Thesis Update

The Alternate Sports solution Team, has recently been working hard on completing their thesis which is required to complete your honours.

The thesis is titled : Profile of energy utilization during competitive surfing.

"It was pretty cool to work on an topic which has never been researched in South Africa, especially with all three of us being interested in alternate sports, so being involved in this study was an awesome experience"

Over the last 7 months we been working pretty hard on proposals , ethical issues,presentations and communicating with possible subjects, but finally on the 09/10/2010, we completed our data collection.

We simulated a typical surfing heat, however the subjects wore heart rate monitors whilst surfing so we could analyse heart rate changes as well as to predict Vo2 and oxygen consumption. We also measured blood lactate both before and after the 20 minute heat , Lactate is a marker of the anaerobic energy system in use.

We found some interesting information from the data collection, which we are still further analyzing.

All the hard work paid off on Thursday 21 October where we had to present our findings to the Department of Sport Science, our group was awarded the Gold Award for our research!

So all thats left for us is to produce the final written project and submit, and hopefully a publication in a Med Journal.

Its been a great journey.

Wade Botha

Sports Scientist

Update

So the Alternate Sports Solution team has been rather quiet lately, busy with exams,sorting out our research project (which we finally have ethical clearance and can now commence with the testing) and of course the holidays.

However the Local sporting scene has been anything but quiet, with the 2010 Fifa World Cup just been in our country, South African Surf Star Jordy Smith Winning both the 5 star WQS Mr Price Pro and the Billabong Pro J Bay WCT event , moving him to the top of both the world title race and the One world tour and finally Sifiso Nhlapo taking a podium position 2nd Place in the BMX world Championships last week.

Other great news , two of the Alternate sports solutions team members will be setting off overseas near the end of this month.

Wade Botha will head off to Panama in Central America to judge the ISA World Surfing Championships and Clinton Wregghit will be heading to Dubai to conduct A training seminar for aspiring Lifeguards a huge achievement for both.

Watch this space!
Alternate Sports Solutions Team

Want to Tone Up? Get on Board

Everybody wants to have a trim toned body, but for most the motivation to train day in and day out just isn’t there, pumping iron in the gym doesn’t appeal to everyone, certainly not me, and pounding away on the pavement is not everyone’s cup of tea, so the best way to get in shape is to find a sport that you enjoy spending time doing, that way getting in shape becomes recreational.

Surfing is an excellent way to get in shape and tone up, how you ask?

• Paddling – tones your shoulders arms and upper back.

• Holding your back in arched position for paddling – lower back

• Kicking –tones your legs

• Duck diving and Pushing up to feet- same motion as a push up , arms,
chest ,back shoulders.

• Sitting up on your board, the whole time you are contracting you legs (adductor muscles) and using your core muscles to stabilize your self and maintain the upright position whilst sitting on your board.

• Even whilst actually riding the wave different muscles are firing all the time.

• Surfing is both an anaerobic and aerobic activity so it’s the best of both worlds.

• Finally all these benefits whilst getting your daily dose of Vitamin D.

See you out there!
Wade Botha
Sport Scientist and International Surf Judge

Creatine VS L - Glutamine

Creatine has been popular, among athletes requiring strength gain, for a long time, however recently there has been a rising interest in L-Glutamine supplementation.

As good sportsman we need to understand the functions of the supplements which we plan on consuming.

The pancreas and the kidneys produce creatine when necessary, but the main producer of creatine is the liver. The liver combines three amino acids (methionine, glycine and arginine) to produce creatine. Creatine then travels to your muscles via your blood where it is converted to phosphocreatine. A 70 kg individual has approximately 120 grams of creatine stored in his body. Foods which supply the body with the greatest amounts of creatine are red meats and fish. 250 grams of steak will supply you with around 1 gram of creatine. Thus, we would have to eat around 16 steaks to begin loading your body with creatine. This is why we supplement with concentrated forms of creatine. Creatine rapidly increases your strength, energy levels, high intensity exercise performance as well as increases your lean muscle mass. Although creatine is not primarily used for recovery, it does assist with post training muscle recovery.

L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid within the body. Glutamine is very important as it regulates muscle protein production (muscle building) and assists with muscle glycogen stores by increasing glycogen production after a workout. Foods which contain glutamine are protein foods such as poultry, meats, fish, dairy and beans. When glutamine is depleted, then muscle atrophy takes place and there is a decrease in strength, stamina as well as recovery. L-Glutamine is released from muscle during high amounts of stress, such as weight lifting. This substance is a good anti-catabolic (muscle breakdown) agent as it protects the body from a stress hormone called cortisol. Glutamine is a major Nitrogen donor, keeping bodily Nitrogen levels balanced, which is very important with regards to muscle gain.

There is no evidence to suggest that either of these supplements have negative side effects. Creatine is good for rapid strength and muscle gain which is ideal for short bouts of explosive exercise however exercises of longer duration do also benefit but to a more limited extent. L-Glutamine’s main focus is to prevent catabolism (muscle waste) rather than inhibit anabolism (increase in muscle size) which would therefore also be ideal for those individuals trying to diet as muscle is not compromised. L-Glutamine pays special attention to the storage of glycogen in the muscle. Glycogen lasts a little longer than creatine during exercise; therefore L-Glutamine would also be good for exercises where high intensity bouts are slightly longer in duration.


