There has recently been a lot of speculation regarding the use of medication for treating thyroid problems across the athletic population. It therefore seems fitting to try and grasp an understanding of the current issue surrounding the controversial stance of thyroid medication across athletes and why we should all be wary of the contrasting literature […]
The availability of supplements to help support the body during physical exercise, maintaining a healthy system and potentially improving performance, are numerous and many athletes take a wide range of supplements every day. However, how much do we actually know about the supplements used on a daily basis? One popular supplement used across many sports […]
Orthorexia is becoming increasingly well known across many individuals, within the media and by researchers. This relatively new identified eating disorder just may be the stepping stone between an individual who eats a ‘healthy’ diet and someone clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder such as Anorexia Nervosa. In 1997, a physician named Dr. Steve Bratman, […]
The term ‘culture’ is thrown around a lot in sport. However, what does it mean exactly and, as coaches, how do we create and maintain it? While it is, largely, accepted that developing culture is important, particularly as we progress up the sporting pyramid to elite levels, there are common mistakes made. It is essential that coaches have […]
This is a short and simple article on managing emotions. The key aim is to allow performers an opportunity to utilise a strategy to enable them to manage emotions in sporting environments. Identify emotions Performers are encouraged to write down both their positive and negative emotions following performance. This practice can enable performers to identify […]
Mental toughness is hard to quantify and define, and it is increasingly evident that the concept can mean different things to different people. UK researchers Jones et al. (2002) carried out an in-depth study with top international athletes and concluded mental toughness to be: ‘having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to […]
With the Cricket World Cup fast approaching it seems a good time to look into the psychological aspects the game. With such a focus recently on mental health, people have been referring back to Jonathon Trott’s unfortunate exit of the Ashes 13/14, with the man himself referring to ‘Burnout’ as a major factor. Cricket is […]
Self-talk is a valuable tool, one of the most effective methods of instilling self-confidence. Talking to yourself, despite being the first sign of madness, is also capable of improving performance. Self-talk is used by most elite sportspeople to instil confidence, increase motivation and to help them to ‘get into the zone’. It is accepted that […]
With 6 days to go to until we kick off the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup I found myself wondering about the past few months of preparation for the teams and athletes taking part. With players having been dispersed all around the world involved with their various clubs, I started to question the environment that […]
Surprising though it may have been, one of the most talented athletes in our world today, LeBron James, has chosen to leave the NBA’s Miami Heat team to come home to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers team. For all athletes, being happy where you are and with what you are doing is a crucial aspect of […]