CHAPTER V. OPTIMUM DURATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MOUNTAIN TRAINING STAGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ANNUAL CYCLE

In the process of using training in the mountains, two interrelated questions always arise: in what periods and stages of the annual macrocycle is it advisable to use it and what is the most effective duration of a single training session in the mountains?

During the preparation for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, it was proven that the most important condition for successful performance in competitions at medium altitudes is the “mountain” experience and the body’s “memory” of previous trips to the middle mountains, and therefore, the more athletes spend training camps in mountains, the more effective their performance in competitions will be. These views are still shared by most experts.

At the same time, in the first years of using mid-mountain terrain to improve athletic performance on the plain, training in the mountains was included in the stage of direct preparation for important competitions, most often once in a yearly cycle. This was confirmed by Owen's references to B. Balke's work, which suggested that repeated trips to the mountains do not provide tangible benefits to athletes.

Somewhat later, another point of view arose - about the need for more frequent use of mid-mountain areas to solve specific problems of sports training, characteristic of certain periods of the annual cycle. This provision was most widely implemented in our country, the GDR, and Bulgaria.

Leading skiers in European countries began to use glaciers lying at an altitude of 2500-2800 m for targeted training in the summer in snowy conditions. Currently, training in mid-mountain areas is considered as an integral part of the training system for highly qualified athletes.

Copying the structure of preparation for the Olympics in Mexico City, in order to improve performance, some athletes and even teams in certain sports began to travel to the mountains up to 4-6 times a year. However, recently the number of training camps in mid-mountains in the annual cycle has decreased. This is due to the fact that frequent changes in strong stimuli, such as climatic factors in the middle mountains, can lead to adverse consequences - overexpenditure of adaptive reserves - and cause undesirable changes in the activity of body systems, which can then lead to exhaustion.

Mid-mountain training in an annual cycle

One of the main conditions for training athletes is to achieve high results at a certain time at the main competitions of the season. This depends on managing the development of sports form and is associated with the need to perform large and varied training loads to ensure reliable formation and then maintenance of this state.

Various tasks facing individual periods of the annual cycle determine the alternation of training methods and means, the dynamics of the volume and intensity of training loads and the proportion of work on improving the physical, technical and tactical readiness of the athlete. However, the training periods, having too long a duration - from 2 to 8 months, needed further detail. In this regard, in recent years, in the general theory of sports, as well as in practice, periods of training have begun to be divided into stages and mesocycles with a duration of 2-6 weeks.

At each stage, the emphasis is on solving a specific problem to improve certain aspects of the athlete’s preparedness, despite the complex nature of the entire training.

In this regard, traveling to mid-mountain conditions can be considered as a preparation stage or mesocycle aimed at the most effective solution of the tasks facing the athlete (team).

At the same time, training in the middle mountains can completely coincide in duration with the corresponding mesocycle (impact, pre-competition) and even the period (transitional) or be an integral part of a longer stage (basic, immediate preparation for important competitions, etc.).

Mid-mountain training in transition

The transitional, or final, period of the macrocycle lasting from 2 to 4 weeks coincides with a temporary loss of athletic form. The main tasks of this period are active rest and recovery of the athlete after competitive and most intense training loads, as well as treatment of injuries and diseases, maintaining a certain level of performance through general physical training. In certain cases, the tasks of the transition period include improving individual, especially lagging qualities. The volume of training loads is reduced by 2-4 times, and the intensity is even greater.

In order to most effectively solve the problems facing the transition period, it is advisable to use stay and training in mid-mountain areas and especially in mountain resorts. The active motor mode in which visitors find themselves (walking uphill and downhill for various purposes), supplemented by the moderate hypoxia of the mountain climate, helps maintain a sufficient level of performance even without the inclusion of training sessions according to the general physical training program.

For athletes specializing in sports that require the predominant manifestation of endurance, the basis of which is a high level of aerobic performance, disconnection from cyclic long-term exercises during this period does not lead to a significant decrease in the capacity of aerobic functions due to the moderate effect of the hypoxic factor. For athletes specializing in sports associated with high technical performance skills, who rarely use exercises to improve endurance in their training, staying in the transition period in mountainous areas increases endurance, and, consequently, overall performance, which will allow them to perform a large volume in the preparatory period. work.

For athletes specializing in sports where absolute strength, explosive strength and strength endurance play an important role, conditions are created to maintain, and in some cases even increase in the transition period, the level of strength readiness due to the action of moderate hypoxia, mountainous terrain and increased ultraviolet irradiation.

This thesis is confirmed by the facts of the systematic use of training in the middle mountains of the Caucasus and Tien Shan during the transition period of the outstanding high jumpers of the 1972 Olympic champion Yu. Tarmak and former world record holder I. Paklin (241 cm).

Due to the continuous increase in training loads in almost every new annual cycle, the athlete’s body is required to be more resistant to various unfavorable factors when adapting to the mountain climate, which leads to an increase in the reserve function of the body and its resistance to unfavorable factors of the external and internal environment.

Conducting a transition period in mountain conditions allows maintaining a certain level of athletes’ performance while reducing the volume of specialized training tools.

