Performance Testing: Does it Make a Difference?
2020 is up and rolling! With the start of any new year, you don’t want to lose out on the opportunity to test your current fitness.
Any good athlete knows that measuring physiological benchmarks of your fitness throughout the season is critical to continued success.
“Everybody wants to gain an edge over their competition, but in order to do so, you must first discover where that edge is.”
Bring in the Science
A couple of years ago, Achieve coaches decided to get more specific and scientific when it comes to performance testing.
In came INSCYD metabolic performance testing. Utilizing INSCYD software gives us the opportunity to take our coaching and athletes’ training to the next level by enabling us to gather highly specific and accurate metabolic data to measure an athlete’s relevant physiological metrics like:
Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Max)
Anaerobic Capacity (VLAMax)
Fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscle fiber predominance
Anaerobic Threshold
Fat Max & combustion rates
Carbohydrate Max & combustion rates
What previously may have required several in-person lab visits, is now possible out on the road. We are able to get at 360-degree holistic view of an athlete’s performance profile outside of the lab and on the road, where they will be competing.
Preferred by the Pros
This is why INSCYD software initially took off with WorldTour cycling teams like Bora-Hansgrohe and Lotto-Soudal.
When you test at the start of the year, not only are you able to get a baseline measurement of your current fitness, but you are are able to target specific adaptations and work off of accurate training zones. Our recommendation is to complete a test every 4 months or at least twice a season.
As coaches, we apply this valuable data to build individualized training plans and prescribe workouts that are finely tuned to an athlete’s current physiological capacities and limiters.
But does it really make a difference?
We’ve seen incredible gains with our athletes. Just take a look at that transformation made by AchievePTC athlete Marco Lei who went from performance plateau to a 17% jump in threshold power in just a handful of months thanks to the insights we learned from INSCYD.
Click on image to view blog.
Make your Training Count
Don’t ditch performance testing. While it may seem unnecessary to test your fitness throughout the year, if you truly want to make the most of your time and training, do yourself a favor and stay on top of measuring your progress throughout the year.
You can learn more about INSCYD performance testing here.