Pacey Performance Podcast

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast Rob is speaking to three experts in the area of women's football, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Manchester United Women, Jack Clover, Reader in Sports Performance at Leeds Beckett, Stacey Emmonds, and Head of Sport Science at The Matildas, Jack Sharkey.

One of the central discussions revolves around menstrual cycle monitoring and its relevance to training and performance. They emphasize the importance of understanding menstrual health beyond just phase-based training, shedding light on the broader spectrum of menstrual-related issues and their impact on athletes' well-being and availability.

The trio also tackles the challenge of setting appropriate training thresholds for female athletes in an environment where the demands are constantly evolving. They highlight the need for a more tailored approach and collaboration within the women's football community to establish science-based standards.

Eccentric training, often a hot topic in sports science, is examined from a gender-neutral perspective. Stacey, Jack, and Sharkey stress the significance of evaluating individual athlete profiles and training age when considering the integration of flywheel training into a program.

Throughout the episode, the experts emphasize the critical role of education in women's football. They discuss the importance of educating both athletes and practitioners about menstrual health, debunking myths, and promoting healthy practices.

With a wealth of experience in the field, Stacey, Jack, and Sharkey offer valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities within women's football. Their commitment to evidence-based practices and their dedication to improving athlete well-being make this episode a must-listen for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches and rehabilitation professionals about advancing women's football. Tune in for an engaging discussion that transcends the game and dives deep into the science behind female athlete performance.

Main talking points:

• Menstrual health beyond phase-based training

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob chats to Head of Player Health at Adelaide Football Club, Tim Parham.

Drawing from his extensive experience, Tim provides a comprehensive insight into the multifaceted approach to hamstring injury management and prevention.

Throughout the conversation, Tim shares practical strategies for injury prevention, including the significance of tailored training consistency, eccentric strength dosing, and individualized exercise selection. He delves into the nuanced process of rehabilitation, discussing his philosophy of adopting an aggressive approach while aligning it with the athlete's clinical condition and sport demands.

Tim provides a fascinating glimpse into his methodology of microdosing isometric exercises and integrating them into the overall training program. He discusses the challenge of finding the right balance between aggressive rehabilitation and cautious progression, and how transparency, education, and collaboration with athletes are key factors in achieving successful outcomes.

Listeners gain valuable insights into the intricacies of hamstring injuries, with Tim elaborating on the progression of high-intensity eccentric exercises and his approach to return-to-running frameworks. He highlights the importance of addressing the individual needs of athletes and embedding high-speed exposures into rehab sessions to replicate game scenarios.

This episode serves as an invaluable resource for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists and rehab professionals seeking a deeper understanding of hamstring injuries and their management.

Main talking points:

• Hamstring injury management

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Dr. Chris Bishop, Associate Professor at Middlesex University delves deep into the intricacies of asymmetries, exploring their relevance and implications across various aspects of sports performance. Chris dissects the misconceptions and misunderstandings associated with asymmetry metrics, emphasizing the need for context-aware analysis and a balanced perspective.

The conversation delves into the practical challenges faced by practitioners and researchers in interpreting asymmetry data obtained from jump testing and other performance assessments. Chris' insights shed light on the limitations of relying solely on asymmetry metrics as a predictive tool and the importance of considering individual biomechanical factors and sports-specific demands.

As the episode goes on, Chris navigates the listeners through the nuances of correlating asymmetry metrics with broader performance outcomes. He addresses the common pitfalls of overreliance on correlations and offers valuable insights into identifying meaningful relationships between asymmetry data and athlete performance. Chris also tackles the challenges posed by force plates, shedding light on the complexities of interpreting data and selecting meaningful metrics for assessing neuromuscular fatigue, profiling performance, and aiding injury rehabilitation.

This is an incredible episode from the Godfather of asymmetries.

Main talking points:

• Asymmetries' complexities and relevance.

Phil featured on episode #417 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed -

• Tests used to collect anaerobic speed reserve data

Check out the full episode with Phil here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/anaerobic-speed-reserve-individualising-conditioning-in-team-sports/

This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Marc Lewis, Director of Sports Science at the Houston Texans delves into the intricate realm of athlete fatigue management, load monitoring and recovery optimisation.

Marc offers a comprehensive overview of fatigue monitoring techniques. From analyzing performance metrics like jump height to decoding the significance of fatigue patterns, Lewis guides listeners through the nuances of assessing and interpreting athlete fatigue levels. He introduces the concept of "non-functional overreaching," highlighting the importance of recognizing when athletes are unable to adapt strategies to achieve performance goals, indicating a significant level of fatigue.

Listeners gain valuable knowledge on establishing robust monitoring protocols. Lewis discusses the importance of understanding coefficients of variation and effect sizes, emphasizing the need to differentiate between measurement errors and genuine performance changes. The conversation also explores the optimal timing for testing, such as assessing fatigue levels both immediately after a game and midweek to capture recovery trends.

The podcast doesn't stop at monitoring—Lewis dives into recovery methods as well. He emphasizes the role of sleep and nutrition, highlighting their significance in expediting recovery. Additionally, he explores various recovery modalities, ranging from well-researched techniques like cold water immersion to other options that offer individual athletes a degree of autonomy in their recovery choices.

By the end of the conversation, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of how to tailor training programs, prioritize recovery, and ultimately elevate the performance of athletes. Tune in for a deep dive into the world of fatigue management, where science meets practice.

