A New School Year: Optimizing Athletic Training through Energy System Understanding

As a new school year approaches, coaches across the board are gearing up. In - season coaches are tasked with conditioning athletes for game - time performance, while out - of - season coaches aim to enhance athletes' speed, strength, and toughness prior to the season's commencement.

A multitude of exercises, including cone - drills and various conditioning schemes, will be incorporated. However, for these training programs to be effective, they must be executed correctly, with appropriate rest, timing, and complementary exercises. Otherwise, the program may end up counterproductive.

Few coaches stop to consider whether the improvements athletes make are in spite of, rather than because of, their efforts. This phenomenon, as described by author Nassim Taleb, is akin to "teaching birds to fly."

Training adolescent athletes has its advantages. They possess significant biological momentum, which naturally propels them towards increased strength and athleticism. Moreover, they are highly resilient. Even sub - optimal training programs will likely lead to some improvement in high - school and college - age athletes. Nevertheless, it is possible to design programs that yield more efficient and effective adaptations.

In my over - decade - long experience collaborating with sports coaches, I've observed a striking lack of differentiation between different power training methods. Coaches often seem perplexed about the underlying purpose of their drills. The common mantra, "If it is hard, it is good," is deeply ingrained in coaching traditions across most sports. While this is understandable, it doesn't have to be the status quo. By grasping a few fundamental principles, coaches can help athletes achieve optimal speed, conditioning, and toughness within a single program.

Energy Systems Made Simple

The human body is a remarkable adaptation machine, responding predictably to different types of stress. When engaged in an activity, it utilizes three energy systems:

1. The Power System (ATP/CP)

2. Consider Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and CP as highly explosive energy sources, similar to dynamite. In the power system, ATP and CP enable a level of power unattainable without them. They are essential for max speed, max vertical jumps, max agility, and max strength, which are crucial in nearly all sports. However, they are like an 18th - century musket; once used, they deplete rapidly. ATP and CP typically last only 6 - 7 seconds. Even elite Olympic 100 - meter sprinters start to decelerate before the finish line as these energy sources are exhausted. Additionally, they require a significant amount of time to recharge. A work - to - rest ratio of 1:12 to 1:20 is recommended for all - out efforts. For example, if a 20 - yard sprint at max effort takes 3 seconds, an ideal rest period of 60 seconds should follow. Insufficient rest, such as only 30 seconds, will lead to fatigue rather than increased speed.

3. The Burn System (Glycolytic)

4. When strenuous efforts extend beyond six seconds or are repeated with minimal rest, the burn system takes over. This system drives medium - range efforts lasting from six seconds to two or three minutes. Training this system requires a work - to - rest ratio of 1:3 to 1:5. Depending on the sport, training methods can range from repeated 40 - yard dashes with 30 - 40 seconds of rest (insufficient for speed training) to Fartlek training and conditioning ladders. Coaches often favor the burn system due to its intensity. However, it is not an effective means of training speed, agility, power, and strength. When speed training becomes burn training, the intended goals are not met. For instance, performing box jumps with little rest does not enhance explosive power. Moreover, this type of training can over - stress the central nervous system and the muscular system, hindering the achievement of power - system training goals. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid burn - specific training (except during actual sports play) until a few months before the season and limit it during the in - season period.

5. The Aerobic System

6. The aerobic system is dominant during most mild daily activities, such as walking, and any exercise lasting over two or three minutes. Although it is at the opposite end of the spectrum from power work, it is of great importance to nearly all athletes. A well - developed aerobic system facilitates faster recovery and improves the athlete's ability to develop the burn system.

These are the basic concepts of the energy systems, though they do not encompass the entire complexity. For a more in - depth understanding, the article in The Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism offers valuable insights into sport - specific conditioning demands.

Practical Implications

The fallacy that "more is better" pervades the sports training landscape. Many coaches, upon recognizing the need to develop all three energy systems in their sport, attempt to train everything simultaneously. It is essential to remember that the body has a finite capacity for training adaptation. Three hours of intense exercise is not necessarily better than one; in fact, it is likely to be counterproductive.

Over time, athletes can gradually increase their work capacity, which varies depending on the sport. Work capacity might involve multiple near - max efforts in a football game or tennis match, or continuous movement at different intensities in a soccer game. Regardless of the sport's requirements, work capacity should be developed gradually and methodically.

As previously mentioned, the burn system can undermine speed, agility, plyometric, and power - system training. For optimal power - system training results, training should include sufficient rest, an appropriate number of repetitions, and be conducted before more fatiguing activities. On days focused on power - system training, it is advisable to avoid traditional conditioning, though other variables can be introduced gradually.

Throughout a training year, various training goals need to be balanced and coordinated, including speed, agility, plyometric power, strength, metabolic conditioning, aerobic conditioning, mobility, and toughness. Some goals complement each other better than others, and the approach depends on the sport and training phase. For most sports, it is recommended to initially focus on quality movement and gradually build the power system, accompanied by some mobility and aerobic development. Over time, the intensity and duration of training can be increased. This approach will also develop the burn system without direct targeting. As always, training should include adequate recovery. A couple of months before competitions, gradually integrate more sport - specific interval work. This approach differs from the typical coaching practice, where many coaches start the off - season with intense conditioning and exhausting tests.

Train Mental Toughness

Rather than commencing the off - season with a few weeks of grueling workouts followed by a shift to a more effective training approach, I suggest starting with an intense focus on executing exercises with proper technique. Simultaneously, clearly define all disciplinary expectations.

• Emphasize high - quality movement, but consistently penalize disciplinary violations, such as lack of eye contact, urgency, or tardiness, with burpees or wind - sprints. I prefer implementing full - team punishments as they encourage leadership development.

• Explain to athletes that such punishments are contrary to their training goals and that more intelligent training methods are preferred.

• Incorporate a competitive element into the weekly routine.

• Consistently applying this approach will cultivate athletes with a high level of discipline, attention to detail, and mature mental toughness. This will become evident in the months leading up to the season when more metabolic conditioning is integrated.

To optimize athletes' performance, a systematic approach to determining what and when to train is necessary. It doesn't have to be overly complex; simplicity, intelligence, and focus will always outperform flashy but ineffective methods.