Applied Sports Science newsletter – March 31, 2016

… So, will we ever see Embiid? His recovery, and the path of his recovery, has been diminished by reports of him drinking pitchers of Shirley Temple at a time and indulging in fatty snacks. But, his recovery has been watched and headed up by big names in sport medicine. The Sixers know what they are doing, and they are making sure Embiid will eventually play for them.

Just looking at the timeline of events with Embiid, a lot has happened for this player who hasn’t played a single game yet. Additionally, a lot has happened for a kid who is very far from home. The Sixers are helping him feel more at home though, scheduling parts of his rehabilitation closer to home than Philly, at Qatar in an Aspetar Clinic.

The U.S. Soccer Federation on Tuesday disputed a report that Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks was not given appropriate medical care for his bruised knee while on national team duty last week.

Brooks picked up a knee contusion in his last game with Hertha, a 2-1 win against Ingolstadt on March 19.

Accurate assessments of both physical activity and sedentary behaviors are crucial to understand the health consequences of movement patterns and to track changes over time and in response to interventions.
PURPOSE:

The study evaluates the validity of an integrative, machine-learning method for processing activity monitor data in relation to a portable metabolic analyzer (OM; Oxycon Mobile) and direct observation (DO).
METHODS:

Forty-nine adults (ages 18-40) each completed 5-minute bouts of 15 activities ranging from sedentary to vigorous intensity in a laboratory setting while wearing the ActiGraph (AG) on the hip, the activPAL (AP) on the thigh and the OM. Estimates of energy expenditure (EE) and categorization of activity intensity were obtained from the AG processed with Lyden’s Sojourns method (SOJ) and from our new Sojourns Including Posture (SIP) method, which integrates output from the AG and AP. Classification accuracy and estimates of EE were then compared to criterion measures (OM, DO) using confusion matrices and comparisons of mean absolute error of the log (MAE ln Q).
RESULTS:

The SIP method had a higher overall classification agreement [79%, 95% CI: 75%, 82%] than the SOJ [56%, 95% CI: 52%, 59%] based on DO. Compared to OM, estimates of EE from SIP had lower MAE ln Q than SOJ for light (0.21 vs. 0.27), moderate (0.33 vs. 0.42) and vigorous (0.16 vs. 0.35) intensity activities.
CONCLUSIONS:

The SIP method was superior to SOJ for distinguishing between sedentary and light activities as well as estimating EE at higher intensities. Thus, SIP is recommended for research in which accuracy of measurement across the full range of activity intensities is of interest.

Objectives

Athletes are often required to undertake multiple training sessions on the same day with these sessions needing to be sequenced correctly to allow the athlete to maximize the responses of each session. We examined the acute effect of strength and speed training sequence on neuromuscular, endocrine, and physiological responses over 24?h.
Design

15 academy rugby union players completed this randomized crossover study.
Methods

Players performed a weight training session followed 2?h later by a speed training session (weights speed) and on a separate day reversed the order (speed weights). Countermovement jumps, perceived muscle soreness, and blood samples were collected immediately prior, immediately post, and 24?h post-sessions one and two respectively. Jumps were analyzed for power, jump height, rate of force development, and velocity. Blood was analyzed for testosterone, cortisol, lactate and creatine kinase.
Results

There were no differences between countermovement jump variables at any of the post-training time points (p?>?0.05). Likewise, creatine kinase, testosterone, cortisol, and muscle soreness were unaffected by session order (p?>?0.05). However, 10?m sprint time was significantly faster (mean?±?standard deviation; speed weights 1.80?±?0.11?s versus weights speed 1.76?±?0.08?s; p?>?0.05) when speed was sequenced second. Lactate levels were significantly higher immediately post-speed sessions versus weight training sessions at both time points (p?<?0.05).
Conclusions

The sequencing of strength and speed training does not affect the neuromuscular, endocrine, and physiological recovery over 24?h. However, speed may be enhanced when performed as the second session.

… a new wave of clubs – albeit still in chronic short supply – are taking matters into their own hands in the United States and saying no to pay-to-play. They’re embracing a more ‘European’ model – focusing on technical advancement on the best possible pitches, modern training techniques and an open door policy. One such club is Kew Forest FC in Queens, New York.