Clinton Wreghitt
(Sport Scientist)

Interval Training! BMX Racers this one is for you!

We are always looking to better our performance and step up a level in the ranks. Well interval training might be the key to you stepping it up a level. Interval training is a form of training that involves intensities close to your VO2 max by performing repeated bouts of high to moderate intensity exercise mixed together with periods of rest or active rest (ie. Walking or Light Jogging). Studies have shown that through interval training, athletes’ can perform a greater volume of exercise by breaking the total training session into shorter more intense bouts, with rest or active rest interval periods breaking up the intense exercise periods. It must be said that a good aerobic base should be developed before partaking in this form of training as it is very stressful on the athlete.

The key to interval training is the work-to rest ratio (work:rest). For BMX racers the work:rest ratio should be 1:3 to 1:5, the higher the intensity the longer the rest period. The reason for rest or recovery periods is to allow the body to get rid of by-products such as lactic acid that is built up in the high intensity bouts and also allows O2 to convert stored carbohydrates into energy which helps the athlete get ready for the next high intensity bout. During the rest periods, the athlete can rest completely or perform active rest which is a very low intensity activity such as slow jogging or walking. An example of an interval training session is: 15 minute warm-up, 100m sprint (work), followed by 300m of slow jogging (rest: active), repeated six times. Remember to warm-up and cool down.

The reason for me saying “BMX Racers this one is for you!”, is that one of the main benefits to interval training is enhanced anaerobic metabolism, and BMX racing is a sport which is anaerobically orientated (400 meter or longer track, when going at top speed).High intensity efforts requiring one to three minutes of performance times mainly draw energy from the Lactic Acid system (BMX race 30-45 seconds per lap!). A properly designed interval training program for these types of events (sprinting, kayak sprinting and of course BMX racing) will increase the amount of sugar stored in the muscles and develop greater efficiency for these cells to breakdown sugar, allowing the production of ATP and therefore energy. One study showed improvements in muscle oxidative potential, muscle glycogen content, and cycling time trial performance (Burgomaster et al.2005). Another study with a four week interval training program showed increases in muscle activation and total power output in trained cyclists (Creer et al. 2004). This shows the power of interval training for cyclists as a whole.

So try it in training and see if it works for you.

Daniel (Sport Scientist)

“What kind of training would a downhill mountain biker undergo to improve his vision and decision making while at high speeds?”

Answer:

All downhill mountain bikers need to develop what BMX riders term as “snap”. This term refers to ones reflexes. Reflex is the ability of an individual’s muscles to respond to the brains command. This is also known as neuromuscular control. Some people naturally have better reflexes than others, but it is possible to train.

If you have the resources to create an arena to simulate forthcoming races then you could do exactly that on a decline with obstacles and a ramp or two. Once you have mastered it then try it again, but this time faster. Once you are confidant with that particular arena then try shuffling the obstacles around, forcing you to attempt quick turns in the opposite direction you started with on the original arena. When designing your arena, bear in mind that you want to prepare and train your muscles to respond quickly after a stop or deceleration. Practice increasing your spin. “Spin” refers to the ability to turn your cranks very fast and to increase your pedal efficiency. This is where using a bike with no rear shocks (dual bike) will give you a great advantage as rear shocks dissipate the force transferred from the pedals to the wheel. Once in a while try out a BMX track. This is good for speed training and it is fun!

At least two days a week should be set aside for skill training and preferably on your recovery days as the volume and intensity of the training is not large.

By mastering a few practical technical skills, you can take a lot of pressure off you when it comes to quick decision making. These include sliding, braking (without skidding), shifting and hopping. Separate these elements and work on them independently. Learn which ones you are weak at then work on them.

Leading up to race day and on race day you should have been eating fresh healthy food enriched with carbohydrates and vitamins. Vitamins will help with your much needed concentration where preservatives and colourants will oppose this.

If you want to improve your times you must learn to not use your brakes as often. Each time you feel the urge to apply your brakes, try delaying it by a second. This can be achieved by putting all eight fingers over your handle bars as instead of your brakes. This stresses the importance of training with someone else of similar or faster speeds than you as you will continually be chasing or trying to get away from your partner. Take turns leading and you will find yourself breaking less to keep up as well as observing from behind how he/she maneuvers.

On race day you should arrive early and walk the course, deciding on lines to take. Try imagining yourself on the bike, attempting the lines. Pick two lines, in case the one does not work out, and try your lines on your bike. Spend a little time observing others on the course and see which lines they take and how it works out for them. This will help you choose the best lines before the start of the race and will avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Every downhill race is different and has its own set of challenges and the best way to improve quick decision making is through race experience.

Good luck!

References:

Dr. Vaughan. W. (2001); Douglas. M. (1999); www.dirtworld.com

Clinton Wreghitt
(Bachelor of Sport Science)

Choose YOUR Ultimate Mix of Heart Rate Zones

Heart rate is the most commonly used method of measuring training intensities. Heart rate training zones are calculated using your maximum heart rate (MHR) and resting heart rates (RHR). Subtracting your age, in years, from 220 will give you your approximate maximum heart rate. Resting heart rate should be taken upon wakening, before sitting up. Besides age, the only other two factors that reduce maximal heart rate is endurance training and heart disease.

