This TSAC Report column examines the use of adaptogen and nootropic supplements to aid in favorable stress-related and cognitive outcomes. Visit NSCA online to discover more about nutrition research.

Knowledge of metabolic rate can help athletes as well as health-conscious people improve their exercise performance or obtain the fat-to-lean-mass ratio optimal for their personal situations. Two examples of how this works follow.

Learn how to individualize a group training session to ensure that all athletes are training at the same intensity. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference, Mick Stierli explains how to prescribe individual training for athletes at differing levels of fitness, and the importance of prescribing individual training intensity during conditioning sessions.

This article summarizes the relevant literature regarding post-workout nutrient timing and its importance to training adaptations, specifically increasing skeletal muscle hypertrophy and replenishing skeletal muscle glycogen stores.

The goal of this article is to define some of the basic physiological responses to acute and chronic altitude exposure and to provide some evidence-based, practical guidelines when approaching training and racing at higher altitudes.

In this episode, we learn from Emily Schilling, an Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini Volleyball team. She shares her needs analysis for the growing sport of volleyball with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including thoughts for training team sports, different positions on the court, and the progression from first-year students through graduation. Another important topic covered is the professional pathways strength and conditioning coaches take to gain meaningful early-career coaching experiences and pursue higher-level director roles. Hear about beyond the weightroom demands placed on college student-athletes today, and how National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) “Name, Image, Likeness” (NIL) policies are a topic that strength and conditioning coaches should learn about. You can connect with Emily via email at esselman@illinois.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Dr. Josh Secomb, lecturer in exercise and sport science (strength and conditioning) at the University of Newcastle, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about being a self-aware and authentic coach. Topics under discussion include finding new areas to employ different skillsets as practitioners, the value of training progressions and understanding your athletes, and his unique opportunity to research and coach surfers. Find Dr. Secomb on Twitter: @37Seco | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Learn about the pros and cons of popular diets, and how each diet will impact the training of your clients. In this session from the 2016 NSCA National Conference, sports nutritionist, Marie Spano explains the key factors that determine dieting success, and shares resources to help your clients decide which approach is best for them.

Competence, autonomy, and relatedness are three keys to promoting a more intrinsically motivated athlete. These components can be combined in nearly limitless ways, which is especially important for the long basketball season.

This article discusses how first responder organizations can optimize their training programs through scientific techniques, including the measurement of training load.