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Introduction
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January 2013 - July 2015
Publications
Publications (244)
Dietary supplements are widely used among individuals exposed to hot environments, but whether their consumption confers any thermoregulatory effect is unclear. Therefore, we systematically evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation on key aspects of thermoregulation (core temperature [T core ] and sweating responses) in the heat. Three databa...
Rugby training and competition both impose a stress or training load (TL) affecting athlete well-being. Current understanding of the TL dose-response and time-lagged changes (i.e., delayed effects) in well-being is limited. We addressed these gaps using data from a 3-week international series. Twenty-two elite male rugby players were assessed 4–5 d...
Skeletal muscle echo intensity (EI) is affected by ageing and physical activity; however, the effects of nutrition are less understood. The aim of this study was to explore whether habitual nutrient intake may be associated with ultrasound-derived EI. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were trained on an initial sample (n = 100, M = 45;...
Purpose
Post-exercise passive heating has been reported to augment adaptations associated with endurance training. The current study evaluated the effect of a 4-week remotely administered, post-exercise passive leg heating protocol, using an electrically heated layering ensemble, on determinants of endurance performance.
Methods
Thirty recreationa...
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of discrete passages of play on locomotor demands of international men’s and women’s rugby sevens matches and their relationship with winning or losing. Thirteen men’s and thirteen women’s international rugby sevens players wore 10 Hz Global Positioning Systems during twelve Tokyo Olympic games matches (966 o...
Purpose
To determine the effect of taurine supplementation on sweating and core temperature responses, including the transition from compensable to uncompensable heat stress, during prolonged low-intensity exercise of a fixed-heat production (~ 200W/m²) in hot conditions (37.5 °C), at both fixed and incremental vapour-pressure.
Methods
Fifteen fem...
Purpose:
The efficacy of isolated and relative performance indicators (PIs) has been compared in rugby union; the latter more effective at discerning match outcomes. However, this methodology has not been applied in women's rugby. The aim of this study was to identify PIs that maximize prediction accuracy of match outcome, from isolated and relati...
Purpose:
As the start of the 10th Rugby Union World Cup approaches, performance staff will be working on the final elements of their teams' preparation. Much of this planning and preparation will be underpinned by the latest performance science research. In this invited commentary, we discuss contemporary performance science research in rugby unio...
Purpose:
Mental rehearsal is commonly employed, with positive visualization proposed to enhance complex skill performance. Additionally, video stimulus has been associated with enhanced kinesthetic sensations and rapid hormone fluctuations that may contribute to enhancing mental rehearsal and the conscious and unconscious emotional state for skill...
Pressure measurement systems have numerous applications in healthcare and sport. The purpose of this review is to: (a) describe the brief history of the development of pressure sensors for clinical and sport applications, (b) discuss the design requirements for pressure measurement systems for different applications, (c) critique the suitability, r...
Purpose:
This study aimed to determine the effects of a field-based priming session on perceptual, physiological, and performance responses in female rugby sevens athletes.
Methods:
Thirteen highly trained female rugby sevens players (age: 20.7 [2.0] y; height: 169.3 [4.8] cm; weight: 68.8 [7.9] kg) completed either a 20-minute field-based primi...
Background:
The effects of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are largely illustrated through Androgen Receptor induced gene transcription, yet RNA-Seq has yet to be conducted on human whole blood and skeletal muscle. Investigating the transcriptional signature of AAS in blood may aid AAS detection and in muscle further understanding of AAS induce...
Day-to-day coordination of the stress (i.e., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA]) and reproductive (i.e., hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal [HPG]) axes is central to allostatic regulation, reproductive success, and survival. Reports of positive, within-person testosterone and cortisol relationships (or coupling) suggest cross-talk of a facilitative n...
Part 1 of this genetic association series highlighted several genetic variants independently associated with elite status in rugby. However, it is highly likely that the genetic influence on elite status is polygenic due to the interaction of multiple genes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether polygenic profiles of el...
