Omniathlete

Current evidence suggests that the hamstrings function primarily as an eccentric energy-absorbing brake during the late-swing phase, necessary to decelerate the lower limb and manage loads that exceed isometric capacity. However, the presence of long tendons and specific architectures in muscles like the BFlh ensures that tendon contributions and spring-like behavior are also vital. The issue of hamstring behavior remains complex and multifactorial.

The purpose of this blog post is to provide a brief summary and overview of the role of isometric and plyometric training in the development of musculotendinous stiffness for performance in various sports related action.

Most athletes don’t struggle because they lack effort. They train hard, often in demanding environments that introduce fatigue, complexity, and variability by design. Those demands are part of sport. Yet the injuries that interrupt seasons—and the performance plateaus that quietly precede them—tend to appear long before competition intensity peaks.

When it comes to locomotion, very few structures can be defined as fundamental in carrying over the responsibility of efficient performance as the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the foot.

Around summer 2025, Hyperice has released (in partnership with Nike) a brand-new device called the Hyperboot. This brand-new piece of equipment is basically the re-proposal of two of their patented technologies, i.e. Normatec Sequential Pulse and HyperHeat (already present on devices such as the Hyperice Venom 2), into a pair of hyper-futuristic shoes.

In the competitive world of sports, athletes are constantly seeking new ways to gain an edge and elevate their performance. Neurosonic’s innovative technology provides a scientifically-backed approach to recovery, focusing on three essential pillars: enhancing sleep, managing stress, and boosting metabolism.

The sacroiliac joints (SIJs) are specialised structures that serve as stable yet slightly flexible connections between the lower limbs and the rest of the body, allowing efficient force transmission. These joints are large, flat, and combine both synovial and fibrous elements. Their highly congruent surfaces offer considerable friction, and strong ligaments further support their function, resulting in effective force transfer with minimal movement (Vleeming et al. , 2012). Re

How many times we've heard about force absorption within the strength and conditioning industry? Usually, when the expression "force absorption" is being used, the intent is either to describe the process of attenuating the impact during foot strike or the neuromuscular capability to handle and manage the amount of forces produced during a given movement. However, if we want to properly employ biomechanics in our own language we should be aware that force absorption does not

Every coach who really trains athletes on a daily basis and really knows the discriminants of human performance is aware of the fact that building the “perfect” performance machine is not a question of one single detail respect to others. Sports performance is a delicate balance between several aspects converging into one main goal: it’s the whole body synchrony merging into one specific output. Unfortunately social marketing is king today and some coaches, instead of showing

by Gursharan Chana, PhD We all know maintaining good hydration contributes significantly to peak physical and mental performance. However, knowing when you have drunk enough fluid to achieve optimal hydration is not clear cut, and relying on your body’s thirst response can lead to significant underestimation in fluid requirements. Why is maintaining fluid balance so important? Water is the main constituent of the human body, comprising 60% of total body weight, with the vital

p.s. This article has been originally published on the magazine Athletics Weekly (www.athleticsweekly.com) on November 2014 Most training programmes focus on teaching the concentric portion of the jumping movement and fail to work on the eccentric where the majority of injuries usually occur. Jump training was introduced by Professor Verkhoshansky at the end of the 1950s – the exercise of the jump executed by dropping from a height with vertical rebound has been a staple for

by Sports Excellence (Athens, Greece) p.s. This is the english transcript of the interview originally published on n. 6 issue (March 2020) of the e-Mag edited by Sports Excellence ( https://sportsexcellence.gr/wp-content/uploads/fylladia/SE_emag_issue06_MAR_2020.pdf ) Sports Excellence: How important do you consider the monitoring of an athlete to be, through the use of a modern software designed to measure training load and perceived tiredness? Antonio Robustelli: Monitor

Whether you are recovering from an injury or looking to upgrade your athletic performance, one major key to success lies in the nervous system. The nervous system, including the brain, is a major influence on the function of the body. It directly controls cognitive and athletic performance, hormonal releases, energy levels, organ function, and the processes of healing and recovery. One particularly interesting quality of the brain is that it spends a lot of energy limiting us

Life is healthy feet. Anyone who has suffered from a foot injury can attest to how quality of life is ruined by unhealthy feet. The foot is the only part of the body to regularly contact the ground. Comprised of 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles, 107 ligaments, 10 tendons, the foot is arguably the most mechanically complex part of the body - so much so that Leonardo da Vinci called the foot a work of art. Generally, the properly functioning foot needs 30° of inversion, 20° of e

When it comes to low-back strength and posterior chain development in athletic performance, no exercise has the characteristics of the seated good morning. This exercise has been used for several years by Soviet Union weightlifters in the 70's and 80's and it was an integral part of their training regime. Legendary weightlifting coach Alexei Medvedyev, in his book A System of Multi-Year Training in Weightlifting , wrote that "seated good mornings on a bench and on the floor

by Antonio Robustelli, MSc CSCS Since the launch of the NordBord, Vald's first product to enter the professional sport market, the Brisbane-based company has grown exponentially by quickly becoming a leading athlete testing systems provider as well as one of the most innovative sports technology companies in professional and high-level sport today. Even if sports technology is a big opportunity and one of the single most important challenges in sport performance, very few s

Recovery is an essential part of the training program for high-level performance and continued improvement (Dalleck, 2019). Lack of recovery, trauma, overuse or prolonged stress of the tissue structures are all common examples of causes of the occurrence of sport injuries (Bahr et al., 2015). There are several treatments that are usually performed after sports injury aiming to speed up the recovery process. These treatments traditionally include e.g. hot or cold packs, thera

Whenever i talk about foot pressure mapping technology during my courses or keynote lectures at international conferences, i always got surprised by the deficits in knowledge and understanding of the differences between force and pressure measurements. I often receive questions that actually sounds a little bit obvious to me but i will try to clean up the topic in terms of both technology and biomechanics. Force vs Pressure or Force + Pressure? When talking about force and

If you’ve had issues with hydration or cramp in the past and have gone online looking for a solution then the chances are that you’ve seen the term ‘sweat test’ mentioned. In this piece i will explain just what a ‘sweat test’ is, what the options are and how taking one could help you significantly improve your performance. First, Why do Humans Sweat so Much? Here’s a pub-quiz-worthy fact for you, humans sweat considerably more than any other animal on earth. Our sweat rate

A few years ago, during our MSc studies in the Netherlands, we experienced what profound effect the lack of light can have on our bodies, energy levels and mood. After doing extensive research on the topic, we found out that light therapy is a fantastic solution to help us feel more energetic during the dark and gloomy winter days. We experimented with numerous products on the market (light boxes and visors) and realized that there was a need for a light therapy product, whic