¹Directorate of Sport, Exercise and Physiotherapy. University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK.

 

 

Peak force and impulse recorded from a unilateral stance isometric mid-thigh pull are reliable methods of assessing unilateral isometric force production capabilities (ICC ≥0.85; CV ≤9%). In contrast, RFD demonstrated lower reliability (ICC = ≤0.79; CV = ≥19%).

 

 

The aim of this study was to determine the between-session reliability of the unilateral stance isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) force-time characteristics including peak force (PF), rate of force development (RFD) and impulse, in female netball athletes. Sixteen female netball athletes (19.8 ± 3.8 years; height: 180.0 ± 6.1 cm; body mass: 75.9 ± 3.4 kg) performed three unilateral stance IMTP trials per leg separated by 7 days. Between-session reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), typical error of measurement (TE) expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV), and smallest worthwhile change (SWC) to determine differences between testing sessions. The results from this study suggest that absolute and relative IMTP PF should be used for assessing unilateral stance IMTP performance, due to its acceptable reliability (CV <5%) and good sensitivity (CV<SWC). Measures of impulse also demonstrated high reliability (ICC ≥0.88; CV ≤9%) but demonstrated poor sensitivity (CV>SWC). Additionally, RFD demonstrated high between-session CVs >19% and poor sensitivity (CV>SWC). This study demonstrates that PF in the unilateral stance IMTP is most reliable. Changes in absolute IMTP PF and relative IMTP PF were ~5% and ~3%, respectively, identifying meaningful changes in response to training or competition in female netball athletes. Measures of RFD and impulse should be interpreted with caution due to their poor ability to detect the SWC.

 

Key Words - Peak force, impulse, rate of force development.

 

¹Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport, Belconnen, Australia.
²Sports Nutrition, Australian Institute of Sport, Belconnen, Australia.
³Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
⁴School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University.

 

 

Cycling power output was compared to lower body lean mass. Lower body lean mass explained a moderate-to-high proportion of maximal cycling power output for efforts of 60 s or less. Preserving lean mass in this weight conscious population may be important.

 

 

While a low body weight is a common goal of road cyclists, little is known about the relationship between functional lean mass and power output.  Amateur female road cyclists (n = 33) performed a power profile (6, 15, 30, 60, 240, s maximal effort) on a wind-braked ergometer.  Maximal mean power (MMP) for each bout was compared to lower body lean mass (LBLM) measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).  The MMP for efforts of all durations were significantly correlated with LBLM.  Relative to the duration of the efforts, the slope of the relationship reduced in a curvilinear fashion indicating that the contribution of LBLM to power output for efforts greater than 240 s is stable at ~10 W/kg LBLM.  For shorter durations, the slope was greater: MMP 1 s, 64.6 W/kg LBLM (R² = 0.64); MMP 5 s, 59.5 W/kg LBLM (R² = 0.65); MMP 15 s, 40.5 W/kg LBLM (R² = 0.50).  The study showed that LBLM explains a moderate-to-high proportion of maximal cycling power output for efforts lasting less than 2 min in duration. Preserving lower body lean mass may be important for maintaining power output in this weight conscious population.

 

Key Words - Body composition, female athlete, DXA, power output, power profile.

 

Warwick Workout, Warwick Stadium, Cnr. Warwick and Wanneroo Roads, Warwick, Western Australia, 6024. (Formerly ACE Cricket Academy, The University of Western Australia).

 

 

Cricket bat and ball velocities were similar after a 2-week, weighted-ball training program. Bat velocity increased with a moderate effect size but was less than the typical error. Bat velocity might be a useful measurement for cricket strength coaches.

 

 

