Christopher Beaven

The University of Waikato · Faculty of Health, Sport and Human Performance

INTRODUCTION – 9.6 million people play rugby in 124 countries and 40 teams will compete in the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Rugby Sevens (7s) has gained in popularity since its introduction to the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 Youth Olympics saw 11 countries from 6 regional associations compete at 7s. Rugby 7s school youth participation has grown by 1...

The manipulation of light exposure in the evening has been shown to modulate sleep, and may be beneficial in a military setting where sleep is reported to be problematic. This study investigated the efficacy of low‐temperature lighting on objective sleep measures and physical performance in military trainees. Sixty‐four officer‐trainees (52 male/12...

Purpose: Although recommendations for effective heat acclimation (HA) strategies for many circumstances exist, best-practice HA protocols specific to elite female team-sport athletes are yet to be established. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the effectiveness and retention of a passive HA protocol integrated in a female Olympic rugby s...

Purpose: We evaluated the extent of changes in training practices, recovery, mental health, and sleep patterns of athletes during the early COVID-19 lockdown in a single country-cohort. Methods: A total of 686 athletes (59% male, 41% female; 9% World Class, 28% International, 29% National, 26% State, 8% Recreational) from 50 sports (45% individual,...

Hamstring strain injuries are one of the most common injuries in Rugby Union players, representing up to 15% of all sustained injuries. The Nordic eccentric hamstring test assesses the maximal hamstring eccentric strength and imbalances between limbs. Asymmetries and deficits in hamstring strength between legs are commonly assessed and used as scre...

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a common and severe knee injury associated with sport participation and can involve arthroscopic surgery. Clinical tests to assess the neuromuscular function of the affected limb compared to the non-affected limb expressed by limb symmetry indices, typically inform for Return-to-Sport (RTS...

Ramadan intermittent fasting during the COVID-19 lockdown (RIFL) may present unique demands. We investigated training practices (i.e., training load and training times) of athletes, using pre-defined survey criteria/questions, during the ‘first’ COVID-19 lockdown, comparing RIFL to lockdown-alone (LD) in Muslim athletes. Specifically, a within-subj...

Athletes display differing sleep habits to non-athletic populations; similarly, differences occur in sleep habits between athletes from different sports. There is currently limited research investigating the differences in sleep habits and behaviors between different levels of competition within the same sport. A total of 224 rugby union athletes (...

Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes' knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May-July 2020...

Purpose: Leading a 4-km team pursuit (TP) requires high-intensity efforts above critical power (CP) that deplete riders' finite work capacity (W'), whereas riders following in the aerodynamic draft may experience some recovery due to reduced power demands. This study aimed to determine how rider ability and CP and W' measures impact TP performance...

Evaluating the relationships between physical-test and match performance in team sports could be useful for training prescription and athlete evaluation. Here we investigated these relationships in women’s Rugby Sevens. Thirty provincial-representative players performed Bronco-fitness, countermovement-jump, acceleration, speed, and strength tests w...

A heat response test (HRT) assesses adaptations to heat stress and athlete readiness to perform in hot conditions. However, testing is often not sport-specific, and is challenging to incorporate into elite team-sports schedules due to competing training priorities. Seven non-heat acclimated elite rugby sevens athletes (25 ± 3 years; 95.3 ± 6.5 kg;...

Background Daytime napping on match-day is a strategy used by athletes to alleviate sleep debt or to avoid boredom. However, the utilization of pre-match napping and its effect on self-rated performance has not been evaluated in professional Rugby athletes. Methods Over a 17-match season, 30 professional Rugby Union athletes (mean ± SD: 23 ± 3 y)...

Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if strength neck measures are reliable. We conducted a repeated-measures reliability study w...

Carbohydrate mouth-rinsing has been reported to benefit endurance performance in athletes intermittently fasting; however, in the fasted state, the effects of combined caffeine and carbohydrate (CAF-CHO) mouth-rinsing on sprint-endurance performance are unknown. We determined the effects of CAF-CHO mouth-rinsing on kinetics, kinematics, and percept...

