So what is the problem?

The problem here is typical for conditioning training and testing in sports games — a trade-off between game-specificity and quality-specificity.

The most game-specific exercise or test is …a game. However due to the game is a mix of qualities, it is pretty hard to separate one of them to emphasise its development or for testing it.

For the purpose of this discussion, we can split factors affecting every endurance activity in two groups (for more detailed discussion about models of endurance see article).

We can call the first group, “universal-physiological” factors. It includes oxygen uptake, fuel reserves, metabolite clearance, and tolerance capacities. Whatever sport you are doing, if it demands some level of endurance, it would be good to have a reasonable level of these abilities. For example, on average, high-level footballers have around 60-65 ml/kg/min VO2 max, which is pretty good among the general athletic population.

The second group may be called “running economy,” though it does not necessarily refer to running.
This means how efficiently an athlete is performing an endurance exercise.
It is obvious that it is sport-specific.

Some athletes may be very well built for a particular activity and not for another.
Perhaps Mo Farrah beats Messi on various endurance distances not only due to superior physiological qualities but additionally because he is better built for distance running ( e.g., has relatively long and slim legs) and has better running technique.

However Messi may be happy to play 1 vs 1 game against Mo. And not only because he is better with the ball but because he probably will be superior in accelerations, decelerations and change of directions (COD) as well ( to some extent due to relatively low centre-of-mass).

Thus the main argument for apologists for sport-specific conditioning training is that you should give exercises for which player is built for and develop sport-specific running economy together with physiological qualities. For footballers, they argue, it is SSG, repeated sprints and shuttles.

Well, there are two buts, however.

First, it may be exactly the specificity that coaches would like to avoid. This is because accelerations decelerations, sprints, and CODs induce mechanical strain on joints and ligaments and cause exercise-induced muscle damage. Although this may be necessary for training adaptation, the player may already receive more than enough of this kind of load during his/her technical-tactical training. Indeed, almost all football exercises, include these components and we sometimes need to save players from additional  strain while developing their physiological qualities.

Secondly, coaches may wish to avoid sport-specificity because they want to achieve quality-specificity.

For example, the aim of the workout is cardio adaptation and I give interval training 4x 4 min at 95% vVO2 max with 2 min passive rest. I need more or less stable and steady increase in HR with optimal stroke volume and relatively constant running economy. Of course, I cannot completely avoid other influences like, for example, metabolites accumulation, however the aim is to find a “better deal” (fashionable expression in Britain nowadays) for emphasising cardiovascular load. Thus I want to keep all irrelevant influences at a minimum. Intermittent activities, including turnings, accelerations, and decelerations, may bring confounding and difficult to account effect.

Should Messi run laps?

Well, it depends on whether he and his conditioning coach are satisfied with some of his physiological qualities  (e.g.VO2max).
It is very important to understand that running laps in football is the exercise for developing needed physiological qualities, not the aim itself.
There is no need for a player to fit some standards in the distance running. This training should be individual. A coach may need differently structured running exercises for players with different abilities.

A significant advantage of straight runnings is that it is easy to control the volume and intensity. It has less technical components, and it is less the mix of qualities than SSG and shuttles. Thus it is perhaps easier to associate changes in result with the change in particular quality.

A disadvantage is that they are probably boring and psychologically demanding. Many players don’t like it. A good result in running laps to a great extent depends on athlete constitution. Thus not all good players build for efficient distance running, and it is not fair to compare players against each other in running tests. Game is not just running. Instead, compare player against him/herself. Explain to them what do you want to improve and make them your allies.

Can we develop everything you need in SSG?

Without doubts, small-side games are the most game-specific method for conditioning. Coach can target conditioning together with improving agility, technical, and tactical skills.
Games create great emotional environment, and players are not bored.

The problem is to control the workload and to target specific physiological parameters.

Game is game and intensity in it fluctuates significantly. The same game may be very demanding for one and easy for another. It demands the mix of qualities, and it is difficult to separate and emphasise something particular needed. However, game allow unlimited modifications; thus, coach’s creativity can improve its benefits and overcome some limitations for conditioning.

Are shuttles football-specific form of exercise?

Many sports practitioners argue that shuttles are more specific for sports games than laps.
This is because shuttles include accelerations, decelerations, and CODs.

In my opinion, shuttle-running is not game-specific. Pre-determent, 180 degrees change of direction in shuttles has little common with unpredictable CODs during the game. Accelerations and decelerations in shuttles are not maximal but rather optimal exclusively for shuttles. In games, they are different (see the picture below).

Three-frames pictures of predetermined 180 degree COD in shuttle-ran (lower picture)  and unpredictable same-degree turn during real game ( Nani is chasing Messi). 

In my opinion, shuttle-running is a form of circuit training; it is a mix of distance running, and strength needed for decelerations and accelerations. You may add jumps, push-ups, etc. if you want. As every circuit training, it may be beneficial overall, but it is not quality-specific training.
If you want to develop specific physiological qualities, shuttles bring confusion without providing additional benefits.

Conclusion.

For developing universal physiological qualities, straight/laps running is the best method.

SSG is the most game-specific method for conditioning.

Shuttle-running is a form of circuit training, and it is not exceptionally game-specific.

