads to stress for the child and sometimes coercion by the parent. Parents can be there for their own needs, rather than the children.

    If your child develops an identity of being an athlete, then the transition out of sport becomes more difficult. “Sport is something we do, not something we are”. So every comment, every part of body language and approval related to competing/ participating in sport can be harmful, despite being well meaning.

    Gardener or fisherman?

    talent development

    Wild flowers in our garden

    Gardeners amongst you will understand the need for creating the right environment for growth. Good soil, weeding, watering, feeding the plants, as well as planting at different times of the year and in different parts of the garden create a beautiful environment.

    The joy of gardening is in the process and then enjoying the results.

    Fishing on the other hand is taking fish out of the sea or river and eating them. There is no give, it is all take.

    talent development

    Eat today, hungry tomorrow

    At Excelsior Athletic Development Club we are trying to create a garden of opportunity for young athletes rather than fishing for “talent” from elsewhere in hope of a quick meal.

    We never know who is going to make it as a Senior International in sport, nor is that our goal, but by creating the right environment every child and athlete gets an opportunity to grow and develop.

    Strangely enough, this environment also creates athletes who succeed at International level (14 year old James Reed, one of our weightlifters, was selected to represent England Golf schools last week).

    Compare that to the “fisherman” approach of trying to get a big catch today so that you can win this week without a thought for the future of that child or even the club.

    (Thanks to Greg Thompson, a physical education expert from Michigan USA,  who also presented at GAIN for the gardening analogy).

    Developing Talent

    Assuming your child makes it through the wasteland of youth sport and is still participating at 15 years old, what next?

    Vern Gambetta gave his thoughts on developing talent for coaches which I will now summarise. This is aimed at coaches and NGBs, many of whom still hold antiquated ideas of Talent Identification and pick early maturers over people with potential.

    “Talent = Potential”

    Youth prodigies do exist and talent definitely matters, however there are no guarantees in sport so talent is only potential. Realising that potential means a process has to be in place and is sustainable.

    • Talent Spotting
    • Talent Identification
    • Talent Acquisition
    • Talent Development
    • talent pathway

      3 components of talent

      Talent Confirmation

    • Talent Realisation and Refinement
    • Talent Retention

    Talent is comprised of Heart, Body and Mind.

    These three areas can be developed and encouraged.

    Randy Ballard made a counterpoint to this in his seminar. That referring to athletes as “Talent” is dehumanising.

    As an NGB is your “Talent Development” programme a road map for developing a human or for poaching ivory?”

    Summary

    sporting talent

    Taking the ivory at the expense of the elephant

    The seminars by Randy Ballard, Vern Gambetta and Greg Thompson were different but similar. All three focussed on the importance of development and growth.

    The very valuable lessons I learnt working with the Sport England funded “South West Talent programme” with Paula Jardine helped shape my thoughts on working with youth athletes: “The Why”.

    The mistakes I have seen within NGBs (and are still being made in a Talent Id Bun Fight) and at Millfield School whilst working there for 5 years  have helped me from making those same mistakes with our club athletes.

    No child should be cast out and thrown on the scrap heap, nor be left to crawl there on their own because of mistakes made by adults in whom they place their trust.

    These seminars and discussions at GAIN over the last 6 years have been invaluable in changing what I do with all the people who come to our club. Thanks to everyone at GAIN for helping me and our athletes.

    Further Reading:

  2. Cannonball Tennis: Mike Sangster

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    “Devon has everything to offer that I want in life”

    mike sangster tennis

    Cannonball Tennis

    Says Mike Sangster in his book “Cannonball tennis”.  Mike took up tennis when he was 13 (yes 13) and went on to become the British #1 player, played in many Davis Cup matches and got to the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

    Growing up in Torquay, he was coached by the somewhat enigmatic “Mr Roberts” who offered him a few words of advice and then left him to work out his own strengths and weaknesses.

    I was sent this gem of a book and it is an entertaining read. Amongst the anecdotes of cooking meals on hotel room floors are some really useful pointers about tennis.

    On coaching juniors:

    “I think nine or ten is a good age for a boy to first pick up a tennis racket.”

    Look at the source of this advice, then look at who the club coach telling you that your 5 year old needs to work on their chopper grip. (Whose interest are they serving?).

    “I would say,  however that it’s better to allow a beginner to swing his racket at the ball in his own way at first, than to try and put him into a kind of stroke strait-jacket to give him an automatic, orthodox swing.”

    “Confusion is often caused in the minds of youngsters because the various grips are explained in a complicated way. This sort of jargon gets you nowhere.”

    mike sangster tennis serve

    Learn to throw before serving

    “If you want to serve well, and can’t throw well, set about learning to throw straight away.”

    “Another vital part of good serving is a smooth throw- up of the ball. Many players never learn to serve consistently because they throw the ball up differently.”

    (Why on earth are children being pushed into tennis when they simply can’t throw overhand with their good arm and pass accurately with their weaker hand?)

    “Once they become tired on court, their concentration goes, and it’s much better to stop playing altogether than continue hitting aimless shots and running about lethargically and without interest.”

    First principles of tennis:

    • Hit the ball back across the net. Don’t worry about how you do it. Just get it back into court.
    • Never miss an easy winner.
    • Move to the ball. Don’t wait for it to come to you.

    More advanced basics are:

    • Serve as hard as you can without double-faulting and concentrate on acquiring a strong second serve instead of always trying to ace your opponent on the first.
    • From the baseline, keep the ball as deep in your opponent’s court as you can.
    • If the ball is returned short, attack it by hitting it deep into your opponent’s court, preferably into the backhand corner, and rush to the net to volley or smash a winner.

    On tennis fitness:

    “To get yourself physically ready for long exhausting matches is as necessary as it is for a carpenter to sharpen his tools. Your body is your tool; if it lets you down, it is only because you have not given it that extra-fine preparation that is needed for all sports played at top class.”

    Tennis coaches may scoff at some of these points, but I would suggest that overcomplicating things is far too common. This book is a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

    Thanks to Mandi Abrahams of Castle Books in Beaumaris for sending it to me.

    Further Reading:

  3. Reconditioning athletes: Bill Knowles seminar

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    “An exercise is something you do a movement is something you feel.”

    Bill Knowles reconditioning

    Bill Knowles

    Was the title of Bill Knowles’ seminar on rehabilitating (reconditioning in his terms) athletes from sports injuries.

