Periodization: current review and suggested implementation for athletic rehabilitation.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Designing effective training programs for athletes, both injured and non-injured, is crucial for maximizing healing and performance.
• Periodization, a systematic progression in resistance training variables, is well-studied in uninjured athletes but lacks data for injured populations.
• Optimal resistance training program design for injured athletes using periodization principles is under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review training variables, periodization methods, and program outcomes.
• To provide a framework for implementing periodization in rehabilitation programs.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search of Medline (1979-2009) and manual reference checks.
• Keywords included periodization, strength training, rehabilitation, endurance, power, hypertrophy, and resistance training.

Main Results:

• Periodized strength training regimens show superior outcomes compared to non-periodized programs.
• Evidence supports periodization's efficacy in general strength training.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in the rehabilitation literature regarding periodization program design and implementation for injured athletes.
• Further research is needed to bridge the gap between strength training evidence and rehabilitation application of periodization principles.