Strength and conditioning for the elite youth in sport

Strength and conditioning is considered to be the physical preparation and maintenance for an athlete by protecting injuries, injury rehabilitation and injury prevention (Gamble 2015). Therefore this suggests that strength and conditioning is vital for an athletes’ wellbeing.  Strength and conditioning is therefore incorporated into an athletes’ training regime in order to meet the requirements of their sport through protection of injuries, injury rehabilitation and injury prevention (Morris 2015).

In elite youth sports strength and conditioning programmes is incorporated similarly when compared to adult elite sport. There is controversy however on what age is appropriate for this type of training as there is little evidence on the long term effect that it has on the young athlete based on growth hormones and maturation (Tsolakis, et al., 2006). It has been suggested recently that resistance training within strength and conditioning programmes for youth athletes will decrease their likelihood of attaining cardiovascular heart disease later in life (Falk 2016). Likewise Rowland (2015) believes that plyometrics and resistance training together in particular within strength and conditioning programmes increases performance in youth athletes. Rowland (2015) also believes that any youth athlete who participates in appropriate strength and conditioning programmes can achieve positive effects in performance, but only once puberty has been reached.

There has been specific guidelines which have been put in place within strength and conditioning for the elite youth athlete which include; age at which strength training should begin, the frequency of training, intensity of training, the recommended volume of training and the rest periods which should be incorporated within the training (Duhig, 2014). Meylan (2014) suggests that movement competency and velocity should be trained within elite youth football until puberty has been reached at ages 13-15 and then power and strength can be incorporated. It has also been suggested that maximal strength and power training through weightlifting can be incorporporated into the elite youth athletes’ strength and conditioning in those who are over 16 and therefore have reached late stages of puberty. Duhig (2014) has proposed that elite youth athletes should not begin strength training and weightlifting until they are between six and eight years old, at a frequency of two to three non-consecutive days a week, at an intensity of 50-85% of their one rep max (1RM), a total volume of one to three sets of six to 15 repetitions when working a particular muscle and at least three minutes rest period between working each muscle group. In many sports strength and power is fundamental physical characteristic for optimal performance (Meylan et al., 2014), but without appropriate strength and conditioning within elite youth sport under the age of eight it is debatable whether the athletes have these physical characteristics. Therefore it has been suggested that with sufficient load, intensity and volume on an individual basis an elite youth athlete can increase strength and power safely with correct techniques in order to increase performance (Kerr 2013).

Strength training within strength and conditioning programmes comes with risks within elite adult sport similarly, not just within elite youth sport. There are other factors which may have an effect on injury for example within resistance training and therefore these have to be considered for strength and conditioning within youth sport. Rest periods are essential for optimisation and injury prevention – Duhig (2014) believes that youth athletes should take a three minute rest period between sets and exercises and this is also believed to the be the case within adult strength and conditioning programmes (Miranda et al., 2007).  Miranda (2007) therefore suggests that with the appropriate rest periods put in place, the athlete can perform to their optimum volume of training and therefore protection of injuries, injury rehabilitation and injury prevention can be also optimised.

It is clear from recent literature that strength and conditioning within elite youth sport is essential for sports specific physical preparation and maintenance (Morris 2015), but also for a health benefit later in life – by reducing the risk of cardiovascular heart disease (Falk 2016). However this may only be reached safely when guidelines are followed and the strength and conditioning programmes are individually based. Likewise this is only optimised when the suggested rest period of three minutes is put into place also (Miranda et al., 2007). The types of resistance training which should be incorporated however is still disputed, Channel (2009) believes that traditional and Olympic lifting are both key for increasing strength and power but there was no significant difference between the two types for increasing strength. Although Rowland (2015) suggests that plyometrics incorporated with resistance lifting is optimal for increasing performance. Therefore coaches should include these types of training within their strength and conditioning programmes but the exercises which they choose could be based on individual preference or their ability to complete certain exercises. It is difficult however when contemplating whether an elite youth athlete is ready for strength and conditioning as this is based on whether they have reached puberty yet not on age (Meylan, et al., 2014). Whether this is known by a coach or strength and conditioning coach however is unknown and therefore youth athletes may be enduring strength and conditioning too early or too late.