Through Aline Chatel
Published on 2 Dec 20 at 16:41
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At what time should you train? The question is simple, the answer much less. “There is no real truth,” immediately warns Adrien Taouji, who trains some of the best French athletes at Insep. “We all have different needs,” notes the physical trainer Johann Franchequin in the same way. But if it is possible, at least at a high level, to adapt the training schedules of individual athletes, it is very different for those who practice team sport. Of course, the amateur world does not ask the question. It’s evening, after the day’s work. For professionals, the last word goes to the coach.
More than a sporting choice at Caen Handball
That of Caen Handball has decided to innovate this season. It is 8:30 am when the Vikings touch their first balloons of the day. Night owls are at their cost. “It forces players to go to bed early and have a healthy lifestyle,” said Roch Bedos. In return, recovery times are extended and the second session of the day, when there is any, ends at 4.30 p.m. “It gives rhythm to the days and frees up the evenings. We live in a bubble. The athlete must be brought back to what ordinary people do. But are we as efficient at 8:30 am as two hours later?
Getting started might be a bit more difficult, but players are more productive. They are cool and their brains are receptive.
The bodies do not seem to be bothered by this model of functioning. The Vikings have not had any muscle injuries – just a small sprain – since the start of the season.
–In Mondeville, the coach enjoys the morning workouts
The other high-level teams train a little later, at 10:30 am in normal times, for example, for the CBC. Nevertheless, all to his joy at having seen his former high school students become professional, Romain L’Hermitte had set morning training at 9:00 am during preparation. Last year, he had to wait until they left school in the evening to work collectively. “This configuration changes everything. The girls have a little trouble getting started in the morning, but we take the necessary time during the warm-up. “For the coach of USO Mondeville, there is no doubt: we work much better in the morning.
When training starts poorly, it can quickly rebound in the morning. If it happens in the evening, there is no spring.
Again, the reflection does not include the only sessions. “The pace of the day is much better. Including, and maybe more, for the coach. “Last season, I was preparing all day for the big training at 5:00 pm. Upon arrival, I was tired! “
Meeting at 8:45 am for the weed farmers
In Malherbe, the group sessions start at 10.00 a.m. but the players will meet at 8.45 a.m. They begin their activation at 9.15 am in the work room, where they return after the collective session with individualized programs. “We asked the players about the schedules,” says Pascal Dupraz. We stopped having breakfast together. As I have fathers of families in the team, we discussed together to define the arrival times because everyone must be comfortable in their own skin. The committee of wise men, which has six players, discusses this kind of subject every two weeks with the staff. “They participate in the development of their work week. The goal is for the boys to arrive with enthusiasm. “
–What if it depended on the session?
It is no coincidence that the vast majority of training takes place in the morning. For Johann Franchequin, who follows Thomas Lemar and the Hockey Club de Caen in particular, the ideal would be at the end of the morning. “This makes it possible not to have to get up too early, to eat and digest properly. There is an increase in testosterone, which allows protein synthesis. The body makes better use of the energy it has at its disposal. “Very early in the morning,” we are more productive thanks to the rise in the stress hormone (cortisol) but we are also more tired. ” Late in the evening, “you should avoid too high intensity activities because you start to develop the sleep hormone.” Not only are certain times more suited to the sport than others, but the content of the sessions is also important.
At the end of the morning, we will be more aerobic. In the middle or late afternoon, the body is full of energy and the body temperature is at its highest. Now is the time to practice high intensity activity.
The importance of recovery
There is theory, and there is practice. The chronobiology of each is fundamental. “There are long sleepers, short sleepers, those who are more morning or evening,” recalls Adrien Taouji. At Insep, the coach of Maëva Danois – “that we can run at 7:00 in the morning” – pays “very attention” to the different needs of his athletes. “It’s a luxury,” he admits. However, as D-Day approaches, everyone is in the same boat: “we train at competition time”. And the golden rule is also shared. “Training is not the most difficult. The main thing is to recover well, and the most important factor is sleep. In short, as often in sport and elsewhere, it’s all about balance.
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