Let us give an example from the field of astronautics. The practice of medical support for space flights in our country has introduced a method of sending cosmonauts to mid-mountain mountains to increase the resistance of their body to the unfavorable factors of a long flight and for their rehabilitation during the period of post-flight asthenia, in particular, to restore the functionality of muscles, especially the lower extremities, because in conditions of weightlessness, despite the use of physical exercises, muscle tissue dystrophy still develops.

Training in the middle mountains in the preparatory period

The preparatory period of the macrocycle is associated with the phase of development of sports form and in most cyclic sports and martial arts it occupies the largest place in the annual cycle. The preparatory period usually begins with a “retracting” stage, at which, based on the goals of gradually drawing the body into training work of greater volume and intensity, it is apparently inappropriate to use mid-mountain terrain. The calmer and smoother the athlete enters the rhythm of heavy training loads after the transition period, the stronger the foundation of his preparedness will be. Additional stimulation of the body by the action of the hypoxic factor serves as a means of speeding up training and faster development of sports form, and, consequently, faster loss of it.

The next stage of the preparatory period is the “basic” stage, aimed at creating a special base or foundation of preparedness.

In cyclic sports associated with the manifestation of endurance, at this stage the strength and aerobic capabilities of athletes are improved. In other sports, at this stage the foundation is laid for high performance, which is also based on endurance. In speed-strength sports and martial arts, in parallel with endurance, strength qualities are developed, especially maximum strength.

It is advisable to carry out training in mid-mountain areas at the end of the basic stage, when athletes, under normal conditions, reach the maximum volume of training loads. In this case, the impact is already on a fairly high level of endurance or strength qualities, which contributes to their further growth. The volume of training loads in the middle mountains at this stage is close to the maximum, and the intensity is at an average level.

Thus, training in the middle mountains after the start of the preparatory period should be used no earlier than 6-8 weeks with a six-month structure of a large cycle or after 10-12 weeks for sports that build training on the principle of one annual large cycle. An earlier start of training in mid-mountain areas can lead to an incomplete effect of the training, since the body will not yet have used reserves that can be realized under normal conditions.

Use at the end of the basic stage of training in the mountains lasting from 2 to 4 weeks will contribute to the manifestation of high sports performance in a series of competitions held in the subsequent period: the winter competitive stage in athletics and swimming, a series of competitions in autumn in running and roller skiing for skiers, etc. .d., as well as in the first competitive period in sports that use a six-month structure.

It should be noted that experts almost do not pay attention to the fact that the period of increased performance of the body in the reacclimatization phase in the preparatory period lasting 40-50 days can also be used to further increase individual parameters of training loads, which further ensures an increase in the athlete’s preparedness.

The preparatory period of training ends in many sports with a “pre-competition” stage, the task of which is a gradual transition to training loads characteristic of the competitive period. At this stage, the intensity of the training load increases significantly with a slight decrease in its volume. The total duration of this stage is from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the type of sport and the structure of the annual cycle.

This stage in many sports is also held in the middle mountains. Training in a mountain climate allows you to maintain a high level of endurance, increase speed and strength qualities and, most importantly, carry out the first stage of the competitive period against the background of increased performance.

Mid-mountain training during the competitive period

The competitive period, depending on the type of sport and the structure of the annual cycle, lasts from 2 to 9-10 months and consists of several stages lasting from 2 to 6 weeks.

In individual disciplines, most often the 1st stage is associated with participation in a series of competitions that serve as a means of achieving athletic fitness. Stage 2 - with preparation for the main qualifying competition. Stage 3 - with preparation for the main competition of the season. The 4th stage is devoted to participation in various competitions, during which a high state of preparedness is first realized, and then the transition to active rest gradually begins by reducing training loads in the inter-competition intervals.

Mid-mountain training during the competitive period is most often used at the 2nd and 3rd stages and has 2 options:

I - the use of mid-mountain at the 2nd stage is associated with preparation for the main qualifying competition, usually planned on the 3-6th or 14-20th day after the descent. In this case, participation in the main start of the season will occur on the 40-45th day;

II - use of mid-mountain areas at the stage of immediate preparation for the main start. This option is associated with a very important phase of training after the last qualifying start, and the performance of athletes is most often provided for on the 14-24th day of reacclimatization.

In the process of many years of observations, the structure of the stage of immediate preparation for the main launch was determined and tested, consisting of 4 phases (Fig. 24):

1st phase - active rest after the main qualifying start, about 1 week. Unloading training mode;

2nd phase - preparation in mid-mountains, 2-4 weeks. Increasing special performance according to the principle of “impact” training;

3rd phase - leading up to the main start of the season, 2-3 weeks.

Training on the principle of direct preparation for important competitions (reacclimatization period);

4th phase - performance in the main competitions of the sports season on the 15-24th day after descending from the mountains.

The given structure of this stage was implemented in our country when preparing runners, walkers, and swimmers for the Olympic Games, as well as for a number of important competitions within the country. A similar structure of this stage was developed in the GDR for sports that require predominantly endurance. It is also used in a number of other sports.

