Ponting believes Cricket Australia need to prove that the rotation policy is having positive effects

Cricket Australia’s rotation policy has drawn a lot of criticism from former players like Shane Warne and Brett Lee, but it has also been supported and defended by captain Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur.

Ex-skipper Ricky Ponting has now got involved in the debate, stating that “I’m totally for” the policy and added that players nowadays need breaks from time to time given the fact that they are playing three different formats.

Ponting himself stated that the tremendous workload was one of the key reasons why he decided to retire from international cricket and added that Cricket Australia should try to prove and explain to the public what the benefits of the policy are.

“The rotational thing… I’m totally for it,” Ponting told Inside Cricket. “The thing we have to understand is that the people who are making these decisions are making them for the right reasons, and they’re making them for the betterment they think of the team and the betterment of individual players there and then at the time.

“I made some decisions in my career, to retire from T20 cricket when I did, to be as fresh as I could be for every one-day game and every Test match I played. Some of the guys, or most of the guys, in this current team are playing all three forms of the game and IPL and Champions League. They’re playing a lot of cricket. So I can understand why the public would at some times be disappointed that our best players aren’t playing every game, but I really think it is impossible to expect that our best players do play every game.”

Ponting also looked at other sports and noted that star players don’t always start or play matches.

“If you look at Manchester United or the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan probably didn’t start in every game the Chicago Bulls played, and Wayne Rooney and those guys don’t start, certainly don’t play every game Manchester United play,” Ponting said.”But I think an educational process should be put in place to let the sponsors, the people who are covering the game and the fans understand what’s actually going to happen before the day the team is announced.”

Rather than rant about all the new age sports science Cricket Australia seem to rely so heavily on when selecting squads, Ponting stated that it was good to see the board, national selectors and coaches all have increased knowledge about fitness and how the game impacts players, which was something that was not very common when he made his first-class debut in 1992.

“These days, it’s all about the athlete and everything that’s happening with sports science around the Australian cricket team is to try and get the best out of each one of our players,” Ponting said. “I know there’ll be arguments at the moment suggesting that what we’re doing is not working or we should go back to the way it was 10 or 15 years ago. But I’ve been around and seen it all and I think the track we’re on is definitely the right one.

“We need to be giving every young player the best chance to be everything they can be and hopefully on Wednesday, you’ll see the boys bounce back; and when we get to India, you’ll see them play some great cricket there, and it’d be great to see the Test team win the Ashes back as well. If they do that, then a lot of the critics, a lot of the things being talked about around Australian cricket at the moment, will be silenced.”

Ponting believes Cricket Australia need to prove that the rotation policy is having positive effects

Cricket Australia’s rotation policy has drawn a lot of criticism from former players like Shane Warne and Brett Lee, but it has also been supported and defended by captain Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur.

Ex-skipper Ricky Ponting has now got involved in the debate, stating that “I’m totally for” the policy and added that players nowadays need breaks from time to time given the fact that they are playing three different formats.

Ponting himself stated that the tremendous workload was one of the key reasons why he decided to retire from international cricket and added that Cricket Australia should try to prove and explain to the public what the benefits of the policy are.

“The rotational thing… I’m totally for it,” Ponting told Inside Cricket. “The thing we have to understand is that the people who are making these decisions are making them for the right reasons, and they’re making them for the betterment they think of the team and the betterment of individual players there and then at the time.

“I made some decisions in my career, to retire from T20 cricket when I did, to be as fresh as I could be for every one-day game and every Test match I played. Some of the guys, or most of the guys, in this current team are playing all three forms of the game and IPL and Champions League. They’re playing a lot of cricket. So I can understand why the public would at some times be disappointed that our best players aren’t playing every game, but I really think it is impossible to expect that our best players do play every game.”

Ponting also looked at other sports and noted that star players don’t always start or play matches.

“If you look at Manchester United or the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan probably didn’t start in every game the Chicago Bulls played, and Wayne Rooney and those guys don’t start, certainly don’t play every game Manchester United play,” Ponting said.”But I think an educational process should be put in place to let the sponsors, the people who are covering the game and the fans understand what’s actually going to happen before the day the team is announced.”

Rather than rant about all the new age sports science Cricket Australia seem to rely so heavily on when selecting squads, Ponting stated that it was good to see the board, national selectors and coaches all have increased knowledge about fitness and how the game impacts players, which was something that was not very common when he made his first-class debut in 1992.

“These days, it’s all about the athlete and everything that’s happening with sports science around the Australian cricket team is to try and get the best out of each one of our players,” Ponting said. “I know there’ll be arguments at the moment suggesting that what we’re doing is not working or we should go back to the way it was 10 or 15 years ago. But I’ve been around and seen it all and I think the track we’re on is definitely the right one.

“We need to be giving every young player the best chance to be everything they can be and hopefully on Wednesday, you’ll see the boys bounce back; and when we get to India, you’ll see them play some great cricket there, and it’d be great to see the Test team win the Ashes back as well. If they do that, then a lot of the critics, a lot of the things being talked about around Australian cricket at the moment, will be silenced.”

The 3rd ECOSEP conference is constituted as a forum to understand and discuss the principles and rationales behind modern treatment methods, applied in Sports and Exercise Medicine.

Experts from a variety of European countries, representing different areas of Sports and Exercise Medicine, will meet to present their expertise, and to personally teach specific applications in the various in the workshops.

Find out more >>

The ape-like man evolved into the able man. The able man evolved into the erected man. The erected man evolved into the modern man. So if the scientific name of our species translates into wise human being, then it is intelligence which predominates in the evolution train. It is quite a fascinating journey that of a monkey that is able to learn to use tools who is then able to stand tall in order to travel further who then gains perception and knowledge to become a wise man. But that took about 4 million years to take place.

It was this idea that got me thinking about the next jump.

What if we didn’t have to wait millions of years to think faster, run farther and smile forever? If a spider’s venom could alter a human being’s DNA in a matter of hours to superhumanize a common individual, then imagine what could science, medicine and technology could do if focused on a targeted improvement of human performance, and therefore, eventually, human evolution.

Nootropics, exotic power foods and sports science are some of the numerous ways that one could hack their own biological framework. But this goes beyond the lab and beyond Big Brother because it is this type of testing that usually borders on the lines of illegality.

Let’s go back to the homo sapiens. Since biohacking tampers with a human’s original composition, it would be smart to think that those who attempt such self-experimentation would end up altering the very two words that scientifically classify the species, and therefore, end up as: super man or super wise. And that is where the name and the raison d’être of this come from.

Uber sapiens, or super wise beings, will be a journal depicting the results of thorough research and self-conducted biohacking aimed at improving human performance.

“The No Needle Policy, introduced by the UCI to its Medical Regulations in 2011, originally stipulated that a rider must not compete for 48 hours after a local injection of glucocorticosteroids,” the UCI said in a statement.

UCI president Pat McQuaid explained that a rider in need of a corticoid injection should be resting, not competing.

“A rider who raced at the weekend could receive an injection of glucocorticosteroids and be racing again in a mid-week competition,” the Irishman said.

“Glucocorticosteroids are used to treat inflammations, so a rider requiring this treatment should not be racing within eight days. He or she should be attending his/her condition and resting.”

Member teams of the MPCC (Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (also known as the Movement for Credible Cycling) have already been abiding by this rule.

Ten World Tour (elite) teams have joined the MPCC, with four of them (Astana, Blanco, Vacansoleil, Lampre) on a probationary period.

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins’s Team Sky, the top team in 2012, have not joined the MPCC, which was created in 2007.

Source: UCI

From the very first moment I started Tai Chi it made perfect sense to me. Even though the most basic principles seemed very difficult to do I could see that these ‘Tai Chi principles’ more than anything else formed a kind of unifying ‘science of movement’. During the past fourteen years of learning, practise and teaching my initial feelings have only been confirmed. If we strip away the mysterious dogma and politics attached to Tai Chi what we are left with is a profoundly integrative, natural and intelligent science of movement.

Daily Tai Chi practise has improved every single aspect of my life. Compared to when I was younger and ‘fitter’ I now feel much stronger, more agile, coordinated, connected and relaxed. I have seen the same results in countless others who have put regular effort into their practise. When I first went to train in China it was amazing to see many thousands of Tai Chi players in the parks every morning. From getting to know the locals I discovered that for them it was just normal part of everyday life but essential in order to stay healthy. Yet in the west Tai Chi is still seen by many as a kind of joke or pseudo-spiritual exercise only suitable for the elderly. I started to write about Tai Chi in a bid to lift its reputation and now I want to help people understand something which from the outside can look quite strange but is in fact extremely sensible with arguably many more benefits than ‘normal’ exercise. The reality is that Tai Chi could offer so many more people an excellent way of really improving their health and fitness; I bet even our budding Olympians could improve their game by incorporating some serious Tai Chi training into their regime, at the very least they might suffer less injuries.

