SEAL Physical Training Manual

Chapter 14 Physical Training and Sports Injuries

A major risk for SEALs and athletes is sports injuries.In the basic water blasting training, one-third of the team members suspended training due to training injuries, and those with serious injuries quit training.Whether it is accidental injury or skeletal muscle injury caused by overtraining, it means suspension of training and forced rest, which not only shortens the normal training time, but also takes days or even weeks to recover from pain. There are also scars.For this reason, this chapter will discuss physical training and sports injuries, mainly explaining the following aspects:

Treatment for training injuries
Restorative training before returning to training

Types of training injuries
Common Military Strength and Conditioning Injuries
when to seek medical attention
The purpose of this chapter is not to teach you how to treat injuries, but to give you an understanding of the basic types of training injuries, how to prevent them, and when to seek medical attention.After the trainer is injured, he should immediately take scientific recovery training to speed up the recovery process.Restorative training avoids inflammation, speeds up wound healing, and prepares you for an early return to regular training.

Section [-] Training Injury Treatment Methods

Accidental trauma or damage to skeletal muscle tissue can cause inflammation, including symptoms such as redness, swelling, and pain.If left untreated, inflammation can quickly lead to the following:
tissue hyperemia
stiff
Fatigue
decreased range of motion
loss of normal function
Successful sports medicine treatment usually involves two processes: reducing inflammation (redness, swelling, pain) and improving joint range of motion.RICE (rest-cold-compression-elevation) and ISE (cold-stretch-exercise) are usually used for treatment.

RICE = rest-cold compress-compression-elevate the affected limb
After reducing inflammation with RICE therapy, the range of motion of the damaged joint can be increased with ISE therapy (cold-stretch-exercise), ie: continuous cold therapy, damaged ligaments, muscle stretching therapy and weight training.

ISE = cold compress-stretch-exercise
1.anti-inflammatory

RICE therapy (rest-cold-compression-elevation) can treat all sprains and strained tissues.Typically, if a lifter's limbs cannot bear weight, it's an indication that they should "rest" and get x-rays as soon as possible to check for broken bones.

"Rest" means reducing weight on the limb, or using crutches, to avoid weight bearing on the affected limb. "Relative rest" refers to reducing the amount of exercise to reduce pain, or performing other pain-free training with similar effects.

Cold compresses refer to applying ice cubes to reduce swelling.The cold compress should be continued until the swelling subsides.

Compression means wrapping the affected area with an elastic bandage for 2-4 hours.During this stage, no sleep is allowed without medical advice.

Elevating the affected limb refers to raising the injured part above the heart, with the purpose of reducing blood flow in the affected part, reducing backflow resistance, and relieving swelling in the affected part.

2.How to apply ice properly

Ice plays an important role in the treatment of physical training injuries and sports injuries. It mainly has the following effects:

anti-inflammatory, detumescence;
Relieve muscle spasms and muscle pain;
Reduce joint pain range;

After wound treatment, promote blood circulation in the injured area.

Casualties should not wait for a doctor's order to use ice.

Except for open wounds, ice packs should be used immediately after all joint and soft tissue injuries (see Table 12-1 for details).When using ice cubes, there are two types of passive cold compresses and active cold compresses.Passive cold compresses use any kind of ice—crushed ice, slush, ice packs, or snow—to cool the injured area. Active cold compresses use ice (ice packs or cups) to massage the injured area.It is best to use passive cold compresses at home, because ice is very good at reducing swelling.After about 20 minutes, the ice pack has melted and can be placed in the refrigerator again for later use.After ice application, the injured area will experience four reactions of cooling, burning sensation, pain, and numbness in succession, and the whole process lasts for about 7-10 minutes.

Either active or passive cooling can be used.

However, direct contact of ice cubes with the skin should be avoided.

3.joint range of motion

Range of motion refers to the range of motion of a joint.The goal of strength and conditioning training is to achieve maximum range of motion in joints, however, sports injuries can sometimes reduce joint range of motion.During the 20 minutes of cold compress with ice cubes, the joints should be moved with no pain as the standard.After a few days, try resistance training, which puts pressure on the joints while maximizing their movement.As shown in Figure 12-1, you can use the resistance of the towel to move your ankles to increase the range of motion of your ankle joints.However, practice may cause puffiness again.

