Emma Beckman

The University of Queensland | UQ · School of Human Movement Studies

Since publication of this paper (Royal Society open science, 2022. 9(1): p. 211799), the authors have published a correction clarifying that the paper presents a case study that ‘… did not meet the definition for research with regard to human subjects'. The data are incorrectly referred to as experimental because the study has no experimental contr...

The reactive strength index (RSI) measures the stretch shortening cycle (SSC), an important neuromuscular property for running performance, and critical for the game of Australian Football (AF). The 10/5 Repeated Jump test (RJ) is used to measure RSI, thus, the aims of the study were to determine if this test was reliable and could determine worthw...

Interprofessional education facilitates collaborative practice, which promotes high-quality patient care and patient safety. Interprofessional education (IPE) experiences within clinical settings provide an opportunity for the development of interprofessional collaborative practice competence. The aim of this systematic review was to review the lit...

Background: Clinical education placements can provide opportunities for the development of interprofessional collaborative practice competencies in health professional students. Purpose: This systematic review aimed to determine what outcomes have been demonstrated to result from interprofessional education (IPE) interventions in student clinical t...

Objectives People with cerebral palsy and high support needs (CP&HSN) are profoundly inactive but also under-represented in studies evaluating physical activity interventions. Reasons for their exclusion have not been evaluated. We hypothesised that CP&HSN would be associated with high time costs of preparatory activities (eg, getting dressed/undre...

Combined heavy‐ and light‐load ballistic training is often employed in high‐performance sport to improve athletic performance and is accompanied by adaptations in muscle architecture. However, little is known about how training affects muscle‐tendon unit (MTU) kinematics during the execution of a sport‐specific skill (e.g., jumping), which could im...

Introduction: Children and youth with moderate-severe (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels II-V) cerebral palsy (CP) participate less frequently in physical activities compared with peers without CP and have elevated risk of cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality in adulthood. Frame Running (RaceRunning) is a new athletics...

Introduction: Interprofessional clinical placements present an opportunity for students to enhance their competence in interprofessional practice. Student-led clinics have been shown to be effective for a variety of outcomes, but the experience of students in relation to their development of skills and the perspectives of clinical educators and cli...

Purpose: Periods away from training and competition are necessary for physical and mental restoration in sport. There is limited research investigating changes to physical qualities in rugby league following prolonged breaks. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the off-season on muscular power in rugby league. In addition, this study aimed...

Sharper Minds is a stepped care package designed by the researchers in collaboration with students and UQ Health Care providers to increase awareness and use of mental health prevention strategies among first year university students. The package was 'soft launched' in 2021, and this report presents findings from the pilot evaluation. The pilot ado...

Purpose: Tackling is a fundamental skill in collision sports such as rugby league. Given the complexity of tackling and multitude of strength and power variables available for analysis, this study aimed to predict tackle outcomes in professional rugby league based on strength and power principal components (PCs). Methods: Twenty-eight rugby leag...

The ability of a rugby league player to express high levels of strength and power is crucial for success in competition. Although researchers have shown relationships between physical attributes and performance, there is a lack of information related to changes in strength and power across various phases of the season. The purpose of this review wa...

Background: This scoping review analyzed research about how music activities may affect participants' health and well-being. Primary outcomes were measures of health (including symptoms and health behaviors) and well-being. Secondary measures included a range of psychosocial processes such as arousal, mood, social connection, physical activation or...

This study examined the reliability of instrumented trunk assessment methods across two experiments to develop and improve evidence-based classification in Para swimming. Trunk coordination, range of motion (ROM), and strength were assessed in 38 non-disabled participants. Each test battery was completed on two occasions to determine inter-session...

Redman, KJ, Connick, MJ, Beckman, EM, and Kelly, VG. Monitoring prescribed and actual resistance training loads in professional rugby league. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2021-Coaches devote a considerable amount of time and effort prescribing and selecting exercises to elicit training adaptations. Adherence to the prescribed resistance trai...

Conceptually, sports-specific training should not influence measures of impairment used to classify Para athletes. This study evaluated the extent to which measures of strength, range of movement and coordination developed for Para swimming classification changed in response to a performance-focused swimming programme. A five-phase multiple-baselin...

