recovery secrets for elite performance · 2014-03-27 · introduction in the world of elite sport,...

Recovery Secrets forElite Performance

By Joey Hayes

2 | Recovery Secrets for Elite Performance © Joey Hayes 2010

Contact Details

In Joe We Trust Strength and Conditioning

[email protected]

WARNING

Please note information contained in this manual is the author’s opinion and is no substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a doctor or registered health professional before implementing any of the above techniques or guidelines. The author takes no responsibility for the incorrect technique or dietary modifications as a result of unsupervised performance of methods outlined in the manual.

A NOTE FOR COPYCATS AND PLAGIARISTS

This manual is the authors’ original work.

No part of this manual can be reproduced without the author’s written consent and permission.

If you steal or plagiarize the manual, I will sue your arse and have one of the bouncers I train personally pay you a visit and teach you a lesson in head punches!

Enjoy and may you achieve your lofty dreams and goals you have set for yourself!

Joey Hayes would like to thank Dean Robinson, Dan Baker,

Joel Marion, Eric Cressey, Chris Mohr, Joe Defranco, Zach Evan Esch, John

Berardi, Charles Poliquin, Paul Chek and Alwyn Cosgrove for their assistance

and knowledge contained in and compiling the Performance Manual.

Recovery Secrets for Elite Performance © Joey Hayes 2010 | 3

Contents

Introduction 5

Chapter 1 - Benefits and Importance of Recovery 6

Chapter 2 - Types of Fatigues 7

Chapter 3 - Post Training or Game Recovery 8

Chapter 4 - Sleep 9

Chapter 5 - Nutrition, Hydration and Supplementation 12

Chapter 6 - Immediate Care for Injuries 14

Chapter 7 - Monitoring Recovery 18

Conclusion 27

About the Author 28


Introduction

In the world of Elite Sport, whoever recovers the fastest, does the best!

Simply put, the quicker you recover from training or a game, the more you can train and the better you will get!

Without a doubt the most common mistake I see with the athletes I consult with, is over-training or under-recovery, which ultimately leads to illness, injury and poor performance.

It’s a double edged sword, in that athletes need to train hard to improve their physical qualities, but also need to recover sufficiently from the training so they can reach new levels of performance.

It’s a fine line and challenging to get right and is more of an art than a science!

If most coaches and athletes neglect recovery and do not understand how it works or how it can benefit them, it is a definite area that coaches can exploit with their athletes to give them an unfair advantage.

I have yet to see any resources that combine this information into a nicely packaged manual that can be used and implemented immediately.

This manual will outline specific recovery and regeneration techniques such as massage, stretching, contrast therapies (hot and cold showers), sleep, nutrition, hydration and cryotherapy (ice massage on muscles and joints) that can be implemented immediately to give your athletes the advantage NOW.

The information contained within manual goes one step further and provides you with each type of fatigue, the direct source and the physical signs of each fatigue, so you can choose the individual recovery method to combat that specific form of fatigue.

We will also delve into the precise methods to monitor training and playing loads that will impact upon recovery. This allows us to see exactly how much work the athletes have performed and how they are tolerating the work loads. This information allows us to modify our training based upon their response. Acting upon this knowledge ultimately ensures the athletes stay healthy, fresh, injury free and successful!

Best of all, recovery is our down time and allows the athletes to relax and not feel guilty.

How good does that sound?

Enjoy!


Chapter 1Benefits and importance of Recovery

If athletes cannot adapt to and cope with the physical and mental demands of training they will quickly become exhausted. Recovery will be one of the keys to your ongoing success.

Recovery and restoration methods serve many beneficial purposes. They enhance the amount of progress made between each training session. The athlete will make faster performance gains and improvements in terms of strength, speed, power and body composition when recovery methods are utilized. For example the use of a protein and carbohydrate shake at the completion of a workout enhances glycogen uptake and increases muscle protein synthesis which facilitates recovery that leads to faster gains in muscle mass.

Recovery methods assist with the recovery of muscles, energy stores, as well as the adrenal, hormonal and neurological systems. The accelerated rate of recovery allows athletes to train more intensely, more often and with more regularity.

Recovery methods help reduce the risk of injuries. For example, recovery methods such as massage and flexibility assist with optimizing the muscle tissue length and tension. Which helps ensures joint space is optimized. As sufficient joint space reduces the chance of inflammation and friction (joint grating and grinding) occurring. The result is healthier joints and less pain!

Specific recovery methods such as cryotherapy (using ice) can aid in enhancing your athletes’ recovery. Cryotherapy techniques can be used to deal with aches and pains. The ice decreases the inflammation and helps reduce swelling, which is beneficial for accelerating recovery time from injury and decreasing aches and pains.