    The question he asks himself is “what’s in the best interest of the athlete?” This often means pulling the athlete out of the injured body and getting them to recognise their athletic spirit again.  All too often in rehab settings, the focus of the treatment is on the injured part, rather than on the person (see previous seminar)

    Once you recognise that the entire body is supporting the injured knee then your perspective on getting the athlete back to competition changes.

    A few key considerations on rehabilitation

    Bill outlined some of his principles that underpin his approach to reconditioning.

    • Rate of force acceptance (deceleration) vs rate of force development (acceleration). The latter is much talked about and measured, the former is where injuries often occur.
    • Rehabilitation (medical model) vs reconditioning (performance model)

    We are looking to get back to performance so we need to think about this from the onset (I will use the term reconditioning from herein).

    • “We have to stay professionally stimulated” as improving the journey helps athletes. (It’s hard to stay professionally stimulated if you are handing out photocopied sheets of paper with “3 sets of 10” for each exercise for every person who walks into your clinic).

    This then encourages us to think of more athletic ways to train. A good way to start improving the journey is through a movement that is familiar to the athlete. Bill showed a video clip of an athlete very soon post injury, who was walking in water with a knee brace and even did some low level bouncing).

     The restoration of athletic normal

    reconditioning athletes

    Interlinked

    We are looking to prepare the athlete for return to play whilst also addressing their injury.

    Physical literacy, athletic development and athletic normal are all linked and form part of a “training based prevention”.

    Compare that to a medical intervention led prevention strategy with exercises which mean they are “just doing stuff”.

    “Training is through movement, not simplistic exercises.”

    Our aim is “The ability to move efficiently in an athletic environment with precision style and grace.” We can “start encouraging biological healing through movement.”This exercise has the added benefit of encouraging sleeping which of course is a great healer.

    If you just look at things from as sports medicine perspective, you might be satisfied with an injury that is healed. However, “just because you are biologically healed, does not mean you are athletically prepared.”

    Bill then quoted Carol Welch: “movement is medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional and mental states”.

    Followed by Plato: “Lack of activity destroys the good condition”.

    The athlete must not forget what is natural and simple (to them) so this must be incorporated into their reconditioning programme.

    A “protection mindset” contributes to complexity. This is unnatural and may add no enhanced healing quality if it compromises movement quality.

    Rebuilding the formula one car

    recondiitoning athletes

    Formula one ferrari

    Bill used a great analogy when looking at reconditioning. If your Ferrari formula one car is broken into pieces, you can attempt to rebuild it and end up with a red porsche. You have ended up with a fast red car, but it isn’t a formula one car.

    You have to know what the athlete looks like at the end. “I’m not interested in restoration of jogging, I’m interested in the restoration of acceleration, deceleration and change of direction.”

    injury rehabilitation devon

    Porsche

    Movement is so simple and yet so complex. Many clinicians prescribe exercises and restrict on other movements because they are uncomfortable with movement.

    (I know one physio whose end stage acl rehab was chatting to a footballer who was jogging on a treadmill! That was his “return to play” assessment).

    I have seen Bill present many times now since 2011 with several practical workshops too. He has given me the confidence to both discuss sports injury with clinicians and also work with athletes on reconditioning their serious injuries.

    (It helps that I can share ideas with my wife Sarah who is a Chartered Physiotherapist who has developed her knowledge of movement by becoming a level 1 strength and conditioning coach).

    acl rehab devon

    Bill, Vern and Nick Folker at breakfast

    Bill is a fine example of the GAIN faculty and attendees who learn from the different people and return to their settings to apply, innovate and develop their knowledge in order to help their athletes.

    I also spent an hour discussing ACL reconditioning and using the 4Dpro with athletes over dinner with Bill. This was very enlightening and will help the athletes I work with here in Devon: thanks Bill!

    Further Reading:

  4. Dr Mike Joyner “Sport Science: Servant or Master?”

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    “Don’t get distracted by the latest and greatest”

    understanding sports science

    Dr Joyner presenting

    Said Dr Mike Joyner at the head of his 2nd seminar at GAIN. His talk covered four key questions we need to ask before implementing a new scientific find in our training, as well as interesting insights that he has found useful.

    In a discussion the evening before, Dr Joyner had revealed that “40% of medical evidence turns over every 15 years, but certain fundamentals don’t turn over”.  That means that every 15 years 40% of what was “evidence” changes!

    The fundamentals that are constant are: Don’t smoke; access to clean water; don’t get fat and be physically active amongst others.

    As coaches it is easy to get distracted by new things and ignore the fundamentals. Similarly we may feel obliged to chuck out what is working because something new is found and published, even if that is later to be found false. (Naseem Taleb talks about this in Antifragile, he calls it neoism).

    4 questions we should ask of sports science

    Dr Joyner is an expert on athletic performance and is based at the Mayo clinic. His talk was extremely useful and was an example of critical thinking. (This is supposedly taught at Universities, but yet many recent graduates blindly regurgitate “facts” based on “research” without appearing to question it). Dr Joyner went through the following questions we should ask and gave examples of each.

    1. Is it measureable?

    Max Oxygen uptake is measurable. However in a laboratory setting research needs to show a 1-5% improvement for the study to be valid. If you win a 10km race by 1% you win by 100m! Coaches are often looking for the 0.1 -1% Science can explain the big picture, but it sometimes misses the detail and often the context.

    MCnamara's fallacy

    McNamara’s fallacy

    During the Vietnam war, the USA decided to try and measure winning by counting body bags of US troops versus the Viet Cong. This became known as “McNamara’s fallacy” where this became the focus of politicians rather than a meaningful political-military strategy (Assuming that anyone can actually “win” a war).

    1. Is it meaningful?

    There is a good correlation between a runner’s Lactate Threshold (LT) and their Marathon speed. Therefore LT is both measurable and meaningful for Marathon runners. (I have seen this extrapolated to Judoka who have been told to “improve their LT” by running on a treadmill more. Here the sports scientists were getting the tail to wag the dog).

    1. Is it actionable?
    sports science questions

    Bud Winter quote

    Referring to Bud Winter’s book “Relax and Win”, Dr Joyner said that relaxation is a trainable effect.  Therefore we can use it in our sessions.

    “If you just turn your training sessions into exercises and suffering, you’re missing the point.”

    In swimming, every turn counts, so it is important to work on each move in a meaningful way. If this (and the dive) are ignored or paid lip service to, then the performance will suffer.

