Taking Sports Science To The Next Level

March 30, 2006

Australia is known for its BBQ’s, highly dangerous wildlife, and of course our sportsmanship…but Star-Trek like contraptions to take an athlete’s performance through the stratosphere, well, who would have thought. Seriously, Australian sports science is world renowned. Sports scientists in Australia have now been studying micro receptors (that are swallowed by athletes) to measure speeds and other biomechanical functions. Apart from this following is a list of other cool concepts that Australian scientists are formulating to enhance athletic performance:

· An electronic rower tracking system that was used at the Athens Olympic Games where Australian rower’s won three medals.

·”Cooling jackets”, which reduce athletes’ temperatures and increase their power output. Researchers are evaluating their impact on pistol shooters, and formula one driver Mark Webber will wear one at the Bahrain and Malaysian GPs.

·”Superbikes”, which require up to 5 per cent less energy than comparable high-performance frames.

· Development of a safety stirrup for jockeys and horse riders, in conjunction with Bostock Developments.

One of the inventions is the “cooling jacket”, which I believe would be a great tool in the competitive goalkeepers arsenal, keeping the athlete cool whilst increasing power especially during very hot competitive games would be an added plus. The research conducted in the above studies also suggests that the cooling jacket material can be used as a boot for people with torn ligaments. I’m not sure how that would work, but what an added plus with people who are facing reconstructed ACL’s.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

Chocolate Diet: Chocolate Lover Dreams Come True

March 23, 2006

Recently, I have been reading up about chocolate flavored milk being just as good as any other supplement for better health. I’m a chocoholic, actually when I was younger I would always have a hot cup of Nestle Quik before I went to sleep. The Mr’s. and I have a favorite place that we like to hang out at every now and then called Max Brenner’s. This place is a Mecca for chocoholics, but the difference with Max Brenner and your typical chocolate bar is their use of pure cocoa. This makes a significant difference in the health benefits of chocolate, processed, compared to unprocessed varieties. Actually, a little bit of pure dark chocolate can help you in more ways than one.

Following is some excerpts from a recent article that looks at a growing body of evidence in regards to the benefit of dark chocolate and cocoa:

In the early ’90s, Harvard University Professor Dr. Norman Hollenberg found that a population of island-dwelling Kuna Indians of Panama, who consume three to four cups of cocoa a day, had lower blood pressure, less hypertension and fewer cardiovascular diseases than relatives on the mainland. Hollenberg later collaborated with Mars on cocoa research.

Two weeks ago, Dutch researchers reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine that older men who consumed a lot of cocoa had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from any disease than those who ate none over the course of the 15-year study.

A review of 136 scientific articles on chocolate and its ingredients published between 1996 and 2005 found that eating small amounts of dark chocolate reduces the risk of dying of heart disease by about 19 percent, according to an analysis that appeared January in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism.

Research shows that dark chocolate has a high amount of flavonols, that help in the reduction of cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. Also, by mixing a little dark chocolate with milk can help you rest the night before a big game, as milk contains tryptophan which allows the brain to rest. There are no long term studies that have been conducted in relation to regular consumption of dark chocolate, so I would not recommend it as a staple of any athletes diet, but a little bit every now and then can help you have a healthy heart, and that can only benefit performance

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

BBC Guide To Goalkeeping Disappointing?

March 23, 2006

The BBC is a central hub for everything football related, especially when it comes to Premier League Football. Now, increasingly over the internet you will find only a handful of sites that focus on the position of the goalkeeper. JB Goalkeeping is one, with a handful of others scattered in the billions of pages online. So when I stumbled across the position guide for goalkeepers at the BBC, I was a bit disappointed. Have a read for yourself here. What about fitness, nutrition, strength, etc? The article pointed to agility, and I hear it all the time at some of my favorite forums, but what about a complete picture that ties in all the loose ends for aspiring goalkeepers? Even the resources available are limited, with a few relevant books and others that don’t add up to a complete picture available as a guide for the competitive football goalkeeper.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

Antioxidant’s That Pack A Power Punch

March 16, 2006

Feeling sore after an intense workout? Never underestimate the power of good food to provide rich antioxidants to help the body fight free radical activity. Foods rich in antioxidant’s can help muscles fight the effects of catabolism and curb the effect of cell damage. This means that a competitive athlete can increase their performance by reducing the effect of sore and tired muscles after intense activities. Following are some powerful foods that contain high levels of antioxidants:

A recent study in the journal Food Chemistry (Vol.97, pp. 137-150) outlined some of the best sources of antioxidants: “Interest in antioxidants as functional ingredients continues to grow, with sales said to be $2.7 bn (� 2.25 bn) in the US in 2003, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. The top sellers included vitamins C and E, catechins from green tea and soy isoflavones.” The US seems to have enormous growth in the use of antioxidants. Some of the best sources suggested by the study showed that “…both the golden rod and artichoke had high radical scavenging in most of the tests used, although the apple extract yield was higher (30 per cent of the raw dry material) and had high efficiency in two of the antioxidant tests.”