Recent research has shown that heart rate, oxygen consumption and exercise intensity have a strong positive correlation, however there are a number of other external factors (variables) which affect heart rate. These are dehydration, humidity, temperature, altitude, training status, overtraining, being sick, time of last meal, type of exercise and competition.

Heart rate training zones most accurately measure exercises which are aerobic by nature and it is accepted that a highly aerobic trained athlete has a lower resting heart rate than the untrained. The heart is a muscle which becomes larger and more efficient with exercise. The trained athlete’s heart rate will respond quicker to the start or cessation of exercise. For example the aerobically trained athlete’s heart rate will recover quickly after a bout of exercise. This is usually recorded during the first two minutes after the exercise bout. This is a good marker of your training status. If you are over trained or untrained you will find that you do not recover well and your heart rate will remain elevated for a long duration (longer than five minutes).

You will find that before an exercise, or at the start of an exercise, your heart rate will increase slightly. This is due to the release of hormones, norepinephrine and cortizol (stress hormones), by your sympathetic nervous system. If you are over trained then your heart rate will continuously be dictated by your sympathetic nervous system, even during inactivity. This would also cause a low heart rate variability which means that the time between each heart beat is consistent, which is not a good thing. In a healthy individual the parasympathetic nervous system dominates.

The Training Zones:

The Energy Efficient Zone – 60-70% of MHR
This zone is good for your active rest days or for your recovery periods during high intensity interval training. For the overweight individuals this zone is ideal to start off with as you can exercise for longer, therefore using a great amount of calories. For the untrained individual this is a great zone to start with as it does not place too much stress on your body yet it is enough stress for initial physiological adaptation to occur.

The Aerobic Zone – 70-80% of MHR
This zone develops your cardiovascular system by improving oxygen transport to and carbon dioxide away from the functional muscles. This training zone is the start of lactic acid formation (a metabolic byproduct from using muscle glycogen). This is the ultimate training zone for those interested in weight loss.

The Anaerobic Training Zone – 80-90% of MHR
Your lactic acid threshold (the point where the body produces lactic acid faster than it can be removed) is found here as the highest amounts of lactic acid are produced in this zone. This is due to large percentages of muscle glycogen being utilized. Elite endurance athletes predominantly utilize fat as a source of energy before moving to carbohydrate stores. With the correct training in this zone your lactic acid threshold will be heightened and therefore you will have a better anaerobic threshold (increased ability to perform with larger amounts of lactic acid in your muscles), therefore endurance performance is enhanced.


The Red Line Zone – 90-100%
This zone can only be maintained for very short periods of time, inhibiting your fast twitch muscle fibers and should rarely be reached during training but rather during competition for short periods.

You will receive most benefit from training between 60-90% of your maximum heart rate. Going either way of this percentage has little benefit as far as performance is concerned.


Clinton Wreghitt
(Sport Scientist)

Surfboat Rowing Technique

Surfboat rowing is a Surf Lifesaving event which is a race from the beach to a turning buoy, which is 400 meters out to sea, and back to the beach. A surfboat consists of four oarsmen and one person that stands and steers (sweep).

Surfboat rowing technique is different to that of flat water rowing or sculling technique due to rough surf conditions, the different size and shape boat as well as the total weight of the boat which oarsmen must propel through the water. The boat with the crew and equipment weighs around 850kilograms, which is about twice the weight of a flat water rowing boat.

Flat water oarsmen row at 24 - 26 strokes per minute. A surfboat crew rows at 28 - 30 strokes per minute to reach their maximum speed on flat water and 40 strokes per minute during acceleration from a stationary position. The reason for this vast difference in stroke rates is due to the difference in boat weights and due to the difference in shape between the two boats. Sculling boats are narrow, light and glides well whilst the oars are out the water (recovery phase). The surfboat does not glide well and at full speed travels at about 16km/hour where the flat water boats reach speeds up to 27km/hour.

The Catch Phase – phase 1

Flat water oarsmen have a very fluent rowing style and are coached to reach as far forward as possible, “the catch phase”, and keep their backs at a five degree angle forward. Surfboat oarsmen should never try reach as far forward as possible (especially if the boat is still accelerating from a stand still) as this is not a powerful drive position (think of trying to squat a heavy weight as low down to the floor as possible). Shorter strokes are very powerful and are required to get the boat to planing speed. As the blade catches water, the oarsman’s arms must remain straight whilst he drives with his legs.

The Takeout Phase – phase 2

Surfboat oarsmen row with hands shoulder width apart and straighten their backs to 90 degrees immediately after the “catch phase”. 90 degrees is a strong position which ones lower back can handle better with heavier loads than it would at 85 degrees. At the “takeout phase” oarsmen’s backs are at 95 degrees for a stronger finish. Once the oarsman brings the oar handle against his sternum he must push the handle down, toward his legs, to get the blade out the water.