    1. Is it durable?

    Dr Joyner showed a list of diets and the research that shows if they affect weight loss. Guess what? The Atkins diet, the Zone diet, weight watchers and the Ornish diet ALL work. They work IF they are followed. The problem is that the really restrictive diets that stop people living normally like eating as a family or choosing from a restaurant menu are simply unsustainable.

    Any training programme or new piece of research must be durable and last beyond 6 weeks (the length of many studies) in order for it to be effective in the long term. Think accumulation of training rather than blitzing.

    What sports science can do for us

    lactate threshold testing

    lactate threshold testing

    So after quite a critical look at some urban legends and poor examples, Dr Joyner then gave some examples of what we can learn mainly for endurance type activities (where his interests lie). Lactate Threshold in untrained subjects is about 60% of their maximum effort. In trained subjects it ranges from 75-90% of their max.

    LT is highly trainable. The increase in mitochondria means more pyruvate is oxidised and less is shunted to lactate. “Almost anything you do that has frequency, intensity and duration” will make a difference to your Vo2 max and LT. For example:

    • 3-5 minute repeats will help VO2 Max (see yesterday’s blog on The Volume Trap)
    • 200m repeats will help improve LT.

    Running economy in the other hand is highly variable (up to 30%) and it is unclear how trainable it is. (I always question the research on this: it is often done on treadmills and the “interventions” bear no resemblance to exercises that I do with runners to improve their technique. Conclusions are then drawn that it doesn’t work, rather than “we don’t know how to coach in a lab”.)

    Dr Joyner then looked at the recent attempt to run a sub 2 hours Marathon by Nike. What did they do to try and get this time? They looked at all the small factors added together. The course, the temperature, fuelling the runners, as well as manipulating the running economy with drafting, pacing and of course the shoes.

    What was interesting here was the effect of drafting (something cyclists in a peloton know) with 8% of the total energy cost of a 5km race coming from having to overcome wind resistance. In the 100m sprint this rises to 16%!

    Training in a fasted state

    training fasted

    Trained fasted state every morning at GAIN

    Sports science can help us identify potential limits to human performance too. Much research has been conducted on training in a fasted stated. However, Dr Joyner made the point that so many gels are used nowadays that people rarely train in a truly fasted state.

    People can fatigue from having low glycogen in the muscles or from Neuroglycopenia  (Neuro= Brain, Glyco= Sugar, Penia =deficiency. So, low brain sugar). People who fast and go low on Carbohydrate (CHO) down regulate their enzymes. When they return to a normal diet, their enzymes are less able to process this food.

    The impression I got from this was that that maybe we should just try to eat normally. Especially when sprinting and doing high intensity exercise: you need CHO.

    The Scientific Process

    I haven’t really given Dr Joyner justice due to my poor notetaking and poor grasp of physiology. However, please take away the thoughts on questioning research and what you are measuring.

    I asked him at the end about “Science” which now seems to be only valid if published, versus the “scientific process” which we should all be doing as coaches wanting to improve our athletes’ performance.

    He mentioned the “Citizen science” project which is about sharing ideas that work and testing them.  I suggested we have an aide memoire or checklist to help us validate what we do or discard practices that are defunct.

    His final words were “A lot of sports scientists are just data acquisition people and analysers”. We were in agreement that it is what we do with this information with real people that counts.

    Further reading:

  5. Steve Magness on the Volume Trap

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    weekly mileage

    Steve his new book and me

    “How many miles should I run”?

    Is the question that endurance coach Steve Magness gets asked the most when presenting at workshops.  His seminar at this year’s GAIN covered volume and other training parameters which apply to many different sports.

    “There is no difference between 99 miles and 100 miles, but people want to get to triple digits” (and therefore earn the right to wear the hair shirt and flail themselves). The same applies to team sports with soccer players trying to run 11km in one session because someone told them that’s what they do in a match.

    Steve gave two main reasons for this behaviour:

    1. It’s human nature to be obsessed with volume. It’s the simplest thing we can measure, so let’s measure it. (If people see me out for a run, the first thing they always ask is “How far did you go?” never “How fast did you run?”).
    2. We have a deep NEED for classification. It’s the downside to “what gets measured gets managed”. When we are categorised and accept a label we can then defend our label. “I’m a low mileage/ high intensity coach” etc.

    Training load calculation

    Training load is a commonly used form of measurement.

    Training load = training volume x intensity  But this is too simplistic. What type of load is it?

    • Metabolic
    • Biomechanical
    • Neural
    • Psychological

    How about when the load is applied?

    • Intensity
    • Density
    • Frequency
    • Rest Periods

    How does this relate to daily and weekly sessions?

    • Front Loaded
    • Back Loaded

    How can one number express all this accurately or in a meaningful fashion?

    Weekly Training Load

    Steve broke down the weekly training load of one of his runners.

    • 90 miles per week
    • 10.5 hours of training (I made the point that this is for good runners; recreational runners who tried to copy the miles would actually be on their feet for a lot longer).
    • 76550 calories burned
    • 25,920ml of Oxygen consumed.

    Volume has become a marker for “load” and has become a surrogate for physical stress. It is assumed the training “stimulus” leads to a kind of adaptation.

    Instead we should look at how much we NEED to do to get the positive adaptation.  For example in the weekly schedule above the loading on the achilles tendon may be the weakest link and therefore limit what another athlete can do.

    Common assumptions

    volume vs intensity graph

    Volume vs intensity expressed simplistically

    Steve gave us 3 common assumptions that may be less than certain in reality.

    Assumption 1: Volume and Intensity training interact in a simplistic fashion.

    Instead there is a constant interplay that changes within each session, each week and over the longer course of a year.

    Assumption 2: Volume = ONLY way of getting aerobic adaptation.

    This is simply incorrect there are many other ways of stimulating the aerobic system.

    training adaptation curve

    Training adaptation curve

    Assumption 3: Adaptation looks like this

    Instead, variability is the name of the game. There is a 10% rule of thumb for volume increases, but Steve gave examples from his younger self where increases were much more than this and he could adapt.

    The amount of training depends on:

    • The athlete perception of normal (a 120 mile a week runner given 90 miles would consider this light, a 50 mile a week runner may well panic!)
    • Physiological adaptations.
    • Tendon and muscle rate of adaptation: different from each other and also between athletes.
    • Bone Turnover (diet surely has an impact on this too?)

