This article in PTQ 11.4 shares the latest fitness news to provide personal trainers with strategies for perimenopausal clients. Visit NSCA online to read articles on exercise science and fitness.
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Periodization of training is based on the principle that different loads (e.g., light, moderate, or heavy) or power requirements recruit different types and numbers of motor units. Recruitment order is important from a practical standpoint for several reasons.
Acceleration and maximum speed are terms used in speed development programs, and when developing a program, it is vital to differentiate between the two. This allows coaches to target their training to the capacity most important in their own sport.
Knowing when to train and how much time to devote to training each of the three energy systems is an important ingredient of success in endurance sports. This knowledge is also reflected in a well-designed and scientifically-based training plan.
Dietary fat has both long-term and short-term effects on an athlete and athletic performance. “Fat loading” as a strategy to improve athletic performance remains unproven.
Research shows that the appropriate integration of resistance training into the endurance athlete’s training can result in significantly better performance when compared to classic endurance training plans that focus only on aerobic endurance.
High chronic workloads have been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of non-contact, soft tissue injuries, while large spikes in acute training loads have been associated with an increased risk of these types of injury. Analyzing the acute:chronic workload ratio allows a coach to optimize training for the athlete and to continue in advancing fitness goals without overtraining.
Although accelerometers, pedometers, heart rate monitors, and questionnaires are not as accurate as direct and indirect calorimetry in determining metabolic rate, these less expensive tools can be used to create exercise plans, particularly those focused on health promotion and fitness.