1/4 Hour Neuro #48: "Selecting and Periodizing High Performance and Rehab Exercises"

Introduction: Understanding the Role of the Nervous System in Training

Welcome to this episode dedicated to optimizing training, whether for high performance or rehabilitation, by understanding how the nervous system operates. We will explore how the brain interprets sensory information and makes decisions that directly influence our physical capabilities.

The nervous system can be schematized into three key stages: sensory input, interpretation and decision-making, and finally measurable output, such as a biomechanical test or physical performance. By acting on these inputs, we can modulate the output and enhance our performance.

Stages of Neurological Function: From Sensory to Performance

The human body is constantly bombarded with sensory inputs: olfactory, digestive, proprioceptive, vestibular, visual, auditory, among others. All this information is crucial for the brain's interpretation and decision-making center, which can be divided into two main parts: the "old brain" and the "new brain".

The primary question posed by the old brain is: "Is it safe?" The answer to this question directs the information to the new brain, which will generate the desired performance. Depending on whether the situation is perceived as safe or not, the brain adapts its response, influencing our position on a "performance continuum".

The Performance Continuum: Survival or Performance?

The performance continuum describes the state of our organism, ranging from "survival mode" to "performance mode".

Survival Mode

In survival mode, characterized by pain, fatigue, decreased performance, or a decline in endocrine and immune health, the brain activates protective mechanisms. In this state, negative sensory stimulation (a "non-safe" input) can further diminish capabilities, such as eye tracking that reduces mobility and strength.

Performance Mode

Conversely, in performance mode, there is an increase in endocrine and immune health, as well as in strength, endurance, sprinting, etc. A positive input, such as vestibular stimulation that enhances mobility, strength, and speed, places the individual at the performance end of the continuum.

Adapting Exercises: Volume and Intensity

The key is to schedule exercises based on this continuum.

Rehabilitation Exercises

For survival mode or rehabilitation, exercises will be fewer in number (around one or two per hour), with lower volume and intensity to avoid overloading the nervous system. The aim is to provide the body with the energy needed for recovery (oxygen and glucose) and to prevent a constant state of stress.

High Performance Exercises

In performance mode, high-performance drills (three to four per day, one to three times a day) can be integrated as part of a postural neuromuscular routine (PNR) or warm-up. It is crucial not to use rehabilitation exercises as "fillers" in a performance warm-up, as this could paradoxically decrease performance.

The Importance of Neuroplasticity and Maintenance

It is essential to understand that the brain is constantly seeking to adapt, and neuroplasticity is always at work, whether to progress or regress.

Maintaining Performance Optimization

A "rehab" exercise can become "high perf" with enough training. Conversely, a "high perf" exercise must be regularly maintained. Many people think that once a skill is acquired, there is no need to work on it anymore. However, motor skills and movement require constant maintenance to retain what has been learned, just like overall physical activity.

Avoiding Regression and Seeking Complexity

If you do the same exercise for months without evolving it, the brain gets accustomed to it and neuroplasticity ceases to manifest. It is imperative to increase the complexity of the task over time to continue stimulating the brain and provoke new adaptations. What was difficult at first should be made more complex once mastered, to continue progressing.