Dr.Biol., Professor Y.P. Denisenko¹
PhD, Associate Professor R.A. Gumerov¹
PhD A.I. Morozov¹
A.Kh. Mardanov^1
1Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University, Naberezhnye Chelny

Keywords: extreme conditions, protection functionality, muscle relaxation rate, central nervous system, relaxation.

Introduction. Currently, special attention has been given to myorelaxation (muscle relaxation) as a non-traditional means of influence on the functional state of the human body. Myorelaxation is characterized by such features as: safety in exercising such influence, relative simplicity in the achievement of the necessary effect and low financial expenses. According to some authors, relaxation is also deemed as an alternative or additional means of correction of the bodily functional state [1, 10, 12]. Relaxation methods have been used to correct a number of pathological conditions, treat a hypertensive disease, relieve acute and chronic pain, including those associated with sports activities [2, 3, 12].

The state of relaxation is also at the bottom of meditation techniques. There is a wide variety of applications of the meditation and relaxation exercises; they are most often used in transcendental medicine [5, 6, 10].

All the mentioned effects of relaxation methods are, without doubt, of great importance in sports activities as well. In this regard, a special emphasis needs to be made on such relaxation techniques as biofeedback, functional music, aromatherapy [8, 9, 11, 12] that have recently been developed based on the objective impact on the functional state of the body of athletes.

Objective of the study was to improve special physical working capacity of athletes through relaxation exercises.

Methods and structure of the study. To analyze the sport-specific movement control and coordination, muscular contraction and relaxation mechanisms and the central nervous (CNS) and neuromuscular (NMS) system functionality under the study, we applied the Y.V. Vysochin computerized polymyographic method which has been successfully used in training of the national teams of Russia and Leningrad-St. Petersburg. The method was proved to be highly informative and reliable [5, 6]. This method is based on synchronous graphic recording of bioelectrical activity (electromyogram), transverse muscle tone (tonogram) and strength (dynamogram) of the studied muscle groups in terms of their voluntary contraction and relaxation in an isometric mode. The isometric mode of muscular work during testing is more preferable, on the one hand, due to its relatively low energy consumption and ease of simulation, and on the other - due to its most frequent use in sports and labor activities [5].

Results and discussion. About 600 differently skilled athletes were sampled for the new relaxation practice piloting experiments, during which we were able to detect a direct, highly significant dependency of special physical working capacity and, of course, athletic performance on the arbitrary relaxation rate of the skeletal muscles [8]. Moreover, in the overwhelming majority of sports (in 17 out of 20), the role of arbitrary relaxation rate in the athletic performance improvement, especially at the elite sport mastery stage, was significantly more valuable than the role of the contractile muscle properties. And in such sports as boxing, hockey, football, speed skating, decathlon and swimming, the arbitrary relaxation rate was not merely the leading, but also the only polymyographic indicator determining the improvement of sports skills. This by no means indicates that the contractile muscle properties are not important in the mechanisms that ensure working capacity. On the contrary, they are extremely important because it is the muscle contractions that ensure physical work performance. But the duration of this work, i.e. physical endurance and, accordingly, special physical working capacity to a much greater extent depend on the relaxation muscle properties.

The most important role in understanding and interpreting of the physiological mechanisms of special physical working capacity and exercise tolerance, especially in extreme conditions, is played by the nonspecific inhibitory-relaxation functional system of urgent adaptation and protection (IRFSUAP) of the body under extreme conditions and its role (power) in the formation of three types of long-term adaptation (relaxation, hypertrophic and transitional). The benefits of the relaxation type of long-term adaptation were shown by experiments; this type of adaptation develops in athletes with the high arbitrary relaxation rate and high level of activity of IRFSUAP, which ensures the achievement of the high level of physical working capacity and, at the same time, preserves human health in extreme conditions. We also state that increased CNS excitability is the main factor limiting the effects of IRFSUAP [6, 8]. The relaxation type of individual development is most beneficial in all senses. Individuals with the relaxation type are characterized by the balanced excitatory and inhibitory processes of the central nervous system, high muscle relaxation rate, excellent motor control and coordination abilities, the most accurate reaction to a moving object, which minimizes sports, domestic and outdoor injuries. There dominates the most economical eukinetic type of blood circulation. We also recorded high cardiac efficiency, minimal level of metabolic cost, low level of energy exchange metabolites, adrenaline and stress hormones, but a higher level of noradrenaline and anabolic hormones at rest and during load testing, high rate of recovery processes and re-synthesis of energy resources, excellent physical working capacity and endurance. They are distinguished by increased stress tolerance, immunological resistance, as opposed to individuals of hypertrophic type, they experience overexertion and are susceptible to diseases 2-3 times less often. Athletes of the relaxation type, as opposed to those of the hypertrophic one, have greater sport career longevity, higher physical and psychological stress tolerance, experience overexertion and are susceptible to injuries and diseases 8-10 times less often, and achieve the highest sports results [4, 5, 7].

