Training Elite Athletes: 50 Years of Thinking About Practice and Research for Endurance Sports

Abstract

This essay summarizes and integrates my experiences and observations—starting in the middle 1970s—as an athlete, scientist interested in human performance, biomedical researcher, and “expert,” who sometimes advises athletes, coaches, and sports policy‐makers. In this context, my focus has been primarily on endurance sports and five concepts underpin what I have learned over the last 50 years. (1) The “competitive significance principle” whereby athletes, coaches, and policy‐makers are frequently interested in performance improvements of 1% or less. This is especially true at the elite level. (2) Science frequently explains what coaches and athletes have already discovered in the field. (3) Many science‐based performance improvements have reduced the energy cost of moving a given speed. (4) Varied and eclectic training programs have been used by elite athletes with similar performance outcomes. (5) A few things that are actionable matter. Coaches, athletes, and administrators should focus their efforts on what is actionable.