Rice. 24Structure of the stage of immediate preparation for the main start

The effectiveness of different training periods in mid-mountain areas

For the training of athletes, the duration of training camps in the transition and preparatory periods is not of decisive importance, since at this time work is carried out that is not associated with high-intensity loads, and the coach is not faced with the task of bringing the athlete to the highest result. During the competitive period, leading an athlete to achieve high sports results both in mountain conditions and on the plain is the most important task.

Information on this issue, provided by authors from different countries for different sports, can be divided into 3 groups.

The 2nd group is characterized by recommendations about the effectiveness of training for a period of 20-28 days. Confirmation of the variable approach to choosing the timing of the mining stage is the generalized opinion of specialists from the GDR who recommend formula 20 + 5 days. At the same time, a period of 15-16 days is proposed for speed-strength sports, and at least 20 days for sports that require endurance.

The survey showed that the majority of European athletes who used mid-mountain training before the XX Olympic Games in Munich were in the mountains for about 3 weeks, with the exception of the Romanian team and individual athletes from Germany and the USA, who trained in the mountains for up to 4 weeks.

The 3rd group of authors expresses an opinion on the advisability of longer training in mid-mountain conditions - from 30 to 40 days. However, A. Klimek, citing foreign data, believes that the feasibility of such deadlines has not yet been proven.

Along with these most common opinions, there are recommendations in the literature for other, combined options for training in mid-mountain mountains: 2 times 10 days at 1-2 week intervals for runners, 3-4 times 10-12 days at monthly intervals for skiers . Significant fluctuations in the timing of the mountain stage can be explained by the fact that the length of stay in the middle mountains in itself is not the key to success; sporting achievements depend on systematic training during this period.

A review of the literature and empirical data on the use of middle altitude in the annual training cycle allows us to draw the following conclusion.

The influence of the duration of mountain training on sports results and the functional state of athletes has not been studied experimentally in the literature available to us.

The effectiveness of different periods of training for wrestlers in the middle mountains

To identify the most effective periods of training in the mountains, the performance of qualified wrestlers in special tests was analyzed in 3 series of experiments of various durations (12 days, 13 days and 25 days), conducted during the competitive periods of annual cycles.

Due to the fact that in each series of the experiment a test of different durations was carried out (3, 5 and 6 minutes), data expressed as a percentage are presented for analysis. This allows you to evaluate the test results equally and compare them with each other.

The dynamics of the increase in the average number of throws in the spurts of a special test by days of reacclimatization are given in Table. 28.

Table 28

Dynamics of the average number of throws (M+m) in 20-second spurts of a special test (%)

* The differences between the stages of the experiment are statistically significant.

Analysis of the table shows that the results of subjects in a special test after a 12-, 13- and 25-day stage of training in the mountains tend to increase during the 24-day reacclimatization period. On the studied days of this period (2, 10, 16, 21, 24) it becomes higher after a 25-day stay, the dynamics of changes in the average number of throws in the spurts of a special test are not the same in the 3 series of experiments.

On day 2, these indicators were slightly higher in the 1st and 2nd series of experiments (12- and 13-day collections). Starting from the 10th

day this increase in the mountains. The differences between the indicators of stages lasting 12 and 13 days for all days of the reacclimatization period are statistically insignificant (p>0.05). The differences between the short stages and the stage lasting 25 days are statistically significant on the 10th to 16th days (p<0,05), на 21-24-й день (р<0,001).

The analysis shows that an increase in test indicators, reflecting the special performance of wrestlers, is observed after training camps of various durations - from 12 to 25 days. A training session lasting 3.5 weeks has certain advantages, during which, apparently, large functional changes occur in the body, ensuring an increase in the special performance of wrestlers.

Thus, when preparing wrestlers during the competitive period, both short, about 2 weeks, and longer periods of training in mid-mountain conditions, from 3 to 4 weeks, can be successfully used.

The effectiveness of different training periods for middle- and long-distance runners in mid-altitude mountains

To solve the assigned problems V.E. Savinkov conducted 2 series of pedagogical experiments with middle and long distance runners - members of the Kazakhstan national team. The effectiveness of periods of stay in the mountains from 2 to 5 weeks was compared at the junction of the preparatory and competitive periods (Przhevalsk, 1750-2000 m).

In the 1st series, 3 groups of athletes of 8 people each participated (qualification from master of sports to category II). Differences in mean height, weight, age, and athletic performance between groups were not significant.

After 2 weeks of leveling training, the athletes went to the middle mountains: group 1 - for 2 weeks, group 2 - for 3 and group 3 - for 4 weeks.

The departure of the groups to the mountains was carried out in stages, i.e. First, the 4-week one rose, a week later - the 3-week one, and a week later - the 2-week one. All 3 groups left the middle mountains at the same time and participated in the same competitions.

The training was carried out 2 times a day, 5 days a week. The morning lesson included: slow cross-country running up to 10 km, flexibility exercises - 10-15 minutes, weight exercises (lifting weights, throwing stones, medicine balls) - 15-20 minutes, running and jumping exercises (10 times 100 m, rest 100 m of slow running), acceleration 4 times 150 m.

