Cross-Training

Athletes spend endless hours participating in their sport of choice. But at times, they may choose to cross-train. By definition, cross-training means an athlete participates in a different form of exercise than his or her usual sport. Therefore, it is a form of exercise that is not necessarily sport specific. It has been classically used to refer to aerobic forms of exercise only. This entry provides an overview of the basic concepts and discusses the potential benefits of cross-training for athletes.

Common forms of exercise that improve cardiovascular function include running, biking (stationary or road), using the elliptical trainer, swimming, and deepwater running. The main concept behind cross-training is to pick a form of exercise that stresses a body part that is different from the athlete's primary sport of choice. Therefore, if an athlete is involved in a predominantly weight-bearing sport such as running, he or she would likely cross-train on a bike or in a pool. Athletes involved in sports that emphasize overhead activity, such as tennis, volleyball, baseball, and softball, may benefit from choosing a form of cross-training that emphasizes lower body fitness. This would include all the above forms with the exception of swimming. These concepts can be applied for basic fitness training as well as for rehabilitating an athlete who is recovering from either an acute or a chronic injury.

Athletes may choose to cross-train for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons is to decrease boredom. Individuals frequently get bored participating in the same form of exercise day in and day out. By mixing up the routine with a different form of exercise, they may be more compliant with their workout regimen. The variety can help keep athletes motivated and engaged in their program, which may eventually lead to improved fitness.

Another common reason for cross-training is injury prevention. When athletes are involved in training on a regular basis, they are at increased risk of suffering an overuse injury. For instance, runners are at high risk of suffering stress fractures in the weight-bearing bones, such as the metatarsals, tibia, and femur. Similarly, athletes who perform repetitive overhead activity, such as swimmers, may develop chronic shoulder pain. These injuries can limit an individual's ability to participate in sport-specific training. Cross-training can be substituted for sport-specific training before an injury happens. This may help limit the athletes’ risk of overuse injury, simply by decreasing their time spent training in their primary sport. Therefore, some people view cross-training as a possible preventive training technique.

Cross-training is most commonly relied on as a way of conditioning individuals when they are [Page 339]unable to train in their usual sport of choice. This situation typically arises when an individual is injured. For instance, if a runner has suffered a lower extremity stress fracture and is unable to run, it may be safe for him or her to swim or even run in deepwater, helping to minimize the impact. Likewise, an athlete who is recovering from an acute injury, such as a football player with a dislocated shoulder, may be unable to return to the football field, but he or she can likely ride a stationary bike and even progress to running when he or she is more comfortable. This allows the athletes the ability to maintain their cardiovascular fitness while they are unable to participate in sport-specific forms of training. Cross-training also allows injured athletes to remain actively involved in their rehabilitation process. Athletes who are able to stay active through cross-training may have less anxiety about their injury, feel less depressed about missing time away from their sports, and feel better prepared to return to competition when they are physically able to.

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