Variability in Competitive Performance of Elite Track Cyclists

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ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

Variability in Competitive Performance of Elite Track Cyclists Nick Flyger* National Sports Institute of Malaysia, National Sports Complex, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract This study calculated the individual variation in performance times for cyclists competing in international track cycling events as Typical Error and attempted to express that variation in terms of power. Performance times were collated from six international events during the 2005/06 UCI Track Season and log transformed. Typical Error was calculated via the back transformation of the RMSE from a two-way ANOVA excluding the interaction term. The average Typical Error over all events was 1.0% (0.8 – 1.3 95% CL). Theoretically when performance is expressed as average power, the variation is approximately 3%. Modelling of power output for typical male and female pursuit cyclists appears to confirm this relationship under typical race conditions. These results can be used to assess the suitability of a field-based aerodynamic test for measuring the smallest worthwhile change in drag that enhances performance, and whether a cyclist has shown worthwhile improvements in power or performance time during a competitive season or between event specific fitness tests. Key words: track cycling, reliability, smallest worthwhile change.

*              

Corresponding author Nick Flyger National Sports Institute of Malaysia, National Sports Complex, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone: 603-8992-9779 Fax: 603-8996 4984 Email: [email protected]

28 Good coaches will monitor performance over time, and search for trends due to training effects, the environment, injury etc…, all of which influence their athlete’s performance. To judge whether a certain coaching or sport science intervention has been successful it is important to know how variable an athlete’s performances are and the smallest worthwhile change (beneficial or harmful) in performance for that sport or event. Variation in performance is calculated as the standard deviation of repeated performances by an individual athlete (within-subject standard deviation). Hopkins (1999) defines that individual variation of an athlete’s competitive performance as the typical error in performance or simply the Typical Error. As sport scientists we are interested in Typical Error to quantify the smallest worthwhile change that is beneficial (or harmful) to the athlete. Hopkins (1999) has shown via statistical modelling that an improvement in performance equal to half an athletes Typical Error will result in around 10% more wins than usual. This is valid for elite athletes who regularly finish in the top four of their event and are not competing at a level outside of their ability. Athletes who regularly finish outside the top 4 or are competing outside there ability may need an improvement of up to 1.5 times their Typical Error. Paton & Hopkins (2006) have previously studied variation in track cycling performance, in a broader study of cycling performance times. Using two years of the United States men’s national Kilo (1km) time-trial series as their representation of track cycling they found that the Typical Error for time in the Kilo was 1.0% (0.8 – 1.4 95% CL). This suggests the smallest worthwhile change for a track athlete maybe as little as 0.5%. However their study was limited by the use of only one track event, which differs from other track events involving different distances, flying starts (200 m sprints), pacing strategies (pursuit) and teamwork (team pursuit). In addition the authors did not investigate the variation of female track cyclists nor cyclists of international quality. This study aimed to quantify the

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Typical Error as a Coefficient of Variation (CV) in the performance times of internationally elite competitive track cyclists and expand on the findings of Paton & Hopkins (2006). Specifically whether expertise and gender of the athlete and the length of the track cycling event they compete in, influences the typical error in performance. I then sought to express the Typical Error in terms of its equivalent variation in power. The findings will be used in a subsequent study to assess whether a field-based test of aerodynamics is reliable enough to measure meaningful changes in a cyclist’s aerodynamic profile. A coach or sport scientist can use the findings to assess whether a change in competition or test performance is beneficial, trivial or harmful to the athlete or gauge whether the short-term reliability of a laboratory or field-based cycling test is good enough to measure meaningful changes in performance. Method Data Collection: Results from the four 2005/06 UCI World Cups, the 2006 World Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games were obtained from their respective websites (www.uci. ch and www.melbourne2006.com.au). Seven events were selected for analysis. They were: Men’s and Women’s Sprint qualification round (200m); Women’s 500m TT; Men’s Kilo (1 km TT); Women’s 3km Individual Pursuit; Men’s 4km Individual Pursuit; and Men’s 4km Team Pursuit. The Team Sprint, Keirin, Points Race, Scratch Race and Madison were not selected because those events did not judge performance by time, involved tactics within a bunch or in the case of the Team Sprint the length of the races were different depending on the track where the race took place. Cyclists who did not compete in three or more races were discarded from the analysis in order to keep the CV calculation exact as outlined in Hopkins et al. (2001). in