The evening workout consisted of a warm-up, running at intervals of various lengths, tempo and long cross-country runs, fartlek and other types of running. The total running load ranged from 14 to 20 km.

In the 1st week of stay in the middle mountains, the training intensity was reduced, which was achieved by reducing the volume of running at a speed above the ANP while maintaining the total mileage. In the 2-week group, due to the short duration of stay in the mountains, the decrease in intensity was significantly less. In the 2nd week, the total volume of training funds was maximum (90-120 km). The 3rd week was held at the same level, and in the 4th there was a slight decrease in the total volume.

The criterion for assessing the effectiveness of a particular duration of training in the mountains was the sports results shown by athletes in official competitions.

During the reacclimatization period, athletes of 3 groups started 8-10 times each (mainly at the end of the week). All runners improved their athletic performance over the course of 6 weeks. However, this increase was uneven. In Fig. Figure 25 shows the group average indicators of sports results for weekly cycles, expressed as a percentage of the best achievement in the year of the experiment. Carrying out such an analysis of the dynamics of sports results is due to the fact that the subjects of all 3 groups specialized in medium and long distances and competed in running from 800 to 10,000 m.

In Fig. 25 shows that sports achievements in the 3-week group were the most stable and were maintained throughout all 6 weeks. In the 2- and 4-week groups, these indicators varied more significantly.

Thus, in the 1st cycle, the highest results were observed in the 3-week group. The differences are statistically significant between it and the 2-week group (p<0,05).

By the end of the 2nd cycle, the 1st and 3rd groups significantly increased their performance and reached the level of the 3-week average. The differences between them are statistically insignificant.

By the end of the 3rd week, the largest and most common increase in results was observed for all groups. In the 4th week, all groups slightly decreased their athletic achievements, which can partly be explained by unsatisfactory weather conditions on the days of the competition. However, the results of the 3-week group remained somewhat more stable. During the 5th and 6th weeks, an increase in performance was observed in the 2- and 4-week groups. The 3-week period stabilized its performance. Sports results in all groups were at the same level. The differences are not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Rice. 25 Average group indicators of sports results by weekly cycles, expressed as a percentage of the best achievement in the year of the experiment

Thus, the experiment did not reveal significant advantages for any of the 3 periods of training in the mountains. At the same time, the indicators of lactate accumulation in the blood after a standard load in all weeks of the studied reacclimatization period between the groups did not have significant differences (see Fig. 12).

The next year, at the 2nd stage of the experiment, the most stable 3-week mesocycle duration at the 1st stage was compared with the 5-week duration. 2 groups of 10 people each (masters of sports and first-class athletes), after leveling training, went to the mountains in steps and returned together. Observations of sports results were carried out over a period of 6 weeks. The dynamics of training loads in cities in both groups was similar and did not differ in parameters almost from the 1st stage of the experiment.

Statistically significant differences in the level of sports performance between the groups were observed only in the 1st week after descending from the mountains (Table 29). During the 2nd and 3rd weeks, the groups’ indicators leveled off.

Both groups showed the highest results in the 3rd week of the reacclimatization period, but they were higher in the 3-week group. The differences between them are close to statistically significant (p<0,1).

In the 4th week there is a slight decline in indicators in both groups. Subsequently, the 5-week group maintains sports results until the end of the observations, and the 3-week group increases them again in the 6th cycle. However, the differences between the groups are not significant.

Table 29

Dynamics of sports results of runners (in%) during a six-week reacclimatization period (M+m)

In general, the competition during the reacclimatization period was held with the advantage of the group that trained in the mountains for 3 weeks. In the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th weeks her results were slightly higher, and in the 2nd and 5th weeks they were almost the same.

The analysis allows us to state that the duration of the training mesocycle in mid-mountain areas of 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks at the beginning of the competitive period varies little in terms of effectiveness. However, the most stable results are still after a 3-week stay in the mountains.

The effectiveness of different training periods for swimmers in the middle mountains

Further testing of the effectiveness of various periods of training in the mountains at the stage of immediate preparation for important competitions was carried out in a pedagogical clarifying experiment with qualified swimmers. The training and experiment plans were drawn up jointly with S.M. Vaitsekhovsky.

In 1973, two groups trained in Tsakhkadzor. 1st

Consisting of 8 people, they trained in the middle mountains for 40 days, and the 2nd - 32 people - for 20 days. The athletes traveled to the mountains in stages and returned together.

After the descent, the athletes participated in the national championship, European Cup, Universiade, World Championship and other competitions.

For ease of comparison, all sports results of swimmers of both groups, specializing in different distances and in different swimming methods, were recalculated as a percentage of personal records at each distance achieved in 1973 and are shown in Table. thirty.

Analysis of this table shows that after a training mesocycle in mid-mountain conditions lasting 20 and 40 days, the swimmers showed their best achievements in the 50-day reacclimatization period. However, the differences in results between the groups, although they were unequal, were statistically insignificant. On days 2-5, swimmers of the 1st group showed better results. In the 2nd cycle on days 16-26, better results were observed in swimmers of the 2nd group.

