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Recommended resources

Our sports science writer Craig Pickering brings an athlete’s and coach’s mindset to the field. For an introduction to sports science, read his series on understanding science for coaches, what makes for good research, critical elements for effective sports science, and becoming a better consumer of sports science. For more from Pickering browse topics below from the Sports Science Quarterly or read his complete archive of articles.

Numerous GAINcast episodes have also brought together experts in sports science, including:

GAINcast 27: Sports science with Vern Gambetta
GAINcast 192: Monitoring with Aaron Coutts and Franco Impellizzeri
GAINcast 83: Power physiology with Angus Ross
GAINcast 63: Supporting champions with Steve Ingham
GAINcast 80: Performance team with Peter Vint
GAINcast 134: Sports science has lost its way with Tony Strudwick
GAINcast 210: Sleep science with Pat Byrne
GAINcast 205: Nutrition science with Stuart Phillips
GAINcast 203: Speed reserve with Gareth Sandford
GAINcast 188: The green zone with Stephen Seiler
GAINcast 221, GAINcast 180, GAINcast 59 with Dr. Michael Joyner
GAINcast 177: Training tendons with Keith Baar
GAINcast 118: It’s all about effort with Alex Hutchinson
GAINcast 89: How speed happens with Peter Weyand
GAINcast 219: Performance teams with David Martin
GAINcast Episode 194: The trailblazer with Betty Atwater

Featured Video

GAIN Video 18: Sorting sports science in a digital era (with Peter Weyand)Dr. Peter Weyand looks at scientific processes and how coaches can better evaluate research and sports science.

Recommended authors

Craig PickeringOlympic sprinter and sports scientist, currently Pathways Manager for Athletics Australia

Warren YoungProfessor, Federation University Australia

Sports Science Quarterly

Sports Science Quarterly is HMMR Media’s quarterly round up of the latest research in sports science. Craig Pickering breaks down the leading journals to provide coaches with a comprehensive overview in practical terms for HMMR Plus members. You can browse past editions by topic or issue.

Browse by issue

Sports Science Quarterly – Q2 2023

May 20, 2023

Sports Science Quarterly – Q1 2023

January 19, 2023

Sports Science Quarterly – Q4 2022

October 7, 2022

Sports Science Quarterly – Q3 2022

July 14, 2022

Sports Science Quarterly – Q2 2022

April 13, 2022

Sports Science Quarterly – Q1 2022

January 14, 2022

Sports Science Monthly – December 2021

December 16, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – November 2021

November 4, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – October 2021

October 15, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – September 2021

September 8, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – August 2021

August 13, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – July 2021

July 9, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – June 2021

June 10, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – May 2021

May 13, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – April 2021

April 14, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – March 2021

March 12, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – February 2021

February 11, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – January 2021

January 15, 2021

Sports Science Monthly – December 2020

December 15, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – November 2020

November 12, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – October 2020

October 16, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – September 2020

September 16, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – August 2020

August 14, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – July 2020

July 15, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – June 2020

June 19, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – May 2020

May 21, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – April 2020

April 10, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – March 2020

March 20, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – February 2020

February 14, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – January 2020

January 14, 2020

Sports Science Monthly – December 2019

December 13, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – November 2019

November 15, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – October 2019

October 10, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – September 2019

September 18, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – August 2019

August 15, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – July 2019

July 17, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – June 2019

June 18, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – May 2019

May 15, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – April 2019

April 16, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – March 2019

March 14, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – February 2019

February 14, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – January 2019

January 15, 2019

Sports Science Monthly – December 2018

December 14, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – November 2018

November 16, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – October 2018

October 16, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – September 2018

September 14, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – August 2018

August 14, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – July 2018

July 17, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – June 2018

June 15, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – May 2018

May 15, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – April 2018

April 18, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – March 2018

March 16, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – February 2018

February 13, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – January 2018

January 16, 2018

Sports Science Monthly – December 2017

December 15, 2017

Sports Science Monthly – November 2017

November 14, 2017

Sports Science Monthly – October 2017

October 17, 2017

Sports Science Monthly – September 2017

September 19, 2017

Sports Science Monthly – August 2017

August 22, 2017

Sports Science Monthly – July 2017

July 19, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – June 2017

June 13, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – May 2017

May 12, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – April 2017

April 14, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – March 2017

March 28, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – February 2017

February 28, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – January 2017

January 31, 2017

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Sports Science Monthly – December 2016

