Testing

• Hydrotherapy


  Improves blood circulation so that blood can head to the site of the strain to relieve pain
• Hydrotherapy


  • Occurs in water where, thanks to buoyancy, the muscle can generate force with less load as body weight is supported by the water
  • If the water is too warm, it can lead to the athlete feeling nauseous and the therapy will be less effective, as the athlete will have to leave the pool to regulate their temperature
• Centre of mass


  Affects a player's stability
• Players with different centres of mass

  • Forwards tend to have a higher centre of mass
  • Backs tend to have a lower centre of mass
• Higher centre of mass when tackling

  Less stable
• Taller rugby players


  Need to work harder to get into a lower body position when tackling for it to be effective
• Mass of a player

  Affects their stability, with heavier players being more stable in the tackle
• Area of the base of support


  Affects how stable a player is, with a wider base leading to greater stability
• Position of the centre of mass above the base

  Crucial to stability during a rugby tackle
• Protein


  Important for the growth and repair of muscles, and required for making more red blood cells
• During exercise


  Protein is crucial in supporting the transport of oxygen to working muscles during aerobic respiration
• Fibre


  Aids digestion and helps to prevent constipation by supporting the healthy function of the large intestine
• Fibre


  Slows down the time it takes to break down food, leading to a slower and more sustained release of energy, and the athlete does not experience digestive discomfort while exercising
• Vitamin B12


  Helps with the production of red blood cells and aids the healthy functioning of the nervous system, which is vital in initiating muscular contractions during exercise
• Iron


  Helps with the formation of haemoglobin and is vital for the efficient transportation of oxygen, which is needed during exercise to prevent the build-up of waste products associated with anaerobic respiration
• Talent identification process


  Can increase a hockey player's motivation to perform well, but being aware of the presence of scouts observing could lead to the player decreasing in confidence and this could result in them being substituted
• Arousal levels of the player

  Could be increased to an optimal level, leading to better application of their role within the team and the tactics being implemented, but over-arousal can inhibit information processing and lead to the player making mistakes
• Non-aggressive role models


  Can be highlighted using technology, such as social media platforms or video analysis software, to show non-aggressive acts or positive reactions to tackles or incidents during a game
• Fair play awards


  Can be given out in training, games or annually to reduce aggression in a rugby team, with modern technology such as apps being used to track incidents of fair play
• Punishment


  Can be applied by the coach to address aggression, such as substituting a player or the club fining or banning them, with modern technology being used via video playback to gather evidence
• Interactionist approach to personality

  Combines trait and social learning to predict how a person will act in a specific situation, with the Hollander model suggesting three components: psychological core, typical response and role-related behaviour
• Coach


  Can teach a performer how to respond to specific situations and adapt their typical response to enhance their sporting performance
• Lewin's formula


  Behaviour is a function of personality and the environment: B=f(PE)
• Coach


  Can play a role in predicting an unacceptable response to certain competitive situations and moving the player's position within the team to suit their trait personality, as well as using the behaviour response of some team members to influence others to change team norms and values
• Whereabouts rule


  Reduces the temptation for athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs due to the possibility of random drug testing, but the funding directed towards the system could be redirected towards grassroots sport and it is difficult to gain immediate access to athletes when they are training abroad
• Banning alcohol sales


  Means that pubs near to the sports venue are requested to close and no alcohol can be taken into the seated areas of stadia, leading to fans behaving more responsibly and a more positive and family-friendly atmosphere
• Segregation of fans


  Divides the two sets of fans by ticket sales and allocation of seats, with lines of stewards between rival fans providing a safer environment and allowing for family zones to be created
• CCTV


  Can be placed in several places both inside and outside of the stadium, with duty police monitoring the footage, acting as an effective deterrent and leading to spectators being more likely to control their behaviour
• Sports analytics


  Such as wearable technology, can help to monitor fitness through the collection of data on heart rate, training zones, number of steps and energy expenditure, allowing coaches and athletes to discuss the objective data and positively inform training programmes
• Video analysis programmes


  Such as Hudl, VEO and Dartfish, can be used by coaches or athletes to capture, analyse and share video footage of skills in isolation or competitive performances, allowing for feedback and biomechanical analysis
• Foam roller


  A self-massaging tool used by an athlete to target a particular muscle area, releasing tension in the muscles and helping to reduce muscle tightness
• Massage


  Carried out by someone else applying pressure to an athlete's muscles, increasing blood flow to the targeted area, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to help speed up recovery, as well as increasing the rate at which lactic acid is removed and helping to break up scar tissue