Fatigue In Sport

One of the fundamental restrictions on human achievement both in sport and in society is fatigue. Despite this, many people do not fully understand how or even why they experience fatigue. Comprehension of such ideas can allow individuals to perform at their maximum ability in their community and, in the case of athletes, when training and competing in sport. There are countless factors that play a role in the production and management of fatigue. Recovery and nutrition are two of these factors that are both essential to the process of fatigue and can be relatively easily controlled and manipulated by an individual. Recovery concerns the dissolution of fatigue through the management of workload in both long-term and short-term settings.

One can employ proper nutrition in numerous ways to further the process of recovery and furthermore, the discharge of fatigue. As all of these elements come together in an athlete, particularly elite athletes, training can maximize benefits and greatly remove fatigue as a restriction on athletic performance.

Various aspects of fatigue, recovery and nutrition are discussed in Mark McClusky’s, Faster, Higher, Stronger: How Sports Science is Creating a New Generation of Superathletes and What We Can Learn from Them. McClusky explains the controversy over the source of fatigue. The theory that lactate, which is produced during exercise, being the cause of fatigue was overturned by Dr. George Brooks, who discovered that the body could actually use the lactate being produced. This turned the focus of training from reducing the production of lactate to increasing individuals’ abilities to use lactate (McClusky, 2015, p. 144). McClusky (2015) continues on to outline how recovery relates to fatigue, particularly in the realm of sleep; “When it comes to recovery from hard physical efforts, there’s simply no better treatment than sleep, and a lot of it” (p. 164). Finally, multiple nutrition strategies examined regarding the relationship between nutrition, recovery and fatigue. Specifically, the use of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements to reduce fatigue is discussed, “Think of sodium bicarbonate as an antacid for your muscles that allows them to function more effectively” (McClusky, 2015, p. 47). These theories and ideas have led to this research on fatigue, recovery and nutrition in sport; seeking developments and additions to these established concepts.

In order to apply the theories of fatigue to competition and sport, the close connection between fatigue and recovery must be understood.

According to J. Newton and D. Jones (2010), “Recognition of these biological associates is important as both sleep disturbance and autonomic dysfunction are potentially treatable in their own right and are associated with improvements in fatigue and quality of life” (p. 326). For athletes, this relationship between sleep and fatigue is indispensable. An experiment conducted by Cheri D. Mah, a researcher out of Stanford University, demonstrated this relationship assiduously by comparing several basketball abilities between players with extended sleep and a control group. The results of the study by Cheri D. Mah (2011) were indubitably conclusive, “Subjects demonstrated a faster timed sprint … shooting accuracy improved … reaction time and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores decreased following sleep extension”; “Improvements in specific measures of basketball performance after sleep extension indicate that optimal sleep is likely beneficial in reaching peak athletic performance” (p. 943). It is apparent that together, increasing nightly sleep duration as well as following a regular sleep pattern will have positive effects on athletic performance and

mentality.

Although sleep is a vital aspect of recovery, there are other forms of recovery to be used, especially at elite levels in sport.

One additional recovery method is the use of compression garments. Traditionally, compression garments have been used to care for particular lymphatic and circulatory conditions. Researchers have found, however, that this can clothing can have a beneficial effect on athletic performance. A study by A. Ali, M. P. Caine, and B. G. Snow (2007) examining the effect of graduated compression stockings, showed that this clothing can reduce muscle soreness; “During the 10-km trials, there was a reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness 24 h after exercise when wearing graduated compression stockings” (p. 413). This is a proactive approach at recovery, working to prevent muscle soreness before it occurs, rather than treating it afterward. Currently, there is minimal research demonstrating the recovery benefits of compression clothing, however, there is some evidence supporting the technique with none suggesting any negative

implication.

Another additional recovery method to sleep is hydrotherapy. Shona L. Halson, Head of Discipline at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), is a strong supporter of the application of hydrotherapy to benefit recovery. The AIS Recovery Centre accommodates a ‘wet area’ including a whirlpool, showers of various temperatures and a spa with water jets designed to target specific major muscle groups. According to Halson (2013) regarding the human body’s respone to water immersion, “The changes in blood flow and temperature may have an effect on inflammation, immune function, muscle soreness and perception of fatigue” (p. 2).