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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

Athletes and coaches are consistently looking for ways to optimize peak performance, this can come through enhanced recovery techniques, strength and conditioning, skills and repetition training, sports nutrition etc. However, one area that is often overlooked is sports psychology which can include, mental skills training to help build mental toughness and develop strategies to cope with the stress and mental demands of sport, as well as mental imagery (MI).

What is Mental Imagery?

Although there are various definitions for MI, it essentially refers to an intentional mental representation of the motor skills used to perform a task without physically engaging in that task. In short, it is “using all the senses to create or recreate an experience in the mind“, this might be a free throw in basketball, a serve in tennis, a lap in motorsport, a maneuver on a wave in surfing, lifting a weight, or kicking a goal in football etc. Additionally, this process involves kinesthetic imagery; that is the process of imagining the physical movements, the weight, the forces and effort required to execute that moment. Mi is often performed from 2 different perspectives; internal or a first person perspective of actually undertaking the task/movement; and external or from a third person perspective such as watching a video of someone performing the task/movement.

MI is often used either as a replacement for training during periods of downtime due to injury, travel, a religious event, unavailability of appropriate training equipment/facilities etc or as a supplement to help rehearse or learn a new movement pattern. The power of MI is it allows one to visualize a movement perfectly every time, something that is not possible in real life as mistakes, even little ones will routinely be made.

As a melbourne sports chiropractor we have extensive experience working at the tennis Australian Open in Melbourne, we will show you how MI is performed using a tennis serve as an example. You would sit in a quiet calm place with eyes closed, imagining the feeling of the court surface beneath the feet, the flow of the air across the body, the weight of the tennis racquet in hand, the feel and texture of the ball, the force and specific movements of the muscles bending from the ankles, knees, hips, starting to rotate the body, lifting the racquet up and over head, while starting to the throw the ball into the air, picturing exactly where you want the ball toss to go, extending the back and then whipping the racquet through, contacting the ball at the exact right time and position, feeling the clean impact the ball makes with the racquet, hearing the crisp snap of the ball on the strings and the release of energy and air from the lungs as the body rotates and movements forward into the court and the racquet follows through, watching the ball fly just over the net tape, landing directly on the centre T line.

How does Mental Imagery Work?

There are several theories on the psychoneurophysiological mechanisms by which MI works however, some of the key themes underpinning MI include, neural changes in the primary somatosensory and motor areas, augmented spinal circuitry, and similar task-specific EMG patterns and subliminal muscle activity. Furthermore, there has been research showing internal MI results in improved strength performance as a result of higher muscle excitatory activity compared to external MI. Moreover, the neuromuscular responses evoked from MI are intensity and activity dependent.

Although there is not a clear association at present, it would appear that there are different scenarios were internal MI is superior to external MI and vice versa. External MI has been found to effective for form-based tasks, while internal MI has been shown to be superior to external MI for goal-directed tasks or motor skills involving changes in the visual fields. In simple terms, external MI works by promoting an association between movements and their effects (ie. by watching a top spin serve it is possible to see the movements required to execute the serve and to see how the ball moves across the net and court). Whereas internal MI creates a link between the movement and the tactile and kinesthetic sensations (ie. by performing a top spin serve in the mind, it is possible to recreate the muscle activation/movements, the energy required, the feel of the ball impacting the racquet etc).

Why Use Mental Imagery?

MI has been shown to be an effective tool for enhancing motor skills and motor performance with results seen after either one single sessions of MI training or after longer term MI training. Additionally, whether your are a novice or expert it is an effective way to learn or refine a new technical skill. To provide context for the benefits of MI use in sports performance, below is a short list of studies examining MI use across different sports.

When to Use Mental Imagery?

As the studies above show there are two key areas where MI can augment sports performance; during periods of immobilization or injury, where MI can help attenuate the strength loss associated with detraining or immobilization, enabling an individual to retain a higher strength base compared to someone who does not use MI, theoretically resulting in a faster return to play time. As well as being used to improve motor control and muscle memory skills, helping to improve performance whether that be a serve in tennis, a pass in soccer, a free throw in basketball, or a shot in golf.