    Steve’s Old Man Strength

    weekly mileage

    Older man strength

    Steve then gave us examples of how he could train with his athletes using his “Old man strength” (Steve is only 32 and a middle distance runner, I really need to pull him aside next time I see him!)

    He can do the sessions thanks to an accumulated, consistent training load over time.  Younger athletes can indeed increase their volume with age, after that they can reduce it and preserve it by working on specific volumes.

    Steve talked about the psychology of volume which I have found to be true depending on the athlete. Sometimes you have to adapt the programme to what the athlete feels they “need” or at least swing the pendulum in that direction.

    He then asked us to “flip the switch” and that it’s not about

    Volume  to get adaptation

    It’s thinking about

    Adaptation and then how much volume is needed?

    “Volume is not a master control switch”

    Alternative ways of developing aerobic system to volume

    Steve then gave some examples and case studies of how the aerobic system can be developed in middle distance runners without just adding more weekly mileage.

    Recreational runners please take note: you do not have the time to do the mileage if you are running slower than 5-6 minute miles. If you try and copy the mileage plans of faster runners you will be spending a lot more time training than they do!

    Some session examples include:

    • Pre fatigue: do a shorter “long run” the day after an intense workout.
    • Doubles: do 2 shorter runs in a day, helps with lifestyle too.
    • Strength session followed by endurance work. You are forced to train in this fatigued state.
    • Ending the session or cool downs with “stuff”. For example an 800m “cruise” to work at the high end of aerobic system and get used to preserving strength at the end of a race.

    Steve then gave some examples of sessions which he has done with his athletes including the sets/ reps and different ideas. All of these worked with his athletes and in their context.

    (I often see endurance coaches trotting out a session like “Oregon circuits” or such like and inflicting it upon their athletes year after year without understanding why. So I won’t post the details here to avoid feeding the monster, but I will use some of the ideas with Excelsior ADC athletes).

    Measuring for measuring sake

    measuring weekly mileage

    Forget the tech sometimes

    Steve finished his seminar with some questions about measuring sessions and how these questions can then shape what we do as coaches.

    If athletes are constantly looking at technology, how can they “feel” what they are doing?  (Luke destroyed the Death Star by using the Force remember,  not by looking at his Garmin).

    This is even assuming you are measuring the right thing. I have written elsewhere about the addiction to measuring technology and how that can then alter the design of sessions. The tail wags the dog. Bryan Fisher summed it up a few years ago at GAIN

    “Heart rate should be an indicator not a dictator”.

    Ask yourself these questions when developing a middle distance running plan (or any other plan for that matter) for an athlete:

    • In what direction are we trying to adapt?
    • Where have they been in the past?
    • Are they still adapting?
    • What is their injury history and adaptability?
    • What is the risk: benefit ratio of your programme will it cause adaptation or maladaptation/ injury?
    • Are we measuring the right thing?
    • Is that measurement what you think it is?

    Is the answer to any of these questions “You should run X miles per week” ?

    The answer isn’t to be anti-volume or pro-volume, it is to sit down and think about the athlete in front of you and work out what is right for them.  How many coaches take the time to do that?

    Summary

    how many miles should i run

    Sharing ideas with Steve at GAIN

    I have known Steve for 5 years now and used many of his principles with our athletes. Until I met him, much of the endurance coaching I had seen or read was very patchy and full of mystical secrets or folklore.

    Much like when I first saw Frans Bosch present on sprinting in 2009, I had an “Aha” moment and thought this makes sense (although Frans didn’t make any sense the first 3 times I saw him, but I could see it worked). Steve is very good at expressing complex ideas simply.

    Further reading:

    Next up: Dr Mike Joyner “Sport Science: Servant or Master?”

    Previous:  Steve Myrland “Coaching better every day”

  6. Steve Myrland: “Coaching better every day”

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    “I thought I was a good coach because I had a good job”

    Steve Myrland

    Steve and me

    said Steve Myrland in the opening part of his presentation at GAIN. “By that logic if we put on snowshoes and walk outside it will start snowing”!

    This very experienced and enlightened coach gave his thoughts on creating meaningful athletic development rather than “by the numbers” exercise prescription.

    Steve’s quote resonates with me when you hear a lot of “strength and conditioning gurus” promoting their work because they have a good job. “I work with elite athletes” is a phrase I hear a lot in the UK. How about “I help develop young athletes into elite performers”?

    Looking at things differently

    “It’s easy to develop strength and conditioning, as long as they don’t matter in a meaningful way”.  A lot of job justification goes on with numbers being produced to show that what you are doing works. An industry has developed from this, but how about making athletes better?

    Steve used the word “disenthrall” which means “look at things differently”. We need to do that to counter the Dunning -Kruger effect of cognitive bias in low ability individuals that can be found within sport.

    Simply put the herd don’t know what they don’t know.

    Culture is largely built on unchallenged assumptions. He said they build up like a sedimentary process over time. “Assumptions are the rust that forms in the absence of critical thought and movement.”

    Steve was asking us to think about what we do, how we measure it and whether it matters (more on this from Dr Joyner in upcoming post).

    “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all”. Peter Drucker.

    Creating a culture of coaching

    “Good coaching is all about the culture you create to support your process” said Steve (Vern Gambetta wrote about coaching culture yesterday).  You can create a culture by embracing transformation; however you will come across some obstacles.

    Obstacle 1: Reductionist thinking.

    “You can’t just ignore incorrect things” and yet systems and research studies are built on isolated facts or factors. Athletes are humans and they interact with other humans all the time. This needs to be recognised rather than trying to reduce performance into ever smaller digits.

    Obstacle 2: False equivalence.

    Comparing two different things and equating them as equal. Quantity is not the same as quality (an example being telling everyone to sleep 8-10 hours, when 6.5 hours solid sleep may well be better for some individuals).

    Strength and conditioning are irrelevant quantities until and unless you can connect them to athletic movement and sports performance.

    Maximum is not the same as optimum (something I have learnt the hard way and anathema to crossfitters). Getting the most from your training session does not mean lying on the floor puking and posting it on Instagram. Do what you need to do to gain a response and adaptation.

    Efficient is not the same as effective. It is easy to get efficient at things if you try, but are they effective?

    coaching culture

    hitting the sweet spot

    Another quote from Peter Drucker “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” again something I have learnt the hard way.  I have worked in a few toxic environments as well as highly bureaucratic ones. In neither situation have I been able to make meaningful change, despite the similarity of programming that I do at Excelsior ADC or other great environments.

