Sportsmith

Strengthening the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, medius and minimus) is crucial for controlling body posture and opposing the forces at the hip and knee that contribute to lower limb injuries. But it's unclear how well current injury prevention and rehabilitation programs target the gluteal muscles.

But what is the difference between the exercise options?

Comment 👇🏼 with the word GLUTES and we will DM you the article.

🧠 Neurocognitive approach to rehab: Lateral ankle sprain case study

With

Comment 👇🏼 with the word REHAB and we will DM you the article.

Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are the most common injury in sports and often lead to chronic functional ankle instability in many athletes. A study highlighted that individuals with chronic instability show reduced neurocognitive function, particularly in spatial awareness and rapid response to environmental stimuli. This suggests that LAS should be seen as coordination errors in the nervous system rather than purely biomechanical issues.

Injuries like LAS disrupt the neural input from the ankle to the brain, impacting balance and motor coordination. Athletes often become overly reliant on vision for balance, which can hinder their performance in dynamic sports settings. Traditional rehab focuses on physical strength and agility but often neglects the brain's role in recovery, making it crucial to integrate neurocognitive elements early in the rehab process.

With this in mind, read the full article to discover an applied case study in Angela's article:

➡️ A 14-year-old netballer, experienced recurring LAS due to factors around growth and neurocognitive challenges related to ADHD.

➡️ Her new rehab approach included reducing visual dominance, enhancing motor skills without conscious thought, and preparing for sport-specific cognitive demands.

➡️ This method, focusing on neuroplasticity and sensory-motor integration, aims to restore confidence and prevent future injuries by making rehab more comprehensive and effective.

Click the link in our bio or DM us for a link to learn more about how this neurocognitive approach was integrated for the athlete's rehab.

Do you want to present alongside a world-class line-up at the Sportsmith Rehab Conference at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, UK on 12-13 October?

We are opening up applications to anyone who has a case study to present. To help with this we are offering:

✅ Free tickets to the 2-day conference
✅ 2 night accommodation
✅ £300 contribution for travel to and from the event

The deadline is Friday 28th June with decisions made on Friday 5th July.

Comment 👇🏼with the word PRESENT and we will DM you more information.

Youth development beyond LTAD models



Comment 👇🏼 with the word LTAD and we will DM you the article.

Long-term athletic development often stops once athletes leave school, which hinders our understanding of their continued growth. This gap is especially noticeable in Rugby Union, a sport that is typically populated by late maturing athletes.

In Rugby in the UK, there is no formalized age-grade league beyond 18 years, creating a unique 3-5 year window for individualized development focused on physical growth.

However, this period presents its own set of challenges, requiring a structured approach to help athletes overcome these hurdles and achieve future success.

To extend player development, a structured five-step process is essential:

1️⃣ Initial analysis - identify strengths & weaknesses to formulate the foundations of the plan.

2️⃣ Planning - collaborate across the IDT to set clear goals and select the best tools for success.

3️⃣ Ex*****on - putting the plan into action, adjusting for obstacles such as injury and schedule changes.

4️⃣ Performance - review within training sessions, rather than standalone tests, helps maintain focus for the ultimate goal: effective training transfer to the field.

5️⃣ Reflection - crucial for long-term success, reviews of progress and robust feedback loops maintain engagement and foster more desirable outcomes.

This 5-step process keeps athletes involved and invested in their training, leading to sustained effort and consistency. Reflecting on both successes and areas for improvement ensures continuous development and adaptation of training strategies.

Dive in and discover how LTAD needs to be committed to beyond adolescence, into young adulthood as well.

*****on

Now on Sportsmith...

Measuring what matters in hamstring rehab: Pain, strength at length, and movement



Comment 👇🏼 with the word HAMSTRING and we will DM you the article.

Hamstring injuries remain the most common type of injury in football and field-based sports, accounting for 24% of all injuries, up from 12% two decades ago. Despite advancements in injury prevention, the rate of injury continues to rise.

