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HTKSPORT
This may be seen, for example, as an elite sprinter who applies extreme amounts of
force with a very fast stride rate, or an athlete who can change direction (decelerate)
at high speed, or a boxer whose quick-fire punches pack a lot of force. DUR dominant
athletes, by contrast, favour sustained neural inputs, and tend to be inefficient
(relative to MAG-dominant athletes) with their motor unit recruitment and require
external resistance as a stimulus for the nervous system to recruit more fibres. They
may, for example, look equally strained and laboured when lifting a significantly submaximal
load as they would a max lift; e.g. lift 150kg in a strained, slow manner, but
also able to continue straining out reps right up to 200kg.
Understanding the neural demands of various physical performances is the first
fundamental to training organisation. The next few chapters will look at the various
external expressions of physical performance, and how to elicit the desired neuromuscular
input through movement.
2.1 Muscle Strength vs. Elastic Strength
Muscle strength refers to the production of force from the frictional/contractile
elements of the muscle fibres; i.e. the function of actin and myosin filaments during a
muscle contraction. Generally, muscular strength becomes more important the
longer the duration of the movement and the heavier the resistance. Therefore the
best way to develop contractile strength is through DUR-specific work. Similarly, this is
why fast, explosive movements like sprints and jumps do not rely heavily on
frictional/contractile strength, but rather stored elastic energy. DUR-dominant
athletes will often over-rely on frictional elements to perform movements that are
best performed explosively. A good example of this may be seen when comparing a
completely untrained athlete who is naturally suited to sprinting (RATE/MAG
dominant) with a powerlifter and comparing the relative force outputs and sprint
performances. Muscle-bound athletes that are deficient in elastic qualities will rely
heavily on contractile elements, which would result in them attempting to ‘muscle the
track’ (typically characterised by hip, knee and ankle collapse upon ground contact
and slow, bounding strides reliant on muscle contractions to move each leg with
every stride – compare with top-level sprinters, who appear to effortlessly ‘float’ down
the track at full speed) or lack the reactive ability to correctly perform a depth jump.
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JUNE 2018 | ISSUE 01