Describing and Understanding Pacing Strategies during Athletic Competition

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R Abbiss ◽  
Paul B Laursen
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Competition ◽  
Pacing Strategies

scholarly journals Even Pacing Is Associated with Faster Finishing Times in Ultramarathon Distance Trail Running—The “Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc” 2008–2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Suter ◽  
Caio Victor Sousa ◽  
Lee Hill ◽  
Volker Scheer ◽  
Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Linear Model ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Pacing Strategies ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Group Sex ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Trail Running ◽  
One Way Anova

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of investigations analyzing the effects of sex, performance level, and age on pacing in various running disciplines. However, little is known about the impact of those factors on pacing strategies in ultramarathon trail running. This study investigated the effects of age, sex, and performance level on pacing in the UTMB® (Ultra-trail du Mont Blanc) and aimed to verify previous findings obtained in the research on other running disciplines and other ultramarathon races. Data from the UTMB® from 2008 to 2019 for 13,829 race results (12,681 men and 1148 women) were analyzed. A general linear model (two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)) was applied to identify a sex, age group, and interaction effect in pace average and pace variation. A univariate model (one-way ANOVA) was used to identify a sex effect for age, pace average, and pace variation for the fastest men and women. In our study, pace average and a steadier pace were positively correlated. Even pacing throughout the UTMB® correlated with faster finishing times. The average pace depended significantly on sex and age group. When considering the top five athletes in each age group, sex and age group also had significant effects on pace variation. The fastest women were older than the fastest men, and the fastest men were faster than the fastest women. Women had a higher pace variation than men. In male competitors, younger age may be advantageous for a successful finish of the UTMB®. Faster male runners seemed to be younger in ultramarathon trail running with large changes in altitude when compared to other distances and terrains.

scholarly journals Considerations for Pediatric Retirement from Athletics Following Repetitive Concussive Traumatic Brain Injury: Incorporating the Right to an Open Future

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2266
Author(s):  
Tyler S. Gibb ◽  
Kathryn Redinger ◽  
Casey Fealko ◽  
Sonia Parikh
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Open Future ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Institutional Policies ◽  
Athletic Competition ◽  
Adolescent Athlete ◽  
Clinical Considerations ◽  
Federal Laws ◽  
The Right ◽  
Concussive Injury

Guidance regarding the decision to remove an adolescent from athletic competition immediately following an acute concussive injury and the safe return of play in the short term is widely accepted and supported by clinical evidence, local institutional policies, and state and federal laws. There is considerably less guidance regarding the decision to permanently retire an adolescent athlete for medical reasons due to concussive injuries. In this article, we discuss the clinical and non-clinical considerations that should guide clinicians in discussions regarding the adolescent athlete’s permanent retirement by emphasizing the ethical obligation to protect the child’s right to an open future as possibly determinative in otherwise ambiguous cases.

scholarly journals Pacing Strategies of 1500 m Freestyle Swimmers in the World Championships According to Their Final Position

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7559
Author(s):  
Beatriz Lara ◽  
Juan Del Coso
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Velocity ◽  
Final Position ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Elite Swimmers ◽  
Pacing Strategies ◽  
The World ◽  
Total Data ◽  
Fast Start ◽  
Long Course ◽  
Competitive Swimmers

In 1500 m freestyle swimming races, pacing is generally represented by a parabolic or U-shaped curve indicating that swimming velocity is greatest at the start and the last laps of the race while swimmers maintain an even pace through the middle section of the race. However, there is no information to determine if 1500 m race winners select pacing different to other, less successful swimmers within the same competition. Therefore, this investigation aimed to describe the pacing strategies adopted by 1500 m freestyle competitive swimmers in World Championships (long course), from 2003 to 2019 to determine the most effective pacing to obtain victory or a medal. The official overall and split times for 1500 m freestyle races of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) were obtained from the website of this organization. In total, data of 143 swimming performances (71 male and 72 female) were extracted. With the split times, lap times, and position were calculated across the race. To determine differences in the pacing between best- and worst-ranked finalist, swimmers in each race were divided into four groups based on the final position (1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd vs. 4–8th). All the lap times of the winners of the race were faster than those of participants classified as 4–8th position for men and women races (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in lap velocity among the different positions achieved at the end of the race when it was normalized by average race velocity. Additionally, there were no differences in the lap-to-lap variability among swimmers with different positions at the end of the race. In summary, both men and women elite swimmers selected parabolic pacing consisting of a fast start in the first lap, an even pace close to their average race velocity in the mid-section of the race (from 50 to 1400 m), followed by an end spurt in the final lap(s). This pattern was very similar in all finalists irrespective of the final position in the race. Hence, the obtaining of a medal in the World Championships was associated to possessing a faster average race velocity rather than a specific pacing profile through the race.