Data Analysis: Once collated MS Excel 2003 the times were

ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

log-transformed. This made it easier to express the resulting Typical Error as a percentage (CV) and accounts for skewness typically seen in timed athletic data. SPSS v13 was used to analyse the log times using a two-way ANOVA with the Type IV Sum of Squares model to account for missing data. The two levels of the ANOVA were Cyclist and Race, the interaction Cyclist*Race was not included. The ANOVA was not used to calculate significant differences. Rather the RMSE from the ANOVA table was back transformed to give a coefficient of variation of performance time as a percentage (Hopkins, 2000), that is, the average typical error for that event. The 95% confidence limit (CL) was calculated using the total degrees of freedom in the ANOVA and the Chi-squared distribution (Hopkins, 2000). Essentially by using the mean square error of the ANOVA, the resulting Typical Error is not contaminated by between cyclist variation and the variation due to race location (e.g. World Cups, World Champs and Commonwealth Games). To express Typical Error as a percentage of Mean Power I used the relationship developed in Hopkins et al. (2001). If average power (P) is a function of average velocity (V), and ∆P and ∆V represent the typical changes in the mean, and ∆V is equivalent to ∆Time then: P = f(V) = aV3+bV ∆P = f`(V) ∆V Therefore: Typical Error of Cycling Power = [Vf`(V) / f(V)] 100∆V/V Or: 3 x Typical Error of Cycling Velocity The equation applies to mean power in a constant pace effort and we assume drag and rolling resistance remain constant. The equation still requires validation by comparing changes in velocity to changes in measured or modeled power (Paton & Hopkins, 2006). To do this I set about to confirm if a series of 1% increments in velocity through

29 a typical range of race velocities increased average power by 3%. Because real cyclists were not available to carry out the testing I used the model developed by Martin et al. (2006) to calculate the change in power of two ‘virtual cyclists’ competing at sea level in conditions typical to a dry warm indoor track. The equation used was as follows: Modeled Power (P) = 0.5 x ρ x CDrag x V3 + m x g x CRoll x V Where ρ is air density calculated from air temperature, humidity and pressure; CDrag is the coefficient of aerodynamic drag for the cyclists; V is velocity; m is mass; g is gravity; CRoll is the typical rolling resistance for a racing tire on a wooden track. Then I calculated the percentage change in modeled power between a given velocity and that velocity plus 1%. The typical cyclists were modeled on data collected from two real male and female pursuit cyclists who have competed at UCI World Cups and had carried out an aerodynamic drag test either in the field or at a wind tunnel. The velocities chosen represented the typical range of velocities by elite cyclists. For example the highest velocity used for the male and female cyclist would break the current respective Individual Pursuit records by around 5 seconds. The lowest velocity would have been good enough to win gold in the respective Individual Pursuit at the 2007 SEA Games.

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Results Table 1. Average time and CV for each event

Event 200m Flying

Womens Sprint Mens 200m Flying Sprint Womens 500m TT Mens 1000m TT (Kilo) Womens Individual Pursuit Mens Individual Pursuit Mens Team Pursuit

N

Df

25 33 12 12

58 82 30 23

15 13 14

29 24 36

Time ± SD (Sec) 11.7 10.6 35.4 64.3

CV (%)

(±0.3) (±0.2) (±0.6) (±1.8)

1.3 1.3 0.7 0.7

229.9 ( ±6.9) 272.8 ( ±6.3) 253.6 ( ±5.1)

(1.1 (1.1 (0.6 (0.6

-

1.6) 1.5) 1.0) 1.0)

1.2 (1.0 - 1.6) 1.0 (0.8 - 1.3) 1.0 (0.8 - 1.3)

1.8 1.6

CV (%)

1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 W 200m Sprint

M 200m Sprint

W 500m M 1km TT W 3km IP M 4km IP M 4km TP Average TT

Event

% Change in Power

Figure 1: Coefficient of variation (CV)[±95% CL] for each event.

