Thread by @Gareth_Sandford

3 crucial athlete profiles you need to know

That are quietly changing athlete conditioning in sport

• Speed profiles

• Hybrid profiles

• Endurance profiles

10 minutes of profiling

Will change the way you think about training forever…

🧵

Disclaimer

• This is a 1st layer profile

• But effective for large groups with time constraints

• Other measures can be layered on top

• Profile characteristics are middle of the bell curve

• Athlete examples are from observation or public data

Speed Profile (A⬇️)

• Low maximal aerobic speed (MAS)

• High maximal sprinting speed (MSS)

• Large Anaerobic Speed Reserve (ASR)

• Fast twitch fiber dominance

Example: Alfonso Davies ⚽

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1450176611509174275?s=20

Another speed based example from Women's 800m:

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1450545273176936450?s=20

Hybrid type (B⬇️)

• Moderate maximal aerobic speed

• High maximal sprinting speed

• Moderate anaerobic speed reserve

• Intermediate muscle fiber dominance

Example: Raheem Stirling (England⚽/Man City)

Endurance type (C⬇️)

• High maximal aerobic speed

• Low maximal sprinting speed

• Small anaerobic speed reserve

• Slow twitch fiber dominance

Example: Jordan Henderson (England⚽/Liverpool)

Caveats for interpretation:

• This is a continuum

• Profiles can shift over time

• Training age

• Training event

• Position focus

• Tactical focus

All influence the degree you shift

Here is an example of the nuanced difference in

Training focus between:

• 800m athlete (Hybrid profile)

• 1500m athlete (Endurance profile)

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1400539517258407938?s=20

How do you know someone is in a certain group?

Each sport has a physical capacity bar to entry

In elite men’s 800m (⬇️)

• Maximal sprinting speed (MSS): 36 km/hr ( ~10 m/s )

Use benchmarks to guide profiles over time

How can I measure anaerobic speed reserve?

First, maximal sprinting speed

50m sprint

Capture 5 m splits at end of the 50m

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1348726779201028099?s=20

Second, maximal aerobic speed

6 minute time trial

Calculated speed (m/s) =distance (m)/time (s)

Example ⬇️

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1327005770919997440?s=20

TL:DR Summary (1/2)

• Develop profiles with 50m sprint and 6 minute run

• Speed profile – High speed low endurance

• Hybrid – High speed, moderate endurance

• Endurance – Low speed, high endurance

TL:DR Summary (2/2)

• Profiles are a continuum

• They can shift over time

• Use benchmarks to guide profiles over time

• Each profile requires different conditioning

If you enjoyed this thread:

1. Comment/send me a DM to let me know what resonated!

2. Share a link to the first tweet ⬇️

https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford/status/1456709100331360258?s=20