The purpose of this article is to share the importance of the menstrual cycle’s effects on elite athlete performance, and how these effects should influence the training and recovery of high-performing athletic women.

NSCA Member Spotlight: Lee Brown shares his path into tactical strength and conditioning, firefighter research, and how NSCA engagement has elevated his career.

This article will examine the physical demands of soccer players and discuss why repeated sprint ability (RSA) is considered highly important in the performance of these athletes.

In this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference, Nelson Ayotte—the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the St. Louis Blues National Hockey League (NHL) team—explains how to design and implement a specific energy systems program at the elite level. Ayotte demonstrates the characteristics of each of the three energy systems and their trainability, and explores how to understand the energy demands of a sport by analysis of its characteristics, competition intensity, and duration of efforts and recovery periods.

As the second of a three part series, this article will focus on the Practitioner Pillars of LTAD, including relevant monitoring and assessment tools, as well as systematical progressions and individualized training programs for successful long-term physical development.

Annette Zapp, Lieutenant Firefighter in Chicago, talks to the Former NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about strength and conditioning in the firefighting niche. Topics under discussion include the perks of being a firefighter who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator® (TSAC-F®), the typical lifestyles and attitudes of firefighters in general, and common issues that they face both physically and mentally. Find Annette on Twitter: @FireSQFitness or Instagram: @FireSQFitness

Growth and maturation are two important processes that occur throughout an individual’s childhood and adolescent years. The purpose of this article is to review the dimensions, proportions, stature, body mass, and maturational events of all female pediatric athletes in general. It also serves to identify how early sport specialization and different modes of training of the female pediatric athlete affects her growth and maturation.

This article seeks to help coaches understand the demands of Brazilian jiu jitsu on athletes, as well as appropriate training strategies to improve performance potential.

There can be no doubt that protein is important and this article reviews the current research to help further understand the recommendations for protein intake.

This article highlights the benefits of exercise for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also provides practical recommendations for high school strength and conditioning coaches working with ADHD student-athletes.