I feel that there are two main issues necessary to be dealt with in order to improve this situation. The first is that all instructors should all endeavour to teach Tai Chi as well as possible. I suppose this is obvious though in order to be able to do this we must actually practise diligently and daily ourselves in order to accurately represent and viscerally know what we teach. I’ve met many instructors over the years whose only regular practise is the weekly one hour class that they run. This just wouldn’t cut the mustard in any other profession. Even the head of our school, Grand Master Chen Xiao Wang, after 60 years of training expounds that his regular and rigorous personal practise is essential to his progress and teaching. This doesn’t mean that one needs to be a master; learning Tai Chi is a lifelong journey and improvement can go on ad infinitum, instead I’m suggesting that as a teacher one should be directly involved in this learning process on a personal level. For it is through our own regular practise that we uncover the principles of Tai Chi and come to know them experientially and not just intellectually. For our students to get the most out of Tai Chi we must teach them how to practise and encourage them to do so but if we do not practise ourselves then how can we do that?

The second issue is that we can help people understand Tai Chi objectively is by using science as a basis for our explanations. Approaching Tai Chi from a more modern perspective can help clear up the many misunderstandings traditionally associated with the art that arise through differences in culture and language. Science and knowledge can help us transcend cultural boundaries and belief systems. Funnily enough I never really had much interest in science at school but since I started Tai Chi my research has led me in that direction with much fascination. I have however always had great interest in nature and wildlife in particular; there is much Tai Chi to be learned by observing the natural body-mechanics of our animal friends where there is much effortless movement indeed! 

So now you know where I am coming from. In this series of articles then I will be looking at some basic Tai Chi principles through a modern lens in a bid that it will intrigue and fascinate students and teachers alike. Hopefully it will inspire people to enjoy and practise their Tai Chi even more and maybe even provide some support for a more integrative approach to and teaching of this fascinating and highly effective art.         

The Internal Athlete Part 2: The power of perception.

This article was first published in the winter 2012/13 edition of ‘Tai Chi Chuan and Oriental Arts Magazine’. 

 Sam Moor teaches Chen Tai Chi and Yiquan full-time across Sussex.

You can check out his website at www.sussextaichi.co.uk

So grab some popcorn and prepare your best hate comment because this thing is about to get messy.

Here is the bracket, courtesy of ESPN and Sports Science

Round 1

Michael Jordan vs. Tiger Woods

When I first took a look at this bracket, it was hard to imagine Jordan not just cruising over everybody, but this first round match up is very interesting.  Both players dominated their sport and became the face of their respective sports.  Jordan stomps Woods in terms of actual athletic ability, but that’s not what this is all about.  In terms of their dominance and legacy, they are pretty even.

But this is where the difference comes.  When Jordan came back from baseball, he was just as good as before.  In his fourth game back, he hit a game winning shot; in his fifth, he dropped 55 in Madison Square Garden.  The season after his return the Bulls went 72-10, which is a NBA best for a regular season record.  Jordan won three more championships.  Even in the forgotten Wizards years, Jordan still played well.  Tiger had his own incredible run, but after his scandal and his win on one leg, Tiger hasn’t won a major. In fact, he hasn’t been much of a factor.

Michael Jordan wins this round on this fact alone.  When Jordan returned, people wondered when Jordan would be back.  It took him five games.  We are still waiting for Tiger to be “back.”

Michael Phelps vs. Anderson Silva

Everybody knows Phelps’ resume but UFC is still not known by all so here are Anderson Silva’s career stats.  33-4 record, 20 wins by knockout, he has only gotten past the second round in his UFC fights four times, so he wins and he does it quick.  But the most impressive stat is this, Silva has defended his title ten straight times.  Nobody in the middleweight division can seem to challenge him, so he has even had some fights in the light-heavyweight division, all victories.

While Silva is indeed one of the best fighters the UFC, or the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen, the UFC middleweight division is not the deepest.  Five of Anderson’s title fights have been against repeat opponents.  Silva is still fighting the best, but he is hurt by the lack of depth in his weight class.

Phelps wins this round solely on his performance in the Beijing Olympics.  Sweeping his events, eight in case you forgot, against the best in the world is one of the most impressive feats an athlete has ever had.  But just to add to his victory, Phelps, in these past Olympics, was not expected to dominate like he did in Beijing, but Phelps took gold in four out of his six events.  You tie in the golds he took in the 2004 Summer Olympics and Phelps has won gold in 18 out of his 22 events.  Not bad.

Muhammad Ali vs. Mark Allen 

I had no idea who Mark Allen was so I looked him up and was immediately impressed.  Allen was a six-time winner of the Ironman World Championships.  He won 20 straight triathlons and holds the record for fastest marathon split in the Ironman World Championships. Very impressive.

But at the same time, Ali has a pretty impressive resume for himself. 56-5 record with 37 wins by knockout.  Won 22 heavyweight championships and had 19 successful defenses.  Probably the most eye-popping stat is that throughout his entire career Ali only lost one fight by knockout.

Ali is the big winner in this round based off his lasting legacy. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” will be said by boxing coaches as long as boxing is still a sport.  Mark Allen had a impressive career but not as great as the champ.

Bo Jackson vs. Rodger Federer

Bo Jackson won the nomination for multi-sport athlete and he deserves it.  Bo Jackson won the Heisman in 1985 while playing for Auburn.  He was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders with the number one overall pick.  He would play four seasons for the Raiders, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and was a pro bowl selection in the 1990 season.

But Bo’s claim to fame is that while playing professional football he also played professional baseball.  Bo made his debut for the Royals just months before his NFL debut.  Bo would finish his baseball career with a batting average of .250, 141 homeruns and 415 RBI’s.  Bo would also make the All-Star game in the 1989 season, a game in which he won the MVP award.  This would make Bo Jackson the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports.

Rodger Federer spent 302 total weeks ranked ranked number one, the most by any player in tennis.  Federer has also won 17 Grand Slam titles, seven of those from Wimbledon, which is basically tennis’ Superbowl.  Federer will go down as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

But here is why he doesn’t advance.  Bo Jackson could be the greatest athlete ever in terms of athletic ability.  Winning the Heisman is impressive enough, but to be able to play two professional sports at the same time and to play them well enough to make an All-Star game is pretty damn amazing.  You see plenty of players not make it through a grueling 162-game season and you also don’t see many players make it through a NFL season unscathed, but to play both at the same time for four seasons is an amazing feat.

Also, while Federer was very dominant, he has been passed by both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.  You also can’t forget his rivalry with Nadal.  If you take all of those guys in their primes and stick them in tournaments together, I’m not sure Federer wins as often as he did.

Bo moves on.

Jim Brown vs. Dale Earnhardt Sr.

This one isn’t even close.  One guy averaged 104.3 rushing yards a game through nine seasons (that number is a NFL record) and he also led the league in rushing in eight out of his nine seasons.  The other guy drives a car.

Look, I know NASCAR guys catch a lot of flack so I’m going to make a case for Dale.  Earnhardt was a big star in NASCAR and for good reason.  He had 76 Cup series wins, 7-time NASCAR Cup series champion and 34 wins at Daytona, which is NASCAR’s Superbowl.  And in a melancholy way, his death impacted the sport by creating a need for higher safety measures in cars.

Still, Jim Brown wins.

Carl Lewis vs. Wayne Gretzky 

When I first checked out this match-up I thought it would be a tough one, but after looking at the numbers and thinking about the legacy of each of these athletes, it really isn’t close.

Lewis won an impressive 65 consecutive long jump competitions, including four straight Olympic gold medals.  He won nine total Olympic gold medals and held the record for the 100m until it was beaten by Usain Bolt.

Wayne Gretzky won the Stanley Cup four times, was the NHL’s leading scorer a record ten times, he was the NHL’s MVP a record nine times, yes you read that right, nine times.  He won the MVP award seven years in a row. SEVEN YEARS IN A ROW!!!! But here is the one that blows my mind.

Wayne Gretzky is the only player in NHL history to score 200 points in a season.  He has done this four times.

I mean come on! Gretzky is the NHL’s version of Michael Jordan.  Officially, Gretzky owns 60 NHL records and he hasn’t played since 1999.  Yeah, Gretzky wins this one.

Pele vs. Tony Hawk

Pele had a big impact on the game of soccer/futball not only in his success but also in the fact that he was probably the only soccer/futball player known by Americans, which is very impressive.  He scored twelve goals in 14 World Cup matches.  He also led Brazil to three World Cup wins.

