sleep to train motor learning

Sleep success: How to make ZZZs = memory@new scientist

Catherine Siengsukon of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City reviewed the evidence for "offline practice" – practising skills during sleep – earlier this year. She reckons that motor learning – training brain areas that control muscles - during sleep could help rehabilitate young, brain-damaged patients.

EM sleep seems to be important for perceptual memory, "like when you're learning to play darts", while the consolidation of "declarative" memories – facts and events – happens during deep slow-wave sleep.

MOU between Loughborough University and Waseda University in Japan

Loughborough joins Japan in global $14m sports science programme@Loughborough University

Loughborough University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Waseda University in Japan as part of a global $14m programme designed to increase collaborative research in sport sciences and physical activity.

An initial three areas of research have been identified between the two Universities: the use of physical activity to prevent chronic disease, muscle physiology and sport performance, and the role sport plays in a socio-cultural context.

Singapore's Foreign Sports Talent Scheme

Foreign athletes welcomed if they raise standard of Singapore sports@CNA

Singapore will continue to embrace talented foreign athletes who want to represent the country, as long as they raise the standard of sports here, according to Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.

Dr Balakrishnan revealed that the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Schemes currently make up 4.6 per cent of the total number of athletes among the development and national squads of the seven key sports in the country.

There are currently 19 FSTs out of 97 badminton players, and 11 FSTs out of 85 table tennis players.

Dr Balakrishnan also laid down the three principles that guide the FST policy: openness to global talent, fairness in treatment of FSTs and local-born athletes, and ensuring the integration of the foreign-born athletes into society.

Singapore athletes preparation for YOG

S$2.6m disbursed to prepare Singapore athletes for YOG@CNA

S$2.6 million out of over S$6 million set aside for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games has already been disbursed to prepare Singapore athletes. The remaining amount will be given out over the next few months.

The 26 National Sports Associations (NSAs) whose sports will be competing in the Games were also given more details about the qualification criteria.

Singapore can send up to 130 athletes – both individual and teams – for the Games, but not all sports will have automatic qualifications.

3D swim modeling to enhance performance

Maths to speed swimmers@CSIRO

CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) are creating computer models of swimmers that can swim through virtual water.

The goal is to help individual swimmers find their ideal stroke techinique.

Once the virtual model is created, its performance will be compared to the real person, to make sure it matches reality.

AUS talent 'hot spots' study

Sports talent 'hot spots' being studied@SMH

Queensland's Griffith University is leading research into identifying potential elite athletes, which could be the key to improving Australia's international sporting success.

Rather than the standard biophysical measures, the university hopes to uncover reasons why some towns and regions like Wagga, which they call "hot-spots", produce more elite athletes than others.

The university is working with the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Institute of Sport, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and the Australian Football League following a $300,000 grant last month from the Australian Research Council.

Over the next three years researchers would study factors such as the family support for elite athletes, whether there was a strong club system, socio-cultural factors, psychological factors, how recruiters perceived talent, home-town advantage and whether the hot-spots have strong socio-capital.

no funding boost for AUS

No funding boost for sport: review@Brisbane Times

The federal government-commissioned report has dismissed the AOC's calls for an extra $100 million a year for 10 years for elite sports, saying that money would be better spent elsewhere.

It also takes issue with the AOC's quest to reclaim "top five" status on the medal table at the 2012 London Olympics and future Games, saying that target is not sensible and not an appropriate measure of Australian performance.

NZ budget for 2010

SPARC ramps up high performance investment to new level@SPARC

SPARC is investing a record $6.3 million in 19 national sport organisations’ high performance programmes and projects following the 2010 contestable investment round.

In addition to the contestable high performance programme investment, $816,500 is being provided to national sport organisations for 2010 in service credits. Service credits cover the cost of sports medicine, sports science and athlete development services provided through the New Zealand Academy of Sport.

ASC online tools and resources for coaches

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has produced eight new coaching and officiating videos which are now available on the ASC website ranging from mentoring, coaching juniors and intermediate coaching general principles.

http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/coaches/videos

Also few factsheets available.

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sssm/psychology/brainwaves

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sssm/strength_and_conditioning/factsheetss

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sssm/attr/fact_sheets

UK sport biosensor project

New Technology Will Help Improve Athletes’ Performance@EPSRC

EPSRC funded scientists are developing a range of miniaturised wearable and track-side sensors, computer modelling tools and smart training devices to help British athletes improve their performance.

