Athletes and the Holidays: A Great Time for Some Much Needed "R and R"

written by Ed Fry, Athletic Leadership Instructor, Clemson University

The "R and R" I refer to is rest and recovery. Coaches are often reluctant to give our athletes time off from workouts or practicing, fearing that our teams will fall behind or lose an edge over the competition. This could actually work against us over the course of a long season. I propose that more coaches over-train their athletes as opposed to under-training them. You may be familiar with the ground-breaking work of a scientist by the name of Hans Selye. He published a theory in 1956 known as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) which helps explain how our bodies react to the overload principle of exercise training.

According to Selye, when our bodies are bombarded by physiological stress, they initially sound the alarm signaling inevitable intramuscular micro-trauma. The human body responds by adapting to the overload by repairing the damage and increasing the size and strength of the muscles. If the muscles are continually broken down at a rate faster than they can be repaired, the body becomes overtrained and bad things begin to happen.

Symptoms that an athlete is suffering from overtraining may include a rise in blood pressure and/or resting heart rate, unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite, a general feeling of lethargy, lack of resistance to colds and upper respiratory infections, lack of motivation, loss of strength and diminished performance, muscle cramps, and excessive soreness. These symptoms usually go away if the athlete is treated with some time off, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep. If untreated, more serious symptoms can develop including joint instability, muscle pulls, connective tissue damage, and injury requiring surgery. How many of us can afford to have our athletes tired, unfocused, sore, sick, or injured as we head into the more critical parts of our season?

Nowhere is overtraining more prevalent than in the weight room. It is our responsibility as coaches to teach our players that their muscles do not grow while they are lifting weights. They grow and get stronger during the rest time between workouts. They need to know that zero calorie energy drinks (an oxymoron if ever there was one!), and the latest products off the shelf at the supplement stores, are not a substitute for well-balanced nutrition and sleep!

Dan Riley, one of the true pioneers in the field of strength and conditioning, in the Houston Texans Strength & Conditioning Program (2008), wrote that "The key to maximum gains is the proper amount of quality exercise and adequate rest… Exercise should make you feel better and perform better. If you don't you may be doing too much exercise and/or not allowing adequate rest" (p. 62).

One area of recovery that we may not give much attention to in our strength programs is recovery between sets and exercises. Douglas Brooks, the author of the official textbook for the International Weightlifting Association, says that recovery times should be intentional and well-planned within the framework of the strength training program. Brooks offers the guidelines appearing in the following table:

Table 1: Resistance Training Specificity Chart. Adapted from D. Brooks, 2001, Effective Strength Training: Analysis and Technique for Upper-Body, Lower-Body, and Trunk Exercises, p. 243.

Recovery ability varies from individual to individual. On one hand, younger or less experienced athletes may require more recovery time between workouts. On the other hand, you may have noticed that the more fit an athlete is, the more intensely they can workout, therefore the need for more rest. This complicates things for coaches. How does the coach justify giving one or more players extra rest and recovery time to the displeasure of the others? Some things I incorporate in my long range practice plans as a basketball coach include:

• Follow intense drills with less intense drills in practice.
• Give several water breaks during practice.
• Gradually cut down practice time as the season progresses. Not intensity, just time!
• Vary the practice drills and the order of practice drills.
• Watch the eyes of your athletes as you are talking to them. Look for warning signs of overtraining. Be aware of changes in performance or behavior.
• Get a set of doctor's scales and have your players weigh-in daily. Look for sudden and unexplained weight loss. This should alert you that there may be a problem.
• Use the day following a game to "walk through" strategy and correct mistakes from the night before, followed by something unusual to keep them fresh mentally and physically. At one high school where I coached, we had a swimming pool. Late in the season, we would do form running drills in the pool the day after a game. The kids felt refreshed and we had fresh legs in the playoffs.
• A brief full-body strength workout the day after a game helps alleviate soreness and speed recovery.
• Ice baths in the whirlpool or home bathtub lasting just 5-8 minutes at 55-58 degrees also help with soreness and recovery time.
• Consider giving your athletes an occasional day off. It can actually benefit the coach as much as the players, and your spouse and kids will really appreciate it!

The holidays provide a built in break in the schedule for us and our athletes - a welcome time of rest and recovery. Take full advantage of these times by giving your athletes as much 'down-time' as possible so that they - and you - come back to your workouts with fresh minds, fresh legs, and the drive of a champion!

References

Anding, R., Riley, D., & Wright, R. (2008). Houston Texans strength & conditioning program: Players manual. Retrieved October 12, 2012 from http://assets.houstontexans.com

Brooks, D. (2001). Effective strength training: Analysis and technique for upper-body lower- body, and trunk exercises. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Brzycki, M. (1995). A practical approach to strength training, 3rd ed. Chicago: Masters Press.

Philbin, J. (2004). High intensity training: More strength and power in less time. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

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