Strength and Conditioning Considerations for an Olympic Street Skateboarder

Introduction

Street skateboarding has existed for at least five decades, but regarding both its physical practice and its culture, it happens to be identified as a new sport (11). Researchers began to look deeper into skateboarding starting during the 1990s, the decade that skateboarding began to experience a drastic rise in popularity, but publications have been sparse ever since (11).

In 2008, it was estimated that over 11 million individuals were skateboarding across America (20). Today, skateboarding is concerned one of the most popular extreme sports (34) but there continues to be a clear absence of scientific research regarding strength and conditioning and its effect on skateboard performance (15).

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the current literature regarding training and performance of similar sports to street skateboarding, and to develop a strength and conditioning program for a street skateboarding hoping to make the 2021 Olympics.

Sport demands

An athlete who wants to earn a spot on an Olympic street skateboarding team roster will have to compete in world sanctioned skate events to earn points towards qualifying (33). These events include national championships, continental championships, five-star events, pro-tour events, and world championships (33). The 2019 season was divided into two legs; leg one ran from January 1st, 2019 to September 30th, 2019 and leg two runs from October 1st, 2019 to June 29th, 2021 (33). Due to the coronavirus, it is still unclear how the ranking system will be scored. Before the virus, each street skater would have their best two scores from leg one and their best 5 scores from leg two, count towards their Olympic world qualifying ranking (33).

Each street skateboarder will have an equal opportunity to earn a spot on an Olympic roster, because it is comprised of skaters who qualify on his or her own merit (33). The full Olympic roster will be comprised of twenty street skateboarders in total (33). Each continental region (Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) will be represented and each country will have a maximum of three skaters representing their team (33).

A street skateboarding competition consists of four rounds (qualifier, quarter final, semifinal, and final) (33). If the event has less than 60 skaters, the qualifier will consist of heats up to 10 skaters, in a best of two, 45 to 60 second run scored format (33). If the event has more than 60 skaters, each heat will be divided into 3 jams of 3 skaters (33). The skaters will compete for 3 minutes in a freestyle jam format (33). The quarter finals will organize the skateboarders into a pre-seed semifinal round composed of 24 to 32 competitors; these will both consist of 2 runs, each 45 seconds, followed by 5 best trick attempts (33). Each skater will have their top 4 scores taken to produce their final score (33). 8 to 10 skateboarders will compete in the finals under the same format as the semifinals (33).

All competitions are currently suspended, but the World Skate organization has released a statement saying that leg two will be extended through June 29th, 2021 in preparation for the 2021 Olympics (33). Although there is not an official schedule for qualifying events, World Skate has announced that four events will be held to replace the cancelled leg two competitions (33).

Physiological analysis

Due to the lack of literature on street skateboarding, one will have to look at similar sports for a physiological analysis. First, literature highlights the importance for athletes to have high levels of strength in surfing, a sport very similar to skateboarding. It has been shown that surfing performance can be enhanced if a strength and conditioning coach develops a program that maximizes strength and rate of force development (1). In addition, researchers found that the movement characteristics of wave riding require high levels of strength, power, flexibility, dynamic balance, and postural control (1). The relationship between strength and surfing performance is a clear indication that skateboarders should increase their overall strength levels to increase their on-board performance.

When comparing skateboarding to other sports such as downhill skiing, surfing, and football, one can see that successful performance is closely related to having high levels of anerobic power (38). Akin to skateboarding, these sports place a high demand on both the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems while placing a moderate demand on the aerobic energy system (38). To illustrate the demand placed on the anaerobic energy system, 12 nationally ranked surfers had their heart rates observed during a competition and the researchers found that their mean heart rate was 139 beats per minute which equated to 64% of their average maximum heart rate (14). There is a clear connection here between skateboarding and surfing, and although the length of the competition runs is dramatically different, the pacing of the sport is very similar. A skateboarder will push around the course performing tricks on obstacles at about 70% of their full effort. To achieve a high score, each skateboarder is required to maintain this level of output during each run or jam session, thus placing high stress on the anaerobic system and placing moderate stress on the aerobic system.

In addition to the demand on the anaerobic energy systems, board sports will require high levels of anaerobic power in the lower leg muscles. Research states that elite snowboarders had significantly higher anaerobic power in their lower legs when compared to age-matched controls (35). In addition, Surfers who ranked in the top 50 in Australia professional surfing, performed higher countermovement jump and squat jumps than those ranked 50-100 (28). This data highlights the importance for lower body power in a sport like street skateboarding (2).

