HSC PDHPE____________

Improving
Performance
Teacher Summary
Table of Contents
How do athletes train for improved performance?...............................................2
Strength training......................................................................................................................... 2
Aerobic training........................................................................................................................... 4
Anaerobic training...................................................................................................................... 5
Flexibility trainig......................................................................................................................... 7
Skill training................................................................................................................................. 8

What are the planning considerations for improving performance?............10

Initial planning considerations............................................................................................10
Planning a training year (periodisation)..........................................................................11
Elements to be considered when designing a training session................................13
Planning to avoid overtraining............................................................................................ 15

What ethical issues are related to improving performance?...........................17

Use of drugs................................................................................................................................ 17
Use of technology...................................................................................................................... 19

Improving Performance
Improving Performance
What ethical issues are related to improving
performance?
Use of drugs

Use of drugs Justify the reasons drugs are

 The dangers of performance enhancing considered to be unethical and carry a
drug use, eg physical effects, loss of range of risks for the athlete
reputation, sponsorship and income Argue issues related to drug testing
 For strength (human growth hormone, such as:
anabolic steroids)  At what level of competition
 For aerobic performance (EPO) should drug testing be
 To mask other drugs (diuretics, alcohol) introduced?
 Benefits and limitations of drug testing  Which drugs should be tested
for?
 What are the pros and cons of
drug testing?
 What should be the
consequences of drug use?

The dangers of performance enhancing drug use

• Some drugs carry serious health risks, including liver tumors, cancer, high blood pressure,
kidney tumors, trembling, depression, and body fluid retention.
• Steroids can cause changes in testicular atrophy and reduced sperm production, while
others like baldness and gynaecomastia cannot.
• Steroids can cause mood swings, irritability, aggression, sexual arousal, confusion, and
memory loss.
• Alcohol and diuretics result in reduced concentration and reaction time, and can reduce
important sporting abilities like coordination.

Dangers of Livelihood
• Use of performance enhancing drugs is banned in competition, leading to long-term bans
from competition.
• Athletes lose their reputation and income when sponsorships and endorsements are
cancelled.
• Anti-doping regulations are strict, and athletes who cheat to improve their chances of
success take great risks.

Physical Dangers
• The physical dangers of performance enhancing drugs are specific to the drug.
• The five drugs used for strength gains, aerobic capacity, and masking drug use are the most
common.

Reputation Dangers
• A positive drug test result can quickly damage an athlete's reputation, leading to a career
spiral.
• A negative media exposure can lead to the suspension or exclusion of an athlete from their
sport.
• Other dangers include further loss of income and the entire life of the athlete.

Improving Performance
For strength

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Overview

• HGH, or somatotropin, is a naturally produced hormone responsible for growth.
• Artificial forms of HGH can increase muscle size and strength.
• HGH also mobilizes fat for energy, allowing glycogen storage for endurance events.

Long-term Effects of Artificial HGH

• Overgrowth of face, hands, and feet (acromegaly).
• Giantism.
• Muscle weakness.
• Diabetes.
• Heart disease.
• Disfigurement from bony overgrowth.
• Osteoporosis and arthritis.

Human Growth Hormone for Strength

• Increases during periods of large growth.
• Used for strength and power development.
• Stimulates muscle growth and fat mobilization.

Physical Dangers of HGH

• Side effects include nerve, muscle, and joint pain, swelling, carpal tunnel, numb tingling skin,
high cholesterol, gigantism, muscular weakness, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and
extensive bone growth.
• Risks increase if the drug is sourced through non-medical avenues, including unknown
additives.

Anabolic steroids
• Steroids can be anabolic (tissue building) or androgenic (producing masculine
characteristics).
• They stimulate protein synthesis in muscle cells, arresting its breakdown.
• They are used in sports like weight-lifting, body building, track and field, and some team
sports.

Effects of Steroids:
• Testicular atrophy and decreased reproductive hormone.
• Increased or decreased libido (sex drive).
• Liver damage.
• Increased blood pressure and susceptibility to heart disease and blood clotting.
• Increased nervous tension and possible manic or depressive episodes.
• Increased masculinity and heightened risk of musculo-tendinous injury.