The Elite Sport Performance Research in Training with Pervasive Sensing (ESPRIT) has received £6 million from EPSRC and £2 million from UK Sport for a five year project. The research is being led by Imperial College London and supported by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Loughborough University.

Sports Sci J@Sep-Oct 09

This is the latest sports science journal update.

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Sep-Oct 09


Coaching

Game-Based Training for Improving Skill and Physical Fitness in Team Sport Athletes. IJSSC



An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise. IJSSC



High-Intensity Training in Football. IJSPP



Do footedness and strength asymmetry relate to the dominant stance in swimming track start? JSS



Effect of Plyometric Training on Swimming Block Start Performance in Adolescents. JSCR



Fitness Profiling in Soccer: Physical and Physiologic Characteristics of Elite Players. JSCR



Strength & Conditioning

The Association Between Motor Skill Competence and Physical Fitness in Young Adults. RQES



Correcting the Use of the Term "Power" in the Strength and Conditioning Literature. JSCR


Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component. JSMS



Effects of Sit-up Training versus Core Stabilization Exercises on Sit-up Performance. MSSE



A Comparison of Successful and Unsuccessful Attempts in Maximal Bench Pressing. MSSE



Relationships Among Jumping Performances and Sprint Parameters During Maximum Speed Phase in Sprinters. JSCR



Neuromuscular Adaptations to Training, Injury and Passive Interventions: Implications for Running Economy. SM



Physiology

The Analysis and Utilization of Cycling Training Data. SM



Test Validation in Sport Physiology: Lessons Learned From Clinimetrics. IJSPP



Computer Simulations Assessing the Potential Performance Benefit of a Final Increase in Training During Pre-Event Taper. JSCR



Reliability and Generality of Measures of Acceleration, Planned Agility, and Reactive Agility. IJSPP



Relation between Individualized Training Impulses and Performance in Distance Runners. MSSE



Improving the prediction of sweat losses during exercise. JAP



Cold Fluids Improve Exercise Performance in the Heat By Slowing the Rate of Heat Gain. MSSE



Evidence against a 40°C core temperature threshold for fatigue in humans. JAP



Comparison of Progressive Maximal Swimming Tests in Elite Female Water Polo Players. IJSPP



Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performance and metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory parameters in middle-distance runners. APNM



The ‘So What’ Factor: Statistical versus Cinical Significance. IJSM



Nutrition

BJSM reviews: A–Z of supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 1. BJSM



BJSM reviews: A–Z of supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 2. BJSM



Evaluation of Nutritional Intake in Canadian High-Performance Athletes. CJSM



Development and Validation of a Food Pyramid for Swiss Athletes. IJSNEM



Caffeine and Anaerobic Performance: Ergogenic Value and Mechanisms of Action. SM



Biomechanics and technology development

Ubiquitous computing in sports: A review and analysis. JSS



A Comparison of Video and Accelerometer Based Approaches Applied to Performance Monitoring in Swimming. IJSSC



Sports Medicine

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on periodic health evaluation of elite athletes March 2009. BJSM



Sports Injuries During the Summer Olympic Games 2008. AJSM



Illness Monitoring in Team Sports Using a Web-Based Training Diary. CJSM



Preparticipation cardiovascular screening in young athletes. BJSM



Incidence and aetiology of sudden cardiac death in young athletes: an international perspective. BJSM



Return to play? Practical considerations for young athletes with cardiovascular disease. BJSM



Popular drugs in sport: descriptive analysis of the enquiries made via the Drug Information Database (DID). BJSM



Psychology and motor control

The role of confidence in world-class sport performance. JSS



Emotional Intelligence Scores Predict Team Sports Performance in a National Cricket Competition. IJSSC



Talent ID and development

Relationships among birth-month distribution, skeletal age and anthropometric characteristics in adolescent elite soccer players. JSS



The relative age effect in a professional football club setting. JSS



Genetic research and testing in sport and exercise science: A review of the issues. JSS

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Learning points from Coach Education Conference 09

3rd Annual Evolution of the Athlete: Coach Education Conference (2-3 Nov 2009@Brisbane, Australia)

Keynote

"Leadership in elite sport" Craig Bellamy (Head Coach, Melbourne Storm, NRL team)

- Leadership = to know the role and to do the best you can
- Positive thinking + realistic thinking
- Importance of off field activities