The Recovery Phase – phase 3

This phase begins with the oarsmen straightening his arms before returning to the catch phase by leading with his shoulders, back, and then flexing his legs whilst keeping his airway open by keeping his neck extended. The oarsman's knees must not bend until his hands have past over them. The recovery phase must not be too quick because the boat is moving at maximum speed immediately after the takeout phase, whilst everyone’s body weight is nearest to the bow. This phase allows for recovery for the oarsman’s muscles as not much work is done during this phase. Rushing this phase will increase the crews’ stroke rate and cause a bow to stern rocking movement which will negatively affect the boats speed.

The three pictures and the short video clip represent the three above phases discussed. The video clip of me doing a short bout of rowing on the ergo emphasizes good rowing technique. Notice how straight the chord stays throughout the entire rowing movement.

Clinton Wreghitt
(Sports Scientist and South African under 23 oarsman)

Response to Louise Kent’s question: How do you train proprioception for surfing?

Surfing being a sport that requires movements in all directional planes , proprioception is of significant importance.

I’m not sure if you are familiar with an Indo board (it’s a wooden board , similar in shape to a skate board which you balance on a p.v.c pipe)the board then moves from side to side while you have to balance the board with out touching the floor by becoming aware of your positioning (spatial awareness).

Another training technique you could use is:
Start on a stable surface with both feet on the ground with your eyes open , then move to single leg , eyes still open. As your balance improves progresses to eyes closed and ultimately perform the tests on an airex (unstable surface).

The goal is to not sway side to side or back and forth , ensure your feet are flat on the ground and you don’t fall.
These exercises enhance an individual’s proprioception.

Hope this answers your questions , if you should require more assistance feel free to contact us.

Wade Botha
Sport Scientist and International Surf Judge

Athlete Profile

The team managed to get hold of paddling sensation Tiffany Kruger who is turning heads in the kayaking world , or any sports she commits herself to for that matter .Tiff has been selected as a member of the 2012 Olympic kayaking squad , heres what she had to say:

Name:Tiffany – Amber Kruger
Age:22
Sponsors:Jeep, Rudi project sunglasses and Solomon Shoes
Years Paddling:6
Career highlight: Being selected for the Olympic training squad 2010

Alternate sport Solutions (A.S.S): So Tiff how did you get into paddling and what is it about the sports that keeps you interested?

Tiff:I moved to Durban at the age of 9 and my parents thought it would be a good idea to join a lifesaving club to become aware of the ocean. I joined Warnadoone lifesaving club where I moved from the junior section (nippers) into the senior division of lifesaving. I became very competitive and ski being one of the main events, I started flat water paddling (canoeing) to better my technique and improve my speed in the ocean. From there on I became interested in long distance surf ski paddling and canoeing.

What keeps me interested is the atmosphere of being out doors on a daily basis. The people that surround you are all interested in the same thing and there is a common interest. I enjoy training hard and there is always a challenge!

A.S.S: You have represented South Africa many times , something most people dream of how does it feel to have your National colours?

Tiff: I have represented South Africa a couple of times, and I have represented South Africa for 3 different sporting codes: Canoeing, Lifesaving and surf ski paddling. I feel totally honored to represent my country but it comes with hard work!

A.S.S: You have recently been selected as one of the members of the Olympic sprint kayaking squad for 2012, huge achievement, Give us a break down of your daily routine in terms of training and preparation for qualifiers?

Tiff: Everyday is long and requires lots of work. Each day consists of about 3 major sessions they are in the form of running, gym, swimming and paddling. There is a lot of cross training but as the time gets closer paddling becomes our main focus! We are closely involved with the sports science centre in Cape Town who provide us with dieticians, physios, doctors etc. We are on a daily monitoring system where they monitor us and give us feed back regarding recovery and training. Our qualifiers are next year so this year is purely for base training and experience!

A.S.S: Do you think South African paddlers receive the same amount of support(financial and training programs) as paddlers from around the world?

Tiff: In the past I would have to say no, although there has been a major turn around and CSA has put a lot in to the paddlers this year as there is major potential for an Olympic medal.

A.S.S: Are South African at the same level as the international athletes, if not what do you think is the difference?

Tiff :Yes and No, we are still learning from the international paddlers and following other training programmes, South Africa is the ideal Country for paddling as we have the opportunity to paddle all year round where other countries have to settle for cross training in their winter months. We have the opportunity to do great things and I believe we are getting there slowly.

Thanks for your time and good luck with the training!
Alternate Sports Solutions Team

Athlete Profile

The Alternate sports solution team caught up with South African Female surf star Sarah Baum who is making waves both locally and internationally!

Name: Sarah Baum
Age: 16
Sponsors: Roxy, DC shoes, Bilt surfboards, FCS
Years Surfing: 8
Career highlights? 3rd ISA world games U18. SA team 3 times.

A.S.S: So Sarah you have had a great start to 2010, placing 3rd at ISA World Junior Champs in New Zealand and then coming home and winning the Mr Price Open in Cape Town, tell us about worlds?

Sarah Baum: Worlds was a really amazing event for me. It was my 3rd time going to worlds and for the past 2 years I have always wanted to be on the podium holding the South African flag and this year my dream came true and I was really stoked to be there finally.


