Micheál Cahill

Auckland University of Technology | AUT · Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ)

Kyles, A, Oliver, JL, Cahill, MJ, Lloyd, RS, and Pedley, J. Linear and change of direction repeated sprint ability tests: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1703-1717, 2023-The ability to repeatedly sprint is important in many sports, but there is no established protocol for measuring repeated sprint ability (RSA). The purpose of this...

Rate of force development (RFD) and impulse (IMP) are important mechanical measures of muscular performance but are relatively unused within the rehabilitation and performance community. Due principally to access to low-cost testing devices and understanding the utility of these measures. The aim of this study therefore was to quantify the reliabil...

To succeed in full contact combat sports like mixed martial arts, tae kwon do, and boxing, athletes must deliver a greater number of damaging strikes than they receive. Producing knockdowns, rendering unconsciousness, and scoring points can be accomplished through the application of high magnitudes of striking forces. There is evidence that strikin...

Throwing velocity is a crucial component to success in baseball athletes, especially at the position of pitcher. Through practice and proper instruction, pitchers can refine their pitching mechanics to maximize efficiency and throwing velocity in tandem with improving injury resistance. Non-specific training such as gym-based resistance training ha...

The purpose of this study was to assess current perceptions of strength and conditioning coaches’ use of sled towing (ST) as part of their training programs. One-hundred and twenty-five coaches responded to a survey of their ST practices. Themes investigated included the primary purpose and usefulness of using ST, the loads used in short and long d...

Cahill, MJ, Oliver, JL, Cronin, JB, Clark, K, Cross, MR, Lloyd, RS, and Lee, JE. Influence of resisted sled-pull training on the sprint force-velocity profile of male high-school athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Although resisted sled towing is a commonly used method of sprint-specific training, little uniformity exists around tra...

There is a renewed interest is resisted sled training (RST); however, little uniformity exists regarding the integration of best practices in RST for young athletes. This article reviews the prescription of load, methods of RST, and the integration of sprint-specific periodized training blocks during the preparatory phase to elicit the greatest gai...

Speed is an important athletic quality and needs to be developed in young athletes, this may be best achieved using specific forms of sprint training. Resisted sled training is a sprint specific form of training widely used by coaches and practitioners. The two modes of resisted sled training that exist are sled pushing and pulling, with limited re...

Sled pushing is a commonly used form of resisted sprint training, however little empirical evidence exists, especially in youth populations. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of unresisted and resisted sled pushing across multiple loads. Fifty high school athletes were assigned to an unresisted (n=12), or 3 resisted groups; ligh...

Cahill, M, Oliver, JL, Cronin, JB, Clark, K, Cross, MR, and Lloyd, RS. Sled-push load-velocity profiling and implications for sprint training prescription in young athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2019-Resisted sled pushing is a popular method of sprint-specific training; however, little evidence exists to support the prescription of r...

The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of individual load-velocity profiles and the between-athlete variation using the decrement in maximal velocity (Vdec) approach to prescribe training loads in resisted sled pulling in young athletes. Seventy high school, team sport, male athletes (age 16.7 ± 0.8 years) were recruited for the st...

Resisted sprinting in the form of both sled pushing and pulling is a popular training method to improve speed capability, although research has been biased towards investigating the effects of sled pulling. Practitioners need to understand whether the sled push and pull offer differential training effects, and hence their utility in influencing spr...

Clark, K, Cahill, M, Korfist, C, and Whitacre, T. Acute kinematic effects of sprinting with motorized assistance. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 1856-1864, 2021-Although assisted sprinting has become popular for training maximum velocity, the acute effects are not fully understood. To examine this modality, 14 developmental male sprinters (age: 18.0 ±...