Fitness first

Charlton's first-team players were put through their paces at the University of Greenwich's Medway campus recently as their pre-season preparations for the new Championship campaign continued.

Matt Holland on the treadmill at Greenwich's Medway campus

After returning from their summer breaks, the Addicks squad reported to the Department of Sports and Exercise Science to undergo a series of tests designed to evaluate their fitness levels.

Looking on with interest was Niall Clark, the club's performance manager, who compared the results with information gathered after Charlton's 4-1 win against Coventry City on the final day of last season in May.

"The week after the Coventry game, the players were in here to have their power and endurance, body fat, anaerobic and aerobic levels tested, as well as their lactic thresholds,” he said.

"This enabled us to build a good overall picture of where they were at the end of the season. That is the gold standard - a benchmark we need to get them back to," explained Clark at the Medway campus, which is just 22 miles from Charlton's Sparrows Lane training ground.

After an arduous 10-month season, you would expect most footballers to hit the beach for some rest and relaxation.

The human body, however, loses fitness very quickly if it is inactive, and there is an eight-week gap between the final game of the campaign and the start of pre-season training.

That prompted Charlton to set summer training schedules for their players, with Clark continuing: "The players need two or three weeks rest to allow the endocrine system time to recuperate, and for the other five or six weeks they have an individually-tailored fitness programme - this information tells me whether they've adhered to it.

"The biggest surprise is how well they have adhered to it, but the modern footballer is far more educated about what is needed than when I was starting out in sports science 10 years ago."

Players arriving at Medway had their metabolic resting profile and heart rate assessed, before beginning a gentle to moderate session running on the treadmill, stopping every three minutes for a small blood sample to be taken and analysed.

Following that, their explosive power was tested with a set of jumps on a pressure pad.

Niall Clark, Dr Monèm Jemni and assistant first-team physio Stuart Ayles examine the player data

Dr Moném Jemni, principal lecturer in sports and exercise science, said: "We have excellent facilities for assessing the physiological parameters of the players.

"Bioenergetics, immunology, strength and power, blood analysis - all this helps us to find a proper profile of each player from the point of view of fitness.

"Blood samples allow us to assess the energetic pathway of the metabolism. We are also looking at the levels of lactic acid they produce, which in turn is a reflection of the fatigue experienced.

"Contrary to what used to be thought, the fittest players will produce very high levels of lactic acid after intensive exercise. The longer an individual can operate with high levels, without it affecting them, the better, as it shows they have an efficient system and good stamina. The results will help Niall to accurately plan individual fitness programmes for each player."

Addicks star Matt Holland, last season's player of the year, added: "Coming back after the summer it's interesting to gauge where you are in terms of fitness.

"As players we've always been tested in some form but football has changed - it's becoming an athlete sport, and information like this is vital for a competitive edge."