Refereeing by Amir: Detraining or Reversibility

Detraining – Losing Fitness

Many referees undergo training (at least 20 days) every year to prepare themselves for the FIFA Fitness Test held yearly as a pre-requisite for registration to most Football Associations. Training with proper schedule and discipline makes the test easy. Although there are those excellent quality or elite referees who continue to have regular training to maintain their fitness level, there are many who felt that they have already qualified and training is not a necessity any more. What will the effect be without regular training or the reduction of intensity in training? The effect is termed as deconditioning or detraining. When training ceases or decrease in intensity, the training effect will also stop or reverse. It gradually reduces approximately one third of the rate (Jenson and Fisher, 1972).

Detraining is simply losing fitness when you stop training. In one study, well-conditioned athletes who had trained for a year stopped exercise entirely. After three months, the athletes lost about half of their aerobic conditioning. Many people stop exercising at times for many reasons. Illness, injury, holidays, work, travel and social commitments often interfere with training routines.

Referees who find themselves not training when the football season starts have to find time to train either in the morning, evening or to get themselves into gym to maintain their general fitness. Otherwise, the effect of detraining will have a repercussion on their fitness level. When the fitness level dropped, the performance in a match will also drop due to the difficulty in keeping up with play, getting into wrong position thus not seeing incident and giving bad decisions. This is also one of the reason why many referees failed in the recent FIFA MA Elite referees course. Having the course in mid-season was aimed at maintaining the fitness level of the referees for the league as it is assume that all the participants will train for the fitness test during the course. This was much disappointing.

Decreasing training level also has adverse effect. If we reduce training due to time constraints, illness or injury the level of fitness will drop and this depend on the intensity, frequency and the time of the reduction in the training? The three variables in training need to be balanced in order to maintain the fitness level. If intensity is reduced, increase in frequency and time will balance it up. Below are suggestions from http://sportsmedicine.about.com to maintain fitness

Tips for Maintaining Fitness through Breaks
If you need to take time off from training the following tips can help you maintain your fitness.

· Don't quit completely. Try to exercise at least once per week.

· Cross Train through injuries.

· Use the Body Weight Workout (no equipment needed) when you travel.

· Use Circuit Training Routines for fast, high intensity exercise two or three times a week.

· Practice Efficient Strength Training methods.

· Use Fast Workouts to Maintain Fitness with Limited Time.

· Refresh You Motivation and Goal-Setting Skills and energize your workouts

· Remember that Rest and Recovery can be as Important as Training, so use this time to recovery.

· Add 30-Second Sprints to your outline for fast fitness

· Short, high intensity exercise burns more calories if you are limited on time.

· Maintain Endurance with Shuttle Runs