Performance

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SSA Blog: Performance trends of 2024

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SSA Blog: Performance trends of 2024

An Olympic and Paralympic year always brings elite sporting performance into sharp focus. In the dynamic landscape of sports science, the 2024 Paris Games are poised to highlight performance trends such as cutting-edge technology, personalised analytics, and holistic athlete well-being. The wide-scale adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning might have come too late to substantially influence outcomes in Paris, but its use will continue to revolutionise performance analysis, offering coaches and athletes unprecedented insights into strategic decision-making. 

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SSA Blog: The Lion's share

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As many expected, Alun Wyn Jones will captain the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour as they take on Japan and then World Champions South Africa this summer. Much media hype and speculation surrounded the announcement but as a three-tour veteran, which includes experience of leading the triumphant third test in 2013 against Australia the Welsh captain’s selection was not a huge surprise.

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SSA Blog: Sports marketing's concussion discussion

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Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the impact that traumatic head injuries have, discussions about safety and the long term health of players will only get louder. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football. Ongoing research that identifies a link between heading and dementia in football draws major attention here in the UK. Additionally, a recent legal case brought against the RFU, WRU and World Rugby alleging failure to protect against the risk of concussion will have serious ramifications for the game no matter what the outcome.

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SSA Blog: The fitness of Formula 1

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It is pre-season for Formula 1 right now, so if you are a fan, your social media will be awash with images of the 2021 cars and the drivers getting in condition for the year ahead. Over the years the fitness demands of racing a Formula 1 car have changed considerably. While drivers are still able to enjoy a glamorous lifestyle, their focus has had to shift somewhat to ensure they are physically and mentally able to maximise the capabilities of the cars. Driving talent is no longer enough to ensure a seat at the pinnacle of motorsport.

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SSA Blog: Andy's apparel appeal

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SSA Blog: Andy's apparel appeal

Following what he described as “the hardest match of my career” Andy Murray was unable to repeat the heroics of his 2020 US Open first-round victory. After an absence of over a year from the Grand Slam scene, a grinding five-set battle lasting over four hours was not what he or his performance team would have wanted. His second-round tie proved too much at this stage of his comeback as he lost in straight sets.

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SSA Blog: Training partners

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SSA Blog: Training partners

Project restart created an unprecedented interest from football media and fans into training, performance and the potential for injury that the return from lockdown has created. As we have mentioned in a number of previous blogs (It’s back, Recovery position, Project restart), Covid-19 presented staff with a number of unique challenges. There was no playbook for lockdown and the extended break it caused. There was no fixed return date to build conditioning towards, and there was no clear understanding of the fixture demands if/when competition was to return.

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SSA Blog: Catch me if you can

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On Sunday evening, a series of celebrity riders will take on Chris Froome in a charity cycling event; The Race - Wheels for Heroes. The aim is to raise money for NHS staff helping them access bikes to travel to work during the Covid-19 crisis. The various celebs will be given a head start before the seven-time Grand Tour champion sets off to hunt them down. The Race will take place not in the real world, but in the virtual world of Zwift’s Watopia, on the 22.9km Volcano route and will broadcast on both Sky Sports and Youtube.

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SSA Blog: Project Restart

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SSA Blog: Project Restart

The Premier League is set to resume on the 17th June, subject to continued government approval. It marks the latest step in the much publicised Project Restart. If all goes to plan the season commences with midweek games between Aston Villa and Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal before a full round of weekend fixtures between 19th - 21st. The last Premier League action took place on 9th March. For the players, this will mean a gap of over 3 months since they were last involved in competitive action.

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SSA Blog: Wear sunscreen

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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.

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SSA Blog: Marathon Music Session

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SSA Blog: Marathon Music Session

In October 2019, Eluid Kipchoge will attempt to break one of the great barriers in men’s athletics, the two-hour marathon. Supported by INEOS, Kipchoge plans to better his time of 2:00:25 set during the Nike Breaking 2.0 project in May 2017.