4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

Velocity (km/h)

Figure 2. Percent change in modelled power for a 1% increase in a given Velocity Female Male

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Discussion The cyclists used in this study all posted times typical of elite international cyclist (Table 1). Figure 1 displays the CV (± 95% CL) for each event. The average Typical Error for all events over the 2005/06 UCI track season was 1.0%. This is identical to the Typical Error for the Kilo race series examined by Paton & Hopkins (2006). However, their Typical Error for the Mens Kilo is 1.4 (0.9 – 2.1 95% CL) times greater than the 0.7% (0.6 – 1.0 95%CL) I observed for Mens Kilo in this study. A possible explanation of their greater Typical Error observed for the Men Kilo is that the cyclists in their study were nearly 5 seconds slower, on average, than those in the present study (64 vs. 69 seconds). That is, more talented cyclists are likely to be less variable in their performance. It should also be noted they used a mixed modeling procedure rather than the ANOVA approach I used. The U shaped pattern between events, observed in Figure 1, is interesting as it resembles figure 10 from Hopkins et al., (2001). They found physiological power tests lasting between 30 and 90 seconds were more reliable than shorter or longer tests. In the same vein, shorter track cycling events may be more variable due to greater reliance in the ATP-PC system and limited number of movement repetitions, while longer events may be affected by pacing strategies. In shorter time trials cyclists use an all-out pacing strategy, while reliance on the anaerobic glycolytic system and increased movement repetitions may act to limit variation in those events. The Typical Error measured in this study is a gross measure of within-cyclist variation over the entire season. Sources of variation in the present study include: pacing strategies; physiological power supply; changing fitness during the season; motivation for events like the World Champs; using different equipment during the season; altered riding position between events (changing aerodynamic drag). From the relationship developed by Hopkins (2001), 1% change in performance time should equate to 3%

31 change in average power during a steady pace effort. The results of the modeling suggested that the true figure ranged between 2.89% and 2.94%. This modeling approach assumed a constant power output, which is somewhat unrealistic and further validation is required using actual measured velocity profiles from real cyclists. However, while still anecdotal, by modeling a typical male and female pursuit cyclist over a range of race velocities it appears that the ratio of percentage change in power for a given percentage change in velocity (or time) is indeed close to 3 to 1. There was some evidence that this ratio increased as velocity increased through the typical race paces and due to changes to other factors of the model, such as air density and drag coefficients were made. However the largest increase observed was about 0.03% of the ratio for extreme values and velocities. The most important application of these findings is in assessing improvements in competitive performance and physiological tests or the success of changes made to the rider position through aerodynamic testing. When performance is measured in time we simply find the percentage difference between two most recent performances (or the most recent performance and the average performance). If that percentage difference is greater than half the Typical Error for that cyclist’s event (from table 1), then we assume there is some meaningful effect occurring (beneficial or harmful). Where the performance is measured in average power we again calculate the percentage difference of power between two performances. However we assume there is some meaningful effect occurring (beneficial or harmful) when that percentage difference is greater than 1.5 times the Typical Error for that cyclist’s event (from table 1). Using 1.5 as a multiplier of Typical Error will convert the smallest worthwhile change from time to power. If we assume all variables except Aerodynamic Drag remain the same during a test-retest scenario, we can use the smallest worthwhile change in power (half of the Typical Error) and known

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reliability of the test (as a CV of power), to judge whether the test can reliably detect the smallest worthwhile improvement in aerodynamic drag. From these results if test reliability < 1.5% then it probably will detect the smallest worthwhile change. If test reliability ≈ 1.5% it may detect the smallest worthwhile change provided multiple trials are conducted. If test reliability > 1.5% then the test probably will not detect the smallest worthwhile change. This also applies to physiological tests that measure improvement in fitness as average power in a constant time test. CONCLUSION: • • • • •

The average typical variation in the performance time of Elite Track Cyclists is 1.0% (0.8 – 1.3 95% CL). The smallest worthwhile enhancement in performance time is about 0.5% in the performance time of Elite Track Cyclists for various track events. The typical variation in average power of Elite Track Cyclists during a race is around 3 times the typical variation of performance time or 3%. The smallest worthwhile enhancement in average power of Elite Track Cyclists during a physiological or aerodynamic test (field or lab) is about 1.5%. A physiological or aerodynamic test (field or lab) should have a test-retest reliability CV < 1. 5% to detect the smallest worthwhile change in power.

