In-season Complex Training program for a NEAFL Field Umpire
Research completed at Inspire Health Services (365 Montague Road, West End, QLD 4101)
Author: Sarah M. Evans
Acknowledgement of the contribution of Sally Baumann for the anthropometric data.
365 Montague Road, West End, QLD 4101
BLUF
Complex training has been shown to improve strength, and can be effectively utilised as the resistance component of an in-season Australian Rules Football field umpiring program.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to see if an in-season complex training program could improve strength without impacting performance for a North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL) field umpire. Secondly, to see if the increased load would lead to over-use injury when combining complex training with in-season training load. The exercise intervention consisted of one complex training session per week for 8 weeks. This led to a significant increase in lower limb strength as measured by 3RM testing (Back Squat +20kg; Deadlift + 20kg, Bulgarian split squat + 35kg) while maintaining game day performance. This was a clear illustration that complex training can be an effective strategy to improve strength in-season with field based athletes.
Key Words
Complex training, in-season, field umpiring.
A - INTRODUCTION
The importance of strength, power and sprint performance in an athletic context is well documented (2). There is also a strong relationship between strength and decreased injury risk (20). During a game Australian Rules umpires are required to do two hours of intermittent high intensity activity. At an elite level, GPS data shows the average work to rest ratio is approximately between 1:4 - 1:5 (7). As contained in Table 1, North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL) field umpires run a total distance of 12,886 ± 1,839m per game with 3,679 ± 1,058m being classed as high intensity activity (>14.4km/h). Also contained in this table is evidence that as the level of the competition decreases, so does the overall running speed (8-9). Therefore, training in both anaerobic; such as speed and strength and aerobic components are vital to field umpires.
Table 1. Average running speed during a game for State, NEAFL & AFL level field umpires (8 – 9).
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is when the previous contraction of a muscle influences the performance of subsequent muscle contractions (1, 3, 12). This is an important consideration for complex training programs as fatiguing muscle contractions impair muscle performance, but non-fatiguing muscle contractions at high loads with a brief duration may enhance muscle performance (3, 5). This is most commonly utilised in the gym when a heavy, voluntary muscle contraction is paired with an explosive movement, i.e. a heavy strength movement followed by a plyometric movement (3).
There are two theorised potential pathways for this working. One proposed pathways is via the phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains, making actin-myosin more sensitive to calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum for future muscle contractions (3-5). The alternative theory is that strength training prior to plyometric exercises causes increased excitation at the spinal cord, which in turn results in increased post-synaptic potentials and subsequent increased force generating capacity of the involved muscle groups (3 -5, 12). It is theorised that PAP increases rate of force production and therefore results in greater speed (14). Regardless of the physiological mechanism behind PAP, research shows that the fibre type has the most significant effect on PAP response as Type II fibres result in a larger PAP (3, 5). Therefore, individuals who possess a high proportion of Type II fibres will potentially achieve greater performance benefits from this style of training.
When PAP is incorporated into a resistance training program, this is commonly referred to as complex training (12). Several different programming structures and techniques have been studied with variations in; gender, training status, intensity (moderate and heavy), rest periods between 2 – 10min and sets of one – many. A meta-analysis of these studies concluded training results were optimal following multiple sets, performed at moderate intensities (60–84%), and using moderate rest periods lengths (7–10 minutes) (1). Less trained individuals showed lower power improvements compared to trained and athletic populations and higher trained individuals achieved peaked power at both short and moderate rest periods lengths (3-7 and 7-10min) (1). In a study performed on rugby players, it was also suggested that a minimum of 4 sessions are required for a chronic effect (15). Other studies have shown no effect at all (6). While the short-term benefits of complex training via PAP have been shown to improve jump performance, there is also some evidence showing that complex training can effectively improve strength, power, and speed (11 – 12, 16 – 17).
Research indicates that there is transfer of lower body strength to sprint performance (10, 19 -21). There is evidence to suggest that complex training may have a greater impact on improving speed compared to either strength or plyometric training alone (12 – 13). The purpose of this case study was to detail the implementation of a complex training block in season while maintaining game day performance. A secondary objective was to ensure increased in-season training load did not lead to over-use injuries (4). This training block was completed alongside significant dietary intervention for body composition modification which was monitored by an Accredited Sports Dietitian.
B - METHODS
Approach to the Problem
The aim of this in-season training intervention was to increase lower body strength ensuring sufficient strength was present to prevent another lower limb overuse injury, despite the risk factor of high running volume necessary for game performance.