Chapter 2Types of Fatigues

So now with an appreciable benefit for what recovery can do for you and your athletes, the following table outlines the type, main cause and physical signs associated with each specific fatigue.

You can then use the table to ascertain what unique recovery strategies you should implement to overcome that form of fatigue.

Type of Fatigue Main Causes Physical Signs Recovery Strategies

Metabolic Fatigue(Energy Stores)

Training lasting an hour or more.Training or performing over a number of days.Multiple training sessions in a single day.

Feel fatigue sooner than normal.You struggle to complete a training session or an event.

Rehydrate and refuel before, during and after training.Use contrasting temperature showers, or pool, or spa and cold tub

Neurological Fatigue(Muscles)

Short high intensity or long low intensity workouts, speed work and new training techniques.

“Sluggish” feeling.Slow feet, poor technique, reduced force production.

Rehydrate and refuel with small amounts of protein and carbs during workout.Use a shower or spa jets to massage fatigued muscles.Massage larger muscle groups.

Neurological Fatigue(Brain)

Low blood sugar levels.Injury and emotional factors.

Lack of drive and motivation.

Steady intake of carbs during and after training to maintain blood sugar levels.Rest and unwind.

Psychological Fatigue(Emotional, Social and Cultural)

Life style stress.Competitive pressures.

Loss of self confidence.Poor sleeping patterns.

Take mind off training, go out to a movie, hang out with friends, escapism techniques movies, books etc.Before bed “switch off” use relaxation techniques.

Environment / Travel Fatigue

Disruption of normal routine.Climate changes.

Takes longer to warm up.Fatigue sooner than normal.

Plan ahead for conditions.Stay cool in the heat (Use pools, shade, sunglasses, iced towels etc)


Chapter 3Post Training or Game Recovery

The following table is a step by step process of what to do immediately after you have finished training or a game. It is self explanatory and requires no thought. Simply follow the table for rapid recovery!

Immediately after Training/Game

Start restoring fluid levels immediately after training.Within the first five minutes post exercise, consume a sports drink or energy bar.Stretch lightly; using both active and short held static stretches while muscles are warm.Check for sweat loss by comparing weight loss pre- and post-exercise.Unwind listening to music on your way home.

When you get Home after Training/Game

Continue to rehydrate and re-fuel.Shower as soon as possible.Continue to do some light static stretches in the shower.Alternate between hot (30 sec) and cold (30 sec) in the shower, repeating 3 to 5 times.Within 60 min of training have a meal that complies with 8 rules

Unwind in the Evening Shower, spa or bath to relax muscles.Relax in the evening (listen to music, TV, switch-off from the days’ activities).Perform long static stretches.Massage legs, feet and hips.

Prepare for Sleep 5-10 min before bed switch off from the day.Use relaxation skills such as visualization, breathing exercises or music.Get out of bed if you can’t sleep – don’t just lie awake for long periods of time.Sleep is the Most Undervalued and Mismanaged Regenerative Strategy.

Next Morning Evaluation

Next morning monitor your response to training.Check your resting Heart Rate.Check your body weight to monitor your hydration.Take notice of how you feel, e.g. refreshed, still tired and note your quality of sleep.Plan your training to suit your response to yesterdays’ session.


Chapter 4Sleep

Sleep is one of the most valuable tools for muscle growth, fat loss and recovery. Yet it is often overlooked by coaches and athletes. Whilst we are asleep the human body releases growth hormone, which assists with many processes including cellular repair, building muscle, bone and regulating body fat. Sufficient sleep aids the regeneration of the immune function, bone density and connective tissues. In the early hours of the morning, the immune system produces the antibodies to combat the antigens (viruses, bacteria, toxins, etc) that the body has been exposed to during the previous day. Sleep is fundamental for repairing daily wear and tear on the body, damaged blood cells and resting the brain, which is crucial for the athletes’ emotional and mental well being. Consolidation of the memory also takes place during REM sleep. In general 8-10 hours of sleep per night ensures the athletes muscles have time to repair and replenish their energy stores prior to the next training session.

Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Humans spend roughly one third of their lives asleep. But only one fifth of the world’s population enjoys perfectly healthy, restorative sleep. Deep sleep is an essential component of enjoying good health. Poor sleep can contribute to a number of chronic illnesses and disorders such as obesity, diabetes and adrenal fatigue. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect your ability to have an effective training session and consistently getting less sleep than you need could lead to over training. Compromised sleep impairs the antibody development, which suppresses the immune system and increases the risk of illness.

