Body Build
There are some general features of body-structure that are worthy of consideration when planning
training programs.
Excess fat is usually a hindrance to
performance except in very long distance swimming. Some target event athletes have been fat and successful but that has usually been achieved despite obesity, not because of it.
In contact and combative sports,
increased or superior levels of
muscle mass are an advantage. As well as being directly related to the potential for strength and power movements, the increased mass also serves to create greater momentum and obstacles for opponents. This feature justifies the cliche "a good big athlete will always beat a good small athlete."
In sports where explosiveness and power are important, weight gains that are achieved through increases in muscle mass are best when restricted to the muscles used to
produce the power for the activity. This means that "bulking-up" in muscles that do not contribute to performance productivity is counter-productive to improvement. Thus, the nature of the capacities that are required in a sport will dictate what developmental emphases should be stressed.
Somewhat allied to the above point is the principle that excessive muscle development (particularly bulk) can be a hindrance to performance. This is very important for activities where the extra bulk has to be transported for a considerable period of time (e.g., in a football game, in a long race).
It is possible that strength gains which produce increased capillarization in prime-mover muscle groups used in sustained activities (e.g., the quadriceps in cycling) could be an advantage because increased blood flow during intensive effort would be facilitated. Research evidence suggests that endurance performance is not enhanced by strength gains (e.g., Hurley, Seals, Ehsani, Carter, Dalskey, Hagberg, & Holloszy, 1983) so this possibility should not be used as a justification for strength programs.
Heavy endurance training may produce small (30-40%) increases in the cross-section of active muscle fibers but can also lead to protein loss from inactive muscle areas. This means that overall body weight may not change but body shape will. For example, long-distance runners tend to lose or have diminished muscle mass in the torso and arms while their legs appear to be quite well-developed. A similar appearance is also often attributed to road-race cyclists.
The loss of muscle mass is particularly noticeable in muscles that are not exercised after they have been specifically adapted through training. This often occurs during a period of
inactivity caused by injury or ritualized detraining (e.g., a winter of inactivity). Performances cannot return to previous levels until those losses and in particular, muscular development, are corrected. This has direct relevance to performance expectations placed on athletes returning from periods of inactivity. Those expectations are often excessive and unrealistic
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