Objective
Inter-day reliability of sweat measurements, including the absorbent patch and modified iodine-paper techniques, at rest and exercise were evaluated. We further evaluated the effect of iodine paper size and the method of establishing sweat gland activation (sweat gland counting or surface area covered) on reliability. Furthermore, the rel...
Objectives
The aims of this study were to: i) identify performance indicators (PIs) associated with match outcomes in the United Rugby Championship to; ii) compare efficacy of isolated data and data relative to opposition in predicting match outcome; and iii) investigate whether reduced PI statistical models can reproduce predictive accuracy.
Meth...
This study aimed to assess whether post-warm-up body mass only alternate leg bounding performed on grass or a hard surface acutely improves pre-planned change of direction performance in women's team sports players relative to a control condition and, if so, profile the time-course of such changes. On three occasions, 14 amateur women's team sports...
Stretchable, nanocarbon heaters were screen-printed onto a stretchable film to create a passive heat maintenance device for elite sport. The heat uniformity and the temperature performance of these lightweight, large area electrothermal heaters were evaluated over a range of applied voltages using thermal imaging. The heaters provided a uniform hea...
This study assessed the influence of environmental factors, air travel, and epoch estimation method on locomotor demands of international men's rugby sevens match‐play. Eighteen men's rugby sevens players wore 10 Hz Global Positioning Systems (STATsport) during 52 international matches over nine global tournaments (418 observations). Whole‐match av...
Due to the high-velocity collision-based nature of elite rugby league and union, the risk of sustaining a concussion is high. Occurrence of and outcomes following a concussion are probably affected by the interaction of multiple genes in a polygenic manner. This study investigated whether suspected concussion-associated polygenic profiles of elite...
Objective:
It remains unknown whether myonuclei remain elevated post anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) usage in humans. Limited data exist on AAS-induced changes in gene expression.
Design:
Cross-sectional/longitudinal.
Setting:
University.
Participants:
Fifty-six men aged 20 to 42 years.
Independent variables:
Non-resistance-trained (C) o...
There is growing evidence of genetic contributions to tendon and ligament pathologies. Given the high incidence and severity of tendon and ligament injuries in elite rugby, we studied whether 13 gene polymorphisms previously associated with tendon/ligament injury were associated with elite athlete status. Participants from the RugbyGene project wer...
Objective:
Concussions are common match injuries in elite rugby, and reports exist of reduced cognitive function and long-term health consequences that can interrupt or end a playing career and produce continued ill health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between elite rugby status and 8 concussion-associated risk polymorp...
The 24 h responses to professional female netball-specific training were examined. British Superleague players (n = 14) undertook a 90-min on-court training session incorporating key movement, technical, and scenario-specific match-play drills. Perceptual (mood, fatigue, soreness), neuromuscular (countermovement jump peak power output [PPO], PPO re...
The ability to maintain body temperature has been shown to bring about improvements in sporting performance. However, current solutions are limited with regards to flexibility, heating uniformity and robustness. An innovative screen-printed Nanocarbon heater is demonstrated which is robust to bending, folding, tensile extensions of up to 20% and ma...
INTRODUCTION: Repeated ischemic preconditioning (IPC) can improve muscle and pulmonary oxygen on-kinetics, blood flow, and exercise efficiency, but these effects have not been investigated in severe hypoxia. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of 7 d of IPC on resting and exercising muscle and cardio-pulmonary responses to seve...
Background:
Establishing the reliability and repeatability of both the movement demands and the consequential responses of athletes applied settings is important. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to assess the between- week reliability of potential fatigue monitoring methods in soccer players. Secondary aims were to establish the repea...
BACKGROUND: Establishing the reliability and repeatability of both the movement demands and the consequential responses of athletes applied settings is important. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to assess the between-week reliability of potential fatigue monitoring methods in soccer players. Secondary aims were to establish the repeata...
