Coach Education Resources
Lactate isn't the Problem
Blood lactate is gone within an hour of easing off. The soreness doesn't peak until a day or two later. They're two different things on two different clocks, and lactate causes neither, so here's what the burn and the ache actually are, and what genuinely helps.
Eight Hours Is the Floor: Sleep and the Athlete
You can periodise the training, weigh the food and ice the joints, and still leave the biggest recovery tool of the week switched off. What the research says a bad night actually costs an athlete.
Fast Isn’t Enough: Rethinking Pole Vault
Neither step length nor step velocity differed significantly between successful and failed attempts. What did differ was step frequency on the pole-carrying leg, which was significantly higher on the failures.
The athletes were not slower on their unsuccessful attempts. They were travelling at equivalent velocity. What had changed was the manner in which that velocity was produced.
Physique in Athletes
Recovery is not separate from training, it is what allows training to work. The Four R’s of Recovery provide a simple framework for athletes to support adaptation and performance: Refuel, Repair, Rehydrate and Rest. Before chasing extra recovery tools, athletes should first focus on the basics they can repeat consistently.
Four R’s for Recovery Framework
Recovery is not separate from training, it is what allows training to work. The Four R’s of Recovery provide a simple framework for athletes to support adaptation and performance: Refuel, Repair, Rehydrate and Rest. Before chasing extra recovery tools, athletes should first focus on the basics they can repeat consistently.
Cold Water Immersion - Should it be Part of Your Coaching Toolkit?
Recovery is a cornerstone of performance, enabling athletes to train harder, recover faster, and reduce the risk of injury. Among the recovery strategies available, Cold Water Immersion (CWI) has become a popular choice in many sports, including track and field. But what does the evidence say, and how can coaches use this method effectively?
This article explores the benefits and considerations of incorporating CWI into a recovery protocol, drawing from insights provided by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).