http://www.kineticathletic.ca/sports-training-tips.php/ Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0700 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0700 Fusion News 3.7.6 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/sports-training-tips.php#fus_101 Good Morning, About a month ago, I overheard two friends discussing a similar problem afflicting the two of them: calf pain. One was training for a triathlon and shared that his calf would become sore each time he finished riding his bike and started to run. The other friend is an avid cyclist and noted the onset of calf pain with weight bearing activities but no occurrence of calf pain while riding his bike. The two athletes share a sports training injury dilemma with a common thread between the two stories. I noted a hidden similarity between the two conditions and a common denominator with what I’ve seen clinically as a practicing physical therapist. I’ll get to the answer about the possible cause of my friends’ calf pain in my next blog post after sharing some of the most common causes of calf pain in athletes.(I think the answer to their common problem is a real gem and an ‘outside the box’ perspective regarding calf pain and calf injuries.) Calf pain can afflict all types of athletes. It is not just limited to runners. Calf pain can occur in athletes training for hockey, training for soccer, tennis, basketball, football, and basically the list is endless. Below are some of the more common causes of calf pain in athletes and a brief discussion under each point. 1. Overtraining. Frequent training with too little rest to allow for adequate post-exercise recovery is a recipe for a calf injury. In addition, starting a program in poor physical shape and believing you will be able to whip yourself into shape in a week or two is another way to surely injure yourself. Take a hard look at your training program. Are you allowing enough time for rest between training sessions? One of the keys of a good training program is to allow enough time for your body to adapt to the training loads exerted upon your body. The muscles and tendons present in your calf require time to adaptively become stronger and more resilient to the mass of your body, gravity, and ground reaction forces. 2. Changes in the training program. Running 5 km on level ground on grass in a park is different and most likely easier than running 5 km over steep hills on a paved road. Likewise, jumping from a 36 inch box is a big upgrade in plyometric training compared to a 12 inch box. Recognize the differences and progressions in your training program. When the volume and/or intensity of a workout are tweaked, expect a corresponding change in how your body feels. Don’t discount the forces and loads your calf has to contend with when changes are made in your training. 3. Changes in footwear. Did a sale at the local mall rope you in and you changed your regular training footwear for a more stylish look? Sounds good, but if the new shoes are the wrong design for your body type/foot, you may inadvertently develop calf pain. The shoes on your feet have an enormous impact on the way your calf reacts to weight bearing activities such as jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, hopping, and lunging. 4. Altered foot mechanics: A static postural foot deformity (aka ‘poor foot posture’) will often rear its head with dynamic movement. Walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, and hopping, are types of weight bearing activities that are sure to exacerbate poor foot biomechanics. The foot is the first part of the kinetic chain to strike the ground and if the foot is not operating properly, the calf may start to pay the price for ineffective shock absorption by the foot. A complete list of biomechanical foot conditions that can cause calf pain will be for a latter discussion on our company sports training blog. My list of the most common causes of calf pain in athletes is reflective of my perceptions as a physical therapist and the athletes that have walked through my door with calf pain. Return again to our company blog and I’ll share the answer to the possible cause of calf pain involving my two athletic friends. Train Smart and Train Hard, Perry Coma, Director of Kinetic Athletic Inc.-‘The Way to Train’ A Sports Training Equipment and Sports Fitness Programs Company Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0700 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/blog/comments.php?id=101 fus_101 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/sports-training-tips.php#fus_100 Good Morning, Last month, I hit a professional milestone that I was sure was not right. Apparently, enough time has passed that I can claim twenty years of experience in my professional field (counting academic training plus professional clinical work). So I had a cold drink (large McDonald's Iced Coffee for a loonie, mmmm.) and reflected on what I've observed and learnt over my interaction with athletes from all walks of life with regards to sports training and sports conditioning for the last twenty years. Twenty years of working with athletes in physical rehabilitation, prevention, and training for their specific sport has been a continual process of learning. And I'm still learning. There are still days that I get humbled and feel like a newbie. I can claim I've seen a lot but far from everything this field of work encompasses. So here's a few observations from twenty years of work and hopefully it will benefit you in some way, shape, or form when it comes to your athletic training. There is no particular order or hierarchy to the following commentatry. 1. Most athletes start their training programs way too late. Working on your strength, agility, speed, balance, endurance, reaction time, or whatever aspect of your abilities one to two weeks prior to a big event or trying out for 'the team' is pointless. The process of training is a continual process and must start way beforehand. (think months and years not days or a couple of weeks). 2. There are no shortcuts. Becoming a better athlete requires a sound training strategy with consistent disciplined behavior over an extended period of time. Don't believe the infomercials and think you can shortcut a natural process of developing your athletic abilities. You'll feel a lot better about yourself and your future when you accept and understand this point. 3. Athletes can be too impatient with expecting to achieve objective improvement in their speed, agility, reaction time, or other athletic attribute. Be patient. Focus on the process of training and eventually objective measurable results will show up naturally. 4. Make deliberate, small changes in your sports training program or schedule. Changing too many training variables at one time will most likely end up confusing you and leaving you frustrated. Downsize your changes and then review if the changes had a positive or negative impact on your performance and body. 5. Perfection will paralyze your training. Waiting for the perfect weather, waiting to feel just right, waiting for the perfect time to start your training, and so on. Personally, I suffered from this affliction for a long time and still have momentary lapses. Nike coined the phrase, 'Just Do It!' and I've learnt to appreciate the deeper meaning behind the swoosh logo. No more excuses with why you can't. There is no perfect moment like the present. Don't be paralyzed by waiting for the perfect time or opportunity to train. Be proactive and start now. I'm planning to write another article twenty years from now and sharing twenty more years of observations and experiences with you. I look forward to corresponding with you in 2031! Kindest Regards, Perry Coma, Director of Kinetic Athletic Inc. A Sports Training, Sports Fitness, and Sports Conditioning Company Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0700 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/blog/comments.php?id=100 fus_100 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/sports-training-tips.php#fus_99 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0700 http://www.kineticathletic.ca/blog/comments.php?id=99 fus_99