A prolonged lack of sleep has an intoxicating effect on your body, for example being awake for 24 hours has the same physical effect as a blood alcohol content of 0.096, which is above the legal driving limit. Training whilst sleep deprived increases the risk of injury. This is due to a lack of muscular coordination, reduced reaction time and the inability to concentrate. Just as you’d never train after drinking a few beers at your local pub, you should never work out or train after not sleeping the night before.

So what should you do if you miss out on your sleep? You’re better off waiting until the next day when your body has been given proper rest. As you may know, your body’s recuperative processes rely heavily on deep sleep (REM or Stage 4 sleep). Waking up during the night makes it difficult for your body to fall into the kind of deep sleep you need for this recuperative process to occur.


Tips For A Better Night Sleep

The following tips will guarantee you get a deep nights’ sleep! The tips have been classified according to what to do before going to bed, how to structure your environment and habits to undertake to ensure a great nights sleep.

Pre-bed Time

• Avoidthesleepdestroyers(caffeine,alcohol,nicotine)foruptotenhoursbeforebedtime. These products stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, which excites the nervous system and when consumed during the day keeps you awake at night.

• Don’ttakenapsduringthedayasthiscancausedisruptionstoyoursleepcycle.

• Donotexercisepriortogoingtobedasthiswillincreaseyourbodytemperaturewhichwill make it difficult to sleep as the body temperature needs to be reduced prior to sleeping.

• AvoidwatchingTVorusingthecomputerpriortogoingtobedasthebrainwillinterpretthe screens as light and will release cortisol which will keep you awake at night.

• SupplementingwithZMAapprox30minspriortosleepcanhelpincreaseyourabilitysleep deeply.

• Youshouldhaveregularroutineorbedtimeritualbeforegoingtobedeachnight(suchas a shower, clean teeth, relaxing oil in an oil burner and 10 minutes of light reading). This helps decrease the activation of your nervous system and prepares the mind and body for bed.

Environment

• Ensureyourbedroomisdarkwithblackoutcurtainsthatdonotallowlighttoenterthe room. This is important as light entering the room indicates day time and can cause melatonin to be released which keeps you awake.

• Eradicateallnoise,useearplugsifnecessarytoensurethatnoisedoesnotinterruptyour sleep.

• Removeallelectricalequipment(TV’sandComputersetc)fromthebedroomasthe electromagnetic pollution can play havoc with your sleep patterns.

Habits

• Gotobedandwakeupatthesametimeeveryday,includingtheweekends.Thisensures your biological clock and circadian rhythm cycle stays consistent. Use an alarm if necessary to create a consistent sleep/wake cycle.

• Goingtobedbefore10.30pmallowsthebodytokeepinaccordancewithitsnatural evolutionary process.


Human Growth Hormone and Me!

Human Growth Hormone (also known as Somatotropin) is an amino acid produced in the anterior portion of the pituitary gland. HGH is associated with the function of growth and is involved in many physiological processes that occur in our daily lives. These processes include the building of muscle, bone and the regulation of body fat.

As an athlete HGH is extremely important as it plays a large role in recovery and regeneration as it assists in re-building the body after a training session. Insufficient growth hormone release will negatively affect the athletes’ recovery processes and ultimately their results.

HGH levels are high during childhood, and peak at adolescence. During puberty, HGH levels determine height and bone size. After puberty, HGH levels start to decline and by age 61 decreases to 20% of what they were at age 21. HGH is continually produced throughout the human lifecycle, and continues to regulate the body’s metabolism.

Sleep is the most powerful natural stimulus of HGH release. Sleep is critically important, as HGH secretions follow a circadian rhythm, growth hormone is secreted in 6-12 pulses per day, with the largest secretion about an hour after the onset of night time sleep. As HGH release is at its peak during sleep, inadequate or poor quality sleep will adversely affect the volume of HGH secreted. This results in negative consequences for recovery and health in general.

Exercise also assists with the release of HGH. With respect to training, research has shown that in order to stimulate HGH secretion you need to spend at least 10 minutes training above lactate threshold intensity, which is approximately 85% of Maximum Heart Rate (Maximum Heart Rate can be estimated using the formula (220 - Athletes Age = Max Heart Rate). This results in the biggest volume of human growth hormone, secreted in response to a single exercise bout, with levels of the hormone declining gradually over a period of an hour.


Chapter 5Nutrition, Hydration and Supplementation

The following chapter will discuss the nutrition, hydration and supplementation processes athletes can use to enhance their recovery from training and games.

