Women In Sport
The presence of women participating in competitive sports is steadily growing. Women in sport defy gender stereotypes and social norms, make inspiring role models, and show men and women as equals. Some challenges female athletes face: Gender Equality: The media, for example, present sports as if there are masculine (e.g., football and ice hockey) and feminine (e.g., gymnastics and figure […]
Mental health during Olympic games:
In week 1 of the Tokyo Games, it’s clear that just arriving at this point for some of the world’s greatest athletes was more of a mental health challenge than it was a physical one. From Michael Phelps’s candid disclosures about his struggles with depression following the Olympic Games London 2012, to Abhinav Bindra’s struggle […]
Rounded Shoulders & Its Impact on Posture
Rounded shoulders is caused when the resting shoulder position moves forward than the usual shoulder position. It affects the ideal shoulder alignment and causes postural imbalance if not corrected or treated. The shoulders look slumped in position, hence the term Rounded Shoulders. If someone is observed from the side view, it looks as if the […]
Physiology of Endurance Training Part 1: Energy Systems
Understanding how our bodies work will be quite helpful in our pursuit to optimise Endurance performance. A person training for competing in endurance-based events requires a significant amount of energy. In this part, we will learn about energy and the various pathways through which our body derives it from. What is Energy? To begin, Energy […]
Physiology Of Endurance Training Part 1 : Cardiopulmonary System
In our earlier blog we have seen that endurance based activities primarily depend on Oxidative Phosphorylation (Oxygen) energy system, hence it is beneficial for an athlete or coach to understand the fundamentals of cardiopulmonary system, which is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. The word cardiopulmonary stands for heart and lungs and the mechanism […]
Physiology of Endurance Training Part 3: Effects on the Cardiopulmonary system.
Until now, we have seen that an improvement in the oxygen carrying ability is an important factor contributing to peak performance in endurance sport, since it is heavily dependent on the oxidative energy system (Oxygen dependent). Athletes can see significant improvements in the cardiopulmonary system and oxygen carrying capabilities of the body through regular training, […]
Physiology of Endurance Training Part 4 : Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal Muscle Fibre Types : Most textbooks on exercise physiology classify the skeletal muscle fibres into three basic types. However, recent research suggests that there might be several additional muscle fibre types present. For the purpose of this blog, we shall focus only on the prevalent three muscle fibre types, namely : Type I : […]
Endurance Tests and Assessments Part 1 : Movement Analysis and Biomechanics
The goal of every Training Program is to maximize effectiveness and improve competitive performance. By minimising risk of injuries and maximising enjoyment, a well-designed training program can benefit competitive athletes as well as non-competitive and recreational athletes. Regular testing helps determine is working to improve an athlete’s performance or is detrimental to progress. Usually field […]