Understanding the force velocity curve

The force-velocity curve is one of the most important components when designing a program for athletes.  When utilized correctly the athlete(s) will have the best opportunity to reach their full potential.   At first glance we can see that we have an x-y graph measuring force and velocity.  Understanding their inverse relationship is key.

The x-axis measures velocity in meters per second wile the y-axis measures force in Newtons.  An increase in one means a decrease in the other.  Each one plays a vital role in any program.  As we can see there is more than one piece to this relationship that is vital to the overall equation.  A sound program is one that will provide programming for each component.

The goal of the program is to then get the curve to move to the right.  This will be a direct indicator of improvement in rate of force development or RFD.  The more explosive an athlete is the greater their ability in RFD.  The ability to produce large amounts of force in short amounts of time is how an athlete can separate themselves from their competition.

 The TEMPO program was created with this in mind.  As athletes progress through the phases of the program they are getting training that combines strength and power to give them the chance to make improvements on the field.  This is the edge that every athlete is looking for.

Carb loading isn't always the best answer

As I have worked with hundreds of athletes over the years I have tried to help them in all aspects of their performance.  In the past few years I have educated myself more and more in the world of nutrition and nutrition to improve performance.  While this may seem difficult it just requires planning more than anything else.

A lot of my athletes have tried to carb load the day before a cross country meet, volleyball tournament or match and marathons.  This method is an old practice where people thought that a lot of carbs the day before an event will provide a lot of energy.  The issue that sometimes comes to be with this approach is the athlete will feel sluggish instead full of energy to provide a boost toward their performance.

While athletes need carbs as part of their daily diet they should make sure that they're choosing foods that will provide them with energy and not just calories.  The go to for carb loading is usually pasta.  Now I'm not saying pasta is a bad food per say but it's not the best food to provide a vibrant feel.  Pasta can provide carbs that offer long term source of energy but it usually doesn't work out that way.  More times than not the athlete(s) feel sluggish.

Better choices for athletes to select include whole grains, nuts and fruit.  Eating pasta as a way to create more of a reserve should be done two days before an event.  This will allow enough time for digestion and for the breakdown of the carbs to be converted to glycogen and then used for energy.

As we look for more and more ways for athletes to gain a competitive advantage it is imperative that these will have the best outcome and result.  Eating well is a way for an athlete to fuel their body as well as aide in their recovery.  So it only makes sense then that this done with the best option available to produce the best outcome.

Nutrition for athletes

As athletes look for every possible way to gain an advantage in their respective sports and competitions they need to make sure that their nutrition programs are up to par.  Nutrition for athletes is critical for their performance and recovery.

Depending upon the sport or event(s) will dictate how and what athletes eat.  Another important factor is hydration.  Athletes have to make sure that they are staying well hydrated to ensure that they avoid fatigue.

Athletes who participate in longer events that require more endurance need to eat in a way that allows them to use fat as the main source of energy.  One strategy is to not eat complex carbs for dinner the day before training.  In the that scenario you want to use primarily vegetables and fats for the bulk of the calories.

For athletes who compete in more speed and power competitions should use complex carbs as the bulk of the calories so that their muscles can use glycogen repeatedly to fuel them.  Their muscles need to repeat fast contractions again and again.

Sometimes this seems complicated but it can be made quite simple.  Athletes can not afford to skip meals especially breakfast.  They need to make sure that they are getting calories consistently throughout the day and hydrate as well.

Nutrition isn't the only piece of the puzzle but it does play a very important part of an athlete's success.  Basic and sound nutrition should always start eating whole foods first.  Adding supplements should come second.

While supplements can be valuable, food is always the first option.  Some basic supplements that can be added include a protein drink, BCAA's, creatine and beta alanine.

Athletes need to make sure that their nutritional intake is just as consistent as their performance training schedule.

In-season performance training

Staying competitive during the season of any sport is difficult as well as getting better and peaking at the end of the season.  It's a difficult balance of development, practice and games.  Adding performance training to the mix will definitely make this easier.  During the season athletes need their performance program to adapt to the demands of the season.

