Lachlan Mitchell

• PhD
• Performance Scientist - Physiology at Victorian Institute of Sport

Multidisciplinary sports like triathlons require combining training for three different sports, and it is unclear how triathlon coaches manage this. During a 10-week period, we provided four age-group triathlon coaches with summary reports of the training completed by their athletes (n = 10) in the previous week. Coaches were then asked if the info...

Inter-individual differences in maturation-associated development can lead to variations in physical performance, resulting in performance (dis)advantages and maturation selection bias within youth sport systems. To address such bias and account for maturational differences, Maturation-based Corrective Adjustment Procedures (Mat-CAPs) could be bene...

Objectives We examined if muscle fibre typology (MFT) was associated with the magnitude of change in performance following alterations in swimming training volume in highly-trained swimmers. Design Single group intervention. Methods Ten swimmers (n = 2 female) completed four consecutive training phases: i) 2-wk normal training (NT); ii) 1-wk decr...

Severe-intensity constant work rate (CWR) cycling tests simulate the high-intensity competition environment and are useful for monitoring training progression and adaptation, yet impose significant physiological and psychological strain, require substantial recovery, and may disrupt athlete training or competition preparation. A brief, minimally fa...

Severe-intensity constant work rate (CWR) cycling tests are useful for monitoring training progression and adaptation as they impose significant physiological and psychological strain and thus simulate the high-intensity competition environment. However, fatiguing tests require substantial recovery and may disrupt athlete training or competition pr...

To develop a statistical model of winning times for international swimming events with the aim of predicting winning time distributions and the probability of winning for the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. The data set included first and third place times from all individual swimming events from the Olympics and World Championships from 1990 to 2019....

Aim The aim was to predict and understand variations in swimmer performance between individual and relay events, and develop a predictive model for the 4x200-m swimming freestyle relay event to help inform team selection and strategy. Data and methods Race data for 716 relay finals (4 x 200-m freestyle) from 14 international competitions between 2...

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to document the longitudinal strength and power characteristic changes and race performance changes of a skeleton athlete. Method: Longitudinal strength and power changes were assessed with strength and power diagnostic testing over a 9-year period. Trends over 9 years for relative strength were analyzed...

This study aimed to 1) identify what starting block outcome kinetics have the greatest relationship to 15 m start time; 2) investigate key mechanistic determinants of the block phase and how these forces are sequenced. One hundred and fifty-two high-level competitive swimmers were included in the study. Linear mixed modelling identified four on-blo...

Purpose: First, to examine whether heart rate variability (HRV) responses can be modeled effectively via the Banister impulse-response model when the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) alone, and in combination with subjective well-being measures, are utilized. Second, to describe seasonal HRV responses and their associations with changes...

Objectives To (1) examine the association between maturity timing and performance-based selection levels in (N = 708) Australian male 100-m Freestyle swimmers (12–17 years); (2) identify the relationship between maturation status and 100-m Freestyle performance; and (3) determine whether Maturation-based Corrective Adjustment Procedures (Mat-CAPs)...

Body composition can substantially impact elite swimming performance. In practice, changes in fat and lean mass of elite swimmers are estimated using body mass, sum of seven skinfolds (∑7) and lean mass index (LMI). However, LMI may be insufficiently accurate to detect small changes in body composition which could meaningfully impact swimming perfo...

The use of rolling averages to analyse training data has been debated recently. We evaluated two training load quantification methods (five-zone, seven-zone) fitted to performances over two race distances (50 m and 100 m) using four separate longitudinal models (Banister, Busso. rolling averages and exponentially weighted rolling averages) for thre...

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to determine which key performance indicators (PIs) were most important to success in sub-elite rugby union, and whether the analysis of absolute or relative data sets as a method for determining match outcome was stronger than the other. Methods: Data was taken from 17 PIs from 76 matches across the...

PURPOSE: Critical speed (CS) and supra-CS distance capacity (D') are useful metrics for monitoring changes in swimmers' physiological and performance capacities. However, the utility of these metrics across a season has not been systematically evaluated in high level swimmers. METHODS: Twenty-seven swimmers (18 female; age 19.1 ± 2.9 y, 9 male; 19...

Thirty-four elite swimmers (22 female, 12 male, world record ratio (WRR) = 107.0 3.1%) completed a modified 3 minute test (12x25m) as a part of their routine sport science support. This test involved a series of unpaced maximal 12x25m intervals interspersed with 5 s rest periods. The model speed = a.eb.time + c was fitted to the data and integrated...

Objectives In elite age-group swimming it is unclear to what degree common assessments of anthropometric, jump performance and front-crawl critical speed (CS) correlate with competition performance. Design Cross-sectional field study. Methods Forty eight elite national-level junior swimmers (22 males, age 16.5 ± 1.2 y, 26 females, age 15.5 ± 1...

Critical speed (CS) testing is useful in monitoring training in swimmers, however, completing a series of time trials (TTs) regularly is time-consuming. The 3-minute test may be a solution with positive initial findings. This investigation examined whether a modified 3-minute test (12 × 25 m) could assess CS and supra-CS distance capacity (D’) in s...

Purpose: There is uncertainty as to which knee angle during a squat jump (SJ) produces maximal jump performance. Importantly, understanding this information will aid in determining appropriate ratios for assessment and monitoring of the explosive characteristics of athletes. Method: This study compared SJ performance across different knee angles...

Initial 14-m start performance has substantial influence on 500 m race outcome at the international level yet the relationship has not been systematically quantified. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between rank position entering first corner (RPEFC) and race outcome and to understand how this relationship changes...

Introduction: While critical velocity (CV) and anaerobic distance capacity (ADC) have been measured in swimming for many years, the relationship between these two measures of performance capacity, as well as their relationship to competition performance, has not been thoroughly detailed. Methods: National level junior swimmers (22 males, 26 females...

Introduction: Despite wide use of the concentric only squat jump (SJ) as a performance test, the reliability of con-tributing kinetic variables of the performance has not been well established. Furthermore, it is common for researchers to assess the reliability of one variable to make inferences about the reliability of others. Making such assumpti...