4.NSAIDs
Everyone will use it in their life, whether it is prescribed by a doctor or used on their own initiative.NSAIDs work quickly and are therefore the drug of choice for muscle damage.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can quickly reduce redness, soreness, fatigue, fever and other symptoms.Although it is easy to buy, it cannot be used casually.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs mainly treat the following types of inflammation:

腱炎
Bursitis
sprain/strain
For more serious injuries, such as heavy bleeding (abrasions), severe redness, NSAIDs should be given after the swelling has gone down.

NSAIDs can have side effects.

Common side effects include the following:

It is irritating to the gastrointestinal tract and can cause symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, and vomiting;

peptic ulcer/bleeding;

High blood pressure;
decreased ability of blood to clot;
trigger asthma;

Long-term use can damage the kidneys.

PLEASE NOTE: Alcohol should be avoided (if absolutely necessary, very carefully) when taking NSAIDs, as both can be irritating to the stomach.

Recovery training before returning to normal training in the second quarter

After the pain and swelling are relieved, the joints have basically returned to their normal range of motion. At this time, you should consult military doctors and sports medical experts for corresponding restorative training programs to speed up physical recovery and try to start normal training as soon as possible.The recovery training program should target the damaged part and determine the corresponding training items according to the type of injury. These items are usually divided into the following categories:

The training process should pay attention to step by step, and each training must be completed carefully.The above technical terms have been introduced in Chapter 1 of this book, and the important role of these items will be further introduced below:
Strength training and flexibility training are closely related.If the flexibility of the joints is not restored, certain movements will be restricted, and the strength recovery of the corresponding muscles (groups) will also be affected, thereby delaying the recovery process; sometimes even aggravating the injury.

After an injury, the endurance quality of the muscles will drop rapidly, and it is easy to feel fatigued; in recovery training, we must pay attention to endurance training.For example, an injured ankle is prone to re-injury. Although the feeling has been restored, the tendons around the joint are prone to fatigue during exercise, which can lead to re-injury.During recovery training, on the premise of maintaining normal cardiopulmonary function and overall endurance quality, pay attention to special endurance training for each major muscle (group).

After injury, muscle function declines, and it is easy to be injured again when doing strong explosive movements. Therefore, we must pay attention to explosive recovery training.Power recovery training includes resistance speed work, which can use rubber tubing, medicine balls, and related strength training equipment.

In recovery training, speed training can improve the anaerobic exercise capacity of the damaged part and can also improve the coordination of movements.During the recovery process of lower extremity injuries, the wounded can perform speed training below the pain threshold, and perform interval training several times a week (such as several sets of 90-second 400-meter sprint training), which can effectively restore speed quality.

Persisting in the use of cold compress therapy, supplemented by electromagnetic therapy, ultrasound and other treatments can speed up wound healing, speed up physical recovery, and start normal training as soon as possible.

1.Special recovery training for military physical fitness

The SEALs will eventually have to restart special military physical training for special operations to meet future combat needs.Prior to this, special recovery training for military physical fitness must not be ignored.However, there is a risk of re-injury in this type of special training, so it is necessary to scientifically quantify and proceed step by step, and restart daily training after confirming that the physical fitness has fully recovered to the pre-injury level.Mild and moderate injuries usually require 4-7 days of recovery training, while severe injuries require 1-2 weeks of recovery training.

2.Restorative Training Principles

When performing restorative training, guidelines must be followed, as follows:

When doing flexibility exercises, if you feel pain, reduce the range of motion.

If you experience pain during strength and power training, lower the reps/effort.

If you experience pain during endurance and speed training, adjust the distance/duration of the exercise.

If you feel pain during special military physical training, please slow down the pace or adjust the target completion time.