Right now the most common approach is to train before and after the season.  While on the face these aren't bad or ineffective they do leave a hole in an athlete's periodization timetable.  Without any training their athletic performance is guaranteed to decline which will have a direct effect on their sport performance.

A better way is to schedule time for performance training which will include strength training, speed, agility and quickness training.  These scheduled days should be planned to take 30-45 minutes in duration.  By keeping them to this length of time makes sure that the athletes will have enough time to recover and not cause fatigue and effect their play.

In-season training should focus on strength endurance.  This maintenance of strength will ensure that athletes are able to perform at the best of their abilities for the full duration of the season.  It will also help to protect them from injuries including non-contact and rsi's (repetitive stress injuries).

Athletes will definitely see improvements in their performance and how well they are able to fight off fatigue to play to the best of their abilities for the entire season.

The importance of speed endurance training

There is definitely truth that in order to go where you haven't been you have to get out of your comfort zone.  This is definitely true for track sprinters who run the 100m, 200m and 400m races.  Over distance work will get them out of their comfort zone (even if don't want to).

Speed endurance training is widely used at the the elite level and is very effective.  The most important part to these workouts is to allow for complete recovery between.  This is due to the large amount of stress and demands that are placed on the body and the central nervous system.

For complete recovery 15-20 minutes should be allowed.  By allowing this much rest in between sets the athlete can perform at their best with all out effort.  These types of workouts will last last over 2 hours and require light recovery workouts in the days afterwards.

The coach of Marita Koch (woman's 400m wr record holder of 47.60 set at the 1985 Canberra World Cup) was asked what her toughest workout was.  It wasn't the 2x500m workout or the 4 sets of 6x60m workout.  Instead it was the speed endurance workout of 4x30m, 60m, 100m, 120m, 150m.  She said she felt "bagged" for the next few days.

Speed is obviously essential for any track sprinter but the ability to both reproduce it and maintain it are paramount.  These workouts are guaranteed to give the athlete the opportunity to do both.

Training is coaching is teaching

When working with athletes it's easy to get caught up in the idea of making train hard all the time or keeping them moving at all times during a training session.  This is the furthest thing from training or coaching or teaching.  When you're training an athlete you're also coaching and teaching them how to get in better shape to be a better athlete.

This doesn't mean that athletes don't have to train hard or exert a lot of energy, of course not.  Simply put, they are looking to be guided not driven into the ground or put into a state of exhaustion all the time.  No they instead need to be coached and taught what's best for them so they can understand the purpose and intent.

The best athletes are the ones that have a full understanding of their sport and what it takes to perform at their best for that sport.  They in turn deserve the best knowledge in terms of performance training to get them there.

Hydrate before not after

After years of supplements and protein shakes companies are now trying to sell athletes hydration drinks for post workout or after a game.  While hydrating after a practice or game is important it is more important to hydrate before the practice or game(s).

First, the human body is made up of about 75-80% water.  Water controls body temperature and blood flow.  Second, water also is responsible for muscular contraction.  The cells in our muscles need water for each contraction so that we can run or jump.  Plus, without enough water an athlete's endurance level will also be diminished.

Therein lies the problem itself, athletes just don't drink enough water.  Well no one does really!  Some will say to figure out how much water you should drink everyday just take half your body weight and that should give you the answer.  I say start with 3 quarts, 96 oz, and work forward or backward from there.

I get asked this question a lot, "what about Gatorade?"  Gatorade or any sport drink should be used after 2 hours of exercise and sweating.  In extreme heat, humidity or combination of both then a sport drink can be used earlier such as 60 or 90 minutes.

Staying hydrated is important for another reason as well.  Our brains rely heavily on water.  Cognitive function is diminished when we are dehydrated.  So not only is their athletic performance lessened their ability to perform tasks and skills is also.

Water water water, just when you think you've had enough you need to drink some more.  After all, every part of your body is depending on it and so is your performance.