A.S.S: How does it feel to be the 1st girl from South Africa to ever make the finals at World Junior Champs?

Sarah Baum: To be the first girl from SA to make the final I was really happy and hopefully I will be the first to win one.


A.S.S: For the first time in history we have two girls from S.A on the World Championship Tour, what do you think this is going to do for girls surfing in S.A?

Sarah Baum: girls surfing in SA is really underestimated and hopefully Rosy and Nikita have shown people from SA to put more money in girls surfing and to believe in girls surfing.


A.S.S: How do you feel about the support for girls surfing in South Africa?

Sarah Baum: As I said girls surfing in SA is really underestimated and it is slowly growing.


A.S.S: Being an elite athlete I assume you do some sort of training, run us through what you do to better your performance?

Sarah Baum: I go to gym twice a week and train with a personal trainer and I recently started surfing training with Simmon Nicolson which I going really good for me.


A.S.S: Have you read The Core of Surfing series that has been posted on alternate Sports Solutions? What did you think of them?

Sarah Baum: I think it is really great that they are supplying us with very important stretches and exercises and they really help with my surfing.


A.S.S: Is there development in surfing in this country? are there any younger surfers boys or girls that you think could turn heads like you have , in the near future?

Sarah Baum: There are definitely some up and coming surfers in SA boys and girls and I look forward to seeing them in the future.


A.S.S :Do you sport scientists could better surfing performance?

Sarah Baum: It would be really cool to look closer at what exactly we do in the water. We can see what muscles we are using the most and build on that.



A.S.S: Where to next? What are you plans for this year?

Sarah Baum: On the 4th of May I am off the Portugal then France. The rest of the I am just training and doing as many contests as I can locally and internationally and try make a bigger name for myself.


Thanks for your time and good luck with the rest of the year hope to see three girls on the tour very soon.

Alternate Sports Solutions Team

Phosphate Loading, Release the 02 in you!

It has been widely discussed that increasing the level of phosphorous in one’s bodies, by adding sodium phosphate (“Phosphate Loading”) to one’s diet, there will be an improvement in cardiovascular and metabolic function.

Phosphate loading has been said to increase the availability of phosphate for processes such as phosphorylation and phosphocreatine synthesis, this means the body would produce more energy more efficiently. Phosphate loading also increases the synthesis of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), which aids the release of oxygen from red blood cells, this allows for greater use of oxygen in active muscles.

Very few studies have been done on phosphate loading, and the studies that have been done show mixed results. Several studies had shown an improvement in VO2 max of around 10 % and a greater time to exhaustion in exercise, whilst other studies showed no improvements.

The recommended usage of phosphate loading is 4 g of sodium, calcium and/or potassium phosphate daily suggested by David Tolson. There are no known risks related to phosphate, but this may be due to the limited research that has been done on the substance.

Phosphate loading has the ability to improve your cardiovascular response to exercise and endurance performance. This could be beneficial in sports such as cycling, adventure racing, marathon running and swimming.

So try it in training and see if it works for you.

Daniel (Sport Scientist)

Q & A!

In response to the question, what would be the most effective way to lose weight and keep the weight off, with regards to training?. The best way to lose weight in terms of training is through cardiovascular training, these are exercises such as hiking, running, swimming, and cycling on and off road, and if you enjoy working out in the gym you can work on the rowing machine, treadmill and orbitrek to name a few. The key is to enjoy the exercise you are doing so that it does not feel like a chore to lose weight, but rather a part of the day that you look forward to, this way you will exercise for longer and not drop out of your exercise program. You should be doing your cardiovascular training three times a week for 30-45 minutes a day. With busy schedules this can be difficult, so maybe try waking up early and starting your day with exercise, it might not sound great but you’ll find that you have more energy throughout the day and are in a good mood. You must remember that your diet must be healthy and maintained in order to lose weight. Eating badly will defeat the purpose of training to lose weight.

Sport Scientist

Daniel Gibson

The Core Of Surfing –Part four


This week we focus on core strength and its importance to your surfing, when one says core muscles most people automatically think stomach muscles (rectus abdomonis) , which to some extent is true but their are actually many muscles that make up your core from your deep muscles to your superficial muscles.

Your core muscles serve the purpose of balance and stability, pretty much two of the most important aspects of surfing at any level. Your core muscles also control posture.
Basically your core muscles maintain your centre of gravity (C.O.G) over a base of support , easy enough on land, but when surfing remember our centre of gravity is now moving and your base of support is unstable (liquid) challenging your balance and stability.

This is why it is so important for a surfer to have good core strength.
90% of in completed turns are due to the surfers centre of gravity moving beyond the limits of stability causing the surfer to fall (nose dive – to much weight over front of board, dig rail – putting to much weight on one rail or getting left behind- to much weight on back foot.)
Where as a surfer with good core strength will detect these position changes in the centre of gravity and subconsciously correct him/herself and bring the centre or gravity back over the base of support (within the limits of stability) and successfully complete the turn.

