Avoiding Repetitive Stress
By: Mitch Kramer
Year-round athletes often deal with chronic injuries due to the repetitive movements and impacts their sport demands. However, with proper in-season recovery, workload management, and appropriate progressions, athletes and coaches can significantly decrease the risk of injury.
In-season Recovery
Athletes often neglect post-workout recovery methods such as static stretching and foam rolling, which are crucial for muscular and performance adaptations. During the in-season period, when performance demand is at its highest and consistency is necessary, proper recovery becomes even more critical. Without daily recovery, the body will start to break down, making consistency difficult to achieve. Recovery only requires an extra 5-10 minutes after each workout but can make a significant difference in an athlete's overall performance and injury prevention.
Workload Management
Proper workload management involves balancing the training workload with the right amount of rest and being mindful of how the body feels. Athletes should incorporate a healthy cycle of high, medium, and low-intensity training days to avoid chronic injuries. Sudden increases in training volume can be detrimental to consistent training. Over time, constant and repetitive movements cause injury. Therefore, training should focus on movements that differ from those performed every day in practice but are still beneficial to the sport for maintenance.
Progression
As the season approaches, it's crucial to perform sport-specific exercises at a lower intensity and gradually increase in quantity, intensity, and difficulty. Week one of training shouldn't be at competition level intensity. The physical demands need to be conditioned gradually to prevent both acute and chronic injuries. Conditioning the body to handle the demands of competitive play is essential for injury prevention.
Closing
Training and preparing for in-season demands while minimizing overuse and chronic injuries rely on gradual performance and strength progression, conditioning the body to perform at competitive levels, and effective workload management. By implementing these strategies, athletes can maintain their health and performance throughout the season.
