SHE-BE Girl's Soccer Journal Issue 1 | Page 25

HOW DO I CREATE A CONDITIONING PROGRAM?
Creating a training program with the help of a strength
and conditioning specialist can optimize performance and
minimize the chance of injury. Specialists evaluate
athletes and their current level of fitness, strength, and
endurance and design the program based on the athlete’s
specific needs.
Conditioning programs also involve cross-training—
using various sports or exercises to improve overall
performance. Cross-training creates different physical
stresses on the athlete’s body than those associated with
the athlete’s usual routine, improving the athlete’s overall
performance and also decreasing the risk of suffering an
overuse injury.
Athletes should also consider adding exercise or
resistance programs that differ from their normal routines.
This variability not only can improve strength, power,
agility, or other fitness areas they might lack, but also can
decrease the repetitive stress they apply to the one or
two body parts that their maintenance program applies.
For instance, a swimmer training for an upcoming meet
might benefit from a long run once a week to decrease
stress on her shoulder.
Athletes who use conditioning to lose weight need to
ensure that they are eating enough calories and obtaining
the proper vitamins, minerals, fluids, and supplements
to meet their training needs. Athletes should consider
consulting a sports nutritionist for guidance. In addition,
getting enough sleep and rest between exercise sessions
may help to optimize performance.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS TO CONDITIONING?
Acute and overuse injuries often occur with conditioning
programs. Acute musculoskeletal injuries, such as muscle
strains, fractures, and dislocations typically involve a
traumatic event. Treatment of acute injuries depends on
the nature and severity of the specific injury. Rest from the
activity while applying compression and cold therapy and
elevating the injured body part are the first treatments. If
the injury is more severe, treatment may include surgical
fixation or repair, casts, splints, and many other options.
Overuse injuries occur when athletes increase the
frequency, duration, intensity, or resistance of training too
rapidly, putting too much stress on a part of the body.
Examples of overuse injuries include stress fractures,
shin splints, and tendinosis around certain joints. Rest
from the offending activity is often the recommended
treatment of overuse injuries, but other interventions
might be needed depending on the type and severity of
the specific injury.
HOW CAN CONDITIONING INJURIES BE PREVENTED?
Athletes need to design their training programs with
an end goal in mind. For instance, a runner planning to
run a marathon should allow enough time to properly
accelerate the training to have the body ready for
the race date. Trying to achieve the goal too quickly might
force the runner to increase distance running too rapidly
and increase the risk for an overuse injury such as a
stress fracture.
Before starting any exercise or fitness program, athletes
should consult with their medical doctor or a sports
medicine physician. School or team athletes often
undergo pre-participation physicals where any concerns
can be addressed. Athletes recovering from surgery or
an injury should ask the treating physician or physical
therapist how to safely work back into sports. Anyone
with an underlying medical condition should always make
sure that it does not pose too high a risk with a certain
exercise program.
Athletes should never avoid going to the doctor to
address aches and pains for fear of being told to stop
training. Letting an injury go untreated can worsen the
injury or lead to more serious complications. Athletes
should see a doctor whenever they have pain or another
symptom with activity that is so severe they can’t exercise
at all. Even when pain is more subtle or a symptom
impairs performance mildly—such as knee pain when
running down hills or trouble locating fastballs due to
tightness in the shoulder—athletes should still consult
with a sports medicine specialist.
EXPERT CONSULTANT
C. David Geier, Jr., M.D.
Sports Tips provide general information only and are not a substitute
for your own good judgment or consultation with a physician. To order
multiple copies of this fact sheet or learn more about sports injury
prevention, please visit www.STOPSportsInjuries.org.
Copyright © 2011. American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. All rights reserved.
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