In short, RICE and ISE therapy should be used for initial treatment after injury, which can effectively relieve pain and restore joint range of motion; then carry out various recovery training, including functional training such as flexibility, strength, endurance, explosive power and speed.Apply ice cubes when necessary.

Section [-] Types of Training Injuries

SEALs can develop a variety of training injuries during conditioning and other physical training.The first half of this section introduces several common moderate and mild injuries, and the second half further introduces severe injuries.After a serious injury, normal activities can be limited.

1.post-workout muscle soreness
After training, delayed onset muscle soreness often occurs, which is caused by minor injuries.This kind of muscle soreness often starts 12-48 hours after training. After warm-up activities and relaxation activities, symptoms of muscle stiffness and muscle soreness appear, and the soreness disappears after 7-12 days.

2.contusion

A blunt force on a certain part of the human body causes a closed injury to that part and its deep tissues—muscle belly, tendon or protruding bone, which is called a contusion.Mild cases have symptoms such as pain, tenderness, distending pain, and dysfunction. In severe cases, blood spots and hematomas are formed due to hyperemia of the subcutaneous tissue, and symptoms of dysfunction and pain are more obvious.

After a contusion, passive ice should be used as soon as possible.After the swelling symptoms are under control, active ice compresses are applied with cross-friction massage, which can effectively reduce swelling and congestion.

The massage operation of cross friction is simple, as shown in Figure 12-2, use the thumb (or index finger) and middle finger to vertically press the injured tendon or muscle tissue, and massage for 10 minutes each time, 4 times a day.

3.sprains and strains
Ligaments connect bone to bone and are distinct fibrous tissues.Sprains usually occur at the joint ligaments. It is a closed injury of the inside and outside of the joint caused by the use of the joint beyond the normal range under the action of external forces (such as falls, accidents, and overtraining).It often occurs in the back joints, knee joints and ankle joints.Sprains can be divided into mild, moderate and severe three grades.Mild sprains result from overstretching and mild tearing of the ligament fibers; moderate sprains involve partial tearing of the fibers, sometimes with loosening of the joint; severe sprains involve rupture of most tendon fibers or complete rupture of the tendon, resulting in loosening of the joint , There is a feeling of being stuck in the joint.

A sprain is an injury to a ligament.

A tendon is a bundle of fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone and transmits stress from the muscle.A muscle or tendon injury is called a strain or tendonitis.Tendonitis mainly includes Achilles tendonitis, shoulder tendonitis, knee flexor tendonitis, and quadriceps tendonitis.

A strain/tendonitis is an injury to a muscle or tendon.

Moderate and mild lower limb sprains and strains will not leave sequelae as long as they are treated in time.Initial treatment includes ice packs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as a small amount of weight-bearing exercise and, if necessary, crutches for joint rehabilitation training to maintain joint range of motion.

4.muscle cramps

Muscle cramps often occur during long-duration physical training and physical training in high-temperature and humid environments. In addition, dehydration and poor physical fitness are also prone to occur.Muscle spasm, also known as cramps, refers to the sudden loss of normal control function of the muscle belly and other adjacent muscle tissues, resulting in involuntary forced contraction, resulting in muscle stiffness and unbearable pain.Immediately after muscle cramps, drink sports drinks rich in electrolytes. After replenishing water and electrolytes, perform stretching exercises in the opposite direction to stretch the cramped muscle belly and other adjacent muscle tissues until the spasms stop.Pay attention to the uniform force when pulling, and prohibit excessive force, so as not to cause muscle strain.For example, when the calf muscles are in spasm, straighten the knees, raise the toes, hold the feet with both hands, and stretch toward the head; when the thigh muscles are in spasm, straighten the knees, hold the feet with both hands, and stretch toward the buttocks (back).See Figure 12-3 for details.In addition, pay attention to adequate rest to avoid reoccurrence of cramps.

5.fracture

A true fracture is one in which the continuity and integrity of the bone or trabeculae is disrupted, including fractures or fractures.Except for very few exceptions, lower extremity fractures must receive professional treatment from doctors; splints are added to the fracture site for a period of fixed treatment.