The primary goal in rehabilitation is to return athletes to their sport as quickly and safely as possible, minimizing the risk of re-injury. Effective rehab focuses on reducing pain, enhancing tissue healing, improving tissue capacity, and developing movement capability.

During rehabilitation, pain management and healing are crucial. Monitoring pain, especially during palpation, helps guide the rehab process. A significant indicator of progress is when the length of pain on palpation reduces to one-third of the initial measurement, signaling that the athlete is halfway through rehab. Objective measurements, such as range of motion and strength assessments, are vital for tracking progress and adjusting treatment plans effectively.

Incorporating movement variability and sport-specific drills in the later stages of rehab is essential for preparing athletes for the demands of their sport. Progressive loading and exercise adaptation ensure that players build the necessary strength and resilience.

By combining clinical assessments with reliable data from new technologies, practitioners can optimize rehab programs, leading to better outcomes for athletes.

Read this article to learn how pain, strength and movement contribute to effective hamstring rehab protocols!

Powered by

Building strength during early stages of rehab and return to sport

of

Comment 👇🏼 with the word REHAB and we will DM you the article

Injuries that require long-term rehab often give athletes their longest layoff from competition. This time away from the sport is critical for making physical progress, improving output capac-ities like speed, strength, power, and agility. Practitioners must address deficiencies from the injury to prevent altered movement strategies, which can arise in later phases of Return to Sport (RTS) due to new activities demanding higher force production and velocity.

In the early phase of RTS, the focus is on restoring function in the injured area and surrounding regions. For example, after an ACL reconstruction, it’s essential to regain knee flexion, extension, and rotation, as well as rebuild muscle size and strength in the entire limb. Practitioners should ensure foundational goals are met before advancing to more challenging movements to avoid compensatory strategies that could hinder performance.

During the mid and late stages of rehab, the focus shifts to enhancing elasticity, power, and eccentric deceleration with plyometrics. Activities like double and single leg plyos help build rhythm and timing, while exercises such as drop and stick variations improve eccentric control. Continuous assessment throughout these stages ensures athletes develop the necessary musculoskeletal and neuromuscular qualities to safely and effectively perform high-velocity movements, ultimately preparing them for a successful return to competition.

Join Trevor Rappa in this expert article to see how the rehab process comes together through an applied case study of a 14-year old athlete.

Sponsored by

-ingcoach

Now on Sportsmith...

Fair play off the field: Addressing the lack of objectivity in sports practitioner assessments

with

Comment 👇🏼 with the word KPI and we will DM you the article.

Navigating elite sports involves constant adaptation. Frequent coaching changes force practitioners to continually prove their value to new management, which can be exhausting and distract from enhancing player performance and well-being. Some journeys have shown that skilled professionals are sometimes sidelined not due to incompetence but because their innovative approaches threaten less effective colleagues.

This reality prompts the need for objective performance evaluation systems.

The overarching aim of such a system would be to base best practice on the corporate world, to integrate objective assessments with HR practices. This approach fosters collaboration between HR expertise and sport-specific insights, ensuring that performance and medical departments in elite sports meet their unique demands with precision and care.

Objective evaluation, though initially a daunting task, ensures decisions are based on merit rather than politics. It benefits all parties by enhancing individual recognition, development, and overall efficiency within sports organizations.

This quest for objectivity in a subjective world aims to create a fair, transparent, and effective assessment system for elite sports.

Read more to understand the need for objective KPI systems within elite sport.

Replacing warm-ups and "activation" with pre-training preparation (PTP) sessions

with

Comment 👇🏼 with the word PREP and we will DM you the article.

Traditional "pre-activation" routines like foam rolling and mini band work fall short of providing the necessary preparation, with most athletes just killing time before going out to the field or court.

Enter pre-training preparation (PTP) sessions: time deliberately planned and designed to prepare players for high performance during training and matches.

With football becoming more intense, it's essential to evolve our training methods beyond the "we've always done it this way" mentality to meet modern demands. This means using time in productive ways, angling towards longer term adaptation, with the benefit of acute performance enhancement.