Acknowledgement The author would like to thank Prof. Will Hopkins for advising on the appropriate statistical method and Dr Barry Wilson for commenting on earlier drafts. References 1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Hopkins, W.G., Hawley J.A. & Burke, L.M. Design and analysis of research on sport performance enhancement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999; 31: 472-485. Hopkins, W.G. Measures of reliability in sports medicine and science. Sports Med 2000; 30: 1-15. Hopkins W.G., Schabort E.J. & Hawley J.A. Reliability of power in physical performance tests. Sports Med 2001: 31: 211-234 Martin, J., Gardner, A. S., Barras, M. & Martin, D. T. Modeling Sprint Cycling Using Field-Derived Parameters and Forward Integration. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006; 38: 592-597. Paton, C., Hopkins, W. Variation in performance of elite cyclists from race to race. Eur J Sport Sci 2006; 6: 25-31.

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ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

Psychological Loading within Periodization Perspective: Practical Tips for Professional Practice Jolly Roy1*, Oleksandr Krasilshchikov2, Nor Azhar3 National Sports Institute of Malaysia, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2Sports Science Unit, School of Medical Sciences, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia, 3 Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1

Abstract The purpose of this article is to examine the guidelines of psychological loading within three major periods of training: preparatory, competition and transition. The article briefly provides the fundamentals of periodization and emphasizes the importance of providing psychological intervention, concurrent to the training aims of each critical phase. The article demonstrates how a weekly training plan can be designed in ‘preparatory period’ with two basic techniques: a) breathing technique and b) relaxation technique. In addition, the article focuses on how to integrate different psychological techniques, relevant to each individual athlete, in the ‘competition period’, and concludes with the guidelines of psychological loading in ‘transition period’. The key issue is the urgent need for practitioners / psychologists, to be sensitive to the training objective, and to practice on the athletes, the psychological intervention which reflects the aims of the critical phase. Key words: psychological loading, critical phase, periodization

*            

Corresponding author Jolly Roy, PhD Sports Psychology Center National Sports Institute of Malaysia Bukit Jalil, Sri Petaling 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia E-mail: [email protected]

34 Psychological intervention is an integral part of an athlete’s training regime as training program for elite athlete consists of different support systems from sport sciences. Although full recognition of the concept of psychological preparation is yet to ingrain among all coaches and athletes, the fact remains that psychological preparation is imperative. Psychological preparation has been documented in literature, as beneficial to elite athletes in both individual and team events [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. This article addresses the principles of psychological load, described as psychological intervention components, and discusses the guidelines to use it in different training phases. This article also provides an example of general guidelines for planning of psychological loading. The Fundamentals of Periodization Periodization was first used by ancient Greeks in their preparations for the Olympics. It was further developed (more logically rather than scientifically) as training application in Russia [6]; was later made more scientific and applicable in East Germany[7], Romania – Canada [8] and China; and was finally reframed into a scientific approach by the West [9]. Nowadays periodization is widely accepted as a powerful tool in planning and enhancing athletes’ various abilities [10, 11]. Periodization Applications in Different Sports Basic periodization commonly operates with macrocycle as the longest periodization unit. It can vary in duration from 10 weeks up to one year and is usually divided into three distinctive periods such as Preparatory, Competitive and Transitional. Preparatory period is meant for the development of performance contributing factors and improvement of performance. Main goal of Competitive period is the realization of athlete’s potential during participation in competitions. By some definitions this period is meant for maintenance of performance [6]. Transitional period provides an athlete with