Hydration

Firstly we’ll start with hydration, as discussed in the nutrition manual, adequate hydration is extremely important for your general health and well being as well as sports performance. If the athlete is sufficiently hydrated they will perform better, stay stronger and last longer. To assess the athletes’ hydration status, the coach can have the athletes weigh themselves before and after the training session or game to see the discrepancy in weights. Once this is completed the coach and athlete can then determine the hydration requirements. The only issue with this method is that it doesn’t take into account if the athlete was already dehydrated prior to the weigh in. Water and protein and carbohydrate drink are the fluids of choice. Exact ratios and quantities of nutrients will be determined by the athletes’ needs and requirements. On a side note, consuming alcohol is extremely detrimental to an athletes’ training and performance. As alcohol decreases testosterone and may impair the central nervous system for up to seven days.

Post Workout Nutrition

Secondly, we can rapidly enhance an athletes’ recovery by taking advantage of the window of opportunity immediately after training or a game. This 15-20 minute time frame immediately after training or a game is crucial for accelerating recovery as the body is more receptive to the uptake of nutrients. Hence, providing the body with sufficient nutrients allows for the rapid replenishment of muscle glycogen stores and decreased muscles protein breakdown. Therefore, allowing the recovery process to start sooner. Foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates are ideal.

Post Workout Supplementation

As discussed in the nutrition manual, supplements are great value for aiding in the acceleration of recovery. I have broken down the supplements into 2 categories.

The first supplements that can be used to facilitate the recovery of the nervous system are termed neural restorative drinks. These contain substances that assist with the brain by enhancing blood flow to the brain. Power drive is ideal for this and can be consumed after an extremely straining intensive game or neurally draining training session such as a maximal strength or explosive power training session.


The second classification of supplements can be termed muscular recovery agents. And as the name suggests assists in the recovery of the muscles and energy stores (substrates such as glycogen, creatine and branched chain amino acids). These supplements include creatine, protein and carbohydrate substances/supplements. These supplements are consumed in a liquid format, are easily digested and transported into the bloodstream to be shuttled off to the muscles for use. The quicker these processes occur, the quicker the athletes recover. The athlete halts catabolism and increases muscle protein synthesis and muscle glycogen stores when they consume adequate protein and carbohydrates. The use of supplemental creatine helps saturate and replenish creatine levels once they have been depleted, which is often the case after intense training or a game.

For more detailed information regarding post workout nutrition, hydration and supplementation refer to the High Performance Nutrition Manual for AFL Footballers.


Chapter 6Immediate Care for Injuries

Even with proper preparation, injuries may still occur. Now what? Regardless of the degree of damage, all injuries undergo a similar reaction in the first 2 to 3 days post injury, called the inflammatory phase. The signs and symptoms involved in this phase can be summarized by the acronym SHARP.

S – Swelling

H – Heat

A – Altered form or function

R – Redness

P – Pain

These signs and symptoms can last anywhere from 2 to 72 hours post injury (duration depends on severity of injury). Luckily, the treatment during the first few hours or days following an injury is just as easy to remember RICE.

R – Rest (restrict activities that cause pain)

I – Ice (Ice packs - 20 minutes every hour)

C – Compression (tensor bandage or compression shorts to limit swelling)

E – Elevation (ideally above the level of the heart, but sometimes difficult with a high groin strain)

Note: Gel freezer packs can actually reach temperatures colder than ice. Make sure to have 1-2 layers of paper towel between the ice pack and your skin


When do I need to go to a Clinic?

In a professional sporting environment, you would get a diagnosis for any injury, aches or pains incurred during training or a game. The diagnosis may come from a physiotherapist or doctor.

In reality, at junior level there are very few qualified medical staff available, so as an athlete it is important to know, if the injury is serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor or physio. It is also important to note whether the pain could be considered a normal pain or bad pain. How can I decipher between what constitutes normal pain are and what bad pain is.

Normal pain could be considered the usual pain that would normally be encountered after a training session or game. For example muscle damage as a result of a strength training session could be interpreted as normal pain. The pain may last for 24-48 hours following the session, however this would be termed good pain as the muscle has been broken down by resistance training and will be sore and needs to regenerate to get stronger.

Whilst playing a contact sport, collision and impact injuries are quite common; these include bumps and bruises to muscles of the body. These types of injuries can cause some pain and discomfort and may restrict full fluid movement only for a few days. However provided RICE, SHARP, massage and flexibility methods are implemented following the game or training, the minor injuries should subside within a few days and should not require a special trip to the physio or doctor. If the pain gets progressively worse and is not improving with the implementation of the methods outlined above, then definitely seek further medical advice from the qualified experts.

Alternatively, if the injury is to a bone, ligament, tendon, or joint, such as the shoulder, ankle, knee, elbow, wrist etc and the athlete is in severe pain, unable to place load on or through the joint, this is a sign that a qualified medical practitioner should view the injury to provide a diagnosis. Again the athlete should still perform the appropriate care for an injury until they see the physio or doctor as scans may be required.