Furthermore, MI can be used to help visualize an outcome or result. Motor racing pilot and author Ross Bentley discusses this in his book series “Speed Secrets” where he dedicates an entire book to the mental aspects of racing. In it he discusses MI and asks readers to visualise themselves on the starting grid of a race; where do you see your self, 5th, 3rd, 2nd? Are there cars in front of you? Are you on the inside or outside of the racing line? You always want to visualise yourself 1st, as visualizing anything else is only programming yourself to be less successful. Even if the likelihood of being winning looks impossible, visualizing it puts you in a position to perform at your best.

How to Implement Mental Imagery in Sport?

One of the difficulties in reviewing the literature on MI is the lack of a standardized MI protocol, with variance in the duration of the MI program, how many times per week MI was undertaken, for how long and when. Generally speaking programs in the studies above ran for 3 to 8 weeks, were undertaken 1-3 times per week and lasted for 5-15 minutes. Knowing that improvements have been noted even after 1 session of MI, at a minimum one 15 minute session per week of MI combined with routine physical practice if you are wanting to perform at your best. From our experience as a sports chiropractor working with athletes across a variety of sports MI is under utilized, so if you are looking for that extra advantage over your opponents or are wanting to improve faster, MI is a simple, fast and easy addition to your training program.

If you are looking for more information on the mental side of sport, you might find our blog on burnout of interest and if you would like to make an appointment to see one of our clinicians to help with your performance you can book a remedial massage or sports chiropractic below. Our practice is conveniently located on the corner of Collins Street and Swanston Street in the Melbourne CBD.

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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a complex, evolving area of neurology and sports medicine. In one corner we have experts who definitively state that CTE is a delayed and progressive neurodegenerative disease directly linked to repeated head impacts with onset of symptoms later in life; while in the other there are those who suggest the evidence is currently insufficient to provide such a definitive statement.

High levels of post-mortem histology neurodegenerative change where first described in boxers in 1928 and termed ‘dementia pugilistica’ which, by 1949 would give rise to the term chronic traumatic encephalopathy. These neurodegenerative changes visible in the brain at autopsy are thought to occur from repetitive head impacts and include axonal disruption/injury, myelin degeneration, white matter loss, the presence of p-tau proteins (p-tau pathology), neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), astrocytic tangles (AT), beta-amyloid plaques (Aβ) among others. The distribution of these deposits is in clusters around small blood vessels of the cortex, typically at the sulci depths. Such changes are proposed to result in mood, behaviour, cognitive changes and dementia. Theories regarding the pathogenesis include disruption to the blood brain-barrier resulting in ischaemia within the brain and the presence of neuroinflammation following head impacts.

Head impacts such as sports related concussion can be disturbing to witness; the acute, delayed and prolonged symptoms can be distressing and challenging for an individual to work through. This has created space for the media to leverage clicks and views off through movies and stories using the narrative that sport related concussion is directly linked to CTE.

The first assumption in such a narrative this is that we definitively know that sport related concussion is exclusively a head impact injury, where symptoms are directly associated with injury to certain areas of the brain. For if this statement were not true how could we confidently link repeated head impacts to long term neurodegenerative change?

Our current understanding of sport related concussion is improving however, it is based on animal and motor vehicle occupant studies which are not representative of sports related concussion; head impact sensors are not as consistently accurate as required and, although blood biomarkers look increasingly promising their presence is nowhere near definitive. Furthermore, many symptoms of sport related concussion may not be directly associated with the brain and can be seen in whiplash patients leading to the plausible theory that sport related concussion may potentially include involvement of the upper cervical spine and area with Melbourne sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon has published work. There is no doubting that direct impacts to the head, such as a head-to-head contact results in a brain injury however, our understanding and ability to accurately diagnose sports related concussion is still limited and evolving.

The second assumption is that we can definitively identify the symptoms of CTE to make an accurate diagnosis. Presently there is no way to diagnose a living person with CTE, all diagnoses have been made via autopsy. Although recently there have been attempts to establish research diagnostic criteria for diagnosing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, the clinical disorder suggestive of CTE. Moreover, there have been a series of pathohistological diagnostic criteria put forth by Omalu in 2011 which were broad and non-specific for CTE, nor did it include specific characteristics of p-tau pathology, a key feature of CTE; By McKee in 2013 which was based on a comparison study of 68 cases aged match to 18 control cases without a known history of mild traumatic head injuries and although they identified unique patterns and distributions of tau pathology in CTE; the criteria has not been statistically tested, there are blurring between stages, as well as overlaps with other comorbid conditions.