Kew Forest represent one of the most intriguing stories of player development unfolding in the New York region at the moment – a hotbed of talent and a city gripped by football. Crucially, Kew Forest is a club that the city needs, not an organisation there for moneymaking ambition, but one that offers a viable alternative to the professional academies of New York City FC and Red Bull New York.

… When the U.S. men’s national team wins, we’re happy, and when it loses, it’s because Jozy Altidore went missing, or the center backs are new, or Jurgen Klinsmann played Michael Bradley too high up the pitch… again. But a U.S. men’s match day is much too late to begin searching for the real reasons for our national shortcomings.

It’s far more valuable to look inside the process of how Michael, Jozy, and those center backs arrived on that field in the first place—to look at the system by which they were developed—and that, unfortunately, is not easy. Our system is immense and fragmented. In reality it is a collection of systems that encompasses youth clubs, academies, high school and college sides, and youth national teams. This essay will map that landscape and identify the three biggest issues confronting American youth soccer in its push to develop better players: money (there is too little), space (the country is very large), and time (we simply need more).

… Marquis Cabrera: What is VSR?

Dr. Karim Abdel-Malek: VSR is the acronym for the Virtual Soldier Research (VSR) program at the University of Iowa. Our research is aimed at creating interactive, intelligent, and predictive human models that operate in virtual, physics-based environments. The male model is called Santos® and the female model is Sophia.

The program software has been contracted with the US Marines, which was titled ETOWL (Enhanced Technologies for Optimization of Warfighter Load). ETOWL measures the stress placed on each avatar’s joints as well as its balance, flexibility and center of gravity. The 3-D simulation program allows the user to individualize the body types using a “drag and drop feature”. We basically created a real life human in a virtual environment. Using real human data from biomechanics and physiology processes, we are able to predict how a human would respond to certain stressors in an environment, such as high elevation or heavy weight.

Of all the things that could distinguish the four teams remaining in the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament — record, size, talent, experience — one factor may be undervalued: penmanship.

In the locker room, coaches still rely on their handwriting to relay halftime adjustments on whiteboards that look as if they were appropriated from a seventh-grade classroom. The same is true on the bench, where, in courtside huddles, players try to keep up with frantic scribbles — the X’s and O’s that often result in blank stares.

Even for college basketball’s most innovative minds, the only instrument with which to confer their strategic visions on the court is a felt-tipped pen, usually tethered by a string. For that reason, whiteboards remain an integral bench player, with myriad roles.

Dodgers CFO Tucker Kain is ready to cut some checks to a group of prospects that can pitch, execute a game plan, and close out. He is not looking to bolster the bullpen, but rather find a second group of sports and entertainment tech firms for the team’s trailblazing accelerator program. The MLB club’s owners and their partner, digital agency R/GA Ventures, today began taking applications for the Dodgers Sports & Entertainment Accelerator. The inaugural class of this first-of-its-kind program last year offered 10 companies access to industry partnerships and expertise, as well as mentors from the sports, entertainment, and strategic partner/investor worlds. “The principle remains the same,” explains Kain. “We’re looking to leverage our brands, our ownership group and partners at R/GA and our network to accelerate the growth of these young companies in sports and entertainment space to solve specific issues and change the odds of success.” Unlike many accelerators, these were not all startups seeking seed money; some firms already had raised sufficient capital but were looking to capitalize on the unique connections and partnerships that the Dodgers and R/GA could bring to the table, including pro sports teams, big-name brands, and venture capital funds. The Dodgers and R/GA invested an average of $120,000 for a 6% investment in the companies; the actual amounts and stake varied according to firm size and prior funding. The accelerator chose from 600 applications last spring and Kain anticipates at least that many during the next three months of scouting. He says the program is being selective, “five to seven companies is the target, but it’s more about the right fit than the number.”

For years now, wearable devices have promised to help us lead healthier lives, experience life in new ways, and become less dependent on our smartphones. 2015 was a very important year for wearables as the market took several important steps towards delivering on these promises. Apple released their much anticipated Apple Watch. GoPro launched a host of new action camera products. FitBit went public with a market cap of over $6B. And Oculus and Microsoft solidified their plans for Rift and Hololens, respectively.

