Ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, over tired, over trained, drowning in your own life where you find it hard to take a breathe??

Exercise stress and performance improvement are closely linked, as the right amount of stress can lead to improvements in athletic performance. However, it is important to understand the effects of exercise stress on the body and how to properly manage it for optimal results.

Exercise stress can be defined as the physiological and psychological demands placed on the body during physical activity. When an athlete engages in exercise, their body responds with a series of adaptations designed to meet the demands of the activity. These adaptations can include changes in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and energy metabolism, among others.

One of the key ways in which exercise stress can enhance performance is through the development of physiological adaptations. For example, regular exercise can lead to improvements in cardiovascular function, such as increased stroke volume and cardiac output, which can improve endurance performance (Maughan et al., 2018). Exercise stress can also lead to increases in muscle mass and strength, which can enhance power and speed performance (Grgic et al., 2020).

However, exercise stress can also have negative effects on performance if it is not managed properly. Overtraining, for example, can lead to a decrease in performance and an increased risk of injury (Bouchard et al., 1990). Additionally, excessive exercise stress can lead to fatigue, burnout, and other psychological issues that can negatively impact an athlete’s performance (Harrison et al., 2018).

 

“The FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type) is a useful framework for designing exercise programs that balance the demands of exercise stress with the body’s ability to adapt and recover” – ACSM

To properly manage exercise stress and optimize performance, it is important to understand the principles of training. The FITT principle, which stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type, is a useful framework for designing exercise programs that balance the demands of exercise stress with the body’s ability to adapt and recover (ACSM, 2021). For example, increasing the frequency or intensity of training sessions too quickly can lead to excessive exercise stress and a decrease in performance, while gradually increasing these factors over time can lead to optimal adaptations and improved performance.

Conclusion

Exercise stress can be a powerful tool for enhancing athletic performance, but it must be properly managed to avoid negative effects on performance and overall health. By understanding the principles of training and designing exercise programs that balance the demands of exercise stress with the body’s ability to adapt and recover, athletes can optimise their performance and achieve their goals.

References:

1. American College of Sports Medicine (2021). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
2. Bouchard, C., Shepard, R. J., Stephens, T., Sutton, J. R., McPherson, B. D., & Bayley, R. J. (1990). Exercise, fitness, and health: a consensus of current knowledge. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 22(5), 521-540.
3. Grgic, J., Lazinica, B., Mikulic, P., Krieger, J. W., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2020). The effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(6), 820-833.
4. Harrison, L. K., & Schinke, R. J. (2018). Burnout and the athlete. In S. J. Hanrahan & M. B. Andersen (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology: A Comprehensive Guide for Students and Practitioners (pp. 491-506). New York, NY: Routledge.
5. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, Larson-Meyer DE, Peeling P, Phillips SM, Rawson ES, Walsh NP, Garthe I, Geyer H, Meeusen R, van Loon L, Shirreffs SM, Spriet LL, Stuart M, Vernec A, Currell K, Ali VM, Budgett RGM, Ljungqvist A, Mountjoy M, Pitsiladis Y, Soligard T, Erdener U, Engebretsen L. IOC Consensus Statement: Dietary Supplements and the High-Performance Athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 Mar 1;28(2):104-125. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0020. Epub 2018 Mar 28. PMID: 29589768.