    Process takes time

    coaching culture

    Unlikely to fly well

    “Don’t throw a caterpillar up in the air and expect it to fly like a butterfly”. Yet how often do we hear of “fast track” programmes or academies modelling themselves on “what the first team do”?

    (I liked Brian McCormick’s crossover model of Long Term Athlete Development from last year’s GAIN which described the mental/social aspect of development which is often ignored).

    Steve then outlined some training derivatives:

    • Competition (absolute specificity)
    • Specific (1st derivative)
    • Special (2nd derivative)
    • General (3rd derivative)

    Youth and professional training should look like this:

    ltad

    Youth training

    youth training model

    Professional training

    Athlete appropriate training should take place before sport specific training. Otherwise the horse is facing the cart.

    Should we do the barbell squat?

    Steve then spent some time analysing whether we should be getting our athletes to do the barbell back squat. This was an interesting exercise because so many of the above points made lead us to the “concerted wisdom” that the barbell squat is an essential exercise.

    Two points to consider:

    1. The squat is a high-low-high movement pattern, while athletic movements are almost always low-high-low (or low-long-low).
    2. It begins and ends in a stable, fixed position, while athletic movements invariably involve travel to the point of knee flexion to extension and then travel away from it.

    What else can we do to load the body?  Especially for those athletes with developing and growing spines. Steve didn’t advocate abandoning the squat altogether, but he did want us to think about other ways of training people.

    This requires thought, imagination and planning. “We suck the joy out of moving and living in our bodies” (and then wonder why athletes aren’t “engaged” with the process).

    Steve is an understated individual who you probably have never heard of. He produced this excellent video presentation which I recommend to all coaches. 

    http://sofo.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Play/fce43886c4d1436b85ee1a55a990c1761d?PlayFrom=246000

    Further Reading:

    Next up: Steve Magness on the Volume Trap

    Last week: Dr Mike Joyner  7 myths of Sports Science. 

  7. 7 Sports Science Myths: Dr Michael Joyner (Mayo clinic)

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    GAIN reflections

    Sports science myths

    Dr Joyner and me at the track

    Dr Mike Joyner is a faculty member of the Mayo clinic specialising in human performance physiology.

    I met him early on the Wednesday morning when he was attempting to roll around on the floor and get up despite his very long levers.  What impressed me was his effort and concentration in attempting a new task, no matter how difficult.

    We then had a great conversation over breakfast about long term athlete development, fundamental tumbling skills and education for those from a less than ideal background.  Fuelled by his enthusiasm and some pancakes and coffee, I was primed to learn his thoughts on sports science.

    Here is a summary of his key points

    1. Lactic Acid Makes Me Sore. Lactic acid is removed in 40/50 minutes post exercise. Active recovery does help this process, but ALL lactic acid is gone within 24 hours. Soreness after training is due to muscle damage.
    2. Sports drink and glucose are necessary. There is no effect of glucose ingestion until after 60 minutes on steady state exercise. Longer duration bouts of exercise may require some. There are many different variables including; the duration and intensity of the bout factors, and the nutritional status before exercise.

    Most studies are conducted early in the morning when the athletes are fasted, so extrapolating this to afternoon exercise may be tenuous. The 2% reduction in bodyweight due to dehydration DOES impact performance, so hydration matters.  Rinsing out the mouth with sugar can affect performance positively: it is like “brain candy”.

    1. It must be genetic. Size is the obvious example where genetics matter (I would say gender matters more) but there are only a few examples of what Dr Joyner calls “O. Athletes” (Knockout).
    christian mccaffrey genetics

    Christian McCaffrey

    An example of breeding would be Christian McCaffrey (drafted by Carolina Panthers) whose dad was Ed McCaffrey (Giants, 49ers, Broncos) and his maternal grandfather was Dave Sime who was an Olympic silver medallist in the 100m in 1960.

    Otherwise, studies have found little evidence for a “talent gene” except for some with ACTN3 and ACE genotypes for speed. There is no evidence for gene testing in young people to “predict talent”.

    Dr Joyner said there is a lot of “lazy thinking” about genetics. He then showed a slide with the headline “There are more mile/ 1500m world record holders from Kansas than Kenya”!

    The DNA variables would need to explain: Energy systems, muscle fibre type, superior coordination, body composition, motivation, psychology and trainability.  They would NOT explain social factors.

    1. To stretch or not to stretch? There is a vast amount of evidence on this, and it is all contexts specific. I made the point that a lot of the studies are asking the wrong question. “Does stretching before exercise prevent injury?” and then tested on military recruits before doing a 20 mile route march with kit in boots. Stretching is obviously the least important factor in that context.

     

    1. Altitude Training. The 1968 Olympics played a key role in the development of this research as for the first time athletes would be competing at altitude on a big scale. There is a need to compare the short vs long term effects due to the initial reduction in training quality.

    Dr Joyner says the data on Live High- Train Low is “all over the place”. The long term effects of living at altitude are an increase in lung capacity. But, you have to keep the training quality up.  Those who used altitude training successfully did a lot of short intervals to maintain quality.

    Some key points he asked us to consider were:

    Beware of individual variation; more is not always better; give it time to work; beware of effects on intensity training and volume; recovery is sometimes affected due to a reduction in sleep quality.

    1. My programme is better than your programme! Dr Joyner showed a video clip of one of the Olympic middle distance races (forget which) where the top 3 finishers were very close. All 3 of those runners followed very different training programmes: high mileage or high intensity intervals and so on. Yet, all 3 were effective.

    The idea that one programme is inherently better than another is flawed. In strength training research it isn’t so much the number of sets vs reps it’s the training to failure that is important. As long as intensity is involved, gains will be made in strength.

    Dr Joyner then showed video clips from the “Miracles of Men” ESPN documentary of the Soviet Ice Hockey team doing some very basic “old school” training in a gym. The imagination and variety of exercises was novel but the players were working hard too. (This clip can also be seen in the Red Army documentary on Netflix).

    He also showed the clip of the La Sierra High School training programme of the 1960s

    and what 15 minutes a day can do to form the foundation that is lacking in today’s youth.

    1. Today’s athletes are better. More people are competing today, with better financial incentives, so records tend to fall. Doping has also had an impact on some performances too.