December 28, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – November 2016

November 29, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – October 2016

October 26, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – September 2016

September 28, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – August 2016

August 30, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – July 2016

July 27, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – June 2016

June 29, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – May 2016

May 27, 2016

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Sports Science Monthly – April 2016

April 27, 2016

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Browse by topic

Training Methods Running and Speed Monitoring and Loads Injuries Recovery Nutrition and Drugs Brain and Psychology Miscellaneous

Just how effective is velocity-based training? (Q1 2023)
Parkour for athlete development (Q1 2023)
Does periodization “work”? (November 2021)
How do elite athletes warm-up before a competition? (November 2021)
The importance of randomness in training (September 2021)
Implementing eccentric resistance training (September 2021)
What to do with non-responders? (August 2021)
Exercise dependence in elite athletes (April 2021)
Repeatability of training improvements (January 2021)
Real vs. simulated altitude training (December 2020)
Game day priming (October 2020)
Developing a skill learning periodization framework (January 2020)
Pre-competition priming: how widely is this utilized? (November 2019)
The isometric mid-thigh pull (November 2019)
Foot strength in athletes (November 2019)
Eccentric, quasi-isometric resistance training (November 2019)
All you need to know about altitude training (October 2019)
Priming for performance (August 2019)
Small-sided games in soccer: an overview (July 2019)
The crucial influence on intensity within a training taper (May 2019)
Pre-competition priming (May 2019)
Training transfer (May 2019)
Deep squats vs. shallow squats (March 2019)
Training frequency and session volume (March 2019)
Anabolic hormones don’t differentiate between high- and low-responders to hypertrophy training (January 2019)
General agility training for all athletes (September 2018)
Warming up after halftime (July 2018)
The effectiveness of post-match fatigue monitoring in team sports (July 2018)
Do you need to warm down? (June 2018)
When is the best time of the day to train? (April 2018)
The repeated bout effect doesn’t require direct loading on the muscle (April 2018)
A critique on critiques on Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (March 2018)
Resistance training vs. plyometrics (February 2018)
Adaptations from small-sided games (February 2018)
How does exercise cause adaptation? (November 2017)
A more personalized approach to endurance training (September 2017)
Stretching and performance (July 2017)
Mechanisms of hypertrophy (July 2017)
Chronotype and physical activity (July 2017)
Weight training frequency (June 2017)
Blood flow restricted training (April 2017)
Session length: knowledge and physical performance (March 2017)
Postactivation potentiation (March 2017)
Warm ups (February 2017)
The problem of hypertrophy (January 2017)
Skill acquisition and periodization (January 2017)
Single- vs double-daily sessions (December 2016)
Core stability (September 2016)
Effect of velocity of resistance training on adaptations (June 2016)
Concurrent training (April 2016)

