The importance of relevant monitoring in training
The training programme undertaken by an athlete can be divided into a number of segments, including the assessment stage, the planning stage and the implementation stage. Another vital segment that has attracted much attention of late it the idea of monitoring and its role in the overall training programme is seen as having an increasing importance. While it is accepted by many experts that monitoring is an essential part of training, it is equally important that the correct monitoring process is put in place to get the best possible results.
Vernon Gambetta, is in no doubt that monitoring increases training effectiveness as he points out
“The most effective training programs that I have seen and implemented are those that have a built-in monitoring system. It does not have to be anything elaborate or scientific. Whatever it is, it just needs to be used consistently”.
Phil Bartle in Dept. of Physical Education and Sport, Transylvania University of Braşov described monitoring as the regular observation and recording of activities within a project or program. This process involves routine collection of information on all aspects of a project . In light of this definition it is easy to see why the concept of monitoring has become so important to sport and in particular to the area of training. Regular assessment is seen as a huge benefit in helping the athlete and coach assess various aspects of an athlete’s fitness, natural strengths and analyse the benefit of particular training programmes with a view to improving performance, assisting recovery and preventing injury.
Effective Monitoring
According to Vernon Gambetta “monitoring training allows you to reconcile what was planned for training and what was achieved. It is very specific to the sport, the performance level of the athlete, the age of the athlete, and the gender. Once a system of monitoring has been implemented, the information gathered must be straightforward and simple so that it can be easily interpreted and modifications can be made easily as needed”.
Effective monitoring can have many benefits for the athlete as the information gathered can be vital in preparing for the next step of the training programme. The bottom line is that monitoring is only useful if it provides information or leads to practices that ultimately improve performance.
It can allow the coach or athlete to identify particular difficulties that may arise in terms of fitness or technical deficiencies that may arise. Once these problem areas are identified, the monitor process can be used to improve such techniques as required.
Challenges for monitoring
While the concept of monitoring may be straightforward, there are many challenges involved in the process, and how different athletes respond to different tests in different situations provides a challenge for coaches. Given the importance of monitoring to an athlete, it follows on that it is essential that the correct tests are carried out in order to get the best results.
This is a point highlighted by Aaron Coutts and Mark Watsford, School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, University of Technology, Sydney .
“Monitoring changes in fitness is a challenge for coaches and athletes at all levels. Most coaches are aware of the benefits of monitoring changes in fitness during preparation and competition. However, it is sometimes difficult to determine what type of test to use to monitor these changes in athletes”.
Therefore it is important to choose the right test and Coutts & Watsford provide some of the guidelines that should be followed
They outline the fact that there are many factors that need to be considered when selecting a test, and identify the areas of specificity, validity and reliability as being key concepts. There are many factors that need to be considered when choosing a test. The most important of these are test specificity, validity and reliability.
- Specificity – A test should replicate the physical challenges, movement and energy demands of real competition.
- Validity – The test should measure what you intend it to measure.
- Reliability – The test should provide reliable results as highly variable test results have little meaning.
Jan Olbrecht emphasises the importance of suitability of results by putting forward the following example in (The Science of Winning 2000), when he states.
“Testing a swimmer on a bicycle or treadmill in order to obtain the right information for water training is like taking temperature with a barometer; both have to do with the weather but measure something quite different.”
The message is clear: Monitor the training quality for which you hope to achieve adaptation.
Effective use of information
The increasingly important role of monitoring in sport and the assistance in generating an improved performance is clear to see. However, it is vital that careful preparation is carried out in order to produce results that are reliable and specific to the particular athlete. You can never have too much information about an athlete but it is how that is implemented into a training programme that makes the difference, as Gambetta points out:
“Monitoring training will allow you to maintain control of the training process and ensure a proactive adaptive response. Planning the training and implementing the training are only two prongs of a three-pronged attack. Monitoring the training is the third. Be specific. It is more than just gathering information; it is gathering information you can use”
Metrifit offers athlete centric, simple and effective monitoring with clear concise results leading to actionable intelligence
References
webbut.unitbv.ro/BU2012/Series%20VIII/BULETIN%20VIII%20PDF/18_NECHITA.pdf
www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/monitoring-training-is-critical-for-success
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-014-0253-z
www.gssiweb.org/Article/sse-135-monitoring-fatigue-and-recovery
www.ausport.gov.au/sportscoachmag/planning/monitoring_fitness_changes
marcocardinale.blogspot.ie/2010/09/monitoring-training-load-in-team-sports.html
About Metrifit
Metrifit is an athlete monitoring system that gathers subjective and objective information from both coaches and athletes in a simple but effective manner with intelligent visualization helping coaches and athletes to act on that data. Why not have a look at our Ready to Perform product and gain insight on the physical and mental state of your athletes through our daily wellbeing questionnaire? To find out more visit our Metrifit Product Overview page or get in touch for a free demo.