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Strength Training
by Rob Weatherly
Can strength training at a young age improve sports performance?
Researchers have found that children who participated in supervised strength training programs had significant improvements in sprint speed, agility time, vertical jump and long jump. Data representing sport skills improvements resulting from strength training programs is not well documented. However, research (Pfeiffer and Francis) has reported children participating in Olympic lifting (i.e., snatch and clean and jerk) showed significant gains in isokenetic shoulder flexion after 8 weeks of training. Most data on this subject has come from coaches, parents and athletes. Unfortunately, the "more is better" attitude is still common. Clearly, Strength training should not simply be added onto a young athlete's training program but rather incorporated into a periodized conditioning program that varies in volume and intensity throughout the year. Strength training during childhood and adolescence may provide not only a foundation for dramatic strength gains during adulthood, but, as children and adolescence gain self confidence in their physical abilities they may be more likely to experience success and less likely to drop out of sports.
Can strength training help reduce my chances for an injury?
It appears that the focus of most youth programs is on the development of sport-specific skills rather than on the development of fundamental fitness abilities. Instead of participating in a variety of sports, children and adolescents are participating in the same activity for longer periods. Some coaches and parents have argued that early sports-specialization was the key to success, but it now appears that broadly based participation in a variety of skills and activities is related more to later sports success than early sports specialization. Emphasizing sports skills over fundamental fitness abilities not only discriminates against children and adolescents whose motor skills are not as developed, but it also may lead to acute (macrotrauma) and repetitive microtrauma, or overuse injuries (e.g., stress fractures, tendonitis, and bursitis) According to the American College of Sports Medicine, an estimated 50% of overuse injuries sustained by young athletes could be prevented if more emphasis were placed on the development of fundamental fitness skills, as opposed to sport specific training. Because youth athletes often are forced to train longer and harder to excel in their sports, encouraging them to participate in conditioning programs that prepare them for the demands of their sport merits consideration. Encouraging children and adolescents to participate in preparatory conditioning (which includes strength, aerobic, and flexibility training) prior to sports-specific training seems to be a reasonable recommendation.
Should athletes continue to work out during the season?
YES! Detraining can be permanent or temporary withdrawals from strength training due to any number of factors such as injury, travel, the start of a season and motivation. Research has suggested that there can be significant decreases in strength after discontinuation in both preadolescent boys and girls by as much as 3% per week. Children participating in sports such as football, soccer and basketball did not maintain their strength gains (they achieved during the training program) by just participating in their respected sports.
Researchers also suggest that sport activities alone will not maintain training-induced gains, and emphasize the significance of an in-season maintenance program. There is still a debate among researchers whether children should participate in maintenance program once or twice per week to maintain their strength or at least reduce the loss of strength. Scientists predict that similar findings would hold true for adolescents as well.
Rob Weatherly is the Sports Performance Director at Velocity Sports Performance. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is a member of the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and the USAW (United States of America Weightlifting Association).
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