Your core muscles are:

· Rectus Abdominis - located along the front of the abdomen, this is the most well-known abdominal muscle and is often referred to as the "six-pack" due to it's appearance in fit and thin individuals.
· Erector Spinae- This group of three muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.
· Multifidus - located under the erector spinae along the vertebral column, these muscles extend and rotate the spine.
· External Obliques - located on the side and front of the abdomen.
· Internal Obliques - located under the external obliques, running in the opposite direction.
· Transverse Abdominis (TVA) - located under the obliques, it is the deepest of the abdominal muscles (muscles of your waist) and wraps around your spine for protection and stability. (sportsmedicine.about.com)

I can’t stress how important it is for a surfer to train their core as part of their general surf training. Attached are three photos of simple core exercises you can do 1.) Ballance on knees on gym ball. 2.)Modified bridges on the ball. 3.)Modified plank on the ball.

So after this four part series any surfer should have enough knowledge on surf training out side of the water to optimise performance.
If you still feel you need guidance or even a general training program don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wade Botha
Sport Scientist and
International Surf Judge

Dynamic stretching techniques for surfing

As requested , we have put up a few basic dynamic stretches one can do before paddling out, As dynamic stretching involves movement we felt that a video would be better than simple photos of the stretches, this is our first video blog so sit back and enjoy.

Alternate Sports Solutions Team

The Core of Surfing – Part Three


This week we focus on Flexibility , there is a lot to take in on flexibility and core strength so I thought I would separate them and put up a post about core strength in a fourth part next week

Flexibility

Every surfer knows (or should know) how important flexibility is to their surfing , not only does increased flexibility minimize the risk of injury but it facilitates your body through your turns , lay backs especially or when squeezing into a tight barrel.

Like any form of exercise stretching needs to be done prior to commencement of the activity. I have just returned from the first South African PST (pro surf tour) event in Cape town and I was shocked to see how little of the competitors actually stretched before their heats , this was even more shocking considering they were competing in the cold Atlantic ocean ,cold reduces flexibility and thus increases the chance of injury .Considering how many times a surfers muscle contract and stretch and the quick explosive muscular contraction performed to turn the surf board , it is highly important to warm up and stretch before you surf.

How you ask? Pre surf stretching should be dynamic opposed to the traditional static way of stretching (stretch and hold for 10 – 30 seconds) , dynamic stretching is an active form of stretching which consists of controlled swinging movements of the arms and legs to gradually take you to the limits of your range of motion, there are no bouncy or jerky movements. Dynamic stretching is useful for active aerobic warm ups .A very functional type of stretching, which imitates of emphasizes the movements of the activity to come. Dynamic stretching increases the temperature in the muscle (“warm up”) and increases the athletes range of motion.

Important muscles to stretch for surfing:

Rotator cuff muscles (muscles found in the shoulder)
Upper and lower back
Biceps and triceps
Pectoral muscles ( chest)
Obliques
Glut muscles (buttocks muscles)
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Gastroconemius (calf muscle)
Ankle
After a surf or a day of surfing static stretching can be performed to relax the muscles and remove waste products as well as to improve flexibility , stretch to an end position and hold the stretch for 30 seconds , static stretching does improve range of motion (flexibility).
Yoga is an excellent form of flexibilty training for surfers , this should be added to your daily schedule ther are various dvd's out there with yoga exercises for surfers (Yoga for surfers Vol 1-3 , as well as Taylor Knox has his own set of surfers exercises dvd's out which cover flexibility and yoga.)

References:
Stretching and Flexibility - Types of Stretching by Brad Appleton
Essentials of strength training and conditioning by T.R. Baechle and R.W. Earle

Wade Botha
Sport Scientist
International Surf Judge

“Am I Overtraining?”

There is a fine line that divides a good training program, which applies an appropriate amount of stress on the body to allow for physical adaptation to take place, from a program which will push an athlete over the edge resulting in “burning out”. According to T.R. Baechle and R.W.Earle (The Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning) overtraining can be defined as excessive frequency, intensity or volume of training which leads to illness, extreme fatigue or injury. Basically it is a result of weeks of pushing the body’s physiological boundaries. Athletes that are most susceptible to overtraining are endurance type athletes.

Causes of overtraining:

• Your program: The factors which cause overtraining are lack of rest or recovery. If your training program increases volume, intensity or duration too quickly then you are highly susceptible to becoming burnt out. When designing a training program it is very important to remember that we must give our body’s sufficient time to adapt to the current training stressors before increasing the loads. Typically an endurance athlete has five to fourteen training sessions a week and accumulates 800-1000 training hours in a year. Only 20% of that time should be spent in a heart rate training zone of greater than 80%, otherwise the athlete has a high chance of falling victim to overtraining.
  
• Nutrition: It is essential that athletes have large amounts of post exercise carbohydrates and energy to replenish the body’s glycogen stores. The less time your body spends depleted of these energy stores, the less chance you have of burning out.
  The average individual that is training more than five days per week should be having between 3000 – 3500 calories per day. Calories are units which express the amount of food you are having. These 3000 calories are made up of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Ideally your daily meals should be comprised of 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein and 30% fat; however, everybody’s recommended daily caloric intake differs according to their size and the amount of exercise done from week to week. To calculate your own recommended daily caloric intake visit the following site: www.calculators.hpathy.com/calories-need.asp
  
• Recovery: To minimize the risk of overtraining, you should include at least one rest day per week and one recovery week for every four weeks of hard training during the climax of your training program. Your recovery week must include similar training frequencies (number of training sessions) but of lower intensities. It is vital that you are getting at least seven hours sleep a day.
  
