Performance Enhancement Terms & General Conditioning Principles

Cardiovascular Endurance The body’s ability, over a sustained period of time during physical activity, to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes.

Muscular Endurance Ability of a muscle or muscle group to sustain repeated contractions.

Power Ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movement composed of strength and speed.

Speed Quickness of movement of a limb or whole body

Strength Extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance

Adaptation Body’s ability to react to the training loads imposed by increasing its ability to cope with demands Purpose of training – systematically stress the body so it improves its capacity If stress is not sufficient to overload the body, then no adaptation will occurs.

Overload A greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptations to take place.

Specificity Sports training should be relevant and appropriate to the sport the athlete is training for. Examples: –A football player needs to train speed, strength, and power. –A cyclist should train muscle endurance and cardiovascular endurance

Reversibility Gradual loss of training effect when intensity and duration is reduced.

Periodization Varying a training program at regular time intervals to achieve optimal gains in performance. Used to bring an athlete to “peak performance” 3 phases –Pre-season –In-season –Post-season

Pre-season (preparatory) Phase High volume / low intensity Focus on technique Power & strength workouts introduced during 2 nd half of this phase.

In-season (competitive) Phase Low volume / high intensity Focus on technique Bring athlete to “peak performance”

Post-season (transition) Phase Active rest – low volume / low intensity Physiological and psychological break Recreational activity