Likewise, strained muscles that force an athlete from the game or training should be viewed by qualified medical practitioner. Strained muscles are sometimes challenging to diagnose and may be a result of nerve impingement, restricting the nerve supply to the muscle. The athlete may attempt some light stretching and massage to help alleviate the pain. I have witnessed rapid improvements in athletes that apparently have muscle strains, when using hands on massage and stretching techniques. Please note that when performing stretching and massage techniques the therapist should work on and through all muscle groups and not restrict treatment to only the injured muscle groups. If the pain is reduced significantly with massage and flexibility, then it is probably not a serious injury, however if the pain gets worse or aggravated, it’s best to see a physiotherapist.


The Truth about Doctors and Physios

Through my experience, it is rare to find medical doctors that have high levels of experience diagnosing sports injuries, unless they are a specialist sports medicine doctor. Doctors with this specialization are rare and as far as I’m aware there are only 2 of these doctors on the Gold Coast. If using a doctor try to find a doctor that has an active interest in sports that possibly undertakes some form of physical activity themselves, as they will have more experience treating, dealing and understanding injuries than a regular GP. A trip to the doctor may be necessary for obtaining prescription drugs such as anti-inflammatory and pain killing medication. Or in order to obtain documents for scans to determine damage caused by bone, ligament and tendon injuries. The benefits of seeing a doctor include the fact that it may be able to be bulk billed therefore cost of service will not be a decisive factor.

If the athletes had experienced the muscular skeletal injuries outlined above, I would be more inclined to refer them to a physiotherapist. Physiotherapists have also studied extensively and have specialized expertise dealing with injuries, whereas a doctor has only general training and does not treat physical injuries each and every day like a physio does. If prescription medications (pain killer, anti-inflammatories) and medical images other than x-rays are required, the athlete will most likely have to see a doctor, as physios are generally unable to prescribe medications or refer athletes for medical imaging such as ultrasounds and other scans.

With regards to a physio, they do cost money, so the athletes’ finances and budget may be a determining factor if treatment and diagnosis will be undertaken. If the parents/athlete has private health insurance, depending on the type of cover, the gap required to be paid is reasonable. The athlete and parents need to weigh up the costs in terms of time and money. By this I mean the athlete can see a physio and have a diagnosis which provides peace of mind and an estimated time frame for return to play, obviously there is a price to pay for this knowledge. Alternatively the athlete can see a doctor, pay nothing by being bulk billed, however the athlete may not get an accurate or specific diagnosis or time frame for return to play and no rehabilitation plan. This may hinder the rehab process and increase the athletes’ chance of re-injury. Thereby forcing the athlete to go and see either the doctor again or see a physio. Therefore costing the athlete important game time, when this could have been averted originally had the athlete paid to see a good physio.

During this chapter I have discussed pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs that are often prescribed by doctors to inured athletes. I do not recommend or endorse this practice, unless the injury is extremely serious and calls for it. By this I mean the athlete has to have had surgery or broken limb or major joint damage. But prescribing pain killers or anti-inflammatory drugs for a hamstring strain or slightly rolled ankle is ridiculous. There are just too many side effects to the use of these drugs, like addiction and gastro-intestinal disorders. As, I have mentioned there are many safer, healthier and more natural alternatives. So in conclusion the choice to whether you pursue further diagnosis and medical opinion will depend upon the pain and severity of injury. The source and choice of injury diagnosis will be dictated by the athletes’ budget and specific requirements and needs of the athlete.


Alternative Methods for Curing Injuries

Here are some alternative cutting edge methods I use with my athletes that work wonders!

Castor Oil

It is a plant used medicinally for eliminating waste removal, soothing chapped skin and reducing pain, swelling and bruising due to soft tissue injuries.

Castor oil packs are one of the most healing modalities you can use.

How to use it:

1. Soak a piece of wool flannel or cotton with castor oil. 2. Place over the area of pain (ex. Abdomen for cramps, Liver for detoxification or a specific wound area, corky or bruise or sprain) 3. Place a piece of plastic over the castor oil pack 4. Place a heat source on the very top (heat pad on low-medium) 5. Leave on for 30 minutes, 4 days in a row, take 3 days off. 6. Keep the pack in a sealed plastic bag and keep in a dark area - this may be used for many applications.

Washing Soda

It is commonly used for inflammation on ankles, knees and joints.

How to use it:

1. Purchase washing soda from local supermarket. 2. Place washing soda in a stocking 3. Place washing soda on affected limb or inflamed joint (ex. ankle). 4. Hold stocking with washing soda in place with compression bandage. 5. Leave on injured swollen area until the washing soda goes hard 6. The washing soda will draw out the swelling 7. I recommend using new washing soda for each application 8. Swelling will subside and pain will go away


Chapter 7Monitoring Recovery

For hard-training athletes we like to regularly assess “recovery” to ensure that they’re either resting enough, properly adjusting their training or eating enough food to support their hard efforts in the gym or on the playing field.

