Monitoring

 

For a Tennis player who is in a training/competition programme, it is vital that a number of measurements are taken and recorded on a regular basis. Short term changes are indicators of potential health problems or over-training. Long term trends are an aid to planning future physical training programmes.

Resting Pulse Rate - the resting pulse rate should be taken first thing in the morning and recorded. Sudden increases in resting pulse may indicate a health problem or be a sign of over training when the body has not fully recovered. As a players fitness improves the Resting Pulse Rate will decrease. This should be recorded on a daily training log.

Rate of Perceived Exertion - a record of how hard a player is  training/competing, recorded at the end of each day on a training log, on scale of 6-20. Helps to identify over-training.

Height - a record of the players growth will enable to identify when a growth spurt is in progress and when resistance training can commence. Recorded monthly.

Weight - recorded monthly.

Body Mass Index, calculated from the players Height and weight, used to indicate if the player is over/under weight. Recorded monthly.

Percentage Body Fat - measured using commercially available equipment. Used to determine the players body composition and indicate if the player is over/under weight. Recorded monthly.

Lung Peak Flow Rate - a measure of lung capacity, recorded in Litre/Min. Measured using commercially available equipment. As a player develops aerobic capacity through training, the Lung Capacity will increase. Recorded monthly.

Height, weight, % Body Fat and lung capacity should be measured and formally recorded twice a year, and monitored every month. The formal recording is done using a spread sheet which plots the results, click here to see a sample.