Despite the positive momentum, the expectations of the market have not yet been met, as many of these wearable devices will be found tucked away in a drawer or a nightstand after only a few weeks of use. Fortunately, technology can and will solve the majority of shortcomings associated with wearables today. To use a baseball analogy, we are only in the third inning, and there is still a lot of ballgame to be played. Several of us got together in the podcast studio at KPCB to discuss our thoughts on the future of wearable technology – above is our discussion some of our takeaways. [audio, 32:34]

Architecture grad students are designing a state-of-the-art, multipurpose practice facility for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, with input from Mark Cuban, the team’s owner, and Bryan Trubey ’83, designer of AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and numerous other iconic sports stadiums.

Students showed Cuban and Trubey their progress at a meeting at HKS in Dallas and are scheduled to return to HKS to present their final designs at the end of the semester.

Students’ designs for the mixed-use development, intended to become a destination for Mavericks fans and the general public as well as players and team personnel, will include amenities not usually found in NBA training facilities such as a team store, public café, Mavericks museum/theater, a bioswale garden and an outdoor water feature in addition to standard team practice facilities.

Background Despite the widespread use of periodic health evaluation (PHE) to detect and prevent injury and illness in athletes, its effectiveness in detecting health conditions and relevant risk factors is still debated.

Aim To assess health conditions detected by a comprehensive PHE in professional male football players and evaluate their consequences for participation clearance.

Methods A total of 558 professional football players in Qatar completed a PHE prior to the 2013 or 2014 seasons: history, general medical (including blood test), cardiovascular (12-lead ECG and echocardiography) and a musculoskeletal examination, including a specific test battery targeting lower extremity strength and flexibility. On the basis of the PHE, players were either cleared or not cleared for participation.

Results In 533 players (95.5%), at least one health condition was detected requiring treatment or follow-up. Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (?30?ng/mL) was the most common medical condition (n=499, 89.4%), followed by hepatitis B non-immunity or infection (n=164, 29.4%). Cardiac screening identified 48 players (8.6%) with one or more abnormal findings (ECG (n=19, 3.4%) and echocardiography (n=14, 2.5%)). Musculoskeletal conditions were observed in 180 players (32.3%); injuries to or strength deficits of the hip/groin and thigh accounted for the largest proportion. Medical clearance was temporarily not given in 69 players (12.4%), while further examinations were being conducted. One player was disqualified from competitive football.

Conclusions PHE revealed a high prevalence of health conditions requiring treatment or follow-up in professional footballers; however, only 12.4% of conditions impacted on final clearance for participation.

… These are just three of many examples, but they raise a simple question: is estimating when a footballer will return to play a science, or just guesswork?

The football world is certainly obsessed with timescales, with news of an injury swiftly followed by the question of when he or she will return to action. That is hardly surprising. On that news depends the player’s future, the media agenda, the obsession of the fan, the livelihood of the manager, and the owner’s investment. Everyone is looking for a number, measurable in weeks or months.

Comprehensive understanding and application of decision making is important for the professional practice and status of sports coaches. Accordingly, building on a strong work base exploring the use of professional judgement and decision making in sport, we report a preliminary investigation into uses of intuition by high-level coaches. Two contrasting groups of high-level coaches from adventure sports (n = 10) and rugby union (n = 8), were interviewed on their experiences of using intuitive and deliberative decision making styles, the source of these skills, and the interaction between the two. Participants reported similarly high levels of usage to other professions. Interaction between the two styles was apparent to varying degrees, while the role of experience was seen as an important precursor to greater intuitive practice and employment. Initially intuitive then deliberate decision making was a particular feature, offering participants an immediate check on the accuracy and validity of the decision. Integration of these data with the extant literature and implications for practice are discussed.

… almost every major change or alteration has moved the match further to the point where results align with resources. The wealthiest generally win, and – as illustrated by the fact that 16 of the last 24 semi-final places have been occupied by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona – almost always at least reach the last four.

The conditioning effect of everything around the game has been to put more of the biggest clubs in the position where they are playing the biggest games, thereby ensuring they get more money, and consolidate a financial power that is already overwhelming.