The Importance of Proper Sprint Technique
The Importance of Proper Sprint Technique
Luke Williams, CSCS, USAW
Anytime we get an athlete in our program that wants to increase their speed, one of the main things we’ll look at is their sprint mechanics. As you can imagine, having poor mechanics or technique will negatively affect your speed as well as possibly lead to injuries over time.
Our coaches will typically look at 3 main areas when it comes to analyzing someone’s sprint mechanics:
1. Foot Contact: Are they sprinting on the balls of their feet? Or are they heel striking or flat footed when they sprint? Running on the balls of your feet allows you to have shorter ground contact time which in turn will increase your stride frequency which will make you faster. It will also allow you to use your big quad muscles to drive down and push the ground away, which will make every step more powerful. If you let your heel strike first, you will be pulling with your hamstrings. That will equate to a longer ground contact times, loss of power in every step as well as potentially causing hamstring issues over time.
2. Arm Swing: Having proper arm swing will increase your running efficiency – basically helping you run faster without having to work as hard. For example…If you are trying to sprint forward but your arms are moving side to side or across your body, your body has to compensate for your torso rotating/twisting while your trying to run straight. So your using more energy and your arm action is likely slowing you down!
3. Posture: This is important in all phases of sprinting. When you are accelerating, you want to be leaning into the sprint so you can shift your momentum forward and allow your feet to push the ground away. As you get into your max velocity phase, you want to be tall to allow your knee to come up so your strides will go into that cyclical motion. Having proper posture will also allow you to have better arm action and balance as well.
If we can correct those three areas while you are sprinting it is a guarantee that you will increase your speed and power. But it’s not something that will happen over night or in 1 or 2 sessions. Improving sprint mechanics is something that is done with lots and lots of repetition and practice. Sprinting is a skill, and just like any skill, can always be improved with focused and specific practice!
We have to force your body to break old habits and form new ones. This can be uncomfortable or feel awkward during the process but over time, it will start to become second nature and you will see and feel the benefits.
For more of an explanation of the 3 areas we look at and how you can improve your own sprint technique, take a look at video in the link below.
For questions or more information on this topic or any of our Athletic Development Programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
www.architechsports.com
Is there such a thing as too much training?
Is there such a thing as too much training?
Athletes have been told repeated over and over by both coaches, parents, and other athletes that the harder you work, the better you will become. Although that is correct, there is a limit to how much training an athlete’s body can withstand, so the question becomes, how much training is too much training? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straight forward as “if an athlete is training ‘x’ amount of hours per week, or ‘y’ number to training sessions per day”. The most common way of finding the answer to if you are training too much to make progress athletically is to look for the risk factors of overtraining. According to studies and research, there are many symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome (OTS). Some of these symptoms are:
-Fatigue, Insomnia, Anorexia, Depression, Irritability, Weight loss, Abnormal Change in Heart Rate, Agitation, Lack of mental concentration, Loss of motivation, Sore/Stiff muscles, Hypertension, Anxiety, Restlessness, Poor quality sleep, Reduction of fine motor control-
As you can see, none of the symptoms of OTS are desirable, yet all of these symptoms are fairly broad and vague. Onset can be pretty gradual and not noticed over time, but here is some advice if you feel like this might apply to you:
1. Listen to your body – If you feel like your body is telling you to slow down, do your best to listen to it. For example, this can be by shifting your focus in training from heavy intense training, to training mobility or balance, or simply just resting. This is a good shift because it lets your body recover and get out of the over-trained state, and allow your body to adapt to your training when you do pick the intense training back up again.
2. Check your nutrition – Make sure that you are getting enough water and quality calories (Protein, Complex Carbohydrates, and Healthy Fats) to help your body fuel itself and run efficiently and effectively.
3. Return to training slowly – Don’t jump straight back in head first to the intense training that you were doing previously. Have 2 or more lighter days as a transition after your body feels like it has recovered fully.
Remember that the goal of training is for your body to adapt to the training – so if you are training before your body has recovered fully, you aren’t getting the most out of your workouts!
