TAT2022

Learn about the emerging field of biomechanics in professional baseball from Georgia Giblin, the Director of Performance Science for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Giblin shares her professional journey with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, from working with Olympic athletes in Australia to educating coaches on emerging technology tools within MLB. This episode features discussion on the recent growth of athletic performance departments, the current state of sport science in the United States, and the helpful role of strength and conditioning coaches in supporting sport science initiatives. Connect with Georgia on Twitter: @GeorgiaGiblin| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This column reviews recent literature that investigated the appropriateness of a commonly utilized on-duty exercise training modality for firefighters and describes the occupational demands of specialist tactical police officers.

Sleep and recovery can be key to athletic performance. Jeff Nichols from Virginia High Performance discusses strategies to encourage athletes to improve their sleep habits.

The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.

This NSCA Coach article examines the effectiveness of cupping therapy and assesses whether its benefits are evidence-based. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and sports recovery.

Learn how to increase the body’s use of fat as a fuel without compromising the use of carbohydrates for higher-intensity training. Mike Nelson, PhD, explains how combining specific nutrition and exercise together affects the use of fat as a fuel, in this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Personal Trainers Conference.

Creating a High Energy Coaching Session

To apply performance enhancement and injury prevention practices employed by today’s professional and collegiate athletics to the Army, a restructuring of training paradigms needs to be implemented across the force.

The purpose of this article is to discuss caffeine use in tactical populations and provide recommendations for responsible consumption.