Athletics Coaching AI

This episode explores the impact of mental fatigue on athletes, particularly in track and field, and the crucial role coaches play in both mitigating fatigue and promoting recovery.

Source: 

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Mental fatigue affects performance: 96% of practitioners agree it has a major impact on training and competition.
🔹 Signs of mental fatigue: Decreased session quality, loss of focus, slower reaction times, hesitation under ...

Source: Successful Talent Development in Track and Field: Considering the Role of Environment (Authored by Henriksen, Stambulova, and Rossler).

What makes a track and field club a powerhouse for developing elite athletes? In this episode, we dive into a fascinating study on IFK Växjö, a Swedish club with a track record of producing top talent. Using a holistic ecological approach, the research uncovers key factors that contribute to...

Source: Australian Athletics Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

As a coach, you play a crucial role in creating a safe and supportive environment for young athletes. In this episode, the hosts break down the key takeaways from Australian Athletics' comprehensive safeguarding policy. From understanding how to handle physical touch, communicating with athletes online, and transporting athletes, you'll learn why fa...

This episode explores common errors in squat form, focusing on heel rise, knee collapse, hip/shoulder movement discrepancies, and spinal rounding. It outlines a bottom-up assessment method, progressing from feet to shoulders.

The episode also provides both verbal and non-verbal correction strategies for each error, including using cues and physical adjustments like wall positioning and resistance bands.

Finally,...

Source

• The Horizontal Jumps

This episode introduces the general principles of the long jump and triple jump. It details the biomechanics and techniques involved in both events, highlighting key similarities and differences between the two disciplines.

The importance of approach run and take-off in achieving optimal jump distance is emphasised. Training methodologies, including plyometrics and weight training, are d...

World Athletics commissioned a four-year study to analyse online abuse targeting its athletes across four major events. The study, using AI and human analysis, examined 1.4 million posts and comments across multiple platforms, revealing persistent themes of racism, sexism, and sexualised abuse. The research identified key trends, such as the disproportionate targeting of certain athletes and the increasing use of emojis to circumve...

This episode discusses key AIS findings regarding the use of Cold Water Immersion (CWI) for athlete recovery, highlighting both potential benefits and important considerations.

Sources

• Water Immersion Overview
• CWI - Is it Worth the Plunge?

CWI may offer slight, short-term recovery benefits following endurance-focused exercise, potentially reducing the time needed for recovery during periods of intensive training...

This Episode discusses the relationship between coach-athlete dynamics and burnout in young elite athletes. It examines how appraisals of the coach-athlete relationship correlate with and predict burnout symptoms, both generally and specifically related to sport.

The research highlights the crucial role of the coach-athlete relationship in athletes’ mental well-being.

Our AI hosts then discuss strategies for buil...

This episode discusses the Speed and Agility guide, detailing various speed and plyometric training methods for athletes. It explains the mechanics of plyometrics, emphasising the stretch-shortening cycle and the importance of proper landing techniques to prevent injury, particularly ACL tears in females. The guide also covers speed and agility training, differentiating between various types of speed.

Specific drills are ...

Effective sprint training requires an in-depth understanding of the physiological demands sprinters face as they accelerate and maintain high speeds. This deep dive will explore a study by Dorn, Schache, and Pandy (2012) highlighting the muscular strategy shifts that occur as sprinters increase their running speed. This article explores the findings of their study, discusses the key muscular adaptations, and provides practical impl...

In this episode our AI hosts provide a comprehensive guide to the 400m hurdles. It's your Introduction to Coaching the 400m Hurdles Masterclass!

We explore the technical and tactical aspects of the event, starting with a breakdown of the requirements for success and drills to help athletes develop them. The episode then details the mechanics of a successful hurdle clearance, emphasising the need for a smooth, efficien...

This episode discusses Athletics Australia's "Strength for Sprinting" guide, exploring the concept of specificity in strength training and highlighting how different training parameters can influence the transfer of gym gains to sprinting performance.

The article examines five key factors: velocity, muscle group, muscle action, direction of force, and joint angle, demonstrating how training must be tailored...

Download the full guide with demonstration of the stretches and exercises here

This conversation explores findings published in the journal Advances in Physical Education, examining the importance of hip mobility and flexibility for track and field athletes.

The authors argue that restricted hip range of motion can lead to muscle imbalances and injuries, highlighting the prevalence of injuries in non-contact spor...

This episode discusses a paper by Wolfgang Ritzdorf, Director of the World High Jump Centre in Cologne, Germany, explaining his approach to coaching high jumpers. 
He argues that coaches must first establish a technical model for their athletes, then assess whether their personal style hinders or helps them achieve key technical elements. Next, he emphasises the crucial role of reactive strength in determining an athlete's...

Knowledge of muscle fibre types and how they can change is valuable for personalising training programs for different athletes’ goals. Understanding how different training modalities affect fibre type composition can help tailor programs for endurance, strength, power, or a combination of these qualities.

This episode explores the different types of muscle fibres and how they adapt to the training stimulus.

Source

This episode discusses an article written by Dr. Vanessa Thiele and published by the AIS, arguing that coaches should prioritise self-care, as it is crucial for their performance and leadership.

The author explains that self-care is not just about relaxation, but rather any deliberate action taken to support one's mental, physical, and emotional health. Self-care helps to reduce stress and enhance performance, making...

This episode discusses clinical commentary from the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, arguing that runners and coaches should move beyond solely focusing on weekly distance when quantifying and monitoring training load. The authors explain that running distance is only one aspect of training stress and fails to capture the full picture of the mechanical, physiological, and psychological demands of running. They ...

This episode discusses a research paper that explores the evolution of sprinting, from its ancient origins to modern-day techniques and training methods. The paper examines the historical development of starting and finishing techniques, delves into the physiological and neuromuscular factors involved in sprinting, and investigates the biomechanics of stride length and frequency. 

It also discusses different training appro...