Tip of the Month - August 2025
Are You Training the Appropriate Energy Systems for Your Sport?
Fall sports are kicking off, and athletes are back on the ‘grind’ preparing for a successful season or year. However, it is essential to focus training on specific goals or objectives and avoid falling into a repetitive ‘training rut.’ Athletes need to train consistently and put in the effort needed to succeed. The question is whether they are being trained appropriately for the specific sport and/or event. This entails breaking down the three energy systems our bodies use to produce the energy needed for specific activities and/or events. Understanding the difference helps to better prepare for and stay focused on the sport in the daily, short-term or long-term goals and achieve success.
Example: Swimming– a) training endless yards/meters and X-sessions per day if the swimmers are sprinters (50;100; 200) does very little to train the physiological system of the body to be able to respond successfully in the competitive events; b) as a breast stroke to train mostly Front crawls because more mileage is achievable.
Training and Conditioning Young Athletes, Second Edition, by world-renowned exercise scientist Tudor O. Bompa and Sorin O. Sarandan, provides the blueprint for safely training young athletes to improve performance without hindering overall development and growth.
You’ll find proven, science-based training programs designed to increase strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, and endurance. There are also more than 200 resistance training and conditioning exercises for the six stages of youth training. These exercises take into account critical factors, such as developmental stage, motor function, and sex-specific considerations.
Training and Conditioning Young Athletes, Second Edition, offers clear recommendations on how to reduce the risk of injuries and maintain athletes' health. Practical nutrition advice, including recipes and meal plans, ensures proper fueling for training and competition, while an analysis of the energy systems used in 13 sports offers deeper insight into the programming and long-term training methodology.
The study guide includes learning activities, along with an answer key, to help you prepare for the course exam. Once you complete the course and pass the exam, you can print a certificate for continuing education credits.
Reference:
Bompa, T.O., & Sarandin, S. (2024). Training and conditioning young athletes. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Or Human Kinetics Canada.
ISBN: 9781718216525
Available as: Print edition; Ebook; Online course with and without Ebook.