This study aimed to determine the effect of sleep quantity and quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on students’ academic achievement in their first year of university study. In this cross-sectional study, 193 students (102 female, 91 male, mean ± SD; age = 19.3 ± 2.9 y) from an undergraduate Health degree in New Zealand completed...

Purpose: Falls are a risk factor for mortality in older adults. Light interventions can improve cognitive function and performance in motor tasks, but the potential impact on postural control with relevance to falling is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of light on postural control, motor coordination, and cognitive functioning. Meth...

Limited research exists on the effects of menstrual phase on athletic performance in team sport athletes. In this case-study we investigated the potential effect of menstrual cycle phase on several physical qualities in rugby athletes. Four eumenorrhoeic female rugby athletes completed a battery of physical tests weekly for 5-9 weeks, including 10-...

Objectives: Explore training-related knowledge, beliefs and practices of athletes and the influence of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Methods: Athletes [n = 12,526 classified: world-class (13%), international (21%), national (36%), state (24%), and recreational (6%)] completed an online survey (50 d; 17th May to 5th July 2020) exploring their trainin...

Background: Hamstring strain injuries are one of the most common injuries in Rugby Union, representing up to 15% of all injuries sustained. We aimed to systematically review and summarize the scientific literature that addressed hamstring strain injury incidence, risk factors, injury prevention or strengthening strategies, and strength or asymmetr...

Objective: Current return-to-sport decisions are primarily based on elapsed time since surgery or injury and strength measures. Given data that show rates of successful return to competitive sport at around 55%, there is strong rationale for adopting tools that will better inform return to sport decisions. The authors’ objective was to assess react...

Objective: Current return-to-sport decisions are primarily based on elapsed time since surgery or injury and strength measures. Given data that show rates of successful return to competitive sport at around 55%, there is strong rationale for adopting tools that will better inform return to sport decisions. The authors' objective was to assess reac...

To characterise physiological responses to competing in an international rugby sevens tournament played in hot/humid conditions, core temperature (Tc) and Tc predictors were collected from 11 elite men’s rugby sevens athletes competing in the Oceania sevens tournament in Suva, Fiji. Tc, body mass change, sweat electrolytes, playing minutes, total r...

PURPOSE: Stability and precision of a measurement are necessary for practitioners to detect meaningful changes in performance. We investigated between-session reliability and the minimal detectable change (MDC) in strength and power measures commonly assessed in team sports. METHODS: A sample of sixteen (n=16) Malaysian national rugby 7s players (h...

Sleep is vital in influencing effective training adaptations in the military. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep and changes in physical performance over 6 weeks of military training. A total of 22 officer‐trainees (age: 24 ± 5 years) from the New Zealand Defence Force were used for this prospective cohort study. Participants...

Background: Preseason training optimises adaptations in the physical qualities required in rugby union athletes. Sleep can be compromised during periods of intensified training. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between sleep quantity and changes in physical performance over a preseason phase in professional rugby union athletes. Method...

The relationships between performance in the 1.2 km shuttle test (Bronco) with the Multistage Shuttle Run Test (MSRT) and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) in rugby players were investigated. Additionally, differences in Bronco, MSRT, and Yo-Yo IR1 scores between backs (B) and forwards (F), and rugby codes were assessed. Data fro...

Eccentric strength characteristics have been shown to be important factors in physical performance. Many eccentric tests have been performed in isolation or with supramaximal loading. The purpose of this study was to investigate within- and between- session reliability of an incremental eccentric back squat protocol. Force plates and a linear posit...

The incidence and severity of concussion injuries are increasing every year. Scientific evidence indicates that neck strength and girth could play a role in preventing head and neck injuries, or at least mitigating their severity. We aimed to examine the scientific literature addressing neck strength in Rugby Union with a focus on the potential rol...

Purpose We compared running economy (RE) and 3-km time-trial (TT) variables of runners wearing Nike Vaporfly 4% (VP4), Saucony Endorphin lightweight racing flats (FLAT), and their habitual running (OWN) footwear. Methods Eighteen male recreational runners (mean +/− SD, age: 33.5 ± 11.9 year (mean ± standard deviation), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak)...