The increased focus on power hitting in Twenty 20 cricket makes it relevant for cricket strength and conditioning coaches to consider novel methods to increase cricket bat velocity. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether a novel, weighted ball training program would increase cricket bat velocity. Eight academy cricket players (18.3 ± 0.5 years, 178.4 ± 5.1 cm, 76.5 ± 8.9 kg) completed a 2-week (9 sessions) training program. At the end of each skill session participants hit the weighted balls by playing a front foot drive to a drop feed (total repetitions per session increasing from 12 to 32). Throughout the training, four players used balls weighing 290 g and four players used balls weighing 233 g (standard cricket ball 168 g). Before and after the training program, maximum bat and ball velocity were determined (3D motion analysis system) for the front foot drive when hitting a stationary cricket ball as hard as possible. Due to the small sample size, both the 233 g and 290 g weighted ball groups were combined together in the final analysis. Ball velocity increased 4.1% (24.09 ± 1.42 to 25.08 ± 2.17 km.h^-1) but the effect size was small (0.5) and the difference was less than the typical error (4.2%). Bat velocity increased 5.8% (13.95 ± 1.08 to 14.76 ± 1.47 km.h^-1) with a moderate effect size (0.6) but the difference was less than the typical error (9.6%). In conclusion, cricket bat and ball velocities were similar pre-and post a 2-week, weighted ball training program.

 

Key Words - Cricket, bat velocity, Twenty 20, ball velocity, training.

 

¹Department of Health & Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.
²School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
³Arizona Biomedical Collaborative, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
⁴Department of Kinesiology, Samford University, Birmingham, AL.
⁵Department of Exercise Science, LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA.

 

 

Burnout is common amongst health-related professions and it is important that the strength and conditioning professional be aware of the warning signs of burnout as well as methods of preventing or overcoming burnout should it develop.

 

 

Burnout is a multidimensional, psychological syndrome, characterized by chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, feelings of reduced accomplishment, and feelings of disengagement from a previously enjoyed profession or activity. While much of the literature on burnout involves health care providers, little information is available regarding burnout in strength and conditioning professionals. However, due to the competitive and high pressure nature of strength and conditioning, it is not uncommon for individuals to experience burnout. Therefore, it is important that strength and conditioning professionals be able to identify warning signs of burnout, which may manifest themselves as cognitive, affective, physical, behavioral, or emotional symptoms. Preventive as well as recovery strategies have been documented in other health care professions as being effective, however, these strategies will need to be empirically validated in strength and conditioning professionals. Future research is needed in order to identify and validate burnout prevention and recovery strategies for the strength and conditioning profession.

 

Key Words – Staleness, job burnout, personal training, strength and conditioning.

 

Editor in Chief - Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning

 

 

Different programs should be developed for each phase of the elite athlete’s natural life-cycle, with 8-10 weekly training session generally appropriate for the Rapid Development Phase.  During the Maintenance and Deterioration Phases, reduced training volume is recommended (3-6 weekly sessions).

 

 

The purpose of this paper is to provide practical recommendations for coaches to implement in relation to matching the training program to their athlete’s natural life-cycle.  This paper presents 5 case studies, analyzing the competitive performance data from 4 elite Indonesian Olympic weightlifting athletes, and Jamaican sprint super-star Usain Bolt.  The analysis demonstrates that there are typically 4 distinct phases in an athlete’s normal life-cycle: (1) The Preparatory Phase (PP) (approximate ages 12 to 16-years); (2) The Rapid Development Phase (RDP) (approximate ages 17 to 22- years); (3) The Maintenance Phase (MP) (approximate ages 23-28-years); and (4) The Deterioration Phase (DP) (approximate ages 29 and above).  As all athletes are individuals, each coach is encouraged to determine their athletes phase based on competition performances achieved over time.  In each of these phases the capacity of the athlete to improve their competitive performance is quite different, and this change in capacity should be reflected in a change in the intensity and volume of training performed.  While the typical 8-10 intense training session per week may well be optimally suited to the RDP; lower training volumes and intensities are recommended for the MP (4-6 weekly training sessions) and DP (3-5 weekly training sessions), with a greater emphasis placed on recovery and rest for these older athletes.  Through carefully matching the training program to the correct phase of the athlete’s natural life cycle, it is proposed that the athlete will be able to continue to compete at a higher level for longer and experience lower rates of injury.

 

Key Words - Injury prevention, athlete specific training, athlete sustainability, training load.

 

 

Critically analysing ideologies, theories and programming is imperative to ensure coaches are open and aware to the potential for closed minded thinking, emotional attachment whilst reducing bias and empowering creative thinking.