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active rest, recovery and is meant for rehabilitation and treatment, if required. In other words transitional period is meant for controlled detraining. Macrocycle as such is planned with an ultimate aim of successfully performing in the major competition or number of competitions which are grouped together, within reasonably short period of time, which is good to maintain top performance within it. In case major competitions of the season are scheduled with considerable gap in-between, coaches might need to plan two or even more macrocycles in a year, so that each macrocycle is dedicated to successful preparation to one major competition. Since various sports differ in number of competitions athletes participate in, difference would come in the periodization patterns as well. For instance, endurance events such as marathon and long distance running limit participation of the athletes to few competitions within a year/season, resulting in planning long macrocycles of training often equaling to a year in duration. In such cases we follow single periodization pattern of an annual cycle (when macrocycle duration is one year), or double periodization of the year at the most (when one year comprises of two about 6-months’ macrocycles) with one macrocycle meant for one major competition and the other one – for another major competition. Apparently, Preparatory period can last for months together, allowing to cover and improve all the motor qualities and functions, competitive period can be of couple of month duration with a lot of skills and tactics perfection involved and transitional period can be of a month duration as well. Power sports, like sprints, jumps, weightlifting etc., can have their representatives participating in larger number of competitions a year and their planning pattern could be pretty different with three to five major competitions covered in triple or multiple periodization patterns. It means calendar year can consist of three to five macrocycles of only 12 to 15 weeks duration each. Such periodization patterns, on the contrary to the endurance sports would have short but very intensive

35

ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

preparatory periods (at times as short as 8 to 10 weeks), competitive periods of 2 to 3 weeks and rather brief transitional periods (usually not longer than 2 weeks each). Team games like football, basketball, hockey and others, with traditionally long competitive periods when they play league matches for four to five months or even longer, plan their macrocycle in a completely different manner. In other words they change the ratio of periods within a macrocycle. Preparatory period would be quite short for them – three to four months, when they predominantly care of general physical fitness, followed by six to eight months of competitive period with plenty of individual, group and team tactics and skills involved and with all the commitments to the National leagues and Continental Cups, and then up-to two to three months of transition, meant for the rehabilitation, treatment of injuries etc. Individual/group games like tennis and badminton follow more or less the multi-peaking patterns with very brief and precisely planned training periods. The reason being, besides participation in the four Grand Slam tournaments and year finale in the form of ATP/WTA world championships (top eight only) they need to play at least four warming up tournaments at various surfaces and good number of ranking tournaments to ensure the maintenance of the high ranking and good chances for better seeding in the major tournaments. So in this case, the possibility of dividing fitness from skills would be rather distant and professional training requires kind of merger of the above two into specifically designed drills covering fitness, skills and tactics altogether. Psychological Loading: Given to understand the complexity of periodization, it is natural that psychological interventions to be successful need to be well adjusted not only to the needs of particular sports, but also to the necessities of the particular training phases. Each intervention has its distinct features and targets, therefore psychological interventions have to

address the same issues as training phases are. Only such combination of interventions could well suit the training and competitions programme of elite athletes and subsequently address not only the basic needs of sports but the whole idea of periodized training towards major competitions. Why do we need to follow some guidelines for psychological loading? Often coaches and the athletes choose individual psychological services that best fit them. Not many coaches, athletes and psychologist follow the systematic principles of psychological loading. While different psychologists follow different types of psychological loading pattern, very often the programs are not congruent with the training phase, thus ending up with ineffective results. Therefore, we propose a general guideline in this article within a broad spectrum of macrocycle. For the purpose of psychological loading, we have designed the psychological intensity on a horizontal continuum starting with a preparatory period, (which includes a general phase and a specific phase), a competitive period (which includes early competitions and main competitions phases), and a transition period. Why should the psychological load balance with training load? One of the reasons to balance psychological load with physical training load in each training phase is to enhance the benefits of the psychological support services. More specifically, the psychological load placed on any athlete should match the objective of each training phase that can best facilitate in achieving the main goal. For instance, we believe that the technical and tactical preparation in ‘preparatory - specific phase’ needs to be connected to the psychological preparation of an athlete. To cite some examples: •

A technique correction in an athlete can be hastened, by using a cognitive technique-imagery or

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•

ideomotor training using video assisted biomechanical results. A video assisted simulated training, can be helpful for formulating strategies as part of a tactical preparation