Objectives
To compare two modes (general and cricket-specific) of morning priming exercise on afternoon physical and cognitive performance, and subjective readiness to perform in professional male cricketers.
Design
Randomised, crossover, counterbalanced.
Methods
On three occasions, 16 professional men’s cricketers completed afternoon tests of co...
Rugby union (RU) is an intermittent team sport, with diverse playing positions, played internationally by both men and women. Considerable scientific attention has been devoted to men’s RU, however despite the growth in the women’s professional game, there is a significant lack of available physiological and normative data. The purpose of the prese...
Background
The ergogenic effects of dietary supplements on endurance exercise performance are well-established; however, their efficacy in hot environmental conditions has not been systematically evaluated.
Objectives
(1) To meta-analyse studies investigating the effects of selected dietary supplements on endurance performance and core temperature...
Purpose:
Genetic polymorphisms have been associated with the adaptation to training in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). However, the genotype distribution of selected polymorphisms in athletic cohorts is unknown, with their influence on performance characteristics also undetermined. This study investigated whether the genotype distributions of 3 po...
Purpose:
To compare resistance training using a velocity loss threshold with training to repetition failure on upper-body strength parameters in professional Australian footballers.
Methods:
A total of 26 professional Australian footballers (23.9 [4.2] y, 189.9 [7.8] cm, 88.2 [8.8] kg) tested 1-repetition-maximum strength (FPmax) and mean barbel...
We evaluated the reliability of an over-ground running three-minute all-out test (3MT) and compared this to traditional multiple-visit testing to determine the critical speed (CS) and distance >CS (D´). Using a novel energetics model during the 3MT, critical power (CP) and work >CP (W´) were also evaluated for reliability and compared to the multip...
Purpose:
To establish if training volume was associated with androgen baselines and androgen responsiveness to acute exercise.
Methods:
During a "high-volume" training phase, 28 cyclists (14 men and 14 women) undertook oxygen-uptake and maximal-work-capacity testing. Two days later, they completed a repeat-sprint protocol, which was repeated 3 w...
For wearable electronic devices to be fully integrated into garments, without restricting or impeding movement, requires flexible and stretchable inks and coatings, which must have consistent performance and recover from mechanical strain. Combining Carbon Black (CB) and ammonia plasma functionalized Graphite Nanoplatelets (GNPs) in a Thermoplastic...
Background
Heat acclimation and acclimatisation (HA) is typically used to enhance tolerance to the heat, thereby improving performance. HA might also confer a positive adaptation to maximal oxygen consumption ( $$V{\text{O}}_{2\max }$$ V O 2 max ), although this has been historically debated and requires clarification via meta-analysis.
Objectives...
Elite rugby league and union have some of the highest reported rates of concussion (mild traumatic brain injury) in professional sport due in part to their full-contact high-velocity collision-based nature. Currently, concussions are the most commonly reported match injury during the tackle for both the ball carrier and the tackler (8–28 concussion...
The 20 h responses of International female netball players to training days requiring two sessions (netball and strength, separated by two hours) ordered alternatively were examined. Eleven players completed strength followed by netball training two hours later (STR-NET), with the order reversed (NET-STR) on a separate day. Well-being, neuromuscula...
In sport, testosterone has been positioned as a substrate for motivation with both directional and time dependencies. However, evidence is scarce when considering the complexities of competitive sport and no work has explicitly modeled these dependencies. To address these gaps, we investigated the bidirectional and time-dependent interrelationships...
Objectives:
To profile performance and physiological responses to typical patterns of match-day activity for second-half soccer substitutes.
Design:
Descriptive.
Methods:
Following a warm-up, 13 male team sports players underwent ∼85min of rest, punctuated with five min rewarm-ups at ∼25, ∼50, and ∼70min, before ∼30min of simulated soccer matc...
