This week in the world of sports science, here’s what happened…
- Passing the UKSCA ASCC weightlifting practical
- Should endurance athletes avoid protein pre-exercise?
- Do psyching up strategies before a heavy lift actually work?
Passing the UKSCA ASCC weightlifting practical
If you’re a S&C coach aspiring to achieve the UKSCA ASCC accreditation, you should definitely check out a recent LinkedIn video by prominent S&C coach and UKSCA ASCC holder, Thomas Stringwell.
In the video, Stringwell shares valuable insights on preparing for the Olympic weightlifting practical, which currently boasts a first-pass rate of only 25%! He explains that candidates are required to coach the mandatory back squat and either the snatch or the clean and jerk, as selected by the assessor. During the practical, candidates need to perform a silent demonstration of three repetitions, followed by a thorough breakdown of the lift. They must explain the key teaching points at each stage of the lift and wrap up by answering questions from the assessor.
Stringwell advises prospective candidates to “get some chalk on your hands” and practice mastering the Olympic lifts. Once they feel confident in executing these lifts, he emphasises the importance of being able to thoroughly explain the coaching points of the lifts under exam conditions. He also outlines that candidates should be well-versed in topics such as weight distribution, the double knee bend, bar path, and basic health and safety.
If you’re gearing up to take the UKSCA ASCC exam, make sure to check out Stringwell’s video. Keep in mind that this is just one component of the UKSCA ASCC accreditation: for more information on the UKSCA ASCC accreditation, check out our blog, Best Strength and Conditioning Accreditations. For more information on Olympic weightlifting, check out our blog Olympic Weightlifting and our course Weightlifting for Team Sport Athletes.
We were also very fortunate to have Stringwell on our podcast and his episode, Eccentric Training: Don’t Leave Gains On The Table, is well worth a listen.
Should endurance athletes avoid protein pre-exercise?
Endurance athletes often steer clear of high-protein foods before exercising to prevent gastrointestinal issues. However, a recent study decided to challenge this common belief!
In the study, 13 recreational runners completed a 10km treadmill run after consuming either a carbohydrate shake with low whey protein (0.15 g/kg of body weight) or a moderate whey protein (0.40 g/kg of body weight). Both shakes resulted in increased blood glucose levels and feelings of fullness in the gut, but there was no significant difference in performance between the low and moderate-protein shakes.
That said, the moderate protein shake did lead to considerably more bloating compared to the low protein option. This suggests that while easily digestible protein consumed one hour before endurance activities is generally well-tolerated, a higher intake of 0.40 g/kg body mass can cause noticeable bloating. Therefore, it’s recommended that athletes test out their protein intake before competition, as individual tolerance can vary significantly.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, check out our highly informative courses, Nutrition for Endurance Runners and Protein for Athletes.
Do psyching up strategies before a heavy lift actually work?
Psyching up strategies are commonly employed before tackling a “heavy lift” in the gym, but do they actually boost performance? New research has revealed some intriguing insights on this topic!
The research involved 200 competitive strength athletes who were asked to perform a deadlift under two conditions: using their preferred psyching up strategy and without any strategy. The findings indicated that when athletes utilised a psyching up strategy, there was an impressive increase of 18.58% in barbell velocity, which translates to an estimated improvement of 4.3% in their one-rep max.
On further examination, the researchers identified eight different psyching up strategies but didn’t find any significant differences among them. However, they concluded that selecting a psyching up strategy that aligns with individual traits tends to be the most effective approach.
So, based on this research, don’t overlook the power of psyching yourself up before a big lift!
From us this week:
>> New course: Performance Analysis in International Football
>> New podcast: Player Load, Practice Periodisation, and the Art of Keeping It Simple with Jackson Polk
>> New infographic: Hydrotherapy
>> New article: Hydrotherapy
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