Table 30

Dynamics of sports results of swimmers (%) after 20- and 40-day training in mid-mountain conditions (M + m)

In the 3rd cycle, swimmers of the 2nd group did not participate in the competition. In the 4th - on the 42-47th day - the results of the 1st group exceed those of the 2nd. The differences are close to significant. In the 5th cycle on days 48-52, the results were slightly higher in the 1st group. The fact that athletes who trained in the mountains for 40 days achieved the highest results on days 16-26 at the height of the competitive period, and then slightly decreased their athletic achievements, can be explained by accumulated fatigue caused by a long stay in the middle mountains.

Assessing the results of the experiment with swimmers who trained in the middle mountains for 20-40 days, we can say that when preparing for competitions held on the plain, both these and intermediate periods can be used. However, before a long series of competitions, it is better to use a 20-day training period. In addition, in the conditions of intense, especially Olympic, seasons, a long stay at mid-mountain bases (more than 4 weeks) can result in a deterioration in the mental state of athletes and a decrease in sports results, which has been documented in a number of studies.

About short-term training periods in mid-mountains

Currently, mid-mountain training is used in different countries in a rather stereotypical manner. In an annual cycle, from 1 to 3 training camps lasting 15-25 days are held, which ensures a certain effectiveness of the training process. However, like any means of increasing performance, training in mid-mountain areas needs further development and the search for new options for its structure. To determine the prospects for further development, it is necessary to analyze various, often non-traditional, options for its use in sports practice.

In the training system for leading track and field athletes in Europe and our country, attempts have been made to use short periods of time for training in mid-mountain areas.

The 1974 European champion in the 800 m race, Yugoslav L. Sushan, used training in the middle mountains at an altitude of 2000 m for 7 days without changing the usual volume and intensity of the load. Its content was as follows. On the first day, a walk to the glacier to an altitude of 3400 m. For the next 3 days, he trained intensively using the interval method with low volume and high speed, increasing the rest time. On day 5, light cross-country training on the ground. On the 6th day, a control run took place. The last day was devoted to active rest and sprinting exercises. On the 2nd day after his descent, he took part in competitions and ran 800 m with a high result of 1:44.87. On the 18th, 19th, 20th days after his return, he started at the European Championships in Rome and won with a high result of 1:44.01.

One of the strongest Soviet 800 m runners, V. Ponomarev, after an unsuccessful first half of the 1975 season, climbed to Terskol (altitude 2200 m) on July 19, where he stayed for 6 days. His training consisted of walking at high altitudes - up to 3000-3500 m - and slow running with downward accelerations. In addition, he conducted 2 intensive training sessions of small volume in 200 m segments. At the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, he started on the 3rd and 6th days of reacclimatization and became the national champion, and then successfully competed in the European Cup finals in Nice, becoming the winner matches USSR-England, USSR-Finland and the champion of the Spartakiad of friendly armies. He conducted a similar training in May 1976 and won the competition for prizes from the Pravda newspaper.

Former world record holder in the 800 m race V. Gerasimova used the same training option in April 1976. During her 7 days in Tsakhkadzor, she conducted 3 hard interval training (days 2, 4, 6) on segments of 200, 300 and 400 m with low volume, 3 cross-country classes (3, 5, 7 days) and 1 walk in the mountains to an altitude of 3000 m (1 day). Having moved to Sochi, the athlete held a control run on the 2nd day, and on the 6th-7th she participated in the competition in memory of the Znamensky brothers, where she won with a high result - 2.01.0.

After a subsequent series of competitions and training, V. Gerasimova again went to Tsakhkadzor on June 1, where she stayed for 6 days. Her training was similar to that described above:

Day 1 - walk to an altitude of 3000 m;

Day 2 - interval running, 2 series of 4x200 m at a speed from 27 to 24.8 s, rest interval 200 m jogging, 10 minutes between series;

Day 3 - long run 12 km, speed 1 km - 4 m 20 s;

Day 4 - control run 600 m - 1.26.8 s, 200 m - 25.2 s; Day 5 - long run 15 km, speed 4 min 15 s

by 1 km;

Day 6 - interval run 2x400 m (54 and 54.5 s) with a rest of 10 minutes.

Every day the athlete ran 6 km in the morning in aerobic mode.

On June 7, she flew to Kyiv, where she conducted 2 light training sessions. Participation in the USSR Championship on the 4th day - 800 m preliminary races, 5th day - semi-finals.

In the 800m final on the 6th day after descending from the mountains, she set a world record of 1.56.0. It should be noted that in both cases, when using weekly durations, the intensity of training loads did not decrease.

Observations of the training of the best speed skaters in Holland in the late 70s and analysis of the structure of their training show that for the first time in the sports season, for the first time, for 6-7 days, they went to the Inzel alpine skating rink (780 m) in mid-December and started at 2 -day competitions. The second trip to the mountains (Davos - 1560 m) in January lasted 10-14 days. The Dutch's successes were associated with systematic intensive training in the mountains at the stage immediately preceding the main competitions of the season.

