Understanding Fatigue and Resistance Training: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on May 8, 2024 in Physical Education

Classification of Fatigue

Acute Onset Fatigue

This type of fatigue appears quickly during short-term efforts or after completing one or more sections of work.

Factors influencing acute fatigue:

  • Percentage of muscles used (local vs. global)

Subacute Fatigue

Subacute fatigue follows intense training sessions and occurs after one or more microcycles with insufficient recovery.

Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue appears after a period of health deterioration, often with the presence of previous fatigue.

Classification of Resistance

Base Resistance

This type of resistance is general and key for any sport or physical activity.

Special Resistance

Special resistance is specific to the demands of a particular sport and specialization.

Resistance Based on Duration

Medium-Duration Resistance (RMD)

Effort duration ranges from 2 to 11 minutes, requiring full use of aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

Short-Duration Resistance (RCD)

Effort duration ranges from 45 seconds to 2 minutes.

Other Types of Resistance

  • Strength Resistance: Well-developed local strength in the involved muscles.
  • Speed Resistance: Ability to resist fatigue caused by sub-maximal to maximal speed loads.

Navarro’s Classification of Resistance

Navarro classifies resistance based on various criteria:

  • Muscle involvement (general vs. local)
  • Sport specificity (base vs. special)
  • Energy system (aerobic vs. anaerobic)
  • Effort duration (short, medium, or long)
  • Involvement of other physical abilities (speed, strength, endurance, power)

Resistance Training Methods

Continuous Methods (without breaks)

  • Uniform:
    • Extensive: 30 to 120 minutes
    • Intensive: 30 to 60 minutes
  • Variable: 30 to 60 minutes with varying intensity.

Fractional Methods (with breaks)

  • Intervals:
    • Extensive: 1 to 3 minutes of work
    • Long: 3 to 5 minutes of work
    • Intensive: 20 seconds of work on average
  • Repetitions: Distances shorter or longer than the competition distance, performed at high intensity.

Rest Intervals:

  • Macropausa: 5 to 7 minutes (for explosive force development)
  • Micropausa: 1 to 3 minutes (for enzyme recovery)

Modeling (variant of repetitions)

This method adapts to the athlete’s specific needs, varying time and distance.

Competition and Control

Training is conducted in a sport-specific manner, considering energy systems, muscle involvement, and physiological factors.

Understanding Fatigue

Fatigue is the body’s inability to maintain a given work rate, primarily related to ATP resynthesis.

Sites of Fatigue:

  • Sarcoplasm: Increased extracellular K+ affects membrane excitability.
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR): Decreased Ca+ release and reuptake due to slight decreases in ATP.
  • Troponin C and Ca+ Binding: H+ from energy metabolism competes with Ca+ for binding sites on troponin, inhibiting muscle contraction.

Fatigue in Short-Term Tests

This type of fatigue is primarily related to the inability to maintain high rates of ATP production.

Understanding Strength

Strength is the ability to overcome resistance or opposition through muscular tension.

Types of Strength

  • Maximum Strength
  • Rapid Strength (Speed-Strength)
  • Strength Endurance

Demonstrations of Strength

  • Active
  • Reactive

Types of Force

  • Maximal: Maximum force against a resistance in one repetition.
  • Speed: Increasing power potential in the shortest time possible.
  • Endurance: Maintaining high levels of force for as long as possible.

Match of Strength Manifestations

  • Static
  • Dynamic:
    • Slow: Limited resistance, uniform velocity
    • Fast: Submaximal resistance, maximum acceleration (acyclic)
    • Explosive: Submaximal resistance, maximum acceleration (cyclic or acyclic)
    • Strength-Agility

Maximum Strength

The ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the highest level of force against a resistance.

  • Absolute Strength: Maximum force under involuntary stimulation.
  • Maximum Strength in Competition: Optimal force production with motivation.
  • Maximum Strength Training: Expression of maximum force without substantial emotional burden.

Strength Endurance

The ability to resist fatigue during repetitive, medium- or long-duration loads.

  • Strength Endurance: Workloads under 30% of 1 Repetition Maximum (RM).

Developing Strength

Factors influencing strength development:

  • Hypertrophy
  • Intramuscular Coordination
  • Intermuscular Coordination
  • Neural Factors:
    • Frequency of nerve impulses
    • Motor unit recruitment
    • Muscle fiber type stimulated

Adaptations to Strength Training

Strength training leads to increased muscle strength and neuromuscular adaptations.

Hypertrophy

Increase in muscle size.

  • Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: Increase in sarcoplasm and contractile proteins (60-80% 1RM, 8-12 repetitions).
  • Myofibrillar Hypertrophy: Increase in myofibrils and actin filaments (over 85% 1RM, maximum strength gains).

Hyperplasia

Increase in the number of muscle fibers.

Recruitment Pattern

The order in which motor units are activated.

Intermuscular Coordination

The coordinated action of different muscle groups during movement.

Force

Force = mass x acceleration

Active vs. Reactive Manifestations of Force

  • Active: Effect of a single cycle of muscular work.
  • Reactive: Effect of a double cycle of muscle work (stretch-shortening cycle).

Types of Muscle Contractions

  • Isotonic: Muscle changes length.
  • Isometric: Muscle does not change length but generates tension.
  • Isokinetic: Muscle contracts at a constant angular velocity.

Factors to Consider in Strength Training

  • Athlete’s strength level and experience
  • Sport-specific requirements
  • Athlete’s skill level and learning ability
  • Maturation and development
  • Injury history
  • Training period and goals