The theory and methodology of sports training is currently a teaching subject in several courses of sports and movement sciences worldwide. It is even a subject of several best-selling books and papers published in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is something unclear in the definition of the field of study and of some concepts, which are purely theoretical constructs and not supported by a priori experimental results, but only by post-experimental designs descending from theories, and thus it is at risk to be a “pseudoscience” according to Karl Popper’s definition of pseudoscience (Popper, 1963). In this perspective, sports practice sometimes is disconnected when applying “science” to the general process of training because of unclear concepts, naive translations of the practice of general physiological and psychological principles, and a variety of methodological proposals that clash with the experience of everyday practice. The impossibility of managing a vast number of interacting factors in determining modifications in the long-term perspective has necessarily given space to the theoretical speculations in order to develop practical methods for training. On the other side, the “explosion” of scientific writing has caused a progressive specialization, with a loss of a general framework in which to inscribe the phenomena characterizing the human response to physical training. Thus, today sports scientists are facing on one side an increasing and unmanageable amount of research studies, dealing with very narrow aspects of sports training, and on the other side, they deal with “methods” which are proposed as consequences in general theories. The objective of this critical analysis is to review the current state of strength and endurance training, in order to make the point about the gaps between general theories of sports training and specific research studies. Starting with a historical perspective, this review and reflective book will look at the classical theories of periodization and at the proposed methods for developing strength and endurance in sports, considering the interactions of some basic science knowledge with practiced applied methodologies in the field. Recent advancement in the warm up and flexibility assessment and development of coordinative and technical skills are illustrated together with a survey on the past and recent trends in strength and endurance development. The book shows also that the “recipe” for a sound training programme has manifold factors that are still unclear. Ultimately, besides the general laws concerning the adaptive process of the human body, it will show how personalization of training and mixing of methods can contribute to better planning for achieving optimal results.
CICCHELLA ANTONIO (2020). TRAINING STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE IN SPORT : HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND OPEN QUESTIONS. Liepaja : Liepaja University Publishing House.
TRAINING STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE IN SPORT : HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND OPEN QUESTIONS
CICCHELLA ANTONIO
2020
Abstract
The theory and methodology of sports training is currently a teaching subject in several courses of sports and movement sciences worldwide. It is even a subject of several best-selling books and papers published in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is something unclear in the definition of the field of study and of some concepts, which are purely theoretical constructs and not supported by a priori experimental results, but only by post-experimental designs descending from theories, and thus it is at risk to be a “pseudoscience” according to Karl Popper’s definition of pseudoscience (Popper, 1963). In this perspective, sports practice sometimes is disconnected when applying “science” to the general process of training because of unclear concepts, naive translations of the practice of general physiological and psychological principles, and a variety of methodological proposals that clash with the experience of everyday practice. The impossibility of managing a vast number of interacting factors in determining modifications in the long-term perspective has necessarily given space to the theoretical speculations in order to develop practical methods for training. On the other side, the “explosion” of scientific writing has caused a progressive specialization, with a loss of a general framework in which to inscribe the phenomena characterizing the human response to physical training. Thus, today sports scientists are facing on one side an increasing and unmanageable amount of research studies, dealing with very narrow aspects of sports training, and on the other side, they deal with “methods” which are proposed as consequences in general theories. The objective of this critical analysis is to review the current state of strength and endurance training, in order to make the point about the gaps between general theories of sports training and specific research studies. Starting with a historical perspective, this review and reflective book will look at the classical theories of periodization and at the proposed methods for developing strength and endurance in sports, considering the interactions of some basic science knowledge with practiced applied methodologies in the field. Recent advancement in the warm up and flexibility assessment and development of coordinative and technical skills are illustrated together with a survey on the past and recent trends in strength and endurance development. The book shows also that the “recipe” for a sound training programme has manifold factors that are still unclear. Ultimately, besides the general laws concerning the adaptive process of the human body, it will show how personalization of training and mixing of methods can contribute to better planning for achieving optimal results.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