In 2016, a consensus panel of neuropathologists established a preliminary criteria for diagnosing CTE which as they stated, is limited and requires further research; additionally the methodology they used was at risk of selection bias nor were any epidemiologists were involved in developing that methodology. Furthermore, a key issue at present is that many of the histopathological findings seen in those with suspected CTE can also be present in other neurodegenerative conditions, and have been present in those who have not participated in contact sports.

This is not to say that neurodegenerative changes do not occur in those exposed to repetitive head trauma; there is evidence that shows athletes involved in contact sports have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Motor Neuron Disease. Furthermore, the consensus panel found potentially distinctive p-tau pathologies unique to individuals with CTE. However, there is still much that needs to be learned about sports related concussion and CTE, as well as the relationship between the two.

Currently, there are too many unanswered questions to support a definitive link between sports related concussion and CTE. Further research including longitudinal studies are needed to develop and evaluate blood biomarkers and imaging to help identify, diagnose and monitor sports related concussion and CTE, as well as determining what histopathological findings are specific to CTE, is CTE a specific disease entity or is it related to other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and is there a dose-effect, ie. a number or size of head impacts that are required before neurodegenerative change occurs.

The next time a headline splashes across the news linking contact sports to long term neurodegenerative changes in the brain, it is important that we take a step back for a moment and appreciate that our awareness and ability to identify those who have had a suspected sport related concussion has improved greatly, with immediate removal from play, and no return to play on the same day rules in place; sport governing bodies are continuously evolving rules to protect the heads of athletes; although more work needs to be done in junior sport, awareness among the community is improving. Additionally, we need to be look at ways we can encourage people to participate in sports safely, as opposed to frightening people off sport, with evidence supporting longer life expectancies in elite athletes including those in team sports. As we can continue to advance how we protect our athletes’ heads, we further mitigate the risk of any longer term changes that may occur in the brain.

With thanks to Dr. Jon Patricios

If you are suffering post-concussion symptoms or have suffered a whiplash injury Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon at the Shannon Clinic Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care is well placed to assess whether your upper cervical spine may be playing a role in your symptoms. If you would like to read more about neck pain our blog post has some insightful information. You can book below and will find our Collins Street practice in the Melbourne CBD is easily accessible by trains, trams and car.

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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic created global disruption, uncertainty and with many countries enforced society into lockdowns, which made physical activity and exercise more onerous and challenging. However, one of the few exceptions to the lockdown rules was exercise, so Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon examines the evidence on exercise and immune function.

Does Acute Bouts of Intense Exercise Help or Hinder Immunity?

It is well known that regular bouts of exercise lasting up to 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise is beneficial for immune defence, particularly in older adults and those with chronic diseases. This type of exercise is beneficial for the normal functioning of the immune system and is likely to help lower the risk of respiratory infections/illnesses. However, there is debate within the scientific community whether acute bouts of vigorous intensity exercise leads to a period of immune suppression post exercise.

There has been a long held concept in exercise immunology developed in the 1980s and 1990s called the “open window” hypothesis which proposes a J curve relationship between exercise intensity and infection risk. Which is supported by the belief that athletes who engage in high volume endurance training experience a greater incidence of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI) compared to those who are less active. Until recently this concept has remained relatively unchallenged.

The “open window” Hypothesis

The “open window” hypothesis suggests that following a prolonged (>1.5hr) and vigorous acute bout of exercise or following chronic intense training (>1.5hr on most days) there is an “open window” which results in an increased risk of opportunistic infections such as URTI’s. The three principles underpinning this concept are:

1). Infection risk increases after prolonged vigorous aerobic exercise

2). Acute bouts of vigorous exercise can lead to temporary reductions in salivary immunoglobulins resulting in higher risk of opportunistic infections

3). A period of post exercise reduction in peripheral blood immune cells resulting in a period of immune suppression.

J Curve – relationship between the risk of infection and level of exercise intensity

Is The “open window” Hypothesis Still Relevant Today?

Recently though there has been emerging evidence suggesting this concept may be outdated. There is evidence, albeit small that indicates international athletes suffer from less URTI than national athletes. This raises the likelihood that infection susceptibility is more likely multifactorial including genetics, sleep, stress, nutrition, travel, circadian misalignment and increased exposure risks due to close proximity of crowds rather than being directly attributed to acute or chronic bouts of vigorous training. This also indicates that international athletes are potentially better supported, have access to better education helping them to improve their life-style behaviours over national athletes resulting in lower risks of infection.