In 1976, Dutch speed skaters H. Van Helden and P. Kleine, participating in the European Championship on January 24-25 in Oslo, took 5th and 8th places at a distance of 5000 m, respectively, and 5th at a distance of 10000 m and 7th, and in the all-around - 5th and 8th. On January 28, they arrived in Davos, where on January 30 they participated in the 5000 m competition. H. Van Helden set a new world record - 7:07.82, P. Kleine showed the 4th result in these competitions. In addition, they took part in shorter distance events (1000 and 1500 m) on 31 January and 4 February.

At the XII Olympic Games on February 11 (4th day) they competed at a distance of 5000 m and took 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, and on February 14 (7th day) in the 10000 m race P. Kleine became an Olympic champion , and H. Van Helden took 3rd place.

Subsequently, these athletes performed successfully at competitions in Inzel on February 20-21 and at the World Championships in Heerenveen on February 28 and 29, where P. Kleine became the world champion in the all-around, and H. Van Helden became the bronze medalist.

Thus, short-term training in Davos (approximately 10-11 days) allowed Dutch speed skaters to significantly increase their level of readiness - from 5-7th place at the European Championships to 1-3rd at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Moreover, the highest results were shown in Heerenveen on the 21-23rd day after descending from the mountains.

All of the above allows us to conclude that Dutch speed skaters are not afraid to mobilize their capabilities to the maximum in the starts held a few days before the main competitions. There is reason to believe that this point is one of the central ones in their methodological system, since this practice of using middle mountains has been observed for many years.

Thus, an analysis of the training of runners and skaters using short-term training camps in mid-mountains, which are characterized by intense work of low volume, shows sufficient promise for using this option for mountain training.

The sports literature contains information about the effectiveness of short-term training in the mountains.

Swiss runners for 400 m, 400 m s/b, intermediate athletes and stayers used training in the middle mountains (St. Moritz) in the following way - 2 training camps of 10 days each with an interval of 1 week between them.

The direction of training work with this structure: the first 10 days - aerobic training loads, 7 days in the foothills - active recreation and the second 10 days - special training loads.

Attempts have been made to use training in mid-mountains for all-round track and field athletes according to the following scheme: 3 days - training in mid-mountains without reducing the load parameters, 2-3 days - active rest in the foothills, the next 3 days - again training in mid-mountains, then again 2-3 days - active recreation in the foothills, etc., in total - for 20-24 days. As a result of such training, a group of young decathletes increased their sporting achievements.

At the same time, a short stay in the mountains can be used for active recreation or unloading training at the height of the competitive period.

In 1981, 9 young runners for middle, long distances and 2000 m s/p participated in intense competitions of the season, which ended with the All-Union Schoolchildren Spartakiad in Vilnius, where athletes, under conditions of fierce competition and selection, held from 3 to 6 starts in 5 days.

After they were selected to participate in the “Friendship” competition for young athletes in Debrecen (Hungary), 6 athletes went to Tsakhkadzor, where they spent 6-7 days.

The main task of the mountain training stage was to restore athletes after intense starts and prepare them for international competitions. 3 athletes did not go to the mountains, but spent their training camp on the plain.

The structure of the training process in Tsaghkadzor for those who were preparing for competitions in Hungary included low-volume aerobic training loads with a control run on the 4th day of their stay.

As a result of a short training camp lasting 6-7 days, 5 out of 6 athletes showed their best results in Debrecen, and only one runner showed a result 1 s worse than the personal best at 1500 m. Of the runners who did not train in the mountains, only 1 athlete improved her achievements, and two significantly reduced them.

A comparison of the results achieved by young runners shows the sufficient effectiveness of using mid-altitude terrain during the competitive period in order to restore the functional state of athletes.

Conclusion

Training in mid-mountain conditions is a rather intense stage in the annual cycle: during it, the athlete is influenced by both the usual level of training or competitive loads and a complex of environmental climatic factors. The total impact of these two components is always greater than the impact of each of them.

In this regard, the training of athletes in mid-mountain areas can be considered as a mesocycle of “impact” training, when the assigned tasks are solved in a short time due to the increased total impact of these factors on a person.

As a rule, the duration of the mesocycle of “impact” training under normal conditions ranges from 2-4 weeks, followed by unloading or participation in competitions, and in the preparatory period - further work on the implementation of high training loads.

In sports practice, we find a number of data confirming the advisability of 3-week or close to 2-4-week stages of intense training and training camps. These factors suggest that 2-4 weeks of training in the mountains is optimal in terms of timing, which is confirmed by the results of special studies.

Recommending longer periods of a single stay in the middle mountains - 5-6 weeks - to prepare for important competitions that should be held on the plain, a number of authors used data obtained from studying preparations for the Olympic competitions in Mexico City. Most experts then agreed that 3 weeks of acclimatization was not sufficient for successful performance at an altitude of 2240 m, especially in sports that require a high level of endurance.

