How a Periodization Program Can Benefit your Animal Athlete!

Many of you know I competed in Varsity Wrestling at the University of Calgary where I also completed my Kinesiology degree. Whether I was on the mat, in the gym or in the classroom, I was learning how to maximize sport performance. One concept I learned and practiced was that of periodization. Simply put, this is a way to plan out your year so you’re maximizing training with rest and recovery to improve performance and decrease risk of injury. 

With spring around the corner, conditioning is a hot topic. We want our horse or dog to be as fit as possible on the moment we want to achieve our goal. But how do we prepare our animal in such a way that he is really fit and healthy at the moment of your championship? Certainly, we want to avoid plodding away each day working on the same routine of things because it’s not stimulating mentally or physically. We also want to avoid doing too much, too fast which often results in burnout and injuries. This year let’s create a periodization plan and train smarter not harder! 

First, what is periodization? 

A periodization program is designed to work towards a certain long-term goal. It’s a style of training where training intensity and duration are broken up into smaller, easy-to-manage phases or cycles of training. Periodization is so common in other sports, but is relatively new in animal sports. Because of the similarities in the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems of dogs, horses and humans, the benefits of periodization can be extrapolated to the animals. Here is a basic example of a periodization program for sled dogs. This is just an example and changes would be need to be made for your discipline and individual animal. 

• Foundation — 16 to 20 weeks building an aerobic foundation to support the training platform. Large-volume/low-intensity work, such as long-slow-distance (LSD) training, with small amounts of high-intensity work after four to eight weeks for fun. 

• Preparation — 12 to 16 weeks devoted to moderate-volume/higher-intensity work, such as short-intense sprint races. Most sessions are at or just below the anaerobic threshold. Refresh with LSD training every 10 to 14 days to maintain an aerobic base. This is the most difficult period to stay focused. 

• Specialization/Competition — Four to seven weeks of high-speed, intense racing competition. Sharp decrease in volume of work during recovery, focusing on short-pace runs and lots of rest. This period using short-intense exercise paired with ample rest. 

• Recovery — Four to eight weeks of nonspecific activities that dogs enjoy, such as free play, walks and hikes. Mental and physical recovery is the goal. 

Why is periodization important? 

We need a structured training routine that progressively overloads our dog or horse’s body, making it get stronger and faster, while also building in periods of time for rest and recovery before increasing the workload again. In this way, we push the body enough to progress to the next level. Periodization is also integral to injury prevention, allowing for an “off-season” and “pre-season” with altered focus of training activities to avoid fatigue and injury. Periodization allows for rest and recovery, not only of the athlete’s body, but also of their mind. 

Where do I start? 

At first, it can seem overwhelming to make this sort of grandiose plan so break it down into manageable steps and consult your animal health and performance team for assistance. A program can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. A balanced exercise program includes mobility training, strength training, endurance training, proprioception and balance exercises and appropriate discipline specific skill training. The program should manage duration, frequency and intensity while avoiding overtraining. Periodization is based on 3 principles that dictate our plan for the season. 

1) Overload Principal: Consistently applying the appropriate stimulus at the appropriate time in order to achieve a psychological, physiological, or physical adaptation. 
2) Specificity Principal: Degree of similarity between the performance and training exercise. Essentially, you need to do exercises that make sense for your sport. 
3) Variation Principal: How we manipulate the overload and specificity principles to achieve results over time. This includes factors like frequency, intensity, time, type of activity, and volume. 

Make it simpler! 

The easiest way to plan your competition season is to work back from your competition date and determine when you need to be going through each cycle. Conditioning your horse or dog involves starting easy and gradually increasing the workload. It takes four to eight weeks for a dog’s body to adapt to a stimulus that creates an overload. Once the body adjusts and becomes stronger, it is time to change the stimulus again. 

• Set goals — Decide which events you want your animal athletes to compete at each season. 

• Incorporate available training options — Especially in Canada, it’s important to be able to adjust to weather conditions, varying terrain and other environmental elements. We want to be consistent with our training plan, so have indoor options available and consider different options like water treadmills if outdoor conditions are not favourable. 

• Re-evaluation — If you’re going to be competitive, it’s crucial to be objective. Evaluate your training program after every season to determine what worked and what didn’t. Adjust accordingly. 

• Adaptation cycle — Look at the example of a periodization plan. Determine what your goal is in each phase. Plan when you need to do high volume/low intensity and when you need to do low volume/high intensity.  And remember, to maximize rest to prevent overtraining. 

If you want your animal athlete physically prepared for any goal, no matter what this goal is, a good periodization program makes all the difference. 

Finally, always be sure that your animal is cleared by a veterinarian before engaging in a regular fitness routine. The recommendations provided here are only for healthy horses and dogs who are physically mature and free of injury and/or pain. No matter what you have planned for your training day, always observe your animal closely for subtle signs of soreness, weakness or pain. For individualized recommendations for your animal, please reach out to your body worker or fitness professional. 
 

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