A typical match week includes recovery, conditioning, and match preparation. However, with multiple games per week, ideal training becomes challenging. Players with significant match minutes follow a recovery-focused routine, while others maintain their load through additional training. To optimize physical performance, PTP sessions are crucial. With around 75-90 hours of contact time in a season, these sessions offer ample opportunity to develop specific physical qualities despite high match loads.

Aligning physical and technical training is vital for success. PTP sessions should be informed by technical coaches' plans, focusing on preparing players for the demands of upcoming sessions. These sessions are divided into movement prep, specific prep, and individual prep, each targeting different physical aspects. Incorporating exercises that track performance data helps monitor progress and adjust training plans accordingly. Ultimately, creating a culture of accountability and understanding among players and staff is key to the success of PTP sessions and overall player development.

It's exactly 5 days until we kick off the Sportsmith Speed Conference. The event would not be possible without the amazing support of our partners:

🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝
🤝 .fit
🤝
🤝
🤝

If you're still thinking about attending, you will have to be quick as we only have a few tickets left...

Now on Sportsmith...

“Activation”: Is it doing what you think it’s doing?

Gerard McMahon

Comment 👇🏼 with the word ACTIVATION and we will DM you the article.

What does muscle activation mean?

Muscle activation is a term often misused in sports science, despite its fundamental role in muscle function. Many practitioners and online gurus use "activation" without understanding its true meaning, leading to confusion.

Muscle activation specifically refers to the number of muscle fibers activated and their firing rates, which are crucial for force production. However, using the term without proper context or distinction from related phenomena like post-activation potentiation (PAP) or post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) only adds to the confusion.

Several factors influence muscle activation levels during exercise, including muscle force, contraction velocity, muscle length, contraction type, and muscle temperature. Proper understanding and application of these factors are essential for optimizing performance.

For instance, increasing contraction velocity or muscle force directly impacts muscle activation. Conversely, misunderstanding these principles may result in ineffective training practices and misplaced beliefs about exercise benefits.

Despite the popularity of "activation exercises," evidence suggests they may not be necessary for healthy athletes. High levels of muscle activation can be achieved through regular, sport-specific warm-ups that involve activities like running and jumping. These exercises are more effective in preparing muscles for performance compared to isolated activation exercises like mini band clam shells, which often lack the necessary intensity and context.

Practitioners should focus on progressive, sport-specific warm-ups and consider dropping the overused term "activation" unless discussing specific neuromuscular processes.

Extensive plyometrics: A practical and effective option for team sports

With James O'Sullivan

Comment 👇🏼 with the word PLYOS and we will DM you the article.

Extensive plyometrics offer a practical and effective approach to training for team sports. Unlike intensive plyometrics, extensive methods focus on rhythm and technique rather than raw performance, making them more accessible and less demanding on athletes. This approach helps build a solid technical foundation, allowing athletes to safely progress to higher-intensity exercises.

These exercises are highly practical, time-efficient, and cost-effective, ideal for large teams. A typical session involves athletes working in lines, performing a series of exercises such as forward leaps, hops, and split exchange leaps. This setup allows for continuous movement and minimal equipment, fitting seamlessly into a team’s training routine.

Beyond practicality, extensive plyometrics enhance proprioceptive learning and musculoskeletal endurance. They help athletes, especially those with less training experience, improve their coordination, reactive strength, and movement economy. By starting with extensive plyometrics, athletes can develop the necessary skills and physical adaptations to excel in more intensive plyometric training, ultimately boosting on-field performance.

Explore this week's article and find out how to implement extensive methods into your practice.

This is a Sportsmith Premium article and needs a subscription to read in full. BUT, Premium is only £12.99 per month, cancel anytime.

In this roundtable we have 4 practitioners who have used blood flow restriction training extensively and will discuss how other recovery modalities can be used alongside BFR to create the "holy trinity". We have , , and .Baistrocchi.

Comment 👇🏼 with the word RECOVERY and we will DM you registration details.