Carbon-based pastes and inks are used extensively in a wide range of printed electronics because of their widespread availability, electrical conductivity and low cost. Overcoming the inherent tendency of the nano-carbon to agglomerate to form a stable dispersion is necessary if these inks are to be taken from the lab scale to industrial production...
Purpose: To quantify the peak post-pitch-entry physical responses of soccer substitutes while assessing contextual influences. Peak responses may be important performance indicators for substitutes introduced to provide a physical impact. Method: Thirty-three professional substitutes wore Microelectromechanical Systems during 44 matches (4 ± 3 obse...
Hills, SP, Barrett, S, Busby, M, Kilduff, LP, Barwood, MJ, Radcliffe, JN, Cooke, CB, and Russell, M. Profiling the post-match top-up conditioning practices of professional soccer substitutes: An analysis of contextual influences. J Strength Cond Res 34(10): 2805-2814, 2020-Soccer practitioners implement "top-up" conditioning sessions to compensate...
Printed pressure sensors have the potential to be useful for measuring pressure in a multitude of sports biomechanics applications. This study was a proof of concept of a novel printed piezoresistive pressure sensor array with the aim of assessing the reliability of the sensor. The relationship between the force applied to the sensor and resistance...
Light wearable resistance is used in sprint training but the scientific evidence to guide its implementation is limited. This study investigated thigh and shank loading protocols which were matched based on the average increase in moment of inertia about the hip over a stride cycle. Seven university-level sprinters completed three counterbalanced c...
Objectives:
The primary aim of this paper was to produce a model that predicts outcome in the group-phase of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and to determine the relevance and importance of performance indicators (PIs) that are significant in predicting outcome. A secondary aim investigated whether this model accurately predicted match outcome in the kno...
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of five days dietary nitrate (NO3⁻) consumption on exercise tolerance and thermoregulation during cycling in hot, dry conditions. In a double-blind, randomised crossover design, 11 healthy males participated in an exercise tolerance test (Tlim) in the heat (35°C, 28% relative humidity), cycling abov...
Printing inks typically consist of a functional component dispersed within a low-viscosity resin/solvent system where interparticle interactions would be expected to play a significant role in dispersion, especially for the high-aspect-ratio nanocarbons such as the graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs). Rheology has been suggested as a method for assessing...
The physical demands of English Premier League soccer goalkeepers were quantified during training and match-play in a two-part study. Goalkeeper-specific micromechanical electrical systems (MEMS) devices, profiled training and match-day activities throughout one competitive week (n=8; part A). Changes in MEMS-derived outputs were also profiled thro...
Objectives: Research has linked physiological (e.g., hormonal, affective, fatigue) outcomes to performance indicators in rugby competition, but no work has integrated and contextualised these factors within atest-match environment. We addressed this gap by monitoring 29 athletes from a training squad across eight international rugby matches.
Design...
Objectives:
This study examined the acute effect of small-sided-game (SSG) and resistance training sequence on neuromuscular, endocrine and mood response over a 24-h (h) period.
Design:
Repeated measures.
Methods:
Fourteen semi-professional soccer players performed SSG-training (4vs4+goalkeepers; 6×7-min, 2-min inter-set recovery) followed by...
Objectives:
To compare fixed epochs (FIXED) and rolling averages (ROLL) for quantifying worst-case scenario ('peak') running demands during professional soccer match-play, whilst assessing contextual influences.
Design:
Descriptive, observational.
Methods:
Twenty-five outfield players from an English Championship soccer club wore 10-Hz microel...
Background: Tracking athletes’ external load during a soccer match may be useful to predict post-match acute and residual fatigue. This prediction would allow individual adjustments to training programs to minimize injury risk, improve well-being and restore players’ physical performance and inform the recovery process.
Objective: Using a systemati...
Objectives:
To profile the distances covered during international women's rugby union match-play and assess the duration-specific worst-case scenario locomotor demands over 60-s to 600-s epochs, whilst comparing the values determined by fixed epoch (FIXED) versus rolling average (ROLL) methods of worst-case scenario estimation and assessing positi...
