Direction (COD) speed, and defensive agility performance in Australian Rules football players. Twenty-four male community-level players were assessed on sprint acceleration (10-m time), maximum strength (3 repetition-maximum half squat), leg power (countermovement jump), reactive strength (drop jump), and a single COD speed test and a defensive agility test. Change-of-direction speed was correlated with reactive strength (r = −0.645, p = 0.001) and sprint acceleration (r = 0.510, p = 0.011). Multiple regression indicated that the combined physical qualities explained 56.7% of the variance associated with COD speed (adjusted R2 = 0.567, p ≤ 0.05). Participants were median split into faster and slower COD speed groups, and these were compared by independent t-tests. The faster group was significantly better (p ≤ 0.05) on the sprint acceleration and reactive strength tests (large effect size). The correlations between physical qualities and agility were trivial to small (r = −0.101 to 0.123, p > 0.05) and collectively explained only 14.2% of the variance associated with agility performance (adjusted R2 = −0.142, p > 0.05). When faster and slower agility groups were compared, there were trivial to moderate differences (p > 0.05) in all physical qualities. It was concluded that reactive strength and sprint acceleration are important for COD speed, but the physical qualities assessed are not associated with defensive agility performance. For agility tasks similar to those in this study, sprint and resistance training should not be emphasized, and training other factors, such as the development of sport-specific technique and cognitive skill, is recommended....

Background Combat sports involve body contact through striking, kicking and/or throwing. They are anecdotally referred to as ‘dangerous’, yet long-term investigation into specific injury rates is yet to be explored. Objective To describe incidence and prevalence of injury and illness within Olympic combat sports and to investigate risk of bias of prospective injury and illness research within these sports. Methods We systematically searched literature published up until May 2016. We included prospective studies of injury/illness in elite combat athletes lasting more than 12 weeks. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified version of the Downs and Black checklist for methodological quality. Included studies were mapped to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence. Results Nine studies were included, and most (n=6) had moderate risk of bias. Studies provided level 1/2b evidence that the most frequently injured areas were the head/face (45.8%), wrist (12.0%) and lower back (7.8%) in boxing; the lower back (10.9%), shoulder (10.2%) and knee (9.7%) in judo; the fingers (22.8%) and thigh (9.1%) in taekwondo; and the knee (24.8%), shoulder (17.8%) and head/face (16.6%) in wrestling. Heterogeneity of injury severity classifications and inconsistencies inexposure measures prevented any direct comparisons of injury severity/incidence across combat sports. Conclusions There is currently a lack of consensus in the collection of injury/illness data, limiting the development of prevention programmes for combat sport as a whole. However, sport-specific data that identify body areas with high injury frequency can provide direction to clinicians, enabling them to focus their attention on developing pathologies in these areas. In doing so, clinicians can enhance the practical elements of their role within the integrated combat sport performance team and assist in the regular update of surveillance records.

Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are among the most common injuries in field-based team sports with a high-speed running component. The implementation of the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a well-documented method of improving eccentric hamstring strength to mitigate the risk of HSI occurrence. Sprint training is specific to the injury mechanism and is thought to activate the hamstrings through maximal eccentric contractions. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of sprint training and the NHE on eccentric hamstring strength and sprint performance. Twenty-eight participants (mean±SD age=16.21±1.34 years; height=1.75m±0.10m; body mass=68.5kg±12.1kg) completed an eccentric hamstring strength assessment and 40m sprint to assess acceleration and maximum speed. Participants were randomly allocated to either a NHE training or sprint training group. Two sessions per week for four-weeks of training was performed with baseline testing procedures repeated in the week following the intervention. Perceptions of soreness were recorded following the warm-up in each training session. Both the NHE (effect size=0.39, P<0.05) and sprint training (effect size=0.29, P<0.05) groups displayed significant gains in eccentric hamstring strength. The NHE group reported trivial improvements in sprint performance, whilst the sprint training group experienced a moderate improvement, specifically in maximum speed (ES=0.83 Moderate). Sprint training also produced greater perceptions of soreness than the NHE following a four-week training intervention, specifically before the start of the last session (P<0.05). These findings indicate that sprint training had a beneficial effect for both eccentric hamstring strength and sprint performance, whilst also producing greater soreness than the NHE following the final training session. It was concluded that a four-week block of maximum speed training may have both an injury prevention and performance enhancement benefit.

