Q & A with Dave Scott
Dave Scott is the most recognized athlete and coach in the sport of triathlon. He is a six-time Ironman World Champion and the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame.
Please send your questions to DaveScott@BodyHealth.com. Some will be selected for response in his MAP newsletter column.
Greetings Dave,
I was glad to see your affiliation with the company and product. I've been successfully using MAP for 4 years, and so have the athletes that I work with.
My question to you I think should be applicable to all athletes:
Since all athletes are susceptible to respiratory infections, like flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia, what have you learned about easing back into training and competing after one of these illnesses that usually knocks even the strongest athlete out for a couple of weeks? Are there specific recommendations for resuming training - especially swimming? Such as: intensity, distance, frequency, recovery, etc.
Although the athletes I work with, including myself, may be on bed rest, we minimize wasting by keeping our daily MAP intake pretty high.
Thank you for your insights.
Best,
Jukka
RESPONSE:
Dear Jukka,
Resuming training after SERIOUS illness requires patience, persistence and confidence that your pre-fitness levels will rebound.
The severity of your illness truly dictates the recovery and rebuilding process. Bed rest for over two weeks requires a slow, systematic buildup of your cardiovascular systems. The rule of thumb for post bed rest (2 weeks or more) is: for every day of bed rest, you will need three days to rebuild. I.E. 14 days bed rest equals 42 days to regain previous fitness levels. This broad sweeping formula has several ramifications: 1. 3-5 days introducing light aerobic training of 25-40 minutes at low aerobic pace. 2. Introduce stretching, pilates, yoga during your rehab. The tendons, connective tissue and muscles loose their elasticity. 3. 6 days to 3 weeks – odd days are 15% longer than even days. (They can increase in distance). 4. Consider very light exercise, 15- 25 minutes (walking), rather than taking an off day. 5. Introduce strength training at low intensity to moderate fatigue (6 days to 3 weeks in).
The reason for a very gradual build up is the potential loss of base line physiological fitness, loss of muscle mass and overall economy in all workloads.
Introducing intensity for 15-25 minutes per session can be implemented during week four of this schedule in the form of a steady build up to a mid threshold effort. Anaerobic work should not be considered until weeks 6 and beyond.
If your illness is short term and did not require bed rest, typically a 1-2 ratio is acceptable. i.e. If you were out of commission for 5 days, then it will take you 10 days to regain your form. A slower ramp up of 3-5 days is recommended before resuming intensity.
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“I've tried a lot of products in my career and few deliver what  they promise. MAP delivers!
Within 24 hours of doing a hard workout, on MAP (MAP), my body recovers from what I have done and is ready for the next training day. This is invaluable for any athlete of any age.
MAP allows the body not only to heal, but to gain from each workout done. I feel it. I love it. I recommend it.” - Dave Scott
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