A major trend in the training of athletes in the last few years is energy system training. Another way of saying this is that by improving the ability of the athlete to get more energy from the aerobic, aerobic-anaerobic and anaerobic systems, he or she will then become a better athlete. This means that the athlete will be able to perform on a higher level in his or her sport.
This in essence, implies that by becoming more fit (since improving the functioning of the energy systems is a major component of conditioning or fitness training) the athlete will become a better athlete. By being more fit the athlete will automatically be able to perform on a higher level. Can this however, be substantiated in practice?
It can be substantiated in practice but with several caveats. First and foremost is that being more fit does not mean that the athlete will be able to execute the skills required by his sport more effectively. This is the crux of being a great athlete! The great athlete must be able to successfully execute the skills of his event or sport in order to become a good or great athlete.
This means that the athlete can now run more effectively, faster and if needed, with quick and sharp changes in direction, or with quick acceleration etc. Do better functioning energy systems allow the athlete to do this? If it is a football receiver he must be able to not only run faster but elude his opponent more readily and be able to leap higher and to catch the ball. Do better functioning energy systems allow the athlete to do this?
If it is a soccer player, do better functioning energy systems allow him to kick the ball more effectively or accurately, execute sharper cuts to stay with or elude his opponent or have faster acceleration? Will a baseball player be able to execute the swing more effectively, get more hits, run faster, throw harder, or perform other essential skills because of his energy system training?
The answer to these questions should be obvious. It is a definite No. But yet, this has become the major emphasis in training. However, in order to be more effective or to develop a better player, energy system training should be secondary to improvement of the athlete’s skills. The energy systems should be developed and improved in the training necessary to improve the athlete’s performance, not as a separate entity.
Understand that all energy system training as well as training for other physical qualities such as greater strength should be coupled with skill execution. In this way the athlete develops the physical abilities or qualities specific to execution of the skill. This is the key element in specificity of training. This is the type of training that has an immediate effect and transfers to performance on the field.
Energy system training as well as training for other physical qualities should be done in the base training, in the general physical preparation phase. This general type of training creates a good base for the specificity of training. Do not confuse the specificity of energy system training with specificity of training to improve athletic performance. All energy system training when done independently is still considered to be general training or general physical preparation.
For more information on specificity of training see Secrets of Russian Sports Fitness and Training and Build a Better Athlete.