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Analysing Louis Rees-Zammit's Transition from Rugby to the NFL
Renowned for his intense speed and try-scoring prowess, Rees-Zammit is now firmly in the thick of it as he prepares to transition to American football and the monumental task of adapting his skills to an entirely different sport. Having participated in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which was established by the NFL in 2017 with the aim of providing elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the highest level of American football.
SSA Blog: U-turn if you want to
It’s been a turbulent few weeks in the UK. U-turns and diversions have been front and centre of the news agenda. It seems U-turns come at considerable cost in many walks of life. In a sporting context, turning, particularly at high speed and repeatedly come at a significant physiological cost. Fortunately, a new paper evaluating the turning demands of a Premier League team has recently been published and could help create a new understanding of this vital performance metric.
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: 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.