Abstract
Both training volume and overall physical activity (PA) play a role in young athletes’ sports performance and athletic development. The purpose of this study was to describe the training volume and PA of young athletes in endurance, aesthetics, ball games, and power sports. Questionnaire data (n = 671) were obtained from 15-year-old Finnish athletes on sports participation, along with accelerometer data (n = 350) assessing the amount and intensity of their PA. The athletes’ mean weekly training volume was 11 h 41 min. Objectively assessed PA amounted to 4 h 31 min daily, out of which 1 h 31 min was at a level of moderate-to-vigorous intensity (MVPA). Among 24% of the athletes, the weekly training volume (in hours) exceeded the recommended level of age-in-years, which might increase their risk of sports injuries. At the same time, one in six athletes (16%) did not—on average—reach the internationally recommended threshold level of at least 60 minutes of MVPA per day. Compared to girls, boys averaged 2.5 more hours of training per week, and had 21 more minutes of MVPA per day. Moreover, boys had a higher goal orientation than girls, with 52% of the boys and only 29% of the girls focused on success at adult level. Although total training volume and PA did not differ among sports types, there were differences in training forms, and in the proportions of MVPA. The young athletes were found to vary greatly in training forms, training volumes, MVPA, and goal orientation; hence, training should be planned individually, both for team sports and individual sports.
Highlights
There is a continuous debate on the optimal elements for athletes’ development, but most studies agree that training has an essential role in becoming an elite-level athlete (Baker & Young, 2014; Rees et al, 2016; Tucker & Collins, 2012). Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Römer (1993) proposed that athletes who aim at elite proficiency should accumulate 10,000 hours of deliberate practice over about 10 years
The majority (59%) of the young athletes who responded to the survey (32% of the girls, 78% of the boys) participated in ball games, while 19% (26% of the girls, 14% of the boys) participated in endurance sports
The competition level was highest in endurance sports, in which 86% of the athletes reported competing at national level
Summary
There is a continuous debate on the optimal elements for athletes’ development, but most studies agree that training has an essential role in becoming an elite-level athlete (Baker & Young, 2014; Rees et al, 2016; Tucker & Collins, 2012). Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Römer (1993) proposed that athletes who aim at elite proficiency should accumulate 10,000 hours of deliberate practice over about 10 years. Young athletes undergoing high amounts of organized training report more injuries than those who train less (Jayanthi, LaBella, Fischer, Pasulka, & Dugas, 2015; Mattila, Parkkari, Koivusilta, Kannus, & Rimpelä, 2009). With this in mind, Jayanthi et al (2015) recommend that young athletes should keep their average weekly training volume, measured in hours, no higher than their age in years (this being taken to represent their age-appropriate training volume)
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