Physical Fitness

Fundamentals of Fitness

Successful umpiring is dependent on being in the best possible position in relation to the play from which to adjudicate. It is therefore extremely important that the umpire has maximum concentration and awareness in order to apply the correct interpretation of the laws.

In football most of the action occurs around where the ball is or will be located. Modern football is based on moving the ball quickly and the boundary umpire must be physically conditioned to keep up with the game. It has been proven beyond doubt that as a person becomes physically fatigued their concentration level drops. The higher the level of fatigue the greater the drop in concentration.

The better conditioned an umpire is for the physical requirements and demands of the game, the greater their resistance to fatigue. This means that concentration can remain at a high level for all of the game.

Umpires need to be physically fit so as to enable them to:

Consistently maintain the best possible position in relation to play from which to adjudicate.
Resist the effects of fatigue and maintain optimum concentration levels.

Preparation for umpiring football requires that umpires be physically conditioned to jog, run and sprint to the upper demands made upon them by the game so that there is the least possible build-up of fatigue.

Physical fitness leads to a number of physiological changes that improve athletic performances. These physiological changes are specific to the training that is carried out for any given sport or activity. The most appropriate method for determining those areas and levels of fitness necessary, is to look at the physical demands made by an activity on the performer. The following areas of fitness are specific to umpiring and should be the basis of training.

Aerobic Endurance

This is the ability of the muscles to repeat a sub-maximal effort, over a period of time, where oxygen intake is greater than or equal to consumption. The oxygen is used to produce energy which allows you to maintain the effort for a considerable time.

Anaerobic Endurance

This physical capacity is used when repeating a near maximum effort over a period of time, where oxygen consumption is greater than intake (running, sprinting). As the amount of oxygen available is less than required your body cannot produce enough energy to maintain work for more than short periods of time. Hence you fatigue very quickly.

Agility

Is the ability to change direction quickly while travelling at speed (avoiding players, moving sideways then backwards, then forwards).

Flexibility

The range of motion around a joint or series of joints. The development of flexibility is necessary for the prevention of injuries such as muscular tears and strains.

The more highly developed the above areas of fitness are, the better prepared the umpire is to meet the physical demands of the game and to resist fatigue. It has been shown by many athletes, in a variety of sports, that physical fitness can partially make-up for a lack of ability and lead to success.

Stretching

Introduction

Stretching is the most effective method to enhance flexibility. It involves placing a muscle group in its longest, stretched position and maintaining moderate sustained tension. Stretching may be performed as part of both training and rehabilitation programs.

The aim of a stretching routine is to maintain, develop or restore muscles and tendons to their optimal lengths. This is important as many injuries are sustained as a result of tight muscles and tendons producing abnormal stresses on the musculo-skeletal system.

Regular stretching can improve flexibility as a result of:

reduced muscle tension
increased muscle relaxation
enhanced circulation
increased muscle and tendon length
increased range of motion and suppleness

Stretching exercises should be performed before and after training sessions and matches. A mild warm up should precede stretching to increase muscle temperature and blood flow to the muscle tissue and will enable a more beneficial stretching effect to be achieved.

Advisory notes:

do not bounce
breathe slowly, deeply and easily, don't stretch to the point where breathing becomes unnatural
don't over-stretch
hold a stretch in a comfortable position, tension should subside as you hold
concentrate on the area being stretched, so that if an increase in tension is felt, it can be relaxed.

Warm Up

The warm up ensures that the body is given time to prepare and adjust in readiness for the stretching exercises, therefore always warm up prior to undertaking stretching exercises. A light 3-5 minute jog (or similar activity) should be enough to raise the body temperature and cause a light sweat.

Diet & Nutrition

The role of nutrition in achieving maximum performance on the sporting field is now well recognised. As well as being a key ingredient in achieving peak performance, a nutritionally sound diet is essential for your immediate and future health. As well as providing all the necessary vitamins and minerals, an umpire's diet has many other important roles.

Training Diet

The foods you consume each day of the training week between matches have two important functions. They must provide all of the essentail nutrients required by the body, in the correct quantities for good health and they must provide enough energy to meet the demands of training.

To obtain all the nutrients essential for good health, foods need to be selected wisely. The healthy diet table below illustrates the different groups of foods and the relative proportions in which they should be consumed.

EAT LEAST
Lard, Butter, Oils, Cream, Mayonnaise, Alcohol, Margarine, Chocolate, Confectionary, Deep Fried Foods

EAT MODERATELY
Low Fat Milk, Low fat Yoghurt, Low Fat Cheeses, Fish, Legumes, Lean Meat, Skinless Poultry, Eggs, Nuts, Seafood

EAT MOST
Breakfast Cereals, Pasta, Pita-Bread, Muffins, Crumpets, Fruit, Barley, Noodles, Rice, Bread Rolls, Fruit Bread, Dry Biscuits, Vegetables, Potatoes, Oats

There are several key nutrients which are of particular importance to umpires.

