Sport Science

Sport science provides a range of valuable services aimed at improving athlete performance. WAIS sport science staff provide detailed scientific – evidence based – information to coaches, which assists them in creating effective training programs.

With scientific research and innovation, athletes at the elite level are able to maximise their full potential through a much greater level of understanding of their bodies, their training regime and dietary needs.

Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the sport science field that applies the laws of mechanics and physics to human performance, in order to gain a greater understanding of performance in athletic events through modeling, simulation and measurement. Biomechanists study forces and the effects of those forces on and within the human body in sports-specific activities. Whenever a force is applied to the body, biomechanics can analyse and interpret its cause and effect.

WAIS Biomechanists are involved in the measurement and analysis of training and competition performance and use their expertise to support athlete development. Coaches utilise this process to compile objective and reliable feedback of performance that can be devised into developing performance plans, which has the ability to aid athletic performance.

Resources used by the biomechanists may include video feedback and motion analysis as well as force measurements using forceplates or sports-specific analysis systems (for example, on-water instrumented rowing).

Physiology

WAIS Physiologists are responsible for identifying and quantifying the physical and physiological characteristics that contribute to performance and the most effective methods of influencing those characteristics to enhance the likelihood of success.

A key component of a WAIS Physiologist’s role can include monitoring training sessions to gain assessment of the level of stress placed on athletes during physical output. This involves the measurement of a range of physiological variables including; cardiovascular, neuromuscular, hormonal, blood and performance variables.

WAIS Physiologists work closely with program coaches and athletes in performance monitoring across training and competition settings, to track data and provide detailed analytical information to both.

Psychology

The aim of this WAIS service is to provide athletes and coaches with psychological training and practices centred at optimising athletic performance.

The services provided by WAIS Psychologists are specialised to individual needs, and can include areas such as; mental preparedness, self-regulation of constructive thinking, energy, emotion, and attention, improving communication skills, dealing with performance anxiety, managing training stress, psychological resilience and coping skills.

Nutrition

WAIS Dietitians work both in individual consultation and in group education settings. Whilst the broad aim is to assist in promoting athlete performance, WAIS Dietitians will assist athletes across a broad range of areas.

Topics that require individualised attention include; nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron deficiency), weight management, failure to recover well from training sessions, and specialised competition eating plans.

Specific sport group topics will be individualised to the sport and can range from a general overview of eating well for sport, to specialised topics such as; bulking up, eating for post-exercise recovery, fuelling and hydration strategies for competition, and eating on the run while travelling.