Sports Performance

The elements of expertise

by Steven TAN

12.1 (Con)figuring Sport Flyer

by Moving Worlds: A Journal of Transcultural Writings

(Con)figuring Sports explores the ways in which sporting endeavours offer writers and artists an opportunity to... more (Con)figuring Sports explores the ways in which sporting endeavours offer writers and artists an opportunity to reflect upon the conflicts, tensions and cultural transformations which sport configures. This issue is edited by Shirley Chew and John McLeod.

The Gymnastics Functional Measurement Tool: An Instrument for the Physical Assessment of Competitive Gymnasts

by Mark Sleeper

2009, « Habitus, Freedom and Reflexivity », in Theory and Psychology Volume 19, no. 6, pp. 728-755.

by Mathieu Hilgers

The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is... more The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is an essential and necessary component for the coherence of the analyses which mobilize habitus both in terms of their theoretical articulation and in terms of their grounding in empirical reality. This argument can seem surprising considering that the theory of habitus has often been accused of being deterministic. Yet I show that, from an epistemological point of view, habitus theory is not deterministic. Bourdieu’s treatment of this concept implies at least three principles that exclude determinism: (1) the production of an infinite number of behaviors from a limited number of principles, (2) permanent mutation, and (3) the intensive and extensive limits of sociological understanding. After identifying and describing these principles, I show the reason for their incompatibility with a deterministic perspective and consider their implications for the corresponding model of action. I illustrate this analysis by a discussion of Loïc Wacquant’s carnal sociology of the pugilistic universe which reveals why it is essential to understand and explain the relation between habitus and freedom.

Goss-Sampson, M., Robbins, D., Matharoo, J., Filingeri, D. (2011). The Effects of powerBIKETM on Cyclical Muscle Activation Patterns. The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Annual Conference, 6-8th Sept, 2011, University of Essex, UK.

by Davide Filingeri

Paoli, A., Moro, T., Zonin, F., Filingeri, D., Bianco, A., Palma, A., Marcolin, G. (2011) Effects of high- intensity interval resistance training (HIRT) and pyramidal training (PYT) on some muscle and blood parameters . Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 51 (Suppl.1 to No. 3): 15.

by Davide Filingeri

Simone, S. V., Filingeri, D., Gariffo, E., Thomas, E., Moro, T., Battaglia, G., Bellafiore, M., Paoli, A., Bianco, A., Palma, A. (2011) Effects of a constant and incremental workload training protocol on upper body strength gains. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 51 (Suppl.1 to No. 3): 39.

by Davide Filingeri

Filingeri, D., Matharoo, J., Jemni, M. (2011) Do football players need altitude training? A review. In: Jemni M, Bianco A, Palma A, Eds; Proceedings of the 1st International Conference in Science and Football. International Week of Football. 15-17 April 2011, Palermo, Italy. CONI publications ISBN 978 - 88 - 905268-2-4.

by Davide Filingeri

Filingeri, D., Proia, P., Bianco, A., Schiera, G., Saladino, P., Pomara, F., Petrucci, M., Traina, M., Palma, A. (2011). Monitoring biomarkers during preseason preparation period in professional soccer players. Italian Journal Of Anatomy and Embryology. 116(2), 73.

by Davide Filingeri

Filingeri, D., Mancuso, E. P., Paoli, A., Bianco, A., Palma, A. (2011) Is hypoxia a training stimulus for endurance athletes’ performance? a brief review. Italian Journal of Sport Sciences and Law. 4 (4): 153-162.

by Davide Filingeri

Therapeutic bodily assistive devices and Paralympic athlete expectations in Winter Sport

by Gregor Wolbring

Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 22: 1. 51-57

Objective: To ascertain the impact of therapeutic bodily assistive
devices that enable beyond-the-normal body... more Objective: To ascertain the impact of therapeutic bodily assistive
devices that enable beyond-the-normal body abilities on sport in
general and the Paralympics and Olympics in particular.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Setting: Online.
Participants: Members of the National Council on Rehabilitation
Education (United States). Distribution of online survey link to
membership.
Assessment of Risk Factors: The survey used a combination
of 37 simple yes or no, Likert scale, and opinion rating scale
questions. This article is based on 4 of the 37 questions that focus on
the impact of therapeutic enhancements on various aspects of sport.
Main Outcome Measures: Whether respondents felt that there
is an impact of therapeutic bodily assistive devices that enable
beyond-the-normal body abilities on the participation of people
with disabilities in sport of all levels and the self-identity of
athletes with disabilities. Secondary outcome measure was what
the respondents felt the impact may be.
Results: The respondents indicated that therapeutic bodily assistive
devices, which enable beyond-the-normal body abilities, will have
an impact on participation of people with disabilities in sport at all
levels and on the self-identity of athletes with disabilities.
Conclusions: Given the result that the respondents felt that
therapeutic enhancements will impact various aspects of sport, it
may be prudent to initiate a broader discourse around therapeutic
enhancement and to revise codes of ethics so that they give guidance
on this topic.
Key Words: therapeutic enhancement, Paralympian, techno-doping,
future, athletes
(Clin J Sport Med 2012;22:51–57)

Even Between-Lap Pacing Despite High Within-Lap Variation During Mountain Biking

by Rachel Wright

Authors: Louise Martin, Anneliese Lambeth-Mansell, Liane Beretta-Azevedo, Lucy A. Holmes, Rachel Wright and Alan St Clair Gibson

International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance (in press)

