Measuring Talent in the RMIT Lab

Measuring Talent In The Lab

By Stephen Lane (Human Performance Technologies)

Liam being put through his paces by Dr Lane

I had the pleasure the other day of testing one of Bike n Bean's young sponsored riders Liam Hood. Being a man who loves climbing big hills on the bike myself I was glad to hear Liam won the junior mountain climb championships earlier this year up Mount Buffalo. It was now time to test the engine of this young billy goat so we could get serious about his training and make the most of his potential on the bike. The test of choice was a VO2max test. This test measures the bodies ability to uptake and use oxygen which is often thought as one of the better predictors of endurance performance.

The test would also allow me to design a training program base on a few of the physiological parameters at each of the various intensities throughout the test.  The main goal was to tests Liam’s VO2max and determine his power output that corresponds to this maximum value. This would give me a good idea of his current training status and allow me to compare Liam to the various other athletes I test in the Lab.

When designing programs for younger athletes it is important to remember that they are still developing. An athlete of Liam’s age has a large potential to develop strength that will ultimately translate to power on the bike. However, adolescent athletes are also at a higher risk of structural injuries due to the rapidly developing musculoskeletal system. This makes it even more important to have the correct fitting equipment and position on the bike… That I will leave to the expert Paul who will ensure Liam’s position on the bike is optimal using his Specialized BG fit knowhow.

With a little encouragement from myself Liam gave a max effort and we got some good results. I can now develop a range of training zones to prescribe to Liam to ensure he is gaining the most out of his training. Over the next few months I will prescribe a series of progressive blocks of training that will make sure Liam is in good form to tackle his 2012 racing goals. We can then retest Liam to make sure the hours he is putting in on the bike are paying off as physiological adaptation and performance improvement. 

Make sure you check back in a few months to see how Liam has progressed...