  International travel, lack of sleep and personal life stressors accelerate the overtraining process.
  
  Markers of Overtraining:
  
  Emotional and behavioral changes
  
  
• Mood disturbances – anger, depression or irritability
• Sleeping disturbances – falling asleep easily, waking up abruptly and finding yourself taking a nap later in the morning are signs associated with overtraining
• Prolonged general fatigue- occurs throughout the day
• Athlete does not look forward to competitions
• The athlete cannot progress in his/her training program
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of libido
• Increased fluid consumption at night
  
  Physical changes
  
  
• Heart rate – if an athlete takes longer than five minutes to reach his resting heart rate after exercise. Resting heart rate (taken upon wakening, before getting out of bed) has increased by 10% for several days in a row. A rise in the athletes sleeping heart rate and a rise in heart rate for particular exercise is a sign of over training
• Physical complaints- diarrhea, a sore throat and sore muscles are signs of overtraining and the athlete finds that he/she keeps on getting ill. This is because the immune system is weakened in the over trained individual.
• Gradual loss of weight
• Loss in menstruation in women
• Decreased physical performance
  
  Tests:
  
  Hormones: Exercise laboratories can conduct tests where they collect blood or saliva samples and look for unusual ratios of particular hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and cortizol.
  Blood lactate: Concentrations are tested during and after maximal exercise. This also shows whether or not an athlete is over trained.
  Nervous system: Heart rate variability (the time measured between each heart beat) is recorded. The time between beats in a fit and healthy individual does vary during exercise, where an individual who is burnt out will have consistent times between each heart beat.
  Questionnaire: Owen Anderson uses a short questionnaire to monitor performance status of the athletes. Each morning the athlete assesses themselves against the following six questions:
  
• I slept well last night
• I am looking forward to today's workout
• I am optimistic about my future performance
• I feel vigorous and energetic
• My appetite is great I have little muscle soreness
  

They rate each statement on the following scale:
1 - Strongly disagree
2 - Disagree
3 - Neutral
4 - Agree
5 - Strongly agree
If their score is 20 or greater then they have recovered enough to continue with the training program. If their score is below 20 then they should consider taking a rest or an easy workout until their score rises again.

Treatment:

An over trained athlete needs to take three to six weeks off training and pay special attention to his/her diet. If overtraining occurs within the athletes in season (the competitive phase) then the athlete must train at 70% of his maximal heart rate [(220 – age) X (0.7)] but doing a sport other to the one concerned. For example, if a canoeist has burnt out then he/she should put the canoe away for three to six weeks and include running or/and swimming into the training program. To summarise- a training program should make you train, not strain.

Clinton
Sport Scientist

The Core of Surfing – Part 2

This week’s focus is on anaerobic / Plyometric training for surfers.

Surfing is comprised of various functional movements (bottom turn, top turn, cut back, boosting ect.) which require a high rate of muscular contraction.
The effiency of these movements is determined by two factors:

• Proper function of the muscles / muscle groups.
• Speed at which the muscular forces are used.

This force-speed relationship is termed as power; power is a crucial element to top level competitive surfing – (speed, power, flow – taken from the 2010 Asp Judging Criteria.)

Plyometric training is anaerobic in nature and is known for increasing the production of muscle force.

“During Plyometric exercise the muscle spindles are stimulated by a rapid stretch causing a reflexive muscle action, this reflexive response increases the activity in the agonist muscle (the prime mover, main muscle involved in the movement.)and increase the force produced by the muscle” – Essentials of strength training and conditioning – T.R Baechle & R.W Earle.

Which for the surfer means the muscle is pre loaded or spring loaded. And can contract more explosively , making your turns bigger, faster and more powerful as well as helping you muscles deal with the impact on landing from a big turn , close out re-entry or a floater. But Plyometric training benefits more than just your wave riding, it helps with your short explosive bursts of paddling to catch waves and your jump up to your feet, there fore both upper body and lower body Plyometric training should be included in to your program.


Plyometric exercise examples:

1.) Split Squat Jumps – start in the lunge position, explosively jump up using you arms to assist the movement. On landing return to the lunge position and immediately begin the movement again.

10 repetitions after each set rest and then repeat with your other foot forward.

2.) Double leg zigzag hop’s – ten cones set out 60 cm apart in a zigzag pattern, Start with feet shoulder width apart, start on outside of the first cone explode and jump diagonally across to the out side of the 2nd cone and so one in a zigzag movement until the 10th cone, remembering to keep your shoulders and hips facing forward at all times.

3.) Lateral cone hop’s – Start on the right hand side of the cone, using a double leg hop jump over the cone from side to side for 30 seconds using hip and knee flexion , keeping shoulders and hips facing forward .A double arm upward swing can be used to assist the movement.


These are just three examples from a long list of exercises both upper and lower body. For more examples that you could use, contact the alternate sports solutions team and we will gladly assist.

