Core Training - The What, Why and How: Part 2
In part 1 we spoke about what the core was. We gave a detailed outline of the muscles/actions involved in the core musculature to set the foundation for the following discussion. It is recommended that if you haven't read it, you get over and read it right now by clicking here.
Now we can start to discuss why a stronger core is important when it comes to sports performance:
Injury Prevention:
Surprisingly, all movement originates from the core. The core musculature, especially the deep muscles (transverse abdominus and obliques), are shown to activate approximately 30 to 110ms before movement from the arms and legs respectively. Altered activation of these muscles has been seen in those with chronic low back pain (Hodges and Richardson, 1999). These muscles contract synergistically to increase intra-abdominal pressure which stabilises the spine, this same technique is used by powerlifters during heavy lifts. The core muscles also control pelvic tilt, which when excessive can lead to injury/pain on either the anterior or posterior side of the body. This is a discussion in itself for another day. In nearly all sporting activities, we rely on spinal stability to provide the rest of the body the foundation for movement. For activities which involve large forces, collisions in soccer/rugby, sharp changes of direction, high speed running, the list could go on, a stronger core will be more capable of dealing with these forces.
Improved Posture:
Given that we either spend all day sitting/standing at school or work, it's never been a more important time to have a strong core. Remaining sedentary for an extended period of time can cause us to have poor posture, especially those who sit in front of a computer or a mobile phone for large portions of the day. Even kids who spend all day sitting down in class and then spend the rest of that time carrying a schoolbag full of books on their back to and from school! We are constantly exposed to scenarios in which our posture is compromised (below). Most people, children included, now exhibit an excessive flexion posture. This leads to tight hip flexors, tightened pecs and lengthened/weakened glutes and spinal erectors. With the correct core training, you can regain normal posture and avoid all the negative effects of poor posture.
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Enhanced Athletic Ability
Almost all important sporting activities are performed on one leg. Think sprinting, jumping with a run up, cutting, changing direction, the list could go on but I think you understand by now. If you have a weak core, then every time an athlete goes from two legs (stable) to one leg (unstable), then you have a problem. You would become imbalanced, and lose the ability to perform that activity to 100%. By training the core muscles in all different directions, you become better able to deal with these instabilities during game play, making you a more effective player in your respective sport (Mueller et al., 2014).
Almost all important sporting activities are performed on one leg. Think sprinting, jumping with a run up, cutting, changing direction, the list could go on but I think you understand by now. If you have a weak core, then every time an athlete goes from two legs (stable) to one leg (unstable), then you have a problem. You would become imbalanced, and lose the ability to perform that activity to 100%. By training the core muscles in all different directions, you become better able to deal with these instabilities during game play, making you a more effective player in your respective sport (Mueller et al., 2014).
Improved Force Transfer
Undoubtedly the most important aspect in relation to sports performance is your ability to transfer force from your lower body, to your upper body. This is more prevalent in sports in which you use some sort of equipment (hurling, tennis, golf, hockey etc). But it is also important in terms of running technique. Your core maintains stability around key joints as muscles lengthen and shorten, mainly the hip joint during acceleration and maximal sprinting. As one leg extends, the other flexes, your arms move contralaterally to your legs, your core maintains your lumbar spine position and doesn't allow it to sink into an extended position (see below). This is vital to ensure that each time your leg hits the ground, you are producing as much force as possible, without losing any due to bad posture. In hurling it is crucial as the introduction of the hurley means that the core muscles now need to work even harder to maintain stability. During rotational movements, striking the ball, the core muscles must be strong to produce adequate amounts of force to move the ball the required distance and also to avoid injury. This same concept applies to tennis and golf.
Undoubtedly the most important aspect in relation to sports performance is your ability to transfer force from your lower body, to your upper body. This is more prevalent in sports in which you use some sort of equipment (hurling, tennis, golf, hockey etc). But it is also important in terms of running technique. Your core maintains stability around key joints as muscles lengthen and shorten, mainly the hip joint during acceleration and maximal sprinting. As one leg extends, the other flexes, your arms move contralaterally to your legs, your core maintains your lumbar spine position and doesn't allow it to sink into an extended position (see below). This is vital to ensure that each time your leg hits the ground, you are producing as much force as possible, without losing any due to bad posture. In hurling it is crucial as the introduction of the hurley means that the core muscles now need to work even harder to maintain stability. During rotational movements, striking the ball, the core muscles must be strong to produce adequate amounts of force to move the ball the required distance and also to avoid injury. This same concept applies to tennis and golf.
From the above we can see that improving the strength of your core is going to impact positively on your quality of your daily life and your sports performance. While it is not the be all and end all, it is but a tool that every athlete must have in their toolbox if they wish to compete at higher level in any sport.
There is a lot of information out there in terms of how to train your core effectively, some good info but a lot of nonsense out there. In part 3, we will take you through the how to train your abdominals, spinal erectors and glutes, both in isolation and together. It takes more than your '20 crunches a day' programme to build a strong and efficient core. It takes careful planning and programming to get the most out of your training.
There is a lot of information out there in terms of how to train your core effectively, some good info but a lot of nonsense out there. In part 3, we will take you through the how to train your abdominals, spinal erectors and glutes, both in isolation and together. It takes more than your '20 crunches a day' programme to build a strong and efficient core. It takes careful planning and programming to get the most out of your training.
References:
- Hodges, P. and Richardson, C. (1999). Altered trunk muscle recruitment in people with low back pain with upper limb movement at different speeds. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 80(9), pp.1005-1012.
- Mueller, J., Mueller, S., Stoll, J., Baur, H. and Mayer, F. (2014). Trunk Extensor and Flexor Strength Capacity in Healthy Young Elite Athletes Aged 11–15 Years. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(5), pp.1328-1334.
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