Now I don’t really know about golden rod, but artichokes are a key ingredient in some Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian. Apples are a significant source of antioxidants, and the study also pointed to strawberries. Green Tea has always been a favorite of mine, and really helps in thermogenesis (burning) fat. So a good diet with a mixture of some of the above high antioxidant foods, can help you stay mean and lean, and ready for your best on-field performance.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

The Skinny On Energy Bars: “Energy” Means More Calories

March 15, 2006

Remember the hard work-out at the gym, where you forgot your protein shake at home, and were just busting for some muscle building, strength creating, power enhancing “energy”? The reception desk of gyms all over the world, and supermarket shelves are packed with protein or energy bars. But do we really need them, as a substitute for increased “energy”? A recent article looks at the increased expenditure in the US for energy bars, and states:

“Americans’ interest in the bars translated into 42 million pounds sold in 2004, according to AC Nielsen, The Washington Post recently reported. The report also found that figure is nowhere close to the nearly 872 million pounds of potato chips sold in the same time period. However, the snack bar category saw a 4 percent uptake in sales in 2004 (the most recent sales data available), which some industry experts attribute to low-carb lifestyles. Since 1996, annual sales consistently have increased by double digits.”

Now that is all well and good, but do we really need “energy” bars for performance enhancement or recovery? The article makes a good point “The much-less-glamorous truth is, the word “energy,” when used to describe a food, simply means it contains calories. Energy doesn’t equal speed, stamina or power: It simply equals calories.” This is true, but calories expended from a hard training session can be replenished with an energy bar, and are a better option than gulping down a sweet treat. Embelton, P. (Anabolic Primer, 1998) resonates a similar theme: “The term energy bar is in some respects misleading as many contain more protein than energy sources…Like most supplements, energy bars don’t take the place of good nutrition.” Though, there are times (especially when you skip a meal) where an energy bar would be ideal. Embelton also points to some research from Tufts University in Boston which states “30 percent of male endurance athletes and 70 percent of male strength-sport athletes don’t take in enough calories“. Food for thought, supplementing with energy bars should only be utilised when the body really demands it.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

Cross Training Increases Strength, Flexibility & Endurance

March 14, 2006

Training can get tedious, yep, even chore-like. Variety is always a good thing, and if you train for your sport utilising other modes of training like running in water for example, you allow the body to constantly adapt. A recent article points to the need of diversity in a training regime by utilising water running. Over the past few months I utilised waist high water running in the pool, and saw extremely good results with strength in regards to recovery from my injury. So, to diversify your training program and to help detrain from the competitive season utilise water running. You might think that water training or water aerobics are for geriatric grannies, I bet you that those same grannies could give you a run for your money in the pool any day. Water running gives the muscles a good burn and allows for the body to recover and adapt to a new training stimulus. In the long run, this means diversity in the training program and the prevention of injuries.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education

Strength Training Pays Off For Injury Recovery, Prevention & Beyond

March 5, 2006

My reconstructed knee is feeling much better, especially with the progressive physiotherapy and the use of strength training and massage therapies to help reduce the swelling and increasing joint and muscle strength around my new ACL ligament. Strength training is truly the best way for a competitive goalkeeper to stay in tip-top shape throughout the competitive season. One of the best things about my recovery has been utilising the Isokinetic machine and strength training equipment at the NSW Institute of Sports Medicine. The team have been extremely positive and supportive and have given me the mental help I needed to overcome the injuries that have disabled me over the past year. Whether it be using resistance bands or strength training equipment, balance boards or mini trampolines, the overwhelming response to positive recovery and injury prevention has been the use of strength training techniques.

So, where am I now? Well I have been doing some running, though not as much as I would like to. Another good thing is that massage therapy has enabled me to regain most of my extension, and well past 90 degrees of flexion, so I am not too far away from full recovery, around 3 months or so. It has been six months since surgery, and my physiotherapist has said that even though I was disappointed that the recovery was stubborn and slow, this can only mean a very strong ligament so I can only be grateful. The isokinetic strength training equipment showed results that astounded my physiotherapist, whom felt that I was at 79% of my maximum leg strength, I ended up in the mid 90 percentile of strength for my recovering ACL surgery. Now the exciting prediction is that I will be able to start doing some closed chain drills, and some agility drills. Therefore, it looks like I will be heading down to train with some of my old mates from my local team Burwood FC.

Written by John Stevanja · Filed Under KS Education