Wattbike X UA Next

The Under Armour Next Academy at Battersea Power Station offers a comprehensive testing facility designed to push athletes to their limits through a series of six athletic tests, each targeting different aspects of fitness.

This facility focuses on empowering and testing the next generation of athletes through a series of assessments, including those on the Wattbike, which is used to measure key cycling metrics, such as power output, endurance, and fitness levels.

Here's a breakdown of how the Wattbike and other tests are utilised to measure the athletes performance.

Athletic Intelligence: Reflexion

This test measures athletic intelligence, cognitive ability, vision and reaction time. Boxes appear anywhere within your wingspan. They start green and over the course of their detonation time turn red. The goal is to not let any one box turn completely red or the mine explodes!

Strength: Grip Strength

Grip strength is tested using a dynamometer to measure how much force an athlete can exert with their hands. Grip strength is a good overall indicator of upper body strength, which plays a role in sports like rugby, climbing, and weightlifting.

Power: Vertical Jump

The jump test assesses lower-body strength and explosive power by measuring the height an athlete can reach from a standing position. It is a reliable indicator of an athlete's ability to generate force quickly, making it useful in sports that involve jumping or explosive take-offs, such as basketball or volleyball​.

Speed: 15m Sprint

This test measures pure speed and acceleration over a short distance. Athletes sprint 15 metres as fast as they can, and their times are recorded. This test evaluates explosive power and fast-twitch muscle performance, crucial for sports requiring quick bursts of speed.

Agility: 5-10-5 Pro-Agility Test

In the agility test, athletes navigate a change of direction through timing gates over a 20-metre distance. The focus here is on coordination, reaction time, and the ability to quickly change direction—all essential for sports like football, basketball, and tennis. Agility is a critical skill for athletes across many sports where rapid shifts in movement are required.

Endurance: Wattbike (3-Minute Test)

The Wattbike 3-minute Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test is used to estimate the highest average power an athlete can sustain over an extended period. The 3-minute test gives a quick and accurate estimate of an athlete's fitness. During this test, athletes ride as hard as they can for three minutes while the Wattbike measures power output, heart rate, and other parameters. The results are used to calculate their FTP, a crucial metric for setting up personalised training programs that aim to improve both endurance and peak performance.

How These Tests Work Together

After completing the UA Next tests, athletes receive personalised insights and a tailored training plan to improve their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. High-performing athletes can climb the leaderboard, with the top 10 being invited for further testing in Amsterdam, and the top 3 becoming eligible for a year-long sports sponsorship with Under Armour.

These tests combine to give a holistic view of an athlete’s abilities, helping them to track improvements and reach their full potential.

Could you “Be the Next” with Wattbike & UA Next.

https://www.underarmournext.co.uk/