How to proceed with the guidelines? Preparatory Period Firstly it is important to gather information about the athlete e.g. athlete’s background, his/her achievements, injuries if any, family, training history, etc. After this, the psychologist should discuss with the coach and the athlete their training plan; conduct the necessary tests and design the required interventions to be an integral part of psychological assistance plan. If the athlete is new to the psychological program, then the offered components of the psychological preparation should focus on teaching the psychological skills in the preparatory period. The focus in such case would be to create awareness in the athlete. The emphasis of the assessment could be on psychological diagnosis; for example, the basic psychomotor abilities, the anxiety levels, motivations etc, and the knowledge of management strategies. The intervention components can then be planned and psychological loading gradually increased. Once the athlete is able to choose the most appropriate program for himself/herself, the volume of psychological loading can be reduced and made ‘specific’ towards competitive period. In the case of an experienced athlete, who has undergone psychological skill training earlier, the psychological loading should be designed specifically suiting the athlete’s level. In other words, the program should be such that the athletes can use the appropriate techniques corresponding to the psychological states and game situations. Competitive Period The objective of this period is to focus on immediate preparation of the

athlete for competing in specific events. Therefore, the psychological preparation should be congruent to cope with additional load and stress the athletes might encounter. We assume that athletes have developed awareness, and have tried out the best fit interventions individually suited for them. Some athletes may even be regularly practicing it in their free time. Usually, in competitive period, only specific psychological techniques are selected and practiced, which corresponds to the objective of the phase. For example, if an athlete wants to practice a tactical move, or practice executing a technique within a game situation, he or she may use imagery training. If the athlete needs to learn to develop arousal control, then the choice may be to use biofeedback assisted regulation. It would be realistic to expect some amount of disturbance in the psychological training program during this phase. For instance, if a team has different venues to play in a competition, it may involve travel. Therefore, athletes should be encouraged to practice the psychological skills independently, and have flexibility in adjusting their psychological load. Transitional period In transition phase, the psychological load can be reduced considerably and should be aimed mainly at effective recovery. Thus strategies for relaxation are ideal. However, it is important to encourage the athletes to maintain reasonable levels of proficiency in the psychological skills that they have learnt, and adhere to practicing certain mental skill like breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, meditation, etc. The athlete can also evaluate the effectiveness of the program so that he or she can suggest the necessary modification to suit individual needs in the following days. Can athletes follow every intervention? We would like to state that it may be difficult to follow, at one time, every single psychological technique documented in the literature. In fact,

ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

it may even have debilitating effects, by confusing the athlete. Besides, the intervention techniques may not correspond with the training objectives at all. Therefore, the individual resources,

37 educational background, experience, and knowledge of the psychologist is a crucial factor while preparing the psychological loading for the elite athletes.

1. The loading pattern should be based on each game individually and modified according to the training. 2. The different shades in the figure only represent that different types of psychological interventions (psychological load) can be provided during different training phases. GP: GENERAL PREPARATION SP: SPECIFIC PREPARATION PC: PRECOMPETITION MC: MAIN COMPETITION TR: TRANSITION Figure 1.

A general guideline is provided in Figure 1 and readers as well as potential users are advised to consult the concerned coaches and support staff before designing the psychological loading for themselves or their athletes. Table 1-a and Table 1-b are examples of Breathing Techniques and Progressive Relaxation Techniques learning programme within weekly training plan in the course of “Preparatory Period”. The number of techniques to be taught during the preparatory period may differ for individual athletes. For example, if breathing techniques are taught, variations in breathing techniques can be taught in three different environments viz: laboratory (L), training (T) and residence (R). The black ‘dot’ mark in the table represent that the technique is taught in a particular situation (example: In Table 1a, “complete breathing” on day 1, is taught

in laboratory situation and the athlete can train the same in residence also) Table 2 provides an example of Integrating Psychological Regulations within weekly training plan in the course of “Competitive Period”. Table 3 shows an example of Maintaining Psychological Regulations within weekly training plan in the course of “Transition Period”. Our aim in this article is to provide some guidelines to demonstrate how different intervention techniques should be integrated within the training objectives during an annual training programme. The effectiveness of adhering to this model of program would be best available through athlete’s and coach’s feedback.