Photo: Mica Asato

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I met with Sven Herzog who has been team’s Strength and Conditioning coach for four years. He was a former sub-elite runner and got his Degree In Germany and Canada.

Ice-hockey

In German championship games are played two times per week—on Friday and Sunday. This pattern demands short tactical training and recovery procedures on Saturday whereas Monday is a day off.

Hockey match consists of three 20 min periods. Usually player has approximately ten 45-sec shifts on the ice during one period.  Work to rest ratio  approximates 1:2. During single 45-sec shift players are involved in tackles, collisions, short sprints, accelerations, and decelerations. However a significant part of the 45-sec bout they spend in “tactical” skating.

It is necessary to note that every player is wearing special sensor during the game which allows Sven to collect information about a physical load. This includes overall time and distance on ice, sprints, accelerations and decelerations, impacts and power output.

Training

Sven builds his conditioning training mostly on bikes. These sessions typically mimic game load with respect to time intervals and power output.

He does not like machines and uses mostly free weights for strength training. Sven prefers small repetitions numbers: not more than 5 and around 80% of RM. He considers this pattern of strength training as more useful for ice-hockey.
Sven pays considerable attention to the speed of lifting. For that, he measures bar velocity and uses velocity based training methods in weightlifting (for velocity-based training information look here).

Basic exercises

Different variations of squats, lunges, pulls and deadlifts are used. Though Sven doesn’t chase high absolute values for lifting, he considers achieving personal best of 1.5 bodyweight in the back squat and 2 bodyweight in deadlift as a norm.

A specific training programme is designed to tackle typical for hockey players misbalances. For example, players have a disproportional development of muscles on a side where they hold a hockey stick and excessive anterior pelvic tilt due to a specificity of skating.
Sven actively uses elastic bands for these exercises.

Significant attention is paid to posture, deep muscles activation, and pelvic floor muscles.

Breathing technic is used as a method of relaxation after the game and a method for deep muscles activation (e.g.diaphragm).

Sven tries to include a plyometric session at least once a week.

He considers training principles for designing Strength and Conditioning programme simple:

Identify sport-specific demands.
Identify potential problems.
Try to compensate disbalances.

Recovery

As is customary in an elite team, players receive meal immediately after training and games. Athletes commonly use cold bath after games (15 degrees 5 min ).
Sven differentiates recovery procedure for players depending on the game’s load:
Players who did not play or played small part of the game perform match-imitation exercise on a bike.
Players who played a full game have a cold bath followed by rolling foam massage and stretching. Additionally, Sven gives breathing exercises for relaxation. “Hockey game is a real battle, breathing helps to recover player’s body and mind.”

Monitoring

Monitoring can be divided on three categories: External, physiological and psychological.

External
Sven collected information about rolling average workload for few weeks from wearable sensors, and he tries that acute training load do not to exceed  significantly this average values. Especially it is essential for players who are coming back from the injuries. He uses special software which warns him about excessive training load for a particular player.

Physiological measures include HR variability and morning HR. Players report these to Sven every morning before the session. Though he is a bit skeptical about HR variability robustness, he uses its abnormality as a warning signal and may refer player for further medical examination.

Psychological monitoring consists of Borg scale assessment 15 min after the session and short readiness assessment in the morning.

Countermovement jump.

In sports science literature countermovement jump is considered as a valuable assessment of neuromuscular fatigue. Sven uses this assessment bimonthly, and if player’s result drops by 10-15 %, he may release athlete from training and give him a rest.

Training philosophy

Sven considers his role as a provider of advice and reasonable guidance rather than indisputable orders. He is trying to build trustful and honest relations with the athletes. “At the end of the day, they are professionals and have to take care of their regime, health, and training. I am here to help them, but I am not their boss.”

During training sessions, Sven draws session training plan on the school board and players follow this plan by themselves. “ I am not blowing a whistle during a training, players follow the plan without commands. This allows me to pay attention to the individual athlete, correct his mistakes and work on his weaknesses. Basically, it allows me coaching”.

Sven thinks that in German sports education system exists a gap between sports science and practical coaching. Many young university graduates although have good theoretical knowledge in sports science cannot put this into practice due to lack of coaching skills. They do not understand the psychology of elite athletes and many practical aspects of sports training.

Sven has great respect to the former Soviet Union school of sports science. He thinks that ideas of Yuri Verkhoshansky and Robert Roman are still in use in elite sport. “ Many so-called “new” methods in western training methodology are basically the same ideas that were developed in the Soviet Union many years ago.”

Conclusion

Strength and conditioning training In Augsburger Panther is an excellent example of contemporary ideas and tendencies in sports training. It combines a scientific approach with practical nuances of high-level competition. Importantly, Sven tries to make his training individual as much as it is possible in a team sport. He identifies athlete’s problems and monitors his training status and readiness. It is not an easy task when you have 25 players in the gym! With the relatively limited budget, Sven achieves a really good result. I think his work during four years in Augsburg made a crucial contribution to the team’s performance and relatively low level of “non-collision” injuries.
I really appreciate Sven openness and readiness to share his time and ideas. Unfortunately, some coaches try to keep in secret their training. In my opinion, those sports practitioners who try to hide their training methods, actually, have nothing valuable to hide.

Photo: From Augsburger Panther with permission. 

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