With the popularity of the sport increasing over the years, and more people taking to the road due to the restrictive measures of the coronavirus pandemic, complimenting your training with the right ammunition is pivotal from a performance, and injury prevention standpoint. Gone are the days where the endurance athlete would deliberate about incorporating S&C into their regime. The science has evolved, with athletes continuously modifying training methods, equipment and nutrition strategies to get those percentage gains in performance. The modern day athlete is strong, robust, and mobile from head to toe, able to withstand the demands of the sport.
On paper, three different sports may feel like a programming conundrum, but there’s plenty of carryover from one discipline to the next. Having worked in the endurance field for some time now, helping athletes train for ultra distance races, and half & full ironman distances, here’s a little insight into some S&C considerations for each of the disciplines.
The Swim
The swim requires an athlete to be mobile through the shoulder, hip and ankle region. Range of motion, strength within that range, and technique will provide all the ammo for success in the water. The mid back (thoracic spine), and shoulder region need to be able to permit good overhead range. Given the relationship between thoracic extension, scapula orientation and shoulder flexion, keeping the spine mobile, and shoulder girdle stable and strong, are key parts of any intervention.
Propulsion in the water is gained via shoulder, hip and ankle extension (the ol’ triple extension). The lats, one of their primary roles is to extend, and internally rotate the shoulder, making them a key muscle group for providing power in water. Using a combination of vertical and horizontal pulling exercises, both bilateral and unilateral should be considered. Counteracting the high volume of shoulder internal rotation with external rotation – operation keep the rotator cuff content. An internal/external rotation imbalance is known to be one of the main contributors towards swimmers shoulder, so consideration should go into external rotation drills to enable the rotator to keep up with the demands of the water.
Much like with any overhead sport, the core plays a key role with the transfer of power, linking the movement of the arms, with the kick and rotation of the body. The diaphragm (main muscle for breathing), alongside other muscles within the core, has a direct impact on how they work in conjunction with one another. Can the athlete maintain the necessary tension throughout the stroke to enable an efficient transfer through the body. Much like in many other sports, the ability to create tension, resist excessive rotation, but also rotate are essential here.
The Bike
The duration in the saddle can prove to be taxing feat for some. The extensive flexion experienced from time in the saddle can cause havoc on the lumbo-pelvic, mid back and shoulder region. Extensive flexion moments, over time, can cause alterations in posture and pelvic orientation. Consideration should go into counteracting such positions to ensure that the shoulder, and hip region function in the desired manner – shoulder flexion for swimming, and hip extension for running.
Throughout the power phase, the quads and glutes work in tandem to help produce the greatest amount of force. The calves assist with the drive, not so much on the power front, but helping stabilise the lower leg to enable an efficient transfer of force generated by the upper leg to the pedal. The hamstrings, great products of speed, but their main role here is to assist more with knee flexion during the recovery phase. They’re by no means primary force creators, but being able to use them correctly is a vital part of the pedal stroke.
The upper body plays a crucial role in providing a solid base for the legs to go to work. The trunk is responsible for stabilising the spine ,and maintaining posture while on the bike. The surrounding musculature; erectors, lats (again) and core provide a platform for preventing rotation, and contralateral (opposing side) torque during the power phase. Once again, preventing excessive rotation, but also lateral flexion are some of the elements associated with energy leakage.
The Run
The high impact nature of running requires an athlete to be resilient, and able to withstand the forces acting on the body with each stride. Some of the key ingredients here are intramuscular coordination, joint position (resulting muscle function), and elastic energy storage and technique. The hamstrings, mighty producers of force over short distances, but their function over long distances is somewhat different. One of their main functions is to assist with hip extension during the toe off phase, but they also assist with stabilising the knee upon contact, transferring energy during recovery, and generating force at push off.
The other main hip extensor that assists with stabilisation upon impact, and propulsion at toe off is the glutes – the part of the body we need & want to function well. Muscle function is dictated by joint position. Being able to access the desired hip extension needed at toe off requires sound hip mobility. Time in saddle, and time accumulated at the desk can be on one of the main contributors towards undesirable hip mechanics from an S&C standpoint. The glutes also have a greater ratio of slow to fast twitch fibres in comparison to the hamstrings and quads, making them keepers when it comes to endurance. Another valid reason for trying to get to grips with using them effectively, not only on the run, but also on the bike.
The foot and ankle complex – the first point of contact during stance phase, and arguably one of the more important areas from an injury prevention standpoint. These distal segments of the lower limb have many bones, ligament and tendons, and are expected to tolerate high initial impact forces. How the foot and ankle functions can have a profound effect on performance. Dorsiflexion, supination, pronation, and big toe extension all play key roles in storing elastic energy, and connecting with the extensor chain to provide propulsion forward. The surrounding musculature e.g. gastrocnemius and soleus require high levels of strength, able to cope with the isometric demands needed during mid stance to efficiently store and release energy from the achilles tendon. The inclusion of plyometrics can help fine tune sequencing, and stretch shortening cycle abilities needed for running, providing useful carryover to economy and performance.
Lastly, the trunk, much like with the swimming assists with the transfer of energy from the lower to upper, and vice versa. When you run, a line of energy runs through the entire body. Upon contact, such forces attempt to rotate the trunk and leg inward. Enter counter rotation – a key component for enabling the body to carry out a smooth trajectory forward. Can the trunk prevent excessive rotation, but also rotate? Can you trunk remain upright, and resist excessive lateral flexion?
More Food For Thought
Given the cyclical nature of the sport, semi unilateral, and unilateral exercises of the lower extremity tend to be favoured due to their specificity, superiority at ironing out imbalances, and bilateral limb deficits. But, that doesn’t mean bilateral work is futile. Although the specificity might not be able to match that of unilateral training, the force production benefits of bilateral training are unquestionable. More force, and higher rate of force development equates to an improved economy, so consideration should go into force velocity specifics in the inclusion criteria. Ratio of bilateral to unilateral, when to include, and duration of inclusion can depend on the individual, and where they are in the season. Consideration should also go into when to push the intensity, and when to pull. The periodisation will often be dictated by concurrent demands, and where the female athlete is in their menstrual cycle – the most natural form of periodisation there is.
