Phil Handcock

Otago Polytechnic · Institute of Sport Exercise and Health

FINDINGS: The SCCs professed that they: • held strong nurturing values acquired organically and often influenced by family and early mentors • sought to facilitate holistic athlete wellness and wellbeing as well as performance objectives. • often noticed 'values squeeze' when reconciling their work with the agendas and expectations of sport coaches...

Purpose: This cohort study investigated changes in physical activity, community mobility and social participation following the first-time purchase of a mobility scooter. Methods: A national sample of persons aged 65+ years was surveyed using customized semi-structured interviews that explored changes in physical activity via the International Phys...

Heat is a major stressor during exercise, though its value in driving adaptation is not well understood. Muscle heating can upregulate pathways facilitating protein synthesis and could thereby enhance effects of exercise training, however, few studies have investigated this possibility. We examined whether heating active muscle during resistance tr...

Introduction Strength and conditioning (S&C) has a relatively brief history with a professional organisation of strength coaches first established in 1978 (Shurley & Todd, 2011). Pioneering strength and conditioning coaches (SCC) came primarily from a tradition of weightlifting, so S&C education has traditionally been grounded in the exercise scien...

Introduction Limited attention has been given to sociocultural and pedagogical issues in the strength and conditioning (S & C) literature. A similar gap was evident in the sports coaching literature a decade ago (see Cassidy, Jones & Potrac, 2004). In this paper we make a case for the benefits of starting a conversation with S & C coaches about the...

Objective The Northland (New Zealand) Rugby Union developed an innovative concussion recognition and management programme (Blue Card) as part of its player welfare responsibilities for club (community) players. The referee is empowered to issue a Blue Card (BC) to any player they suspect of being concussed, thus removing them from the game. The pur...

Encouraged by a lengthy history of professional and elite collegiate sport, the role of strength and conditioning coach (SCC) has existed for well over 50 years in the U.S.A. Strength and conditioning coaches are however relatively new to rugby union, with this role really only emerging with the 1995 professionalisation of the sport. While the deve...

When injuries occur in rugby union the initial response is often how can we alter the rules, better condition the players, or alter technique to prevent injury? Another approach might be to examine the culture surrounding the sport and question how players, coaches and management respond to injury. Premature return from injury has been identified a...

Quinn et al (1996) suggest that professional intellect operates on four levels; knowing what, knowing how, knowing why and caring why. Rugby strength and conditioning coaches (SCC) are generally well versed in the first two levels, but the latter two levels often receive less emphasis. Contemporary rugby SCCs face challenges that will extend well b...

Background: Neck strength has been reported to reduce the incidence of concussions and neck injuries. However little is known about how neck strength changes over a playing season. Aim: To understand the impact a 20-week rugby season has on neck strength, neck pain (NP) and neck stiffness (NS) in a cohort of rugby players, relative to a non-cont...

Neck strengthening has been postulated to potentially reduce the incidence/severity of concussions and neck injuries in collision based sports. A quick and reliable method to assess neck strength would permit identification of those at risk and tracking of progress following injury. The purpose of this study was to determine if neck strength could...

Events in New Zealand (NZ) in 1981 forced the NZ Police into a situation of 'all hands on deck,' with many sworn police officers subsequently found to be physically unfit for the demands of frontline policing. In response, entry level (Physical Appraisal Test; PAT) fitness testing was revamped and biennial testing (Physical Competency Test; PCT) of...

Purpose: To determine whether a facilitated recovery via cold water immersion (CWI) following simulated Rugby Sevens would influence parasympathetic reactivation and repeated sprint (RS) performance across six matches within a two-day tournament. Methods: Ten male team sport athletes completed six Rugby Sevens match simulations over two days wit...

Retrieved from http://www.theiacpconference.org/iacp2014/public/Calendar.aspx? ID=1056&sortMenu=103002

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of repeated isometric measurements of neck strength and endurance in a simulated rugby contact posture. Data were collected from healthy active university students (n= 20) over 3 sessions. Each session consisted of a single maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and endurance trial for extension...

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING FOR TEAM SPORTS, SUCH AS RUGBY UNION, IS CHALLENGING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMERGING DISCUSSIONS OCCURRING WITHIN THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHING COMMUNITY ON THE MERITS OF BECOMING A REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER. MANY FRAMEWORKS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO SUPPORT PRACTITIONERS TO REFLECT ON THEI...