Secondary to this, evidence supports the opposite of the three principles upholding the “open window” concept. With no changes seen in mucosal immunity which has previously been flagged as an indication of immune suppression. The reduction in blood immune cells (primarily lymphocytes) 1 to 2 hours post exercise reflects a transient and time dependent redistribution of immune cells to peripheral tissues resulting in a heighten state of immune surveillance and regulation leading to enhanced antibacterial and antiviral immunity, not suppression of the immune system.

Moderate to Vigorous Exercise Is Beneficial for Immunity

Further research is needed to confirm or refute the “open window” concept however, it currently appears that the infection risk post vigorous exercise is more likely to be associated with a multitude of other factors rather than purely post exercise immune suppression. So for athletes and non-athletes the message remain the same, regular moderate to vigorous exercise is beneficial to enhance immune function to reduce the risk of bacterial and viral infections including URTI’s. And remember that good hygiene practices (washing hands regularly, not touching your face), physical distancing, getting good quality sleep, reducing stress levels and eating healthy wholefoods are the keys keeping your immune system in peak condition. To read more on the importance of sleep you can find the Shannon Clinic Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care blog on sleep and performance here.

As a Melbourne city sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon advocates to all his patients the important of regularly exercise and utilizes exercise therapy with all patients. To work out what exercise is best, moderate continuouse or high intensity interval training check out our blog. If you are looking for an active way to rehabilitate your musculoskeletal injury book an appointment today at our Melbourne CBD chiropractic clinic on Collins Street in the Manchester Unity building opposite the Melbourne Town Hall and City Square.

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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

Ketogenic diets or low carbohydrate diets routinely appear in the media with stories ranging from the negative health implications they can have including reduced bone health to the benefits they have on weight loss, diabetes and performance in elite athletes. With such conflicting information out there, Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon uses his knowledge and experience in addition to reviewing the literature to see what the truth is about ketogenic diets and performance.

What Is Keto?

For a diet to be considered ketogenic it needs to contain less than 50g of carbohydrates (CHO) per day, be high in fats 70-80%, with the remaining 15-25% coming from protein. For athletes, especially endurance athletes CHO’s are the preferred fuel source for enhancing performance therefore by restricting CHO intake it forces the body into ketosis. In a ketosis state, ketone bodies (fat molecules) are released from the liver, producing an alternative fuel source to CHO’s.

Why Athletes Choose a Keto Diet

The utlization of fats as fuel becomes one of the primary reasons endurance athletes are attracted to ketogenic diets. This attraction occurs because fats provide a better source of energy than carbohydrates and there is an abundance of fat stores compared to the limited glycogen (CHO) stores in the muscles. Other reasons athletes are attracted to ketogenic diets include, the feeling of enhanced recovery, improvements in body composition and reduced post exercise inflammation.

It is well documented that ketogenic and low CHO diets are beneficial for body composition changes, namely weight reduction through decreases in adipose (fat) tissue. This isn’t surprising considering fat oxidation (fats being burned for fuel) becomes the primary energy source in a ketogenic diet.

Keto Diets and Athletic Performance

In terms of athletic performance the evidence is less clear. Majority of the current studies looking at athletic performance and ketogenic diets routinely involve small sample sizes of elite athletes and over a short time frame (3-10 weeks). As a result, any findings from these studies need to be interpreted and considered with other available literature. With such a specific cohort (study population) transferability of the results to other non-elite athletes becomes difficult.

Exercise Capacity

In terms of endurance performance, there appears to be a reduction in performance during high intensity bouts above 70% of VO2Max when on a short term (3-10 week) ketogenic diet. The postulated causes include; fats require greater oxygen uptake and energy to be broken down compared to CHO, possible impaired glycogen metabolism at higher intensities. However, one study which looked at endurance athletes who were on ketogenic diets for longer than 6 month showed no changes in muscle glycogen stores.

Resistance Training

For resistance training and lean muscle mass it appears that ketogenic diets result in reduced body mass, with conflicting evidence on whether it impacts on lean muscle mass. Regardless, it doesn’t appear to negatively impact strength.