Recovery is a function of total body stress. And whether that stress comes from hard training, too few hours of sleep at night, disagreement with a friend or family member, a new job, a new home, or a combination of the three, if the right amount of stress is created it can lead to “distress”. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on your level of stress/recovery.

This table outlines the key methods for monitoring training and playing loads and to assist with the recovery for your athletes.

Method Example

Questionnaires Soreness, Mood, Stress Levels, Wellness scales

Training Loads RPE, Load, Strain, Monotony (see tables below)

Physical Performance Tests

Flexibility, Muscle Strength, Balance-reactive strength index testing e.g. drop jumps, bench throws power output test, muscle flexibility, range of motion, SA H/rate recovery test, muscle tone

Hormonal Biochemical Testosterone, Cortisol Ratios

Analysis of sports performance

E.g. Distance ran, game time, number of body contacts, time spent above 85% max heart rate or 85% max speed

In a professional setting all 5 methods may be used. However, when working with junior athletes, the use of a questionnaire would be the easiest, least time consuming and would not require any extensive equipment. I have included a questionnaire below that can be used for your athletes. When working with younger athletes I simply ask them how they are feeling today, and wait for a response. Their response usually dictates what I do with their training at that point in time. This is called reactive programming and allows us to modify training according to their current status. For example, if the athlete said they were extremely tired and had already played a game of football during the day, I would adjust their strength training program to reflect this. For example, if they had 4 sets of 12, I would say to do 2 sets of 12 and try to increase the weight, rather than aim for an increase in volume or total number of sets. Be wary as some athletes are lazy and will tell you they are tired all the time and they won’t ever want to train, you will know who they are. Simply use an average of the 5 kids that always give honest representations of how they feel to ascertain what to do with their training.


Recovery Questionnaires

There are 2 types of measures that can be used to assess the athletes’ recovery status. Subjective measures based upon perception and objective measures based on quantitative data.

Subjective Recovery Measures

Subjective recovery measures are based upon the athletes’ perceptions of their recovery.

The athletes rate each of the following subjective variables on a scale of 0 – 5 every day. A detailed table of the variables and the rating scales can be seen below.

Variable Score

0 5

Appetite No Appetite Very Hungry

Sleep Quality Poor Sleep Very Good Sleep

Tiredness No Tiredness Very Tired

Willingness to Train No Willingness Very Excited To Train

Competitive Willingness No Willingness Very Excited To Compete

Muscle Soreness No Pain Severe Pain

As a coach I focus on large changes in the variables above. If two or more of them change for the worse at the same time, for example, appetite drops, sleep quality drops, tiredness increases or willingness to train decreases we start looking at the athletes lifestyle, in order to pin point the source of the problem. In response to the significant changes in recovery measures we alter the training program to improve the recovery measures. This may be in the form of a light training week, including some yoga classes, increasing the calorie intake or seeking counselling for long – term emotional stressors.

Objective Recovery Measures

Objective recovery measures are easily quantifiable and provide an exact number.

We have the athletes’ record their morning resting pulse each day. This is to be taken seated, immediately upon waking and performed by placing their fingers on their radial pulse (wrist) for 15 seconds, then multiplying by 4 to get the number of beats for 1 minute. The athlete records their daily heart rate on the tables below.

We also have our athletes weigh themselves everyday upon waking to ascertain their daily bodyweight. A dramatic drop in bodyweight can be a sign of overtraining and under-recovery.

The length of sleep is also taken into account, as poor disrupted sleep can be an indication of overtraining.

If the objective markers move in a negative direction (resting pulse rate increases over time and bodyweight decreases over time), we start to look for signs of distress and help the athletes minimise potential stressors thereby improving recovery.


Other Methods for Monitoring Recovery

Apart from the utilising subjective and objective data and questionnaires, there are a few other methods that can be used to monitor recovery. The manual will now discuss these methods and their applications. Some methods are better suited to professional sporting teams due to time, budget and resource constraints. However, where possible I’ve attempted to provide an example as to how the junior coach could implement the procedures with their athletes.

Training Loads and RPE

The RPE method is quite popular with AFL and Rugby League Clubs but is probably overkill for junior athletes who only undertake 2-3 training sessions per week. It is also hard to quantify what junior athletes are doing away from you. For example, they may be doing school sport training, representative team training, and physical education at school as well as undertaking physical activities during their own leisure time.