New Zealand Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(2), (pp. 76). [Abstract]

Abstract We investigated the effect of added load and intense exercise on jump and landing performance and ground reaction force (GRF) during landings where attentional demand was varied. Fifty-two males (37 ± 9.2 years, 180.7 ± 6.1 cm, 90.2 ± 11.6 kg, maximal aerobic fitness (V˙O2max) 50 ± 8.5 ml (.) kg(-1 .) min(-1), BMI 27.6 ± 3.1, mean ± s) com...

Body armour is used widely by law enforcement and other agencies but has received mixed reviews. This study examined the influence of stab resistant body armour (SRBA) and mandated accessories on physiological responses to, and the performance of, simulated mobility tasks. Fifty-two males (37 ± 9.2 yr, 180.7 ± 6.1 cm, 90.2 ± 11.6 kg, VO2max 50 ± 8....

Proceedings of the Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ) Annual Conference: Exercise Science for Health and Sport Performance. (pp. 33). Retrieved from http://www.sesnz.org.nz/Conference/

In response to widespread public health promotions, many health professionals have sought to deliver physical activity advice. Occupational therapists are well positioned to contribute to clients' adoption of physically active lifestyles. Employing a client-centred approach that incorporates meaningful activity into lifestyle patterns, occupational...

This study determined the effect of exercise on measures of static and dynamic balance used in the assessment of sports-related concussion (SRC). A balanced three-group cross-over randomized design was used with three levels of exercise verified by blood-lactate, heart rate and "perceived-exertion": no exercise/rest (NE), moderate-intensity exercis...

This independent research considered the New Zealand Police Physical Competency Test and its appropriateness to the current front‐line policing working environment. This research report examined · current policing physical requirements for the performance of front‐line policing duties, · the physical requirements of the NZ Police PCT, · how curren...

Objective: This study sought to investigate teachers’ perceptions of a physical activity-related professional development intervention. Design: Interview-based qualitative approach founded on the interpretive paradigm. Setting: Purposive selection of one high-rated independent, and one low-rated public primary school from Auckland, New Zealand. Met...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of exercise intensity on the timed finger-to-nose (FTN) task, a measure of upper limb coordination included in the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT2). A three-group crossover randomised design was used to investigate changes in FTN times at three levels of exercise inte...

Concussion is a common injury in collision sports and is evidenced by a variety of signs and symptoms. The recording of neurological symptoms is an important component of screening for a concussion and in return-to-play decisions. However similar symptoms are prevalent in the general population and are reported to be associated with participation i...

Objective To examine the knowledge, approaches and attitudes of fitness instructors dealing with clients seeking weight loss advice. Design A qualitative project whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten fitness instructors representing a range of qual ifications, work settings and years of experience. Setting Interviews were condu...

Objectives. The high incidence of injury in rugby union, influences team performance and entails substantial treatment costs. Investigations into rugby injury suggest that premature return to play may be a preventable cause of many injuries. This study reports on the practices used by elite and club level New Zealand rugby teams for assessing readi...

Increasing the physical activity of New Zealanders has assumed a higher priority with new primary healthcare strategies. Physical Educators, the professionals who research, teach and practise in the domain of physical activity and exercise, have raised concerns regarding the strategies employed. This essay details several misgivings with public hea...

Several studies have used the H-reflex to investigate the effect of upright stances and locomotion on spinal reflex excitability. The reliability of eliciting this reflex during weight-bearing has however yet to be addressed. This study was undertaken to determine the reliability of individual differences in the H-reflex recorded from healthy subje...

Proceedings of the Annual Sport Science and Coaching Conference.. [Abstract]

Proceedings of the Annual Sport Science and Coaching Conference. (pp. 38). Wellington. [Abstract]

To describe the anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of a sample of senior A club rugby players and to highlight differences between the positional categories of the players within the forwards and backs. 94 senior A male rugby players were assessed on a number of anthropometric and physical performance assessments. The forwards...

To investigate the anthropometric and physical performance characteristics of New Zealand rugby players of different ages and both sexes. 356 rugby players (264 male, 92 female) took part in the study during a single season. Playing grade ranged from schoolboys and schoolgirls to senior men and women. Assessment of height, weight, neck circumferenc...

Overview of field testing methods appropriate to a variety of sports

A text on low-technology fitness assessments aimed at fitness instructors

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between non-invasive laboratory measures of 'muscle power' and swim performance over sprint (50 m) and middle-distance (400 m) events. Twenty-two swimmers performed an upper and lower body Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAT) and a maximal sustained power output test (MPO) for the upper body. Peak...