Creatine supplementation and swim performance: a brief review

by Melissa J. Hopwood

Hopwood, M.J., Graham, K., Rooney, K.B. (2006) Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 5, 10-24

Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes participating in a wide variety of sports. Creatine is one of the... more Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes participating in a wide variety of sports. Creatine is one of the most commonly used dietary supplements, as it has been shown to be beneficial in improving performance during repeated bouts of high-intensity anaerobic activity. This review examines the specific effects of creatine supplementation on swimming performance, and considers the effects of creatine supplementation on various measures of power development in this population. Research performed on the effect of creatine supplementation on swimming performance indicates that whilst creatine supplementation is ineffective in improving performance during a single sprint swim, dietary creatine supplementation may benefit repeated interval swim set performance. Considering the relationship between sprint swimming performance and measurements of power, the effect of creatine supplementation on power development in swimmers has also been examined. When measured on a swim bench ergometer, power development does show some improvement following a creatine supplementation regime. How this improvement in power output transfers to performance in the pool is uncertain. Although some evidence exists to suggest a gender effect on the performance improvements seen in swimmers following creatine supplementation, the majority of research indicates that male and female swimmers respond equally to supplementation. A major limitation to previous research is the lack of consideration given to the possible stroke dependant effect of creatine supplementation on swimming performance. The majority of the research conducted to date has involved examination of the freestyle swimming stroke only. The potential for performance improvements in the breaststroke and butterfly swimming strokes is discussed, with regards to the biomechanical differences and differences in efficiency between these strokes and freestyle.

KEY WORDS: Phosphocreatine, breaststroke, butterfly, ergometer, power

Using visual simulation training to improve inner circle fielding performance

by Melissa J. Hopwood

Hopwood, M.J. (2007) Cricket Australia Overview:Online, Issue 12, November

The increased skill and power of modern batters has forced fielders to also sharpen their skills. While practice in... more The increased skill and power of modern batters has forced fielders to also sharpen their skills. While practice in the middle is critical, there is great interest in whether such skills can be fast-tracked. AIS Skill Acquisition Assistant Melissa Hopwood reports on a recent study involving the AIS, UNSW and Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

Does Visual-Perceptual Training Augment the Fielding Performance of Skilled Cricketers?

by Melissa J. Hopwood

Hopwood, M.J., Mann, D.L., Farrow, D., Nielson, T. (2011) International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 6(4), 523-535

This study examined the effectiveness of visual-perceptual training for improving fielding performance in cricket.... more This study examined the effectiveness of visual-perceptual training for improving fielding performance in cricket. Twelve highly-skilled cricket players completed a video-based decision-making test and an in-situ fielding test before and after a six-week training intervention. During this period, all participants completed the same on-field training program, but seven players completed three additional perceptual training sessions per week (TRAIN). The remaining five players acted as a control (CON). Despite no group differences at pre-test, TRAIN scored significantly higher than CON at post-test for decision accuracy within the video-based test. For the in-situ fielding test, TRAIN demonstrated greater improvements in fielding success following the intervention compared to CON. The results indicate that six weeks of on-field training combined with visual-perceptual training can lead to improvements in the fielding performance of skilled cricketers above those of on-field training alone. Findings are discussed from empirical and applied coaching perspectives.

Key words: Anticipation, Cricket, Fielding, Visual-Perceptual Training, Video-Based Decision Making

The influence of viewing perspective on decision-making and visual search behaviour in an invasive sport

by Melissa J. Hopwood

Mann, D.L., Farrow, D., Shuttleworth, R., Hopwood,M. (2009) International Journal of Sport Psychology, 40, 546-564

Perceptual-cognitive skill was examined in a film-based task displayed from two different viewing perspectives.... more Perceptual-cognitive skill was examined in a film-based task displayed from two different viewing perspectives. Nineteen skilled youth football players observed identical simulations filmed from two different viewing perspectives; a ‘player’ perspective designed to simulate that experienced by a player in a game, and an ‘aerial’ perspective filmed from an elevated position overlying the same location on the field. Observation of the aerial perspective resulted in superior decision making performance, most likely a reflection of the additional specifying information available from this viewpoint. Visual search recordings demonstrated increased time spent observing open space in the aerial perspective, along with more fixations of lesser duration primarily due to an increase in the referential fixation transitions between the player in possession of the ball and other attacking features. For both
perspectives, participants fixated on the correct option however in the player view this correct option was chosen less frequently.

KEY WORDS: Expertise, Eye movements, Simulation, Soccer.

Fronton e Identidad Comunitaria. Los Manistas Campeones del Mundo de San Juan Ixtayopan

by Héctor Villarreal

working paper

San Juan Ixtayopan is an ancient town in the rural area southwest of Mexico City. There, the practice of Basque pelota... more San Juan Ixtayopan is an ancient town in the rural area southwest of Mexico City. There, the practice of Basque pelota in the specialty of mano, is in addition to sports, sense of belonging and community representation of their identity, so it is very popular and is carried out at an early age in an organized manner. Its front is a space for meeting and socializing, where they dispute the supremacy sport with their peers from neighboring towns, which are much larger in population size and economy. Together they form a micro region whose manistas have achieved more world championships and Olympic medals for Mexico that all athletes in the country.

Sistematização da Preparação Física do Judoca Mario Sabino: um estudo de caso do ano de 2003

by Mauro Carvalho

Changes in cycling efficiency during a competitive season

by Louis Passfield

Variable versus constant power strategies during cycling time-trials: prediction of time savings using an up-to-date mathematical model

by Louis Passfield