Redman, KJ, Wade, L, Whitley, R, Connick, MJ, Kelly, VG, and Beckman, EM. The relationship between match tackle outcomes and muscular strength and power in professional rugby league. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Tackling is a fundamental skill in collision sports, such as rugby league. Match success is largely dependent on a player's ab...

Student-led interprofessional health clinics offer valuable opportunities for student learning and meeting the health care needs of the community. This case study describes the operation of a new interprofessional student-led community health service over its initial 13-month period of operation. This case study also presents an overview of the ser...

Measurement of maximum voluntary muscle contractions are effort-dependent - valid measurement requires maximal voluntary effort (MVE) from participants. Submaximal efforts (SMEs) yield invalid and potentially misleading results. This is particularly problematic in medico-legal and Para sport assessments where low strength scores may confer a person...

Introduction and hypothesis: Women who perform high-impact activities might be at greater risk of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) than those participating in low-impact exercise; however, little is known about whether PFD is more common in one type of high-impact activity than another. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of PFD symp...

A fundamental aspect of classification systems in Paralympic sport is having valid and reliable measures of impairment. However, minimal consensus exists for assessing impaired strength, coordination and range of motion. This review aimed to systematically identify measures of upper body strength, coordination and range of motion impairments that m...

Objective Para athletes with brain impairment are affected by hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis, which adversely affect starting, sprinting and submaximal running. The aim was to identify and synthesise evidence from studies that have compared the biomechanics of runners with brain impairments (RBI) and non-disabled runners (NDR). Design Systematic...

James, LP, Connick, M, Haff, GG, Kelly, VG, and Beckman, EM. The countermovement jump mechanics of mixed martial arts competitors. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Gross countermovement jump (CMJ) performance measures are greater in higher-level mixed martial arts (MMA) competitors than lower-level (LL) competitors. Differences in CMJ kinet...

Introduction and hypothesis The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), defined as the sensation of a vaginal bulge, and associated risk factors in women over 18 years of age who lift light (≤15 kg), moderate (16–50 kg), and heavy (>50 kg) weights for exercise, and those who do not lift weights f...

Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning

Background People with cerebral palsy (CP) are less physically active than the general population and, consequently, are at increased risk of preventable disease. Evidence indicates that low-moderate doses of physical activity can reduce disease risk and improve fitness and function in people with CP. Para athletes with CP typically engage in ‘perf...

Objective: To describe the fitness, function, and exercise training responses of patients following reconstruction of the lower limb with a total femoral (TF), proximal femoral (PF), distal femoral (DF), or proximal tibial (PT) megaprosthesis. TYPE: Systematic review. Literature survey: Five research databases were searched systematically for or...

Objectives The International Paralympic Committee has mandated that International Sport Federations develop sport-specific classification systems that are evidence-based. This study examined the predictive and convergent validity of instrumented tapping tasks to classify motor coordination impairments in Para swimming. Design Cross-sectional. Met...

Objectives: The International Paralympic Committee has mandated that International Sport Federations develop sport-specific classification systems that are evidence-based. This study examined the predictive and convergent validity of instrumented tapping tasks to classify motor coordination impairments in Para swimming. Design: Cross-sectional. Met...

This study examined the validity of isometric strength tests for evidence-based classification in Para swimming. Thirty non-disabled participants and forty-two Para swimmers with physical impairment completed an isometric strength test battery designed to explain activity limitation in the freestyle discipline. Measures pertaining to dominant and n...

This investigation sought to determine the relevance of anaerobic and aerobic-based measures to competition level and bout outcome in mixed martial arts competitors. For the primary analysis, seven higher-level and eight lower-level male mixed martial arts competitors were compared across a series of short-term anaerobic (sprints at 10 and 20 m), r...

Para-sport classification systems define eligibility for Para sport and provide a competition structure that controls for the impact of impairment on the outcome of competition. This article focuses on the classification of para athletes with physical impairments. Development of classification systems based on scientific evidence has only recently...

Objectives: To evaluate the reliability of swimming-specific range of movement tests developed in order to permit evidenced-based classification in the sport of para swimming. Design: Test-retest intra- and inter-examiner reliability. Setting: International Swimming training camps and university exercise science departments. Participants: 42...

