Welcome to Part 3 of our blog series on the Needs Analysis for the Athlete and Strength and Conditioning Programs!
In this post, we will explore how the physiological demands of various tasks, and understanding these demands is crucial for designing effective training programs. By assessing the energy systems, muscle groups, cardiovascular and metabolic demands, strength and conditioning coaches can make informed decisions about program design and training recommendations. Without a solid understanding of the of these demands it is impossible to write a Strength and conditioning program.
Understanding the physiological demands of a task is vital for several reasons:
Informed Program Design: It allows coaches to create programs that address the specific demands of the sport or activity, ensuring that athletes are adequately prepared from both a performance and injury prevention standpoint.
Targeted Training: Identifying the key physical and technical requirements enables more focused and effective training. This step of the needs analysis give the Strength and Conditoning coach the information to begin devloping the X's and O's of the program.
Performance Optimization: Coaches can help athletes peak at the right time and be adequately prepared for critical performances. With the information gathered from this portion of the needs analysis we can appropiately Distribute volume and inetnsity to the correct fitness qualities at the right time.
What are Physiological Demands?:
We assess several factors to understand the physiological demands of the tasks our athletes face:
Energy Systems:
We analyze which energy systems are most relevant, whether aerobic, anaerobic, or ATP-PC system. Each task may require a different balance of these systems, or a need to be good in all three ares. As a side note, no matter the task at hand every athlete should be doing at least maintenance level LSD Aerobic work as it is the foundation of all athletic qualities. If you're a Dark Horse Athlete, you know we love our aerobic work.
Muscle Groups:
Identifying the major muscle groups engaged in the tasks helps in designing strength training that targets these areas. This is crucial to understand from an injury prevention and performance standpoint.
Cardiovascular Demands:
Understanding the cardiovascular load of a task helps in planning conditioning sessions that improve cardiovascular efficiency and endurance. Undertsnading the volume athletes undergo in this area is critical. As an example, an ultra endurance running program and an ACFT 2-mile prep program should not have the same training volume's or intensities as they are two completly different things.
Metabolic Demands:
Evaluating the metabolic requirements influences nutrition and recovery strategies, ensuring athletes are fueled and recovered properly. You can't adapt from what you can't recover from, bottom line. Ensuring athletes are fueld and recovery is one of most important aspects of the training program.
Practical Example: Physiological Demands of SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection). A Very Broad View:
Overview of SFAS:
The Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course is a 19- to 20-day program designed to test and select candidates for the Special Forces Qualification Course. The course includes a variety of physical and mental challenges, including land navigation, obstacle courses, unknow distance ruck marches and runs at very high volumes and density, and team events on little sleep and in a caloric deficit.
Energy Systems:
Aerobic System: Long-duration ruck marches, runs, and land navigation require significant aerobic capacity. SFAS also has a high density of work within the course, a more devloped aeribic energy system will foster faster recovery between events. This will allow you to perform better longer.
Anaerobic System: Obstacle courses and high-intensity team events demand anaerobic endurance.
ATP-PC System: Short, explosive movements, such as climbing walls or clearing obstacles, rely on the ATP-PC system.
Muscle Groups:
Lower Body: Extensive rucking, running, and climbing engage the legs and core significantly.
Upper Body: Tasks like rope climbing, frequent calisthenics, carrying heavy equipment, and rucking engage the shoulders, arms, and back.
Metabolic Demands:
High energy expenditure during SFAS necessitates careful attention to nutrition and hydration to maintain performance and aid recovery. While nutrition is usually not in your control during any army course, hydration is your control. It is important that we build good and healthy hydration habits before selection in order to set the candidate up for success. Much like selection, the training for it is demanding by nature. Ensuring athletes are properly fueling will prevent a lot of headache.
Training Implications:
Program Design:
Understanding the physiological demands allows us to design training programs that address the specific needs of the task. For SFAS candidates, this includes a mix of aerobic conditioning, anaerobic intervals, and strength training focused on both endurance and explosive power.
Periodization:
At Dark Horse Athlete, we use daily and weekly undulating periodization, a method where all fitness qualities are trained simultaneously but prioritized differently based on the training cycle. For instance, during a preparatory phase for SFAS, we might focus more on endurance and strength endurance, while maintaining power and agility with lower volume.
Recovery Strategies:
Recovery is essential for adaptation and performance. For SFAS candidates, we implement techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and myofascial release to minimize fatigue and enhance recovery. Ensuring they have recovery protocols in place before selection will help them last the duration of the course. Understanding the task's demands also allows us to target specific areas prone to injury, ensuring they are robust and ready for the challenges ahead.
Conclusion:
Understanding the physiological demands of a task is a cornerstone of effective strength and conditioning programming. By tailoring training to meet these demands, coaches can help athletes achieve peak performance and reduce the risk of injury. Stay tuned for our next article in this series, where we will delve into the biomechanics of the tasks athletes perform.
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