Decelerations in elite team sports (Q3 2022)
Profiling elite 100-meter performance (Q2 2022)
Tactical behaviors in middle-distance events (November 2021)
Meso-pacing in elite sprint events (October 2021)
Pacing in elite runners (June 2021)
Health problems in adolescent distance runners (May 2021)
Why do sprinters slow with age? (March 2021)
Hamstring exercises for sprinting (March 2021)
Sex-specific differences in running injuries (March 2021)
Predicting middle-distance performance (March 2021)
Countermovement jump performance in elite and sub-elite sprinters (September 2020)
The influence of wind speed on athletics performance (September 2020)
Behind the success of Caribbean sprinters (February 2020)
The limited science of elite sprinting (January 2020)
The connection between endurance performance and sprint speed (January 2020)
Genes and sprint performance in soccer players (September 2019)
The importance of calf strength for sprinting (January 2019)
Wearable resistance in training (January 2019)
Assessing acceleration performance in sprinters and team sports (December 2018)
Maximum sprint speed in tactical periodization training (December 2018)
Understanding decelerations (November 2018)
Reaction time trends of Olympic sprinters (November 2018)
Strength and sprinting (October 2018)
Running biomechanics over the course of a season (September 2018)
Arm mechanics in sprinting (June 2018)
Correction of asymmetries enhances sprint performance (April 2018)
Nordics & sprint performance (March 2018)
Rest periods for repeated sprints (January 2018)
Running coordination (August 2017)
Running economy (April 2017)
Reaction time (September 2016)
Stride length and stride frequency of 100m in training vs. competition (April 2016)
Hydration and sprinting (May 2016)
Sled pulls (May 2016)
Sled pulls (April 2016)

Managing the training load of youth athletes (Q1 2023)
Using data to manage the training process in elite sport (December 2021)
The illogic of being data driven (January 2021)
Monitoring training load in endurance runners: more than just distance (October 2020)
Lessons from the athlete’s story (August 2020)
How coaches use monitoring in training (June 2020)
Further discussion around the acute:chronic workload ratio (May 2020)
Accounting for the physiological load of warming up (January 2020)
Measuring feeling in weight training (November 2019)
Monitoring training loads and stress in university athletes (September 2019)
A further update on training load monitoring (August 2019)
Re-examining training load monitoring (July 2019)
Hormonal time-course of exercise recovery (June 2019)
Jump height as an indicator of fatigue (May 2019)
Monitoring acute:chronic workloads and risk factors for injury (December 2018)
Tracking biomarkers to enhance health (December 2018)
Connections between testing and performance in team sports (November 2018)
Training load monitoring and athlete engagement (October 2018)
A new measure for high speed running: density (October 2018)
1RM vs. bar speed for performance testing (September 2018)
The effectiveness of Omegawave and Catapult (April 2018)
Monitoring fatigue – what do coaches want? (March 2018)
Session RPE and training load (February 2018)
Short duration maximal effort readiness testing (January 2018)
Prediction of training load (December 2017)
The 24-hour athlete (November 2017)
Familiarization and testing (August 2017)
Fatigue: A new, integrative model? (June 2017)
Monitoring of training status (May 2017)
An explanation for overtraining (March 2017)
Readiness to train (March 2017)
A fresh look at acute:chronic work load ratio (February 2o17)
Monitoring Training Load (February 2017)
What about wearable digital trackers? (February 2017)
Subjective measures (February 2017)
Training improvements (November 2016)
Counter-movement jump as a monitoring tool (November 2016)
How much is too much? (September 2016)
Perceived wellness (August 2016)
Measuring strength (August 20 16)
Monitoring of resistance training (May 2016)
Overtraining monitoring (April 2016)
Training load (April 2016)

