1. Prehabilitation and Preseason Conditioning
Chapter 7:
Prehabilitation and Preseason Conditioning

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Prehabilitation
Decreases the chance of injury by addressing areas of concern or deficits identified before participation in a sporting event.
A program can be implemented to strengthen and develop these areas, thus reducing the chance of injury during participation.
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3. Preseason Conditioning
Whenever athletes begin a fitness program, or after extended time off, their bodies need time to adjust to the new stresses & demands
By starting slowly, the body is allowed to adjust to the new demands; and then gradually increase the demand
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4. Preseason Conditioning (cont.)
Focuses on developing the athlete in the off season
Begins 6-8 weeks prior to sports participation
Sports medicine physicians, certified athletic trainers & qualified coaches prescribe preseason conditioning & provide information on the type, frequency, intensity, & duration (FITT)
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Strength Training
A highly adaptive process whereby the body changes in response to increased training loads
Adaptation refers to the systematic application of exercise stress sufficient to stimulate muscle fatigue, but not so severe that breakdown and injury occur.
If muscle is worked beyond its normal limits, it adapts by becoming larger (hypertrophy)
If a muscle is worked less than normal, it becomes smaller (atrophy)
Purpose of progressive resistance exercise (PRE) is to allow the body to adapt to the increased demand
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6. Strength Training (cont.)
Overload
Muscles increase in size & strength when they are forced to contract at tensions close to maximum
Muscles must be overloaded at a progressively increased rate
Ideal number of reps is 6-12, done in multiple sets of 3 or 4
Proper rest intervals between sets allow muscles to recover from exertion & prepare for the next work interval
Overload is a progressive overwork of muscles at a controlled, increased rate to achieve consistent gains in strength.
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7. Strength Training (cont.)
Specificity
Muscles adapt specifically to the nature of the work performed, an attribute known as specificity
When muscles contract, they recruit different types of motor units to carry out the contraction
Slow-twitch fibers: low-intensity, fatigue-resistant
Fast-twitch fibers: high-intensity, rapid fatigue
Increases in strength, including rehabilitation after injury/surgery, are very specific to the type of exercise, which should be as close as possible to the desired movements of activity
Muscle fiber type plays an important role in determining success in some sports, but not others
Specificity refers to the ability of particular muscle groups to respond to targeted training, so that increased strength is gained in that muscle group only.
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8. Strength Training (cont.)
Reversibility
Muscles atrophy with disuse, immobilization, and starvation
Leads to decreased muscle mass & strength
Slow-twitch fibers will typically atrophy faster than fast-twitch fibers
Individual Differences
Relative pre-dominance of fast- and slow-twitch motor units in muscles
Fiber composition is genetically determined
Reversibility is the process of muscle atrophy due to disuse, immobilization, or starvation, which leads to decreased muscle mass and strength.
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9. Stretching & Flexibility
Stretching, moving joints beyond normal range of motion (ROM), is useful for injury prevention as well as injury treatment
ROM is ↑ due to ↑ the length of muscles, which means limbs & joints move further
Warming up is essential component of stretching by ↑ heart rate, blood pressure, & respiratory rate  ↑ O2 & nutrient delivery to muscles
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10. Stretching & Flexibility (cont.)
Flexibility: ability of a joint to move freely through its full ROM
Active > inactive
♀ > ♂
Older < younger
As important as strength & endurance
Muscles must be stretched to achieve flexibility!!!
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11. Stretching & Flexibility (cont.)
Types of Stretching
Static Stretching gradual stretching of a muscle through the muscle’s entire ROM, done slowly until pull sensation
Ballistic Stretching involves rhythmic bouncing action, largely discounted today due to ↑ incidence of injury
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) involves a combination of contraction & relaxation of the muscles; done with qualified assistant
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12. Strength-Training Exercises
Isometric exercise is an activity that causes tension in the muscle to increase, but does not cause the muscle to shorten.
Muscles contract, but there is no movement in the affected joints
Muscle fibers maintain a constant length throughout the entire contraction
Often used for rehabilitation
BP ↑ rapidly
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13. Strength-Training Exercises (cont.)
Dynamic exercise is an activity that causes muscles to contract and shorten.
Also known as isotonic exercise
Dynamic muscle training works muscle groups through their range of motion.
Movement of the joint does occur
Concentric contraction: muscles shorten
Eccentric contraction: muscles lengthen
Manual resistance training is a form of dynamic exercise accomplished using a training partner.
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14. Strength-Training Exercises (cont.)
Isokinetic exercise is an activity in which a machine is used to control the speed of contraction within the muscle’s range of motion.
Cybex or Biodex provide isokinetic results
Generally used in rehabilitation centers & not available to general public
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15. Strength-Training Exercises (cont.)
Circuit training
uses 6 to 10 strength exercises that are completed one after another.
Each exercise is performed for a specific # reps or specific period of time with brief rest time in between exercises
If more than one circuit is to be completed, the circuits will be separated by a longer rest period
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16. Special Individualized Programs
Personal trainers
Strength training
Cardiovascular fitness
Speed & agility
Endurance work
Body composition
Certified Athletic Trainers
Considerable knowledge of anatomy & physiology
Biomechanics
Nutrition
Can be found in schools, performance centers, & clinics
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17. Cardiorespiratory Training
Also known as aerobic or endurance training
Activities that put an increased demand on the lungs, heart, and other body systems
May improve performance in all sports activities
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18. Cardiorespiratory Training (cont.)
Large muscle groups are used for activities such as walking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, or cycling
Goal is to train the heart & other muscles to use O2 more efficiently, allowing athlete to perform longer
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19. Cardiorespiratory Training (cont.)
Results include:
↑ heart size
↓ resting heart rate (RHR)
↓ blood pressure
More efficient oxygen transfer rates
↑ resting metabolism
Benefits include:
Reduced fatigue
Improved self-confidence
Improved muscle strength & tone
↑ endurance
↓ stress levels
↓ body fat
Improved overall physical & mental health
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