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dragonboat talk for dragonboaters.

In the past if I’m not racing and waiting around for the next race for more than an hour, I would take a power nap to recharge my batteries. I’ve found it to be the next best thing to food after an intensive race. I’ll explain the reasons for it below, but you have to understand the basics of sleep first.

Facts on Sleep:
While small children typically take naps in the afternoon, our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep, even those who get enough sleep. Many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking or what we can call the “after lunch” effect. Research shows that you can make yourself more alert and energised with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, gives you better reaction time and more efficiency for the next dragon boat race. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of sleep and how a power nap can help you!

How Much Sleep Do You Need?
The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep per day; 6 hours or less triples your risk of a car accident. (Interestingly, too much sleep–more than 9 hours–can actually be harmful for your health; recent studies show that those who sleep more than 9 hours per day don’t live as long as their 8-hour-sleep counterparts!)

The Effects of Missed Sleep
Sleep is cumulative, so if you lose sleep one day, you feel it the next. If you miss adequate sleep several days in a row, you build up a ‘sleep deficit’, which impairs the following:

• Reaction time
• Judgment
• Vision
• Information processing
• Short-term memory
• Performance
• Motivation
• Vigilance
• Patience

Fatigued people also experience more moodiness, aggressive behaviors, burnout and more stress. This leads to under performing for a race.

The Benefit of a Power Nap:
Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning (though the last two hours of morning sleep have special benefits of their own). The body seems to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.

How Long Should I Sleep?
When you sleep you pass through different stages of sleep, known together as a sleep cycle. These stages include light sleep, deep sleep (which is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself), and rapid-eye movement sleep, or REM sleep (during which the mind is repaired).

Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Also, longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if your sleep deficit is relatively small. However, research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of how long your sleep cycles are, and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle. (It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy, rather than the deeper states of sleep.)

Power nap before your race
This is only a suggestion, but if you haven’t noticed when paddlers have a big time gap in between their race, you’ll see a bunch of them lying down taking quick power naps – you should too.

You’ll really feel the difference and if you do feel a bit sluggish after a power nap then you know you’ve overslept. Try to sleep less next time and you’ll feel more energised ready for the next dragon boat race!

Written by Kevin Neeld

To stretch or not to stretch…Why is this still a question?

There is more than enough research showing that stretching before activity decreases performance measures (strength, power, speed, balance, etc.). Compared to a static stretching warm-up, a dynamic warm-up lead to significantly greater increases in these same measures. The misinterpretation of this research has lead to the idea that static stretching is completely unnecessary.

Makes sense right? I mean if an activity meant to elicit relaxation and passively lengthen muscle doesn’t lead to immediate performance improvements, why do it at all?

I’m not the type to just accept something I’ve read. I’m also not the type to discount something I’ve read just because it doesn’t make sense to me. So following the complete lack of logic behind never stretching again, I decided to conduct the ultimate research experiment…I stopped stretching altogether. For 6 weeks I didn’t stretch once. Not my legs, not my shoulders, not my neck, nothing. I ran with the idea that simply moving through a full range-of-motion (ROM) consistently would be enough to improve, or at a minimum maintain joint ROM.

The results: The study was cut short from an original 8-week proposal due to the only subject feeling like complete hell. Not only did I lose active and passive ROM around my ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders, but I started to get exceptionally tight in variable areas that would lead to nagging aches and pains.

Backed with this convincing research, everyone should be stretching AFTER their training. Stretching at this time allows you to relax, and return chronically shortening muscles to their original length. To avoid omitting potentially important information, I’ll tell you that I’ve heard that stretching muscles cold may actually lead to long-term flexibility increases, while stretching warm muscles may lead to more short-term changes. If you’re disciplined enough to do your stretching at another time, this may be an option to consider. In a team setting, it just doesn’t work. Many athletes don’t like stretching and won’t do it if they aren’t supervised. If you’re a coach, the only way to guarantee that all your athletes are stretching is to watch them do it after practice. If you’re an athlete and hate stretching-just do it immediately after your lift/practice.

Now that we understand that stretching is a necessary component of a well-designed training program, let’s talk about how to get the most bang for your buck out of your stretching time. There are a few tricks to address muscles that traditional stretches may miss. Moving from the ground up:

Plantarflexors (or calves): While the soleus and gastrocnemius are both plantaflexors, only the gastrocnemius crosses the knee joint, allowing it to assist in knee flexion. Because of the difference in origins between the two muscles, the plantaflexors should be stretched with both a bent knee (greater emphasis on the soleus), and an extended knee (greater emphasis on the gastrocnemius). While stretching these muscles with an extended knee may stretch both muscles, the magnitude of the stretch on the soleus will be limited by the stretch of the gastrocnemius. In other words, if the gastrocnemius is really tight, the the soleus will not be sufficiently stretched. Bending the knee and stretching again puts the gastrocnemius on slack, allowing a greater focus on the soleus.