Stress fractures are different from real fractures. They are more common in the weight-bearing bones of the lower limbs, and the most common sites are the pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, and foot bones.The subperiosteal fracture is a chronic bone injury caused by repeated long-term and long-term action on a normal bone by a stress lower than the limit that the bone can bear, resulting in continuous fracture and remodeling of the trabecular bone.Mostly occurs in high-intensity sports, such as running, hiking, marching, and long-duration training.Stress fractures occur when the bone cannot repair this break on its own.During sports such as weight-bearing training for the lower limbs (such as running), the damaged bones are relatively fragile and cannot bear the weight of the body, so symptoms of fatigue and pain appear near the damaged bones.The initial symptoms of a stress fracture are subtle and the pain is not fixed, so it is often overlooked.However, as the disease progresses, the pain site is gradually determined, usually at rest or at night.If left untreated, stress fractures can lead to fractures in the corresponding area.Factors that increase the risk of stress fractures during physical training include the following:
Sports surface changes (grass to asphalt, dirt to concrete)
Change of athletic shoes (boots, new running shoes)

Increased exercise intensity (too much, too fast, too frequently)
Any casualty with a suspected stress fracture should be referred to a professional medical facility for diagnosis.Treatment options for stress fractures include:

Reduce or avoid weight-bearing activities on the affected area;

Practice walking with the help of crutches. After the pain disappears completely, throw away the crutches and walk by yourself.

The course of treatment takes 2-4 weeks.When treating a stress fracture, immobilization with a splint is usually not required.The waist, knee, ankle and other joints need to load their own body weight when exercising on land, and this load is harmful to the injured part during exercise and will aggravate the injury.The situation in the water is different, because the buoyancy of the water supports the body weight, so the purpose of rehabilitation treatment can be achieved without aggravating the injury.Therefore, swimming or other water rehabilitation training (deep water running exercises) can be performed during this period to maintain flexibility and aerobic endurance.After the symptoms are relieved, lower limb strength training should be carried out as soon as possible within the tolerable range.

A real fracture requires fixed treatment of the affected area, and a specific treatment plan is determined according to the injured area.After removing the splint, lower limb recovery training should be performed.

After the tolerable stress of the lower limbs is increased, running recovery training can be carried out. It is best to practice on a treadmill first, which will help the wounded to adjust the running speed, distance and time according to their own needs; it must be done step by step, and the intensity should be controlled within the tolerable range Inside.Table 12-4 describes a running recovery training program.

Section [-] Common Military Physical Training Injuries

Based on the basic operational attributes of SEALs, military physical training injuries are commonplace.According to different training items and training venues, military physical training injuries can be divided into different types, see Table 12-5 for details.In addition, in special training such as running and swimming, there will also be different types of injuries.

1.swimming training injury

In terms of muscle tone, swimming is a physical activity that does not involve body weight.When training for swimming, most injuries come from fatigue and overtraining, not from trauma.Therefore, once damage occurs, it is difficult to heal.

Veterans, despite their experience, experience greater risks during swimming training, mainly because their tendons and joint capsules are less elastic and less flexible; moreover, they require more The warm-up warms up the muscles, so they are more prone to fatigue and serious training injuries.

Common swimming training injuries include: sprains, shoulder, knee, back strains and fatigue.

1) During freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke training, the shoulder joints are under enormous stress.Therefore, during freestyle swimming, pay attention to changing postures and breathing on both sides; during backstroke, ensure that the body has enough boost; before butterfly stroke, do warm-up preparations.In this way, in swimming training, the balance of the shoulders can be maintained and the formation of pincer syndrome (swimming shoulders, see Table 12-8 for details) can be avoided.

2) When using the kickboard for freestyle training, the back is under excessive stress due to hyperextension, and changing the swimming style-changing to backstroke can reduce the stress.A kickboard can also be used to add buoyancy to the body to maintain spinal balance.

3) When wearing fins to practice kicking, the stress on the knees increases, which can easily lead to patellofemoral syndrome, which is a disease that troubles many swimmers (see Table 12-8 for details).