The relationship between performance and injury history (Q3 2022)
Hamstring injuries in elite track and field (Q2 2022)
Perspectives on injury prevention in elite sport (September 2021)
The oral health of elite athletes (May 2021)
Athlete availability across a season (December 2020)
Back pain, secrecy, and performance (December 2020)
Rehabilitation from sports injuries: the importance of an integrated approach (October 2020)
A re-calibration of hamstring risk injury for 2020 (August 2020)
Eccentric hamstring strength in elite sprinters (July 2020)
Analyzing the connection between niggles and injuries (April 2020)
Performance health in the run up to major events (April 2020)
Bias in evidence-based injury prevention strategies (March 2020)
A case study on sleep and injury (December 2019)
Using disease treatment frameworks to address hamstring injuries (December 2019)
Training sessions, return to play, and future injury (October 2019)
Post-injury rehabilitation (October 2019)
Sports science in track and field (October 2019)
The relationship between a drive for thinness and injury risk (September 2019)
Nordics do work (August 2019)
Collagen and tendon pain (June 2019)
Functional movement screening and injury (June 2019)
Hamstring injury update (May 2019)
ACTN3 and muscle injuries (April 2019)
Strength endurance vs. strength training for hamstring health (February 2019)
The athlete and lower back pain (February 2019)
Sexual abuse as a risk factor for injury (February 2019)
Injury prevention in team sports (November 2018)
Adductor strengthening (October 2018)
Age and hamstring injury (October 2018)
When should you undertake injury prevention training? (September 2018)
Roman chair vs. nordic hamstring sxercise (September 2018)
Research on hamstring injury prevention and implications for practice (July 2018)
Prior ankle injury as a risk factor for future hamstring injury (July 2018)
Workload injury relationship & physical fitness (April 2018)
Hamstring injury prevention in elite sport: where is the evidence pointing? (March 2018)
How soon should injury rehabilitation start? (February 2018)
Hamstring injury return to play: what do the coaches think? (January 2018)
Stress fractures (January 2018)
Predicting hamstring injuries (December 2017)
Can repeated sprint tests measure of hamstring rehabilitation? (November 2017)
Genes, concussion, and reaction time (September 2017)
New insights into preventing injuries and illnesses in elite athletes (August 2017)
Is there A genetic influence on sports injuries? (July 2017)
Rhabdomyolysis (June 2017)
Synthetic tendons (May 2017)
Hamstring injury prevention (April 2017)
The development of world-class athletes (April 2017)
Best hamstring exercise (March 2017)
Hamstring injuries (February 2017)
Injury prediction (December 2016)
How bad are injuries (October 2016)
Hamstring re-injury (July 2016)
The problem with injury screens (June 2016)
Injury rehabilitation (April 2016)

Does foam rolling positively influence flexibility? (Q1 2022)
How to help athletes get mental rest (December 2021)
Sleep extension in athletes (March 2021)
Managing jet lag and travel fatigue (January 2021)
A one-size fits all approach to recovery appears to be harmful (June 2020)
Technology and sleep (May 2019)
Sleep among student athletes (January 2019)
Exercise-associated low testosterone (January 2019)
Mindfulness and sleep in athletes (July 2018)
Revisiting sleep (June 2018)
Ice baths: a summary of your research (June 2018)
Whole-body cryotherapy (January 2018)
The immune system and exercise (January 2018)
New research on massage (November 2017)
Body mass and ice baths (September 2017)
Unexplained under performance syndrome (July 2017)
Exercise and immunity (March 2017)
Does elite sport degrade sleep quality? (January 2017)
Hot water (January 2017)
Photobiomodulation (December 2016)
Ice baths vs. warm down (November 2016)
Circadian rhythm & performance (August 2016)
Sleep (July 2016)
Sleep (June 2016)
Sleep (May 2016)