D.A. Alipov identified 3 stages of the process of adaptation of athletes to mid-altitude mountains: a) unbalanced adaptive reactions; b) uneconomical adaptation; c) economical adaptation. The duration of the first 2 phases is 30 days, and only after the onset of the 3rd author advised to perform in Mexico City.

But it is impossible to equate training in mid-mountain mountains for competing at the same altitude with mountain training for competing on the plain.

A significant amount of scientific research carried out by scientists from different countries during the preparation for the XIX Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1964-1968 had a significant impact on the interpretation of the basic principles of acclimatization of athletes to mid-altitude mountains and adaptation to intense muscular work in these conditions, as well as on the justification timing of training in the mountains. In subsequent years, when athletes began to prepare in the mountains for competitions on the plain, many provisions began to be transferred to such training by inertia. In justifying the period of training in the middle mountains necessary for a successful performance in Mexico City, the researchers proceeded from the premises that the greatest chances of winning in sports that require a predominant manifestation of endurance have athletes who were born or have lived for a long time in the mountains.

Based on this, scientists recommended long periods of preliminary training before the Olympic Games in Mexico City. However, it was impossible to carry them out organizationally due to material resources, Olympic rules, mental fatigue of athletes during a long stay in the mountains and other factors. They also did not take into account the well-known fact that it took many years to achieve such a degree of adaptation as that of the indigenous inhabitants.

Thus, this generally correct assumption about long periods of acclimatization could not be realized during the Olympic preparation. At the same time, the most successful performers in endurance running, after African runners, were athletes from Australia, the USA, and Germany, who arrived in Mexico City just 3 weeks before the Games.

A number of studies show that the human body living on the plain and temporarily arriving in the middle mountains adapts to hypoxia by providing tissue processes with oxygen in the first stages by increasing the power of the respiratory and circulatory transport systems, increasing the mass of mitochondria and oxidative resynthesis of ATP per unit cell mass. All this is a significant prerequisite for increasing performance both during the process of acclimatization and after training in the middle mountains, as opposed to the genetically determined economization of the body’s work in an oxygen-depleted environment among natives of mountainous countries. It follows that ensuring successful performance in competitions in the middle mountains and on the plain after training in the mountains is associated with different final physiological indicators. In some cases - by increasing the power of functioning of physiological systems, and in others - by increasing the efficiency of their activities. Consequently, the duration of training in the mountains for performance on the plain can be reduced, and departure from the mountains may not coincide with the phase of economical adaptation.

This conclusion makes it possible to explain the positive effect of short-term training in mid-mountain areas - from 6 to 12 days.

Thus, when solving the problems of preparing for competitions held on the plain, it is necessary to achieve an increase in the functional level of the main energy systems of the body during training in the middle mountains, and when preparing for competitions held in the mountains, the main task is the economical activity of the body systems.

The phase nature of adaptation to the mountain climate and the expediency of different completion dates for training in mid-mountain areas have certain biological prerequisites.

It was noted above that the traditional use of training in mid-mountains has begun to bring somewhat less effect in recent years. This phenomenon is apparently natural. Just as the same training load applied from year to year leads to stagnation of sports achievements, so training used according to the same scheme in mid-mountains begins to bring less and less effect. This circumstance leads to the conclusion about the need to systematically increase training requirements in the mountains: the volume and especially the intensity of the training load should increase from trip to trip. The altitude can also increase - up to a level of 2400-2800 m, and the “Game with Heights” can also be activated. At the same time, the greatest differences in the dynamics of the functional state of athletes with short and long mountain experience, low and high levels of preparedness, and different ages appear in the “acute” acclimatization phase.

All this allows us to say that the main phase, which generally influences the effectiveness of using sports training in mid-mountain areas both to maintain performance in the mountains and to increase achievements in familiar conditions, is the phase of “acute” or “emergency” acclimatization. In the first case, the lower the shifts in functional systems, the stronger the adaptation and the higher the results in the mountains. In the second case, the more pronounced the shifts in various body systems on these days, the higher, apparently, the subsequent results of athletes on the plain will be, which is confirmed by the observations of many coaches who noted the greatest increase in sports achievements after training in the mountains among athletes who had the most difficulty in enduring “acute "acclimatization.

And since long-term use (5-6 weeks) of high-intensity loads can lead to fatigue, such training in mid-mountains should be shorter-term.

These facts cast doubt on the appropriateness of individual recommendations on the need to continue training in mid-mountain areas in order to prepare for competitions on the plain until the economical adaptation phase (at least 30 days), and advice on the use of preliminary hypoxic preparation for 2 months before departure to speed up the adaptation process of athletes Training loads in mid-mountain areas should only be considered as an option for preparing for competitions in the mountains.

If we accept the concept of the need to achieve more sustainable adaptation in mid-mountain areas, then it is difficult to explain the facts of the positive effect of short-term training in the mountains with high-intensity training loads in highly qualified athletes.

Based on the idea of ​​the general link in the mechanism of adaptation to hypoxia and physical stress, it is necessary to determine the optimal duration of the total effect of climatic factors and the intensity of training loads in order to prevent signs of disadaptation or failure as a result of their excessive influence.

