Speed is the key to power!
The laws of physics...
... Brought into sports. Mass x Speed= Many people don't understand the significance of this physical equation, at least not where sports are concerned. Sure, much of what is done by professional athletes revolves around such. Sorry, folks, the smarter athletes are those that usually take first place (outside the genetic freaks and the juice-heads [though I've bested the juicers before]). In my opinion, steroids only have a place in professional sports. It is also my opinion that if you are NOT a professional, yet you juice, you ARE an impotent chump (hear that, Rich Ga***ri? Still juicing AND look awful! CHUMP!).
The significance goes far beyond physics, though. When you consider the two types of muscle, fast twitch (white fiber or type IIa, IIb- though differences exist) {I will go into the major physiological differences}, and slow twitch (red or type I {1}), and their roles, as well as the fuel they use, how they're trained, this becomes as complex as physics.
In these capsules, I will also discuss neurological training, though that will revolve only around the fast twitch; for the sake of the articles focus, as well as practicality. Essentially, slow twitch muscles are not as "neurologically trainable" as fast twitch. Only brief comparison reference will be used here. As I usually like to do, I'll divide everything into poorly organized, erratic articles and concepts; often forgetting that I've said something before.
The significance of T IIa and T IIb fibers is nearly as vast. These are intermediate fast twitch muscle fibers. That means they are capable of both aerobic AND anaerobic respiration (metabolism) (present oxygen and not)-- meaning any type of caloric energy can be used. This means a discussion of nutrition will take place somewhere in the myriad of capsules that I have planned here.
I like to think of IIb (2b) muscles as "strength" muscles. I do this because there really are many practical realms of muscle contraction. Power IS speed. Endurance is prolonged ability to contract. Strength, to me, lies between the two.
Skeletal muscle is made up of bundles of individual muscle fibers called myocytes. Each myocyte contains many myofibrils, which are strands of proteins (actin and myosin) that can grab on to each other and pull. The rate of pull is one of the factors that differentiates them.
The age old question is; whether or not different training can change your natural ratio of 1:2 fibers. This is still not completely understood (and if anyone knows of a conclusive study, please message me through here!). What we do know is fast twitch response can be improved via neurological exercise. This is speed training.
There is some evidence that the ratio of fibers can be influenced, but nothing that anyone is willing to commit peer review to. On that note, some research that hasn't received peer review can be useful, but should be scrutinized. Most times, peer review means fact (as much as our understanding of the human body can be factual). One of the first organized systems of speed training is plyometrics. Since plyometrics has been discussed to death, and some of what I'll speak of here encompasses the idea, I'll merely provide an external link.
Below is a fairly decent article, abstract only. If it doesn't appear as a link, copy and paste it to your address bar.
http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/1996/08000/Enhancing_Performance__Maximal_Power_Versus.8.aspx
An understanding of kinesiology, neuroscience, as well as nutrition science is needed to apply the techniques that I'll discuss. I will give overviews in relatively easy to understand language on most occasions. Some subject matter just pains me to discuss again (as I've done it so often), so I'll find articles written for the semi-layperson to explain. I'd love to write an introductory thesis on this, but I'm doing this for FUN! No one is paying me for this. I have no Adsense, nor any other affiliate program (though I did at one time). I scrapped them all in the interest of teaching.
I'll move on to more capsules that center their attention on singular subject matter. The mind (from a neurological and disciplinary standpoint), as well as the physiology, nutrition, and anything else I friggin think of while I'm writing!
