The Olympics has only been postponed, not canceled: AFI High-Performance Director


The Olympics has only been postponed, not canceled: AFI High-Performance Director

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The ongoing scare of The Novel Coronavirus Pandemic has led to the cancellation and postponement of many national and international sports events, tournaments and leagues around the globe. This scare has also led to a lockdown like situation in the world as people are advised to stay at their homes so that the community transmission of this disease can be stopped.

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In a protective measure to stop the Covid-19 transmission, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete 21-day lockdown in the country.

Due to this lockdown, Indian athletes at the Sports Authority of India’s national camp are also not able to train. These high-level athletes, who usually trained atleast twice a day are now getting no place and equipment for maintaining their regular workout sessions.

Although, In an Interaction with The New Indian Express, Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) high-performance director, Volker Herrmann speaks about how this lockdown will affect the active players/athletes in the physical as well as the mental aspects of the game.

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On being asked about what happens if the athletes are not training properly for this period of time (21days), Herrmann lays emphasis on what problems they will be facing and how they can be overcoming them.

“They’re highly-trained machines. Lack of endurance or strength training may cause certain health problems. Gaining weight is an additional problem, one that we’ve to avoid. When you are not able to train, two things happen. Doctors advise endurance runners to not stop training immediately. Improper detraining can affect their cardiovascular system, even weaken their immune system. But if it’s only for three weeks, then it will be easier for them to get back into shape.”

He also added, “For other athletes, their strength is what is mainly reduced. Even their level of technique is affected. It makes it more difficult for them to start the new season. Throwers and shot-putters usually burn a lot of calories, as they have a lot of muscle mass and do a lot of strength training. Without that, their body composition might change. Muscle mass will reduce and body fat will increase. It takes a toll on all organs and muscles, as they are used to heavy loads.”

When asked about the importance of diet for these athletes during this quarantine period, Hermann says, “It has to be checked. For example, they have to reduce the quantity of carbs. Or else they will gain weight. That increases the risk of injury when they start training again. If bones are not exposed to regular strength training, density also reduces slightly.”

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On being asked about what plans AFI has implemented to maintain their athlete’s fitness, Hermann says, “To stay flexible, we have introduced basic core exercises: push-ups, planks, crunches and yoga sessions. We are trying to make groups of three, four athletes so that they can maintain social distance while doing these things. It’s all done inside the hostel. They have their own yoga mats and towels. So, it’s very safe. We are planning to request the National Institute of Sport for additional weights. But that may take time. It’s not possible to do the same for all athletes.”

He also added, “So we are charting out a plan to make the best of the situation. The Olympics has only been postponed, not canceled. So we have to make sure that our athletes remain in the best shape. It will be great if they get back to training by the end of May or June so that they can be ready for competitions in October and November.”

Speaking about one of the biggest aspects of the game, the ‘Mental Aspect’, Hermann said he may ‘work from home’ but his athletes can’t and they need to stay focused while they are in quarantine.

He said, “It is not just about the physical aspect. You also have to consider the mental one. If you are used to playing a sport four, five hours in a day, and then suddenly you are not allowed to carry on like that, you get a bit nervous. For these athletes, it’s their profession. They can’t work from home. People like me can still get work done with a computer. But that’s not the case for them. They are used to following a routine every day. That is why we are implementing these daily exercises and yoga sessions. Keeping their minds healthy and focussed helps.”

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“For now, we have started some physical activities. We are thinking of engaging them with some games. We are trying to get their profiles updated on AFI’s website. We are also planning to send them a small motivational video. Basically, we are trying to give them some tasks. But we are yet to implement all this. We are still trying to figure out how to carry out these activities, keeping in mind safety and precautionary measures. Hopefully, it will help keep up their spirits”, Hermann added.

Talking about the recovery time and process that the athletes will be going to follow, Hermann said, “For heavily-trained bodies, recovery is faster. Once they get back to their routines, the process is faster as compared to a regular human. But, you also have to consider this. A year has 52 weeks. Usually, there is around 8 to 10 weeks of competition. And after the main events (Olympics) — when the athletes are still at their peak — they rest for three to four weeks to recover and relax their joints, muscles, and even their brains.

He further added, “Now, we have stopped training and competitions at the lower level. So, they will take more time to regain fitness afterward. It’s hard to give the exact window. But it’s roughly seven to eight weeks. So we need a slightly longer training stint to help them achieve their peak fitness.”

Source – The New Indian Express

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