Thanks for reading and Happy Training!
2 Popular Supplements and Their Benefits
2 Popular Supplements and Their Benefits
There are tons of supplements on the market making bold claims on what they can do for you and your workouts, so how many of them are necessary or even live up to their claim? With a healthy well-rounded diet supplementation is not typically necessary, and we cover most of our daily needs within the foods we eat. However, how often are we maintaining this healthy well-rounded diet daily? How many times do athletes forget to grab a snack between school and practice or even plan to eat a proper breakfast or lunch? With the busy schedule that young athletes have, it is tough to get all the right foods in and make sure our body has what it needs for optimal performance and recovery. Here are two supplements that have been researched heavily and can be utilized to enhance your training and performance.
Creatine
Creatine, typically creatine monohydrate, is one of the most popular and widely studied supplements on the market and is found naturally in animal meats, such as red meats, poultry and seafood. In a study done in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they found that athletes that consume meat products typically average 1-2 grams of creatine daily. While non-vegetarian athletes receive this in their normal diet, a supplement of additional creatine has its added benefits when it comes to many performance traits. Supplementation of creatine has been shown to enhance or increase:
· Lean mass and muscular strength
· Recovery from training
· Sprint Performance
· Cognitive function
Caffeine
For a wide range of physical performance improvements, caffeine in a proper dosage gets the job done. In a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, they found that the benefits range from short burst high intensity exercises (<1min) to longer endurance events (>90min), and they recommended to ingest between 3-6mg/kg BW. Benefits from caffeine supplementation, no more than 60min prior to exercise, include:
· Aerobic endurance enhancement
· Ergogenic aid for cognitive function
· Improvements in strength, sprinting and jumping
While these benefits have been proven by many different research articles, it is important to consider your own needs and monitor how your body handles these supplements. Moderation is key when taking any supplement.
Food Is Fuel!
When it comes to sustaining athletic performance dialing in on pre-exercise nutrition can be a game changer. When and what you put into your body can be a determining factor in how you feel and perform for the duration of your sport. With proper fueling prior to exercise you may see an improvement in overall performance, maintenance of energy levels, and an increase in power and endurance.
Both carbohydrates and protein are preferred by the body to sustain energy levels throughout the entire workout and reach peak performance. Carbohydrates are the bodys go-to energy source since they can be quickly broken down and used by both the body and the brain. This allows better cognitive function and coordination by the athlete along with increased endurance. Protein on the other hand, aids in maintaining the muscle mass that contributes to the strength and power of the athlete.
Hydration is another crucial component of priming the athlete for sport as it prevents cramping and encourages proper regulation of body temperature amongst many other things! Hydrate with 16 ounces of water 1-2 hours prior to exercise and another 8 ounces 15 minutes before exercise. Continue throughout even adding in sports drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes for longer periods of work.
Considerations
Timing
The time of day or how long you have until you begin exercising can influence your intake. Allowing 30 minutes to an hour for digestion can prevent an upset stomach or cramps, and encourage better utilization of the nutrients. If exercising later in the day ensure that you have eaten recently to refill your energy stores. Early morning workouts may not require as much since you haven’t been as active yet.
Type & duration
A longer, high intensity sport that uses large muscles (i.e soccer, swimming, volleyball, etc.) would call for an increase in calories prior to the event to maintain energy levels. As time increases (>60 minutes) intra workout supplementation with a snack or sports drink may be valuable as well.
Intensity
High intensity exercise is highly dependent on carbohydrates for readily available energy and therefore should be prioritized.
Individual Feeling
Deciding what works best for you and your body often comes down to trial and error. Start with small, healthy portions and gradually increase as needed!
What to have
For hydration:
Water (4oz every 15 minutes)
Sports drinks
Snacks
Granola bars
Fruits
Rice
Whole grain pasta
Whole grain toast
Low fat yogurt
Skim milk
The Importance of Sleep for Youth Athletes
The Importance of Sleep for Youth Athletes
Luke Williams, CSCS, USAW
We all know sleep is important for our body to function. But how does sleep affect athletes in terms of their performance?