Introduction: Intermittent high-intensity cycling stresses aerobic metabolism and the ability to tolerate homeostatic disturbances. Aerobic metabolism is rate limited and measured externally as the critical power (CP), whereas work above CP is capacity limited and expressed as the work prime (W’). The intermittent nature of cycling races permits po...

Introduction: Sleep is vital in influencing effective cognitive and physical performance in the military. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep and changes in physical performance over 6-weeks of military training.Methods:22 officer trainees (age: 24 ± 10 y) from the New Zealand Defence Force wore wrist actigraphs to monitor sle...

Introduction: Evidence from the football codes suggests small-sided games (SSGs) can be used for physical, skill, and tactical development. This research aimed at clarifying how SSG design variables differentially affect rugby union (RU) youth. Method: An e-survey on SSG practice and a systematic review were finalised. An intervention pilot study o...

PurposeThe current study aimed to assess the changes in physical and perceptual markers of health, fitness, and well-being over the first semester of university study in a New Zealand context.Methods In a pre-post longitudinal design, 90 first-year university students (39 females, 51 males, mean ± SD age: 18 ± 2 years) studying in the field of heal...

McNeill, C, Beaven, CM, McMaster, DT, and Gill, N. Survey of eccentric-based strength and conditioning practices in sport. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Eccentric-based training (ECC) has been shown to be an effective training strategy in athletes; however, despite the theoretical benefits, the uptake by practitioners is currently unknow...

The ability to score from placekicks discriminates winning from losing Rugby Union teams. We aimed to identify which biomechanical variables related to successful placekicking in professional Rugby Union players, and use self-organising maps (SOM) to determine whether meaningful sub-groups existed. Three professional placekickers performed 10 kicks...

This study examined the effects of lower-body compression garments on perceived recovery and subsequent performance in basketball athletes. In a parallel-group design, 30 recreational, male basketball athletes were randomly allocated to either a control (CON, n = 15, loose-fitting clothing) or experimental group (COMP, n = 15, compression garments)...

Mouth rinsing has been proposed as a strategy to minimize performance decrements during Ramadan. We investigated the effect of 4 weeks of Ramadan on kicking performance in 27 Taekwondo athletes performing weekly Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Tests (TAIKT). The effects of a placebo, 6.4% glucose and 6-mg/kg caffeine mouth rinses on TAIKT per...

Context: Sensorimotor, proprioceptive, and neuromuscular programs are critical for the successful rehabilitation of injured athletes, and these decrease reinjury rates. Objective: To investigate the effects of an unexpected disturbance program (UDP) on balance and unilateral strength metrics in athletes with unilateral knee ligament injury. Des...

The purpose of this study was to analyze the validity and reliability of the BEAST™ wearable device to measure movement velocity during the back squat exercise. Eleven national-level female field-hockey players (age: 18.4 ± 1.7 y; back squat 1-RM: 92.7 ± 14.1 kg; height: 158.4 ± 4.6 cm; weight: 54.5 ± 5.5 kg) performed 3 repetitions of the back squ...

Purpose: We compared running economy (RE) and 3-km time-trial (TT) performances of male recreational runners wearing the Nike Vaporfly 4% (NIKE), lightweight racing flats (FLAT), and their habitual footwear (OWN). Methods: Eighteen male recreational runners [age: 33.5 (11.9) y, V̇O2peak: 55.8 (4.4) mL·kg-1·min-1] attended 4 sessions ~7 days apart....

To determine the melatonin concentrations and subsequent sleep indices of elite netball athletes following a training day when compared to a control day. Ten elite female netball athletes (mean ± SD; age = 23 ± 6 yrs) provided saliva samples PRE (17:15h) and POST (22:00h) a training session, and a day with no training (CONTROL). Sleep monitoring wa...

