Considerations of Training Load
When planning training for track and field athletes, it is crucial for coaches to consider the concept of training load. Training load refers to the overall stress placed on an athlete's body during training sessions. Coaches need to plan training loads carefully to promote positive adaptations while mitigating the risks of injury and illness.
Performance Enhancement: A well-structured training plan, incorporating appropriate training loads, is vital for enhancing an athlete's physical abilities and sport-specific skills.
Individualised Approach: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to training load management. It is crucial to tailor training plans to each athlete's unique characteristics, including their training history, age, and response to different training stimuli.
Collaboration: Effective training load management involves collaboration between the coach, athlete, and various support team members, including physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, and psychologists. This interdisciplinary approach helps to create a holistic training program that considers all aspects of the athlete's well-being.
Key Considerations When Developing Return-to-Training Strategies
After a period of reduced training load, whether planned or unplanned, coaches should consider several factors when developing return-to-training strategies:
Understanding the Athlete: It's important to consider the athlete's training history, recent training load, previous experience with reloading, fatigue and recovery patterns, and the impact of reduced training on their physiological and structural capacities.
Health and Nutrition: Coaches should assess the athlete's current physical and mental health, any relevant injury or illness history, and their nutritional practices, ensuring they are adapting their dietary intake to match training loads.
Skill Level: Evaluating the athlete's current physical, technical, tactical, and mental skill level is essential, identifying their strengths and weaknesses to inform training program design.
Contextual and Individual Factors: Coaches should consider contextual factors such as key competition dates, work or study commitments, and the athlete's beliefs and behavioural patterns related to training. It is also important to understand non-sporting demands on the athlete that may affect their response to training.
Understanding the Load: Coaches should carefully consider the external load necessary to achieve performance goals and the internal load it is likely to induce. They need to be aware of specific aspects of training that pose higher risks, such as high-speed running versus total running distance. More information on this topic can be found here.
Monitoring Training Adaptation: Regularly assessing how well the athlete is adapting to training is essential, using appropriate measures such as the Athletics Recovery and Stress Monitoring Tool and objective metrics like heart rate and neuromuscular function. This helps to understand the athlete's acute recovery/fatigue response and health status.
Training for Successful Performance: Coaches need to understand the specific physical standards and training load required for the athlete's sport and identify any deficiencies that require targeted training strategies. They must also determine the appropriate training phase (base phase, competition preparation) for the athlete to return to.
Multifaceted Nature of Training Load
It is important to recognise that training load is not just about the physical demands of training. It encompasses physical, physiological, technical, tactical, and cognitive stresses. Coaches should consider how different elements of a training session stress specific systems, especially when reloading after a period of unloading.
Specificity of Training: Non-sport-specific exercise during unloading may not adequately prepare an athlete for sport-specific loads. For instance, a runner who has maintained fitness through cycling may not be ready for the specific demands of running at high speeds and changing direction.
Connective Tissue Stress: When reloading, coaches should pay close attention to the stress on connective tissues, such as bone, tendons, and the myo-tendinous junction. Athletes with previous injuries are more susceptible to re-injury in the same or different body areas.
Monitoring the Individual Training Response
Athletes respond differently to training loads due to various factors like sleep, psychological state, nutrition, and life stressors. Their genetic predisposition and training history also play a role in their tolerance for reloading.
Coaches should use a combination of subjective and objective measures to monitor athletes’ training response and recovery:
Validated Questionnaires: Tools like the Acute/Short Recovery Stress Scales or the Health Problems Questions can provide valuable insights into athletes’ subjective experiences of fatigue and recovery.
Objective Measures: Physiological metrics such as heart rate variability, neuromuscular function tests, and submaximal fitness testing can help to assess athletes’ physical response to training.
Coach Observation: The coach's observations and expertise are crucial in understanding athlete performance and response to training.
Coaches should use this information to make informed decisions about adjusting training loads based on the athlete’s individual response.
Summary
Successfully managing training load requires a collaborative approach between coaches, athletes, and support teams. By understanding the individual needs of the athlete, the specific demands of the sport, and the importance of monitoring training responses, coaches can create effective training plans that help athletes reach their full potential while reducing the risk of injury and illness.