Bone Health

Bone health is an interesting area. An Australian study published early this year revealed that bone resorption (break down of bone) increased and bone formation (new bone formation) decreased in elite athletes (race walkers) while on a short term (3 – 3.5 week) ketogenic diet. This study received a lot of press because the implications are potentially serious; ketogenic diets leading to reduced bone mineral density and bone injuries in elite athletes. However, this study needs to be put into context. It looked at elite race walkers, predominantly males who were on short term ketogenic diets. This is a very specific subgroup of people. As the study rightly points out, further research is needed to understand these findings further before any definitive answer is known about ketogenic diets (short and long term) and bone health in elite athletes and in the general population.

The Wash Up

When it comes to athletic performance ketogenic diets improve fat oxidation and reduce body mass, which is important in endurance sports and weight-class based sports such as boxing, weight lifting, martial arts etc. They don’t negatively affect exercise capacity at submaximal workloads below 70% VO2Max but they do appear to reduce exercise capacity at high intensities. They may also reduce endurance capacity but this appears to be individual, with some athletes being affected and others not. At present, finding the right balance of lower CHO levels which are higher enough not to impact performance at higher intensities is the best approach to maximize athletic performance through a ketogenic diet. One final note, even though CHO intake levels are low, this does not mean an athlete will be running a negative energy balance; energy expenditure should always match energy intake.

[Click Through To Read About Plant-Based Diets]

As a Melbourne city sports chiropractor with a postgraduate diploma in sports and exercise medicine including nutrition and sports nutrition, Dr. Shannon utilizes diet and supplementation within his wholistic approach to rehabilitation. To book an appointment today with Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon or sports massage therapists Paula Pena click below. Our Melbourne CBD chiropractic clinic is centrally located on the corner of Collins Street and Swanston Street, opposite the Melbourne Town Hall in the Manchester Unity building.

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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

Pain is a complex subjective, sensory and emotional experience occurring as a result of damage or potential damage to tissue (skin, ligaments, muscles, bones). Pain is most commonly caused by a specific injury however, in some cases an injury mechanism is absent.

Types of Pain (Simplified)

There are three different types of generalised pain:

Nociceptive Pain

Nociceptive pain occurs when there is damage to a tissue (like burning your finger). This pain can be local or it can be referred (ie. the pain is felt away from where the tissue is damaged). An example of referred pain is, “sciatic” leg pain which is associated with tissue damage in the lower back.

Neurogenic Pain

Neurogenic pain occurs when the nerves behave abnormally by conducting nociceptive pain where there is no apparent tissue damage or pain source.

Psychogenic Pain

Psychogenic pain arises from the mind (such as the memory of a bad past experience).

Nociceptive Pain (Peripheral Pain)

Nociceptors are sensors found in the body which detect the possible threat of injury or actual injury to tissues such as bone, ligaments, skin etc. They then relay this information to the central nervous system (CNS) – spinal cord.

There are two types of nociceptive fibers, C fibers and A delta fibers which respond to different sorts of pain stimulation.

  • A delta fibers carry signals from the body’s periphery (such as the fingers or feet) back to the CNS very quickly and are responsible for the acute pain experienced when a tissue has been injured.
  • C fibers carry signals more slowly from the periphery to the CNS and are responsible for sub-acute/chronic pain.

Sensitisation

When a tissue has been injured, the nociceptive fibers become sensitised. As a result, the nociceptives threshold for activation and subsequently sending pain signals back to the CNS is much lower. For example, following a bump on the head a light touch to the injured area will be painful. In the case of chronic pain, abnormal sensitisation of nociceptors contributes to why pain is easily triggered, why the pain is often disproportionate to the trigger and why pain is felt long after the initial injury stimulus has gone.

Spinal Cord and Brain Involvement

The information carried by the A delta and C fibers is then transmitted back into the CNS where it is processed in a part of the spinal cord called the “dorsal horn”. The dorsal then determines whether the information needs to be relayed up the CNS to a higher brain centre for processing and response. Or, it may determine the response can occur locally from the dorsal horn, called a “spinal reflex response”. An example of this would be the inflammatory reponse following an injury involving muscle spasm and increased blood flow.

Managing Pain

Non-pharmaceutical Interventions

Chiropractic adjustments are postulated to manage spinal pain by affecting the higher brain centre, the nocipetive fibers in the periphery of your body and through the spinal cord reflex response.

Acupuncture or dry needling is another treatment intervention for managing pain. Needling affects pain at the periphery by desensitizing the nociceptive fibers so they are not stimulated as easily, while also triggering a local muscle relaxation response.