But Tony Hawk not only dominated the skateboarding world, he practically made it.  Tony Hawk invented nearly 100 tricks that are now staples of the sport.  He won 16 X-Games medals, ten of those gold.  He was also crowned Vertical Skating’s World Champion 12 years in a row.  He was also the first guy to land the 900, but you all knew that.

He also has a big cultural impact with the Tony Hawk video games, which brought skateboarding to the attention to many people nationwide and brought many young kids into the sport.

Pele was great, but he has been overshadowed by players like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and most notably Lionel Messi.  But if Tony Hawk had decided to not take up skateboarding, who knows where the sport, or the X-Games would be right now.  Also, what video game would I have killed some much time playing if it wasn’t for Tony Hawk?

Willie Mays vs. Jackie Robinson

I saved this one for last because it is easily the hardest matchup to figure out in the first round.  Willie Mays could possibly be one of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball.  But who knows if Willie even gets to play in the major leagues if Jackie Robinson didn’t get their first?

When you look at the numbers, Mays dominates Robinson in every category.  Willie Mays is still fourth all time in homeruns, even after all the steroids and whatnot.  Mays was also a 24-time All-Star, tied for most in the MLB, 12 time Gold Glove winner, Rookie of the Year, two time NL MVP, and a World Series Champion.

Jackie was a great player but not nearly as good as Mays.  And while Jackie’s legacy will always be remembered, Mays left behind a pretty good legacy for himself.  Not only his stats, but this nickname, The Say Hey Kid, and his famous over the shoulder catch in the World Series.

It is really hard to go against Jackie but that is exactly what I am going to do.  While Jackie Robinson lead the way for guys like Mays, Mays could have easily been in Robinson’s place if he was born at the same time and he would still be a better player.

That’s it for round one! Stay tuned for the round two match ups coming soon.  I can’t promise how fast I will get the post up but I expect to get it done before the next book in The Song of Ice and Fire series is released! (Seriously though it should be within the next couple of days)

In the last few months I lost two great friends and colleagues. The kind of people I am lucky enough to have met because of the job I do. The kind of people you have not grown up with, but instantly become more than just a colleague, because you not only share the same views and passions, you also enjoy to spend time with them to talk about all sorts of other things that are not work-related. Their loss is sad, but I would like to celebrate what they did in life and how fortunate I was to meet them and spend time with them.

Nick Broad was the Head of Sports Science at Paris St. Germain. I met Nick probably 10 years ago for the first time at a conference in UK. We spoke about the impact of nutrition and science in Football and how this was evolving. He was a former Aberdeen student, having done his Master in Sports Nutrition with Prof. Ron Maughan in Scotland. So we had common ground, common friends, common interests. Nick progressed in his career from being one of the first Sports Nutritionists working in football trying to change the way nutrition was applied and delivered in the Premiership. Since his early career he was not only interested in nutrition, he realised quickly than an holistic approach was the way forward, and the use of all sciences was fundamental to improve the player’s performances. He was a keen listener, he always exchanged his views in an open and frank way and became soon one of the leaders in the field working as head of science at Chelsea Football club and recently at Paris St. Germain. He showed that people who strive for knowledge and excellence can make a difference also in a conservative sport like Football and I have no doubts he is a role model for the young practitioners who attended conferences he was presenting at. We used to meet and exchange ideas frequently and we both shared a passion for good coffee. I also enjoyed his challenging questions, because they made me think a lot and learn a lot. Today Nick is not with us anymore. I can say I have been fortunate to meet him. He was a great practitioner, a brilliant mind and a very good friend. I will miss our catch ups with good coffee.

Marcello Faina was the Head of Sports Science of the Italian Olympic Committee. I knew Marcello since I was a student in Rome, mainly because he was the closest collaborator of Professor Antonio Dal Monte. They were the brains of the Institute of Sports Science and Medicine of CONI in Rome. The team who was pushing boundaries to help Italian athletes succeed on the World stage. Marcello then became the director of the Institute and contributed to the preparation of Italian athletes to countless Olympic Games, Worlds and European Championships. Furthermore, he was heavily involved in education (educating coaches and young sports science and sports medicine students), research (we also published a paper together recently), and mentoring young practitioners. We met countless times over the years and were consistently in contact. He was my sounding board. His experience in the Olympic movement was immense, so I used to ask him advice and learn from his experiences. We met at the last 3 Olympic Games I attended with Team GB and used to joke about our rivalry. The last time we met it was two days before the closing ceremony in London. We had an ice cream outside the Italians’ HQ together with my Team GB colleagues and the rest of the Italian medical team. We were all happy about the results of our respective teams and were sharing knowledge/views and also chatting about things unrelated to sports. Marcello was due to receive the most prestigious award in Italian sport for his contributions to sports science and medicine over the years. He never made it, the award was given in his memory.

I never got the chance to thank you for the wise words and your way to find the positive and humorous side of each story. I will take the chance now. Thank you Marcello.

Lee feels that the rotation policy is doing more harm than good for Australia’s pace bowlers

Former Australia pace bowler Brett Lee believes Cricket Australia and the national selectors have to seriously rethink their position on the rotation policy since it does not seem to making any real difference.

Lee stated that bowlers should not be rested after having one tiresome game since that in itself is just one of the many hardships of playing international cricket.

Lee also noted that the rotation policy was extremely confusing and kept bowlers looking over their shoulders if they performed poorly in one match.

“I believe, and I’m a bit old school, that you’ve got to earn your right to play for Australia,” Lee said. “You don’t want to breed a culture where you’re looking over your shoulder every time — who’s out this week? Who’s getting rested? Who’s coming in because there are four or five guys waiting to take my spot?.

“On the one hand I think it’s great that everybody’s getting an opportunity. But also, if I’m a paying member of the public, I want to see Australia’s number one side. What is that side? I don’t know, no one knows.”

The former pace bowler further mentioned that basing the rotation policy on sports science was a flaw in itself as well.

“It’s all speculation, there is no proven stats as to a certain amount of balls you can bowl,” Lee added. “People are getting rested on what if someone gets injured. I just don’t reckon you can do that, you can’t have a what if sort of policy.”

Hope you had a good weekend.

I’ve had a whirlwind few days up North at Leeds Metropolitan University Headingley Campus.  I had such an enjoyable experience and can undoubtedly say that the 3 Day Accelerated Programme has helped me along nicely in my Journey to be the best coach I can possibly be.

Because of this, although it’s a little off my usual post topic, I felt I owe it to you to share my thoughts.

Firstly I like the venue, it’s a nice campus with a sporting pedigree; they have plenty of space and facilities and its easy to get to from Leeds City Centre if you are travelling in from Train.  You can either grab a branch line train to Headingley, which takes about 5 mins, or drive/grab a taxi in about 10 mins.  There are also hotels just a stones throw away that will enable you to walk there in a few minutes.

Leeds Met Carnegie

I stayed at Leeds Park Plaza, a nice 4 star Hotel a couple of minutes from Leeds Station at about £50 per night.

A Little about of the group of Attendees

The course was a sell out (as it usually is), with about 15 coaches from various diverse backgrounds; each and every one of them were a pleasure to spend time with, all with their own experiences and ideas to add.  I love being able to share ideas and learn about other people’s fields and this was no disappointment; there were coaches from Cycling, Swimming, Equestrian, MMA, boxing, Rugby, Track & Field, technical coaches, Personal Trainers, Strength Coaches, Biomechanists, all sharing the passion for their field and the desire to be the best they can.

The Coaches

Brendan Chaplin

Brendan is my coaching Mentor, already having helped me a great deal to focus on my development priorities and to support and guide me along my journey in what can be treacherous waters.  No beating around the bush here, if you’re not already too aware, the S&C field is saturated with hungry and keen young graduates looking to break into the field.  A degree is not a meal ticket into a great role, you have to make your opportunities by proving yourself and developing yourself in the right way to deserve a pop at the big time.

Brendan is currently the head strength and conditioning (S&C) coach for Leeds Metropolitan University where he delivers to athletes from a variety of sports including high performance badminton, Superleague Netball, and is the S&C Lead for the TASS hub-site based at Leeds Met.  He is also experienced at working to get the best out of MMA fighters,  regularly coaching fighters  who appear on top cards.

Prior to his current roles he has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for Huddersfield Giants Rugby League, the English Institute of Sport, Durham University, British Tennis (the Lawn Tennis Association) and has worked with many national governing bodies and sports teams as a coach, coach educator, and consultant.

Aside from Brendan’s achievements  he is also a man in the know with many connections through the great work he’s done so far.  This enables him to pull together some real class act coaches for the workshops that many organisers would never have a home of signing up!

