The London Marathon was staged for the 42nd time on Sunday 2nd October. Thousands of club and recreational runners shared the streets of the capital with a host of elite runners to complete, for many, their ultimate physical challenge.
SSA Blog: Research cycle
British Athlete Dina Asher-Smith has called for more research into the effect of periods on female athletes. The 2019 World 200m champion made the statement following pulling up in the European Athletics Championship final because of cramping calves. She attributed the cramps to “girls stuff” linking the incident to her menstrual cycle.
SSA Blog: Oh Jimmy Jimmy...
SSA Blog: The danger of pseudoscience
“The modern health and wellness industry is characterised by an abundance of baseless or exaggerated claims and widespread pseudoscience”. This is one of the key messages from a recent article published in the very well-respected scientific journal Sports Medicine. Much of the frustration is pointed towards the rise of social media, which allows messaging to go unchecked and the power of influencers and celebrities to spread mis and disinformation due to poor scientific understanding.
SSA Blog: Sports science in 2020
Since March and the dawning realisation of the seriousness of Covid-19, 2020 has presented challenges for sport scientists. At the elite end of the profession, event cancellations, postponements and lockdowns inhibited training and monitoring plans. For those that use exercise as a health intervention, social restrictions interrupted programmes and the worry of increasing sedentary behaviour caused concern particularly among older and isolated groups. In this blog, Sport Science Agency will take a look back at some of the key developments that have shaped sports science in 2020.
SSA Blog: Festive indulgence
SSA Blog: A life lesson from lockdown
The wider health implications of lockdown are becoming increasingly understood. The Chief Medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, said when questioned about the impact of lockdown 2.0, “there are no good solutions. All the solutions are bad”. Countries and regions across Europe have approached lockdowns with different levels of severity. While gyms have been asked to close in England, it has been striking that the health authorities have repeatedly pushed the importance of exercise and continued to champion its benefits, allowing people to leave their homes to maintain some level of activity.
SSA Blog: Wear sunscreen
Premier League players returned to training in small groups this week as part of the ongoing Covid-19 return to play protocols. The improvement in the weather offered a pleasant backdrop for coaches, players, and a limited number of sport scientists to be out on the training ground. It also gave media teams a valuable opportunity to capture content for the many behind the scenes training videos being produced to satisfy fans’ thirst for content.
SSA Blog: Covid-19 - How we have become like elite athletes
The current health pandemic has focused many minds on protecting themselves, their families, their neighbours and for those serving in government, their country. At an individual level, everyone has been called to play their part. The advice issued here in the UK, as with much of the world centres around social distancing in order to “flatten the curve”. It is hoped this will reduce the speed of viral spread so our health system is able to protect those most vulnerable.
SSA Blog: Wash your hands young man
SSA Blog: New Year’s resolutions
The proven benefits of an active lifestyle are many and varied. Those who maintain an active lifestyle continually report physical, mental and emotional advantages compared with matched groups of less active individuals. Conversely links between sedentary lifestyles and illness are overwhelming with obesity and diabetes now at the heart of public health messaging.