Effective playing time in soccer is typically < 60 min per game and while players may reposition themselves when the ball is out of play, it is likely the physical demand decreases during this period. Therefore, if this period is included in data when quantifying match demands, it may under-report the physical requirements of soccer players. This s...
Objectives:
This study profiled the 24h neuromuscular, endocrine and mood responses to a single versus a double training day in soccer players.
Design:
Repeated measures.
Methods:
Twelve semi-professional soccer players performed small-sided-games (SSG's; 4 vs 4+goalkeepers; 6×7-min, 2-min inter-set recovery) with neuromuscular (peak-power out...
To examine responses to an International netball tournament, female athletes (n= 11) played three matches over consecutive days. External (accelerometry) and internal (heart rate; HR, session; sRPE, and differential; dRPE, rating of perceived exertion) load measures quantified match intensity. On match-day mornings, and three days after match 3, we...
Whilst the movement demands of players completing a whole soccer match have been well-documented, comparable information relating to substitutes is sparse. Therefore, this study profiled the match-day physical activities performed by soccer substitutes, focusing separately on the pre and post pitch-entry periods. Seventeen English Championship socc...
Physiological monitoring solutions and biofeedback technologies allow sport psychology practitioners to demonstrate physiological changes due to psychological stress, and provide their clients with an enhanced awareness of their stress response. These technologies can also provide evidence for the efficacy of stress management techniques, whether c...
Goalkeepers are typically the last defensive line for soccer teams aiming to minimise goals being conceded, with match rules permitting ball handling within a specific area. Goalkeepers are also involved in initiating some offensive plays, and typically remain in close proximity to the goal line while covering ~ 50% of the match distances of outfie...
Depending upon competition regulations, the laws of soccer allow between three and an unlimited number of substitutions that can be made on either a permanent or rolling basis. Substitutes are typically introduced to minimise/offset the effects of fatigue, alter tactics, replace players deemed as underperforming or injured, and/or give playing time...
The use of physical tests to profile physical capabilities, and provide training direction to athletes is common practice. Likewise, in professional team sports, notational analysis codes the key contributions of each player during competition. Limited studies have however investigated relationships between physical capabilities and key performance...
(Table A) Game KPIs for International, European, and Premiership level rugby union during 2014–2015 season. Actions are per 80 mins of play. (Table B) Physical performance test results.
(DOCX)
Introduction
Incidence and outcomes of concussions have been hypothesised to be genetically influenced. The APOE Promoter G219T (rs405509) polymorphism has been associated with differential promoter activity and unfavourable outcomes after traumatic brain injury. The TT genotype is associated with a 3-fold greater risk of multiple concussions. The...
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...
Objectives:
The primary aim of this study was to examine whether accuracy of rugby union match prediction outcomes differed dependent on the method of data analysis (i.e., isolated vs. descriptively converted or relative data). A secondary aim was to then use the most appropriate method to investigate the performance indicators (PI's) most relevan...
This is the first article to review the anthropometric and physiological characteristics required for elite rugby performance within both Rugby Union (RU) and Rugby League (RL). Anthropometric characteristics such as height and mass, and physiological characteristics such as speed and muscular strength, have previously been advocated as key discrim...
Introduction:
Achilles tendon pathology and anterior cruciate ligament rupture are multifactorial conditions for which genetic risk factors have been identified. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the MMP3 (rs591058, rs679620, rs650108) and TIMP2 (rs4789932) genes have previously been associated with tendon and ligament pathologies. Alth...
The assessment of competitive movement demands in team sports has traditionally relied upon global positioning system (GPS) analyses presented as fixed-time epochs (e.g., 5–40 min). More recently, presenting game data as a rolling average has become prevalent due to concerns over a loss of sampling resolution associated with the windowing of data o...