Here are the coaches that we got to spend time with over the 3 days:

Jared Deacon

Jared Deacon is a former Olympic athlete and a Commonwealth and European Gold medal winner. He competed internationally for both Great Britain and england for a 10 year period before retiring in 2005. Jared has coached track athletes to Olympic and World level and is currently the Central Lead S&C Coach for the English Institute of Sport based in Loughborough and the UK Sport Talent S&C Coordinator. He has previously been employed as a sprints and hurdles coach with UK Athletics working with the Great Britain junior team. Prior to UKA, Jared worked with the EIS in the North East region working with 25 Olympic, Paralympic, elite and professional sports.

Commonwealth & European Medallist Jared

Tamas Feher

Tamas Feher is the head coach for GB Weightlifting Squat and works with all the lifters based out of their full-time training base in Leeds.  Tamas was the Head Coach For Team GB at 2012 and will be working towards the next Rio Olympics.

Tamas with the Olympic President

Ian Pyper

Ian works with the GB boxing programme, other sports also include British Triathlon, Disability Table Tennis and Disability Swimming. Before beginning work with the GB Boxing squad, Ian worked with a range of sports including sprint cycling, swimming, rugby union, modern pentathlon, professional golf and football.

Ian Pyper with some bloke!

Tom Whittaker

Tom provides strength and conditioning support for both BWL’s Olympic weightlifting and Paralympic powerlifting squads (talent and performance) along with British Diving and several TASS athletes.  Tom was also a professional Rugby Union player whilst studying his Masters in Strength & Conditioning at Leeds Met.

Tom Whittaker at Leeds GB Weightlifting HQ

Day 1

We all met up and began full throttle, getting straight into the learning, applying and galvanizing which dint let up over the 3 days.

It was apparent from the start that having run a few of these in the past, the course was evolving into quite a slick and well thought out affair.  The group was often split into two, so that the coaches could give attention to a smaller number of us; this worked really well and over the 3 days, we would often switch groups, to enable us all to chat to other peers and get a nice mix of viewpoints from different backgrounds and disciplines.  Afterwards we’d have a quick break to exchange thoughts on what each group had been up to and find out what was in store next!

My day began with a session on developing Linear Acceleration and plyometrics for power development with Jared Deacon.  We started with some really interesting classroom based stuff, which was arranged so very engaging and interactive.  Jared has brought along some nice footage of several different sprinters, so that we could analyse their technique and revisit as we built upon our knowledge.  It was great to look at Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell in slow motion, to see what makes them so fast out of the blocks and where even they have some small room for improvement.

We then took things into the gym, where Jared shared with us some of his favourite exercises to include into warm ups.  This was followed by many technique drills, acceleration drills, plyos such as box jumps and upright plyo’s like bounding and hopping and the finer details that have a huge overall impact on their effectiveness.  We finished up with a discussion, where Jared answered any questions and shared a few valuable thoughts with us.  A really enjoyable and valuable first session.

Next it was some work with Brendan Chaplin on Movement Screening athletes, based upon Kelvin Giles Movement Dynamics work.  I got to learn how to use one of Kelvin’s goniometers, which was brilliant for me as I’d bought one along with his book late last year, but had been too snowed under to devote the time it deserved.  Really valuable session, which allowed me to bring my existing knowledge together with a few key pointers to focus on and gave me real confidence in implementing when I get back to the track. Brendan kept things informal and stopped regularly to show us video footage of athletes showing certain movement restrictions we were looking out for.  I started the session keen to utilise the screens, but wary of getting it wrong, feeling I should understand the principles better; I left the session feeling confident and raring to go.  What a difference a few hours can make on this course!

We then headed over to meet Ian Pyper, Coach to Olympic medal haul winning GB Boxing Team and the Brownlee brother Triathletes.  Ian ran us through the theory of metabolic resistance training and then got us in the gym planning several different session using a variety of methods and equipment.  Good little session that kept us on our toes, thinking and we got to critique other session from our peers and vice versa.  Nice to hear different ideas being shared openly and Ian gave his feedback to everyone.  Bonus for me was taking the advantage to chat with Ian on our way from the classroom to the weightlifting Centre, as it the group was tired and little quiet by then.  Ian quickly opened up and we shared some ideas around boxing and how to approach the boxers and old school coaches, as they’re often quite a different breed to other athletes  (not in a bad way, just very different).  This was a nice opportunity and gave me a good few ideas to incorporate into my programming with Boxers and other fighters.

That was day one finished, so it was back into the bustle of a chilly Leeds to grab a nice bit of Japanese Steak at the hotel restaurant  which was really quite nice.  Even had a sneaky Beer as a reward for all the hard work!

Nice bit of flashy steak on hot rocks

Day 2

We all met up at the Weightlifting Centre and then split off into two groups; I managed to grab a spot quickly to get into Brendan’s session on Planning and Organising Training.  I thought this would be a really valuable session and wanted to be fresh for it and in view of there being an Olympic lifting session with Tamas on Day two, I was also keen for the extra rest that could be gained from starting with some theory.  This worked out really well, as I was in a really good group when we were tasked with putting together a cycle for a pro rugby team 14 days out from the season. I got to work with Phil Marsden for Warrior Strength Training, a really great Coach with his own Warehouse facility working with a variety of athletes from sports such as Rugby and MMA.  We shared lots of similar ideas and interests, which is always nice to know you’re not alone!  Simon Parrett was also in our group; Simon is a really knowledgeable PT from London, with a keen interest of S&C; I met Simon last year and trained with him at the Tamas Feher one day workshop organised by Brendan last October.

Again we shared our plans, got constructive critique from Brendan and the rest of the group and got to clarify any grey areas we had.  Just the pressure of having to quickly build a plan knowing you were going to have to explain and justify planning and selection is spot on and just what we all needed.  The reality is that we are all being tasked with pulling together plans to achieve various objectives; we will all make mistakes over time, but will always have to deliver to keep our jobs and must always be able to justify why something is in our plan.

The take home for me from the session was to always challenge everything in your plan; why is it there, and does it really deserve a place? If not, throw it out and put something better in there; your time and that of your athletes is precious, so make sure you squeeze every drop out of it!

After a short break for refuelling we headed over to the Weightlifting Centre to Train with Tamas; I’ve had the pleasure of training with Tamas before, so knew what to expect and was really looking forward to it.

Tamas told us about his journey to the present and about the pitfalls of coaching the Olympic lifts and how to avoid overloading athletes with corrections; valuable coaching tips that can be applied across the board.  This guy just really talks sense, explaining key points with analogies that can be easily related to and the fact that he was recovering from a shoulder op and had one arm in a sling didn’t detract from the session   I think this says something about the man ,that he can help the whole group to make rapid improvements in their technique and also coaching abilities in such a short space of time, and with one arm!

Highlight for me was the fact that although, if I’m honest, I’m still a terrible lifter, I had improved massively since my last session with Tamas in October.  He even commented on how much I had improved which is pretty significant considering I’d not had much time to practice since, but I think the principles had sunk in more and I’d been reading his book so the depth of understanding had helped me to go beyond just trying to copy stuff.

His coaching eye really is incredible; he can see the intricacies of technique in real-time that I’d struggle to see on slow motion footage after several replays!

I must point out that Tamas got me to run the warm up for the second time running, so I feel I am now allowed to say in am one of his support team, haha!

We finished up Day 2 with the whole group running through a comprehensive Core training session with Brendan, looking at lots of different exercises to work different movement patterns and challenge the core in different ways. We also reviewed several progressions and regressions that we could put into practice, and different equipment that could be utilised.  We discussed the core for rotational power, anti-rotation and anti flexion and much more.

Then of to Nando’s in the City Centre where I instantly fell in love with a really cute waitress; I’ll never forget this day, when our innocent love blossomed, even if she was fully unaware of it!  Of course, I have at least 4 large glasses of full fat Coke, to take advantage of the free refill policy.

Leeds Nandos, home to ‘that’ super cute waitress

Day 3

The final day started off with a real highlight of the Course, the session with Tom Whittaker who has been busy working with GB Weightlifting and GB Diving.  Tom explained the way he works with Tamas and the physio when their weightlifters have any injuries or certain movement issues are highlighted.  It was nice to hear about this integrated approach, where Tom likes to sit in with the physio so they can agree exactly what the issue is likely to be so that he can then recommend a plan of action to Tamas.  Tom takes a holistic approach and openly takes anything that works well and keeps his athletes safe and functional at their best.   It was good to hear that both Tom and I are big fans of Kelly Starrett and his Mobility WOD project, which further endorsed that I’m on the right track with what I’m doing and the information I’m sharing with you all.  We all really enjoyed the session, with most of us walking out having been fixed a little by Tom; my non-existent internal hip rotation issues were greatly improved and I picked up some really valuable bits regarding common issues with scapula movement that can be monitored.

