I want to switch gears a moment, and discuss a topic amongst many that I feel doesn't get enough air time.
Bio energetic Conditioning: I have friends in various sectors of the "sport" of fitness.. Some Military, Some Crossfit Metcon Monsters, Some Sport Specific, Some "Mud Run Junkies", Go Ruck Challenge mongers, so on and so forth. All of these different angles of fitness have one thing in common.. "Bio energetic Conditioning", yet its often the most overlooked piece of the puzzle.
For Example: When you think of Cardio. you think its x amount of time at X intensity. Or Weight Lifting is x amount of weight for X amount of reps.
There is so much more to it than that.. Of Which I will explain below.
Bio energetic Conditioning - When a trainer develops a conditioning program there are many factors he or she must consider. Each sport and every position within that sport (including mud runs, cross fit, go ruck, co ed soccer, etc) operates primarily out of a specific bio energetic system: Oxidative, Slow Glycosis, Fast Glycosis, and the Phosphagen system. The goal of a conditioning program must be to train an athlete to meet the specific bio energetic needs of their sport. The trainer when developing a program, must realize that at any given point of conditioning all systems are working to create energy and oxygen.. One system MAY dominate percentage-wise but all systems are supplying oxygen at one time. When designing a training protocol it is important to encompass all bio energetic systems that correlate to each other.
Aerobic Conditioning - The aerobic systems (Oxidative, Slow Glycosis) are important to train because it increases the ability of the working muscle to utilize oxygen for energy production during activities of low to medium intensity for a long period of time. Aerobic training also increases VO2 max, which allows more oxygen to be distributed to the muscles. This is a critical component to develop because it allows the body to recover quicker in between sets of maximal exercise. In other words it allows an athlete's speed to be able to last longer on the playing field. Training the aerobic systems sets a base for future demands of intense training, as well as increasing overall conditioning. Some of the physiological training effects from this type of conditioning include: increased cardiac output, decreased resting heart rate, increased stroke volume (heart), increased hemoglobin saturation, increased ejection fraction, increased venous return, decreased sympathetic nervous stimulation, and the size of mitochondria.
Anaerobic Conditioning - The anaerobic systems (Fast Glycosis, Phosphagen) are important to train because it allows an athlete to maintain repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise with minimal fatigue. Training at or around the anaerobic threshold allows the body to buffer lactic acid at a quicker pace this, letting the body continue to work at a high intensity without experiencing the "burn" of activity. Once the heart rate reaches 80% of the maximum heart rate, the activity has turned anaerobic in nature. Some of the benefits of training the anaerobic systems include: increased levels of phospho-creatine, increased levels of glyolytic enzymes, increased glycogen levels, and increased capability to withstand the buildup of lactic acid.
Program Design Considerations for HS Athletes: These are my typical grade of client, so I'm going to speak around program design for this populous, but the reality is it works the same with "any" type of athlete.
When trying to decide how to design a training cycle to improve conditioning levels for the general population of athletes, it is important to always start out with the aerobic conditioning first. During the off-season aerobic conditioning can dominate throughout the cycle because there is no competition the athlete must peak for. Developing an aerobic base first prepares the body for the higher intensity sprints that will occur later in the training phase. The shift to anaerobic training will usually occur when the athlete is a month and a half away from competition. by the time the season begins the athlete should possess the physical qualities of the types of energy systems they will experience during their games.
In a follow up post, I will detail some specific conditioning drills you an incorporate into your workout programs, specifically addressing each bio energetic system, with defined work/rest periods, which are critical to get the intended effect as my friends on Saturday know all too well!
Thanks for reading!
Tom
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