Thursday, 19 August 2010
Sunday, 1 August 2010
The Importance of Being Earnest
A study, due to be published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, looks at the effect of long periods of inactivity on muscles. The group it focuses on is Special Forces on Surveillance Missions.
Previous studies have shown that aerobic capacity can drop by a half within 4 weeks, but this latest study finds strength declines too. In the time frame of 8 days, maximal strength declined by 11%, power by 20% and jump height by 10%.
This may seem like rather pointless, we're not special forces. But say you are something similar, say a FireFighter? What if there is no training regime, no physical tests once basic training is over? What if a general malaise takes over and you lose that physical edge you once had?
What if after a month, 2 months, 6 months, the kind of physical speed, strength, and endurance that is expected of you is called upon... What then?
Doesn't this study emphasise the need for being constantly prepared? If so much can decline within a month, shouldn't physical training be a weekly, almost daily thing?
Even if it's not just for that one life saving moment, just in general it can be of benefit. For example, at 3am when you are completely lagging and end up working a long job, if you have previously endured hours in the gym doing very specific types of training, your muscles use energy more efficiently so you can last for longer. Also, strength means it will take more to exhaust you. If you were a very weak person, lifting bags of sugar for 30 minutes would exhaust you, while if you were a beef cake, it would be like lifting pencils. So, given the type of work we have to do, shouldn't there be a lot more emphasis on being a bit of a gym rat?
Maybe it's my cynical self talking, and my naivety to the job, but we'll see. I wonder if this theory is going to become important?
Previous studies have shown that aerobic capacity can drop by a half within 4 weeks, but this latest study finds strength declines too. In the time frame of 8 days, maximal strength declined by 11%, power by 20% and jump height by 10%.
This may seem like rather pointless, we're not special forces. But say you are something similar, say a FireFighter? What if there is no training regime, no physical tests once basic training is over? What if a general malaise takes over and you lose that physical edge you once had?
What if after a month, 2 months, 6 months, the kind of physical speed, strength, and endurance that is expected of you is called upon... What then?
Doesn't this study emphasise the need for being constantly prepared? If so much can decline within a month, shouldn't physical training be a weekly, almost daily thing?
Even if it's not just for that one life saving moment, just in general it can be of benefit. For example, at 3am when you are completely lagging and end up working a long job, if you have previously endured hours in the gym doing very specific types of training, your muscles use energy more efficiently so you can last for longer. Also, strength means it will take more to exhaust you. If you were a very weak person, lifting bags of sugar for 30 minutes would exhaust you, while if you were a beef cake, it would be like lifting pencils. So, given the type of work we have to do, shouldn't there be a lot more emphasis on being a bit of a gym rat?
Maybe it's my cynical self talking, and my naivety to the job, but we'll see. I wonder if this theory is going to become important?
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