Exercise therapy and physical activity is another intervention that is beneficial in the management of pain, including pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions like osteoarthritis and low back pain.

These are all interventions Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon utilizes at The Shannon Clinic Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care use as a part of our holistic approach to patient care.

Read more about Melbourne sports chiropractor Dr Nicholas Shannon. [Click through to About the Shannon Clinic page]

Pharmaceutical Interventions

Pain medication (analgesics) such as paracetamol (Panadol), ibuprofen (Nurofen) and diclofenac (Voltaren) work on desensitising the A delta and C fibers and hence reducing pain at the source (in the periphery). Pain medications which are codeine based (Opioids) like Panadeine work by affecting how the body interprets pain in the higher brain centres (centrally, rather than peripherally).

It is important to remember when taking pain medication that long term use of analgesics can have harmful side effects like gastric ulcers, renal disease and cardiovascular disease. In addition to this there is strong evidence indicating paracetamol and NSAID’s are ineffective in the treatment of low back pain.

If you are interested to learn more about the different types of regional pain such as the common causes of neck pain or hip pain, you should find our blog on these topics of interest. If you would like to make an appointment to see Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Nicholas Shannon or remedial massage therapist Paula Espinoza you can book below. Our Melbourne city chiropractic clinic is located on Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD, with easy access via trains at Flinders Street Station, trams via Collins, Swanston, Bourke and Elizabeth Streets and parking at Federation Square.

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Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

The Benefits of HIT/HIIT Training

Exercise and physical activity are extremely important for our overall health and wellbeing. With evidence showing physical activity improves; quality of life, sleep, cognition, physical function, insulin sensitivity, while reducing the risks of; clinical depression, dementia, a raft of cancers and chronic preventable diseases, as well as anxiety, blood pressure, weight gain and falls. You can read more about the benefits of physical activity in Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon’s article on Exercise Medicine.

The current recommendations for physical activity are for 150 minutess per week of moderate to vigorous exercise, this means exercising to an intensity where it is still possible to maintain a conversation but with difficulty. High intensity (with/without intervals) training is a great way of efficiently reaching that 150 minutes per week mark with a host of added benefits.

High Intensity Training (HIT) / High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT refers to exercise that occurs in frequent short burst or “sprints” of high intensity exercise, with recovery periods. The sprints can last from 30 seconds to 4 minutes, with recovery periods lasting anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes and repeated sprints of 2 to 6 cycles per session. For true HIIT to be achieved, heart rate (HR) needs to reach 85-90%+ of max HR during the sprint effort. This is the key difference with moderate continuous training (MCT) where HR will only reach 60-70% of max HR.

Why HIT/HIIT?

In healthy individuals HIT/HIIT programs have been clearly shown enhanced exercise capacity, muscle strength and muscle oxidation compared to MCT. It may also improve cardiovascular fitness and function, as well as anxiety and depression severity. It has been associated with improvements in these same variable in individuals with cardiovascular disease, spinal arthritis and multiple sclerosis, in addition to reducing the disability associated with these diseases.

In obese and overweight individuals it is as effective in the short-term as MCT at modest reductions in body fat and waist circumference, which suggests it may be a more time efficient way to exercise. Additionally there is also evidence showing it is well tolerated and has greater improvements in disability and exercise capacity in individuals with nonspecific low back pain when compared to MCT.

What Type of HIT/HIIT Program?

One of the appealing features of HIIT programs are how time efficient they are, especially when compared to MCT. In addition to this, HIIT programs appear to result in similar or greater endurance performances and VO2max (a measure of fitness) when compared to MCT.

Cardiovascular protocols utilizing short intervals (30 seconds or less), for 5 minutes or less, performed 4 or fewer times per week will assist in developing VO2max in the general population. However, the greatest improvements come from longer sprint intervals (2 minutes or longer), higher volume (15 minutes or longer) over a longer duration (4-12 weeks). Resistance training HIT protocols are typically defined as more than 70-80% of a 1 repetition maximum, performed at a maximum of 1 set of 12 repetitions.

Finally, for anyone considering a HIIT program it is important to note that even though HIIT appears to be safe for most individuals, consulting a health/medical practitioner to determine if a HIIT program is safe for you is extremely important before you start any HIIT program.

To book an appointment with Melbourne city sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon or remedial massage therapist Paula Pena you can book below. You will find our Melbourne chiropractic clinic located on Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD opposite the Melbourne Town Hall.

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