Patrick M. Holmberg, Scott Russell, Katherine A. O’Brien, Lachlan P. James, Vincent G. Kelly
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The term ‘priming exercise’ has recently been introduced to describe exercise stimuli prescribed to enhance performance within 1–48 hours of that stimulus. Despite evidence of these activities being utilised in competitive settings, the reasoning underpinning the application of priming exercise is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore practitioners’ perceptions about using priming exercise as a pre-competition strategy to improve performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 practitioners involved in prescribing training programs to elite Australian athletes. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed six organising themes (i.e. ‘limited and inapplicable research findings’, ‘consideration of athletes’ training age’, risk-return of priming session outcomes’, ‘logistical concerns’, ‘buy-in’ and ‘priming exercise prescription’) later grouped into a global theme, representing the ‘challenges of applying priming exercise’. The findings highlight contextual factors influencing practitioners’ use of priming exercise and, based on these considerations, draw attention to the apparent uncertainty about whether these stimuli can be prescribed effectively to improve competition performance in sports. In addition to gaining insight into applied priming strategies, the present findings may be used to inform externally valid and relevant study designs that subsequently guide practice.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching is a peer-reviewed, international, academic/professional journal, which aims to bridge the gap between coaching and sports science. The journal will integrate theory and practice in sports science, promote critical reflection of coaching practice, and evaluate commonly accepted beliefs about coaching effectiveness and performance enhancement. Open learning systems will be promoted in which: (a) sports science is made accessible to coaches, translating knowledge into working practice; and (b) the challenges faced by coaches are communicated to sports scientists. The vision of the journal is to support the development of a community in which: (i) sports scientists and coaches respect and learn from each other as they assist athletes to acquire skills by training safely and effectively, thereby enhancing their performance, maximizing their enjoyment of the sporting experience and facilitating character development; and (ii) scientific research is embraced in the quest to uncover, understand and develop the processes involved in sports coaching and elite performance.