The Subject: Case Study
The athlete was a 24year old, 190cm, 87.4kg male in his 4th year as a NEAFL Field umpire aspiring to be listed as an AFL Field Umpire. He commenced periodised resistance training in December 2015 during pre-season. The athlete had an injury history of a Left metatarsal fracture and surgical repair in March 2014, followed by 15 weeks in a moonboot. During his 4th week of running training post injury a stress fracture occurred which resulted in the remainder of the 2014 season being missed. The 2015 season was completed however the focus was on regaining aerobic fitness through running 5 times per week. The athlete has a history of intermittent strength training over the previous 5 years. Prior to the exercise intervention below, the Athlete had completed an 8-week twice weekly strength block in conjunction with pre-season running training. This program was started based on the results from testing prior to trial game 1 (Table 2.)
Table 2. Subject initial test results from coaching staff.
Procedures: Exercise Intervention
The intervention in questions refers specifically to the resistance training program. This was broken into two four-week mesocycles consisting of a single resistance training session per week. This was due to the need to maintain overall load as required by umpiring coaches as shown in Table 3. Throughout the program skinfolds were monitored and dietary intervention was completed in conjunction to the below training program by Accredited Sports Dietitian, Sally Baumann.
Table 3. Weekly training outline.
The Program – Phase 1
This program served to introduce complex training to the client (see Table 4). The primary lifts of a back squat, deadlift and Bulgarian split squat were selected to improve lower body strength. As plyometrics were a recently acquired skill for the subject this program utilised a drop jump throughout. Weights were step loaded inter-session and intra-session based on the question ‘How many more reps could you have completed with that weight?’ If the answer was one or greater, the weights were increased. This was implemented to ensure a sufficient conditioning affect was achieved.
Summary – Introduce complex training, complete sufficient load through one session a week to elicit physiological adaptation.
Table 4. Initial Complex Training Program (weeks 1 - 4).
Table 5. Complex training program (week 5-8).
C - RESULTS
The strength increases in both double and single leg strength activities from this program are detailed below in Table 6.
Table 6. Strength testing pre-& post training period
Body composition changes including a decreased in overall mass, a decrease in skinfolds and maintenance in lean muscle mass during the study period are shown in Table 7.
Table 7. Anthropometric Data from training period (tested and recorded by Sally Baumann - Sports Dietician) * indicates clinical significance (p>0.05)
The subject also demonstrated an improvement in 3km time trial times between March with a 12.15-minute trial and mid-season review in July with an 11:45 minute. This program also had the added benefit for the subject as there was no lost time in training or games due to injury during the 2016 season.
Competition results
The athlete achieved considerable success throughout the remainder of the season, and went on to be ranked 1st in NEAFL field umpiring for 2016, resulting in the award of NEAFL field umpire of the year and grand final appointment.
D - DISCUSSION
This case study shows the individual response to an in-season complex training program for a NEAFL field umpire. There is currently no available literature on resistance training for NEAFL umpires however as the running load and pattern are similar to other field based sports the same needs for lower limb strength and power are required.
While there is considerable evidence that strength, speed, and power can be improved in-season, there has been no recorded use of complex training to attain these results. However, the above results show there was a significant increase in strength during the two-month training period. Some of this would be due to neuromuscular patterning by learning the Bulgarian split squat, as the starting recorded value is significantly lower than the squat or deadlift result. There were also significant strength improvements that could in part be attributed to recovery from strength losses from the considerable time of non-weight bearing in 2014 due to injury.
The limitations of this study are that no specific speed tests were performed, with the only assessment of running performance being a 3km time trial held two months after the complex training intervention was completed. The intervention programs effectiveness on speed could have been quantified if 20m or 40m sprints had been included in pre and post intervention analysis. While it is clear that body composition changed and strength increased there is no evidence that speed improved during this study. A significant strength increase was shown which concludes that complex training can be used in-season to improve strength. It is not conclusive that the speed increase seen in the 3km time trial was due to the complex training, or to decrease body weight and increased strength. As no injuries were sustained this season despite significant injury history, increased strength could have played a role in this lack of injury, despite the presence of the following risk factors; significant injury history and high overall training load (18).
E - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Gaining significant strength improvements in season can be difficult. Complex training can be utilised in conjunction with strict load management in trained athletes to achieve strength improvements in-season. Due to the non-contact nature of umpiring, working at high loads was particularly effective as this took place at the commencement of the competitive season. There could also be a place for using submaximal loads (60 -84%) to further control volume. Similar complex training programs could also be used to benefit other non-contact field based athletes, such as soccer or hockey, for in season strength gains with a single resistance training session.
Future studies could investigate placing complex training within different training phases of the annual calendar to see if there are greater gains or injury risks at different points during the year. Further, if this method was repeated and including a more specific test battery including 20m and 40m sprint time, vertical jump and broad jump to monitor speed and power, rather than solely strength changes, it might provide greater insight into the benefits of complex training programs.
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