Runners run – some more intensive and with concrete conceptions about performance and aims some less intensive. Some runners stick strictly to training schedules others don’t. Some know their level of performance some do estimate it but only few undergo professional power tests. How reasonable are power tests for ultra distance runners?

An interview with Martin Kusch from leistungsdiagnostik.de

Ultramarathon: leistungsdiagnostik.de offers – so it’s name – power testing for athletes. For which target group is professional power tests recommended.

Kusch. The concept of “power testing” is usually associated with top level sports. But generally power tests suit every athlete no matter what level he has.

The determination of a given actual condition makes sense for beginners as well for professionals. It doesn’t matter whether someone wants to do a 6 hour run or a short run. Only in the case that I do know my personal conditions I am able to exercise effectively and above all sound. Especially exercising for long distances athletes moan about symptoms of overtraining like fatigue, exhaustion, lack of concentration or pain of the musculoskeletal system. Individualized and specialized exercise can prevent this.

UM: Why is power testing reasonable? Aren’t the subjective perceived performance level and the actual the same?

Kusch: Unfortunately not! My own experience shows that exercises are often too hard as we don’t interpret signals from our body correctly. Many exercise according to the motto “much helps much” or “sport must be painful”. Especially for endurance it is extremely important to establish fundamentals. Only on a solid base I can build a big house. The better my body can process the energy provided in form of fatty acids and carbohydrates the greater the success in competition. This knowledge is introduced directly into short term and medium term training schedule. Many athletes are convinced that they do realize when they are over trained. That is correct! But it is too late then, they are over trained then. Objective of endurance power testing is to prevent this.

UM: What exactly is diagnosed when you are tested at leistungsdiagnostik.de?

Kusch: We are specialized for spirometry that is the analysis of exhaled air. Thus we can determine very precisely at which load a body uses his fat reserves for energy production or whether the few carbohydrates stored in the body are used. The objective of every endurance athlete is to feed on his fat reserves as long as possible because these are available in relatively great quantity even for athletic persons. With our specialized software it is possible to show the ratio between carbohydrate- and fat burning to the athlete in an understandable way. This offers great advantages compared to outdated rules of thumb or lactate diagnosis. Instead of computing exercise zones by complex algorithms per percentage or absolute we do in fact measure with our analysis of energy metabolism – individually. From January 2010 we offer an unprecedented novelty. As the first test centre worldwide we use the >aeroman professional < a measuring system designed specially and exclusively for the sports market.

UM: How can the average ultra distance runner profit from these data? What relevance do these data have for daily practical exercise?

Kusch: With the data measured we can determine individualized training zones. In combination with the heart rate, that is monitored with every test, the athlete knows exactly in which zone he actually exercises. Depending on the personal goal one can manage his training regarding intensity and quantity to an optimum. “Empty”, useless, training sessions that cost unnecessary free time but that don’t contribute little to exercise effects are a thing of the past. In addition we can measure how much nutrition an athlete has to ingest to run on a high level for a long time. This one could estimate rather by intuition. Beyond this we give recommendations for nutrition on the base of these data and provide forecasts for competitions.

UM: Are the methods for power testing different for different sports?

Kusch: Sure! Generally a power test should always be made in that sport that is trained for. So you put a cyclist on a bicycle ergometer, a runner on a treadmill.  Without further ado the results are not transferable. To come to the point: No a soccer player must not be tested with the ball at foot. He as well completes his endurance training in preparation for the season in the forest or on track. That means that he will be tested on the treadmill. But every sport has its very special demands. So besides endurance strength, speed and coordinative aspects are examined. leistungsdiagnostik..de has been well established  for years for endurance diagnostics for every sport. So besides many individual athletes out of the running-, triathlon-, and cycling sport we do have teams from professional soccer and professional ice hockey as our clients.

UM: Which expenses does an athlete have to consider to test his performance level?

Kusch: This depends on the clients needs. A power test including a detailed anamnesis and a written individualized training schedule usually costs around Euro 180, 00. leistungsdiagnostik..de is cooperating with health insurance companies that pay part of the costs for these tests via their bonus programs. So it’s worth asking his insurance company for compensation. Depending on the number of tests e.g. a double test on a treadmill and a bicycle ergometer for triathletes the costs drop again. My colleagues and I develop as an additional service training schedules on a daily basis. leistungsdiagnostik.de has at the moment already 11 partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that all work with our licensed method. Many more will follow so the ambitious athlete will be offered a comprehensive network of top quality diagnostics to a fair price.

UM: thank you for this short interview.