Even though street skateboarding is a primarily an anaerobic sport, there still are clear benefits to improving a skater’s aerobic physical fitness (23). For example, high aerobic physical fitness increases the athlete’s ability to recover from repeated bouts of anaerobic exercise (21). Moreover, it could also increase their muscle endurance which will allow their muscles to tolerate greater loads without sustaining an injury under fatigued conditions (21). Furthermore, Austrian national team snowboarders illustrated that aerobic endurance is a good predictor for snowboard performance (23) thus highlighting the importance for aerobic endurance in skateboarding.

It has also been cited that aerobic power and endurance training can increase the muscle’s aerobic capacity and help snowboarders maximize their physical performance during on-snow activities (35). Although aerobic fitness is not the most important factor in a sport like street skateboarding, it may increase the skateboarder’s likelihood of winning or doing well in a competition (2).

On the other hand, it has been found that on-board wave riding requires elite surfers to have high levels of dynamic balance (1), therefore it is logical to believe that a skateboarder would also benefit from having good dynamic balance. In addition, balance training has also been found to improve vertical jump height (17). For example, recreationally active individuals performed 20 minutes, 4x per week, for 6 weeks, of balance training and the participants experienced a 9% increase in their vertical jump performance (17). Provided this information, a strength and conditioning coach can logically implement balance training into any skateboard performance program.

Balance training has also shown to benefit sports involving a large amount of rotational movements, such as skateboarding. Recreational golfers performed an 8-week balance program and experienced significant increases in sport performance measures, functional flexibility, and overall strength (19). Once again, there is clear evidence for the importance of balance training in a skateboard strength and conditioning program.

In like manner, flexibility training has been documented by various accounts to show a positive effect on overall athletic performance. For instance, 28 tennis players took place in a study examining the effects of flexibility training on athletic performance. The researchers found that those who took place in the training group experienced increases in their overall athletic performance measures (30). Therefore, it can be rationally concluded that flexibility training will help skateboarders increase their overall athleticism thus making them better skateboarders.

On top of flexibility training, research has shown that mobility exercises may have a positive effect on athletic performance measures. For example, it was reported that foam rolling after a general warm-up, preceding a dynamic stretching session improved squat jump and counter movement jump performance with no detrimental effects to athletic performance measures (Richard et al., 2019). This information provides strength and conditioning coaches with a clear reason to prescribe flexibility and mobility exercises for street skateboarders.

Injury analysis

Street skateboarding has an extremely high injury rate, it has been reported that each skateboarder sustains up to an average of 10 injuries per year of skateboarding (25). Therefore, it is extremely important for any skateboard strength and conditioning program to account for injury prevention.

In a survey of recreational street skateboarders, 83% of participants reported that they sustained an injury to their lower leg/ankle/foot region (18). In addition, 72% reported injuries to the hip/thigh/knee region (18). The literature shows lower body injury occurrence in street skateboarding is extremely prevalent. If a skateboarder is injured during the competition season it could drastically affect his or her chances for qualifying for the Olympics, so injury prevention must be at the forefront of any skateboard strength and condition program.

Street Skateboard Strength and Conditioning Program Design

The program provided is divided until two main sections, the training section and conditioning section. The training section is composed of 4 phases which the skateboarder will periodically progress through depending on which part of the competition season he or she is in.

To minimize the risk for injury, every skateboard strength and conditioning program should start with a movement screening (7). First, the strength and conditioning coach should use the Functional Movement Assessment to assess the athlete and find any tight or weak muscles that may affect how the athlete performs (7). The table below provides seven recommended exercises to screen skateboarders (7).

The second screening assessment a strength and conditioning coach should use is the landing error scoring system (LESS). The LESS identifies specific movements that may contribute to an increase in injury risk, especially anterior cruciate ligament injuries in various athletes (22). [See appendix 1 for full LESS instructions] The LESS will also give the strength and conditioning coach a clear impression of well each skateboarder jumps and lands.

After the movement screenings, the strength and conditioning coach should evaluate the skateboarders one-repetition maximum (1RM) to assess his or her level of muscular strength (26). The 1RM can also be used as an accurate reference point for selecting exercise intensity at the start and throughout the training program (26). The recommended protocol for 1RM testing is illustrated in the table below (36).

Each training phase of a skateboard strength and conditioning program should incorporate core, balance, and flexibility exercises in addition to the compound lifts commonly found in other strength and conditioning programs. Workouts should be divided into pull and push focused days (32, 36), including an optional third workout that will focus on both movements (32). Due to the physical diversity of skateboarders, strength and conditioning coaches should prescribe the core, balance, and flexibility exercises individually to each athlete based on their goals and needs.

Phase 1 of the training section should focus on strength-endurance. The goal of phase 1 will be to increase the skateboarder’s overall work capacity and to stimulate increases in muscle strength and cross-sectional area (32). The strength-endurance phase will serve as a building block for the following training phases and will specifically augment the skateboarder’s force production improvements in subsequent training phases (10). In addition to the physical benefits, the technique learned during the strength-endurance phase will also help develop techniques that every athlete will need during the following training phases (32).