Specific Effects on Women:

• Infertility, clitoral hypertrophy, sore nipples.
• Increased sex drive.
• Masculine appearance, including deepening voice and facial hair.
• Increased aggressiveness.

Anabolic Steroids for Strength:

• Derived from testosterone, aiding in development of secondary male characteristics.
• Benefits of anabolic steroids depend on hard training, diet, and motivation.

Improving Performance
Physical Dangers of Anabolic Steroids:
• Side effects include aggressiveness, irritability, acne, baldness, hypertension, heart
issues, liver damage, male secondary sex characteristics, irregular periods, enlarged
clitoris, infertility, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

For aerobic performance

Erythropoietin (EPO) and its Impact on Performance
• EPO is a natural hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, beneficial for
endurance athletes.
• Originally developed for people with anaemia and kidney deficiencies, EPO acts on
bone marrow, enhancing oxygen absorption and stamina.
• EPO is more risky in endurance events due to loss of valuable fluid and changes in
blood consistency.
• It increases blood viscosity, contributing to poor circulation, blood clots, and stroke.
• EPO can cause chest pain, headache, high blood pressure, joint pain, fatigue, and
shortness of breath.
• Until recently, EPO was undetectable by testing procedures.
• EPO is the most commonly used drug for aerobic performance.
• EPO stimulates bone to produce more red blood cells, improving oxygen uptake and
performance.
• However, it also raises the lactate inflection point.

Synthetic Oxygen Carriers for Aerobic Performance

• Synthetic oxygen carriers mimic haemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body,
improving aerobic performance.
• The use of synthetic oxygen carriers carries the risk of cardiovascular disease and
serious side effects.

Improving Performance
To mask other drugs
Masking and Physical Dangers
• Diuretics and alcohol are used to dilute urine or decrease excretion of ergogenic drugs.
• Diuretics increase fluid passing from the body, treating health problems like liver and
kidney disease.
• They are used in sports like racing, boxing, and weight-lifting where weight reduction is
essential.

Diuretic Effects
• Dehydration, dizziness, headache, loss of coordination, heart and kidney failure.
• Athletes may use diuretics for appearance, weight class, and drug use masking.

Physical Dangers of Diuretics

• Can lead to kidney damage, dehydration, headaches, heart and kidney disease, poor
coordination, dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, depression, electrolyte imbalance, impaired
hearing.

Alcohol
•Alcohol is a depressant that slows bodily functions.
• It's toxic in large quantities and especially dangerous when consumed with other drugs.
• Effects of alcohol vary based on quantity consumed, tolerance level, and time between
drinks.
• Common effects include dizziness, loss of coordination, loss of inhibition, slowed
reactions, blurred vision, aggression, vomiting, and potential unconsciousness or death.
• Alcohol is often used to mask other drugs, leading to its ban in some sports due to its
diuretic effect.
• Physical dangers include nausea, vomiting, slowed nervous system, blurred vision,
loss of consciousness, and death.

Benefits and limitations of drug testing

Benefits of Sample Collection

• Protects athletes' right to compete in a doping-free environment.
• Athletes should be rewarded based on their natural ability and training outcomes, not
chemical enhancement.
• Tests can be conducted anytime, anywhere, deterring athletes who might consider
doping.
• Doping is harmful to athletes' health.
• Athletes enjoy being tested to prove they are competing clean.

Limitations of Sample Collection

• The World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List is released annually, requiring athletes to
be aware of what is prohibited.
• Athletes must remove clothing from the knees to the mid-torso, and from the hands to
the elbows, and a chaperone must witness the urine sample leaving the athlete’s body.
• Testing is very costly, amounting to several millions of dollars annually worldwide.

Benefits of Drug Testing

• Creates a deterrent for athletes who may consider using drugs to cheat in sport.
• Promotes drug-free sport that incorporates fair play.
• Promotes safety in sport.
• Promotes equity in sport.
• Rewards athletes for their ability, training, and efforts.
• Protects athletes' reputations.

Improving Performance
Pros and Cons of Drug Testing
• Promotes equity in sport and helps deter drug cheats from using banned substances.
• Consequences of drug use are considered individually, often including suspension or
expulsion from the sport, fines, and stripping of awards/title won.