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether weightlifting actions are a viable method for improving athletic performance amongst weaker, inexperienced lifters when compared to individuals with a greater power clean result, and hence weightlifting ability and experience. Two groups of males with distinctly different power clean perfor...

Classification is central to the existence of Para sport. Paralympic classification systems define who is eligible to compete in Para sport and promote participation by controlling for the impact of impairment on the outcome of competition. This chapter explains the evolution of Paralympic classification systems from the early medically based syste...

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the magnitude of adaptation to integrated ballistic training is influenced by initial strength level. Such information is needed to inform resistance training guidelines for both higher- and lower-level athlete populations. To this end, two groups of distinctly different strength levels (stronge...

Background The Para athletics wheelchair-racing classification system employs best practice to ensure that classes comprise athletes whose impairments cause a comparable degree of activity limitation. However, decision-making is largely subjective and scientific evidence which reduces this subjectivity is required. Aim To evaluate whether isometri...

Sport has been demonstrably linked to health particularly through community-based education and development programmes. However, research continues to identify low participation rates of people with a disability in sport. Programmes to address the participation of people with a disability in sport can be challenging, particularly in locations in th...

In its contemporary form, sport for development has been positioned as an important part of strategic policy for a variety of governmental and sporting organisations. One area that has been targeted by governments and a variety of sporting partners has been the impact of sport on non-communicable diseases (NCDs, sometimes colloquially referred to a...

Purpose: This study quantified the influence of (i) the assistive pole, (ii) seat configuration, and (iii) upper-body and trunk strength, on seated throwing performance in athletes with a spinal cord injury. Methods: Ten Paralympic athletes competing in wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball or athletics (seated throws) participated in two rand...

Background Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport underpinned by techniques from other combat disciplines, in addition to strategies unique to the sport itself. These sports can be divided into two distinct categories (grappling or striking) based on differing technical demands. Uniquely, MMA combines both methods of combat and therefore appear...

Purpose: To determine whether the maximal strength, impulse and power characteristics of competitive mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes differ according to competition level. Methods: Twenty-nine male semi-professional and amateur MMA competitors were stratified into either higher-level (HL) or lower-level (LL) performers on the basis of competit...

Objectives: To determine those performance indicators that have the greatest influence on classifying outcome at the elite level of mixed martial arts (MMA). A secondary objective was to establish the efficacy of decision tree analysis in explaining the characteristics of victory when compared to alternate statistical methods. Design: Cross-sect...

Objectives: Classification in Paralympic Sport aims to minimize the impact of 10 eligible types of impairment on the outcome of competition. Methods for assessing the extent to which a given body structure or function has been impaired are required, but are challenging because it is not possible to directly measure an absence or loss. Rather, impa...

On 30 May 2016, Markus Rehm (MR), the outstanding Paralympic long jumper whose personal best would have won gold at the London Olympics,1 announced his desire to participate in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games to the world's media. Critically, MR, who is a unilateral below-knee amputee, uses a long jump-specific prosthesis (LJSP) and he supported his cas...

Current methods of assessing coordination in Paralympic classification are non-instrumented and are based on ordinal scales of measurement and therefore impede the development of evidence-based methods of classification. This paper describes an instrumented battery of tests that measure impaired coordination in a way that will permit evidence-based...

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) may result in tetraplegia (motor, sensory and/or autonomic nervous system impairment of the arms, trunk and legs) or paraplegia (impairment of the trunk and/or legs only). The adverse effects of SCI on health, fitness and functioning are frequently compounded by profoundly sedentary behaviour. People with parapleg...

This paper investigates the premise that long-term engagement in performance-focussed sports training may lead to significantly enhanced clinical outcomes for people with neurological impairments (NI). The minimum volume of moderate-intensity activity recommended for good health is 450 MET.minutes/week, although evidence from the general population...

Objectives: Development of evidence-based methods of Paralympic classification requires research quantifying the relative strength of association between ratio-scaled measures of impairment and athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to quantify the extent to which muscle strength affects running performance in runners with and without...

The International Paralympic Committee has a maximum allowable standing height (MASH) rule that limits stature to a pre-trauma estimation. The MASH rule reduces the probability that bilateral lower limb amputees use disproportionately long prostheses in competition. Although there are several methods for estimating stature, the validity of these me...

