Exercise Fence

Studies of fatigue in sports often concentrate on fatigue specifically caused by the activity of the sport. However, fencers are exposed to two additional sources of fatigue that can reduce performance: sleep deprivation and boredom.

There is considerable evidence that chronic sleep deprivation has both physiological and psychological impacts on performance, both in work and in sports. It decreases motor function performance and increases injury potential, impairs visual reaction times, and delays auditory reaction, such as to coach's instructions. Decision making and problem solving skills can be reduced by as much as 20 percent. And anxiety and stress effects are heightened. In addition it has a negative impact on the ability to metabolize and store glucose as an energy source. Studies of transportation operator performance show that 24 hours of sleeplessness generates performance deficits equivalent to being legally drunk in all 50 states of the United States and many other nations. Athletes typically will not fence a tournament with this level of sleep deprivation. However, with 8 hours of sleep as the basic norm, many fencers chronically operate with some degree of deficit, leading to the comparison of whether or not my 80% of my full capability is better than your 90% of your full capability.

In organized team sports programs coaches would seem to be more likely to encourage proper rest by athletes. However, in fencing the combination of individual athletes, a largely community club based program model, and the narrow focus of coaches on lessons within the club means that frequently athletes have to take responsibility for a major part of their fatigue management plan. Failure to do so effectively increases the possibility of fatigue reducing performance.

Because fencers think of their sport as exciting and active, we often do not recognize that it can be deadly boring. The impact of coming to a tournament and waiting for 3 hours for your event to start after check-in closes is boredom. And boredom is a fatigue generator. This is not an isolated problem; my personal waiting record is 5 hours for an event that was supposed to start at 1:00 pm. To further complicate the problem, organizers sometimes cannot predict when an event will start, and then rush to get it underway when a strip becomes available or another referee shows up. The result is no time for warm-up, and a fatigued athlete trying to get ready for the first bout with little warning.

If we think about the cycle of a competition we can identify that a fencer may face a fatigue challenged task. The day starts early because the athlete is going to drive to the venue to save the cost and time of staying overnight the night before. An hour to wake up and get out of the house, a delay waiting for a late club member to show up, a two hour drive to get to the venue for a 9:00 am check-in, and a one hour delay before the event starts (some of which is used for warm-up) means that the athlete is already 4 hours plus into the work day before fencing starts. If there are significant delays in the start of the event, if pools have to be flighted because of too many fencers and too few strips, or if the transition to the direct elimination round is slow, the end is a 12 to 13 hour fencing day for those athletes that reach the semi-final and final rounds. If the fencer enters the fencing day with either episodic or chronic sleep deprivation, he or she is fencing at the critical stage with significantly reduced performance. By way of comparison this is the point of fatigue often found in airline, major highway, maritime, and rail disasters.

Developing a plan to avoid non-exercise fatigue would seem to be as simple as getting a good night's sleep the night before a tournament. However, there is evidence that the problem is wider. At least one study shows that new skills are better learned by rested, as opposed to fatigued, athletes, although this study examined exercised related muscular fatigue. If there is a correlation between fatigue and skill acquisition, and such a correlation makes intuitive sense for the whole range of tactical training as well, then establishing personal schedules to routinely get adequate sleep during the entire season is important. In addition, the coach and fencers must develop means to avoid boredom at competitions through structured activity that will engage the fencers during long waiting periods. I have not seen studies that indicate what such activities might be. However, some might be scouting opponents, strip coaching team mates, or engaging in mentally stimulating games (I have seen more than 1 chess player, but I am a fan of the Reiner Knizia board game Duell, which at a very basic level simulates a fencing bout). Regardless of the method adopted, have a non-exercise fatigue management plan and use it.

Walter Green is a Maitre d'Armes (Fencing Master) certified by the Academie d'Armes Internationale. He teaches modern competitive and classical fencing, historical swordplay, bayonet fencing, and Asian martial arts swords at Salle Green ( http://www.sallegreen.com ), the fencing school he operates in Glen Allen, Virginia. Maitre Green also trains fencing coaches through the Pan American Fencing Academy ( http://panamfencing.com ).

Copyright 2010 by Walter G. Green III. All rights reserved.

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Precision Pet Snap-together 36-inch-tall Exercise Pen $143.47 Pet gift is tough, durable and portableVersatile exercise pen allows you wide choice in layoutsAdd or remove pet barrier panels easily--buy several pens to create larger exercise areasEasy set-up design with dual-folding hingesHinges fold flat in either direction for easy storageEight 2-foot-wide panels, fence totals 16 feet longZinc electroplate finish added after welding to protect from weather and other things

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