Following on from my blog post on Beta-Alanine, this time i'm looking at current methods that are being used to determine an athletes readiness to train. On reviewing this subject I came across lots of methods that are used, but i've narrowed it down to what appears to be the most reliable and commonly used methods. Once again any feedback is appreciated whether good or bad.

Readiness to Train

Introduction

It is essential that fatigue is managed effectively by both the sports scientist and the athlete in order to optimize training adaptations and subsequent performance. Since performance and training will be compromised during periods of fatigue, it is crucial to determine an athlete’s readiness to train prior to starting a workout. At present there are no tools which can 100% tell you whether an athlete is ready to train, but a combination of subjective and objective variables can provide the best guide. Following a brief review of the current literature, outlined below are some of the current practical recommendations that can be applied, and I have also summarized some laboratory based tests that might only be available to elite athletes.

Fatigue Management

I came across what seems to be an endless list of tests and assessments that can be administered to athletes. My focus however will be on a small number of methods which seem to be deemed the most reliable, and will briefly touch on some of the other approaches currently used. Four main markers have been proposed to quantify training load, these are Biochemical, Psychological, Physiological, and Hormonal. Though there may be no optimal marker to differentiate between normal fatigue and over-training, a combination of the above markers, including performance tests and measures of mood will provide useful information to the coach and athlete.

1.      Profile of Mood States (POMS)

There is a general agreement that observing mood state changes is considered one of the most sensitive methods of monitoring training to avoid overtraining syndrome. The POMS is a questionnaire that is usually completed pre-workout by the athlete. POMS contains 65 questions, however a shortened POMS questionnaire has also been developed that is more practical and less time consuming. The athlete rates themselves against the following 6 questions:

• I slept well last night
• I am looking forward to today's workout
• I am optimistic about my future performance
• I feel vigorous and energetic
• My appetite is great
• I have little muscle soreness

And they rate each statement on the following range:

• 1 - Strongly disagree
• 2 - Disagree
• 3 - Neutral
• 4 - Agree
• 5 - Strongly agree

If they score 20 or above then it is deemed that they are recovered enough to continue with the training program. Any score below 20 will require further investigation, and rest or scaling back of the training load could be necessary.

2.      Training Load

It is very important that the sports scientist is able to quantify the training load, high training loads are often associated with signs of overreaching, which may lead to the development of overtraining syndrome. Several approaches have been proposed to quantify training load, thus ensuring that adequate recovery strategies can be applied at appropriate times. First is the observational approach, this involves analysis of real time measurements such as the type and duration of a training session. Modern technology such as GPS can also help to quantify total distance covered as well as the speeds at which the athlete is running at. Here is a link to sports GPS manufacturer GPSPORTS http://gpsports.com/gpsnew/home.php   The second is a physiological approach, this requires monitoring and analysis of variables such as heart rate and lactate concentration during training. Measurement of lactate can provide an indication of training load but variations in muscle glycogen can affect lactate concentration, so conditions would require standardization for repeatable measures. Thirdly, a useful yet simple method of assessing training load is to have the athlete complete a daily training log and record subjective ratings such as session RPE, fatigue, stress, and muscle soreness.     

3.      Performance Tests

A decrease in muscular power and deteriorating neuromuscular function are found in athletes who are in an overreached state or are suffering from overtraining syndrome. Recent studies suggest that low-frequency neuromuscular fatigue is an important measure to quantify in elite level athletes, and measurement of functional stretch-shortening cycle activities, such as a countermovement jump (CMJ) may be capable of this. Tests have been carried out from a single CMJ to 5 consecutive CMJ’s with measurements such as flight time and height jumped being used to analyse performance. These tests can be carried out with the use of a portable jump mat which provides real time feedback to the coach and athlete, an example of which can be seen from this link http://biometricsmotion.intoto.nu/produkten.php?ms_id=214&Instrumenten/Sprongkracht/ProJump_springmat&taal_ID=GB  

A common problem encountered when taking these measurements was a lack of baseline measures. Other performance tests commonly used were a 10 step bound for distance test, this test is used as a measure of explosive strength capacity.

4.      Body Mass and Hydration

It is important to weigh the athlete both pre and post-workout, for every kg that the athlete loses during training this equates to 1 litre of fluid losses. When replacing these fluid losses it is important that the athlete consumes 1.5 times what was lost. So if the athlete loses 1 litre of sweat then they should consume 1.5 litres of water. It can be useful to add sodium to the mix as this will force the kidneys to retain the water and ensure that it doesn’t get excreted. Athletes can tolerate water losses of up to 2-3% of bodyweight before performance will be affected, however it is important that they do not commence training in an already dehydrated state. Simple tests such as checking the colour of the athletes urine against a urine colour chart such as the one below, will give an accurate indication of the athletes hydration status.