Marathon runners are ranked in 5-year age groups. However the extent to which 5-year groupings facilitates equitable competition has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of relative age in male and female marathon running. Marathon finishing times for the top ten male (aged 20-69 years) and female athletes (aged 20-6...

This study investigated the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of force-time curve variables collected via a portable isometric mid-thigh clean pull (IMTP) device equipped with a single-axial load cell. Fifteen males with ≥ 6 months of resistance training experience attended two testing sessions. In each session, participants performed...

In paralympic classification, tests of impaired coordination (e.g., reciprocal tapping tasks) are effort dependent and therefore susceptible to intentional misrepresentation of abilities (IM)-deliberate exaggeration of impairment severity. The authors investigated whether reciprocal tapping tasks performed submaximally could be differentiated from...

Development of evidence-based methods of Paralympic classification requires research quantifying the relative strength of association between ratio-scaled measures of impairment and sports performance. To date, no such research has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to quantify the extent to which range of movement (ROM) and coordination...

Despite the increasing research interest and rapid growth in popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA), a detailed performance testing battery has yet to be presented in the scientific literature. A testing protocol is critical to assess the physical capacities of an elite athlete to determine the adaptations to the external training load and effectiv...

Abstract Paralympic throwing events for athletes with physical impairments comprise seated and standing javelin, shot put, discus and seated club throwing. Identification of talented throwers would enable prediction of future success and promote participation; however, a valid and reliable talent identification battery for Paralympic throwing has n...

Volleyball is an increasingly popular team sport. As with any competitive sport, there is an inherent risk of injury which must be recognized and collaboratively managed. This article provides a practical approach to the management of volleyball injuries within a team or organization. A brief review of the epidemiological data is presented which es...

Paralympic classification systems aim to promote participation in sport by people with disabilities by controlling for the impact of impairment on the outcome of competition. Valid systems of classification ensure that successful athletes are those who have the most advantageous combination of anthropometric, physiological, and/or psychological att...

Ordinal-scale strength assessment methods currently used in Paralympic athletics classification prevent the development of evidence-based classification systems. This study evaluated a battery of 7, ratio-scale, isometric tests with the aim of facilitating the development of evidence-based methods of classification. This study aimed to report sex-s...

The purpose of this study was to a) assess the impact of prehabilitation on strength and power development within a block periodisation model, and b) integrate this task into a training plan without extending training time. Six trained subjects were assigned to 1 of 2 groups: an intervention group performing combined prehabilitation and resistance...

The mixed martial artist requires the development of a broad scope of divergent physiological abilities to compete successfully. To minimize any potential interference effects and optimize training adaptations, a periodized training plan is needed to manage the integration of this sport's many training stressors. This article provides guidelines an...

The mixed martial artist requires the development of a broad scope of divergent physiological abilities to compete successfully. To minimize any potential interference effects and optimize training adaptations, a periodized training plan is needed to manage the integration of this sport's many training stressors. This article provides guidelines an...

The T54 wheelchair racing class comprises athletes with normal arm muscle strength and trunk strength ranging from partial to normal. Paralympic sports classes should comprise athletes who have impairments that cause a comparable degree of activity limitation. On the basis of this criterion, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the T5...

To classify Paralympic athletes, classifiers use test batteries to obtain an objective, pre-competition estimate of an athlete's training level. Five tests were evaluated to determine which combination explained the maximum variance in running performance in a non-disabled population. A non-disabled sample was required to permit psychometric evalua...

V průběhu několika posledních let vzrostly možnosti jedinců s tělesným postiženým zapojit se do fyzických činností. Z tohoto důvodu je uznáván význam zvládnutí sportovních dovedností ještě před samotnou účastí v soutěžích. O stále oblíbenějším sledge hokeji bylo dosud provedeno málo výzkumů. Hlavní složkou výkonu je analýza dovedností. Vzhledem k j...

Over the past few years opportunities have been increasing for individuals with physical disabilities to become involved in physical activities; hence there is a recognition of the importance of mastering sport skills before partici-pation. Currently there is little research that has been performed on the increasingly popular sport of sledge hockey...