    However, some of yesteryear’s performances were pretty impressive. Don Lash, in the 1930s, set the 2 mile record of 8:58.4 on a weekly mileage total of 25 miles.

    This comparison of Andre DeGrass  vs Jesse Owens shows the difference in track and shoes between 1936 and 2011

    Dr Joyner also showed how innovation changed standard practices and protocols. Everyone knows about Dick Fosbury, but at the same time Debbie Brill, a 13 year old girl, was doing the same technique. Both of them were able to try this because of better landing surfaces on the other side of the bar.

    Summary

    In the discussion that followed Dr Joyner summarised with “Get kids out, have fun, spend time with good coaches”. (That sounds a lot like what we are trying to do at Excelsior ADC).

    This was a refreshing and engaging discussion, which I have only briefly touched upon. I spoke to Dr Joyner about academics preaching to each other from Ivory Towers without actually coming into contact with real people in the real world.  He said “That’s why I practice Medicine one day a week, so I stay in touch”.

    Next Up: Steve Myrland’s  “Coaching better every day” about creating a culture.

    Yesterday: GAIN overview and Vern Gambetta’s call to action

  8. GAIN 2017: Coaching reflections

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    coach reflection

    2 great physical education teachers and me

    I recently spent 5 days in Houston, Texas at Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference. In this post, and those to follow, I shall attempt to share some of the main ideas and reflections gained whilst there. This should be of interest to fellow coaches and some to parents of athletes too.

    Opening address and overview by Vern Gambetta

    Vern set up this conference 10 years ago looking to harness ideas on athletic development from professionals with different backgrounds.  Sports coaches, athletic trainers, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, Doctors and physical education teachers were some of the people in attendance.

    By looking at the same problems with different sets of eyes and brains, many different solutions can be found. This was summarised by Vern as

    “Making connections to foster meaningful change and innovation.”

    coach reflection

    Conversation with Surgeon, Navy Seals trainer, wrestling coach

    This was my 6th visit to GAIN and the highlight for me is the intelligent conversations with passionate people.  Rarely do I get spend time with people who are experts in their field willing to share ideas and ask great questions without trying to sell me something or tell me how brilliant they are!

    Vern’s opening address was a passionate call to arms to become better as coaches so that we can help our athletes better.  This means sharing ideas and analysing what we do, rather than just follow herds or folklore.

    He suggested that deep ignorance was a problem in the world today. We should look for the blank spaces, the holes in the knowledge. The answers may be there. “The right question is intellectually superior to finding the right answer.”

    Vern wanted to us to focus on possibilities when working with athletes:

    • What can they do?
    • How can we get them to do it?
    • Do no harm!

    Beware of being seduced by data

    E.O. Wilson said “we are drowning in information, while striving for wisdom.” The onset of data analytics means we can gather ever more numbers. This can be seductive and we can then train to improve these numbers.

    Vern emphasised that we should coach the athletes in front of us, rather than the numbers on the spreadsheet. Because you can measure it, doesn’t make it meaningful (more on that later from Dr Joyner).

    The internet has become a problem: parents, coaches and athletes are often unable to filter out all the noise.

    Call to action

    “We are more likely to overcome our struggles and difficulties to find out what we are looking for when we are willing to take others with us on the journey.”  Simon Sinek.

    Vern’s concept is to create robust, resilient and adaptable athletes. His mission is for the athletes to eliminate all physical limitations.

    This was a much needed jolt in the arm for me. Setting up the Excelsior Athletic Development Club has been a harrowing process. I have started to run parent/ volunteer workshops to help them understand what we are doing. Those that have attended have given great feedback and I need to do more.

    Not everyone “gets it”, the prevailing wind is for parent driven competitive tournaments for 7 year olds and “win on Saturday” mentality. Rather than fight this tsunami, I am attempting to build something different and give hope to the future.

    GAIN 2017 allowed me to spend time with people who reassured me that I wasn’t alone in this endeavour. Thanks to Vern and everyone who attended for helping me get better.

    Tomorrow: 7 Sports Science Myths: Dr Michael Joyner (Mayo clinic).

  9. Summer Reading for Sports Coaches

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    Book recommendations for sports coaches

    Summer is here and I have just returned from the GAIN conference in Houston where fellow sports coaches and bibliophiles shared book ideas and recommendations. Here are some of mine from this year, plus a full list of what I have read with a brief summary.

    best sports coaching book

    Wade and James

    Best coaching book

    I have to say that Wade Gilbert’s “Coaching Better Every Season” is the best practical book on coaching a team or group that I have read. It has more useful information in it than I learn in my MSc of Sports Coaching from Brunel University.

    It is spilt into 4 parts: Pre Season; In Season; End of Season and Off Season. Each comes with guides, checklists and suggestions on how to get the most from you and your team. It is very well written and researched with great practical examples.

    You can pick it up and get ideas to help your next session, or to plan your whole year. Highly recommended.

    4 other good books for sports coaches

    • summer reading for sports coaches

      4 great books

      Track and Field: Athletics Training in the G.D.R. (East Germany). Editor G. Schmolinsky. Very detailed technical handbook from 1978. Ingrained with socialist principles at the beginning. The sprints, throws and jumps sections are good, the middle distance and endurance are ok. The preparation and specific and general exercises are excellent.

    • A Dynamic Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action: Thelen & Smith. Excellent book about how thought and action are developed together. Looks in detail at infant development of reaching, grasping and walking down slopes. Very well written and explained.
    • A Manual of Tumbling and Apparatus Stunts: Otto E. Ryser. 1964 guide to gymnastics for boys/ men. Lots of very good ideas in there for the keen recreational gymnast and for coaches who want their teams to be more agile.
    • Dynamic Groups at Work: H. Thelen. Superb book looking at how groups of people operate and how leadership can influence, shape and learn from this. Written in 1951, it stands up very well today. At some point the cult of the leader influenced thinking, this was very freshing.

    (H Thelen was Esther Thelen’s father-in-law, just coincidence they had the word dynamic in their book titles?).

    My Tsundoku

    Tsundoku

    My Tsundoku

    Tsundoku is the Japanese noun describing a pile of unread books. Mine had got down to 8 books before I received my annual mystery parcel from Castle Books in Beaumaris. It now contains an eclectic mix of fiction, education, comedy and history.

    Having this keeps my perspectives broad and unlimited by group think of just “fad books“. Many of these books are out of print now, but full of interesting ideas.