With increasing muscle relaxation rate, as well as with the formation of the relaxation type of long-term adaptation, the rate of sports injuries decreased progressively from 100% (with arbitrary relaxation rate less than 4.0 1/s) to 0% (with arbitrary relaxation rate more than 9.0 1/s) and, accordingly, their health level started to improve progressively. The long-term studies showed that, even in the most traumatic sports, injuries can be almost completely eliminated (except for injuries due to the gross violation of the rules) owing to the proper organization of the training process aimed to normalize the balance of the nervous processes and the growth of the arbitrary relaxation rate and the formation of the relaxation type of long-term adaptation.

The next series of experiments involved 320 schoolchildren and skilled athletes (aged 6 to 32 years). We used the maximal cycle ergometer test as an adaptogenic factor. As early as at the age of 6-11 years, rather high arbitrary relaxation rate was recorded. Then it gradually decreased (by 22.3%), reaching its minimal value by the age of 14 years. From 14 to 29 years, the arbitrary relaxation rate started to gradually increase, and the arbitrary relaxation rate of the early age (6-11 years) was reached only by the age of 20-25 years. A similar trend was observed in the age-specific dynamics of IRFSUAP. At the age of 6-8 years, the children were found to have the high level of efficiency of IRFSUAP. Then it decreased progressively (by 12.6%), reaching its minimal value ​​by the age of 13–15 years. After 14–15 years, the capacity of IRFSUAP increased and reached its maximum level by the age of 23–25 years, after which it slightly decreased by the age of 29 years. The same dynamic pattern was observed in the females, although the decrease in these indicators at the age of 13-15 was less pronounced [3, 5].

Conclusion. We assume that the listed facts are significant enough to understand the importance of myorelaxation in the growth of special physical working capacity in all types of sports activities, since each of them imposes higher requirements either to speed, speed endurance, coordination, or for various combinations of these qualities which directly correlate with arbitrary relaxation rate.

In conclusion, one should note the need for a new integrated training system for physical and functional progress applicable from the early training stages to secure a multisided progress with persistent improvements in the bodily relaxation and inhibition skills and processes and natural protection mechanisms – to form the most efficient type of long-term relaxation-driven adaptability and secure individual progress.

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Corresponding author: yprof@yandex.ru

Abstract

Presently the physical working capacity building practices in sports are dominated by the training and competitive load stepping methods that are efficient enough for the key mission albeit associated with high risks for the athletes’ health. Moreover, the higher are the training scopes and intensity (which have virtually reached the natural limits in modern sports), the more severe are the injuries and health disorders. To analyze the sport-specific movement control and coordination, muscular contraction and relaxation mechanisms and the central nervous (CNS) and neuromuscular (NMS) system functionality under the study, we applied the Y.V. Vysochin computerized polymyographic method which has been successfully used in elite team trainings. About 600 differently skilled athletes were sampled for the new relaxation practice piloting experiments. It took many years of experiments for the authors to develop the key special relaxation methods and tools for athletic progress at every training process stage. The study data and analyses demonstrate the need for a new integrated training system for physical and functional progress applicable from the early training stages to secure a multisided progress with persistent improvements in the bodily relaxation and inhibition skills and processes and natural protection mechanisms – to form the most efficient type of long-term relaxation-driven adaptability and secure individual progress.