Physical Activity: Training, Performance, and Recovery

Posted on Dec 16, 2024 in Physical Education

Physical Activity and its Importance

Physical activity is movement performed by the locomotor system. It’s essential that all supporting functions (digestion, respiration, circulation, nerve transmission) are in good condition. Proper conditions are an important factor in maintaining health and quality of life. The human body is naturally prepared for physical activity, but modern society often leads to a sedentary lifestyle, causing the locomotor system to weaken. Therefore, it’s important to make time for physical activity.

Benefits of Physical Activity

  • Improved health
  • Recreation
  • Enhanced social relationships
  • Increased efficiency
  • Improved physical appearance

Physical activity is beneficial when practiced in moderation and tailored to each individual’s needs. It releases endorphins, which reduce pain and act as natural stimulants. When exercise is stopped, abstinence syndromes (dissatisfaction, lack of motivation, and malaise) may occur.

Sports Training and Physical Conditioning

Sports training aims to improve performance in a specific sport, focusing on fitness and technical skills. Maintenance training helps maintain physical condition. Key components include:

Physical Qualities

  • Strength: Maximum, explosive, and resistance strength.
  • Endurance: Aerobic, anaerobic, and mixed endurance.
  • Speed: Reaction, movement speed.
  • Flexibility: General and localized flexibility.

Conditioning Factors

These are related to metabolic processes (energy) and the central nervous system (CNS):

  • Metabolic: Force, speed.
  • CNS: Flexibility, agility, equilibrium, coordination.

Workload

Workload is based on a set of exercises that form physical work. It includes:

  • Volume: Quantity of work.
  • Intensity: Percentage of maximum weight, execution speed, frequency, difficulty.

Recovery

Recovery is essential to restore the body after exertion. It includes:

  • Immediate recovery: Pauses between repetitions and sets.
  • Short-term recovery: Between training sessions.
  • Long-term recovery: Between training periods.

Recovery can be full or incomplete, and can be active or passive. Recovery time varies from short (6-12 hours) to medium (24 hours) to long (48-72 hours), depending on the workload.

Fatigue and Performance

Fatigue is a transitional state that occurs as a result of exertion, leading to reduced functional capacity. It can cause discomfort or pain and is overcome by rest. It’s a preliminary stage of overcompensation. Performance depends on genetic and environmental factors, but especially on training. Performance should improve over time as the body adapts to the physical work.

Laws of Adaptation

  • Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome: A stimulus (workload) leads to fatigue, which triggers adaptation, increasing performance.
  • Schultz’s Law: Each person has a performance threshold, and training intensity must be adjusted accordingly.

Training Principles

  • Unity, government, and specialization.
  • Relationship between physical qualities.
  • Chance of intensity.
  • Progression and continuity.
  • Proportion of rest.
  • Individualization.

Motivation

Motivation is a key factor in maintaining a consistent training routine.

Types of Training

Endurance

  • Very High Intensity: 3 minutes, +170 bpm, large intervals.
  • Medium-High Intensity: 3-30 minutes, 140-170 bpm, Fartlek intervals.
  • Moderate Intensity: 30+ minutes, 130-160 bpm, continuous pace.

Strength

  • Maximum Strength: Few repetitions, 90-95% weight, weightlifting.
  • Speed Strength: Moderate repetitions, 70-80% weight, multisalts.
  • Resistance Strength: Many repetitions, -50% weight, machines.

Speed

  • Reaction Speed: Moderate to maximum, concentration exercises.
  • Movement Speed: Few repetitions, very high speed, power exercises.

Flexibility

  • Moderate repetitions, low intensity, slow stretching.

Metabolic Pathways

Active metabolic methods include:

  • Creatine-phosphate: Instant energy, up to 10 seconds, maximal effort.
  • Anaerobic Glycolysis: Fast energy, up to 2 minutes, sub-maximal effort.
  • Aerobic Glycolysis and Beta-oxidation: Slow energy, long duration, sub-maximal effort.

Physical Condition Assessment

Physical condition tests should be valid, objective, reliable, and standardized.