4) Breaststroke kicking, this action maintains the balance of the knee joint by increasing the muscle tension of the inner thigh, and then increases the muscle tension of the outer thigh to push the body forward. The force process is similar to running.However, this work may exacerbate the iliotibial band syndrome (see Table 12-8 for details).If you feel pain on the outside of your knee, stop doing this exercise.

2.Running and cross-country hiking training injuries
Running and cross-country training work a large number of muscle groups and can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in the short term.During cross-country hiking training, the spine bears 3 times the stress of its own weight; while running training, the spine bears up to 5 times the stress of its own weight; the stress can be reduced through correct and scientific training techniques, shock-absorbing sports shoes and cross training.

3.knee sprain

Here is only a brief introduction to the relevant knee sprains. In addition, there are many other types of knee injuries.Sprains of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the knee joint require a fixed brace within the range of motion of the joint to protect the damaged ligament.

Use caution when immobilizing the knee with a knee extension brace.Within 3 days of fixation, there will be a phenomenon of decreased function and atrophy of the thigh muscles (muscles do not move, resulting in decreased function).However, this fixation device is only used for patella (kneecap) fractures and patella dislocations, and strength rehabilitation training should be performed as soon as possible after use to avoid muscle atrophy.

4.ankle sprain
The ideal treatment is to immobilize the affected foot with an Aircast or similar splint.In order to protect the ligaments, treatments such as ice compresses, cross-friction massage, weight-bearing exercises on crutches, and early joint restorative exercises can be used.

Section [-] Overtraining Syndrome
Overtraining syndrome (Overtraining Syndrome) is the most common failure in Navy SEAL military physical training.As the name suggests, overtraining is the result of excessive physical activity.

Unlike the physical training of athletes, the military physical training of SEALs is open all year round.There is a rest period in the physical training of professional athletes or college physical training. Athletes can use this opportunity to adjust their bodies, repair damaged muscles and tissues, and sometimes use physical therapy to heal the injured parts, so that their strength and flexibility can reach the best state , and then devote yourself to training.However, SEALs do not have such generous treatment for recuperation and recuperation. They must conduct peak training throughout the year, so they are prone to overwork and illness, leading to overtraining and excessive fatigue, which leads to many training injuries.

The symptoms of overtraining syndrome vary from person to person, mainly including physical symptoms and psychological symptoms (see Table 12-7 for details).Overtraining occurs mostly in endurance training such as swimming and long-distance running.

Current laboratory and biochemical studies have not identified the best hallmark symptoms of overtraining.However, resting heart rate and mood assessment can be used as indicators.Measuring the resting heart rate before getting up for several days can effectively judge the physical state of the team members-it is better or tired.The resting heart rate of overtrained players is usually 10-15 times higher than the normal standard.Resting heart rate can drop to normal levels after a day or two of rest.If you continue to train without taking measures, you will further aggravate overtraining.

Sudden deterioration of mood and emotional instability are also important manifestations of overtraining.There are not many emotional survey materials for the SEALs, and only some questionnaires can be used to conduct emotional surveys.If the overtrained player answered the questions truthfully, his questionnaires would reveal emotions such as frustration, anger, depression, and easily irritated by insignificant things.

Cross training, rest training, resting heart rate measurement, emotional assessment, and extended time for difficult tasks can effectively reduce the risk of overtraining.

Overtraining and Overwork are different concepts.Overtraining refers to the temporary decline in exercise capacity caused by increasing difficulty and increasing intensity.Overtraining usually occurs among recruits preparing for basic underwater demolition. During the difficult and intensive training, their mental quality and physical quality will temporarily decline, but as the training continues, they will recover quickly physical fitness.Unlike overtraining, overtrained players will rapidly improve their physical fitness after adapting to increased intensity training.

Section [-] When to Seek Medical Care

Table 12-8 summarizes the names, main symptoms, preventive measures, and treatments of various military physical training injuries.Trainers can check their injuries according to the table and decide whether they need to go to the hospital for treatment.

Of course, once many injuries occur, you need to go to the hospital for diagnosis immediately.

(End of this chapter)