What is Strength & Conditioning?

Why is strength and conditioning so important when it comes to sport injuries?

Strength and conditioning (S&C) is the application of sports science to enhance movement quality and performance using different training factors such as program design, periodization, psychology and diet.

The selection of exercises that are prescribed to an individual are based on results from specific objective tests, and the way they are programmed for them play a crucial role in S&C to:

1. Gain the most benefit from the exercise being performed.
2. Reduce risk of injury.
3. Better prepare an athlete to return to sport after an injury.

Why is S&C so important in a rehab setting?

Basic knowledge of periodization (which is the manipulation of specific training variables, such as duration, load or volume) and programming can help patients build strength, power and endurance, all of which are crucial for them to return to their sport after injury.

It is common to see rehabilitation plans that have no progression towards the patient’s goal. For example, whilst Thera-bands are great in the initial stages of an injury, to return any patient to pre-injury levels of activity they will likely require more load than this.

What are the phases of rehab?

Let’s dive a little bit deeper into periodization of sports rehab by breaking sports rehab into 4 phases:

Phase 1: Focusing on the range of motion, working appropriate muscles around the affected area with controlled movements while managing pain and swelling.

Phase 2: Loading in the full range of motion whilst working on control, proprioception and stability. Restoring muscle hypertrophy (known as muscle bulk) is very important in order to build a base for strength in the next phase.

Phase 3: Gaining strength at end range-of-motion, building strength with high effort low volume exercise using a high weight, low repetitions.

Phase 4: Maintaining the range of motion from the previous stages while working on speed and strength, then introduce sports specific exercises as this is necessary for a successful return to sport.

How do we select exercise?

When it comes to injury, knowing how to progress and regress exercises can make a big difference to a patient’s return to sport timelines. An exercise can be progressed or regressed by changing the range of motion, weight, repetitions, position and equipment used.

In conclusion strength and conditioning can help patients get back to the activities that they love faster post-injury, whilst keeping them as active as possible through the rehab process. When the rehabilitation has finished, there are many S&C concepts that can be applied to increase athletic performance and reduce risk of future injuries.

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