Introduction: Rugby sevens is a high-intensity contact sport, with tournaments typically involving 5-6 games across two days. It has been shown previously that there are game-on-game increases in core temperature (Tc) during tournaments, however, this has not been characterised in an environment similar to that expected at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic ga...

Introduction: The Nike Vaporfly 4% shoe (NIK) is marketed as a tool that improves running economy and performance. We compared running economy (RE) and 3-km time-trial (TT) performance in recreational runners wearing NIK, habitual (HAB) running shoes, and Saucony racing flats (SAU). Method: Nineteen male runners (age: 32.7±12.0 y) attended 4 sessio...

Since the inclusion of rugby sevens in the 2016 Olympic Games, the popularity of women’s rugby sevens has grown rapidly worldwide. This systematic review aimed to summarize the scientific literature addressing the match demands, anthropometric characteristics, and physical qualities of female rugby sevens athletes, and to highlight differences betw...

Introduction: Limited research exists on the effects of menstrual phase on athletic performance in team sport athletes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of menstrual cycle phase on a number of physical qualities in rugby athletes. Methods: Six eumenorrhoeic female rugby athletes completed a battery of physical tests weekly for 5-9 weeks,...

Introduction: Small-sided games (SSGs) are prominent within the football codes’ practice and sports science, valued for their sport-specific conditioning potential. However, a lack of systematic approach to SSG research limit the ability to make definitive evidence-based recommendations in rugby. This research aimed at investigating the use of SSGs...

Eccentric resistance training has been shown to improve performance outcomes in a range of populations, making it a popular choice for practitioners. Evidence suggests that neuromuscular adaptations resulting from eccentric overload (EO) and accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) methods could benefit athletic populations competing in team sports. The...

This study compared criterion to minimally invasive, practical measures of core (Tc) and skin (Tsk) temperature during 30 min of moderate-intensity cycle exercise in a heat chamber (35°C, 60% rH). Tc was monitored using a core temperature pill (Tc(Pill)) and tympanic thermometer (Tc(Tymp)) during rest, exercise, and recovery in 15 participants. Tsk...

Objective: To determine the melatonin concentrations and subsequent sleep indices of elite netball athletes following a training day when compared to a control day. Methods: Ten elite female netball athletes (mean ± SD; age = 23 ± 6 yrs) provided saliva samples PRE (17:15h) and POST (22:00h) a training session, and a day with no training (CONTROL)....

Background The number of individuals participating in organised races is increasing, with few studies undertaken in ecologically-valid settings. Running involves cyclical movements and activation of lower-extremity muscles, with fatigue and foot-strike pattern proposed as factors contributing to running-related injuries. Research question Our aim...

Background: Muscle adaptations are potentially enhanced through resistance training in elevated environmental temperatures (>30°C) due to upregulated anabolic hormonal responses. Method: Eighteen professional rugby union athletes performed a 3-week resistance training intervention where they were randomly allocated into 2 groups: HEAT (n = 8) with...

Two-dimensional running analyses are common in research and practice, and have been shown to be reliable when conducted on a treadmill. However, running is typically performed outdoors. Our aim was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of two-dimensional analyses of overground running in an outdoor environment. Two raters independentl...

The poster was presented in the 11th International Conference of Strength Training 30.11.2018 -03.12..2018 at Perth, Western Australia

INTRODUCTION Well-developed acceleration abilities are critical for performance in rugby sevens. In this pilot study, we investigated the effects of heavy-sled sprint training on acceleration in female rugby sevens athletes. METHODS Eleven junior female rugby sevens athletes completed 3-weeks of resisted sprint training (5-30 m) with heavy sleds (3...

Page 11 - https://icst2018.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/ICST-2018-Abstract-Book.pdf

Kinesiology-type tape (KTT) has become popular in sports for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. Many cyclists use patella KTT; however, its benefits remain unclear, especially in uninjured elite cyclists. We used an integrated approach to investigate acute physiological, kinematic, and electromyographic responses to pat...

