December 2022 / January 2023 / February 2023 | Akwa | 15 Athlete comes from the ancient Greek αθλος (athlos). This competitor is a person who is healthy and fit; they have developed physical capacities such as strength, endurance, and flexibility suitable for any activity, from every day to sports. Athletes generally practice physical activity with intensity three or more times a week and adhere to a diet and lifestyle required to perform specific physical skills. In the past, “athlete” was reserved for those who participated in the Olympic games. The four pillars (basic physical abilities) of an athlete are endurance, strength, speed, and flexibility. Let’s explore three other important aspects related to athletes. • Physical conditioning is the part of the training that seeks to put the athlete in the best possible shape. This is achieved through their natural aptitudes and develop- ing their physical qualities to the maximum through sys- tematic, gradual, and progressive exercises. This training allows the bodies adaptation for the specific parameters of the sport and thus obtains an optimal performance. • A sport involves rules or norms performed within a given space or area (e.g., playing field, court, or track). It is often associated with competitiveness, with one’s self, or with others. Sports are generally regulated by federations, clubs, leagues, etc. A sport often refers to activities where the competitor’s physical capacity is the primary way of determining the result (win or lose). However, sports are also recognized as competitive activities that combine both physical and intellect. Although the terms sport and physical activity/fitness are often interchanged, they do not mean the same thing. The difference lies in the com- petitive nature of a sport versus the mere practice of phys- ical activity/fitness. • A sport’s technical skill is the sum of specific movements performed in a coordinated way to meet a goal. This is present in all sports. Aquatic Environment The characteristics of water affect the human body while standing upright and floating in a supine or prone position. A key factor of aquatic training is the reduced musculoskeletal impact. Temperature also affects the body, both at rest and during movement. One way that we see this application with athletes is with thermal contrast baths. Specific training can target the development of cardiorespiratory conditioning and changes in neuromuscular status. The aquatic environ- ment is favorable for rehabilitating injured athletes and can benefit athletes experiencing interruptions in their traditional training or competition schedule. Another potential benefit is speeding up post-competition or post-training recovery. Water immersion mainly presents a method of sports recov- ery, both active and passive. In recent decades, athletes have used water immersion and specific aquatic training to main- tain and improve performance, motor skills, and cardiorespi- ratory function. Water immersion based on water properties such as buoyancy, viscosity, thermodynamics, hydrostatic pressure, and fluid dynamics results in physiological changes (Wertheimer and Jukiæ). Effects are influenced by the depth of immersion as well as water temperature. Active recovery is effective and efficient. While it is import- ant to let the athlete’s body rest from difficult training days, ‘off’ days, do not always mean complete rest. Using a com- plementary exercise that is less stressful on the body, such as training on an underwater treadmill, can be even more ben- eficial. After using contrast therapy, coaches have found that their athletes’ muscles are better prepared for the next day of training. Running in the water can improve the functional- ity of running on land. Running on an underwater treadmill requires using different muscles to push through the viscosity (drag) of the water. This, in turn, provides additional power when on the ground – increasing fitness without increasing the risk of injury. Training Athletes in Water – Football & Tennis By Vanina Delfino