Soleus Stretch

Gastrocnemius and Soleus Stretch

Hip Flexors:
I have yet to see an athlete that didn’t have tight hip flexors. Stretching this muscle group is extremely important. Most people are familiar with the lunge stretch. The focus of this stretch is primarily on the iliacus and psoas muscles. What many people don’t consider is that one of the quadriceps muscles, the rectus femoris, is also a hip flexor. This two joint muscle works to flex the hip and extend the knee. Since most people perform quad stretches with a slightly flexed hip, this muscle frequently passes under the radar. The solution is to find a stretch that extends the hip and flexes the knee, which is possible through a slight modification to the well-known lunge stretch. The tensor fasciae latae (TFL) is also a hip flexor. This muscle connects with the IT band, which means that TFL tightness can lead to a ‘tight’ IT band, which can have implications on patellar tracking (a lateral pull on the knee cap). Unfortunately the TFL is very difficult to stretch. Below is a simple variation to the other hip flexor stretches that puts a slightly greater emphasis on the TFL. Notice that the feet are closer to an in-line position than a hip-width position.

Iliacus and Psoas Complex Stretch

Rectus Femoris Stretch

Tensor Fasciae Latae Stretch

Adductors (or groin muscles):
The majority of the adductors originate on the ischial tuberosity (the bony prominence that you sit on) or pubis and attach to varying positions on the femur. The gracilis, however, attaches to the medial tibia. This means that the gracilis not only spans the hip joint, but also the knee joint. Functionally, this muscle cannot be stretched if the knee is bent, as in most “groin” stretches. However, only stretching these muscles with the knee extended may limit the magnitude of stretch to all the adductors other than the gracilis. Stretching them twice, once with a bent knee and once with an extended knee, may be the most effective way to stretch this group.

Pectineus, Adductor Brevis, Adductor Magnus, Adductor Longus Stretches

Gracilis Stretches

Pectoralis Major (and anterior shoulder):
The pectoralis major has a unique fiber orientation with the direct line of pull of individual muscle fibers changing relative direction throughout the muscle. In other words, from top to bottom, the fibers are angled diagonally downward, horizontally, and diagonally upward. Consequently it makes sense to stretch this muscle in at least two different positions, 90° and 135°. Time permitting it may be worth stretching this muscle at a lower angle (~60°); although I’ve found this angle to be the least beneficial of the three. Notice how my forearm is supinated and my upper arm externally rotated. The pectoralis major is also a humeral internal rotator. I’ve found this stretch to be much more effective by arranging my arm and forearm into this position. I also like to keep my elbow fully extended because it adds a greater stretch to the biceps brachii, allowing for an effective stretch of all the muscles that cross the anterior shoulder.

90° Stretch

135° Stretch

External Humeral Rotators:
Like the pectoralis major, the fiber orientation of the infraspinatus (one of the rotator cuff muscles) changes from a horizontal direction to a more diagonal direction as you move from the top down. In order to maximize the effectiveness of stretching the external rotators, it makes sense to stretch these muscles at two angles, 90° and 135°.

90° Stretch

135° Stretch

I generally recommend that each stretch is held for 30 seconds, and that static stretching isn’t performed until AFTER the training session. I think it’s a great way to keep the blood flowing a little, cool down, and relax. However, since many of these stretches address specific areas that are problematic for a lot of people, it may be beneficial to run through a quick circuit of these stretches BEFORE the training session, holding each position for only 10-15 seconds and actively contracting the antagonist muscle groups. If you aren’t stretching at all, start. Maintaining proper tissue length will allow you to keep progressing through your training while minimizing the risk of unnecessary injury.

I thought this would be an interesting post for our readers who may be interested in Walt Disney and Dragon Boating. The “first-ever” Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival event was held on the 18th October 2008 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Forty-six teams came from as far as Canada and Trinidad and Tobago, and as near as Orlando and Tampa in the US. There were over 5000 global participants and tens of thousands of spectators with 8 boats.

During the festival, more than 100 breast cancer survivors performed a traditional flower ceremony (pink carnations were released into the water), demonstrating courage as they participated in the event and raised awareness for their cause.

Here are some photos below of the event, courtesy of Kathy Werling.
You can click on the picture to enlarge.

Well, lets face it who wouldn’t want rock hard 6 pack abs? In reality you don’t need to have muscles that are so ripped that you can see a 6 pack. What is most important is how strong the muscles are for dragon boating. I am a firm believer that not only do you need back muscle strength, but you need to have strong core muscles in your abdominal area for dragon boating.

Firstly you need to understand how abdominal’s work in Dragon Boating. These are your core muscles that hold your body together and having a strong mid-section will remove stress that tends to build up in our lower backs. Furthermore when you reach and twist for a stroke you are using your abs and back muscles.

Basic Anatomy and Muscular Function
The abdominal muscles can be divided into 4 groups: Transverus abdominus, Rectus abdominus, , External obliques and Internal obliques.

Transversus abdominus – the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure.

Rectus abdominus – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. This muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges, when contracting, that are commonly called ‘the six pack’. The main function of the rectus abdominus is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis.

External oblique muscles – these are on each side of the rectus abdominus. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external oblique contracts to turn the body to the left.

Internal oblique muscles – these flank the rectus abdominus and are located just inside the hipbones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left side internal oblique and the right side external oblique to contract together.

