Latest Posts
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The Ice Hockey Morning Skate: Performance Enhancement or Superstition?
In the dynamic world of professional ice hockey, the morning skate stands as a testament to the sport’s evolution. With about 80 years of history, this once-pragmatic session has transformed into a coach-driven, multi-faceted practice shaping the pre-game preparations of players. Yet, with changing coaching philosophies and a more nuanced…
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Exercise Supplementation Unveiled: Creatine – History, Science, and Application
The second article in our exercise supplementation series will cover creatine. With its usage dating back to the mid-1800s,1 creatine is one of the most widely used and well-studied supplements on the market. Hereon, we will discuss its efficacy on sporting performance, and how one may use creatine in a…
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Exercise Supplementation Unveiled: Caffeine – Genetics and Non-Responders
In the previous article, the history and utility of caffeine in different sporting contexts were described. This text will go more in-depth into the mechanisms of how caffeine can improve performance and discuss individual differences in gene variants that affect caffeine metabolism. Mechanism of action Caffeine is an adenosine receptor…
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Exercise Supplementation Unveiled: Caffeine – History, Science, and Application
Promises of increased training effects, faster recovery, and improved performance – the jungle of nutritional supplements can be difficult to navigate. Whether a supplement “works” is not a binary assessment and is highly dependent on the context. Attempting to provide some clarity, this article will be the first of a…
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The Art of Sprinting: How a World-Class Sprinter Conquered the Tour de France
Not only was Marcel Kittel notorious for having the best hair in the peloton during his pro-cycling career, but he was also a formidable sprinter with an impressive 19 grand tour stage wins to his name. After ending his debut season with 17 race wins, his sprinting success continued to…
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HIDIT: A Novel HIIT Protocol that Gets You Closer to Your Peak Performance
Interval training is an integral part of most serious athletes’ training regimes, but it can also be useful for those with less time to train to maintain fitness and performance. Intervals can be designed in a plethora of ways, some of which we have previously written about. This article will…
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How Do Top 5 Giro d’Italia Finishers Train?
The 2023 Giro d’Italia has come to an end. After over 85 hours of racing covering almost 3500 kilometres, Primož Roglič emerged victorious by a margin of 14 seconds over the runner up, Geraint Thomas.1,2 We have previously covered the physiological demands and energy expenditure of riding a Grand Tour.…
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The Physiology of Formula 1 Drivers: Fitness and Performance
Formula 1 – the pinnacle of motorsport, where success is determined by the combination of man and machine. There is little question about the importance of driving the fastest car, and like in other sports, the raw talent and ability to make the right decision at the right time are…
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Sex Differences in Athletes’ Sleep: Does the Menstrual Cycle Play a Role?
Sleep is arguably one of the most important tools for recovery amongst the athlete population due to its ability to influence a wide range of physiological functions.1 Despite this, sleep is evidently not prioritised, as reports show that athletes have a poorer quality of sleep compared to the general population,…
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Exercise Prescription Methods – The Talk Test
When prescribing endurance training the two main variables that can be manipulated are duration and intensity. Whilst the former only requires a stopwatch, prescribing the ‘correct’ intensity can be a tricky task and ideally requires regular lab testing to determine the exercise intensity domains. Since most people do not have…
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Breaking 2: The Physiological Requirements
On the 12th October 2019, Eluid Kipchoge made history by becoming the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours. The Ineos 1:59 challenge saw a monumental effort to break this barrier by creating the best possible conditions for the attempt. The elements that contributed to this…
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Microgravity & The Astronaut Athlete
Since the beginning of space exploration, astronauts have embarked on extraordinary journeys to the most unique environments ever experienced by mankind. Despite the challenges of radiation exposure, confinement and social isolation to name a few, one aspect of spaceflight remains the most demanding: microgravity. Here on Earth the human body…
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