Many of New Zealand’s elite athletes are currently in Christchurch for two weeks of testing and training.
The camp is an important part of their future development, and helps identify areas they may be weak or imbalanced in with data on hand to help with training routines.
All the athletes I had a chance to catch up with said they found the information extremely interesting and useful. Hopefully it helps them all go that bit faster!
The first block of testing I had a chance to check out was in the pool.
Using an underwater camera, Antonio Cala (pictured above) was filming the athletes swimming several lengths of the pool.
From analysing the video Antonio could pick up small technical faults with their stroke or any biomechanical issues. Then using a large rubber band like the above picture, it could be assessed how each athlete’s swimming style responds to resistance.
Following the pool session, it was down to the gym – where the bulk of other testing was going on.
One hour on the bike in a room full of heaters gives a rough guide as to how each individual deals with heat. As I was told, there are some athletes like Ryan Sissons who aren’t bothered by warm conditions while others lose energy much quicker and need to learn techniques to adapt.
A one-leg bike machine isolates each side of the body one at a time to see whether the athlete has any muscle imbalances. If they are heavily favouring one side on the bike, that could lead to further technical problems or injuries down the track.
Video analysis of athletes performing a range of exercises was a clear way to take a look at which muscles are their strongest and weakest.
This testing looks at muscle power, endurance and flexibility with an aim to give some advice on which part of their body might need the most attention in training. For example, poor form in a squat motion correlates to poor form on the bike, which could then go on to cause issues while racing that result in the athlete becoming fatigued much faster.
Video testing of run technique is very similar in that it shows up any body imbalances or technique issues. Any problems here could cause injury later on.
It’s now clear to me that even everyday motions that we don’t think about can have a great impact in the way we move. For athletes, understanding those motions can make a huge difference to their race times.
As well as physical testing the athletes also have sessions to help them with mental skills and nutrition.
Camp was certainly an eye-opening experience for me, and one that makes me appreciate how much hard work these athletes put in on a daily basis.
Here’s to a huge 2011 for all of them!