Getting adequate sleep, which is approximately 6-8hrs per night depending on each individual, has been shown by loads of research to be an integral factor in increased performance and decreased injury rates. One study (Rosen et al. 2017) took 340 young athletes (ages 16-18) and showed that when a minimum of 8 hours of sleep was obtained, injury risk in those athletes was reduced by 61%! Another study showed increases in sprint performance in a multi-game weekend with athletes who obtained 8hrs of sleep each night during the competition. (ECSS 2017)
Sleep is the number one way that your body can recover. When you sleep, your muscles are able to repair themselves from the trauma they went through while you were training or competing. If you don’t get enough sleep after one of those events, your muscles aren’t able to repair themselves to get you ready to perform at your optimal level.
Your brain is also able to “clean itself” while you sleep. Sleep allows your brain to reset and refresh from all the previous days mental stress. Every organ in your body is affected by sleep. The less sleep you get the more stress it puts on your body because it can’t function like it’s supposed to.
But how do I get enough sleep with all that I have going on?? We all know that you get busy with work, school, games, practices, and just life in general, which makes it difficult to always get a good night’s sleep. That’s where naps come in to play. You may have heard the term “Power Nap”, and that’s a great way to get more sleep. Short naps have been shown to improve alertness and can make up for lack of sleep during the night. A study done in the European journal of Sport Science showed that a short afternoon nap improved performance in endurance runners who weren’t able to get enough sleep the night before. The control group, those who didn’t get enough sleep and didn’t nap, had a significant drop in performance.
15-30min is the recommended time to nap and you should feel alert and rested about 15min after you wake up.
Here are a couple tips that will help you improve your sleep:
· Try and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will help with your body’s sleep rhythm and create good habits.
· No electronics 60-90min before bedtime. If you need to use electronics (phone, ipad, computer) before bed, it’s recommended to invest in some blue light blocking glasses.
· Make sure your room is dark. Try not to have any artificial light on while you sleep.
· Turn down the thermostat. Studies show the optimal sleep temperature is about 68 degrees.
Here are a few tips for helping you wake up better:
· Drink 8oz of cold water right when you wake up. Your body gets dehydrated as you sleep, so drinking water first will help wake you up, kick-start your metabolism, and start the process of re-hydrating your body. (Squeeze a lemon into your water for even more added health benefits!)
· Don’t hit the snooze button! Doing that just makes you more “groggy” as the sleep your getting after your alarm goes off isn’t good quality sleep.
· Try and get direct sunlight when you wake up. Direct sunlight helps stimulate the hormones in your body that help you wake up and suppresses the hormones the make you sleepy, like melatonin.
Young athletes are always looking for ways to get an edge on their competitors or get the most out of their ability. Sleep is such a simple yet profound way you as an athlete can improve your performance and reduce your chances of injury.
For questions or more information on this topic or any of our Athletic Development Programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
www.architechsports.com
Long Term Athletic Development
Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) is a youth centered model that promotes life-long physical activity and development for kids of any age. This creates a foundation for long term participation in healthy activities and personal development as a whole. Below are a few points that breakdown a few of the different aspects of LTAD and how they can be interpreted.
· LTAD should begin as early as possible – This doesn’t mean strength training or sport specific skills, but general movement development and a wide variety of skills should be utilized early on to give young children a strong base to build off of.
· Multisport participation should begin early on – Since LTAD is a model of youth sports participation, this will help young athletes develop a variety of motor skills by creating new challenges young athletes need to adapt to. Early sport specialization is not always the best route to developing athletes efficiently.
· All fitness qualities can be trained from childhood on (6+) – Skills such as balance, coordination and change of direction to broader fitness qualities (Muscular Strength, Aerobic/Anaerobic capacities, and Flexibility) can all be developed at an early age with the correct programming and proper supervision.
· LTAD is a general guideline for development – There is no “one size fits all” program when it comes to youth development. With it being very individualized by nature, special care should come with each athlete’s growth. For example; “Early Maturers” typically face the biggest fear of burn out or overuse injuries while “Late Maturers” may not reach their true potential if they don’t receive enough continued opportunity to improve.
