St Marys Centre For Applied Performance Sciences: CAPS

13/10/2022

We invite local clubs, organisations and industry to come & join us at our 1st Research exchange conference on 27/10/22 at St.Marys University, Twickenham where we will showcase some of our current and recent projects in performance science. The event is free to attend. Contact [email protected] to register

02/08/2022

Article quoting on the latest iconic moment for female sports. https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/chloe-kelly-sports-bra St Mary's University, Twickenham

In a world that has censored women and their bodies, taught us to stay in our box and hide “imperfect” figures, or just told us over and over again that “girls don’t play that kind of sport”, Kelly’s unbridled, unselfconscious, top-off celebrations proved we are firmly in a new era.

25/07/2022

🚨Latest research from CAPS🚨: Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Function following Academy Soccer Training https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.911009/full St Mary's University, Twickenham Frontiers in Physiology

Aim: To profile the etiology and recovery time-course of neuromuscular function in response to a mixed-content, standard training week in professional academy soccer players. We concurrently examined physical performance, cognitive function, and perceptual measures of mood and wellness states to ide...

25/07/2022

:🚨 New from the centre 🚨Can we evidence-base injury prevention and management in women’s football? A scoping Review. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438627.2022.2038161 St Mary's University, Twickenham

This review aimed, as part of a larger FIFA project aiming to steer women’s football research, to scope literature on any level of competitive football for women, to understand the current quantity...

05/07/2022

A recent study published from our centre, this study was performed by Nick Segers on our distance learning MSc S&C course:

Does the speed of eccentric contraction influence training outcomes for elite soccer players in season? - Latest Video abstract: https://youtu.be/I5IZ5xS5nYE

Purpose: To examine the effect of fast- versus slow-speed eccentric-muscle-action resistance training on lower-body strength, vertical jump height, sprint speed, and change-of-direction performance in elite soccer players during a competitive season. Methods: Twenty-two elite soccer players, from a single team, were randomly assigned to groups that undertook either 1- (fast speed) or 4-second (slow speed) eccentric resistance training during the in-season period. A 5-week program was conducted during an elite top-division European League soccer season. Performance measures including predicted 1-repetition-maximum back squat, countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and change of direction were tested before and after the intervention period. Total match and training running distance and muscle soreness were also recorded during each week of the intervention. Results: An analysis of covariance showed significant group effects (P = .01) for countermovement jump with a greater jump height in the 1-second fast-speed group postintervention (95% CI, 1.1–6.9 cm). Despite an overall increase in 1-repetition maximum pretraining to posttraining (95% CI, 10.0–15.3 kg, effect size 0.69), there were no significant differences (P > .05) between groups after the intervention. Similarly, there were no differences between groups for change of direction, 20-m sprint, or muscle soreness. Conclusion: Faster eccentric muscle actions may be superior for increasing movements in elite soccer players in-season.

https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/aop/article-10.1123-ijspp.2021-0542/article-10.1123-ijspp.2021-0542.xml?rskey=Z57WYx&result=2

Nick Segers, Mark Waldron, Louis P Howe, Stephen D Patterson, Jason Moran Ben Jones, Dawson J Kidgell, Jamie Tallent (2022). Fast-Speed Compared With Slow-Sp...

16/06/2022

Do you suffer from knee pain?
Does it hurt when you perform daily tasks?
Are you interested in taking part in research to understand why this may be, and how to fix it?
Taking part in this research will give you access to a FREE assessment of your knee by University staff.
Please note we require those who experience regular knee pain, however if you have prior history of severe knee injuries such as ACL tears and meniscal damage, please be aware that you cannot participate.
If so and you live within travelling distance of Twickenham, London then please contact me directly on messenger or via email.
[email protected]

09/06/2022

Congratulations to PhD student Joe Shaw who passed his PhD viva today titled "Training load and injury in Professional Ballet". This was a collaboration between St Mary's University, Twickenham and Royal Ballet House

Some examples of Joes work:

The Validity of the Session Rating of Perceived Exertion Method for Measuring Internal Training Load in Professional Classical Ballet Dancers - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00480/full

The activity demands and physiological responses observed in professional ballet: A systematic review - https://jses.net/the-activity-demands-and-physiological-responses-observed-in-professional-ballet-a-systematic-review/

Dance Exposure, Individual Characteristics, and Injury Risk over Five Seasons in a Professional Ballet Company - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34115730/

12/05/2022

https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/news/2022/05/ref-2021

The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) results published today show that the majority of research submitted by St Mary’s University, Twickenham is 4* World Leading or 3* Internationally Excellent in its originality, significance, and rigour.

12/05/2022

New Study Finds Majority of Combat Athletes Suffer Worse Injuries after Weight Cutting

Fighters who rapidly cut weight before bouts are at a higher risk of suffering concussions or being misdiagnosed with head trauma, researchers have revealed for the first time.

12/05/2022

The Centre for Applied Performance Sciences brings together researchers from the Faculty of Sport, Allied Health & Performance Sciences. It consists of four main research themes: (1). Performance & Practice
(2). Injury & Rehabilitation
(3). Recovery
(4). Occupational Health & Performance