Fitness Testing and Components

Fitness Testing and RSA

• Fitness components include Cardio-respiratory endurance (VO2 Max), Musculoskeletal fitness, Muscular strength, Muscular Power, Muscular endurance, Flexibility, Body Weight, and Body composition.
• Fitness variables can be classified into internal (Age, gender, genetics, mental state, health) and external (Environment, equipment, time, work, and lifestyle demands) factors.
• Fitness testing helps measure progress and health, identify areas for improvement, and develop training programs.
• RSA (Repeated Sprint Ability) is the ability to maintain sprint performance over varying periods of time, requiring high aerobic fitness.

Strength

• Strength is the maximal force that a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity.
• Resistance training can increase muscle cross-sectional area and myofibrillar size and number, leading to strength improvements.
• Muscle fibers have different colors due to varying levels of oxidation, with Type I being slow and aerobic, and Type II being fast and anaerobic.
• Actin-myosin cross-bridge attachments are strong at different angles, and connective tissue makes muscles stronger eccentrically.

Loads and Frequencies

• Hypertrophy (muscle growth) training: 60-80% load, 8-12 reps, 3-20 sets, 30-90s rest.
• Strength training: 85-100% load, 1-6 reps, 4-10 sets, 3-5 min rest.
• Max 1RM calculation: (Poliquin, 1986) = 80% load divided by reps value found in table x 100.

Power

• Power is the ability of muscles to produce high levels of mechanical work quickly.
• Power = Force (strength) x Velocity (speed).
• Force = Mass x Acceleration.
• Inverse relationship between force and velocity.
• Golgi tendons stop the body when there is too much force.

Training Techniques

• Ballistic training involves projecting a load rather than holding it, triggering fast twitch muscle fibers.
• Plyometric training helps athletes be quicker off the mark, more powerful, and rapidly change directions.
• Plyometrics work the stretch-shortening cycle, and concentric phases can be stronger if the muscle has been stretched eccentrically prior.

Periodisation

• Periodisation is the process of adapting to changing training over time.
• Steps include: 1) evaluating the sport's needs, 2) athlete evaluation, and 3) programme design incorporating periodisation (microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles).

Principles of Training

• Overload: increasing load to provide stress for adaptation.
• Specificity: training that replicates the sport's needs.
• Individuality: planning individualized to athlete's strengths and weaknesses.
• Recovery: rest to allow adaptation.
• Maintenance: maintaining improvement to avoid regression.

Speed and Agility

• Speed: the ability to achieve high velocity.
• Agility: the ability to change direction rapidly and accurately.
• Acceleration: the rate of change of velocity.
• Phases of speed: first step quickness, acceleration phase, and maximum velocity phase.
• Main factors affecting speed: stride frequency, stride length, and anaerobic endurance.
• Development of speed: building from the bottom up, with primary, secondary, and tertiary development focusing on technique, assisted/resisted sprinting, and basic fitness, power, and speed endurance.