 

 

Understanding the concept of categorical thinking is crucial to unlocking the limitless potential of true creative thinking and open mindedness within coaching. Still in its infancy, physical performance coaching encompasses a never-ending universe of theories and ideologies available to the young coach. As a coach, ensuring one decreases the opportunity for the manifestation of emotional attachment to occur will result in the creation of the best environment possible for learning and development without bias. The purpose of this article is to explore the existence of categorical thought in physical performance and the possible implications of the automated process. A search of Pubmed databases literature included the terms “categorical thinking”, “social cognition” and “bias”. Further, this article intends to practically assist the coach subdue the opportunity for categorical thought to impact coaching behaviours by utilizing mental self-control, evaluation processes and practicing a ‘beginner's mind’.

 

Key Words - Categorical thinking, creative thinking, prejudice, emotional attachment, bias, coaching.

 

HPSNZ Cycling S&C, Avantridrome, Cambridge, New Zealand.

 

 

This article presents practical recommendations to help cyclists, new to resistance training, develop fundamental exercise competency; awareness of their own exercise execution; good training habits and overall resistance training knowledge.

 

 

Determinants of cycling performance include energy system contribution, the body mass of the riders, the fibre composition of leg muscle and the cross-section-area of leg muscle amongst riders (1,2,3,4,5). For cyclists, when resistance training is used in conjunction with their cycle training, it has been shown to improve aerobic ability, anaerobic ability, strength, power, muscle activation, musculoskeletal balance, quadriceps size, on-bike stability and positively shifting muscle fibre type (6,7,8,9,10,11,12). These positive changes can occur without an increase in overall bodyweight (8,9,10). For cyclists new to resistance training, it is recommended they are taken through the following, 1) Deep abdominal and gluteal activation drills; 2) Pelvic, spinal and scapular awareness drills; 3) Fundamental cycling movements patterns, such as squats, lunges and deadlifts; 4) stretching and myofascial rolling techniques; 5) Weightlifting preparation exercises, such as snatch balance; and 6) Introductory jumping and throwing exercises. As part of early delivery, it is also recommended that cyclists are introduced to testing and monitoring procedures. Finally, as part of the cyclists overall learning and experience, it is recommended introducing them to fatiguing muscle endurance work; travel-based training technique’s; and cross-training work. Applying the above recommendations will help develop fundamental exercise competency; awareness of own exercise execution; good training habits and overall resistance training knowledge. The aim of applying these recommendations is improved resistance training outcomes and therefore improved cycle performance.

 

Key Words - Novice, technique, instruction.

 

¹National Rugby League Referees Elite Performance Department, ANZ Stadium, Olympic Park, Sydney, AUSTRALIA.

 

 

Incorporating posterior chain strength exercises in athlete’s strength programs, specifically the Nordic Hamstring Exercise, Nordic Ham Curl and Hamstring Razor Curl may reduce injury rates relative to sports that involve high speed running

 

 

Elite Rugby League referees officiating in the National Rugby League (NRL) complete forward running, backward running, side-ways movements and short sprints followed by short rest periods over the duration of the match. These movements can place referees at risks of posterior chain injury. This article briefly outlines the injury rates observed in the full-time group of referees during the 2015-2016 seasons and the effects of specifically programmed posterior-chain strengthening exercises during this time. Throughout the 2015 season, the NRL Referees had a total of 4 hamstring injuries, resulting in 9 missed appointments. After incorporating Posterior chain strength exercises (specifically the Nordic Hamstring Exercise (NHE), Nordic Ham Curl (NHC) and Hamstring Razor Curl (HRC)) throughout the 2016 season there were no hamstring injuries. Whilst there are many factors that may be involved with injury rates, the authors believe that the introduction of an 18 week Hamstring Strength Development Program (1 exercise per week, 3 to 4 sets by 3 to 5 reps) during Pre – Season plus the addition of training either NHE, NHC and HRC In-season (1 exercise per week, 3 to 4 sets by 3 to 5 reps) is likely to have contributed to a lower incidence of posterior chain injuries in the elite referee group. Any team sports which exhibit similar movement patterns that predispose athletes to posterior chain injury will likely benefit from incorporating targeted posterior chain strengthening exercises as part of a regular strength program.

 

Key Words - Officiating, Nordic ham curl, hamstring razor curl, harness assisted Nordic hamstring exercise.

 

¹ Rehabilitation: High Performance Sport New Zealand

 

 

Strength and Conditioning coaches can play a crucial part in managing lower limb tendinopathies alongside the medical team to assist athletes returning to elite competition.

