In-Season Strength Training is Required.
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Kraemer & Nitka (2023). Importance of an In-Season Strength Training Program: A Reminder to Sport Coaches. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 45(3), 379-383.
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The purpose of this study was to review the multi-faceted importance of in-season strength training and to (re)educate sports coaches [and parents] to better make these values known. The in-season portion of the training calendar should not be omitted.
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In this study/review:
>Unfortunately, the value of in-season strength training has been lost amongst sports coaches [also: athletes and parents].
>There are, at least, 3 major tenets that make in-season strength training programs highly important/necessary for athletic development, health, and sport performance:
1. Increased Sport Performance. The maintenance/improvement of strength levels during the season assures increased performance as the sporting season prolongs. Without strength training, detraining occurs, and performance outcomes are lost. This has additional implications that affect injury risk and multi-sport preparation.
2. Increased Injury Prevention. Detraining is a known risk factor for injury. Preventing detraining will inherently decrease the risk for sport-related injury. Keeping muscle and tendon tissues thick, dense, and strong constitutes frontline protection against soft tissue injuries. Furthermore, in-season strength training has been shown to maintain high levels of repair-remodeling mechanisms which assists in-season athletes in recovery between practices and competitions/games which improves resiliency.
3. Increased Multi-Sport Preparation. For multi-sport athletes who are expected to transition from one sport to the next, the first sport’s in-season training constitutes pre-season/off-season training for the upcoming sport. If in-season detraining (loss of strength and performance) is allowed, then this athlete will be even more ill-prepared for the following sporting season. This creates a further cascading effect for diminished sport performance and increased risks for future injury.
>Strength coaches should consider these in-season program variables for effectiveness and periodized appropriateness:
1. Training Frequency & Timing. Twice per week strength training has been shown to at least maintain, if not improve, strength and performance variables during in-season sports. Training sessions should be appropriately spaced between each other and competition to assure recovery. Furthermore, training sessions should not be immediately before or after sports practice to avoid ineffective training due to accrued fatigue. Lastly, training sessions should not be early morning as this limits effectiveness and produces endocrine-related stress.
2. Exercise Variables. Exercise selection should focus on whole-body, compound movements and sport-specific injury prevention exercises. Exercise intensity should remain high to maintain or improve strength variables. Loading should emphasize both high-force/low-velocity and lower-force/higher-velocity movements. Volume (number of hard sets) should be attenuated to enable recovery resources to be allocated towards practice and competition. Rest intervals should be high (around 3 minutes) for heavy resistance exercises and shorter (around 2 minutes) for rehabilitation, injury prevention, and other supplemental exercises.
Conclusion:
>In-season strength training is necessary to maintain or improve the physical abilities required for sport performance. Additionally, the maintenance of these physical abilities act to defend against the risk of injury. Lastly, sport coaches [and parents] need to be educated to these facts to prevent athletes from ceasing their training responsibilities.
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Take-home:
>A high-quality, periodized in-season strength training program is non-negotiable for any serious athlete concerned with sport performance and injury prevention.
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