· LTAD builds positive qualities that can carry over to other aspects of life – Such as learning how to grow in a competitive environment, the significance of teamwork, how to succeed through diversity and the importance of adaptability.
A big consideration for LTAD is its non-linear approach in youth development. Keeping up with a variety of monitoring tools and using a wide range of assessments can help parents and practitioners develop the best possible model for an individuals growth.
Hydration and the Athlete
Hydration and the Athlete
Every athlete wants to ensure their body is capable of peak performance come game time. In order to do that we must start with a good foundation of health and provide what the body needs, one of the most important being water!
Most of the body is made of water and for good reason. It protects and cushions vital organs, regulates body temperature, assists in breakdown of food to provide energy, and allows other systems to operate properly so you can focus and maintain performance. While proper hydration is already important for everyday activity, as you add in exercise and high intensity sports the demand for water increases even more.
Fluid loss will change depending on how much you sweat, duration or intensity of the sport or workout, temperature of the environment, and altitude. As these factors increase so will your rate of fluid loss.
What To Watch For:
When participating in intense practices or games be sure to watch for these signs that could indicate an onset of dehydration.
● Muscle fatigue
● Lack energy
● Cramps
● Headaches
● Urine color (aim for pale yellow)
● Increase in heart rate
General Recommendations:
● Hydrate consistently throughout the day
○ Women 90+ ounces and men 125+ ounces
○ Can include fruits and vegetables high in water
● Before sport 2 to 3 hours before: 16 ounces (about 1 water bottle) and 15 minutes before: 8 ounces
● During sport 4 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes (2 to 3 large gulps)
● After sport 16 to 20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost (1 to 1½ water bottles per pound lost)
*With an increase in temperature, intensity, or duration these it is encouraged to not only meet these recommendations, but also increase as necessary.
Training Volume
Training Volume
What exactly is Training Volume? Training Volume is the “how much” portion of the training. Often, the biggest mistake in measuring volume is by measuring it by time, not work performed (or more commonly, distance traveled). We have all seen or been a part of training sessions that went for hours, but (either by design or not) there was a lot of standing around or not many reps taken. But also, we have seen the other side of it, where the training session was shorter, but felt a lot more difficult because there was a lot of sprinting or hard work put in without a lot of rest. That is why measuring training volume based on distance traveled, or work performed, is important.
Training volume can also be broken down into two categories, cardio and strength. If you are only training cardio without and strength, you are going to gradually lose your strength. If you only strength train and don’t do cardio, you are gradually going to lose your cardio. How quickly you lose your cardio or strength fitness varies from person to person, but the average is that it takes about 2 weeks to start noticing losses. This is one reason why it is important to maintain training both cardio and strength during the season. If you only train strength before the season, by the end of the season you will have lost most of the strength you gained during the hard work of the off-season, and the end of the season is usually when it matters most.
So what does training volume help with? Training volume is the biggest determinant of whether you are in shape or not. If you have too little volume (not enough exercise), you will be under-prepared for your competition. If you have too much training volume, (aka too much exercise), you will increase your risk of injury. Additionally, you run the risk of carrying residual fatigue into your competition which can affect your performance negatively.
This leads us to the million dollar question, how much is just right?
As is the case with most big questions, the answer is, it depends. But a few good rules of thumb are:
1. Increase your volume gradually and over time to a point where the competitions are equal to or less than the hardest training days.
2. Vary your training volume when possible. For example, if you go on a run, don’t run the same loop every time. Try to run longer distances sometimes, and try to run shorter distances sometimes.
3. Listen to your body. If it feels like too little or too much, it probably is.
4. Find time to get a little bit of strength training during your season.
*As little as one strength training session every other week has been scientifically shown to minimize strength losses.
Here, at Architech Sports, we have designed our programs and classes to help you maintain peak fitness and health. We are constantly striving to learn new techniques to help you better yourself and meet your athletic goals. If you have any questions about anything in this article, we will be more than happy to help you find answers.