Posted by Juerg (207.194.220.103) on November 08, 2003 at 10:12:47:
Packed with reading material for the next 4 hours ( that's my training coming up ) I like to start perhaps a whole box of new ,( and I hope not just for me ) interesting questions and hopefully open and fair discussions , filled with research articles on the one side , and the more philosophical assumptions from other people on the other side..
As you can see in the titel : Locking back and locking forward , I like to challange some good and stable research ( locking back ) and try to see, what we could do with this info (locking forward.)
There is always a philosophical aspect and a physiological aspect on a lot of questions.
Once there is , or may be a physiological explanation , we tend to put this result as black and white.( including me )
This in fact may be important , but sometimes closes the view too look forward , as a lot of physiological knowledge may prove wrong some time later.
Let's start with a historical example :
During the british empire , sailors went to India ( Cap horn ) and during their long trip , they experienced a loss of a lot of sailors because of Vit . C problems ( German word is Scorbut , what's the english ?)
Vit. C as it stands today was not well understood at that time .. One captain at least , and later he got some followers,
did a " field test" and sailors , which got some fresh citrus fruits had a much better chance to survive , than the others with no fruits.
This was no double blind study or statistic or any other highly sophisticated info in here , but pure observation with some common sense and a heck of an important outcome for some sailors .
Neverthess it took the" british office for workmans compensation ) or what ever the name at that office at that time was,250 more years to accept that fact , resp. that's when science was able to prove the fact.
Summary of history :
It may be fair to say , that scientifique research is important , but it may also be fair to say , that it may always lag a bit behind.
What I like on training of individual performance , is the fact , that we can build it on solid evidence , to avoid as good as possible some basic mistakes ( over training as we believe , in contrary to a research article , resp. presentation I will read in 10 minutes by Dr. Richard Budgett , director of medical services , british olympic medical centre , London, UK.
He does not use the word " Overtraining " but more the term UPS , for underperformance syndrome .
Quote : ' There has been some confusion in the literature on the definition and diagnostic criteria of underperformance. The term " overtraining syndrom " implies a cause that limits investigation of this problem in athletes. Much confusion exists as to whether or not athletes suffering frequent respiratory infections , a depressed mood state, fatigue or underperformnace are all , in fact , overtrained. To help researcher and clinicians investigate this problem, a broader definition was created at a round table discussion in St. Catherine's College, Oxford on 19 April 1999.
However , several distinct subgroups may exist , some of which overlap. It is , therefore , important that those research and producing case reports define exactly which group(s) they investigate or whether or not they have included all athletes with persistent unexplaned underperformance "
In his presentation , he used some interesting pathophysiological examples where he used central fatigue ( brain ) and possible connection , which may lead to UPS , or could we say Overtaining. ?
Based on this research examples , he opened a whole box of possible discussions which we may see later perhaps."
On the other side , locking for possible areas , where we could get that little of an edge to the competition , based on some combination of research , coming out from other fields , than sport (cardiology, psychology , - Hypnosis ,mechnaics, nutrition, and the list goes on . ) getting info from other coaches based on experinece and " field tests " and own observation over time including athletes own feeling .
Waiting for the clear and " objective research " may be too late for some athletes or too early .
Ex: V jump in skijumping ( Calgary )too early for one
Klapp skates ( Nagano )to late for some.
??? Rotor cranks ( Athene )has to be proven.
Research may be locking back, ideas may be locking forward ?
Here an other practical example in the field of endurance sport :
Till 1972 ( Olympic munich )
VO2 max was the objective measurment of optimal marathon ( and endurance ) performance .
Well known Frank Shorter had a VO2 of 70 ml/kg /min ( Highest official published VO2 of him is actually 71.4 )
His competition ( Same speed . resp. a bit slower ) had an average VO2 of 80 .
Why could he win ?
The answer we will get from you readers will lead in a very hot topic of :
Training zoning , based on % of VO2
Even harder will be a possible conclusion , that if research is done , where a random group is getting tested on for example 80 % of VO2 max ,
of how much value is the follow up statistical calculation and the actual final conclusion ?
Now let's go down for reading ( and training ) hey it may cause the question of what benefits what.
Is the biking below LBP ( - 30 ) doing something for my physical performance , and if , what do I achieve, or is the perhaps increased blood flow into my brain thanks to the low intensity improving my thinking and reading. ( Low eye pressure may get some problem of reading ) do I need to do some push ups in between .
Do I get physical fatigue or central fatigue.
What is the neurotransmitter 5 -hydroxytryptamine or shorter ( 5-HT ) doing for or against me?.
And if I know the actual answere , is this true or is it still based on a lot of speculation and theoretical models ?.
Uff. ?
There may even be an optical nice girl in the gym, but that should be no problem. ( As we learned my testis is much lower than my brain , besides I will sit on it and you know the problem with numbness and the possible consequences ( or may it be , that the brain can still do some damage to may lower section , if I am thinking to " hard " by locking that girl. ?
Just kidding but it may start some thinking.
Will hear from you people later.
He guys in Switzerland who e mail and phone me , ask the question and imput in german and we can translate it for others.
Schickt the fragen und moeglichen Antowrten auf dem Forum in Deutsch und wir koennen diese uebersetzen , in beide Richtungen. The same to the spanish friends . ( Victor ) He y I am starting my spanish course in a week and you will be surprised what kind of a mess I will be able to produce. Swiss, /spanish / english.
Sp-eng-wiss . Well , it may take 250 years and it may be an official language.