Taxonomy of Adaptation

I was on a webinar with some other coaches discussing central and peripheral adaptations to training stimuli: 

1. Central Adaptations: Improvements in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems that enhance the body's ability to transport and deliver oxygen to working muscles.

2. Peripheral Adaptations: Changes within the connective tissue, muscles, and metabolic system that a) enhance the muscles' ability to utilize oxygen and produce energy efficiently, and b) allow force to be transmitted effectively.

This got me thinking. Whereas these adaptations (or lack of) do explain a lot of the training responses that I see in my athletes, I don’t think that it explains them all. I’m sure these could be subdivided further but for simplicity, I will add two more categories:

3. Neuromuscular Adaptations (Technical Adaptations): Enhancements in movement efficiency, coordination, and skill acquisition that optimize athletic performance.

4. Psychological Adaptations: Mental and emotional training that complements physical and technical training. These adaptations help athletes develop mental toughness, maintain focus, stay motivated, and manage stress effectively.

I hypothesize that because elite athletes are almost by definition somewhat complete in these later domains the training culture and narrative tend to emphasize central adaptations (cardiovascular improvements like VO2 max, cardiac output) and peripheral adaptations (muscular and metabolic changes like mitochondrial density, capillary growth). These methods are well-researched and widely advocated due to their effectiveness in improving aerobic capacity and endurance.

However, what it neglects is the importance of neuromuscular and psychological adaptations for recreational athletes.

Neglect of Neuromuscular Adaptations that relate to skill and efficiency is a key one. Neuromuscular adaptations, including motor learning, coordination, muscle activation patterns, and proprioception, are crucial for improving running, swimming and even biking economy and overall efficiency. Elite athletes often come into training with highly refined skills and efficient movement patterns, which is generally not the case for recreational athletes.

Training programs for amateurs often overlook these aspects, assuming that basic running or swimming will naturally lead to skill improvement. However, without targeted drills and technique refinement, recreational athletes may not develop the necessary movement efficiency.

Another area of neglect for recreational athletes is Psychological Adaptations. Psychological aspects such as mental toughness, focus, motivation, and stress management are vital for consistent training and peak performance. Elite athletes typically have strong psychological foundations due to years of competitive experience and coaching.

Recreational athletes lack this psychological training, leading to inconsistent performance and lower adherence to training plans. Programs often fail to include structured psychological training components, such as goal-setting, visualization, relaxation techniques, and stress management strategies. Elite athletes often start with a high level of neuromuscular and psychological readiness, which is a prerequisite for their performance. This makes their response to central and peripheral training more pronounced.

Without the baseline neuromuscular skills and psychological readiness, recreational athletes may not respond as well to traditional training regimes focused primarily on central and peripheral adaptations.

So What’s the Impact of These Neglected Adaptations

Inadequate focus on technique and efficiency can lead to wasted energy and suboptimal performance. For example, poor running form can negate the benefits of improved cardiovascular capacity and can cause injury. Swimming skill has an even more pronounced impact on performance. Focusing swim programs on central adaptions is not an effective approach for developing swimmers

Lack of mental toughness or motivation can lead to inconsistent training, missed workouts, and lower overall gains. Stress and anxiety can further impact performance negatively.

A More Holistic Approach

If your training is not quite getting you where you want, I suggest a more holistic assessment of your weaknesses and strengths. Your renewed training focus should include tailoring your program to your level of neuromuscular skill and psychological readiness. Ensuring that your training plan progressively builds neuromuscular skills and psychological resilience alongside central and peripheral conditioning.

• Regular inclusion of drills focusing on running form, swim stroke mechanics, and other sport-specific techniques.

• Exercises to improve coordination, muscle activation patterns, and proprioception, such as balance exercises, dynamic stretches, and sport-specific skill training.

You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit. What you least like to do is often what you most need to do

You should set realistic, incremental goals to boost motivation and focus. Training that includes visualization, positive self-talk, and coping strategies for dealing with discomfort and fatigue. Learn techniques like mindfulness, relaxation exercises, and breathing techniques.

The body is like a Swiss watch, you just need to know how to wind it. Dave Harris

I’m sure there are gaps in my argument. I need a call with my swami Coach Max Frankel (@m.franks2) to get into the weeds - Max if you are reading let’s set up a call. However, I feel this highlights a potential gap in current training practices for recreational athletes. By recognizing and addressing the importance of neuromuscular and psychological adaptations, coaches can create more holistic and effective training programs. 

These programs should not only focus on central and peripheral improvements but also have a higher emphasis on skill acquisition and mental preparedness, leading to more consistent and pronounced gains in performance across all athletes.

I also think these additional perspectives are interesting in the athlete-coach relationship; whereas there is some level of individualized response to Central and Peripheral stimuli, the scope for specificity in Neuromuscular and Psychological domains is far greater and potentially where you can gain most from your coaching relationship.

Next week I’ll present a Hierarchy of Training Adaptations for Recreational Athletes, so stay posted and train smarter, not harder!