Bula Vinaka, 
There are some exciting things happening in the Oceania sport universe. ONOC AGM will be happening in a week and the Pacific Games is just over four months away. In the following issue of Oceania Highlights, you will find some articles about some things you can do to assist in the development of athletes and coaches leading to the Pacific Games. If you need anything additional, please let OSIC know at +679-722-4181 or osic@onoc.org.fj. 

Strength and Conditioning

Short-term adaptations following Complex Training in team-sports: a meta-analysis.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to study the short-term adaptations on sprint and vertical jump (VJ) performance following Complex Training (CT) in team-sports.

The Effect of short-term sport-specific strength and conditioning training on physical fitness of well-trained mixed martial arts athletes.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of a short-term, high-intensity, low-volume Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) specific strength and conditioning training program on performance in national level MMA athletes.

Validity and reliability of a non-invasive test to assess quadriceps and hamstrings strength in athletes.
Modifiable risk factors for hamstring injury include lack of strength, fatigue and muscle strength asymmetry. Assessing lower body strength in the field is problematic as “gold standard assessment” are expensive, non-portable and assessment is time-consuming.

Injuries

Overuse physeal injuries in youth athletes risk factors, prevention, and treatment strategies.
Despite rising awareness of the risks associated with sports participation, overuse injuries continue to increase in youth athlete populations.

Comparing performance during morning vs. afternoon training sessions in intercollegiate basketball players.
Heishman, AD, Curtis, MA, Saliba, EN, Hornett, RJ, Malin, SK, and Weltman, AL. Comparing performance during morning vs. afternoon training sessions in intercollegiate basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 31(6): 1557–1562, 2017—Time of day is a key factor that influences the optimization of athletic performance.

 Psychology

Preparing mentally for competition.
 Learning how to perform optimally for competition can be a challenge. There are often numerous distractions and unique circumstances surrounding most competition events, many of which, young athletes are unfamiliar with. Coaches and parents can play an
 important role in helping with mentally preparation, in order to maximize performance.

Big game preparation - 7 Tips to staying cool & calm in the clutch.
 The biggest secret to you playing your best when it counts the most is learning how to keep yourself CALM and COMPOSED. If you allow yourself to get too nervous or too excited right before or during a competition, then your muscles will tighten up,you’ll lose your confidence and your play will go right down the tubes! This is what it means to CHOKE! The athlete gets so nervous that he/she ends up performing tight and tentatively — a mere shadow of his or her normal self!

How to not be over confident in competition.
 Do you underestimate your opponents?
 
Motivation and coaching – a misunderstood mental matter.
 World Cup Final Day.The team gathers in the locker room.This is an intense, high pressure environment that few experience and even fewer survive.

Physiological limits to endurance exercise performance: influence of sex.
 This brief review summarizes factors associated with elite endurance performance, trends in distance running training and participation by men and more recently women.

National  Collegiate Athletic Association Division I certified athletic trainers' perceptions of the benefits of sport psychology services.
 Certified athletic trainers (ATs) are responsible for integrating relevant professionals into the rehabilitation team to assist with the holistic care of injured athletes.

Sleep and Mood Performance

Sleep quality, mood and performance: a study of elite Brazilian volleyball athletes
 This investigation analyzed the relationships between sleep quality, mood, and game results in the elite athletes participating in Brazilian volleyball competitions. Participants (n = 277 elite Brazilian volleyball athletes, 214 (77.3%) men and 63 (22.7%) women) completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and reported their subjective sleep perception.

The effects of sleep extension on sleep, performance, immunity and physical stress in rugby players.
 Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the efficacy of sleep extension in professional rugby players. The aims were to: (i) characterise sleep quantity in elite rugby players and determine changes in immune function and stress hormone secretion during a pre-season training programme.

Nutrition

Fueling for performance
 Proper nutrition is crucial for an athlete to optimize his or her performance for training and competition. Athletes should be able to meet their dietary needs through eating a wide variety of whole food sources.
 
Fluid balance in team sport athletes and the effect of hypohydration on cognitive, technical, and physical performance.
Sweat losses in team sports can be significant due to repeated bursts of high-intensity activity, as well as the large body size of athletes, equipment and uniform requirements,and environmental heat stress often present during training and competition.
 
The nutrition for sport knowledge questionnaire (NSKQ): development and validation using classical test theory and Rasch analysis.
 Appropriate dietary intake can have a significant influence on athletic performance. There is a growing consensus on sports nutrition and professionals working with athletes often provide dietary education.

Preparation for endurance competitions at altitude: physiological, psychological, dietary and coaching aspects. a narrative review.
 It was the Summer Olympic Games 1968 held in Mexico City (2,300 m) that required scientists and coaches to cope with the expected decline of performance in endurance athletes and to establish optimal preparation programs for competing at altitude.



 Vinaka Vakalevu