Like many sports, cheerleading combines quick bouts of agility and strength along with the rigors of endurance and hard work. Scientifically speaking, cheerleading requires both anaerobic and aerobic strength in order to be successful. In training to be a successful cheerleader, getting out for a few runs may be just what you need to develop that endurance base.
Why Running and Endurance Training?
Typical cheerleading routines can last anywhere from 90 seconds to three minutes. Whether cheering with a large squad, in small stunt groups or a single performer, these routines require both cheerleading skills and stamina to be successful. The human body creates muscle energy in an anaerobic state, or quick movements, for eight to 10 seconds. After that time period, it will create energy in a mixed state for another 30 seconds or so. After just 45 seconds, though, the body needs its energy converted aerobically --- the same as a long distance runner. In coaching and developing young cheerleaders, Stacey Dorman, a masters-level coach in the United Kingdom, has seen cheer routines crumble as the athletes' energy decreases over the course of a routine. Their ability to stay strong and focused throughout the entire routine is a key to success. The easiest and least expensive way to increase the body's aerobic ability is to take part in an activity like running.
Biological Effects of Running on the Cheerleader
The body's circulatory system, or the parts responsible for blood flow, plays a key role in the ability to perform athletically for an extended period of time. The strength, movement and stamina needed for cheerleading are affected by the delivery of oxygenated blood to the muscles. By running, the body adapts to the exercise by slowly increasing the amount of oxygen supplied to the muscles. The capillaries, the smaller blood vessels that connect directly to muscle tissue, expand and grow to deliver more oxygen-rich blood. As the amount of time spent running increases, the amount of blood flow grows lending to higher levels of stamina.
Benefits of Endurance Training
Regardless of the sport, endurance training is required, according to Tudor O. Bompa, PhD, a sports scientist from York University in Toronto. This type of training increases the capacity for harder training, preparation for competitions and faster recovery after training, he writes in his book "Periodization: Training for Sports." There is the added benefit of mental and physical adversity that running and endurance training places upon an athlete. As the body goes through the sometimes arduous task of running, this adversity helps create a mental edge in the athlete. If the athlete succeeds at endurance training, the athlete's brain will be more attuned to overcome fear at the time of competition.
Basic Guidelines for Running
For cheerleaders, the amount of running to strive toward is somewhere between eight and 15 minutes. This is an appropriate ratio to the average competition time of two minutes. If the athlete can run 15 minutes comfortably, but is still encountering difficulty during training, focus on building enough aerobic strength to run 20 to 25 minutes. After building that running base, special attention may be placed on developing muscle endurance. This type of running includes the addition of short sprints over 50 to 100 m to increase the cheerleader's ability to maintain a high level of work. According to Dorman, some cheerleaders falter at the height or apex of a routine because their muscles begin to fail them. The addition of sprints or speed work may help prevent that faltering by increasing muscle endurance.
References
- Stacey Dorman, Falcons Academy Cheerleaders, Barnstaple, UK, 2011
- "Periodization: Training for Sports"; Bompa, Tudor; 2005
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