Purpose To determine the sleep routines of elite athletes in the lead up to and following competition. Methods Ten elite female netballers (mean ± SD; age = 23 ± 6 years) completed a survey on their perceived sleep duration (PSD) and perceived sleep quality (PSQ) on three consecutive nights, the night before the game (G − 1), the night of the game...

Pre-conditioning strategies to potentiate performance are a common feature of pre-competition routines. The elevation of muscle temperature is seen as a vital component of preparing for physical performance, while pre-cooling strategies have been adopted to offset fatigue during repeated efforts. We investigated the individual and combined effects...

Shannon O’Donnell, Christopher M Beaven, Matthew W Driller Health, Sport and Human Performance, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand Abstract: Sleep is considered vital to human health and well-being, and is critical to physiological and cognitive functioning. Elite athletes experience high training and competition demands, and are often ex...

The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of playing two rugby matches within a 5-day period on neuromuscular performance assessed via CMJ performance. CMJ were performed 24 to 36 hrs prior to and following Match-one and Match-two. Each athlete performed three CMJ and ground reaction force-time data were collected via two dual-axis...

Purpose: While the acute effects of cold water immersion (CWI) have been widely investigated, research analysing the effects of CWI over a chronic period in highly-trained athletes is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CWI during an intense three week pre-season phase in elite rugby athletes. Methods: Twenty-three el...

Carbohydrate mouth rinsing during an intermittent fasting has been reported to be advantageous for endurance performance; however, there appears to be no clear effect on repeated sprints. What has not been investigated previously is the effects of combined caffeine and carbohydrate (CAF-CHO) mouth rinsing on speed-endurance performance commonly per...

Purpose: To assess the effect of match-day napping and duration of naps on perceptual and performance indices in elite female netball players over two consecutive netball seasons. Methods: Fourteen elite female netball athletes (mean ± SD; age = 23 ± 6 yr) participated in an observational study over 26 competition matches. On each match day, ath...

Decisive Anaerobic activities such as sprinting, turning, jumping, changing pace, cutting, and acceleration and deceleration are important for netball match performance. These components are forceful and explosive, thus require near-maximum levels of muscular strength and power. The aim of this study was to assess which measures of a drop jump (DJ)...

Purpose: The prevalence of compression garment (CG) use is increasing with athletes striving to take advantage of the purported benefits to recovery and performance. Here, we investigated the effect of CG on muscle force and movement velocity performance in athletes. Methods: Ten well-trained male rugby athletes wore a wrestling-style CG suit apply...

Introduction: Rugby Sevens is a contact team sport characterised by periods of high-speed running, maximal effort sprinting, with multiple accelerations and decelerations. Sprint acceleration is a key attribute for success in Rugby Sevens. However, minimal research has been conducted on female rugby sevens athletes. We aimed to determine the best p...

LLLT and oxygen kinetics

Wushu is a global sport, with ~150 national associations worldwide. Taolu Wushu consists of three disciplines (Nanquan, Changquan, and Taijiquan) in which choreographed routines are judged based on the quality of movement, degree of difficulty, and overall performance. There are few available resources to describe the strength and power profiles, a...

Context: Sensorimotor training is commonly used in a rehabilitative setting; however, the effectiveness of an unexpected disturbance program (UDP) to enhance performance measures in uninjured elite athletes is unknown. Objective: To assess the impact of a three-week UDP program on strength, power, and proprioceptive measures. Design: Matched-g...

THREE WEEK UNEXPECTED DISTURBANCE PROGRAM IMPROVES PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF ELITE FEMALE ATHLETES Sensorimotor training is commonly used in a rehabilitative setting; however, the effectiveness of a UDP to enhance performance measures in uninjured elite athletes is unknown. Objective: To assess the impact of a three-week UDP program on strength, pow...

Exercise choice is one important variable for attaining athletic training aims. Pullover exercises are integrated into resistance training programs of javelin throwers to develop event-specific strength. We examined the electromyography (EMG) signals during four pullover exercise variations: conventional (CONV), straight-arm (STR), bent-arm (BENT),...

To provide FV profiling data for world class wushu athletes for the purpose of training prescription