MAY 2006 BROADSHEET - Sports Science
For our April seminar, CETC Committee Member John Batten brought together three speakers who tackled the topic of sports science from very different standpoints.
First up was Dr Clive Pearce from HFL in Newmarket. HFL started life as the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory more than 40 years ago, having been set up in the wake of the upsurge in horse doping after the Second World War. It is now wholly owned by the Horseracing Betting Levy Board. In addition to undertaking all drug testing on racing horses and greyhounds in the UK (about 100 per day), the company is also responsible for about half of the country’s tests on sportsmen and women (about 2,000 each year). Drugs are given to animals to impair their performance, whereas athletes take performance-enhancing compounds. In both cases, the principal analytical techniques used are gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, together capable of detecting and identifying tiny amounts of illegal substances: down to parts per trillion in some cases. Sample integrity and test validity are key, and are rigorously maintained. Turnaround time is normally 3-4 days for negative results; confirmatory tests on suspicious samples take longer. Despite the sophistication of drug testing, it is an unfortunate reality that there will always be people trying to enhance performance without detection. Having dealt with the challenge of so-called “designer drugs”, the next threats come from therapeutic proteins and, further down the line, gene doping.
Moving from illegal to legal optimisation of performance, Tony Lycholat gave a fascinating account of his work with Honda Racing F1’s drivers. With a background in competitive athletics and working with elite athletes and rally drivers, Tony now applies his sports science and medicine qualifications to get the best from drivers in the punishing environment of top-flight motor racing. He views the driver as integral to the car: sports science becomes human engineering. The aim is for every lap to be done at absolute optimum performance, and every aspect of driver performance is assessed and reviewed. Elite sport is ruthless, and success is everything. Success is in part down to physical qualities. Maximum oxygen consumption, visual acuity, recovery rate from fatigue etc. But there are also psychological factors, and it’s not clear whether a winning mindset is inherent or can be developed. As for race preparation, nothing is left to chance. For example, tasks are simulated and the exact amount of fluid needed to maintain appropriate hydration is calculated and supplied in the race. And the process doesn’t stop with getting the best out of world class drivers: they must also have world class trainers and support teams.
Dr Susan Goodrich of Cambridge Professional Diagnostics works in the world of commerce rather than sport, but takes essentially the same approach: developing top performance in her subjects. She operates on a psychological rather than physiological basis, and spoke about lessons which can be learned from sports psychologists. For example, in the field of motor racing again – specifically NASCAR pit crew training – technology has levelled the playing field, but an edge can be maintained by practicing core skills until they become automatic. In the business world, training needs and practice may not be so clear-cut, but assessing training needs, matching people to tasks and setting clear goals pays dividends. Above all, the management team must have clear vision and strategic goals.
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