Fitness Testing Our Youth Elites And Juniors
Each young athlete matures at different rates based on a number of factors such as age, gender and genetics. While this is true I believe there is value in conducting some basic fitness testing on young athletes especially our youth elite and juniors. These are what I term our committed athletes; they tend to train more specifically and have a greater level of skill, determination and measured endurance.
I suspect many will have their own opinions as to whether fitness testing our youth elites and juniors is really necessary. After all don’t our young athletes grow and change physiologically at varying rates? Each young athlete matures at different rates based on a number of factors such as age, gender and genetics. While this is true I believe there is value in conducting some basic fitness testing on young athletes especially our youth elite and juniors. These are what I term our committed athletes; they tend to train more specifically and have a greater level of skill, determination and measured endurance.
Why do fitness testing?
I believe fitness testing provides coaches with a wealth of
information. The ultimate goal is to identify strengths and weaknesses as well
as set realistic and attainable goals over time. With the results of these tests
you as a coach can now create appropriate and individualized training programs
for real performance results.
Fitness testing becomes more important when you are dealing with our committed athletes; this establishes a baseline of their current fitness level as well help you as a coach develop a periodized training plan to enhance your young athlete’s performance. These athletes are racing the International Triathlon Union (ITU) style of racing. The swims are fast, the bike is draft legal (read fast and technical) and the run is usually in a pack until the sprint finish. In 2000 Triathlon officially became an Olympic sport, even though the first run at it was in Atlanta at the 1996 games. USA Triathlon realizing that we needed to develop our future triathletes formed the Youth Elite and Junior Cup races. Since ITU racing is the gateway to the Olympic pipeline (meaning the resident training center) it is prudent to prepare our athletes for the future.
Let me now define what I consider fitness testing for our young
athletes. Fitness testing for the young is more about field testing than lab testing.
Lab test can tell you a great deal about an athlete’s fitness but normally requires
plugging the nose while the athlete will breathe through a mouthpiece connected to
the metabolic analyzer while wearing a heart-rate monitor. The analyzer measures the
volume as well as the percentage of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the expired gas.
This is known as the VO2 Max test.
The other test is a blood lactate test which
requires drawing blood from an athlete at specific intervals during exercise. I am
sure most of you coaches already understand these test but my point is these test
are not really necessary for the young athlete. These tests are first invasive
(read liability) and can be intimidating for some of our young athletes. Secondly,
the young athlete is still growing and maturing and VO2 MAX can change rapidly for
youth all the way up until the age of 18-19 so your results will vary over time
unlike an adult. I personally don’t think VO2 MAX is a necessary or critical test
for our youth; while it does provide you some information/data, I believe knowing
maximum heart rate and lactate threshold (invasive) anaerobic threshold (non invasive)
provides better information and lactate threshold or anaerobic threshold is a better
gauge to determining an athletes over all increase in performance.
Field testing is not an exact science but if gives you a good snapshot into your athlete’s current fitness level. As we all know coaching is an art and science and field tests actually entails a little of each. You can at least establish a baseline and modify training and future tests. Field tests are invaluable tools and are not invasive.
Here are a few of examples of field tests you can conduct to determine your athlete’s fitness:
1. The 2K run test:
- Conduct this test on a measure track on a windless day if possible.
- Have the athlete conduct a 10 minute dynamic warm up, then two easy laps around the track (conversational pace)
- Now have the athlete run a 2k (five laps) at race pace wearing a heart rate monitor (HRM) and depress the lap counter each lap
- At the completion of the 2K review the MAX HR and average HR, use the average HR as the baseline for anaerobic threshold
- Retest every 4-6 weeks to see if their training has improved their anaerobic threshold in relation to their MAX HR (overall run fitness)
2. The 5 mile bike test:
- Conduct this test on a measured flat or rolling course, preferably on a not to low traffic area
- Have the athlete conduct a 10-15 minute dynamic warm up, then 10-15 minute easy spin on the bike
- Now have the athlete ride the 5 mile course at race pace while maintaining a cadence of 100-110 RPMs
- At the completion of the 5 mile ride review the MAX HR and average HR, use the average HR as the baseline for anaerobic threshold
- Retest every 4-6 weeks to see if their training has improved their anaerobic threshold in relation to their MAX HR (overall bike fitness) One of the best ways for a coach is through observation. This means that the coach has observed the athlete over a few seasons.
- A 12-year-old might not be able to compete against kids their own age because they are facing athletes that are early developers. They can realistically be overpowered by this group of maturation-advanced athletes. However, they come back and are able to compete the next year. I experienced this first-hand. I had a 12-year-old who never was able to finish above seventh the prior year but was unbeatable the next year. It was amazing to watch, but it was due to coach's observation and the athlete's ability to stick with it that proved to be his success.
3. The bike/run test (this is a test of off the bike running):
- Conduct this test at the track; bring a bike trainer and set it up near the track
- Have the athlete conduct a 10-15 minute dynamic warm up, then 5 minute easy spin on the bike
- Now have the athlete ride 30 minutes at a moderate intensity while maintaining a cadence of 95-100 RPMs wearing a HRM
- At the completion of the bike, transition quickly to the run. Run 1 mile at race pace then review the MAX HR and average HR, use the average HR as the baseline for anaerobic threshold
- Retest every 4-6 weeks to see if their training has improved their anaerobic threshold in relation to their MAX HR (overall off the bike run fitness)
These tests are just a few of many field tests available to coaches. I don't proclaim to have the answer but I do believe these tests are useful and will give you valuable information and insight into where your young athlete’s current baseline of fitness stands.
Testing is truly beneficial for you and the athlete; it’s not a comparison to any other athlete and should never be used to compare an athlete to another. I strongly believe that with our youth and juniors it’s about personal improvement (something they can control) and not about improvements based on another athlete (something they can’t control).
Remember as a coach; especially with our young athletes we are part coach, part sports psychologist and part encourager. What and how we say it has a major impact on our youth.
Boris Robinson is a youth elite and junior specific coach and owner of
T3Multisports, LLC He is the head coach for the Hawaii Youth Triathlon Club on Oahu
and the newly formed T3Multisports Elite in Round Rock, Texas. He is a featured
coach for Training Peaks.com and has written and published triathlon training plans
specifically for age appropriate development of young triathletes. Boris is a USA
Triathlon Level II Coach, a USA Cycling Level III Coach, and a member of the National
council of Youth Sports. He was selected as a 2008 candidate for the USAT Elite
coaching mentorship program.
Train Well!
Boris G. Robinson
Triathlete / T3 Coach