Global Industry Perspectives on Postgraduate Strength and Conditioning Degrees: An Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Purpose: This investigation sought to determine industry perceptions of postgraduate strength and conditioning (S&C) degrees to understand whether graduates are equipped for the demands of sport performance service roles.

Methods: Survey data were collected from 111 participants employed as performance staff or in a role that recruits and supervises performance staff. The survey consisted of 3 main sections: (1) perceptions of career-development opportunities in S&C, (2) perception of S&C postgraduate programs, and (3) perceptions of employability in S&C.

Preseason and In-Season High-Speed Running Demands of 2 Professional Australian Rules Football Teams.

Background: Australian Rules Football athletes complete long preseasons, yet injuries occur frequently at early stages of the competitive season. Little is known about the high-speed running (HSR) prescription during a preseason or whether players are adequately prepared for competition. This study described absolute and relative preseason and in-season HSR demands of 2 professional Australian football teams.

No Impact of Anthropometric and Fitness Factors on Speed-Agility in Young Soccer Players: Is It a Cognitive Influence?

Purpose: Agility in young soccer players has long been associated with physical attributes like strength, speed, and power. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between cognitive factors and agility performance in this unique population.

Methods: 39 young soccer players age 13.

Common High-Speed Running Thresholds Likely Do Not Correspond to High-Speed Running in Field Sports.

Freeman, BW, Talpey, SW, James, LP, Opar, DA, and Young, WB. Common high-speed running thresholds likely do not correspond to high-speed running in field sports. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1411-1418, 2023-The purpose of this study was to clarify what percentage of maximum speed is associated with various running gaits.

Discriminative Ability of Lower limb Strength and Power Measures in Lacrosse Athletes.

The objective of this investigation was to compare isokinetic strength, countermovement jump and drop jump variables between high-contributors and low-contributors within NCAA Division I Men's and Women's lacrosse athletes. Men's (N=36) and Women's (N=30) NCAA Division I lacrosse athletes completed strength testing of the quadriceps and hamstring across three speeds (60°·s, 180°·s, 300°·s), countermovement and drop jumps. To determine the discriminative ability of select lower-limb strength and power characteristics participants were categorized as high-contributors (Males N=18, age=20.

Countermovement jump variables not tensiomyography can distinguish between sprint and endurance focused track cyclists.

This study investigated the reliability and discriminative ability of tensiomyography and countermovement jump variables as measures of a muscles contractile properties in a cohort of elite endurance and sprint track cyclists. Tensiomyography was performed on the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles in sprint track cyclists (N = 8) and endurance track cyclists (N = 8). Additionally, the participants completed a countermovement jump on a force plate.

Agile ageing - A modifiable vital sign to mitigate the risk of falls in older adults?

Falls prevention in older adults is a targeted priority because a fall can lead to disability, institutionalisation and presents a signficant financial burden. Falls are multifactoral in nature however, impairments in both physical and cognitive functioning have been linked to their occurrence. Currently, testing and exercise training for falls prevention focuses on physical qualities such as balance and strength.

Sprinting and hamstring strain injury: Beliefs and practices of professional physical performance coaches in Australian football.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish beliefs and practices of physical performance coaches regarding sprinting and Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI) in Australian Rules football.

Designs: Delphi-validated questionnaire.

Setting: Online.

Effect of Intention to Squat Explosively on Acute Countermovement Jump Performance.

O'Grady, MW, Young, WB, Behm, DG, and Talpey, SW. Effect of intention to squat explosively on acute countermovement jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 35(12): 3348-3354, 2021-The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of squatting with the intention of moving the bar as fast as possible during the ascent phase on potentiating countermovement jump (CMJ) performance.

The effects of sprint training and the Nordic hamstring exercise on eccentric hamstring strength and sprint performance in adolescent athletes.

Background: Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are among the most common injuries in field-based team sports with a high-speed running component. The implementation of the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a well-documented method of improving eccentric hamstring strength to mitigate the risk of HSI occurrence. Sprint training is specific to the injury mechanism and is thought to activate the hamstrings through maximal eccentric contractions.

Changes in Lower Body Muscular Performance Following a Season of NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse.

The tactical and technical components of training become a primary emphasis, leaving less time for targeted development of physical qualities that underpin performance during the competition phase of a training program. A deemphasis on physical preparation during the in-season training phase may make athletes more susceptible to injury and decrease performance on the field. Two weeks prior to the start and one week following the conclusion of the 16-week collegiate lacrosse season, lower body force production was assessed in eight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Men's Lacrosse athletes.

Gradual vs. Maximal Acceleration: Their Influence on the Prescription of Maximal Speed Sprinting in Team Sport Athletes.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a difference existed between peak speed attained when performing a sprint with maximal acceleration versus from a gradual build-up. Additionally, this investigation sought to compare the actual peak speed achieved when instructed to reach 75% and 90% of maximum speed. Field sport athletes ( = 21) performed sprints over 60 m under the experimental conditions, and the peak speed was assessed with a radar gun.

Physical qualities predict change-of-direction speed but not defensive agility in Australian rules football.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between selected physical qualities, change-of-direction (COD) speed, and defensive agility performance in Australian Rules football players. Twenty-four male community-level players were assessed on sprint acceleration (10-m time), maximum strength (3 repetition-maximum half squat), leg power (countermovement jump), reactive strength (drop jump), and a single COD speed test and a defensive agility test. Change-of-direction speed was correlated with reactive strength (r = -0.

Effect of Instructions on Selected Jump Squat Variables.

Talpey, SW, Young, WB, and Beseler, B. Effect of instructions on selected jump squat variables. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2508-2513, 2016-The purpose of this study was to compare 2 instructions on the performance of selected variables in a jump squat (JS) exercise.

The acute effects of conventional, complex, and contrast protocols on lower-body power.

This study compared conventional, complex, and contrast protocols on peak power (PP) output. Static vs. dynamic contractions were also manipulated to determine the effect of these confounding variables.

The effect of including a series of isometric conditioning contractions to the rowing warm-up on 1,000-m rowing ergometer time trial performance.

Rowing requires strength, power, and strength-endurance for optimal performance. A rowing-based warm-up could be enhanced by exploiting the postactivation potentiation (PAP) phenomenon, acutely enhancing power output at the beginning of a race where it is needed most. Minimal research has investigated the effects of PAP on events of longer duration (i.