Disadvantages of Central Nervous System Fatigue for Your Athletes
Sometimes “pushing harder” or doing extra reps isn’t actually making you better. In fact, in certain circumstances, it could be doing more harm than good.
Do you know how to recognize these situations or understand why they occur? For example, if you are working on top speed and performing sprints at 90-100% intensity and you notice as you continue that your form starts to break down and you are significantly slower. If your goal is top speed are you really getting better by doing more? The answer is no. Here’s why:
Central fatigue, or central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, is a decline in the ability of the brain and spinal cord to activate muscles efficiently, affecting an athlete's performance. This occurs due to prolonged or intense physical exertion and impacts neurotransmitter function, neural drive, and overall coordination. The breaking down of overall coordination, hence your “form” and neural efficiency, “speed,” leads to slower reps.
Let’s dive a little deeper into why performance suffers when CNS fatigue occurs in athletes. The more fatigued the central nervous system becomes, the less effective it becomes at recruiting muscles through neural transmission. The weaker and fewer contractions the muscles experience, the lower the possible power output and force production of that athlete. The nervous system is also responsible for motor control and coordination, both of which start to decline as the CNS tires. This type of coordination loss can lead to injury and a breakdown in technique. It is can also present as slower reaction times which has a major affect on performance in all sports.
CNS fatigue does not only affect muscle performance. It can also lead to neurotransmitter depletion, meaning it can cause lack of focus and mental motivation. Mental focus and decision-making is a main factor in all sports and an important consideration when it comes to CNS fatigue.
Now that you are aware of how CNS fatigue can affect your training and performance, what can you do to delay it and/or recover from it more quickly? Luckily, CNS fatigue recovery is similar to the recovery methods we are constantly harping on in general for our athletes.
Proper sleep! Sleeping an adequate amount of hours per night on a consistent basis allows restoration of neurotransmitter balance and supports the production of recovery based hormones.
A well-balanced diet with adequate protein, carbohydrates, and micronutrients helps support CNS repair.
Deloading is another important factor in healthy CSN function. Properly periodized programs are important in peak performance and recovery of athletes. Make sure your training program is built by a professional who understands exercise physiology and how to prevent chronic CNS fatigue.
Supporting your mind is as important as supporting your body. Learning how to to control stress and anxiety avoids overloading the autonomic nervous system and affecting focus on performance. Psychological skills can be learned and practiced, just like any sports skill. Examples of these practices include visualization, meditation, and journaling.
If you liked this article and want to implement some of the recovery methods listed above with your athletes, contact our team at sales@acesnation.org.
