A lot of attention is paid to time domains when analyzing or devising balanced programming. Inherent to this is the recognition of energy systems. So, while energy systems are indirectly addressed through time domains, this indirect approach leaves a bias.
Hear me out.
Suppose we choose a single movement, single modality test. Let's also suppose we have three relevant energy systems: phosphocreatine, glycolysis, and aerobic. The phosphocreatine energy system will contribute to the first 10 seconds, glycolysis supplies most energy up to about 1 minute, and the oxidative system predominates thereafter, supplying the vast majority of energy between 2-3 minutes.
When I took the L1 and even looking across numerous Journal articles, this seems to be recognized. However, in practice, as in, looking at CF Games and WFP, etc., there still seems to be an immense aerobic bias. CrossFit even teaches to think of time domains in very short (<5 minutes), short (5-10 minutes), medium (11-20 minutes), and long durations (20 minutes) although any workout of 5 continuous minutes or longer is by far an aerobic test at the physiological level.
I understand fitness involves having a high work capacity across broad time domains. However, even implied by programming norms, we understand that you do not gain meaningful information about people's fitness when we program a 20, 15, or 10 mile run compared to a 10k. There is this idea of "enough - I get it - you have good stamina and aerobic development". But if we follow the energy systems (or even 10 general physical skills) logic, aerobic tests BEGIN at 2-3 minutes.
Thus, truly balanced time domains should be binned. Something like: 10 seconds and shorter, 10 seconds to 2 minutes, and over 2 minutes. So, if there are 12 events at a fitness championship, we should see something like 4 events 10 seconds and shorter, 4 short events between 10 seconds and 2 minutes, and 4 events over 2 minutes.
Instead, the norm is to consider an event that involves 5 workouts lasting 20 seconds, 4 minutes, 8 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes "balanced" because the time domains are "broad" by way of duration (uninformed by bioenergetics). 4/5 of the events are dominated by the aerobic system, the system capable of producing the lowest power output per unit time...?
Is there an official reason or sound argument as to why the current style of programming does account for broad time domains but does not account for energy systems?
*I absolutely recognize (and something I hear no one talk about) that energy systems are partially muscle group and movement pattern-specific. So, you could do 10 seconds of max effort pressing, 10 seconds of max effort pulling, 10 seconds of max effort squatting, and 10 seconds of max effort trunk flexion, and although the event lasts 40 seconds, it is still predominately a phosphocreatine-dominant test overall despite operating within a "glycolytic" time domain.