The strength-endurance phase is characterized by having a moderate volume of sets (3-4), a high volume of repetitions (8-12), and a moderately high intensity (55-75% of 1RM) (31). Rest periods in the strength-endurance phase will be an interpretation of the strength and conditioning coach, it is important to note that the high volume of repetitions and the moderately high intensity could be potentially dangerous. Therefore, the strength and conditioning coach should prescribe adequate rest time between sets and adjust the intensity, if needed, to allow for optimal form and to decrease the risk of injury (30-90 seconds) (32). Here is a look at the strength-endurance phase:

Phase 2 should focus on building the skateboarder’s maximal strength characteristics (32). The primary goal of this phase is to increase the skateboarder’s force production capacity by using heavy loads between 80 to 95% of the athlete’s 1RM (5) along with 2 to 4 sets and 2 to 6 reps (32). The combination of heavy and moderately heavy loads will enable the skateboarder to enhance their force-velocity profile preparing them for phase 3 (32). Rest periods in phase 2 should be much longer than phase 1, so the athlete can recover as much as possible before lifting the heavy loads, it has been recommended to give the athletes between 2 to 5 minutes between each set (32). Here is a look at the maximal strength phase:

Phase 3 will be known as the strength-speed phase. The main goal of this phase is to further improve the skateboarder’s rate of force development and power, while maintaining and potentially increasing their strength levels (32). This phase will continue to include maximal strength days due to the importance of maintaining a high rate of force development and power for athletic performance (3). The intensity during this phase remains moderately high, roughly 60 to 85% (32), while the volume decreases to about 3 sets and 2 to 4 reps of each exercise (32). Rest periods in phase 3 will allow for full recovery just as phase 2. Each athlete should get between 2 to 5 minutes to ensure that each is completed with full effort and intention (32). Additionally, various weight-lifting derivatives should be used during the strength-speed phase to enhance rate of force and power characteristics in skateboarders (9). These exercises include the clean pull, the hang high pull, the jump shrug, and many more (32). Here is a look at phase 3:

Phase 4 will focus on preparing the athlete for competitions. The goal of this phase is to maximize adaptations in rate of force development and power in sync with skateboarding competitions (32). The intensity level for this phase will be exercise-dependent and could vary from 10 to 90% (8). Volume will remain moderate and each athlete should perform around 3 to 5 sets and 1-5 reps of each exercise. Additionally, the rest period for the preparation phase will allow for full recovery, the athlete should receive between 2 to 5 minutes of rest between workout sets (36).

As previously discussed, it is essential for a street skateboarder to have a well-developed aerobic capacity (23). It is recommended for skateboarders to partake in two specific types of conditioning, slow/long distance running (LSD) and high-intensity interval training (37). [See appendix 2 for definition.] Conditioning frequency will depend on whether the skateboarder is in-season and/or preparing for a competition, it is up to the strength and conditioning coach to decide what the training priorities will help the athlete reach his or her goals (37). The duration of the conditioning sessions will depend on several factors as well. These include the athlete’s fitness level, where he or she is in the season or off-season, and the overall amount of load the athlete is receiving each week (37). Here is a look at the condition prescription:

As previously mentioned, the strength and conditioning program for skateboarders should vary based on what part of the season the athlete is in. For example, because all the upcoming events are cancelled, now is a great time to start phase 1 of the 4-month program. However, when competition time approaches, it is advised for a skateboarder to focus on the phase 4 exercises to maximize force and power prior to the event (32). The prescribed program can be used as a whole progression or as separate phases; however, it is recommended that skateboarder’s who have less than two years of training experience, use the program progressively (36).

Limitations for this paper include a lack of literature surrounding strength and conditioning and its effect on skateboarding. Future research needs to analyze the physical demands of skateboarding so strength and conditioning coaches and offer more accurate training programs.

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Appendices

Appendix 1 – Landing Error Scoring System

The protocol examines lower extremity and trunk motion in the frontal and sagittal planes from initial ground contact until the athlete jumps again vertically (13). Overall, the protocol will provide a good impression of jump technique and landing mechanics (13). It has been reported that individuals with a score greater than 5, may have an increased risk of sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury (13).

Appendix 2 – Types of Conditioning for Improving Skateboard Performance

Slow/Long Distance Running refers to training intensities equivalent to roughly 70% of an individuals VO2max (or about 80% of their maximum heart rate) (37). The term slow refers to a pace slower than race or competition pace. These runs should be at least 30 minutes and can last up to 2 hours (37).

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) refers to a training type that uses repeated high-intensity exercise bouts performed with brief recovery periods. HIIT training should occur at above 90% of the individuals VO2max. Both short and long, HIIT intervals are available depending on the athlete’s goals and needs.