Data for Athletes and Sport Science with Alan Couzens

Episode Guest

Alan Couzens, M.Sc. (Sports Science)

Sports Scientist and Triathlon Coach

Website(s): www.alancouzens.com

Social Media:

In This Episode

You are likely falling behind if you aren’t looking at certain data for athlete training and development. Alan Couzens shares his expertise integrating software and data analysis into both recreational training and elite level sport.

TOPICS:

• MAD Science, Maximal Athletic Development
• The higher the athlete, the more training load is the primary stressor
• HRV is as applicable to recreational athletes as it is for elite athletes
• Twitter coach poll: What new skills are you going to learn this year?
  • Data Analysis
  • Communication/Sports Psychology
  • Biomechanics
  • A computer programming language
• Coaches learning how to code, software and data are changing the game
• Training load may not be so simple. Volume vs Intensity
• Coaches: statistics and data analysis, possibly a new requirement going forward
• Limitations of dose-response modeling & predicting performance from training load
• Can athletes afford to ignore non-training factors?
• Subjective wellness questionnaires are useful for athletes: self-rated mood, perceived sleep quality, and others
• Changing the conversation between coaches and athletes. What’s going on in your life outside of training?
• Perfect periodization. The case for separating volume and intensity in a model for training.
• Volume is sometimes underrated. Intensity is appealing but isn’t always the solution to better results.
• Modulating volume and intensity in training for better long term results.
• Connective tissue takes longer to adapt than muscle tissue. Why this is important for long term results.
• Predicting injury with machine learning. Variables to consider.
• Predicting athlete injury: self reported life stress potentially a strong predictor (combined with high training load)
• The negative impact of social media on smart training plans
• Training and non-training factors. Using HRV to understand the bigger picture of performance.
• The un-sexy, un-tweetworthy training sessions are often the most important sessions for long term results.
• The power of massive data to transform training, coaching, and sport science
• Free training and recovery calculators from Alan Couzens
• Altitude training: risks and individuality for athletes
• Vegetables before pre-workout drinks. Big picture before little hacks and tweaks.
• What’s your sweat rate? A calculator for how much fluid you should be replacing during training and competition.
• The stress of competition changes how your body handles heat, hydration, energy regulation and more.