Main talking points:

• The demands of the NFL

This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees Rob speak to Women’s Physical Performance Coach at The Football Association, Matt Cuthbert to explore the world of microdosing in resistance training.

Microdosing, a concept borrowed from pharmacology, involves prescribing small, individualized doses of resistance training to athletes. Cuthbert, a leading researcher in this area, sheds light on how this approach can optimize performance and manage athlete fatigue effectively, especially in the high-stakes world of international football.

The podcast delves into the nuts and bolts of microdosing, discussing the potential benefits of individualization and tailored training for athletes of various skill levels and playing positions. Cuthbert also highlights the crucial role of collaboration between strength and conditioning coaches and technical coaches to ensure seamless integration into team training.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into Cuthbert's research and experiences, making this episode a must-listen for coaches and sports scientists looking to stay at the forefront of cutting-edge training techniques. As Cuthbert explains, microdosing allows for a fine balance between a minimum effective dose and planned overreaching, providing athletes with the right stimulus for optimal adaptation.

With a focus on maximizing athletic potential, this podcast showcases the potential of microdosing in revolutionizing the way we approach resistance training in football and potentially other sports.

Join Rob and Matt Cuthbert for a captivating discussion on how microdosing can take performance enhancement to a whole new level.

Main talking points:

• Microdosing in resistance training: Research explained

This episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast sees engaging in a fascinating conversation with Kurt Hester, Head of Sports Performance for Football at Tulane University. This episode delves deep into the ever-evolving world of athletic development, offering valuable takeaways for coaches.

Kurt emphasizes the importance of adaptation in training, steering away from rigid approaches and instead focusing on the individual needs of athletes. He challenges the prevalent obsession with strength numbers and highlights the significance of a more comprehensive athlete-centered approach to preparation.

Drawing from his expertise, Kurt shares his innovative incorporation of sports science, particularly the transformative impact of breathing techniques on performance. By embracing this aspect of training, he explains how it optimizes recovery, enhances focus, and prepares athletes for the rigors of their sport.

Throughout the episode, the discussion revolves around striking a balance between data-driven methodologies and intuitive coaching. Kurt advocates for coaches to spend time observing athletes in action, creating a meaningful correlation between data and on-field performance.

If you are a coach seeking new insights to elevate your athletes' performance or a sports enthusiast curious about the future of American football training, this episode is a must-listen.

Main talking points:

• Reassessing our obsession with strength

Join Rob on this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast as he delves into the world of game speed training with Dan Grange and Daniel Tobin, both of Gloucester Rugby. Discover their revolutionary approach to game speed training and the challenges they face in achieving optimal transfer from training to gameplay.

Dan and Dan share their philosophy, focusing on creating key principles that encompass different strategies rather than getting lost in a sea of training options. They emphasize the importance of effective communication with coaches, ensuring a common understanding of training objectives and encouraging collaboration where needed.

Explore the core of their gamespeed methodology which includes four key change direction strategies: the split step or shuffle step, the lane change, the zigzag, and the cut to a curve. Dan Grange reveals how they tailor these strategies to suit different players based on their physical qualities and positions on the field. They stress the significance of technical evaluation through targeted Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), tracking individual and team improvements over time.

The conversation delves deeper into the transfer aspect, acknowledging that measuring the success of game-speed training can be messy. They both emphasise the need to rely on educated opinions to gauge the impact on the team's system and identify areas that require further attention. They acknowledge the importance of personalized feedback to players, using video clips and one-on-one conversations to enhance their decision-making and execution during games.

Dan and Dan's dedication to adding value to players shines through, as they continuously seek new technologies and approaches to further enhance game-speed training.

"Using collaboration and smart data collection to enhance the transfer of training" is a captivating podcast that offers a rare glimpse into the world of rugby performance training. Gain deeper insights into how game-speed training can revolutionize player performance and elevate team success. Whether you're a coach, player, or sports enthusiast, this podcast is a must-listen for those seeking to unlock their full potential and gain a competitive edge on the field. Tune in and be inspired by the innovative strategies and dedication to excellence shared by Dan and Dan, as they navigate the fascinating world of training transfer and gamespeed.

Main talking points:

• Importance of specific game speed training

On this week's episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Human Performance Coach at Rude Rock Strength, Danny Foley. Danny is on this episode to discuss all things fascia and a fascia based approach to performance training and rehabilitation.

In the first half of this episode we get to grips with what fascia actually is and how we can assess an athlete's fascia quality. Despite this being really difficult, Danny explains his subjective assessments and how other coaches can develop their own assessments. Then we start to unpack what a fascia based approach actually is and how its different to a traditional training approach.

In the second half of the episode we dive deeper into what a fascia based training approach is and how it can be specifically used in certain rehabilitations. Given how important the feet as within this approach, we get Danny's take on foot training specifically. This is an incredibly thought-provoking episode and we would love any feedback off the back of it. Enjoy.

Main talking points:

• Danny's story

Tony featured on episode #450 of the Pacey Performance Podcast. This #bitesize episode takes a great clip from that episode where he discussed -

• What is the purpose of an "activation" session

Check out the full episode with Tony here - https://www.sportsmith.co/listen/activation-sessions-and-asymmetries-are-they-really-that-important/

This episode is supported by RockDaisy, the only FREE AMS on the market. AMS Lite features reporting capabilities, questionnaires and forms, alerts and communication, data sharing, data visualisation and calendar views.