They will discuss:

• What the latest research says about blood flow restriction training
• How different recovery strategies can be complimentary of each other
• What affect BFR has on recovery
• How the panel have used BFR in their environments
• Objective and subjective views on BFR versus other recovery modalities
• + more!

Now on Sportsmith...

Monitoring stages of neuromuscular fatigue via force platforms and VBT

With

Comment 👇🏼 with the word FATIGUE and we will DM you the article.

Monitoring neuromuscular fatigue is crucial for maintaining peak athletic performance. Fatigue isn't simply a binary state but a spectrum, with transient, cumulative, and circadian types affecting cognitive and physical abilities.

In athletes, neuromuscular fatigue impacts the brain, spinal cord, and muscles, essential for producing quick, powerful movements. Identifying early signs of fatigue allows for timely interventions to maintain performance levels.

Velocity-based training (VBT) and force plate analysis are effective tools for tracking neuromuscular function. These methods provide objective metrics to detect the stages of neuromuscular fatigue, enabling coaches to adjust training loads and recovery protocols.

By monitoring indicators of fatigue and adjusting training accordingly, practitioners can prevent the debilitating effects of chronic neuromuscular fatigue, ensuring athletes remain at their competitive best.

Now on Sportsmith Premium...

What is the impact on performance from “pre-activation”?

By

Comment 👇🏼 with the word ACTIVATION and we will DM you the article.

Pre-activation may be a key warm-up strategy, aimed at boosting muscle power output during specific movements like acceleration, sprinting, jumping, or throwing. It's like clearing a pipe to maximize water flow—the fully activated muscle is the debris-free pipe, enabling enhanced performance.

The right balance between potentiation and fatigue is crucial, especially considering training experience, rest periods, and exercise intensity.

Measuring muscle activity via EMG helps identify which exercises elicit high muscle activity, aiding in targeted training for strength gains and athletic performance improvements.

Traditional exercises like heavy back squats are studied, yet exercises mimicking sprint-specific activation patterns, like hip thrusts or resisted knee splits, show promise in enhancing sprint dynamics and reducing injury risks.

Join Max Goller in this edition of Sportsmith Six as he answers the questions:

1️⃣ What do we mean by pre-activation and why should we seek exercises that enhance it?

2️⃣ What levels of improvement can we see if we get this right, e.g., in sprint acceleration?

3️⃣ What does measuring muscle activity tell us about an exercise and its effectiveness?

4️⃣ What exercises have been traditionally used for pre-activation when the aim is to improve sprint acceleration and why are there questions over their effectiveness?

5️⃣ Why is glute max pre-activation so important and what exercises are most effective for pre-activation?

6️⃣ Why is glute med pre-activation so important and what exercises are most effective for pre-activation?

Enhancing recovery with blood flow restriction garments



Comment 👇🏼 with the word BFR and we will DM you the article.

Recovery is the key that can unlock peak performance. While rest, sleep, and nutrition are all essential, the benefits of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) garments for accelerated recovery could be a game changer.

BFR cuffs restrict blood flow, promoting recovery hormones and flushing out metabolic by-products from muscles and joints. Studies show reduced muscle damage biomarkers and faster recovery times, making BFR integral to recovery strategies.

Practical BFR devices, like wearable garments, offer a versatile, cost-effective recovery tool. They're easy to use and integrate into daily routines, enhancing athlete compliance and effectiveness.

Educating athletes on BFR benefits and proper usage is crucial for successful implementation. With tailored protocols and careful monitoring, BFR can revolutionize athlete recovery and performance.

Recovery BFR protocols can be passive or active, with benefits seen within a 24-hour window post-training or competition. Research suggests three intervals of BFR are optimal for recovery, but even 1-2 intervals provide benefits.

As we look ahead, more research is needed to understand BFR's effects on females, paving the way for tailored protocols and enhanced recovery profiles.

Supported by

Currently in his 26th year of professional coaching, Stu is CEO and Short Sprints Coach at and we are delighted to have him present at the Sportsmith Speed Conference at Pitt on 1-2 June.