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Table 1a. An example of Breathing Techniques learning Programme within weekly training plan in the course of ‘Preparatory Period’ Day 1

Breathing exercise

L

Complete Breathing Rhythmic Breathing (1-4) Ratio Breathing (1:2) Breathing in count (5 to1) Sighing with breathing (1) Concentration Breathing

●

T

Day 2 R

L

●

●

T

Day 3 R

L

●

T

R

L

T

●

●

●

●

● ●

Day 4 R

L

T

● ●

Day 6 R

T

Day 7

R

L

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

R

●

●

●

T

●

●

●

L

●

●

● ●

Day 5

● ●

●

● ●

●

L- Laboratory; T- Training; R- Residence Note: Provided guideline plan should be individually designed/modified according to the sport, athlete’s abilities and experience, various psychological techniques etc. It should also fit the type of microcycle with its pre-planned levels of volume and intensity of training load.

Table 1b. An example of Relaxation Techniques learning Programme within weekly training plan in the course of ‘Preparatory Period’ Relaxation Exercises L Progressive relaxation (PR) Active PR Differential PR Abbreviated Active PR Passive PR Abbreviated Passive PR (quick body scan) Neck & Shoulder check

Day 1 T R

L

Day 2 T R

L

Day 3 T R

L

Day 4 T R

L

Day 5 T R

L

Day 6 T R

L

Day 7 T R

Table 2 An example of Integrating Psychological Regulations within weekly training plan in the course of ‘Competitive Period’ Psychological Day 1 (Mon) Day 2 (Tues) Day 3 (Wed) Day 4 (Thurs) regulation L T R L T R L T R L T R +

Breathing & Relaxation Imagery

+

+

+

Emotion Regulation Self talk

+

+

Thought control

+

+

Biofeedback

+

+ +

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+ + +

Day 5 (Fri)

Day 6 (Sat)

L

L

T

R

+ +

+

+

+

+

+ +

R

L

+ +

+

T

Day 7 (Sun)

+

+

R

+

+ +

T

+ +

+

+

+

+

+

+

+ +

L- Laboratory; T- Training; R- Residence Note: All Psycho regulatory measures are not shown in the table. Individual psychologist may choose the appropriate intervention for each athlete.

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ISN Bulletin Volume 1, No. 2, 2008

Table 3. An example of Maintaining Psychological Regulations within weekly training plan in the course of ‘Transition Period’ Psychological regulation Breathing Exercises

Day 1 (Mon) √

Day 2 (Tues)

Day 3 (Wed) √

√

Relaxation

Music

√

Individually Preferred Light activities

√

√



2.

3. 4.

Blumenstein B, Lidor R, & Tenenbaum G. Periodization and planning of psychological preparation in elite combat sport programs: The case of Judo. Int J Sport and Exerc Psychol 2005; 3: 7-25 Henschen K. Lessons from sport psychology consulting. In: G. Tenenbaum (ed) The practice of sport psychology. Morgantown, WV Fitness Information Technology, 2001; 77-88 Serpa S, & Rodrigues J. High performance sports and the experience of human development. In: G. Tenenbaum (ed) The practice of sport psychology. Morgantown, WV Fitness Information Technology, 2001; 101-128 Blumenstein B. Sport psychology practice in two cultures: similarities and difference. In: G. Tenenbaum (ed) The practice of sport

Day 6 (Sat)

Day 7 (Sun) √

√

√

√

√

√

√

References

Day 5 (Fri) √

√ √

Meditation

1.

Day 4 (Thurs)

√



psychology. Morgantown, WV Fitness Information Technology, 2001; 231-240 5. Weinberg RS. The mental advantage: Developing your psychological skills in tennis. Champaign, IL: Leisure Press 1988 6. Matveyev LP. Periodization of Sports Training. Moscow: Fizcultura i Sport, 1969 7. Harre D. Trainingslehre. Berlin: Sportverlag, 1973. 8. Bompa TO. Theory and Methodology of Training, 3rd. ed. Iowa: 1994. Kendall/Hunt. 9. Graham J. Periodization Research and an Example Application. Strength and Conditioning Journal 2003; 24: 6, 62–70. 10. Dick FW. Sports Training Principles. 3rd ed. London: A & C Black, 1997 11. Stiff MC, Verkhoshanky V. Programming and organization of training. In: Supertraining 5th ed. Denver, CO: Supertraining International. 2000; 311–318.

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