The Load Management Epidemic

Over the last several years we have heard much about load management for professional athletes. I recall there being lots of discussion about load management when Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Championship. Leonard played 60/82 games for Totonto and 52/72 regular season games this past season for the Clippers; that is around 73% of games that Leonard played.

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So what is load management? The term "load" typically refers to the physical stress placed on an athlete's body, including factors such as training volume, intensity, duration, and frequency. Athlete load management refers to the process of monitoring and controlling the amount and intensity of physical activity that an athlete undertakes to minimize the risk of injury and maximize performance. The goal of load management is to ensure that athletes are training at a level that is challenging but not excessive, which can lead to injury or burnout. Elite and professional athletes have access to an ever expanding range of technologies such as heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking and sleep monitoring that inform their load management strategies.

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It’s worth noting that factors beyond physical stress also need to be acknowledged and monitored. These additional stresses include:

- Mental and Emotional Stress: Mental and emotional stress can affect an athlete's performance and overall well-being. Pressure to perform well, negative thoughts, anxiety, and depression can all have an impact on an athlete's mental and emotional state and in turn their sport performance.
- Environmental Stress: Environmental stress such as high altitude, extreme temperatures, and air pollution can impact an athlete's performance and overall health.
- Nutritional Stress: Nutritional stress refers to a deficiency or imbalance in nutrients that can impact an athlete's energy, endurance, and overall health.
- Sleep Stress: Lack of quality sleep or inadequate rest can affect an athlete's performance, cognitive function, and overall health.
- Social Stress: Social stress can come from relationships with teammates, coaches, family, and friends, and can impact an athlete's mental and emotional state.
- Time Stress: Time stress can be caused by a lack of time to rest, recover, and prepare for training and competition. It can lead to burnout and fatigue.

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How we get it wrong!

Athlete monitoring, load management and recovery strategies are critical components of supporting the performance of all athletes. As strength and conditioning coaches we are constantly chasing the minimal effective dose. We are always looking to achieve the greatest adaptation with the minimal amount of stimulous. Of course we love it when athletes put up big numbers, max lifts, fast sprints, crushing crazy gpp (general physical preparedness) sessions. We also understand and embrace our role of supporting the sport performance of our athletes. Ultimately, our athletes are in pursuit of consistently high performance in their sport, not in the gym.

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Where we get things wrong is how we implement load management concepts. Sport performance is complex, as is the monitoring of athletes. Generally, we are uncomfortable with complexity and prefer to default to oversimplification. In terms of load management, particularly with youth athletes, the oversimplified approach is an all or nothing approach. Effective load management strategies rarely, if ever, include doing nothing. Kawhi Leonard didn’t sit around on days off with his feet up playing video games.

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At E.A.T.S. we think about load management as the gathering of information that informs how we program for our athletes. Load management involves monitoring and regulating the amount and intensity of physical activity to help prevent injury and optimize performance. This includes considerations such as the frequency, duration, and type of exercise or sport, as well as rest and recovery periods between sessions. The goal of load management is to balance the demands of training and competition with the athlete's ability to recover and adapt to the stress of physical activity, thereby reducing the risk of injury and promoting long-term development. The long-term development of our athletes is always front of mind and why the E.A.T.S. Method includes both intentional deloading periods and individualized recovery strategies, techniques and tools.

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In the interest of complexity, we prefer to be precise with the language we use. Recovery is a general term that encompasses the strategies and techniques used to help the body recover from the stress and strain of physical activity and participation in competition. This can include stretching, foam rolling, massage, nutrition, and sleep, among others. The goal of recovery is to help the body repair damaged tissues, replenish energy stores, and promote overall health and well-being.

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In contrast to the simplified approach to recovery, often interpreted as the prescription of rest; the E.A.T.S. Method prioritizes active recovery. Active recovery refers to the use of low intensity exercise/movement to facilitate the recovery process after intense training or competition. This type of recovery involves performing low-intensity exercises/movements, such as gentle stretching, swimming, cycling, rowing or even walking. The goal of active recovery is to increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles and to maintain movement capacity through soft tissue work and mobilization. Active recovery is an effective way for athletes to maintain a high level of fitness and performance while reducing the risk of injury and avoiding overtraining.

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Active recovery can help to decrease the buildup of waste products that can accumulate in the body after intense exercise. By increasing blood flow to the muscles, active recovery can also help to reduce inflammation, promote healing, and alleviate muscle soreness.

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Benefits of active recovery for athletes include:

- Improved circulation: Active recovery exercises increase blood flow, which helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, aiding in the recovery process.
- Reduced muscle soreness: Light exercise helps to flush out waste products, such as lactic acid, which can contribute to muscle soreness and fatigue.
- Increased range of motion: Gentle stretching and mobility exercises can help to maintain joint flexibility and prevent stiffness.
- Mental relaxation: Active recovery can provide a mental break from the intensity of training or competition, helping athletes to stay focused and motivated.

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Overall, active recovery can be an effective way for athletes to enhance their recovery and maintain their physical and mental well-being, allowing them to perform at their best.

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We really get this wrong!

The false tendency prevalent in youth sports is to apply the practices of elite professional athletes to youth athletes. In the vast majority of cases youth athletes are neither elite nor are they professional. As such ‘load management’ for youth athletes is not the same as it is for elite professionals, it must be different.

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To effectively manage the load for young athletes, coaches and parents need to monitor and consider several factors, including the athlete's age, skill level, fitness level, the demands of their sport, along with the daily demands placed on their mental health. They should also be aware of any previous injuries or health conditions that may increase the risk of injury.

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Based on more than a decade working with athletes the single greatest threat to their long-term development and performance is the length of our youth athlete’s competitive seasons. Youth athletes simply compete too often and for too long. As adults involved in youth sport our obsession with competition has led to year round competition. Youth athletes need a break from competition to recover physically, emotionally and mentally. Shifting our emphasis from competition to development would go a long way to reducing the burnout and supporting the long-term development of youth athletes.

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Youth athletes are incredibly resilient and are full of energy. As it turns out, how youth athletes use that energy matters. At the risk of oversimplifying the matter, playing different sports during the appropriate season (i.e. outdoor soccer in the spring and summer, hockey in the fall and winter) provides youth athletes with different physical stimuli and therefore an opportunity to recover and develop differently while being active and avoiding burnout.

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Finally, the single most impactful recovery tool we have available to our youth athletes is free unstructured play. There is massive value in providing youth athletes with time in their schedule for free unstructured play. Free unstructured play refers to time that is not guided by adults or structured by rules, schedules, or goals. It is a form of play in which participants are free to explore, create, and interact with their environment and peers in a way that is self-directed and open-ended.

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During free play, participants have the opportunity to use their imaginations, develop social skills, and build physical and cognitive abilities in a natural and fun way. They are free to choose their own activities, make their own rules, and take risks without the fear of failure or judgment.

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While load management and recovery are distinct concepts, they are interconnected and both play important roles in the long-term development and performance of youth athletes. By carefully managing the amount and intensity of physical activity and supporting recovery through active recovery,  proper nutrition, sleep, and other techniques, youth athletes can stay healthy and achieve their full potential.