Stu will be presenting on Sunday 2nd on Speed: What matters and why?

Comment 👇🏼with the word SPEED and we will DM you more information on the event of the year!

There is so much information out there on speed training. Magic drills, new thinking (which is often old thinking) and outlandish claims litter social media. But what’s really important when we are developing speed?

Based on 25+ years of working with the fastest people in the world, Stu will explain the fundamental principles of speed and how these can be manipulated to fit various different environments. He will take what he has learnt from the world of track and field and bring it into the team sport setting. Examples, case studies and insights from the athletes themselves will form the cornerstone of this presentation.

Developing skill acquisition at all ages through “play”

with

Comment 👇🏼 with the word PLAY and we will DM you the article.

Remember the days of endless play, from park football to curby on the streets?

The nostalgic charm of childhood games is fading, replaced by digital natives and professionalised sports. Yet, the essence of play remains crucial for holistic development. Play isn't just about fun; it fosters creativity, autonomy, and social skills, crucial for navigating life's complexities.

From playful activities to deliberate play, each form offers unique benefits. Playful activities spark imagination, while structured play hones problem-solving. Deliberate play blends purposeful practice with enjoyment, crafting adaptable athletes and resilient individuals. Skill acquisition thrives in varied, playful environments, shaping agile minds and bodies.

Why does play matter? It's more than just games; it's a gateway to self-discovery, emotional resilience, and social bonds. In a world of early specialization, play should feature overwhelmingly, nurturing well-rounded athletes and happy, engaged individuals. Join Jack as he breaks down the science and art of development through the power of play.

Only 2 weeks to go until booking closes and we kick off the isometric strength training online course with Alex Natera]

We are giving one person FULL LIFETIME ACCESS to the course. To be in with a shout -

1) follow & Alex Natera]
2) like this post
3) tag a fellow coach in the comments below

Winner to be announced and contacted directly on 22nd September.

The course includes -

• 5 hours of high-quality lectures with Alex which includes testing and exercise demonstrations, and whiteboard sessions
• 9 hours of expert guest presentations from Matt Van D**e, Paul Comfort, Keith Baar, Danny Lum, Ben Ashworth, Simon Harries and Nick Court
• 2 hours of real-world case studies from coaches across the globe
• Accompanying PDF of each lesson with addtional resources
• Access to dedicated private Slack channel
• Also in SPANISH 🇪🇸

What do other coaches say about this course -

“Alex is an exceptional practitioner who has excelled in athletics as well as team sports using his isometric training systems. We have worked together on a number of projects and this course will be incredibly valuable for coaches of any level.”

“Alex has been the biggest influence on what we do in the weightroom over the past two years. His information and insight is invaluable”

On the course you will learn -

• How to assess an athletes isometric strength capability across a number of positions
• How to effectively coach and cue a variety of isometric strength training exercises
• How to progress and regress isometric strength training exercises
• Programme run-specific isometrics on a session, microcyle, meso cycle and macro cycle level
• How to programme run-specific isometrics when working with youth, advanced and rehabbing athletes.

More information on the course can be found at Sportsmith.co/courses or via the link in our bio

Good luck!

Heart rate variability: What we know and how it can be used to inform training prescription with

Key talking points -
• Collecting HRV data to maximise data quality
• Why HRV hasn't been adopted by team sport staff
• Integrating HRV data w/ other data
• What else can HRV tell us apart from overall stress

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Scientist and Owner of HRV4Training, Marco Altini. In addition to this, Marco is also an advisor to Oura Ring. This episode is all about heart rate variability (HRV) and how the data can be used to inform training in various different environments.

We kick off the conversation by outlining what HRV actually is and Marco gives us a rundown of how we can collect reliable, actionable data with the technology we now have available. He then reveals why he thinks HRV hasn't been incorporated into the team setting given its value in assessing the response to stress. He then finishes off this fascinating episode with insights into what else HRV can tell us about what is going on with our athletes like illness or menstrual cycle phase.

If you're interested in knowing more about heart rate variability and how it can be used with your athletes, listen on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.