Aerobic and anaerobic responses to training

Abstract

AbstractRecent decades have seen a dramatic increase in research focused on the influence of training on the aerobic and anaerobic fitness of youth. This has led to a growing body of evidence that suggests that children and adolescents are able to respond to training, irrespective of their maturity level. Specifically, peak oxygen uptake (V.O2peak) and pulmonary V.O2 kinetics are well-evidenced to be enhanced with training, with more tentative evidence to suggest similar adaptations in the lactate/gas exchange threshold and exercise economy. In terms of anaerobic fitness, peak and mean power are generally reported to be increased following training, although speed may be more variable as it is a multifaceted outcome also influenced by motor coordination and anthropometrics. This evidence therefore refutes the notion of a maturational threshold and has important implications for the design of appropriate training programmes for and talent identification in youth athletes. In terms of designing effective training programmes, evidence continues to support the importance of intensity rather than duration in eliciting training-related adaptations in youth. There does, however, remain a paucity of research with regard to the influence of training on many parameters of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness and too few methodologically robust studies to draw conclusions in many areas. Significant work remains to be done in the field of paediatric trainability and the mechanistic basis for training-related adaptations.