Therefore, training in mid-mountain areas for up to 3 weeks with increasing training loads will apparently take place mainly in the phases of “emergency” and transitional adaptation and will help increase the power of energy systems that ensure the performance of athletes. Longer, less intense training can lead to improved operating efficiency.

Short-term and intense training in mid-altitude conditions is quite dangerous, since there is a possibility of overtraining. However, experienced athletes, under conditions of systematic pedagogical and medical-biological control, will be able to avoid the negative consequences of such training.

At the same time, in certain sports disciplines, both high functional manifestations of the oxygen transport and muscular systems and economical consumption of energy resources are of utmost importance for successful performance in the mountains and on the plain. These disciplines include marathon running, race walking, cross-country skiing, and road cycling.

A clear example of solving two problems at the same time is the training of the Olympic champion in the marathon V. Egorova in 1992, in which 2 training camps were held in the mountains: the first in Mexico City in January - 24 days, the second in Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan) - 1700 m, lasting 45 days. The start at the Barcelona Olympics took place on the 21st day of descent. The volume of training load before climbing and in the mountains was 600-700 km per month with 2-3 sessions per day.

In the morning before breakfast, standard training was carried out throughout this period of time - aerobic running for about 10 km and gymnastic exercises included in the warm-up.

For the first 8 days, gentle training was carried out in an extensive mode. Until day 35, the training loads corresponded to the conditions of the plain. From days 36 to 45, the intensity of the load was reduced.

On day 12, Egorova ran a full marathon in the following combination in 2:50.40 s: steady run of 20 km + repeated run of 1+2+3+5 km at a speed of 3.25-3.30 s each km. Rest intervals were 7.195 km.

On day 41, a control run of 35 km.

Arrive in Barcelona 4 days before the start.

Another example is the training in the mountains of the 1988 Olympic champion in the marathon, Italian D. Bordin. He trained in the middle mountains for 60 days from 11.07 to 9.09.88. The descent to the plain in Milan took place 24 days before the start in Seoul, where he trained from 9.09 to 22.09, arriving in Seoul 11 ​​days before the marathon (from 22.09 to 2.10. 88).

During this period, he held 3 competitions in the mountains on days 17, 21 and 41, as well as 1 start on day 3 in Milan.

In 84 days (60 in the mountains and 24 on the plain), he ran 2,600 km, held 7 classes at a competitive pace and 2 classes at a distance longer than the marathon.

All of the above materials allow us to say that at present it is not possible to connect the required duration of training in mid-mountain mountains during the competitive period with the end of certain phases of the adaptation process.

Even in the general biological theory of human adaptation to the influence of certain environmental factors, there is still no firmly established number of phases and justification for their duration.

Thus, G. Selye divides the general adaptation syndrome into 3 phases: anxiety, resistance and exhaustion. The timing of these phases depends on the strength of the stressor.

N.A. Agadzhanyan and M.M. Mirrakhimov also divide the acclimatization process into 3 phases: “emergency”, transitional and stable. In mid-mountain conditions, the authors determine the duration of only one phase - the transition phase, equal to 1 month, and consider the "emergency" phase to be the most important.

F.Z. Meyerson and M.G. Pshennikova distinguish four stages of adaptation to physical activity: urgent, i.e. initial "emergency"; transitional to long-term; sustainable, completing the formation of a systemic-structural trace, and the last, when the system responsible for adaptation wears out. However, the authors do not determine the duration of the first 3 phases.

Therefore, to improve athletic performance both in normal and in mountain conditions, you can almost equally successfully use 2- or 8-week training in mid-mountains, depending on the period of the annual cycle, the competition calendar and material resources. These periods are closely related to the duration of the main stages of training and known biological rhythms. However, the longer the training camp, the more significant the reduction in the intensity of the training load in the 1st microcycle of the mountain stage should be.

The conclusions obtained during the experimental testing of the timing of training in the mountains for subsequent performances in familiar conditions on contingents of swimmers, runners and wrestlers can be extended to other cyclic sports and martial arts.

In order to increase the effectiveness of sports training for highly qualified athletes with extensive mountain experience, short-term trips to the mountains for 6-10 days without a significant reduction in training intensity or in a fasting mode, depending on the condition of the athletes on the eve of important starts, can also be used.

In the structure of the annual macrocycle, the number of trips to the middle mountains during the year is also important.

A generalization of the experience of sports practice shows that when preparing for competitions on the plain, 2-4 trips to the middle mountains are optimal, each of which has clear goals, depending on the tasks of a specific period or stage of training (Table 31). This recommendation is based on the following premises. The positive effect after training in mid-altitude conditions, as shown by our own research and the data of many authors, lasts up to 1.5-2 months, so each subsequent collection should not overlap with the traces of the previous one. When preparing for competitions in the mountains, subsequent training should be carried out after 1-1.5 months, using the trace of previous adaptation, thereby ensuring more effective training. In this case, 5-6 or more trips to the mountains are possible in a yearly cycle.

Table 31

* Recovery
** For marathon distances up to 5 times and 60 days.