Next week’s focus will be on Core training and Flexibility.

Wade Botha
Sport Scientist
International Surfing Judge

Sodium Bicarbonate, get rid of the Burn!

This is the first of a number of blogs that will be focused on supplementation. There are a number of supplements that can aid in one’s performance that are either not known or neglected, which we would like to shed some light on, and help you better your individual performances. This week Sodium Bicarbonate is under the spot light.

During high intensity bouts of exercise, such as a BMX race or Kayak sprints, your muscle’s produce lactic acid from carbohydrates in order to keep up with the energy demand that is required to partake in such an event at maximal level. The build up of lactic acid in the muscle is one cause responsible for fatigue (the burning sensation felt in the muscle). By reducing or buffering the lactic acid build up in the muscle, the effects and symptoms of fatigue should be reduced therefore allowing the athlete to push harder for longer.

Sodium Bicarbonate has been used as a way to combat indigestion for many years, but not many people know about its ability to neutralize the effects of lactic acid. You may remember an experiment in school, were Sodium Bicarbonate was used to neutralize (pH.7) Hydrochloric acid. Well, the same process is occurring in the muscles, sodium bicarbonate increases the extracellular pH of the blood which then increases the transport of lactic acid out of the muscle. As a result the H ions which cause the acidity in the muscle are reduced (neutralizing the pH level in the muscle), and the effects and symptoms of fatigue are reduced, and improving the performance of athletes’ involved in high intensity anaerobic sports.

Dosage is crucial in “bicarbonate loading”, if done insufficiently little to no benefits may be seen. And if over done, gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhoea, cramping, and bloating can be experienced. Long term use of “bicarbonate loading” can also cause more permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract if over done. Sodium Citrate is a substance that has the same benefits as sodium bicarbonate, but does not have the negative effects the sodium bicarbonate has. Research on Sodium Citrate is minimal, but does show that it takes longer for the effects to kick in; therefore earlier loading of the substance is needed.

Research shows that the correct dosage for “Bicarbonate loading” and “Citrate loading” should be 0.3-0.4g per kg of body weight (eg. 70kg person should take 21g), taken with 0.5L-1.5L of water. In most studies undertaken athletes ingested the substance 60-90 minutes before activity.

The full benefits of “Bicarbonate loading” have been seen in a study by D.L.Costill et al, 1984, “Acid-Base balance during repeated bouts of exercise: Influence of HCO3”. In the study cyclists performed five all-out sprint cycling bouts each lasting 1 minute, before and after ingesting sodium bicarbonate. Results showed a 42% improvement in performance after ingesting sodium bicarbonate. This shows the potential of the underrated substance.
So try it in training and see if it works for you.
Daniel (Sport Scientist)

The Core of Surfing: Part One

This is a three part series aimed at improving your surfing performance through training done out side the surf.

Surfing over the past few years has be come more recognized as a sport and a professional sport than a recreational past time as it was viewed in the past.
A recent study conducted on surfers by David Bishop (Physiological Aspects of Surfboard Riding Performance) has shown that 40 -50 % of the total time spent surfing is spent paddling and only 4 -5 % is actually wave ridding, which re-enforces the idea that surfers need to partake in some type of cross training if they wish to perform at the top of their game.

Surfing as a sport is both Aerobic (long paddles back to the take off zone.) and anaerobic (the actual wave riding and short explosive bursts of paddling to catch the waves.) So the type of training a surfer should be doing can be broken down into various areas:

1. Aerobic /cardio Training
2. Anaerobic /explosive training
3. Core Training
4. Flexibility

These areas will be covered over the next three weeks.

1.) Aerobic /cardio Training
This type of training would be your general cardio vascular training; to increase your all round fitness, making those long paddles up the point or back to the take off zone as well as paddling out in bigger surf easier. Cardio vascular training increases your aerobic fitness which increase the amount of oxygen being delivered to you exercising muscles as well as you major organs , which results in a greater resistance to fatigue , which means you will be out in the water for longer.

Some examples of this type of training:

Swimming- an excellent form of cross training for surfing as it’s a similar action to actual paddling and similar muscle groups are used (in the pool or sea). Swimming training as a means of cross training could be done by swimming 1km (40 lengths) but not monotonous length after length , but rather by doing , just arms and just legs incorporating the kicker board as well as an individual medley's, one arm strokes and treading .Or by simply breaking it up in to more manageable bouts ,e.g 10 lengths with a rest in between. The exercise intensity should be 60-80%.

Running & Cycling- great for your cardio fitness and increasing your oxygen efficiency .prescribed amount of this type of cardio would be approximately 20 - 30 minutes.

Equipment in the gym that could be used : Treadmill , exercise bike ,orbitrek (air walker) and rowing machine.

This training should be combined with you general training program and done 3-5 times a week for optimal results.

Next week’s focus is on anaerobic and core training.

Wade

Sport Scientist

and international surfing judge

The Authors

We have all recently graduated with a degree in Bachelor Of Sport Science and are currently persuing our Honours in Exercise science , this blog is aimed at informing the general public with new research , latest finding and training methods in the alternate sporting codes. Feel free to ask questions and comment on our posts. Watch this space!