Every month we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this month’s edition we look at failures in talent development, mental toughness, mental rest, using data in elite sport, nutrition, and more.
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It’s now been a year since the pandemic started and lockdowns started around the world. The impact has been massive for everyone. And while I think we all wish we didn’t have to go through the experience, there is a thing or two we can learn from the past year.
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This article is adapted from a piece I wrote for Athletics Weekly in September 2018.
When we think about conditioning, one time of year comes to mind: the preseason. As the season ends, the next year inevitably starts with a rest phase, followed by rigorous preseason training. As many sports are about to head into their training camps for the fall season, it is time to rethink our approach to the preseason. Read more
Training for the complex demands of American football can be a difficult task. Training within the constraints of the NFL is even harder. On this week’s episode Arizona Cardinals coach Buddy Morris joins us again to talk about coaching in the NFL, including the role of sports science, training loads, the impact of the collective bargaining agreement, and the state of the sport. Read more
You can’t just learn a new training method from reading a book. You have to live it, you have to experiment with it, and you have to understand all the different parts. Derek Evely has spent his career studying the top training methods in sport, and there is one method he keeps coming back to: Bondarchuk. He’s working on an upcoming course to help coaches look under the hood and learn from his trials and failures. On this week’s podcast he joins us to dig deep into two concepts: exercise classification and rest phases. Read more
After focusing on getting back to the basics in October and adaptation in November, we turned our attention to a new site theme in December: rest and recovery. Throughout the month we compiled best practices in this area from top coaches, including Dean Benton (English Rugby), Mike Bahn (formerly of US Ski), Nick Lumley (Edinburgh Rugby) and Vern Gambetta. We also got input from Matt Foreman on recovery as you age, and Craig Pickering on some of the science behind recovery. Combined, it will get you thinking about how to approach the topic going forward. Read more
The theme this month on HMMR Media is recovery. Recovery is a tricky area to navigate, with decisions often influenced as much by traditions, new technology, or pseudoscience as by research and common sense. On this episode of the GAINcast, Vern walks through the science of recovery, his approach, and what questions coaches need to be asking. Read more
When it comes down to it, much of sports training is about being able to endure more and come back and do it again. These are both points that rugby strength coach Nick Lumley has focussed on since taking over his role at Edinburgh Rugby this summer. He comes back on the podcast this week to explain how he has tried to improve body composition, increase endurance, and optimize recovery for his team. Read more
The word recovery gets used a lot in sport with a variety of meanings in my experience. A common misconception I come across is the assumption that one size fits all in the world of recovery. There are various aspects of post-exercise recovery and it is completely individual to the situation and the athlete. In my opinion recovery should be viewed as a tool to manipulate in order to optimize performance. Below I want to explai na little about what recovery is how I categorize and use recovery methods, and some non-negotiables when it comes to recovery. Read more
Earlier this week we posted the first part of our interview with Dean Benton, head of Sports Science for the England Senior Rugby Team. Our interview covers a variety of topics on rest and recovery, and to start with we looked at sleep. Below we continue with part two of the interview where we continue to discuss rehabilitation strategies, recovery methods, and coping with travel demands. Read more