The use of RPE (rate of perceived exertion) data is great to use for professional sporting teams and involves a global rating of game and training hardness. The method involves rating the training session or game using a scale from 1-10. 10 being extremely hard, 1 being easy (See Table 1).

The RPE number is then multiplied by the duration of the session (See Table 2)

The mean and standard deviation of training loads are calculated to determine monotony, load and strain (See Table 3).

Monotony considers the daily variation in training. Strain provides an insight into whether the athlete or team may be overtraining.

Monitoring RPE load allows the coach to observe team and individual trends between training load and injury. Over time, monotony, load and strain can be used to predict injury, illness and performance.

For example, elite coaches can correlate high monotony scores of > 2 with injuries and poor performances. This data allows coaches to be proactive in their planning and it may be known that the weekly work load before playing a top team may need to be 1500, but for a weaker team where victory is assumed the training load for that week may be much higher e.g. 2200.


Rating Descriptor

0 Rest

1 Very, very easy

2 Easy

3 Moderate

4 Somewhat Hard

5 Hard

6 *

7 Very Hard

8 *

9 *

10 Maximal

Table 1. Scale to evaluate training hardness.

Table 2. Example of a weekly training cycle including the activity, duration and RPE, and load.

Day Training Duration (min) RPE Load(Duration x RPE)

Monday Skills Training 60 5 300

Tuesday Weight Training 60 6 360

Wednesday Conditioning Session 45 7 315

Thursday Speed Training 60 4 240

Friday Weight Training 60 3 180

Saturday Game 120 8 960

Sunday Recovery 60 1 60


Table 3. Calculations for Total Weekly Training Loads, Monotony and Strain.

Variable Formula Total

Total Weekly Training Load Sum of Total Daily Training Loads

(300+360+315+240+180+960+60)

2415

Daily Mean Load 2415/7 days=345 345

Daily Standard Deviation of Load Standard Deviation 288.92

Monotony Average of the Daily Training

Loads / Standard Deviation

(345/288)

1.19

Strain Monotony x Weekly Total Training

Load 1.19 x 2415

2883.75

Physical Performance Tests

Physical performance Tests are used more at the elite end of the sporting world. This is due to budget and time constraints. The equipment required to test accurately is expensive and is usually beyond the budgetary means for most junior clubs.

Training and coaching time available is usually another restraint imposed upon junior athletes’ coaches. And the training time may be better spent actually training rather than testing and assessing for over training.

I have experimented with the use of a basic vertical jump test to assess the nervous system recovery of the junior athletes I coach. I have found it to be a good indicator of training readiness.

Professional clubs employ the use of reactive strength index testing, which is a jump off a contact mat to ascertain the ground contact time and height to determine nervous system freshness and efficiency. Expensive equipment and sound scientific background is required for reliable, valid data and results.

Hormonal and Biochemical Testing

Hormonal and Biochemical Testing involves the monitoring hormonal and biochemical markers in the athletes’ saliva or blood to determine appropriate hormone levels and ratios. Some research indicates that an athletes’ testosterone and cortisol ratios provide an indication as to over-training status.

Elevated creatine kinase levels are associated with high degrees of muscle damage and inflammation and can provide the coach or athlete with feedback as to when to begin body contact and resistance training once again. The use of these tests is cost, time and resource prohibitive to most junior clubs as it requires a scientist to conduct and analyse the tests. There is also a large degree of variability and reliability in the test results as well.


Analysis of Sports Performance

Analysis of sporting performance involves analysing the previous weekends game to determine how hard to train the athletes in the upcoming week. For example, playing in a closely contested match with quality opposition and a small winning margin, may result in a greater load on the players during the game. The game hardness may be used by the coach to adjust the training loads in the upcoming week to allow for a longer recovery time and less training during the week. At the elite level, GPS systems monitor the players every move at training and games. The GPS provide player date including the total distance ran, running speed, number of collisions and body impacts. This detailed information then allows the strength and conditioning coach to co-ordinate the individualised training loads for each player during following weeks training.


Recovery Protocols Checklist

The recovery checklist can be used by athletes to determine where the recovery process may be breaking down or areas they can improve upon.

1. Am I recording my recovery status daily?

2. Am I tracking my work loads?

3. Am I keeping a record of my training using my training diary?

4. Am I keeping a record of my food intake?

5. Am I sleeping 8 hrs per night and asleep before 10.30pm?

6. Am I consuming a post workout protein shake?

7. Am I performing specific recovery protocols for the training I am undertaking?

8. Am I performing self massage daily?

9. Am I performing flexibility work daily?


Recovery Score Card

The following score card can be used by athletes to provide a rating for their recovery success.

