Rest for Optimum Performance. Really?

Toughness, discipline and dedication - all things to be admired in any facet of life. In an exercise or workout regime, whether it be for a recreational or elite athlete, the element of “rest” is just as important as the quality, type and duration of the workouts. Not getting enough or the right type of rest can result in hitting a plateau, mental and physical burnout, chronic fatigue or injury - all signs of physical and psychological overtraining.



The muscles, energy systems and mind need time to rebuild, regenerate and refuel, and these systems do their work while the body is at rest (and sleep), not while at training. There is no magic number to assign to how much rest is required as it’s as varied as the person and type of workouts. What works for one person will not necessarily work for the next, no matter if the activity is aerobic or anaerobic. There is no shame in the aspect and importance of rest and it is not a sign of defeat. The very qualities of dedication towards a training program are the same ones that produce the biggest feeling of guilt that one experiences when they take a day off and rest.

Finding what the body needs for optimum performance and results is key to preventing negative aspects that affect motivation and the ability to continue to work out. No matter what the goals are - Olympic champion, weight loss or overall health and fitness - rest and recovery is an essential part of improving sport performance (immediate recovery from intense training or long term recovery for year round training schedules.) High-level athletes especially need to realize that the greater the training intensity and effort, the greater the need for planned recovery. For all however, monitoring workouts, paying attention to how the body feels and the mind is motivated, are all helpful components in determining recovery needs and program modification. So rest guilt-free. It will do the mind, body and soul good!



SIRC’s newsletter this month is all about overtraining, burn out, chronic fatigue and overuse injuries, where excellent resources for all fitness and interest levels can be found.

The view is better at the top of the hill

Walter Payton, nicknamed Sweetness, was one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game of football. During his off-season conditioning he used to run up a hill simply dubbed “The Hill.” The Hill was about 50 to 60 yards with a very steep incline described by Walter as “a goal setter or a will maker”. During his 13-year National Football League (NFL) career, he was a two time MVP and a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl winning team. By the time he retired, he was the all time rushing record holder with 16,726 yards including the single game rushing record of 275 yards.

Hill running should be in the repertoire of all athletes who want to build strength, speed, and endurance. Not only do hills improve your running economy, they are an excellent form of resistance training, which can strengthen your hips and legs.

A recent study from Auckland University of Technology found that after 6 weeks of hill training, runners improved their 5km times by about 2%. For an individual who runs an eighteen-minute 5km, they can improve their time by about 21 seconds simply by adding hills to their training once or twice a week.

When attacking a hill, make sure you have high knee lift, shorten your stride and always look up, not down, at your legs.

When deciding to do hill training, you should consider the type of hill you are running and what the purpose of each hill is. 

• Short sprint hills take about 15 to 30 seconds. The idea in running short hills is to power your way to the top, making sure you have proper technique and working on your speed. Short sprint hills work more on the anaerobic system.
• Medium hills take between 30 and 90 seconds to run and work both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. The purpose of a medium hill is to train your body to tolerate lactic acid build up while maintaining both form and pace.
• Long hills usually take you about 90 seconds or longer and mostly benefit the aerobic system. The purpose of these hills is to build stamina, improve running economy and develop mental toughness.

Running over rolling, hilly terrain is a great way to encompass all three forms of hills mentioned above. Rolling hills are a perfect way to introduce your body to running hills. Using hilly ground mimics road racing or cross country racing.

The 1968 Mexico Olympics 1500 meters gold medalist Kip Keino described hill workouts as “very important before we started doing track workouts.” Hill training improves your running economy, incorporates resistance training and for most it builds mental toughness. Any athlete who aspires to be great should consider hill training as part of their regular training or off-season conditioning, as even the greatest athletes understand hill training builds speed, strength and endurance.

References from the SIRC Collection: 

1. Just for the hill of it. Running & Fitnews. November 2002;20(9):3. 

2. Kauppinen T. Why Every Football Player Should Be Put on Hill Sprints. Coach & Athletic Director. September 2007;77(2):40-41. 