Agility is a complex skill that is influenced by several physical, technical and cognitive factors. In this position stand, we discuss agility as it relates to invasion sports such as the many football codes. An important concept when conceptualising agility is understanding how it is applied on the field or court. Agility is particularly important in contests between attackers and defenders. For example, an attacker needs to create space or separation from defenders, in order to evade or to maintain possession of the ball. Conversely, defenders may require agility to reduce time and space in relation to the attacker, thereby applying pressure with the intention of achieving a turnover of possession. The movements performed in an agility scenario are diverse, and may involve an isolated deceleration, or a range of actions to produce a lateral displacement of the body at various angles and speeds. To create novel insights into agility, the interactions between predators and prey are explored in the animal world and reveal that successful pursuit (like a defender) or escape (like an attacker) is influenced by the ability to accelerate and attain high speeds, decelerate, and manoeuvre with control at optimum speeds, as well as expressing perceptual and cognitive skills. A plethora of sports literature claiming to discuss agility actually refers to pre-planned change-of-direction (COD) movements, known as COD ability. There are several differences between agility and COD ability, which should be considered when testing and prescribing agility activities. The characteristics of different agility techniques are presented and discussed with consideration to performance and the risk of injury such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, with the aim of creating multiple movement solutions for the athlete. Due to the diversity of agility actions performed in invasion sports, physical development should include tissue strengthening as well as fast and slow stretch-shortening cycle exercises to cater for different speeds and angles of agility movements. The speed and accuracy of decision-making in agility contests (cognitive component) are determined by the athlete’s ability to anticipate opponent’s actions, visually scan the environment, recognise patterns of play, and predict movement strategies based on knowledge of situations. One versus one contests, small-sided games, and video perceptual training can enhance the cognitive component of agility. Finally, there is no single coaching strategy or method that should be used to develop agility. Instead, the appropriate methodology must fit the individual needs of athletes, and therefore a mixed multicomponent approach is needed as part of an agility framework. Training examples to develop agility are presented throughout this position statement.

PREVENTION OF SPORTS INJURIES IS A PRIORITY FOR SPORT STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF TRAINING AND COMPETITION. ACHIEVING THIS OBJECTIVE REQUIRES A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH WITH STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHES PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PROCESS. WHEN CONSIDERING SPORTS INJURY PREVENTION STRATEGIES, THE ROLE OF THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH CAN EXTEND BEYOND OBSERVING EXERCISE TECHNIQUE AND PRESCRIBING TRAINING TO DEVELOP A ROBUST AND RESILIENT ATHLETE. THIS PAPER PROVIDES STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHES WITH A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE SPORTS INJURY PREVENTION PROCESS AND OUTLINES EXAMPLES OF HOW STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHES CAN WORK TO PROMOTE AND IMPROVE ATHLETE SAFETY.

Optimal performance. A rowing-based warm-up could be enhanced by exploiting the postactivation potentiation (PAP) phenomenon, acutely enhancing power output at the beginning of a race where it is needed most. Minimal research has investigated the effects of PAP on events of longer duration (i.e. 1,000-m rowing). The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of PAP on 1,000-m rowing ergometer performance through the use of 2 different warm-up procedures: (a) a rowing warm-up combined with a series of isometric conditioning contractions, known as the potentiated warm-up (PW), and (b) a rowing warm-up only (NW). The isometric conditioning contractions in the PW were performed by “pulling” an immovable handle on the rowing ergometer, consisting of 5 sets of 5 seconds (2 seconds at submaximal intensity, and 3 seconds at maximal intensity), with a 15-second recovery between sets. The 1,000-m rowing ergometer time trial was performed after each warm-up condition, whereby mean power output, mean stroke rate, and split time were assessed every 100 m. Ten Australian national level rowers served as the subjects and performed both conditions in a counterbalanced order on separate days. The PW reduced 1,000-m time by 0.8% (p > 0.05). The PW improved mean power output by 6.6% (p < 0.01) and mean stroke rate by 5.2% (p < 0.01) over the first 500 m; resulting in a reduction of 500-m time by 1.9% (p < 0.01), compared with the NW. It appears that the inclusion of isometric conditioning contractions to the rowing warm-up enhance short-term rowing ergometer performance (especially at the start of a race) to a greater extent than a rowing warm-up alone....