5.      Blood/Saliva Screening

For a long time the plasma cortisol/testosterone ratio was considered to be a good indicator of the overreached state. Cortisol and testosterone can be measured in the saliva, which provides the possibility for regular, non-invasive monitoring of hormonal status in response to training. This ratio decreases in relation to the intensity and duration of training, but current literature questions its accuracy in its use of diagnosis for overreaching and overtraining.

Conclusion

As athletes endeavour to improve performance, they will predictably experience varying levels of fatigue, which will require effective management by both the sports scientist and the athlete. Although there are currently no tools available that can be 100% accurate in diagnosing overtraining, there are several methods, both objective and subjective, that can indicate changes in training related stress. With an effective method for the management and monitoring of fatigue, athletes should be able to optimize training adaptations which should enhance performance.

Beta-Alanine Supplementation

Welcome to my blog, I hope to update regularly to offer an insight into my work placement at Leeds United which begins at the end of the month. In the meantime, I have been asked to review some of the current topics that are popular in Sports Science, namely the effectiveness of some of the ergogenic aids available and some modern recovery methods to training.
First up on the list is a review of Beta-Alanine supplementation, I have researched 10 papers on this issue and collaborated the findings into a fairly short information sheet. Please feel free to add any comments that you might have either in favour or against any of the points that I make.

Beta-Alanine Review

Introduction

Beta-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is found in many foods that we eat, such as chicken, turkey and fish. It has received a great deal of attention in recent years as Beta-Alanine supplementation has been shown in several studies to increase performance enhancement potential. The way it acts is to increase muscle Carnosine levels, Carnosine is found primarily in fast twitch muscle fibres, and works by buffering the increase in H⁺ ions to protect against a decrease in the pH of the muscle which can become a fatiguing factor that is associated with anaerobic activity such as sprinting. Theoretically, increasing skeletal muscle carnosine levels, through either training or supplementation, or both, would improve the buffering capacity of the muscle, which should lead to improved performance. The following information is derived from a review of some of the current literature on the topic, and gives some recommendations and advice for the use of Beta-Alanine supplementation.

Key Points

Following the review of the literature there seem to be several recurring themes.

·         The recommended dosage is between 3.2-6.4 grams per day. It is recommended to begin on the lowest dose and gradually increase supplementation over the course of a ten week period. It was also noted that peak concentrations of Beta-Alanine occurred within 1 hr of ingestion and rapidly declined within the second hour, thus it is recommended that the daily dose should be taken in 6-8 servings, separated by at least 2 hours.

·         A substantial increase in the content of Carnosine in the muscle was noted with values ranging from 58-64% after 4 weeks, and 73-80% after 10 weeks. This increase in muscle Carnosine content coincided with sprint capacity performance increases ranging from 11-16%.

·         Some studies found that there was an increase in lean body mass but noted that unlike Creatine, Beta-Alanine does not induce bodyweight gain due to the retention of water. This may be important for athletes in weight bearing exercises or weight class sports such as cycling or boxing.

·         Most experiments were carried out up to a maximum period of ten weeks and noted no ceiling effect, this would seem to indicate that further improvements could occur with prolonged cycles of supplementation.

·         All of the journals that I examined had carried out the experiment on male subjects. None of the subjects were elite level athletes. I would be interested to see if results would be similar when elite athletes are used, and would also be interested to see results when carried out on females.

·         All but 1 paper used the cycle ergometer as the main testing protocol, I would like to see some variation in testing and would be particularly interested to see results from some common fitness tests used in field sports such as the 150 sprint test, shuttle run test etc...

·         One side effect was often noted, this was paraesthesia which is a tingling sensation like ‘pins and needles’ in the fingers and hands. This occurred in more than 50% of the cases when a dose of greater than 10mg.kg was used.

Conclusion

All of the papers reviewed, indicate that the supplementation of Beta-Alanine can lead to an increase in performance for untrained and recreational athletes, it remains to be seen whether the same effects are experienced with elite level athletes. It would also be of interest to determine the ergogenic effects of Beta-Alanine on intermittent sports, such as soccer, hockey, basketball or gaelic football, which require a combination of endurance and sprint performance. We don’t yet know how long to continue supplementation to maximise muscle Carnosine concentrations, or how long muscle Carnosine remains elevated if supplementation was stopped, although one paper noted that a 55% increase in Carnosine concentrations required a 15 week washout period to return to baseline. Finally, no long term studies have been conducted on chronic Beta-Alanine supplementation so any long term health effects are as of yet unknown.