HSC PDHPE – CQ3 DP1 CQ3 – What role do preventative actions play in enhancing the wellbeing of the athlete?

• physical preparation What role do preventative actions play in enhancing the wellbeing of the athlete? Students learn about: Students learn to: • physical preparation pre-screening skill and technique physical fitness warm up, stretching and cool down analyse different sports in order to determine priority preventative strategies and how adequate preparation may prevent injuries.

1. Physical preparation Physical preparation is essential to enhance the well-being of the athlete. It involves ensuring the body is ready for the activity it is about to undertake. Appropriate physical preparation is a major factor in the prevention of sports injuries.

1. Physical preparation Physical Preparation involves: conducting pre-screening (or pre-exercise screening) to determine a starting point for exercise promoting the particular skills and techniques required developing physical fitness, with an emphasis on those fitness components that are specific to the individual athlete’s performance following adequate warm-up, stretching and cool- down procedures.

pre-screening An important preventative measure to perform prior to commencing exercise is to determine the athlete’s current fitness level and goals and also become familiar with the athlete’s medical history. Pre-screening provides a starting point for exercise. It also allows exercise programs to be tailored to the individual based on that person’s needs. Pre-screening also assists in providing the athlete with individualised advice and information. This will minimise the risk of injury occurring.

pre-screening An effective pre-screening questionnaire will consider age, gender, health status and previous experience in physical activity. Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) has developed a pre- screening system designed to identify people with a high risk for exercise-related complications.

pre-screening High-risk factors for exercise-related complications include: being aged over 35 years if male and aged over 45 years if female being overweight having high blood pressure or cholesterol levels having diabetes smoking not engaging in exercise in the previous 12 months being pregnant. It is recommended that if anyone presents with any of the above criteria that a doctor be consulted prior to commencement of exercise. A medical clearance may also be requested by coaches and trainers.

Skill and technique Many sports injuries occur as a result of poor skill or technique. Eg, poor head position when making a tackle in rugby league or stress fractures in the foot from poor running technique. Poor technique injuries place extra responsibility on coaches to ensure that the players under their control are competent in the basic skills of the game, especially those relevant to self-protection.

Skill and technique (examples) Correct skill and technique can prevent injury in all sports, but this is especially so in: Rugby, Australian football and boxing—Those with the correct skill and technique are less likely to be injured in these contact sports. Cricket—The batter with correct technique is less likely to be struck by the ball Volleyball—The well-skilled are at less risk of hand and finger injuries. Hockey—The well-skilled are less likely to be hit by an opponent’s stick.

Skill and technique In some cases, the performer might have the correct technique. However, due to certain conditions and situations, movements might have to be modified for safety reasons. For example: Wet or slippery conditions require the athlete to move more slowly and with more control to prevent injury. In gymnastics, ‘spotting’ is used. In rugby union, the referee promotes scrum safety by controlling the engagement of the front row through the use of the crouch–pause–engage command.

Skill and technique The coach has a very important role to play in ensuring the safe movement of the athlete through the different stages of learning a skill. The coach breaks down the skill into smaller, more manageable components. This not only makes the skill easier to learn, but also safer to execute. A safe movement is a controlled movement, and athletes should never attempt movements if they are unsure or lack confidence.

Physical fitness Athletes can prevent injuries by placing special emphasis on developing the physical components specific to their activities. For example, netball players need to work on their speed, agility and hand–eye coordination as well as cardiovascular and muscular endurance. These priorities differ from the needs of marathon runners, who would place a much larger emphasis on developing endurance in their training.

Physical fitness For example, in the sport of rugby union, forwards would need to undertake a specific neck- strengthening program as they are prone to injury from scrums.

Physical fitness Individuals need specific physical preparation for various reasons including: a previous injury a medical condition a disability an identified personal playing weakness. Coaches and trainers need to be aware of these individual needs, and must cater for these differences in their physical preparation programs.

warm up A warm-up prepares and fine-tunes the body for physical training or competition. It is important that the warm-up focuses on the muscles and movements specific to the activity, although other areas of the body should not be ignored. A thorough warm-up lasts between 20 and 35 minutes, but it can be shortened or lengthened depending on climatic conditions. The purpose of the warm-up is to: increase blood flow and oxygen to the active muscles increase body and muscle temperature stretch ligaments and muscles to permit greater flexibility and reduce the chances of injury assist mental preparation

stretching A thorough stretching routine should last for 10– 15 minutes. A correct stretching exercise will: increase the length of the muscle reduce tension in the muscle increase blood circulation improve the range of motion at the joint.

stretching There are two types of recommended stretching exercises: static stretching and PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching. Static stretching involves gradually stretching the muscle to a position of mild tension. This position is held, without bouncing, for 10–30 seconds. During this time the tension in the muscle lessens.

stretching PNF stretching involves static stretching of the muscle followed by an isometric contraction. There are no movements, but the muscle is stretched by applying a force to an immovable object. The force should be applied for 6–10 seconds.

stretching The following guidelines should be followed when stretching: Relax and stretch slowly. Breathe normally. Do not push a stretch to an uncomfortable position. Do not engage in ballistic stretching, which involves bouncing or stretching with jerky movements. Place special emphasis on the major muscle groups used in the activity and any muscles previously injured.

cool down At the completion of the physical exercise it is important that a cool-down routine is followed. The main purpose of this is to assist the body to adjust from the intense activity back to a normal pre- exercise state. During exercise, fluid builds up in the working muscles and the cool-down period allows this excess fluid to be drained from the muscles and redistributed around the body. A proper cool-down will reduce muscle soreness and tightness, and will therefore allow the athlete to recover more quickly.

cool down The cool-down process is the reverse of the warm- up: it begins with intense activity that is gradually reduced. For example, the cool-down could consist of 2 minutes of jogging followed by 3–5 minutes of walking. This is followed by stretching exercises that are similar to those performed in the warm- up. As with the warm-up, extra emphasis is needed on the major muscle groups used, and on those previously injured.