SIRC

Authors: Ingham, S. a, Fudge, B.W. & Pringle, J.S.

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 7, 193-5 (2012).

Commentary by Leo Thornley

Progressing and excelling in sport is partly about the athlete effectively processing feedback, whether it is internal feedback that an athlete receives from sensory perception, external feedback as they watch video or technical information that is provided verbally. We often assume that once feedback is delivered then the change can be made. It sounds simple, however this is not the case

Its a good time for a bit of extra reading. Rather than identifying an article, this time I would like to highlight an entire issue of interest. The British Journal ofSports Medicine recently published an entire issue on “What really limits performance”. Dr. Timothy Noakes acted as a guest editor, and wrote a great piece on the Central Governor Model and the regulation of human exercise performance. There are eight papers that provide great reading and are thought provoking. Recommended reading! 

With almost 200,000 Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries occurring annually in the United States and nearly half of them requiring reconstructive surgery, years of research have been conducted on this common orthopaedic surgery. Following the surgical procedure, the need for a scientifically based rehabilitation program and a well-designed return to sport plan are essential. This article provides the reader with a review of the recent advancements and treatment goals for a successful rehabilitation following ACL surgery.

Expanding on earlier work by these same authors, this article provides the most recent summary of the dietary supplementation practices and perspectives of high performance athletes from across Canada. It is a must-read for all stake-holders in Canadian sports nutrition.

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is the enhancement in muscle force production that occurs following a conditioning activity involving submaximal or maximal muscular contractions. For example, a coach may prescribe a set of heavy back squats done at 90% of an athlete’s maximum followed by explosive jumps with the intent of eliciting greater force production in the jumps than would have been seen otherwise. While PAP has been well documented in controlled laboratory settings, supporting scientific evidence in real-world situations such as the weight room or field of play is more tenuous. Many experts argue that the underlying reason for this lack of evidence is due to the sensitivity of PAP to the loading parameters of the conditioning activity such as its timing, intensity and volume.

As we approach another summer Olympic Games we inevitably reflect on the athletes that are in their final preparation stages, the level they have reached and the level of their international rivals. Many sports discuss which of their top performers will be around for another quadrennial and where the next ones will come from. It is the examination of what current elite performers have done that can offer us some insight into where the next round may come from.

This is one of the first analyses that I have seen examining the functioning of an NSO from a psychological perspective. Even though the research was completed in Great Britain, I certainly think that the findings are relevant and applicable to any Canadian NSO or PSO as well as their ISTs.

The goal of postexercise nutrient intake is to restore the body’s primary fuel source, to repair muscle damage caused during the training session and to build new muscle tissue. When the training or competition schedule of an athlete demands repeated performance over a short period of time, less than 8 hours between sessions or events, the timing of nutrient intake is crucial.

There has long been debate about which aspects of the athlete “medical” should be included in the health assessment of the athlete, Recently, a group was convened by the IOC Medical Commission to critically evaluate the elements of history, physical examination and tests/ investigations that should be done in the setting of the elite athlete. The resulting Consensus Statement reflects the current international standard by which we should be both screening and monitoring our elite athletes.