After a short lunch break we met up again in the weightlifting centre to kick off another great session focussing on Programming of Hypertrophy, Strength and Power with Brendan taking us through lots of theory and interesting research studies.  We then split into three groups to focus on a plan each that was discussed and written up in detail and then presented to Brendan and our peers.  I worked on the Strength session for a Fighter, which focussed on some supersets and was structured towards maximal strength.  The programme design got some good feedback from Brendan and the guys, after which Brendan then gave us some alternative ideas, how we might be able to better group exercises to make better use of time; he was always able to provide valuable insight.  I think every session that Brendan discussed always resulted in a ‘oh yes, that would be a better way’ type moment in my little brain!

We then ran through trying out some work capacity sessions that Brendan has been using with great effect with his athletes.  These soon got the blood flowing and warmed us all up!  We also ran through structuring warms ups, utilising barbell complexes and some mobility stuff too.  Quite a jam-packed session this one!

We finished up the day with a re-cap of all that we had managed to cover during the 3 days and all stood there rather pleased with ourselves in what we had just achieved!

For those who already know Brendan, you’ll be aware that he is very level-headed and a very able coach who can make rather complicated principles seem stupidly simple.   There is definitely no ego to Brendan and he is always open to ideas that differ to his own and looking to better himself and puts a lot into making these workshops a success.

I have to say that every coach that spent time with us was exactly the same; despite them all having coached elite athletes with a smattering of world-class medals between them all, they were all humble, open, friendly and approachable.

I had recently been starting to work with a couple of athletes that have been taught to Olympic lift quite badly, which has really cut short their triple extension by programming some bad movement patterns.  I ran this past all the coaches and mentioned my ideas around how to resolve this through regression of cleans back to some high pulls; they endorsed my ideas and also suggested some other exercises that I can supplement to help them fulfill their potential on the track & field.  You really do get the chance to pick their immense ‘Mekon like’ brains.

Actual artists impression of the Coaches brains

This course really did live up to its ‘accelerated’ name with the sheer amount I have taken from it; I think on reflection the key thing that we were all left feeling was that we couldn’t believe what fantastic value for money the course was.

It was always going to be great as far as content and hands on experience, but when I look back and think about how I’ve often paid over £100 in the past for a basic several hour 1st aid course, or a nutrition basics course, the sheer amount you’ll cover and the absolute quality of it all makes this an offer you’d be crazy to not take up if there are any place left for the next one.

You can take a look to see what latest courses and workshops are on offer and if any places remain on:

http://www.strengthandconditioningeducation.com/events/

Makes sense to follow Brendan on Twitter too for latest info:

https://twitter.com/BrendanChaplin

I won’t lie to you, it will require concentration and effort to get through such a lot of ground in 3 intense days, but if you are reading this, you’ll likely have such a love and passion for S&C like me, you won’t be able to get enough of it!

I imagine that if you sign up for the next one, you’ll looking back like me, reminiscing on what a great time you had and still pinching yourself to how quickly this programme enabled you develop so much as a coach.

Just Brilliant.

A study by Professor Jocelyn Faubert of the University of Montreal’s School of Optometry has found that professional athletes can track fast moving objects better than even elite amateur athletes, and at a much superior rate to non-athlete university students.

“[W]e found that professional athletes were able to process the visual scenes much better than amateur athletes who were in turn better than the students,” Faubert explained in a press release for the study. “It would appear that athletes are able to hyper-focus their attention to enhance learning, which is key to their abilities.”

The study measured the visual perceptual and cognitive abilities of participants, which included 102 professional athletes, 173 elite amateur athletes, and 33 average, non-athletic university students.

Professional players included English Premier League soccer players, NHL hockey players and France’s Top 14 club rugby players, while amateur athletes were recruited from the NCAA American university sports program and a European Olympic training centre.

Greg Fiume/Getty Images files

Using a three-dimensional multiple-object-tracking speed threshold task (3D-MOT), participants were tested over 15 sessions, and researchers were able to isolate several mental abilities: distribution of attention between a number of moving targets amongst distractors, large field of vision, maximum speed of objects that one is able to follow, and the ability to perceive depth.

These skills are necessary for viewing complicated scenes, such as when navigating traffic, crossing the street, or following sports activities. The tests were random, and so no prior experience or knowledge about game strategy was necessary.

Interestingly, all three groups improved their perception score throughout the 15 training sessions. Faubert concluded that it is unclear whether professional athletes’ superior skills were innate or acquired through extensive training. “Clearly, mental processing and learning skills are key to the excellent performance of the professional athletes,” he said.

A recent related paper found that professional athletes have increased cortical thickness in some areas of the brain, with the volume related to the level of training completed.

The study was published on Jan. 31 in the journal Scientific Reports, and was conducted at the University of Montreal with a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

This next blog is directed towards informing fitness industry specialists the benefits of implementing HIIT into their personal trainer training programmes. However, if you are also looking for guidance on how to add variety to your gym instructor training programmes then we hope that you find this of use.

High Intensity Interval training refers to intermittent exercise involving periods of near maximal or supra maximal effort exercise followed by periods of recovery. The term supra‐maximal means that you are exercising above 100%. This isn’t to be confused with speed or force produced at VO2Max as this will not be the same speed or force output at an all-out effort. It is also important to remember that high‐intensity is relative to an individual’s level of fitness. As an example running at 10km per hour may feel like maximal effort for one person, whereas it may be moderate effort for more advanced athletes. High‐intensity efforts range from as low as 85% of VO2Max to as high as 250%, the duration of the exercise interval also ranging from as low as six seconds to as high as greater than 4 minutes, dependent upon the persons aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

High intensity interval training not only improves aerobic capacity but also improves anaerobic capacity. Therefore where high volume of endurance training is essential for endurance athletes, applying some high intensity interval training will also improve the anaerobic capacity in the following ways:

• The muscles ability to buffer lactic acid, a by-product which can limit time spent during high intensity exercise.
• Increases in resting muscle glycogen content which is an important energy source during moderate and vigorous exercise and which is essential for improving performance.
• Increases in citrate synthase, an enzyme required to improve the aerobic capacity of an individual.
• Increases in the recruitment and efficiency of fast twitch muscle fibres which are used in moderate and high intensity exercise and which can take on board the characteristics of the fibres predominantly used within a sport.
• Increased calorie expenditure even after the exercise bout has ceased due to the ‘oxygen debt’ which will continue to have training effects on the body for a period of time.
• Increases in the activity of enzymes which play an essential role in the mitochondrial oxidation of fat.
• Improvements in the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Supporting Evidence

Tabata et al (1996) compared the effects of six weeks of moderate‐intensity endurance training (70% VO2Max) versus six weeks of high intensity interval training (7‐8 sets of 20 seconds @ 170% VO2Max with 10 seconds recovery between bouts). Both training methods significantly increased aerobic capacity; however, while the endurance training had no impact on the anaerobic capacity, high intensity interval training increased it by 28%. It was, therefore, concluded that the high intensity interval training improved both energy systems.

Burgomaster et al (2006) investigated the effects of short‐term sprint interval training on skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism during exercise, which identified that that just two weeks of high intensity interval sprint training can significantly reduce the accumulation of lactate in the working muscles following high‐intensity cycling.

Recommended Guidelines

If your goal is to improve a specific energy system in order to enhance your sporting performance the following guidelines taken from Lamb (1984) and which are also recommended by the ACSM are recommended for physiological responses and adaptations. Alternatively you can refer to these to simply add variety to your training.

The higher intensity interval training ranges are shown in (blue).

We hope you enjoy implementing Interval Training into your exercise programmes.

www.distinctionfitness.co.uk

Next Blog – Understanding the Energy Systems

Carnitine is a transport protein imbedded within the muscle, largely responsible for the transport of fat (2), and muscle carnitine availability appears to be a major rate-limiting step in fat oxidation during exercise (3). The original premise for the supplement was that if muscle carnitine concentration could be enhanced, subsequent fatty acid oxidation rates would follow; not only would this produce a nation of lean mean athletic machines, but in sparing muscle carbohydrate stores during exercise, one would potentially benefit from a delay in the onset of fatigue; this has obvious implications for endurance sport.

And yet, until quite recently, 20 years of research into carnitine supplementation yielded no positive results; a 2004 review of literature concluded that ‘’no compelling evidence exists that carnitine supplementation can improve physical performance in healthy subjects’’ (4), and as such, it would shamefully appear that the premise alone was sufficient grounds on which to base a multi-million pound dietary supplement.

Despite being available in powders, pills, drinks, energy bars and the like, studies have repeatedly demonstrated that neither short-term nor long-term feeding results in an increased muscle carnitine concentration. These include a 2002 study in which a twice-daily carnitine supplement failed to significantly increase carnitine content after a period of 12 weeks; unsurprisingly, there were no improvements in physical performance.  Similarly, an acute load of carnitine infused directly into the blood stream for a 5 hour period also had no effect on muscle carnitine content (3). These observations reflect the scientific consensus regarding the widely distributed, so called, ‘fat burner’.

