Coaches and parents have debated when the youngster should begin serious endurance training. By serious training I mean that the athlete begins specializing in endurance running or cycling or skating etc.To date they have been unable to resolve this problem in a definitive manner.This is why it is not uncommon to find some youngsters today beginning marathon training in their early or even pre-teenage years.
Most experts believe that serious endurance training should not begin until approximately 18 years of age, in early adulthood. There are many excellent reasons for this. First is that it is impossible to predict whether the child has the genetic or even the physical and technical abilities to succeed as an adult. Changes in body mass and other variables that occur with maturation often turn promising junior athletes into has-been adolescents.
Most important here is that there is no major scientific evidence to indicate that specializing at an early age with heavy endurance training is of any benefit. There are however, studies indicating the opposite, that these juniors hardly ever succeed for any length of time as seniors.
This is probably related to the fact that the body of a youngster is unable to optimally adapt to heavy training. This is due mostly to the fact that youngsters lack the appropriate hormonal concentrations needed for optimal adaptation. The body is best able to withstand heavy endurance training mainly between the ages of 18 to 30 years of age.
Thus endurance runners who have the longest and most successful careers are those who started heavy endurance training later in life. As a result it allows them to perform at their best when the body is at its physical peak. This however, does not mean that youngsters should not do any long-distance running or other endurance sport. The key here is that it should be at a minimum.
Most important in the early years, especially in the pre-teen (pubertal) years, is to develop the technical and physical abilities needed for successful long-distance endurance participation. This means that children should be taught how to run or ski or cycle etc. correctly. This should be the responsibility of physical education teachers and not be left to chance alone since coaches often know very little about technique in the sport they coach.
Sadly however, most physical education teaches are not knowledgeable about technique in the various sports. As a result it is difficult for the youngster to learn effective movement practices in his or her sport. But learning effective technique is especially important because the physical abilities should be developed in relation to the sport technique.
In essence, the strength and endurance exercises should be specific to the joint actions that occur in the specific sport. This is known as specialized training which plays the most important role in improving the athlete’s performance. Before doing my specialized training however, the youngster should be exposed to general strength and muscular endurance exercises to develop a strong foundation upon which the special strength and muscular endurance exercises can be done.
Youngsters should be introduced to local exercises in which the muscles play a major role in the sport .For example, the iliopsoas, quadriceps, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in running to develop the oxidative enzymes that are responsible for the prevention of fatigue and that allow the runner to continue performing for long distances. This is a very important, but mostly ignored, part of the endurance athlete’s training. See Explosive Running for more information.
The best strength training program to develop the physical and technical abilities is the 1 x 20 RM strength training program. In this program the youngster does up to 20 exercises for 20 repetitions and for one set. It is a moderate intensity program which is best suited for adaptation so that the youngster develops at his or her optimal rate. For more information on this program see The Revolutionary 1 x 20 RM Strength Training Program.