By Halee Olson and Ben Durbin with Premier Athlete Training
If you find yourself leaning toward ‘nay,’ there’s a study from Brigham Young University that might change your mind.
The study:
Many athletes and coaches have a distaste for strength training on game days because they believe it hinders the athlete’s physical and mental performances.
In an effort to confirm or deny that notion, Anthony Loren Clah, author of the BYU study, conducted research on 16 male collegiate baseball players. After comparing and contrasting the team’s bat swing velocities on non-lifting and lifting days, the study found that same-day strength training followed by a recovery period had a positive effect on bat swing velocity when coupled with a pre-season strength training program.
This suggests that when routine strength-training sessions and baseball games fall on the same day, athletes can participate in their regularly scheduled strength-training session if they follow it with adequate recovery time. It also suggests that strength training on game days may increase bat swing peak velocity, which ultimately has a positive effect on the athlete’s performance.
Recovery period:
To reap the benefits of same-day strength training, there should be a a recovery period following the training.
According to the BYU study, fatigue is known to happen after high intensity work when the carbohydrate stores and creatine phosphate (CP) are depleted in the working muscle. Repletion will occur in a timed sequence, and the athlete’s body will require less time to recuperate the more they are properly trained.
Pre-season strength training:
A year-round program is key to successful strength training because it allows endurance and power to remain consistent.
When an athlete begins a regimen or takes time off, there is an opportunity for muscle fatigue and/or soreness. However, muscles will adapt to a workload over time which allows the workout to be completed quickly and with less exertion, ultimately resulting in a faster energy recovery.
If you do it properly, same-day strength training is nothing to be afraid of. It might even enhance your game day performance.
Premier Athlete Training offers on-site strength training and personalized consultations to help you reach your maximum potential and enhance athletic performance. Reach out to us if you want to learn more about same-day strength training.
Visit our sports performance training facility today.
premierathletetraining.com
5820 W Lincoln Way, Suite 104
Ames, Iowa 50014
(515) 290-2145
