Making Sense of Recovery -
the missing link to optimal performance
The quality of recovery and the quality of sleep are often the forgotten components of a fitness programme despite them being essential in maximising performance. Modern day sporting professionals have significant demands on their time, with personal appearances and other activities being part-and-parcel of this world. The weekend warriors have similar constraints on their time and are often struggling to fit their dose of exercise/training/practice in the week.
As the interval between performing gets shorter and shorter the notion of recovery is taking on increasing significance. Optima-life using Firstbeat SPORTS is able to analyse how your body is reacting, determine what recovery is being made and when this is happening. The analysis will show whether a player is meeting the goals of a training session and whether the body is making sufficient recovery to accept and cope with further demands.
Firstbeat SPORTS will help to inform the trainer and athlete as to when and how hard to train as it is able to indicate how well the athlete has recovered from previous workloads.
Benefits for the coach
- Allows you to determine whether an athlete is under-training/over-training
- You can make changes to the week’s programme based on objective data
- You can learn how different daily routines enhance or inhibit recovery
- Allows you to make critical coaching/training decisions with increased confidence
Benefits for the athlete
- Ability to reach training goals
- Highlights the need to gain good recovery
- Allows you to evaluate your training and recovery strategies
The Recovery Test and Daily Stress Analysis
The following charts are easy to produce and are fully formatted within the Firstbeat software. They indicate what is happening and when it is happening – information that will be of value to the coach and athlete!
How is Firstbeat different to heart rate monitors and other methods of detecting fatigue?
- This system measures heart rate variability as opposed to merely heart rate, giving a clear indication of recovery, exercise and other stressors!
- The belt is worn over a meaningful period of time and is more than just a snapshot in isolation.
- Physiological recovery during sleep can be analysed
- Adding physiology to subjective questioning and matching to diarised events will give you the FULL picture.
