eSports Training: Aerobic & Anaerobic Resistance, Methods & Factors
1. eSports Training
The training aims to develop the physical, mental, and individual aspects of an eSports athlete, as well as the assimilation of motor habits. Both learning and developing these habits are based on the close relationship between the mind and body. To condition an individual for new techniques or improved performance, preparation of the internal organs is necessary.
There are a number of principles governing the peculiarities of eSports training, which are important for their implementation and are well connected.
Fundamentals of eSports Training:
Principle of Effective Stimulus Load: This principle states that the training stimulus must exceed a certain threshold to initiate an adaptation reaction, i.e., an effect for training purposes. This difference between stimuli below the threshold, where they have no biological effect, is known as the law of stimulus levels (also called the Arndt-Schulz rule).
Principle of Gradual Increase in Loads: When the training load remains the same for a long time, the body will adapt to it. The same stimuli will no longer act above the threshold and may even fall below it, causing no increase in performance. This means the training load should be increased steadily after certain periods of time.
Principle of Optimal Ratio Between Load and Recovery: This principle is based on the fact that it takes time to recover after an effective training load (training session) to bear a similar burden again (next training session) on favorable terms.
Principle of Versatility of the Load: The importance of the sympathetic vegetative system should not be forgotten in the context of training loads. The sympathetic system puts the body in a state of high readiness for performance, which is important for the effectiveness of training workloads.
Principle of Repetition and Continuity: To achieve optimal adjustment, the load should be repeated several times. The body goes through a series of imminent changes in specific functional systems before reaching stable adaptation. The final alignment is achieved only when, in addition to enrichment substrates (high-energy products), changes have occurred in other functional systems.
Factors to Watch for Physical Fitness:
- The number of repetitions of the exercise performed
- The amount of work performed or the total distance traveled
- The intensity and duration of work
- The type of rest interval employed
Based on these factors, we can find 5 working methods: continuous method, repetition method, variable method, interval method, and competition method.
Classification of Requirements Based on Time, Type of Load, and Recovery:
- Moderate: 24 hours recovery
- Large: 24 to 48 hours of recovery
- Limits: 48 to 72 hours of recovery
By noting these factors and their combinations, we have 5 working methods:
- Continuous Method: Often used to improve aerobic endurance. E.g., continuous running.
- Method of Repetitions: Repeating an exercise with a definite time of rest. Used to work on force, speed, stamina, and technical learning.
- Variable Method: Intensity and volume are variable. There may or may not be breaks. Used for mixed resistance work. E.g., basketball.
- Interval Method: Work is completely defined. Volume, intensity of work, rest breaks, and the number of repetitions or sets performed are fixed.
- Method of Competition: Competition with another team. This is a test to check the level of the team and acquire or maintain “the pace of the game.”
2. Types of Resistance Training: Aerobic and Anaerobic
Aerobic Endurance:
Aerobic fitness is achieved through aerobic metabolism, which muscle cells perform through combustion, i.e., chemical reactions in the presence of oxygen.
Aerobic exercises involve a large number of muscles in the body, such as walking, running, swimming, or cycling. They are generally categorized as high or low impact.
Examples of Aerobic Exercises:
- Low to Moderate Impact: Walking, swimming, climbing stairs, rowing, skiing, hiking. Almost anyone who enjoys reasonably good health can do this type of exercise. According to some research, walking briskly for three or more hours a week reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 65%. Brisk walking also helps burn calories and prevents injury to muscles and bones.
- High Impact: Running, dancing, tennis, paddle, or squash. High-impact exercises should be performed no more than every other day, and even less frequently for those with excessive weight, are older, are out of physical condition, or suffer injuries or other medical problems.
Anaerobic Resistance:
Anaerobic exercise is a short, intensive activity where anaerobic metabolism occurs in the muscles. Examples include weightlifting, abdominal exercises, and any exercise consisting of a brief effort. Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes to acquire power with little resistance and by bodybuilders to gain muscle mass.
Types of Anaerobic Resistance:
- Alactic Anaerobic Resistance: Efforts are intense and of very short duration (0-16 s). The presence of oxygen is practically zero. The use of energy substrates (ATP, PC) produces no waste products.
- Lactic Anaerobic Resistance: Intense efforts of short duration (15 s-2 min). The use of fuels produces waste substances (lactic acid) that accumulate rapidly and cause fatigue.