Improving Performance
Use of technology

Use of technology Describe how technology has been

 Training innovation, eg lactate threshold used to improve performance
testing, biomechanical analysis Argue ethical issues related to
 Equipment advances, eg swimsuits, golf technology use in sport such as:
ball  Has technology gone too far?
 Has access to technology created
unfair competition?

Training innovation
Lactate threshold testing

• Lactate threshold testing is a training innovation that identifies an athlete's lactate

inflection point.
• It provides a lactate threshold heart rate and training pace, aiding in setting more
accurate training zones.
• It is particularly beneficial in aerobic sports, where athletes aim to be close to the lactate
inflection point without crossing into the anaerobic training zone.
• It also helps in anaerobic training to ensure the body is dealing with lactate overload
and recovering from it.
• Elite athletes aim to train at levels close to the lactate threshold, which is characterized
by burning sensation, increased ventilation rate, and deteriorating performance.
• There are various methods to establish lactate threshold, including testing blood
samples during graded exercise tests, portable lactate analyzers, and simple field tests
with special heart rate monitors.

Biomechanical analysis
• Biomechanical analysis is a tool used to enhance sporting performance by examining
techniques applied to skills like throwing, catching, bowling, jumping, and object
manipulation.
• Measures like video analysis, photography, comparative images, and slow motion
replays are used to scrutinize performance of skills.
• The goal is to make execution of any movement more efficient, safe, and skilful.
• Video analysis is used in coaching, viewing, and performance appraisal situations to
improve technique, visualisation, biomechanical efficiency, and strategy analysis.
• Biomechanical analysis is a training innovation that analyses an athlete's technique to
ensure efficient and safe movement.
• It is particularly beneficial in technical sports like cricket, tennis, golf, and baseball,
allowing athletes to last longer with more efficient movement patterns and achieve better
results.

Improving Performance
 Equipment advances

E.g. Nike vapour fly shoes, increase efficiency by 4%, shoes foam and carbon fibre sole allows
for this

Sports Equipment Advances and Their Impact

Clothing Equipment Advances

• Clothing in sports has significantly changed over time,
becoming lighter and more comfortable.
• Swim suits have evolved into whole body suits, adding
structural support.
• Clothing in contact sports has also become tighter to prevent
opponents from grabbing hold.

Protective Equipment Advances

• Protective equipment in sports has become lighter, allowing for
faster and more free movements.
• New protective equipment has been developed, such as stem
guards in cricket, shin pads in football, and shoulder pads in
rugby.

General Equipment Advances

• Most equipment advances have occurred in this area, including
graphite golf clubs, tennis rackets, cricket bats, golf balls,
synthetic balls, and specialized dimples.
• These advancements have led to improved performances in
various sports.

Technological Equipment Advances

• Grand Slam tennis and international tennis competitions now
use "Hawkeye" technology.
• Ice-hockey uses a light system over the goal to determine when
the puck has crossed the line.
• Cricket uses various technologies, including video replays for
run outs and LBW decisions.

Improving Performance
Argue ethical issues related to technology use in sport
Has technology gone too far?
• Technology should enhance sports performance.
• Audiences and athletes desire performance improvement.
• Technology removal can lead to rare performance
improvements.
• Limitation of technology use is necessary when it leads to
unfair competition.

Has access to technology created unfair competition?

• Equity of access to technology is a key ethical issue in sport.

• High costs of technology, particularly in physiological testing and biomechanical analysis,
can lead to unfair competition.
• Major sporting competitions like NBA, NBL, NFL, AFL, NRL, A-League, EPL, Champions
League, etc. have ample funds for technology access.
• International sports competitions lack the same level of equity, with athletes from poorer
developing countries unable to afford the same technologies as athletes from developed
countries.

Ethics around drugs Ethics around technology

- Creates uneven playing field
- Illegal - Cost- tec is expensive,
- Athletes are role models benefits those who can use it
- Cost - To make it fair, opponents
- Inequity need access
- Danger to health - Sponsorship
- Fairness for non-using - Lack of access = lack of
athletes equity = unfair
- Issues around player
development if they don’t
have access to the
technology

Improving Performance