More contemporary research has finally identified that under the right conditions, it may indeed be possible to increase muscle carnitine concentration. Researchers at the University of Nottingham, England, demonstrated in 2006 that in the presence of high insulin concentrations in the blood (hyperinsulinemia), muscle carnitine content was increased by as much as 13%. On the surface, these new findings may have clinical implications in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, but perhaps also in the enhancement of endurance performance by facilitating fat burning during exercise and prolonging fatigue. The observations have since been accurately replicated (5).

However, because the mechanism of increasing carnitine content necessitates the concurrent ingestion of high volumes of carbohydrate (to induce the obligatory rise in insulin concentration), the supplement process would appear completely counterproductive, particularly for an obese or overweight individual for whom a calorie controlled diet is important.  This may be less of an issue for competitive athletes with a high energy turnover.  As such, although the recent findings in carnitine research are compelling, further investigations are required before any practical implications can be made.

As with all commercial products, consumers should be wary of deceptive marketing strategies in supplement advertising, designed to give the impression of dramatic performance gains in light of only modest application. Indeed, High5 Sports Nutrition** publicise the ability of the athlete to burn a colossal ‘’41% more fat during exercise’’ with the use of their ‘zero’ electrolyte supplement. These claims are superficially bold, and yet the bravado evident in their colourful ad campaign is not without scientific support from a well established research institute.

On closer inspection, it emerges that the product in question, a calorie free electrolyte formula, was tested against a standard 6% carbohydrate sports drink. It requires only a basic knowledge of human physiology, to understand that in the absence of carbohydrate to burn for energy, any individual with healthy digestive/metabolic function will burn substantially more fat with said product when compared to a high carbohydrate-containing supplement. Any sugar-free alternative to glucose (water inclusive) will facilitate the same results- a natural shift towards an increased rate of fat turnover; there is nothing original about the ‘fat burning properties of the supplement. Is the advert incorrect or false in their claim?! No. Is the product advert and the implied claim appropriately candid and transparent given the target audience?! I don’t believe so.  Although in this instance a controlled study has at least been conducted, in this arena marketing is king, and often this is prioritised over science.

There are numerous other commercially available products which stake a claim at being capable of improving fatty acid transport, a full discussion of which is outside the scope of this short post. Three of those receiving attention from the literature are conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), caffeine and green tea. While the former has been demonstrated to be effective largely in animal models (mice and rodents), human trials prove to be inconclusive. Additionally, chronic daily ingestion of CLA has been shown to significantly reduce insulin sensitivity (6, 7) (that’s a bad thing), which suggests its unsuitability as a weight-regulating supplement.

Both green tea and caffeine may have the potential to increase fat metabolism at rest and during exercise, however, the effect sizes appear to be fairly small, and with somewhat inconclusive research. There are also several drugs that may have a strong influence on metabolic function; ephedrine and clenbuterol have been used (illegally) by athletes in professional sport, the latter famously by Alberto Contador who was banned for 2 years and stripped of his Tour De France title in 2010 after testing positive for the drug. Classified under the umbrella terms ‘stimulants’ and ‘thermogens’, few (if any) of these illegal drugs are considered safe, and rightly find themselves in the WADA list of banned substances (8).

Closing remarks:  an interesting area of research, with broad implications, the list of supplements claiming to positively affect the fat burning pathway in some form or another is both substantial and commercially-driven.  However, the popularity of these products in no way reflects their scientific merit, and consumers are urged to express skepticism when presented with the dramatic claims of these products.

**An original version of this post published in ‘Peak Performance Magazine’ didn’t allow me to mention this nutrition brand by name; on here, however, I can do what I like!

“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” – Albert Einstein

Follow @endoskeptic - for more random insights.


1: Dietary Supplement Education Alliance. (2006). Nutrition Business Journal.

2: Fritz, I.B. and McEwen, B. (1959). Effects of carnitine on fatty-acid oxidation by muscle. Science.

3: Stephens, F.B et al. (2006). An Acute Increase in Skeletal Muscle Carnitine Content…. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

4: Brass, E.P. (2004). Carnitine and sports medicine: use or abuse? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

5: Stephens, F.B et al. (2011). Vegetarians have a reduced skeletal muscle carnitine transport capacity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

6: Riserus, U et al. (2004). Effects of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on insulin sensitivity, lipid peroxidation, and pro-inflammatory markers in obese men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

7: Riserus, U et al. (2004). Supplementation with trans10cis12-conjugated linoleic acid induces hyperproinsulinaemia in obese men: close association with impaired insulin sensitivity. Diabetologia.

8: http://www.wada-ama.org

Instead of long stints in the gym and miles of running in the cold, the same results could be achieved in less than a third of the time, according to new research published February 1 in The Journal of Physiology.

The current recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UK Department of Health is that people of all ages should do three to five hours of endurance training per week to increase health and fitness and prevent chronic diseases and premature mortality. However, most people find it difficult to set aside this much time in their busy lives.

This study has taken existing research to a new level to prove that replacing endurance training with two types of interval training, High intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Sprint Interval Training (SIT), can make a massive difference to our health and aerobic fitness. In two articles in the 1 February issue ofThe Journal of Physiology, the researchers describe their recent discoveries that three sessions of SIT, taking just 90 min per week, are as effective as five sessions of traditional endurance exercise, taking five hours per week, in increasing whole body insulin sensitivity via two independent mechanisms.

LJMU researcher Matthew Cocks explains: ‘One mechanism involves improved delivery of insulin and glucose to the skeletal muscle and the other involves improved burning of the fat stored in skeletal muscle fibres. Additionally, we found a reduced stiffness of large arteries which is important in reducing the risk of vascular disease.’

On the basis of these novel and earlier findings from other laboratories, Professor Wagenmakers expects that HIT and SIT will turn out to be unique alternative exercise modes suitable to prevent blood vessel disease, hypertension, diabetes and most of the other ageing and obesity related chronic diseases.

LJMU researcher Sam Shepherd describes: ‘SIT involves four to six repeated 30 second ‘all out’ sprints on special laboratory bikes interspersed with 4.5 minutes of very low intensity cycling. Due to the very high workload of the sprints, this method is more suitable for young and healthy individuals. However, anyone of any age or level of fitness can follow one of the alternative HIT programmes which involve 15-60 second bursts of high intensity cycling interspersed with 2-4 minute intervals of low intensity cycling. HIT can be delivered on simple spinning bikes that are present in commercial gyms and are affordable for use at home or in the workplace.’

Lack of time is the number one reason that the majority of the adult population do not meet the current physical activity recommendations. SIT and HIT could solve this problem.

Sam Shepherd comments: ‘A pilot study currently ongoing in the Sports Centre at the University of Birmingham has also shown that previously sedentary individuals in the age-range of 25-60 also find HIT on spinning bikes much more enjoyable and attractive than endurance training and it has a more positive effect on mood and feelings of well-being. This could imply that HIT is more suitable to achieve sustainable changes in exercise behaviour.’

HIT, therefore, seems to provide the ideal alternative to outdoor running, dangerous cycling trips and long boring endurance cycling sessions in health and fitness gyms. That is why the researchers believe that there will be a great future for HIT for obese and elderly individuals and potentially also for patients with hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided byWiley, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

1. M. Cocks, C. S. Shaw, S. O. Shepherd, J. P. Fisher, A. M. Ranasinghe, T. A. Barker, K. D. Tipton, A. J. M. Wagenmakers. Sprint interval and endurance training are equally effective in increasing muscle microvascular density and eNOS content in sedentary males. The Journal of Physiology, 2012; 591 (3): 641 DOI:10.1113/jphysiol.2012.239566

An EPO molecule. Natural EPO is almost indistinguishable from rEPO used in doping.
Image: Wikimedia commons

Recent interviews with cyclist Lance Armstrong made headlines around the world. He admitted to the use of performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France. Scientists have overcome many hurdles to develop the drug testing that underpins this revelation.

Among other things, Lance admitted to using recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO) during his cycling career. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced naturally by the kidneys, and is responsible for red blood cell production. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. Having more red blood cells increases an athlete’s endurance.

Everyone has some EPO in their body, so detecting rEPO abuse by athletes is not easy. rEPO that has been injected is almost identical to EPO that naturally occurs in the body. To test for rEPO, an athlete is required to give a urine sample. Roughly a tablespoon of urine is concentrated down to about one drop. The sample will contain EPO, rEPO (if the athlete has been using it) and other proteins.

The sample is placed on a gel, and an electric current run through it. The electricity causes the large protein molecules to separate and spread out. Like a cloth absorbing a spill, a membrane is then used to blot the gel. The membrane contains antibodies that bond to proteins. After a second blotting, just rEPO and EPO molecules will stick to the membrane.

