Success for an athlete depends on their ability to perform at their best when it matters most. Performance depends on the athlete''s body having acquired the most beneficial adaptations for their sport. But how can an athlete or coach be sure that training results in the desired adaptations? Training can be defined as the stimulation of biological adaptations that result in an improvement in performance in a given task. Athletes and coaches have learned, mostly through trial and error, how to exploit the ability of the body to adapt in response to potentially harmful stimuli. The challenge lies in applying the right stimuli at the right intensity for the right amount of time: muscles respond to working more forcefully than normal by becoming bigger, stronger, and more resistant to damage, but over-training can lead to injury. This book provides the information necessary to decide on the most effective way to improve performance, underpinned by an understanding of the mechanisms behind