"Managing individuals in winning teams" John Fitzgerald (Optus Davis Cup Captain, Tennis Australia)

- 6C = communication, clarification, character, compassion, confidence, commitment
- Expectation = to play at best effort possible










"Developing the learning environment in sport" Glenn Stewart (High Performance Manager, West Coast Eagles)

- Leaning environment = to change actions, you need data to convince
- Team learning environment = vision → assess → FB → Info transmit (eg VARK, drills) → FB from players → re-assess
- Personal practical knowledge (PPK) = can learn 90% when you share info to others (x reading only 10%)









Concurrent session

"Quantification of training load" David Martin (Senior Sport Physiologist, Australian Institute of Sport)

- Simplify the relationship between training and performance
- What is the difference between good and bad forms?
- Daily log is insurance




"Gold medal programming" Chris O'Brien (Head Rowing Coach, Victorian Institute of Sport)

- Humanistic approach: focus on individual
- Back to the basics and repeat it!

"Designing practice" Megan Rendell (Sports Scientist - Skill Acquisition, QLD Academy of Sport)

- Adaptable, transfer, confidence, pressure, persistent, decision making
- Less is best (eg use analogy and questions)
- Block practice → random practice

"The TID coach" Juanita Weissensteiner (Research Coordinator, National Talent Identification & Development, Australian Sports Commission)

- TID and development as one package
- Biological and cognitive maturity.

Eco-friendly YOG

YOG athletes to get involved in environmental initiatives@CNA

Members of the public pledged their commitment towards cultivating environmentally-friendly habits, by leaving their footprints on clay to form an art piece.

The art piece will be on display during the 2010 YOG, and is part of a programme to encourage athletes to learn about environmental sustainability.

The organising committee is partnering with HortPark to promote
environmentally-friendly practices among athletes taking part in the Games.

This is part of its Culture and Education Programme, and will see athletes exploring HortPark's gardens to learn more about human impact on the ecosystem.

use of virtual reality training for rugby players

Increased success a ‘virtual’ certainty for rugby players@alpha galileo

The players are fitted with a ‘backpack’ of sensors and don a helmet-like visor known as a head mounted display through which a series of 360 degree virtual scenarios are displayed.

EIS Athlete Career Development Programme

EIS LAUNCH ATHLETE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME@EIS

The English Institute of Sport (EIS), under the Performance Lifestyle Programme, has launched the Athlete Career Development Programme, which aims to provide World Class Programme Athletes with an introduction to organisations receptive to the exceptional skills athletes can bring to the work place.

WADA 2010 Prohibited List

WADA 2010 Prohibited List Now Published@WADA

The 2010 List reflects the latest scientific advances and offers a number of noteworthy changes compared to the 2009 List:

Salbutamol
The status of salbutamol, a beta-2 agonist, will change. Therapeutic use of inhaled salbutamol will not be prohibited as of January 1, 2010. If the urinary concentration is above 1,000 nanograms per millilitre, there will be a presumption that the substance was not taken by inhalation and the athlete will have the burden to demonstrate through a controlled pharmacokinetic study that the level found in his urine was the result of therapeutic inhaled use.

T/E Ratio Follow-Up
No further collections or analyses will be required in cases where the testosterone to epitestosterone (T/E) ratio is greater than 4 and an isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) test or any other reliable analytical method has not revealed evidence of exogenous administration of a prohibited substance.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine will be reintroduced to the List and will be prohibited above 150 micrograms per millilitre.

pre-YOG conference call for abstract

Please see below information for pre-YOG conference. I will be presenting also in one of symposiums.

Call for Abstracts

In celebration of the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, is organising the III International Conference of Physical Education and Sports Science (ICPESS 2010). The Organising Committee of the ICPESS 2010 cordially invites abstracts for oral or poster presentation.

Types of Presentation Desired

· Oral Presentation

For each accepted paper, 10 minutes will be allocated for oral presentation, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion.

· Poster Presentation

Each accepted poster will be assigned to a poster session, and will be allocated a poster board space. Posters should be printed in the following size: Portrait: 0.92m (Breadth) x 1.22m (Length). Poster presentations in Chinese are acceptable.

