Health Medical Homework Help

Agree 400 words minimum and 2
citations and Disagree 400 word minimum with 2 citations from any of the following sources: peer-reviewed journal articles,
published textbooks, or publications directly associated with the content being
discussed.

***AGREE WITH BELOW STATEMENTS***

Strength
and conditioning coaches are responsible for finding effective ways to
maintain the athlete improving and avoiding plateaus. For a track
sprinter, a strength development program should address postural needs
first and the core, since this allows the improvement of sprint
mechanics (Chandler & Brown, 2019). Also, sprinting requires
horizontal power to propel the body forward which involves the hip
extensors and knee flexors. Another factor to consider when determining
the type of exercises and training needed for an athlete to improve is
the utilization of the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). Sprinting is an
explosive movement that requires effective utilization of SSC to
increase power and enhance performance (Chandler & Brown, 2019). In
this discussion board, it will be mentioned the muscle groups and type
of exercises that would be most beneficial for a varsity track sprinter
that wants to start lifting weights in an attempt to become faster

When
prescribing resistance training, the coach must identify the group of
muscles utilize during the sport as well as the physiology/movements
involved. First, a sprinter must work on strengthening the core to
maintain a good posture and improve sprint mechanics. To maintain a
stable center of gravity, the eccentric actions of the gluteus,
quadriceps, and gastrocnemius muscle groups are needed (Chandler &
Brown, 2019). Other muscles activated during a sprint are the hamstring,
vastus lateralis, soleus, and tibialis anterior (Howard et al., 2016).
The activation of each muscle depends on the phases of the running gait
cycle, which includes braking, propulsion, recovery, and pre-activation
(Howard et al., 2016) (Chandler & Brown, 2019). Besides training the
muscles mentioned above during resistance training, it is important
that the exercises selected mimic the movements that the sprinter will
do during the race. For example, the exercises should mimic an explosive
movement to improve the SSC allowing the sprinter to run faster.

The goal of sprinting is to run as fast as possible and to
achieve that a high stride frequency and optimal stride length is
needed. Based on the literature, this can be done by adding a different
type of exercise. Bolger et al., (2015) stated that locomotor type
resistance training as well as fixed plane resistance movement are
associated with the improvement of speed in sprinter athletes. The
locomotor type resistance training includes plyometrics, horizontal
jumping patterns, antiphase movement, and stair climbs, whereas fixed
plane resistance movements include squat jumps and leg extensions
(Bolger et al., 2015). Chandler and Brown (2019) also support this
statement by agreeing that bounding and plyometrics are used to increase
speed during acceleration and maximal velocity running phases. The
exercises mentioned above are considered explosive exercises that have
an impact on the SSC, therefore, an impact in speed. The stimulation of
the SSC when performing plyometric exercises improve speed,
acceleration, and power in track sprinters allowing them to run faster.

Another way to help a sprinter to run faster is by including
resisted running into his or her resistance program (Chandler &
Brown, 2019). This type of training includes dragging a weighted sled,
running in sand, running uphill, or using a weighted vest.
Sprint-resisted training increases speed by increasing neuromuscular
responses which also increases the recruitment of fast-twitch fibers.
Before the athletes are introduced to more complex types of training
they should have mastered the sprint mechanism to avoid injuries.

***DISAGREE WITH BELOW STATEMENTS***

In conducting a movement analysis of the athlete, we can note that his
sport includes repetitive movements of both the legs and arms; we will
not want to overlook his shoulders, arms, and postural muscles by just
focusing on the lower body muscle areas when prescribing exercises. Core
exercises will include a mixture of power and strength exercises that
improve all major muscle groups. These will include the power clean (an
all-body power exercise) (Haff & Triplett, 2016, p. 404-405), one
armed dumbbell snatches (all-body alternative power exercise) (p. 436),
back squats (hip and thigh), forward step lunges (hip and thigh), and
bench press (chest, arms) (p.371). Assistance exercises will include the
abdominal crunch (abdomen) (p.360), bent over rows (upper back, biceps)
(p. 362), machine back extensions (lower back), lateral raises
(shoulders) (p. 397), leg curls and extensions (posterior and anterior
thigh, respectively) (p. 392-393), toe raises (i.e. dorsiflexion,
anterior lower leg) and calf raises (posterior lower leg) (p. 369).
Although a seasoned athlete (as a varsity sprinter), his training age
for resistance training is less than 2 months and, therefore, an
appropriate frequency of about 1-2 training events per week should
reflect that (Haff & Triplett, 2016, Table 17.2).

Plyometrics training is also highly appropriate for our selected
athlete as both plyometrics and his sport of sprinting require “maximal
amounts of muscular force” in short bursts of time (Haff & Triplett,
2016, p. 475). His running will be improved as plyometrics will train
muscles “to produce more force with less energy” (p. 475). Both trunk
and lower body plyometrics are applicable to our sprinter and will be
included in his program. Trunk exercises will include the 45-degree
sit-up and lateral medicine ball toss and lower body plyometric
exercises will include box drills (double-leg jumps to box and alternate
leg push-offs), jumps in place (such as in the single-leg ankle hop and
split squat jump), standing jumps (standing long jump and jump over
barrier), multiple hops and jumps (to include the lateral barrier hop),
and bounds (to include power skips and the single-arm alternate-leg
bound) (p.483-519). To conduct this training safely, a pretraining
evaluation of the athlete will be conducted, proper technique will be
demonstrated and enforced, and a balance test will be performed (p.
481). Complexity over time can increase as landing and plyometric
mechanics develop, such as in transitioning from a double-leg jump to
box to a more complex single-leg jump to box exercise (p. 505).