Exercises to train your abdominals
To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:

* Truck Flexion (upper abs)
* Hip Flexion (lower abs)
* Rotation (obliques)
* Lateral Flexion (obliques)

Aim to split your abdominal exercises into three days and by completing 4 sets with 12-15 repetitions each.

Here is a sample abdominal exercise program below:

Day 1:
#1. Decline Oblique Crunch (Rotation)
Position yourself on a decline bench with your feet locked in. Your upper body should be raised off the bench. Cup your right hand over your right ear, and place your left hand on your thigh. Raise your upper body slowly while turning your torso to the left. Focus on keeping your abs tight and keeping the movement slow and controlled. Continue crunching up until your right elbow touches your left knee. Lower your body slowly back down to the starting position. After completing one set on the right, switch to your left side. TIP: Focus on really twisting your torso and feeling the contraction when you are in the UP position.

#2. Dumbell Side bend (Lateral Flexion)
Works the obliques. Stand straight up with your feet at shoulder width. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your palms in. Place your left hand on your waist. Keep your back straight. Bend to the right as far as you can, then bend to the left as far as possible. After finishing your desired reps, change the weight to your other hand and repeat. Bend at your waist only, not at your hips or knees! Can also be done with a barbell on your shoulders.

Day 2:
#1. Swiss Ball Crunch(Trunk Flexion)
Sit on top of an exercise ball with your feet placed firmly on the floor. Roll the bottom half of your glutes off the ball by sliding forward. Your lower back should be centered on top of the ball. Place your hands on the sides of your head, but don’t use your hands to pull. Crunch your upper body forward and roll your shoulders towards your hips. Squeeze at the top! Then lower back to the starting position and repeat. You can hold a weight to increase the difficulty

#2. Hanging Leg Raise (Hip Flexion)
Hang from a bar with your legs straight down. Raise your legs by flexing your hips while flexing your knees until your hips are fully flexed. Continue to raise knees toward shoulders by flexing your waist. Do NOT swing and use momentum. Go slow and concentrate on using your abs to pull your legs up. Return to the starting position. Repeat. You can place weight between your ankles for added resistance. You can also raise your knees to one side of your body to work the obliques.

Day 3:
#1. Oblique Crunches (Rotation)
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent (placing your knees on the floor or resting on a bench). Place your left hand over your left ear. Roll your upper body up to the right until your left elbow touches your right knee. Concentrate on tensing the sides of your waist and holding contraction throughout the movement. Slowly lower to the starting position. After completing a full set of reps on the left side, switch to your right side and do the same thing.

#2. Dumbell Side bend (Lateral Flexion)
Works the obliques. Stand straight up with your feet at shoulder width. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your palms in. Place your left hand on your waist. Keep your back straight. Bend to the right as far as you can, then bend to the left as far as possible. After finishing your desired reps, change the weight to your other hand and repeat. Bend at your waist only, not at your hips or knees! Can also be done with a barbell on your shoulders.

If you perform these exercises on a weekly basis combined with your dragon boat training on the water no doubt you will not only strengthen your abdominal muscles, you’ll also achieve a great set of abs!

Have fun with these exercises!

There is a firm belief in the dragon boat world that sychronised paddling stands above all the muscle and power athletes has to offer in a full boat. If paddlers are not synchronised to the two lead strokers, then more than likely the last two paddlers at the end of the boat will be out of sync. For example, a pair of paddlers takes their cue from the pair of paddlers sitting immediately in front of them, then each successive pair of blades hits the water a fraction of a second behind the blade just in front of them. This is similar to a domino effect or cascade / card deck riffle. So to an onshore observer, this resembles the movement of a many-legged caterpillar or centipede called the “Caterpillar” effect.

A great Dragon Boat contributor, Doug Sinclair wrote the following:

Out of Time

• You need room between paddlers to paddle clear water
• Timing between paddlers would be much more difficult to manage
• The boat run is constantly working against you because it never quite gets up to its sweet spot of speed where drag is minimal, thus your workload is constantly more than it needs to be.
• How does the stroker know when to take the catch again?
• How fast can you repeat the cycle before it totally fowls (when one gets out of sync)
• The boat is effectively being paddled by the equivalent of about six people at one time (given the relativity of amounts of blade in the water at any one time), and if you’ve done training where 3 or four rows paddle and drag the passengers you will know how tiring that is

The benefits of sychronised paddling:

• Absolute maximum power at one time to propel the boat forwards
• The chance of a synergistic outcome from a combined effort
• The boat run has sufficient momentum where all paddlers have a chance to take a graceful recovery and rest in that cycle of the process. Thus recovery of energy for better long distance endurance and more power per stroke consistently throughout the race
• Synchronous paddling means you can go to whatever rate your crew can sustain and when needed you can switch the rate upwards very sharply for more gain such as in the lift to the end
• Timing is easier for all paddlers because they take their lead from the stroke seat

Synchronised Paddling - Photo courtesy of David Liu

What do most people think? Do you believe that it’s important to keep in Sync with the whole crew or can it be possible that the Caterpillar effect may work in Dragon Boating?

Add your comments below.