    Full list of books in 2017.

    Here is the full list of what I have read so far in 2017 some of which may be of interest for down time and reading on the beach.

    1. Meditations: Marcus Aurelius. Thoughts on Stoicism and dealing with being an Emperor. In depth and insightful.
    2. Shame The Devil: George Pelecanos. Exciting crime caper based in Washington by writer of The Wire.
    3. Coaching Better Every Season: Wade Gilbert.
    4. Jello Salad: Nicholas Blincoe. Graphic and twisted London crime novel.
    5. Reading: Frank Smith. How children learn to read despite the best efforts of programmed instruction, phonics and other interference. 1987 copy, but resonates today.
    6. The Pat Hobby Collection: F Scott Fitzgerald. Humorous set of short stories about an aging Hollywood script writer and his struggles.
    7. Track and Field: Athletics Training in the G.D.R. (East Germany). Editor G. Schmolinsky.
    8. Finches of Mars: Brian Aldiss. Interesting SF novel about humans having to evolve to survive on Mars. Philosophical underpinning about future of our planet.
    9. Horus: Manuel Santos Varela. SF novel based on Egyptian mythology and gene splicing. Short and interesting.
    10. The Teaching Gap: J.W. Stigler & J. Hiebert. Review of a study about Maths teaching in Japan, Germany and the USA. Insightful look at how teachers can and should develop their profession, rather than listen to academics who lack context.
    11. They Marched Into Sunlight: David Marranis. Account of one day in October 1967 when US troops were ambushed in Vietnam and anti-war riot at University of Wisconsin. Very well written and researched.
    12. Zorro: Isabel Allende. Light fiction, little depth.
    13. The Faltering Economy: The Problem of Accumulation Under Monopoly Capitalism. Ed. J.B.Foster & H.Szlajfer. Series of essays written in 1981. Heavy going, but enlightening insights.
    14. The Heat’s On: Chester Himes. Harlem crime novel from 1966. Page turner, descriptive and atmospheric.
    15. A Dynamic Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action: Thelen & Smith.
    16. The Gold Standard:  Mike Krzyzewski. An account of the 2008 USA Olympic basketball team’s journey to winning the Gold Medal by their Head Coach. Lightweight, but one for fans only.
    17. Jack: A.M. Homes. Entertaining novel of a teenage boy coming to terms with family break up.
    18. Border Country: Raymond Williams. Classic novel about the emptying of Welsh villages in the twentieth century. Told through story of one family, very moving.
    19. Pax Romana: Adrian Goldsworthy. Interesting overview of how the Roman Empire was created and maintained over the first 3 centuries of its existence.
    20. A Manual of Tumbling and Apparatus Stunts: Otto E. Ryser.
    21. Eagle in the Snow: Wallace Breem. One of the best historical novels ever. Set on Roman frontier at the end of the Empire, action, character and poignant tragedy.
    22. How Children Succeed: Paul Tough. Well laid out and organised book looking at case studies of children and environments that have overcome adversity to succeed. Great read for parents, teachers and coaches.
    23. Dynamic Groups at Work: H. Thelen.
    24. The Confusion of Command: Lt. Gen T. D’Oyly Snow. Brief memoirs of the Commander of the 4th Division at retreat from Mons and 27th Division at Battle of Ypres. Shows how chaotic things were and ill prepared the BEF were in 1914.
    25. The Way We Die Now: Charles Willeford. Gritty crime novel based in Miami, interesting characters with a rambling plot.
    26. Classical Literary Criticism: Aristotle, Horace & Longinus. Thoughts on poetry, creating the sublime and drama from these three ancients.
    27. The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Mohsin Hamid. Short, interesting, relevant novel about a Pakistani man trying to find his identity.
    28. Lillian: David Emery. Biography of this British athlete from 1960s. Coached by her Dad to an Olympic medal, she died of cancer at a very young age.
    29. One Knee Equals Two Feet: John Madden. Simple, but entertaining guide to football. Has some genuine nuggets of wisdom in there.
    30. Creating Innovators: Tony Wagner. Case studies of people who are innovators in their field. Good for first 100 pages, but then repetitive.
    31. Iron and silk: Mark Salzman. Enjoyable account of an English teacher spending 2 years in China in early 1980s.
    32. The Heart of a Leader: Ken Blanchard. Quotes from his previous books with a brief explanation. Short but useful.
    33. Stanley.The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer: Tim Jeal. Dense, detailed story of the famous Welsh/American/English Victorian. Reveals much that had been misinterpreted and is extensively researched. Amazing stories.
    Steve Magness book

    Steve and Me

    I am currently reading Peak Performance by Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg, which I will review when finished.

    Thanks for reading and sharing ideas and the books. Thanks to the Hayridge Centre in Cullompton as usual for being a great library and to Mandi Abrahams of Castle Books for sending me the good stuff.

    If you have any other book recommendations or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

  10. Does sleep affect sporting performance?

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    How can sleep affect sporting performance?

    sleep performance

    Circadian rhythm

    A recent BBC article highlighted the variations in sporting performance for individuals at different times of the day (1). These differences are down to biological processes which change throughout the day.

    These changes are controlled by our internal body clock, which is affected by our external environmental cycle, and are known as Circadian Rhythm. Here Matt will describe what Circadian Rhythms are and how they work, as well as suggesting practical ideas for maximising your sporting performances.

    What is a Circadian Rhythm?

    A Circadian Rhythm is a biological rhythm which roughly follows a 24 hour period, going through day and night (light and dark). Humans (and other animals, plants and micro-organisms) react to these changes in light to regulate sleep and activity through functions such as heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, hormones (particularly cortisol and melatonin) and cognitive function (α, β, θ, δ waves).

     How does it work? 

    As diurnal animals (awake during the day, as opposed to nocturnal), humans respond to light as a stimulus to wake up. Light hits the optic nerve of the eye and travels to a part of the brain called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), a group of cells in the hypothalamus.

    The SCN signals other parts of the brain to increase body temperature, produce the hormone cortisol, and reduce the production of melatonin, which is linked to sleep onset and is produced when the eyes signal darkness.  It should be noted that humans do have an internal circadian rhythm which is present even in constant conditions with no light. However, this rhythm is far less pronounced than during real life conditions.

    So how does this affect performance? 