The scorecard uses a Likert scale (the athlete can select between always, most of the time, frequently, rarely and never) with each choice attributed a certain score. The score for the checklist is calculated on a total of 100 points. That way it’s possible to know where the problem lies and allows us to provide adequate solutions to the athletes’ lack of progress. The score card is only as effective as the honesty of the athletes’ responses so ensure they complete the score card accurately to ensure a faster progress.

Always(10 pts)

Most times(8 pts)

Frequently(5 pts)

Rarely(3 pts)

Never(0 pts)

I ingest a post-workout drink at the most 15 minutes after my training session

I sleep 8-10 hours during the night

I go to bed late (after 10.30pm) less than once per week

I take a contrast shower (alternating hot and cold water for 10-15 minutes) 30-60 minutes after my workout

I avoid personal conflicts with other people

I am on time with my studies or work tasks (no added stress)

I perform self massage daily

I include relaxing activities during the week

I try to keep my life balanced between sport, friend and school

When I go out, I don’t drink alcohol

Total for each category ___ pts ___ pts ___ pts ___ pts ___ pts

Nutrition grand total ___ / 100


The following table shows you how to interpret the athletes score from the responses above. Once the score has been analysed the coach can then provide the appropriate feedback to correct the athletes’ weakness.

Result Interpretation What to do

90-100% Extremely good! Congratulate the athlete on his efforts, encourage him to continue on this path. Offer to help him fine-tune his habits.

60-90% Adequate, should not pose a problem with your rate of gains

Offer some positive feedback on what he is doing correctly (“always” and “most times” items) and cue him on how he can improve his potential problem areas.

40-60% Problematic area, will lead to a significant reduction in the rate of improvement

Explain why his bad habits can lead to a decrease in a reduction of his gains and offer him easy (non-drastic) solutions to help him improve these habits.

0-40% Danger zone, will lead to an eventual decrease in performance

This type of athlete requires a significant change in his habits. Often there is a serious personal problem underlying these bad habits and you may need to dig deeper to find the real source of the problem. An athlete in this category (especially if he is in this category for 2 or 3 facets) is sometimes non-receptive to advice and recommendations.


ConclusionThirteen Ways to Succeed!

So in recapping,

Fatigue is a natural and necessary part of the training process!

If recovery is not a part of your training, the athletes will get injured and under-perform

The quicker you recover, the more you can train, the better you’re going to get!

Recovery methods enhance the amount of progress made between each training session.

The use of recovery methods accelerates recovery so athletes can train more intensely, more often with more regularity.

Recovery methods help reduce the risk of injuries and decrease aches and pains.

We can match the source of fatigue to implement the most appropriate and specific recovery strategy.

Nutrition, hydration and post workout supplementation have a significant impact upon recovery.Sleep is one of the cheapest, most potent recovery modalities available.

The coach should employ various methods to monitor training loads and recovery.

The use of a questions and questionnaires are the most relevant and user-friendly methods to monitor training and recovery for junior coaches and athletes.

The coach should adapt the training loads to the responses received in the questionnaires.

The recovery protocols checklist allows athletes to see exactly where they are going wrong in the recovery process.

There you have it, everything you need to know about recovery; the why, what, where, when and how to recover.

I look forward to assisting you with achieving your sports performance goals as a coach or athlete.

Now shouldn’t you be recovering?

All the best!


About the Author

Joey Hayes has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s leading, innovative and most successful strength and conditioning specialists. This reputation has been established by the phenomenal results of Professional Sporting Teams, Elite Sporting Institutes and Organizations and Elite athletes utilizing his Training Programs, methodologies and philosophies.

Athletes have proclaimed Joey to be their secret weapon, and a catalyst behind their results and success. His training programs have resulted in world records, world championship medallions, commonwealth games medals, grand final premiership glory, junior athletes procured by professional sporting teams and numerous athletes achieving life-time personal bests!

Joey has trained over 250 State, National and International athletes in a multitude of sports, most notably, AFL, Rugby League, Swimming and Martial Arts.

He owns and operates a highly renowned Private High Performance Athletic Training Facility known as The PIT. The number one place for athletes to train; exclusively dedicated to Elite Athletic Performance Enhancement.

Joey has achieved the highest level of academic qualifications and expertise for a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has completed a Masters Degree in Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning) from Edith Cowan University and a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) from Griffith University.

He is recognized as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has qualifications in Olympic Weightlifting and speed development as a Track and Field Sprint Coach.

Joey’s unique blend of in-the-trenches-knowledge, coupled with superior academic qualifications ensure astonishing results in record time, and have affirmed his status as one of Australia’s most successful and highly sought after strength and conditioning specialists.


recovery secrets for elite performance · 2014-03-27 · introduction in the world of elite sport,...

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