Sports characteristics of special sports

The core essential feature of special sports is "the highly bound adaptation of energy supply mode, closed-loop action path, and special tolerance threshold. There is no universal ability evaluation standard, and all conclusions about "level of athletic ability" that are divorced from special scenarios are biased."

Does this sound a bit false? You can understand by comparing the two projects that are considered by the public as "both physical training". The aerobic energy supply of elite marathon runners can account for more than 95%. Many of them have resting heart rates as low as 30 beats per minute. They can run the entire marathon for 42 kilometers without gasping for air. However, if you ask them to squat a 100kg barbell, they will most likely struggle to even lift the barbell. On the other hand, a weightlifter at the provincial team level relies 100% on the phosphagen system for energy supply in a single lift. When exerting force in an explosive manner, the efficiency of synchronous recruitment of muscles throughout the body can be more than three times that of an ordinary fitness enthusiast. But if you drag him to play half-court basketball, after three rounds, he has to squat on the sidelines with his knees and stick out his tongue. I have met a retired female weightlifter in the 67kg weight class. She usually lifts a 140kg barbell without blushing. She went to play Frisbee with her friends and yelled "her lungs are going to explode" within ten minutes of running. People around her also laughed at her for "exerting so much strength in vain". In fact, it is not that she has poor endurance at all, but that the energy supply logic of the two events is fundamentally different.

Speaking of this, I have to mention a controversy that has been quarreling in the sports circle for almost ten years: Is there a universal "basic physical fitness" that can be suitable for all specialties? Academic researchers generally believe that general abilities such as core strength, cardiopulmonary foundation, and flexibility are the foundation of all specialties. Without these, it is easy to get injured while practicing specialties. ； However, most coaches of the first team do not accept this approach. They feel that as long as they practice enough specific tasks, the corresponding basic abilities will naturally grow accordingly. In fact, both sides are right, but the applicable scenarios are different. I have led youth badminton training before. Children under the age of 12 first practice general physical fitness such as running, jumping, and plank support. It is indeed more efficient than practicing swing directly. However, when they are 16 years old and above and have to compete for provincial championships, asking them to spend a lot of time practicing weight-bearing squats and long-distance running will only hinder them. The weight of the squat is too heavy, and the knee force mode changes. It is easy to twist their feet when walking online. ； If you run too much and your endurance is built up, the explosive power of smashes will be "worn away". When it comes to the competition, every ounce of physical fitness must be accurately applied to specific movements. Any extra practice that is irrelevant will be a waste.

In addition to the difference in energy supply, the closed-loop logic of actions in different specialties is even more different. Take running and freestyle, which are both endurance events, for example. Running is an alternating shift of the center of gravity in an upright support state. The core of the force is the hamstrings and gluteus maximus of the posterior chain. Freestyle swimming is a horizontal unsupported state, which requires the core to be stretched like a floating board throughout. The core of the force is the upper body stabilizing muscles of the serratus anterior and latissimus dorsi. I once had a friend who had run three marathons. He thought he had good endurance and learned to swim freestyle. The first time he swam 50 meters in the water, he was so tired that he coughed on the edge of the pool. The coach said that his endurance was not poor at all, but that the order of exertion was completely wrong. Swimming 50 meters consumes more energy than professional athletes swimming 1,000 meters. Small muscle groups that cannot be trained by running in normal times are the core of the core in swimming.

There are also many special events that seem to have "little exercise", but they have hidden features that you might not even think of. I had dinner with members of the city's archery team a while ago. They said that after training for 8 hours a day, the most sore thing is not the arm that pulls the bow, but the knees and ankles. In order to maintain a stable stance, they have to maintain the same center of gravity for several hours. The static tolerance of the lower limbs is higher than that of many running events. ； There are also recurve archers with a 70-meter range. Staring at the bullseye for ten minutes without blinking is a basic skill. Ordinary people will shed tears after staring at it for three minutes. Not to mention intellectual competitive sports such as e-sports and Go, the players' special tolerance is high concentration for 7 or 8 hours in a row, as well as cervical and lumbar spine endurance in a sedentary state. Ordinary people can't help but stretch after sitting for two hours, and they can sit for an entire afternoon without losing their train of thought.

In fact, to put it bluntly, the word "special" in a specialized sport separates it from ordinary fitness exercises. Many people always feel that they practice frequently and have good physical fitness, and can quickly master any special event. Only after a real performance comparison do they realize that the special adaptability they have developed over several years or even more than ten years cannot be compensated by general physical fitness. Just like if you can run a 100-kilometer cross-country competition against the shooting athletes of the city team and hold a gun without any support, you can win if you can stand still for three minutes - this is not because you are weak, but because your special characteristics are there. There is never any "universal athletic ability".