Coaching views from 2013 coaches conference

Being a rowing coach is more than just about giving instruction to athletes in boats. They are required to have a vast knowledge spanning many topics. Tallinn’s presentations touched on many topics that are key for today’s top coaches. To follow is a summary of some of the discussions.

Age related changes in skeletal muscle – Teet Seene
Teet Seene of the University of Tartu (EST) presented on one of the key factors in strength; skeletal muscle and how it changes over a lifetime. Skeletal muscular development begins before birth. When a baby is born all their muscle have the same contraction velocity and it is from this point that the differentiation between fast and slow twitch fibres begins. It is during the neonatal period (first 28 days of life) that the most intensive phase of skeletal muscle growth occurs. This is due to the high levels of anabolic hormones, which muscle is sensitive to. Seene then went on to explain the structure of muscle fibres, their oxidative capacity and molecular structure.

Seene addressed a common question for many coaches and athletes: when is the ideal time to encourage strength development? At what point does muscle strength start to develop? Strength capacity changes throughout a lifetime with the most intensive phase happening during a baby’s first five months. From the age of 15 to 20 there is also a window for optimum development.

In a sport where athletes can go on to win World and Olympic medals into their forties it is interesting to note that muscle strength, mass and VO2 capacities decrease from the age of 30. The curve of muscle deterioration for athletes follows the same pattern as that of sedentary individuals but decline happens a slightly later stage if they stay active.

The key to successful aging for athletes and sedentary people is quite simply exercise. Seene emphasised the importance of maintaining strength, most effective through strength training to encourage hypertrophy of fast twitch fibres.

The FISA Family: the power of politics in rowing – Chris Dodd
Founder of the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Great Britain Chris Dodd gave an insight into the history of rowing through a political context. Rowing is not a sport that has faced many scandals (doping, corruption etc) as some other sports have and Dodd looked at the reason for this, from the minimal monetary gain of athletes to the sport’s efforts to protest its place in the Olympic programme.

Dodd looked at the people and events that have moulded our sport into the one we know it as today. He illustrated how key figures and worldwide political changes have impacted every element of our sport, from the notion of professional coaching to the spread of Olympic medals.

Phasing in preparation for triathlon – Malcom Brown
British Triathlon’s Malcolm Brown offered coaches the chance to learn how another Olympic sport works.

Triathlon is one of Britain’s most successful Olympic sports. The sport operates a centralised system in two locations, Leeds and Loughborough Universities. Brown is based at the Leeds centre, which has produced many of the sport’s top international athletes including Olympic medallist Brownlee brothers.

Brown looked at the elements that make Leeds such a successful centre, particularly in comparison to some of the world’s most desirable training locations such as San Diego, the ‘home’ of triathlon. He broke these down into three parts:

• Athletes
  – Brown gave the example of the Brownlee brothers. Although they do not necessarily meet physically or physiologically ideals, they show the characteristics of winners and this is nurtured.
• Environment
  – The structure and culture of the centre is critical to its success. Only the top level of expertise in required areas in brought in. The training environment encourages a group dynamic where athletes learn from each other without a sense of entitlement.
• Leadership
  – Knowledge is key. There is cooperation and collaboration in coaching with no competition between coaches. As a university based sport they prioritise education and empower athletes to make decisions instinctively. This has to be learned over time.

Brown highlighted a large difference between triathlon and rowing. In triathlon athletes are individualistic, to the point where they travel independently of the team and even stay in different hotels at a competition.

He addressed the key issues he faces with the development of the triathlon training programme. As a sport that contains three elements (swim, bike, run) Brown must look at where the training emphasis should be for each athlete to improve. “Finding the balance is not a science but an art,” he says.

Preparing for competition in different continents – Alan Cotter (NZL) and Matt Imes (USA)
Every National Federation has its own way of preparing for international competition and two of the biggest programmes in our sport explained how they ready their teams for the World Rowing season.

Rowing New Zealand’s Alan Cotter presented the Kiwi philosophy based on ‘four golden rules’:

• No surprises: athletes and the entire team know what to expect when they travel to a competition through proper prior planning.
• Relaxed and enjoyable environment.
• Open communication: coach led, athlete focused.

Cotter showed the breakdown of the year for New Zealand’s southern hemisphere rowers, from the summer training squad, to selection, to traveling to Europe for competition.

USRowing’s Matt Imes similarly illustrated that bringing a large team across continents to compete is no mean feat. Imes described how the funding behind the US programme does not allow all athletes and boats to be paid for by the federation and so some athletes must fund themselves. This can create a different dynamic amongst the rowers and can impact performance.

Preparation for USRowing’s competitive season, begins 12 to 16 months in advance. Imes described some of the things they do to ensure stress and distractions are reduced and expectations are managed.

Nutrition at different phases of the training programme – Siret Saarsalu
We phase our training programmes, therefore we should phase our nutritional intake. That was the message Estonia’s Siret Saarsalu gave in his presentation. Saarsalu illustrated the four main macro-cycles of a rower’s programme: general preparation, specific preparation, competition and transition and explained that dietary phase must follow changes in training/racing intensity and volume.

She explained that the goals of periodised nutrition are:

• Body fat loss
• Weight loss/gain
• Support immune health
• Support physical periodization
• Improve physical performance

Glycogen depletion occurs with every training session or race and it takes between 12 and 16 hours for levels to rebuild. If athletes are not consuming the correct quality or quantity of food from each of the food groups glycogen stores may not refill fully. Should this be the case, the athlete begins their next session with reduced levels of glycogen and subsequent recovery time is increased.

Saarsalu addressed nutrition for weight loss, recovery nutrition and improving metabolic efficiency during the preparation phase. She also introduced four categories of supplements that have been seen to have an impact on performance:

Dietary nitrates:

• Physiological effects: lowers oxygen cost of sub max training.
• May enhance exercise with a performance duration of 6-30 minutes.
• Reduce resting heart rate.
• Found in beetroot juice and leafy greens.
• Consume 2-3 hours before competition.

Beta Alanine 

• Intracellular buffering agent.
• Exercise with a performance duration of 1-4minutes significantly improved.
• Exercise with a performance duration of <1 minute.
• No improvement in >1 minute.
• Loading phase 6g daily for 28 days.

Sodium bicarbonate

• Extracellular buffering.
• 0.3/kg 2-3 hours before high intensity.
• Improvement in performance of  1-5 minute duration or during repeated sprints.
• Caffeine.
• Reduces perception of fatigue and allows optimal workout outcomes.
• >20 mins and high intensity lasting 1-20 mins.
• 3mg/kg.
• Take hour before exercise / spread throughout exercise / late in exercise when fatigue is beginning to occur.

Saarsalu’s conclusion was that interaction between training, competition and nutrition needs to be approached on an individual basis and continuously adjusted and adapted.

For the detailed presentation click here.