Strands & Proposal Submission

· Physical Education
Information Technology
Olympic Education
Outdoor Education
Pedagogy
Physical Activity
Play and Sport
Problem-Based Learning
Social and Pedagogical Issues

· Sport Science
Biomechanics
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity
Injuries
Leisure
Management
Motor Control
Physical Training
Psychology
Safety
Talent Identification
Physiology

Guidelines for submission of abstracts for oral or poster presentation

Abstracts should be submitted electronically at http://nieacis.servy.net/fmp/users/ICPESS/form.html

Abstracts will not be proofread prior to printing, so you are strongly advised to ensure that there are no typing errors before submission.

Please follow the submission guidelines closely:

· All abstracts must be written in English (UK).
· Abstracts can only be submitted online through http://nieacis.servy.net/fmp/users/ICPESS/form.html. Those submitted by fax, post or e-mail will not be considered.
· Authors should submit a non-structured abstract depending on the topic of research according to the strands given.
· The abstract text should not exceed 250 words.
· Use a 10-point Times New Roman.
· Authors’ name must be highlighted in bold, followed by their affiliations.
· It is the author’s responsibility to submit a correct abstract. Any errors in spelling, grammar or scientific fact may result in the rejection of the abstract.
· Abstracts should not be concurrently submitted for consideration to another conference or have been previously presented at any other national or international meeting, and submitted abstracts should not be of work published prior to 28 May, 2010.
· An author may submit only one abstract as a first author. The submitted abstract should be presented by the first author. First authors can appear as co-authors on other abstracts.
· If you have any question regarding your abstract submission, please contact the conference secretariat at icpess2010@nie.edu.sg.

· For further information regarding the conference, please visit the official conference website at http://www.nie.edu.sg/icpess2010/main.html

Submission Deadline

The deadline for abstract submission for the ICPESS 2010 is on 15 December 2009. Submission received after this date will not be accepted or reviewed.

Abstract Review Process

All submitted abstracts will go through a peer-review process carried out by a Scientific Reviewing Committee. Each abstract will be reviewed by no more than three reviewers. Referees will make recommendations as to the type of presentation (oral or poster presentations, or rejection). The author can state her/his preference for the type of presentation but the final decision is with the Scientific Committee.

Notification of Acceptance or Rejection to Corresponding Author

Notification of acceptance or rejection of an abstract will be sent to the submitting (corresponding) author by 15 January 2010. Please note that only the corresponding author will receive mail concerning the abstract and is responsible for informing all co-authors of the status of the abstract. Authors whose abstracts have been accepted will receive instructions for the presentation of their abstract. A registration of the presenter (first author) should be made at least by 31 March 2010 to guarantee publication of the abstract in the Proceedings. Late registrations may lead to an exclusion of the abstract.

Michael Chia

Chairman – Organising Committee

ICPESS 2010 Conference
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, SINGAPORE
1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616
DID: (65) 6790 3690/6790 3689 | Fax: (65) 6896 9260 | michael.chia@nie.edu.sg

Sent by:

Shirley Seet

Conference Secretariat | ICPESS2010 Conference

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, SINGAPORE

1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616

Telephone: (65) 6316-5849 Fax: (65) 6896 9260 | icpess2010@nie.edu.sg

Website: http://www.nie.edu.sg/icpess2010

UK Sport R&D project

MAJOR RESEARCH COLLABORATION WILL IMPROVE BRITISH ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE ON WORLD STAGE@UK Sport

Scientists are developing a range of miniaturised wearable and track-side sensors, computer modelling tools and smart training devices to help British athletes improve their performance on the world stage, as part of a new £8.5 million project that will be officially launched tomorrow (28 October 2009).

- The sensors include wireless wearable nodes to measure biochemical information, heart rate, EEG, ECG, muscle activity, joint speed and contact forces

- Video camera sensors, called Vision Sensor Networks (VSNs), which coaches can use to monitor an athlete’s movements and assess their strategies while training.

YOG update

Singapore discussing with US to send best athletes for 2010 YOG@CNA

Six sporting events (Boxing, Fencing, Handball, Judo, Taekwondo and Wrestling) for the Youth Olympic Games will be played out right in the heart of the city at the Suntec Convention Centre.

Furthermore, the Culture and Education Programme like the Arts & Culture and Discovery Activity, which will include an Olympic Gallery and interactive exhibits on healthy living, will also be held at Suntec.

YOG not just "friendship games"

YOG not just "friendship games", says Teo Ser Luck@CNA

SINGAPORE: Learning about different cultures and promoting Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect may be a priority at next year's inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

But the event is also about serious top-level sports competition, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck.