Rugby Fitness Question

columok

I'm gonna speak in terms of energy pathways so apologies if my lingo isn't up to scratch.

Playing rugby I find my ATP pathway fairly decent in that I can perform high intensity activities repeatedly. I do feel however that my medium intensity (glycogenic) systems could be improved upon. A few questions therefore.

When training medium intensity do you start off at high intensity and drop off into medium (by necessity) or should the activities that you're doing be consistently glycogenic intensity equivalent? Would the former work both systems?

So for example a full pitch sprint- obviously starts at 100% (ATP) but after a certain time interval (8 seconds) dips in intensity (glycogenic). Is this preferable than staying at the one intensity?

Also does the use of sports drinks lessen or improve the quality of medium intensity training? Does more glycogen in the muscles (from glucose/maltodextrin) make your system lazier or is it essential to get the most out of your session?

Sorry for the rambling incoherence. It's very early in the morning (figuratively)

Transform

ATP is not an energy pathway its a form of energy used to power the muscles.

There are 3 pathways used in the body to produce energy.

CP, LA, and oxidative.

Your training should consist of a varience of the three pathways with emphasis on the first and recovery work done using the last pathway.

sports drinks can help but no better than a banana and water.

Finally, its best to keep the technical terms out of training talk.

columok

Thanks for the clarification Transform. There's a geeky engineer somewhere in my past that feels a need to understand the technical side of things.

So to follow on- if I'm doing a lot of high and medium intensity training will glucose in my system hinder my body improving it's efficiency or is it a basic necessity (whether it's from a banana or sports drink).

Sorry if it's a silly question.

Leon11

columok wrote: »

So for example a full pitch sprint- obviously starts at 100% (ATP) but after a certain time interval (8 seconds) dips in intensity (glycogenic). Is this preferable than staying at the one intensity?

To be honest the best approach to take is in pre season is to build up your ability to develop top line speed. Top line speed is the duration you can reach maximal speed and keep that speed for. I don't really understand what you mean by saying is this better than staying at one intensity, surely during a game you bust your ass as much as your body will allow you to.

Also does the use of sports drinks lessen or improve the quality of medium intensity training? Does more glycogen in the muscles (from glucose/maltodextrin) make your system lazier or is it essential to get the most out of your session?

Sports drinks have their place in very small quantities, ie a small gulp every 15-20mins can do your body good to fuel it during a game. I don't think that a banana is something that's a viable option during a game, pre game and half time yes.

They certainly don't make your body lazier in any sense in my opinion, you can drink 20bottles of lucozade during a game if you want but if you haven't got that will or motivation to smash into a ruck, take a ball on, run a line or chase down a kick that drink is gonna do sweet feck all for ya!;)

To be honest man just keep it simple and keep pushing till no longer possible!:D

columok

To be honest the best approach to take is in pre season is to build up your ability to develop top line speed. Top line speed is the duration you can reach maximal speed and keep that speed for. I don't really understand what you mean by saying is this better than staying at one intensity, surely during a game you bust your ass as much as your body will allow you to.

Definately agree with you about it being constantly go go go. Basically I did a fitness test when I used to live in Scotland with the result being that I have a body that behaves more like a sprinters and less like a marathon runners. Basic gist being that years of rugby, martial arts, MMA etc. meant that I always have gas in the tank for explosive exertion but my base mid-low level endurance is poor.

Now obviously back then I wasn't playing rugby so obviously I have more gas in the tank for that kind of thing. So it being mid-end of season I'm looking at improving my mid intensity gas (As in getting places asap). I play 6 so I'd be reasonably mobile. I recognise the futility of long slow runs for my position but I also recognise that to train the high intensity (creatine phosphate?) pathways only you need some crazy 1:4 work to rest ratios.

Therefore I was wondering if I just want to improve my bodies ability to do medium intensity work then should I hit that intensity through failure (as in my sprint turns into a fast run) or through a consistent from beginning to end 70% effort.

Basic gist: I'm doing the work so want to maximise the results.

Leon11

Intensity through failure seems to work if your coming back into fitness, I don't know bout your playing schedule at the moment but if your playing week in week out you just generally adapt and after 3 full games I'd say you'd be at full match fitness. If your returning from injury or just gone back to the game mid season your best bet is to get as much game time as possible as possible and in addition to any team training get in 2 days aerobic work in the local park. Do a set of 12x100m sprints at say a 20sec pace with a 30sec break in between and then take a 3minute rest. Repeat the set another 2 times and you should be able to get that around the field fitness that your talking about.

edit: the idea of the sprints is that you pace yourself rather than going all out on each one. If you decide to them it's also a good idea to knock the rest period down by a couple of seconds each week too. A months work at those sprints to supplement your other trainings should be all you need, although the majority of the AIL and provincial leagues finish near the end of march/start of april!

Colm_OReilly

Colum,

Are you still on gmail? I have an article for you that might be interesting.

Col

columok

Thanks Leon that's very helpful.

Riley, I am indeed on gmail. Would appreciate the read!