Going Old School: Paying Homage to the Three Energy Systems of Conditioning
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Word on the social media street is that the common thing to do on Thursday is to post old-school, past pictures using the hashtag #TBT. Well, since we publish blog posts on Tuesdays, we’re switching up the normal routine… by bringing the throwback idea to Tuesday. We’re Boss, afterall.
This week’s post goes back to Kris Berg’s (Ph.D. University of Nebraska Omaha) article posted in the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Journal from February-March in 1982 – “Anaerobic Conditioning: Training the Three Energy Systems”. This article gave many a good foundation for which to build a holistic athletic strength and conditioning program. Below are some of the key principles from the article.
Athletic movements call on energy from three primary systems:
ATP-CP system (adenosine triphosphate and creative phosphate) – the most energy expended with duration 15 seconds or less (the power, speed, and strength-oriented movements).
LA system (lactic acid) – intense activities last from 15 seconds and 2 minutes. Oxygen debt and lactic acid development is greatest in these activities.
LA-oxidation system – activities lasting longer than 2 minutes where energy created via aerobic processes to a greater extent, and to a lesser extent the anaerobic metabolism.
The four training principles [1]:
Training should be holistic or multi-faceted, and so include appropriate development of speed, strength, power, muscle endurance, aerobic power, flexibility, and skill.
Allowance should be made for gradual progression in training to minimize injury.
A substantial portion of the training program should concern itself with mimicking and/ or practicing the actual athletic event.
Adequate recovery must be provided. Two consecutive hard days of training are beyond many athletes’ capabilities and three consecutive hard days only invites injury, delayed recovery, and a sense of failure. One and sometimes two easier days of training are necessary to dissipate lactic acid and restore muscle glycogen before further vigorous training can be done.
Most sports use the non-oxidative/ anaerobic system for short bursts of energy – power, speed, and strength. However, sports with short bursts of energy also call on the LA and LA-oxidative systems due to the nature of interval-like events. In football, for example, each play may require ATP-CP energy, but as the plays may occur in quick succession (especially if you’re an Oregon Duck), the LA system is taxed as well. Thus, it’s imperative for athletes to work in all three systems.
Other great take-aways:
Traditional weight training can be very effective for acceleration – just think about Force = Mass * Acceleration. Training via added weights in the ATP-CP system can help build explosive athleticism.
In more rhythmic events/ sports such as hurdles or soccer, it is beneficial to operate at near competitive speed with minimal weight or simply body weight.
Peak lactic acid synthesis occurs around 1 minute of intense activity. Training around 20 seconds of intense activity can give athletes a minimal recovery time to perform another 20 seconds of activity. The longer the activity (rising to a minute or longer), however, can have disproportionate recovery time to be adequate.
Research suggested the best recovery activity to use between training activities is light aerobic activity including a light jog to facilitate the oxidation of the lactic acid.
Offseason conditioning should include staying within the sport to ensure the major muscles stressed in the sport are being conditioned. Though energy systems may be taxed by different activities, muscle recruitment may not be.
High school athletes can train their oxidative systems up to four times weekly for 30 minutes each at 150-170-beat heart rate.