The membrane is then treated with other chemicals. If rEPO is present on the membrane, this treatment will cause it give off light in a particular pattern, where it is detected and measured. For an athlete to test positive to rEPO, additional confirmation tests are undertaken and another of their samples (a B sample) can be tested to confirm the initial results.

Since the introduction of a test for rEPO, its use appears to have dropped significantly. Anti-doping officials are now concerned about the use of blood transfusions, where blood is removed from an athlete, stored and then reinjected later in order to give a performance boost. This is even harder to detect than EPO because it is the athlete’s own blood that is the performance-enhancing substance.

The Lance Armstrong case shows how important science continues to be in monitoring drug use in sport.

More information

National drug strategy: erythropoietin
Lance Armstrong charged with ‘blood doping’ and EPO use … so how do they work?
Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority
BBC ethics guide – sport

Careers link
Sports science and sports medicine

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In a study published online in theBritish Journal of Nutrition on January 24, academics sought to find out whether the known benefits of exercising after an overnight fast were undermined by an increased appetite and eating more food later in the day.

Researchers, led by Dr Emma Stevenson and PhD student Javier Gonzalez, asked twelve physically active male participants to perform a bout of treadmill exercise at 10am, either after they had eaten breakfast or in a fasted state having not eaten since the evening before.

Following the exercise all participants were given a chocolate milkshake recovery drink. Later in the day, participants were provided with a pasta lunch which they were asked to consume until they felt ‘comfortably full’. Their lunchtime consumption of energy and fat was assessed and calculated, taking into account the amount of energy and fat burned during the morning period.

The researchers discovered that those who had exercised in the morning did not consume additional calories or experience increased appetite during the day to compensate for their earlier activity.

They also found that those who had exercised in a fasted state burned almost 20% more fat compared to those who had consumed breakfast before their workout. This means that performing exercise on an empty stomach provides the most desirable outcome for fat loss.

Javier Gonzalez, who is currently undertaking a PhD in Exercise and Metabolism, said: “In order to lose body fat we need to use more fat than we consume. Exercise increases the total amount of energy we expend and a greater proportion of this energy comes from existing fat if the exercise is performed after an overnight fast.

“Our results show that exercise does not increase your appetite, hunger or food consumption later in the day and to get the most out of your session it may be optimal to perform this after an overnight fast.”

Dr Emma Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and Associate Director of Northumbria University’s Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, added: “This research is very important in helping to provide practical guidelines relating to food intake to individuals who are exercising to maximise fat mass loss. It must be highlighted that this is a short-term study and we can only speculate on the longer term outcomes of such nutritional practices.”

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided byNorthumbria University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

1. Javier T. Gonzalez, Rachel C. Veasey, Penny L. S. Rumbold, Emma J. Stevenson. Breakfast and exercise contingently affect postprandial metabolism and energy balance in physically active males. British Journal of Nutrition, 2013; : 1 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512005582

Sam enjoying some Sabre training in West Dean woods

In Tai Chi we see any weapon, such as a sword or staff (or indeed chair-leg) as being a mere extension of the body and it is in this sense that a ‘weapons form’ (i.e. a set sequence of movements), seeks to train the unique Tai Chi movement principles into the body and mind.  Awareness, stability, mobility, agility and a relaxed whole-body movement and power that emanates from the body’s centre epitomises such Tai Chi motion.

Normally when learning a weapon form one initially practises basic, core movements slowly and carefully in order to get a good tangible sense of how to move in a connected way that is smooth, natural and relaxed. The additional length and weight that a sword, for example, provides gives one not only a great new proprioceptive challenge but also invaluable feedback into ones economy of movement through the body. For what we want of course is that the entire body, from the feet to the hands, move together as one connected unit rather than just mindlessly swinging a sword around with one arm.  So as you can see the main idea to begin with (and that’s a long time in Tai Chi terms) is to first train the body and mind rather than trying to chop each other into little pieces…

Simply learning how to move well whilst wielding a sword or spear can be quite a challenge and it is worth adding that one always starts off with a blunt wooden training weapon so that there is a minimal risk of injury. Usually, once one has a good grasp of the basics that are integral to everything else more advanced, then the speed of practise can be increased and more demanding techniques incorporated such as vigorous jumps, leaps, spins and kicks. It forms an extremely enjoyable and satisfying workout that engages the mind as much as the body.

By far the best thing is that the basics of weapons training can be learned and enjoyed by anyone who is keen to learn and not just gung-ho types or indeed people who are already ‘fit’. Go to any park in China of a morning and I’ll bet that you will see hundreds of Tai Chi players enjoying their sword practise. Many of those will be well into their 70s and beyond, and if they can do it so can you.  

On the weekend of 2/3^rd March, I will be running a Tai Chi Sabre workshop in Chichester from 10:30 to 16:30 each day at the Newell Centre, Tozer Way. Known as the tiger of Chinese weapons the workshop will cover the whole Chen style Tai Chi Sabre form as well as basic warm-ups and core exercises. For those who already know the form more advanced and demanding corrections will be given. All abilities are welcome! Booking is essential for the course as the number of spaces is limited. The fee for the two day course is £80 and all the details are on the website.

Sam Moor is the senior instructor for Sussex Tai Chi and teaches classes and workshops in Chichester, Lavant, Midhurst and Arundel. See the website: http://www.sussextaichi.co.uk/

“Our results indicate gender may contribute to differences in cardiovascular function of obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes,” said Jill Kanaley, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at MU. “Men saw improvement after aerobic exercise training, but the women did not experience the same benefits.”

Kanaley and her colleagues monitored cardiovascular responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, of nearly 75 obese men and women with Type 2 diabetes. To monitor cardiovascular responses, the individuals completed an isometric handgrip test, which involves continually and forcefully squeezing an object for a few minutes, at the beginning and end of a structured, 16-week walking program.

“What this research highlights, at least using the handgrip test, is that the advantages we think exercise is going to give individuals may not be the same across genders, particularly for those who have Type 2 diabetes,” Kanaley said. “This is a concern because there are high mortality rates with Type 2 diabetes, especially for women. We’re trying to find successful interventions to help these individuals, and we keep assuming that exercise will do the trick — we think when we tell people to “go train,” regardless of gender, everyone will get the same results. Our research indicates certain exercises may not be enough for women, as our walking program did not show positive improvements for them.”

Obese women with Type 2 diabetes might benefit from longer durations or higher intensities of exercise, Kanaley said. In addition, Kanaley said more concern should be placed on how long it takes cardiovascular function to return to normal after exercise as well as how fast the heart beats during physical exertion.

“A lot of people focus on how high individuals’ heart rates get during exercise, but their recovery rates also should be monitored,” Kanaley said. “When you exercise, you want your blood pressure to rise, but you don’t want it to get too high. Your blood pressure should return to normal relatively quickly after you stop exercise. In our study, the recovery rate for women was not as rapid as for men. After the men trained, they got an even better recovery time, whereas women’s time stayed about the same.”

The study, “Exercise training improves hemodynamic recovery to isometric exercise in obese men with Type 2 diabetes but not in obese women,” was published in the December issue of Metabolism.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided byUniversity of Missouri-Columbia.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

1. Jill A. Kanaley, Styliani Goulopoulou, Ruth Franklin, Tracy Baynard, Robert L. Carhart, Ruth S. Weinstock, Bo Fernhall. Exercise training improves hemodynamic recovery to isometric exercise in obese men with type 2 diabetes but not in obese women. Metabolism, 2012; 61 (12): 1739 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2012.07.014

Lets look at the numbers. Joe Flacco is 17th in yards per game at at 238, Kaepernick is 10th with 259.  Average yards per completion Flacco 20th, Kaepernick 3rd.  In QBR (which we all know is the best way to rate a QB) Flacco 16th and Kaepernick 8th.   Rushing Flacco is 41st and Kaepernick is 4th (and he didn’t play the whole season!)

I don’t want you to get your calculator out but you do want to know what all those rankings mean.  If you are a sabermetrics guy you would take these rankings along with some others to figure out Kaepernick is the better QB in this matchup.  Let me add one more number to the mix, the Wonderlic Score.  Joe Flacco 27 and Colin Kaepernick 38.  Once again Kaepernick is ahead of Flacco.  With all of this being said it is no wonder the guys over at ESPN’s Sports Science rated Colin Kaepernick very high on quick thinking and decision making.  See the video for yourself, it goes to show the Wonderlic may be a better indicator than most people think….

