Introduction
In addition to structuring athletic performance and providing authentic and meaningful diagnostic procedures, the provision of comparative standards is an essential part of training science. Comparative norms (target values) can be used to classify individual athletic performance.
Standards of training science
- Ideal standards
- Statistical standards
- Functional standards
Ideal standards are sporting performance values obtained from the world’s best athletes in a given sport. Another possibility is to create ideal norms based on physical, rational, mechanical considerations. Furthermore, ideal standards can also be bound by rules. The ideal standards are explained below using examples.
Determination of ideal standards based on physical considerations
Example shot put: At a shot speed of 13.9m/s and a shot height of 2.20m, the ideal take-off angle of the ball of 7.26 kg is 42°. With this angle, the maximum distance can be physically calculated.
Determination of ideal standards based on the set of rules
Example reaction time at 100 meter start: The ideal reaction time at start is 100ms. Reaction times below this value are evaluated as false starts.
Determination of ideal standards based on top athletes
It is assumed that athletic performance, measured against top athletes, is the benchmark for the highest performance. Taking hurdle running as an example, a technology index of 1 sec. could be determined for the world’s best athletes. The problem is only the transferability to weaker athletes.
Please note
Athletes can never reach the ideal standard in all partial qualifications. (e.g. stride length and stride frequency in sprinting result in an unattainable fabulous record).
