Testing for Wrestlers? Part 2

[Guest guest]

Hi ;

Just some further thoughts on your response (Digest 369 message:11);

Wrote:

<I agree that training on a rowing ergo may be a useful conditioning tool for

wrestlers (except for elite wrestlers... hmmm... although short powerful

bursts may be of some value as an element of their strength training).

However, I can't really see how the rowing action in any way replicates or

is in any sense specific to wrestling.

I tried to think of a protocol that used

a. equipment readily available

b. minimise the complexity of the pre-test protocol and thus the amount of

variables that can impact on the data collected

c. a sub-maximal test to further support a. and b. >

, I have read your post a number of times and am not satisfied with my

interpretation, are you truly asking for a test? A general battery of tests to

ascertain central fatigue/hormonal dysfunction? - or a specific wrestling talent

identification exercise? I do not think they have to be the same thing. You

are interested in the change in data, not the absolute values. I liken this to

the use of a sub-maximal test over a maximal one

wrote:

<Getting back to the original question on VO2max testing as an indicator of

'overtraining'... Would a truly 'overtrained' athlete be able to exhibit the

criteria for a true VO2max?... i.e. RER>1.15, Lactates >8/9 mMol, HR's

approaching age predicted max, And a plateau?.. I am inclined to think that

the athlete if truly 'overtrained' would terminate the test prior to achieving

these criteria.>

Possibly not, to all readers who have not performed a maximal test another

common termination is called " volitional fatigue " . how do you quantify this

when asking yourself :

(a) are they really overtrained? ie how many false negatives

( did they all adhere to the strict preparation protocols? extrinsic and

intrinsic motivational differences for the participants

© why maximal when the lactate inflection point and rapid RER value changes in

a standard protocol will occur sub-maximally and the concurrent time and

exercise/protocol intensity of these points can be compared with follow-ups.

Point © would require the need for sufficient recuperation and a mental " flow "

type experience. How possible are these parameters within a competitive season?

How often do sub-elite and elite athletes train/condition for a singular annual

event and fail to meet expectations? Can we then safely infer that all

conditioning parameters being adequate, that the supra-maximal arousal possible

for a maximal event is often poorly prepared for as by the above definition they

only occur annually? Why would you subject the athletes to this when a

sub-maximal test does not ask the athlete to overstimulate themselves mentally

and physically and IMO adherance may be better to the preparation protocols.

Thank you for your reply

Looking forward to any further comments

Marcus Wehr

Director

Eat Think Train Pty Ltd

Brisbane Queensland

Australia