Sports Science: Colin Kaepernick

“As to the methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Increasingly, well meaning folks seeking to increase their level of fitness, improve their body composition or elevate their athleticism are confused as how to to best proceed. Most understand that the decades old myopic fallacy “cardio burns fat” and “lifting weights makes you bulky” has had a ruinous effect on our society. Countless hours, months and years have been squandered by adherents to these unfounded tenants. We are thirteen years into the 21st century people – and it is time that we all know the basic principles of physical fitness and the rudimentary concepts of how to  exercise in such a manner to elicit the desired response.

“Obey the principles without being bound by them.” ~ Bruce Lee

The fundamentals of ones own physical fitness is a responsibility of the highest order, no different then knowing the principles of bodily and oral hygiene. When we hear the hygiene we reflexively think of getting our teeth cleaned that the dentist yet it meaning is more robust. Hygiene is defined as “a branch of  medical science that discusses the set of practices performed for the preservation of health.” Through the mid twentieth century American colleges offered courses on hygiene that included education of nutrition, sleep, exercise, disease and infection, accidents and drugs. How different our society would be if a single course like we’re thought to our children!

I looked at several definitions of “principles” and “methods” and I liked these.

Principles: “A fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived.” Example: the principles of modern physics.

Methods: “An arrangement of parts or steps to accomplish an end.” Example: random efforts that lack method.

To be clear, a principle, a “general law or truth” is not what your friends sisters roommate, who teaches Pillow Boxing three nights a week, says. Rather it is an act or in our case exercise that has been validated, proven if you will to elicit  a specific result.

The SAID principle; Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands, informs us that a specific or particular change will occur based on the exercise you choose. Of course I’m  assuming that the variables are accounted for i.e. volume, intensity, frequency etc. So choosing the correct exercises – I’m talking in a very general sense here – is critical to getting the desired result.

Once one engages and acts in a principle based exercise program, then and only then are methods considered. To put a fine point on it the methods one chooses are simply the details of a principled based program. In the next part of this series of articles I will discuss the principles necessary to succeed – regardless of your fitness or athletic development goals.

If you found this blog post informative or at least interesting then please pass it on to friends, family, coworkers anyone you think can benefit from my knowledge and experience. I’m in the business of personal coaching and love a challenge My aim is to help as many people as possible get fit and healthy and do it in a safe and productive way. My goal is to make fitness and athletic development should be fun – it should not a mystery!

]]> http://mrbarlow.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/science-of-the-basketball-free-throw/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:27:49 +0000 Mr. Barlow http://mrbarlow.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/science-of-the-basketball-free-throw/ http://pinoyathletics.com/2013/01/24/warming-up-and-cooling-down-for-the-sprints/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:00:33 +0000 kuyaair http://pinoyathletics.com/2013/01/24/warming-up-and-cooling-down-for-the-sprints/ By Roy Stevenson

Jogger #1 (Photo credit: Ed Yourdon)

Warming up prepares the sprinter’s muscles by increasing the force of their muscle contractions and speeding up muscle contraction rate, giving the sprinter more power and speed. Warming up also helps nervous young athletes stabilize their adrenalin rush before competition, helping them better control their pre-event nervousness. Here’s how sprinters should go about warming up for races and training sessions.

Phase One: Start your sprinter’s warm up with 10-15 minutes jogging to increase body temperature–slow and easy.

Phase Two: This should follow on immediately after phase two and consists of 10-15 minutes of dynamic stretching exercises to reduce muscle stiffness. Dynamic (ballistic) stretches through a wide range of motion work best because they are closer to the athlete’s actual movements in competition; and research shows that static stretching exercises do not simulate rapid running movement and may actually cause a reduction in leg power.

Phase Three: The sprinter progresses to 10-15 minutes of general and event-specific drills. These specific drills put the finishing touches on the warm up and prepare the athlete for sprint training. The drills usually include leg speed exercises, and it is here that pre-race and pre-training warm ups diverge.

To read the full article click here

Related articles

• Cold Weather Warm-Ups (massageenvy.com)
• Plyometric Training for Sprinters (pinoyathletics.com)
• Flexibility in the Winter (motivationalfitnessmama.wordpress.com)

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Warm-up at Stretching: Alin ang tama?

Warm-up at Stretching: Alin ang tama? Isang review article

Airnel T. Abarra

MS Human Movement Science (Candidate)

University of the Philippines Diliman

pinoyathletics@gmail.com

Kung tatanungin ang isang ordinaryong atleta o recreational runner na wala masyadong background sa Sports Science, sasabihin nila na ang warm-up ay ang pag-stretching kasama at pag-ikot ng ilang beses sa track oval hanggang mapawisan. Sa artikulong ito hihimayin ng may-akda ang mga literaturang may kaugnayan sa konsepto ng tamang warm-up at kung alin ang mas angkop na uri ng stretching at mga dapat gawin ukol dito.

Warm-up- Ayon kay Alter (1990), ang warm-up ay pangkat ng mga ehersisyo nag ginagawa bago ang isang ensayo na may pangunahing layunin na mapataas ang temperature sa katawan sa gayon maiwasan ang injury. May dalawang uri ng warm-up: ang Passive warm-up kung saan ang pamamaraan upang mapainit ang katawan ay ang pananatili sa isang mainit na lugar gaya ng sauna o pag-shower sa mainit na tubig at General warm-up o ang pagsasagawa ng mga kilos ng katawan upang maging mainit ang pakiramdam. Kabilang sa General warm-up ay jogging, paglalakad at iba pa.

Stretching- ito ay isang proseso ng pagpapabanat. Ang mga ehersisyo na ukol dito ay isinasagawa upang tumaas ang antas ng flexibility upang makuha at angkop na full range of motion sa piniling isport. (Alter, 1990)

Batay sa kahulugan na nabanggit, malinaw na makikita na magkaiba ang warm-up at stretching. Kaya mali na sabihin na ang warm-up at stretching ay iisa. Ang susunod na katanungan ay alin ang dapat mauna, stretching o warm-up at vice versa?

Ayon sa artikulo ni Torres (3isgreaterthan1.com, 2012) dapat na mauna ang pag-warm-up kaysa stretching. Nakapagdudulot ito ng paghina ng muscle kung full range of motion ang pag-uusapan. Sinang-ayunan din ito ni Alter (1990) na dapat mauna ang warm-up bago ang stretching dahil magiging mas mabisa ang muscles kung mainit na ang temperatura nito (Young at Behm, 2002).

Susunod na katanungan ay anong uri ng stretching ang dapat gawin, Static ba o Dynamic?

Static stretching- ito ay isang uri ng stretching kung saan ay binabanat ang muscles at mananatili sa isang posisyon sa ilang segundo. Ayon kay Torres (3isgreaterthan1.com, 2012) at sa kanyang mga literaturang sinangguni na hindi mainam na magsagawa ng static stretching pagkatapos ng warm-up at nakapagdudulot din ito ng paghina ng lakas ng muscle kung gagawin ito (Young at Behm, 2002).

Dynamic stretching- mga uri ng ehersisyo kung saan ay ginagaya ang mga pangunahing kilos na kailangan sa isport na kinabibilangan. Sa pag-aaral na ginawa nina McMillan et al. (2006) kung saan pinaghambing nila ang Dynamic, static at walang warm-up natuklasan nila na mabisa ang dynamic na uri ng warm-up kung ihahambing sa static at walang warm-up. Pinatunayan din nina Soligard et al. (2008) sa kanilang mga ehersisyong ipinagawa sa mga babaeng atleta ng Football na ang mga dynamic na uri ng ehersisyo ay mas mas mabisa kung ihahambing sa static lalo na kung ginawa ito bilang warm-up.

Sa kabila ng mga patunay sa kabisaan ng Dynamic na uri ng warm-up o stretching at pagsasagawa ng warm-up bago ang mga ehersisyo, makabubuti pa rin na magsagawa ng pag-aaral ukol dito sa lokal na kalagayan. Sa gayon magkaroon ng paghahambig at mapalawak ang pananliksik ukol sa isports sa Pilipinas lalo sa larangan ng Athletics o Track and Field. *

Paala-ala: Kung may mungkahi o puna sa artikulo, mangyaring makipag-ugnayan gamit ang e-mail address sa itaas.

Sanggunian:

Alter, M (1990) Sports Stretch. Leisure Press IL

McMillan DJ et al. (2006) Dynamic vs. Static-Stretching Warm up: The Effect on Power and Agility Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(3), 492–499

Soligard T. et al. (2008) Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal BMJ 2008; 337:a2469

Torres M. (2012) To Stretch or Not to Stretch Before Training & Racing. 3 is greater than 1 website retrieved 05-July-2012 http://3isgreaterthan1.com/blog/to-stretch-or-not-to-stretch/

Young & Behm (2002) Should Static Stretching Be Used During a Warm-Up for Strength and Power Activities? National Strength & Conditioning Association Volume 24, Number 6, pages 33–37