Editorials: new insights in sports nutrition and e-sports (Q1 2023)
Nutrition and altitude training (Q4 2022)
Nutrition to overcome performance constraints (December 2021)
Low energy levels in athletes (July 2021)
Caffeine periodization (January 2021)
Probiotics and sport (December 2020)
Disordered eating in sport (October 2020)
Cannabidiol and sports performance (September 2020)
Nitrate supplementation and performance (July 2020)
Learning from placebo effects and caffeine (November 2019)
Caffeine: As beneficial for women as for men? (November 2019)
Do athletes need more zinc? (September 2019)
A performance-enhancing microbe? (August 2019)
What dose of caffeine is optimal for performance? (August 2019)
Gluten free diets and FODMAPs? (April 2019)
Personalized sports nutrition (April 2019)
Caffeine habituation (March 2019)
How strong is the EPO effect? (March 2019)
Pseudoephedrine and performance (March 2019)
Do non-responders to caffeine exist – and does it matter? (February 2019)
Carbohydrate periodization is no magic bullet (February 2019)
Pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs in sport (February 2019)
Caffeine and resistance training (January 2019)
Do athletes eat enough? (December 2018)
Caffeine and sleep (November 2018)
Creatine and the brain (November 2018)
Herbal medicines (November 2018)
Dehydration and performance (October 2018)
Antioxidants: the source matters (September 2018)
Returning to chocolate milk (September 2018)
Let’s talk about carbohydrates (June 2018)
Dietary supplements for athletes (April 2018)
Probiotics and sport (April 2018)
Caffeine & testosterone (March 2018)
Supplements and the brain (March 2018)
Ketogenic diet and endurance performance (February 2018)
Fish oils for recovery (February 2018)
Nicotine (January 2018)
Caffeine and anaerobic performance (January 2018)
In-season nutrition for recovery for team sports (September 2017)
Caffeine – is coffee good enough? (August 2017)
Does vitamin D supplementation actually improve performance? (August 2017)
LCHF & power sports? (July 2017)
Periodized nutrition (June 2017)
Energy intake during intense training blocks (May 2017)
Training the gut (May 2017)
Sports nutrition: what we don’t know (May 2017)
Beta alanine and exercise performance (April 2017)
Vitamin D (April 2017)
Low carb, high fat diets and exercise (January 2017)
Reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, and exercise adaptations (Jan 2017)
Caffeine (December 2016)
Dietary nitrates (December 2016)
Microbiome (December 2016)
Vitamin D (November 2016)
Microbiome (October 2016)
Gluten and training (October 2016)
Carbohydrate availability (October 2016)
Individual response to beetroot juice (October 2016)
Vegetarian diet and sports (October 2016)
Sports nutrition (September 2016)
Ketones and endurance athletes (August 2016)
Nutrient timing (July 2016)
Food intolerances and the athlete (July 2016)
Probiotics (June 2016)

The gold medal profile for sport psychology (Q4 2022)
Psychological safety in high performance sport (Q4 2022)
Pressure training in sport (Q4 2022)
The impact of COVID-19 on training (Q3 2022)
How much of an impact does sports psychology have? (Q2 2022)
Mental toughness in sport: what is it? (December 2021)
Mental health in elite coaches (October 2021)
Motivational climate driving success in an elite sporting team (August 2021)
The development of psychological resilience in high achievers (June 2021)
Creating a safe learning environment (June 2021)
COVID-19 and athlete coping (May 2021)
Improving the mental health of elite athletes (February 2021)
Psychological resilience in coaches (August 2020)
Beyond willpower (July 2020)
Team resilience (July 2020)
Mental toughness and resilience in sport (June 2020)
Emerging technologies in sports psychology (April 2020)
Pressure-based training (April 2020)
Defining mental toughness (January 2020)
Talent development and mental toughness (October 2019)
Mental health in elite athletes (June 2019)
The impact of information on physiology (January 2019)
Mental fatigue & performance (September 2018)
Coaching behavior can have a life-long impact (March 2018)
Supplements and the brain (March 2018)
Placebo, expectancy, and physical outcomes (February 2018)
Can you “catch” stress? (February 2018)
Evidenced-based practice, placebo, and ethics (December 2017)
Placebo and 200m sprint performance (September 2017)
Beliefs and performance (June 2017)
Genetics and psychology (May 2017)
Mental fatigue and performance (February 2017)
Coach stress affecting athletes? (November 2016)
Smiley face/sad face (October 2016)
Mental fatigue (September 2016)
Faster players perceive higher training loads (August 2016)
Meta-cognition and the brain (July 2016)
Mental toughness (June 2016)