3. Laurendet P. Hill Training. Modern Athlete & Coach. October 2010;48(4):31-32. 

4. Lieberman B. HILL WORK AN EQUINE BODYBUILDING SECRET. Equus. July 2009;(382):42-47. 

5. Mueller G. ASK THE COACH: BIKE TRAINING. Triathlon Life. Spring2012 2012;15(2):28-29. 

6. Running Hills, Options and Benefits Abound. Running & Fitnews. May 2009;27(3):5-6.

7. Russ M. HIT THE HILLS FOR A TRAINING BOOST. Triathlon Life. Spring2011 2011;14(2):34-35. 

Response and adaptation to training and exercise

When getting back to the grind after a good break from a long season, or when at the beginning of a new training or exercise routine, the body usually feels sore. For seasoned veterans, early season training feels very challenging; lets face it, getting back into shape can feel like a daunting task. For those trying a new training regime or a new sport, the new movements will leave you a little sore. This soreness is called delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS. However as you continue to exercise, the body will respond and begin to adapt to the different stimulus, allowing you to increase intensity and be more efficient.

As your body is introduced to a new stimulus or reintroduced to a stimulus, damage occurs to muscle fibers. These small tears may be what causes the decrease in muscle function, tenderness and swelling in certain areas felt 8 to 72 hours after exercise. There is no need to worry. As the muscle fibers begin to repair themselves, you will be able to handle the workload much better. Your body will respond and begin to adapt to the training or activity.

The ability of the body to respond to a new stimulus and adapt to these demands is what allows us to exercise and improve fitness. There are two kinds of responses to physical exercise or training:

1. Acute response is an immediate response to exercise, lasting for the duration of the exercise or training session. This could include changes in the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems depending on the intensity and duration. 
2. Chronic adaptation refers to long term changes, over 6 or more weeks, that occur during exercise and can include improved cardiovascular adaptation, respiratory adaptation, muscle tissue adaptation to aerobic training, cardiac hypertrophy, muscular hypertrophy and increased muscle stores.

Some people quit the activity due to the pain and soreness that occurs hours after exercising. The feeling of soreness is only temporary and, after a few days of recovery before going back to the activity, the muscles will be more resilient and less damage will occur. As you continue to exercise, the muscles will adapt to the stress; this is known as repeated bout effect. Essentially for the soreness to go away and for you to get any long-term benefits from your exercise, the exercise has to be repeated over and over again. If you decided to play basketball once every three weeks as opposed to once every three days, every time you play you are most likely to feel sore. Thus playing every three days allows you to adapt and improve fitness steadily.

Every acute response and chronic adaptation reaction depends on the stimulus you put your body through. Your body will respond differently to activities such as running and cycling (endurance training) than it will from lifting weights or resistance training. Soreness after the first day is usually a sign of DOMS and with good recovery you should be able to do the same movements in a few days with less pain. In the long term you should be able to increase intensity and duration as the body responds and adapts.


References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Carpinelli R. DOES THE SEQUENCE OF EXERCISE IN A RESISTANCE TRAINING SESSION AFFECT STRENGTH GAINS AND MUSCULAR HYPERTROPHY? A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE. Medicina Sportiva. April 2013;17(1):40-53.

2. de Salles B, Simão R, Miranda F, da Silva Novaes J, Lemos A, Willardson J. Rest Interval between Sets in Strength Training. Sports Medicine. September 2009;39(9):765-777.

3. Fernandez-Gonzalo R, Bresciani G, de Paz J, et al. Effects of a 4-week eccentric training program on the repeated bout effect in young active women. Journal Of Sports Science & Medicine. December 2011;10(4):692-699.

4. Hawley J. Adaptations Of Skeletal Muscle To Prolonged, Intense Endurance Training. Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology [serial online]. March 2002;29(3):218-222.

5. Olsen O, Sjøhaug M, van Beekvelt M, Mork P. The Effect of Warm-Up and Cool-Down Exercise on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in the Quadriceps Muscle: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal Of Human Kinetics. December 2012;35:59-68.

6. Starbuck C, Eston R. Exercise-induced muscle damage and the repeated bout effect: evidence for cross transfer. European Journal Of Applied Physiology. March 2012;112(3):1005-1013.

7. Steele J, Fisher J, McGuff D, Bruce-Low S, Smith D. Resistance Training to Momentary Muscular Failure Improves Cardiovascular Fitness in Humans: A Review of Acute Physiological Responses and Chronic Physiological Adaptations. Journal Of Exercise Physiology Online. June 2012;15(3):53-80.

8. Walker S, Ahtiainen J, Häkkinen K. Acute neuromuscular and hormonal responses during contrast loading: Effect of 11 weeks of contrast training. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine & Science In Sports. April 2010;20(2):226-234.