The purpose of physiological testing by coach Dave Williams
A note from the coach.
Physiological
testing can provide information regarding an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses
in the chosen sport. The chosen test
should therefore be as sport specific as possible to glean the most accurate
results. Physiological testing should be
used to provide feedback to the athlete about the effectiveness of the training
program. Physiological testing should
also be used to educate the athlete about the physiology of exercise so that
they may be more likely to make better decisions regarding their training and
racing preparation.
In
determining which physiological test to utilize the athlete/coach should
consider the physiological variables to be tested and ensure that they are relevant
to the sport. The test should also be
repeated at specific intervals and measured against the training response. Results can be instrumental in predicting
race performance, adjusting training loads, and determining if the athlete is
either undertraining or overtraining.
Care should be given to measure the results against previous performances not to necessarily compare different athletes.
Knowledge of the various energy
pathway contributions during an activity is the cornerstone of planning an
effective conditioning program. The
athlete or coach should use the energy contribution required for a given sport
and/or distance to allocate the appropriate amount of time devoted to training
each energy system.
Endurance athletes typically fall
within one of the following categories:
b. A conditioned athlete who has not reached his/her
VO2max potential will benefit more from a combination of each of the three
[Interval Training, Low Intensity (Long Slow Distance), High Intensity
(Continuous Exercise)] with the greatest percentage on increasing VO2
max.
c. A conditioned athlete who is near his/her VO2 max
potential but still has room to improve lactate threshold will typically
benefit more from a combination of each of the three with the greatest
percentage on improving lactate threshold.
Evidence suggests that training
intensity, as opposed to duration, is the most important factor in improving VO2
max, but not at the exclusion of your other training levels, including the
long, slow distance.
b. A conditioned athlete who has not reached his/her VO2max potential will benefit more from a combination of each of the three [Interval Training, Low Intensity (Long Slow Distance), High Intensity (Continuous Exercise)] with the greatest percentage on increasing VO2 max..... What should the greatet % be? "on increasing VO2 Max?
ReplyDeleteThat is a great question. The short answer is that it depends. Generally speaking, the combination of the three training concepts is the best overall approach as apposed to the utilization of a singular approach. For example, the runner that runs long slow mileage every day will eventually plateau and become bored and frustrated with their progress whereas the athlete that has a balanced approach will continue to improve and at a greater rate. The amount devoted to each type of training will depend on other factors. However a general guideline is to start out with a greater amount of time spent on long slow distance, sprinkled with some high intensity and even fewer interval work-outs. As the Athlete improves there should be a gradual shift that incorporates more high intensity and interval sessions. The actual cycle used will depend on factors such as (but not limited to) the age and experience of the athlete, the present conditioning of the athlete and the number workout sessions per week.
DeleteCoach Dave Williams