Coaches need four answers when it comes to fitness when training speed and power athletes. Are they in shape, getting in better shape, getting out of shape, or overtrained? I find the classic Tempo runs to be a good choice and helpful tool for helping with tonus and light general fitness. Since the tempo runs are often the same velocities and volume through the year (workload), using them instead of a yo-yo test once a week is a good way to see what is happening physiologically with athletes. The key is not to look for instantaneous numbers on a flat screen or watch, but to see the slope and patterns. Cross referencing with morning HRV scores as well as parasympathetic reactivation times can catch overtraining that can creep up on athletes sometimes. You can do this once a week and the administration is very minimal. Here is a great article from freelaptrackandfield on setting this up with team sports and those in athletics.
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