Monitoring and Managing Load in Young Athletes

The overarching aim of athletic training is to provide a stimulus (load) that improves physical performance whilst also attempting to protect an athlete from injury and illness. Practitioners develop training plans and strategies based on their knowledge, experience, and available evidence; load monitoring provides practitioners with insights into whether athletes have completed that training as planned, and how they are coping with the prescribed workload. There has been an explosion in research and information on this topic, alongside the emergence of numerous new technologies and companies focusing on athlete monitoring. Practitioners across all levels of sport are increasingly asked to collect, analyse, and interpret load-monitoring information on their athletes, and so an understanding of the underlying principles of athlete monitoring is essential. For youth athletes, load management is especially important; the rapid physical and psychological changes that occur during the adolescent growth spurt often coincide with high levels of sports participation and periods of high ‘life load’ (e.g., academic commitments), potentially increasing the risk of injuries and burnout. Monitoring and managing the load imposed on youth athletes can help them navigate this period safely and effectively.