Top Endurance

Evaluating an athlete’s progress outside of actual competition helps determine how to adjust training loads, and it provides important feedback to the athlete during extended periods of training. In addition, some athletes do not compete in events or only compete a limited number of times each year. For these athletes, routine testing helps ensure that the training they are performing is improving their fitness and their performance potential.

Another reason to include testing in the training schedule is to build athletes’ confidence. Evaluating the changes in performance from one training cycle to another is one of the simplest ways for athletes to gain a mental edge when they compete. Consistent testing can measure performance improvement, which helps keep motivation high. If athletes see improvement, they will be more convinced that the training program is working. Evidence of improvement can also motivate athletes who are not competing regularly. In addition, comparisons can be performed in order to track fitness and performance levels from season to season and from year to year. In endurance sports, it typically takes many years of dedicated training for athletes to reach their full potential. Initially, the gains are larger, but they tend to decrease over time.

Laboratory tests are ideal for objectively evaluating markers of fitness, but field tests can be done more frequently and allow more sport-specific adaptations to be evaluated. Also, athletes often feel more comfortable with field tests because the tests take place in the athletes’ natural element. If possible, though, field testing should be a replication of lab-based testing—but with a change in the setting. Field tests can be performed at specific time intervals during a training schedule as a way to track progress; they can also be conducted to practice pacing strategies, nutrition strategies, new equipment, and other areas that the athlete needs to experiment with before competition.

Testing Guidelines

When possible, field tests should be conducted in the environment where the athlete competes. For example, a triathlete may want to evaluate swimming, cycling, and running progress at the end of each rest cycle (typically every 3 to 6 weeks). For the swim, most triathlon competitions occur in open water, such as a lake or ocean; however, finding a suitable location with a known distance may not be feasible, especially at certain times of the year. In this case, the test can be performed in a swimming pool.

The ideal field test would be between one-third of the race distance and the full race distance. For example, a 1,500-meter swim is standard for an athlete preparing for a triathlon. Field tests may also be conducted at a constrained performance level (based on heart rate or perceived effort) for a given distance or time. Depending on the race focus, field tests may be as short as 5 seconds or as long as 1 hour. To ensure repeatability in retests, note the number of rest days taken before the field test, the warm-up procedures, the nutrition intake before and during the test, and any other factors that may influence future tests.

Each field test should be performed under similar, if not exact, conditions. One aspect of the conditions is the course used to conduct the test. A set course should usually be used when performing the field tests. Having a set course is especially important when testing athletes in sports such as rowing or cross-country skiing, where water and snow conditions may vary. Environmental conditions must also be considered when testing cyclists; for these athletes, a route should be selected that is not subject to dramatic variations in wind.

Another aspect of testing conditions is the effort level of the athlete. Although all-out efforts might seem to be the best reflection of improvements in fitness, they are not always the best option. An athlete may find it difficult to get motivated to perform a maximal effort outside of actual competition. And if the athlete’s motivation on test day is not high, the athlete may underachieve, even when the athlete’s fitness has improved compared to previous field tests. Therefore, field tests are often more valid when conducted at a predetermined submaximal effort. This also helps ensure that the effort can be repeated more reliably in future tests. In addition, unique characteristics of the various types of athletes need to be considered when determining how to conduct a field test.

Tools such as wireless heart rate monitors and GPS units allow athletes to track speed and heart rate and then download these data for further analysis after the performance. Using a portable power meter on a bicycle is a very effective way to evaluate the power sustained during field tests. A chief advantage of using these tools is that they provide excellent information that can be compared season after season.