    As our physiology changes throughout the day, different elements of our physical fitness will have an optimal time period for performance.  A recent review of the literature  found that tests of mental acuity, accuracy and fine motor skills were best performed in late morning (2). This was due to a combination of optimal arousal levels and limited levels of fatigue.

    On the other hand, tests of strength, speed, aerobic and anaerobic endurance were shown to be most successful when performed in late afternoon/evening. This is possibly due to increased heart rate (and thus cardiac output), ventilation rate and core body temperature.

    These factors would mean that VO2 max would be optimised during this period and suggests a possible reason for this phenomenon.

    There have been suggestions that external factors such as weather conditions (e.g. heat) mean that performance is enhanced in the evening compared to earlier in the day. However, studies have shown that swimmers subjected to constant environmental conditions perform best during late afternoon/evening, even when they are used to training at different times such as early morning. This suggests a considerable affect of circadian rhythm on performance.

    For strength training, there was a smaller difference in performance at differing time periods for females than there was for males. It has been suggested that this could be due lower levels of muscle mass, or possibly that central governing plays a bigger role for strength based activity in females.

    Is the circadian rhythm constant?  

    sleep routine

    Sleep routine

    As the name suggests, Circadian rhythms follow a regular pattern, as long as environmental conditions remain regular. Humans become entrained to their environment, as shown since the industrialisation of the world.

    Changing work patterns (shift work, less exposure to sunlight, etc) and exposure to artificial light have impacted our sleeping/waking patterns, with many people waking before the onset of natural light, and other even working throughout the night and sleeping during the day.

    In many cases, this can lead to sleep deprivation, which will have a negative impact on both health and performance.  Read here for more information on sleep deprivation.

     Is everyone the same?  

    sleep athletes

    Sleep deprived teenager

    People have long been classified into groups based on sleeping habits, morning/evening person, lark/owl etc. Research has shown that this is due to variations in circadian rhythms (3).

    Subjects lived under normal conditions for several days and their onset of sleep was measured, with the expected variations in sleep time observed. Subjects then lived for several days in constant conditions with no light or indication of time of day. Each subject quickly reverted to their natural free running rhythm, some being slightly less than 24hours, and some being slightly more.

    There was a direct correlation between time of sleep onset and length of free running circadian rhythm:

    •  -Early sleepers=shorter free running rhythm
    • -Later sleepers=longer free running rhythm

    So although our circadian rhythm can be affected by environmental factors, individual differences will still play a part in optimal performance time. 

    Does Circadian Rhythm vary with age?

    Circadian rhythms are subject to much change over the course of our lives. While measuring sleep patterns, researchers have found that peak sleep time became later as children grew into their teens.

    After adolescence, peak sleep time became earlier. This change during adolescence is due to alterations in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Levels of melatonin in the blood rise more slowly in teenagers than in children and adults, meaning they don’t start to feel tired until later in the evening.

    This in turn affects their natural waking time. As teens would usually need to wake early for school there is a risk of not getting enough sleep. This can prolong the “circadian dip” and result in teenagers not starting to feel awake until later in the morning. Practices such as keeping lights dimmed during the evening and getting exposure to bright light early in the day can help.

    Summary and Practical advice

    Circadian Rhythm controls the biological processes which affect our physical performance e.g. heart rate, body temperature, hormone production and cognitive function.

    Activities involving accuracy, mental acuity and fine motor skills are best performed during late morning, when alertness levels are high but fatigue levels are low.

    Speed, strength and endurance activities are performed most successfully in the late afternoon/evening, as body temperature and heart rate are elevated compared to earlier in the day, meaning cardiac output and oxygen uptake are increased.

    Humans can become entrained to certain environments, so if an athlete is preparing for a competition at a certain time of day, it is advisable to adjust their daily routine accordingly.

    For example, an athlete who is used to getting up late in the morning and training in the early evening needs to prepare for a competition that starts at midday. In this case, the athlete would be wise to prepare for the event by adjusting their sleep pattern (going to bed earlier and waking earlier) and altering their training time (to match that of the competition) in order for the body’s rhythm to adjust.

    Here are some useful sleep strategies to help you get into a good routine:

    • By establishing a bedtime routine, the chances of getting a good night’s sleep increase.
    • Very hard training sessions and training late in the evening can lead to sleep disruption.
    • Diet is very important in getting good sleep. Eating late at night, eating spicy foods and consuming caffeine can disrupt sleep directly by stimulating the body and also indirectly by affecting the digestive system which can awaken athletes during the middle of the night.
    • Within 1 hour of you wanting to go to sleep, avoid television, it may seem relaxing, but it is actually an exciting activity that is a distraction, not an aid to relaxation.
    • Reading a book, listening to relaxing music or relaxation tapes are suitable ways for spending the hour before sleeping.
    • Drinking milk, warm or cold may help you get to sleep.
    • Any distraction or worries that you may have, things that you have to think about the next day, sort out before your hour before sleep. Write down in your diary anything you have to do the next day, keep a pencil and paper by your bed, the act of writing something down is a good way to eliminate it from your immediate thoughts.
    • Conducting a Progressive Muscular Relaxation programme will help your body prepare for sleep.
    • Ensure that your bedroom is a place for sleeping. Watching T.V. in bed is not going to help you relax. The room should be well ventilated, a comfortable temperature, cooler is better. The curtains or blinds should be thick and keep the room dark. Putting lavender oil on your pillow may help you get to sleep.
    •  If you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes, then get out of bed and do some activity that will distract you – mundane household chores such as ironing, or reading will help.
    • If you awaken in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, and then can not get back to sleep within 20 minutes, again get up and do something. Keep the lighting level low, as bright light will encourage the body to remain awake.
    • If you have something on your mind during the night, it may be best to get up and actually tackle the task for an hour, then try to return to sleep. If that means writing a document, doing some college work, or working on your budget problems, then doing it may help alleviate the worry.

    Matt Durber

    References 

    1. Gallagher, J. (2015) Bedtime “has huge impact on sport” BBC.
    2. Drust, B., Waterhouse, J., Atkinson, G., Edwards, B. & Reilly, T. (2005) Review: Circadian Rhythms in Sports Performance- An Update Chronobiology International, 22 (1), 21-44.
    3. Merrow, M., Roenneberg, T., Madeti, C., Goedel, M. & Lenssen, D. (2015) “Circadian Clocks: How Rhythms Structure Life” Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Available at https://www.coursera.org/course/circaclock