Evaluate the short-term and long-term consequences of undue stress on the body for marathon runners, and discuss appropriate management strategies that could be implemented during different phases of training. (8 marks)
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Sample Answer
Evaluation Statement
- Undue stress has highly detrimental effects on marathon runners both short and long-term.
- Evaluation criteria include performance impact and health consequences.
Short-term Impact
- Immediate fatigue affects technique and running performance.
- Runners show poor movement patterns when trying to maintain pace, reducing efficiency.
- Energy stores become depleted and muscles experience damage.
- Recovery time between training sessions increases, limiting training benefits.
- These effects clearly show why rest days are important.
Long-term Consequences
- Overtraining syndrome severely affects athletic performance.
- Chronic tiredness, stress fractures, and hormonal imbalances damage overall health.
- Mental burnout reduces motivation and enjoyment of running.
- Athletes may quit the sport entirely, failing to reach their goals.
- These consequences strongly support the need for proper management.
Management Strategies
- Base phase requires gradual increases in running distance with adequate rest days.
- Main phase benefits from alternating hard and easy training days.
- Peak phase needs careful monitoring of fatigue with reduced training volume.
- Recovery phase requires complete rest through alternative activities like swimming.
- This approach successfully prevents stress from building up.
Final Evaluation
- Short-term stress causes moderate performance problems but can be reversed.
- Long-term consequences are extremely harmful to health and running career.
- While hard training is needed for improvement, poor recovery creates serious risks.
- Therefore, proper training management is essential for marathon runners.
Show Worked Solution
Sample Answer
Evaluation Statement
- Undue stress has highly detrimental effects on marathon runners both short and long-term.
- Evaluation criteria include performance impact and health consequences.
Short-term Impact
- Immediate fatigue affects technique and running performance.
- Runners show poor movement patterns when trying to maintain pace, reducing efficiency.
- Energy stores become depleted and muscles experience damage.
- Recovery time between training sessions increases, limiting training benefits.
- These effects clearly show why rest days are important.
Long-term Consequences
- Overtraining syndrome severely affects athletic performance.
- Chronic tiredness, stress fractures, and hormonal imbalances damage overall health.
- Mental burnout reduces motivation and enjoyment of running.
- Athletes may quit the sport entirely, failing to reach their goals.
- These consequences strongly support the need for proper management.
Management Strategies
- Base phase requires gradual increases in running distance with adequate rest days.
- Main phase benefits from alternating hard and easy training days.
- Peak phase needs careful monitoring of fatigue with reduced training volume.
- Recovery phase requires complete rest through alternative activities like swimming.
- This approach successfully prevents stress from building up.
Final Evaluation
- Short-term stress causes moderate performance problems but can be reversed.
- Long-term consequences are extremely harmful to health and running career.
- While hard training is needed for improvement, poor recovery creates serious risks.
- Therefore, proper training management is essential for marathon runners.