Effect of the Pacing Strategies on the Open-Water 10-km World Swimming Championships Performances

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Rodriguez ◽  
Santiago Veiga
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Swimming Velocity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pacing Strategies ◽  
Race Performance

Purpose: To (1) compare the pacing strategies of different-level open-water swimmers during the 10-km race of the FINA 2015 Swimming World Championships and (2) relate these pacing strategies to the race performance. Methods: Final and intermediate split times, as well as intermediate race positions, from the 10-km race participants (69 men and 51 women) were collected from the public domain and were divided into 5 groups (G1–G5) depending on their finishing positions. Results: Medalists and finalists (G1 and G2, respectively) presented an even pacing profile with swimming velocities similar to those of the less successful swimmers (G3–G5) on the initial and middle stages of the race but a 1.5–3% increase in swimming velocity in the last quarter of the race. This acceleration toward the end of the race, or “end spurt,” was largely related to the race performance and was not observed in the G3 and G4 (even-paced profile) or G5 (positive pacing profile) groups. Intermediate race positions and lap rankings were negatively related to finishing position, indicating a delayed positioning of the most successful swimmers at 25%, 50%, and 75% of race distance. Conclusions: The adoption of a conservative starting strategy by open-water swimmers with a negative pacing profile and delayed partial positioning seems to increase the chances of overall race success, as it allows a fast end spurt that is closely related to successful finishing race positions.

“I Was Able to Still Do My Job on the Field and Keep Playing”: An Investigation of Female and Male Athletes’ Experiences With (Not) Reporting Concussions

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy Sanderson ◽  
Melinda Weathers ◽  
Katherine Snedaker ◽  
Kelly Gramlich
Keyword(s):  
Group Theory ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Hegemonic Masculinity ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Athletic Competition ◽  
Concussion Management

This research applied muted group theory to investigate female and male athletes’ experiences with not reporting concussions sustained during athletic competition. Using snowball-sampling techniques, a total of 365 women and 247 men completed an online open-ended questionnaire about their reasons for not reporting a concussion. Results indicated that male athletes were more likely to continue to play through and not report a concussion than female athletes. Participants also indicated that they did not report concussions due to (a) perceived lack of resources, (b) perceived lack of severity, (c) conformance to sport cultural norms, which was comprised of two subthemes: adherence to the pain principle and team allegiance. The results suggest that efforts to address concussion management in sport need to focus on the communicative and structural elements that privilege hegemonic masculinity and playing through pain, as they contribute to muting athletes in advocating for their health.

The Challenge of the Physically Challenged: Delivering Sport Psychology Services to Physically Disabled Athletes

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Asken
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Athletic Competition ◽  
Physically Disabled ◽  
The Social ◽  
Disabled Sports ◽  
Physically Challenged

This paper discusses the delivery of sport psychology services to physically challenged (disabled) athletes. It begins with a description of the current status of athletic competition for physically disabled individuals. Commonalities in the sports experience of able-bodied and physically disabled athletes are addressed. Unique issues that must be considered for effective sport psychology consultations with disabled athletes are discussed. These include the background of physical and psychological trauma, altered physiological responses and medical problems, complexities in motivation to compete, unique performance problems, and the structure and organization of disabled sports. The article concludes with the effects of the social environment of disabled sports on the consultation process.

How Does Sport Psychology Actually Improve Athletic Performance? A Framework to Facilitate Athletes’ and Coaches’ Understanding

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 386-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris J. Gee
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Mental Skills ◽  
Mental Skills Training ◽  
Athletic Competition ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physiology And Biochemistry ◽  
Sport Psychologist

The popularity of sport psychology, both as an academic discipline and an applied practice, has grown substantially over the past two decades. Few within the realm of competitive athletics would argue with the importance of being mentally prepared prior to an athletic competition as well as the need to maintain that particular mindset during a competitive contest. Nevertheless, recent research has shown that many athletes, coaches, and sporting administrators are still quite reluctant to seek out the services of a qualified sport psychologist, even if they believe it could help. One of the primary reasons for this hesitation appears to be a lack of understanding about the process and the mechanisms by which these mental skills affect performance. Unlike the “harder sciences” of sport physiology and biochemistry where athletes can see the tangible results in themselves or other athletes (e.g., he or she lifted weights, developed larger muscles, and is now stronger/faster as a result), the unfamiliar and often esoteric nature of sport psychology appears to be impeding a large number of athletes from soliciting these important services. As such, the purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a simple framework depicting how mental skills training translates into improved within-competition performance. This framework is intended to help bridge the general “understanding gap” that is currently being reported by a large number of athletes and coaches, while also helping sport psychology practitioners sell their valuable services to individual athletes and teams.

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