Artificial intelligence in elite sports (Q1 2023)
Optimizing practice environments (Q1 2023)
Transformational leadership in youth sports coaching (Q4 2022)
Motor learning and performance under pressure (Q3 2022)
Body cooling during exercise (Q3 2022)
Coaching the coaches (Q2 2022)
High performance leadership (Q2 2022)
Briefing and debriefing to enhance performance (Q1 2022)
Working with Generation Z (Q1 2022)
The coach’s eye in talent identification (Q1 2022)
Talent development failures (December 2021)
Superior performance intelligence and sustained success (November 2021)
Creating an environment of inevitable and sustainable high performance (October 2021)
The use of mentors in elite coaching (October 2021)
What coaches can learn from computer games (September 2021)
Motivational climate driving success in an elite sporting team (August 2021)
What to do with non-responders? (August 2021)
New frontiers in sports science (July 2021)
Transitioning from athlete to coach (June 2021)
The role of instinct in talent identification (May 2021)
Understanding serial winning coaches (April 2021)
Pursuing mastery in coaching (April 2021)
Genetic testing in sport (April 2021)
Can genetic testing predict talent? (February 2021)
Performance management (February 2021)
Changing culture in high performance teams (February 2021)
How do coaches like to learn? (February 2021)
Just how much wisdom is there in a crowd? (January 2021)
Lessons from hunter-gathers to guide sports innovation (January 2021)
Cortisol response to competition as a predictor of future performance? (December 2020)
Visual control in the long jump (December 2020)
The processes and pathways of elite coaches (November 2020)
Ecological dynamics: from theory to practice (November 2020)
Talent identification in the jumping events (November 2020)
Why specialization is not always a bad thing (November 2020)
Creating synergies in training (October 2020)
Playing the bullsh*t game: the importance of communication (September 2020)
“No effect” does not actually mean there isn’t an effect; the problems with interpreting P >0.05 (September 2020)
Deselected athletes in talent development pathways (August 2020)
The role of team comedians (August 2020)
The Athlete Biological Passport and female endurance performance (August 2020)
Lessons from COVID-19 (July 2020)
Time of day and strength training adaptations (May 2020)
Athletes as cultural architects (May 2020)
Exploring ecological dynamics within sport (May 2020)
The art of coaching: what do high performance athletes want from their coaching relationships? (April 2020)
Scaling within youth sport (April 2020)
US military strategies for enhancing performance (March 2020)
How athlete leaders affect performance (March 2020)
Rethinking windows of opportunity and LTAD (March 2020)
Comparing developmental priorities of coaches and parents (March 2020)
Applying systems thinking to sport (February 2020)
Advice from top researchers in the field (February 2020)
Perform—Respond—Manage (December 2019)
Optimizing performance in the hea t (December 2019)
Can we use genetic testing for talent identification? (December 2019)
Muscle damage and skill learning (November 2019)
The effects of time of day on strength training adaptations (September 2019)
Separating the effects of periodization and variation (September 2019)
Where do coaches get their sports science information from? (July 2019)
Parents and sport (June 2019)
How to evaluate research for your own practice (April 2019)
Testosterone and female performance (April 2019)
Lucid dreaming and skill acquisition (February 2019)
Late specialization (February 2019)
Genetics and aerobic training (December 2018)
Transcranial direct current stimulation (October 2018)
The effects of travel and competitors on markers of well-being (July 2018)
Body composition periodization (April 2018)
Genetic testing in elite sport (March 2018)
A genetic algorithm for muscle fiber (December 2017)
Exercise genetics: the need for clarity from the noise (December 2017)
The future of sports medicine (December 2017)
Science to practice (or lab to field) (September 2017)
Nature vs nurture: what makes a champion (August 2017)
A case study in excellence (April 2017)
Heat acclimatization (February 2017)
The road to gold: training of elite endurance athletes (January 2017)
Long-term athlete development (January 2017)
Why are Kenyan distance runners so fast? (November 2016)
Is some evidence better than none? (November 2016)
Pain tolerance in athletes (October 2016)
Champions vs. almost (September 2016)
Extra-time (August 2016)
Does sexual intercourse affect sporting performance? (August 2016)
Facebook (July 2016)
Grand unified theory (June 2016)
Breathing training (June 2016)
Talent identification (May 2016)