 

 

There is strong evidence for managing Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciopathy through load management and conditioning protocols. This case presentation demonstrates a 25- year old elite female triathlete who was medically diagnosed 4 months before with a left plantar fasciopathy and mild mid portion Achilles tendinopathy. The athlete reported no previous tendinopthies during her triathlon or running career. Weekly load monitoring of running volume, via a GPS watch linked to Training Peaks software, was implemented alongside a comprehensive tendon loading program. Conditioning programs included a progressive overload of the kinetic chain targeting functional strength and energy storage release capacity over a period of 3 months. Specific focus was given to a multifactorial progressive heavy tendon loading program incorporated into the conditioning program. This was modified according to the athlete’s reported symptoms and the tendon’s load capacity. The athlete completed a maintenance tendon loading program the following season to assist in maintaining an injury free condition while continuing to compete at an elite level. This case presentation highlights the importance of a proactive integration between strength and conditioning coaches and the medical team. It offers suggestions how to use this integrated approach to manage lower limb tendinopathies with performance optimising outcome within high load elite level training.

 

Key Words - tendinopathy, load monitoring, conditioning programs.

 

¹Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand
²New Zealand Rugby Union, Wellington, New Zealand

 

 

This brief review highlights the influences of test selection, age, body mass, strength and jump ability on performance in change of direction tasks, and offers recommendations for the progression of strength, jump and change of direction training.

 

 

Change of direction (COD) ability is considered to be critical for a number of sports, with respect to both assessment and training. This review examined factors that may influence performance in COD tasks, including underpinning physical qualities and physiological capabilities. A web-based search using PubMED, SPORTDiscus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar identified a total of 197 articles using the keywords change of direction performance, change of direction ability, agility, pre-planned tasks, athletic performance, and multidirectional sprinting. Due to the complexity and multifactorial nature of COD ability there is a need for both established assessment protocols and novel sport-specific measures. Examples of recommended established protocols are high-velocity entry COD tests such as the traditional or modified 505, the L-drill and the 45° sidestep. Examples of sport-specific measures are recording body positions and sprint time of an American football linebacker executing a 45° drop-back for curl-to-flat responsibility, or that of a badminton athlete executing multidirectional sprints from backhand rear court to forehand front court. Regarding training, it is appropriate to include strength and jump training with strength training prioritized to develop a foundation for unloaded and loaded jump training. Training to enhance COD capabilities should likely be incorporated during the phase where jump training is emphasized, and feature a progression from fundamental athletic maneuvers and sport-specific tasks observed during competition in the sport. Fundamental maneuvers include backpedaling, curvilinear sprinting, shuffling and multidirectional jumping. The progression to sport-specific training should include combining and sequencing maneuvers in a manner that replicates tasks executed at the respective position.

 

Key Words - Strength, jump ability, multidirectional sprint performance.

 

 

The technical, physical and cognitive factors of agility must all be assessed and trained in a context specific manner to maximize the specificity of agility testing and development.

 

 

Team sports often require athletes to produce sharp changes of direction in response to a stimulus, most commonly an opposition athlete. The purpose of this review was to provide an outline of current methods and literature on the testing and development of agility in team sport athletes. This review aimed to cover the physical, technical and cognitive aspects of agility development while providing strength and conditioning coaches with a practical guideline for implementing agility training into a periodized pre-season framework.

 

Primary and secondary searches located a total of 17 articles through Google scholar, PubMed and SPORTSDiscus as well as strength and conditioning books. These searches were focused on articles outlining training and assessment methods of change of direction speed (C.O.D.S.) and reaction agility. Further searches were based on the development of other factors of agility.

 

Reactive agility assessments are more suited to the modern definition of agility and have been shown to be valid when differing between athletes of different levels of competition (3,4,5). However, due to the large amount of historical data available, many coaches and organisations will assess agility using C.O.D.S. tests.

When developing agility within a periodized pre-season framework, it is recommended that coaches begin with C.O.D.S. drills to develop the technical aspects of agility such as foot placement, stride adjustment, body lean and posture. As pre-season progresses, it is recommended that reactive agility drills take priority to develop perceptual skills in a sport-specific setting. Small-sided games have been shown to improve decision time 31.4% leading to improved agility performance (18).

 

Key Words - Change of direction speed, reactive agility tests, strength, agility, CODS.