Carbohydrate

It has been well established that one of the limiting factors to endurance exercise is the depletion of muscle glycogen stores. Depletion of glycogen stores results in fatigue and ultimately exhaustion. The body uses two sources of fuel to varying degrees during exercise. These are fat stored as adipose tissue and carbohydrate stored as glycogen. Whilst fat stores are large and used very efficiently, glycogen stores can be depleted by a single bout of exhaustive exercise. As the amount of glycogen stored is dependent on the carbohydrate ingested it is important that you eat a diet high in carbohydrates. You must consume enough carbohydrate to enable the body to replenish glycogen stores after each training session and game. It is recommended that 55%-65% of your daily energy intake comes from carbohydrate, and most of this carbohydrate should be in the form of complex carbohydrate with its associated fibre and nutrients. Simple carbohydrates may be included in smaller amounts to boost carbohydrate intake.

Foods rich in complex carbohydrate	Foods rich in simple carbohydrate
Breads	Table suger
Muffins/crumpets	Honey
Dry biscuits	Jam
Rice	Golden syrup
Pasta, e.g. noodles/spaghetti/fettuccine	Soft drink
Breakfast cereal	Cordial
Legume, e.g. lentils/soybeans/kidney beans	Confectionary
Starchy vegetables, e.g. potato/peas/corn
Fruit, e.g. tinned/fresh/dried

Protein

An adequate protein intake is essential to the umpire, for muscle tissue repair as well as many other metabolic functions. The amount of protein required each day varies from individual to individual, however most umpires will require approximately 1.2 - 1.6g of protein per kg body weight. These requirements can easily be met by the regular consumption of lean meat, poultry, fish as well as eggs and low fat dairy products. Good plant sources of protein include nuts, seeds and legumes such as lentils and soy beans.

Fats

To obtain adequate protein and carbohydrate each day, it is necessary to minimise fat intake. A low fat diet will also reduce your risk of excess body fat, heart disease and certain cancers. This can be done by limiting your intake of butter, margarine, mayonnaise, cream, fried foods, fatty meats, chocolate and high fat snack foods.

Fluids

Prolonged periods of intensive exercise can result in fluid losses of up to 2-3 litres. Dehydration will not only adversely affect your performance, but can also be very dangerous. Don't wait until you are thirsty to take in fluids as thirst is a poor indicator of fluid needs and you must get into the habit of regularly consuming water before, during and after training and matches. The best fluid during training sessions is cool water. During matches, however, umpires will benefit from a commercial sports drink which provides carbohydrate and fluid in a rapidly absorbed form.

Pre-Match Eating and Drinking

After a week of training, you must ensure that you replenish your glycogen stores before the weekend's match. Although the practice of carbohydrate loading is not recommended for umpires, a mini-loading regime should be implemented, whereby training is reduced whilst dietary carbohydrate intake is slightly increased above the normal training diet.

The Program should comprise:

24-36 hours reduced training
Increased carbohydrate intake 70 - 80% energy intake
Plenty of fluids

Your pre-match meal will not contribute much to glycogen stores, however, it has other important functions. It should be easily digested so that your stomach is empty before the start of the game, therefore should be comprised predominantly of carbohydrates, and ingested 2-3 hours prior to the match. Although we normally recommend a high fibre intake, many of you will find that a low fibre meal is easier to digest at this time. The meal should also contain enough food to prevent hunger during the match - somewhere between 2100 - 4200 kJ (500 - 1000 KCal) is recommended. Finally, don't try new foods her - make sure that this meal is psychologically satisfying, and includes foods familiar and enjoyable to you.

Suggested Pre-Game Foods

Breakfast cereal with low fat milk
Low fat yoghurts
Bread, toast, muffins, fruit bread, crumpets, pancakes topped with:
jams, honey, Golden Syrup, Vegemite, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, spaghetti
Pasta with plain, low fat sauce
Steamed rice
Fruit - fresh or canned, unsweetened
Fluids - water, juice, sports drinks

Some of you may find it useful to have a liquid preparation such as Sustagen or Exceed Sports Nutrition Supplement if eating prior to a match is difficult.

Post Match Eating and Drinking

An area previously neglected is post game recovery. Recent studies have shown that muscle glycogen resynthesis is greatly increased in the first 15 minutes and the first 2 hours following strenuous exercise. It is therefore important that you consume carbohydrate as soon as practicable after the match has finished. The easiest way of doing this will be in the form of fluids - for example, 1-2 cans of soft drink or 3-4 glasses of strong cordial. This should be followed by a high carbohydrate meal that evening. In addition don't forget to rehydrate with plenty of water.

Conclusion

Good nutrition will not guarantee a finals appointment for any umpire, however, it plays a vital role in maximising individual performance both on and off the field. A well balanced diet helps improve endurance, concentration and recovery.

Alcohol & Tobacco

Alcohol

Alcohol does not contribute to good physical fitness or good health. It dehydrates the body when consumed prior to a match, and impairs the physical performance during the match. When consumed after the match, it retards recovery which adversely effects the capacity to train well during the following week.

Better results will be achieved if alcohol is not consumed.

Tobacco Smoking

Tobacco smoking is a proven health hazard. It has been identified as a major cause of heart disease and various forms of cancer. Smoking has been the cause of millions of deaths.

The dangers of smoking are well documented and publicised.

From an umpiring perspective, smoking reduces the fitness potential of the athlete. Irrespective of the level of fitness, an athlete who does not smoke would achieve a better result for the same amount of training than the athlete who did smoke.