Publications

Journal article | Peer reviewed

Annual Training Load and Jumping- and Sprinting-Characteristic Changes During a Periodized Training Plan in a Division I Male Championship Basketball Team ↗

by Chieh-Ying Chiang, Chien-Chun Chang, Matthew Morrison, Jonathon Weakley and Yi-Chien Chiang

24 October 2025
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

Purpose : Optimizing performance while managing training load (TL) is a constant goal in high-performance sport. However, there is limited evidence on how year-long TL variations influence jumping and sprinting characteristics in collegiate basketball. This study aimed to analyze changes in TL and physical performance in a Taiwanese collegiate men’s basketball team during a full year-long season. Methods : Ten male basketball players who participated in a collegiate basketball training program were assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ) and 20-m sprint test before the off-season (T1) and after the season (T4). In addition to the pretest and posttest, CMJ was assessed after the preparation phase (T2) and the precompetition phase (T3) to understand training adaptations. Session rating of perceived exertion was collected after each training session to calculate TL. Monthly TL values were then compared with those of the preceding month. CMJ, sprinting, and TL differences between time points were compared. Significance level was set at P < .05. Results : CMJ height significantly increased at T2 ( P = .04) and was maintained until T4. Twenty-meter sprint time did not significantly differ between T1 and T4. Monthly TL significantly decreased between off-season and preseason, as well as between off-season and precompetition phases ( P < .001). Conclusions : These findings suggest that the athletes improved CMJ and maintained sprint performance throughout the training plan. Tapering achieved through the manipulation of TL may improve performance outcomes before important competitions.

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Journal article | Peer reviewed

The Applied Sport Science and Medicine of Powerlifting and Para Powerlifting: A Systematic Scoping Review with Recommendations for Future Research ↗

by Kade Silverthorne, Mark W. Creaby, Ryan G Timmins, Chieh‑Ying Chiang, Jonathon Weakley, Nicholas Cowley, Matthew Morrison and Gabriella Munteanu

2025
Sports Medicine

Background Powerlifting is a strength sport featuring some of the world’s strongest athletes. Recent decades have seen an exponential increase in research into the applied sport science and medicine of powerlifting and its Paralympic counterpart, para powerlifting. A scoping review of the area would provide athletes, coaches, policymakers, and researchers with an overview of the existing evidence to support performance, reduce injury, and foster further growth of these sports. Objectives The primary objectives were to identify the current research into the applied sport science and medicine of powerlifting and para powerlifting, analyse the characteristics of the research, provide a brief summary of the research in each area of sport science and medicine, identify gaps in the current literature, and provide recommendations for future research. Methods Systematic searches of SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Scopus were performed from the earliest record to June 2025 (Open Science Framework registration: https://osf.io/fkjsz), and the reference lists of several pre-existing systematic reviews were manually searched. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they investigated powerlifting or para powerlifting as a sport or the applied sport science of powerlifters or para powerlifters from a performance or injury perspective. Results A total of 2117 articles were identified in the database search, with three additional eligible studies discovered through other sources. In total, 218 studies met the inclusion criteria and were ultimately included in the review. The most researched sport science and medicine topic was physical qualities (n = 48), followed by competition (n = 45), training (n = 38), biomechanics (n = 36), nutrition and supplementation (n = 25), injury (n = 18), and psychology (n = 8). More than half of the included studies were published in 2020 or later, and researchers from the USA were the most prolific with 57 publications. Para powerlifting was investigated in 45 studies, which mostly originated from Brazil (n = 31). Participants represented varying levels of competition, powerlifting divisions, and age categories, although many studies did not clearly report these characteristics. Only seven studies investigated female athletes exclusively. Conclusion This scoping review summarises the current literature investigating powerlifting and para powerlifting and can be used to enhance the applied sport science and medicine within the sports. While the amount of research has grown considerably in recent years, it is evident that certain demographics and areas remain under-investigated (e.g., injury mechanisms) or warrant updated examination (e.g., the prevalence of performance-enhancing drug use, which was last reported in 2003 and is currently unknown). Thus, this review highlights several areas for future research based on the gaps in the existing literature and provides a range of recommendations that can be implemented to improve reporting, transparency, and interpretation.

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Journal article | Peer reviewed

Decoding unintentional doping: A complex systems analysis of supplement use in sport ↗

by Matthew Morrison, Mitchell Naughton, Paul M Salmon and Scott McLean

2025
Performance Enhancement & Health

Unintentional doping though supplement use is an ongoing issue that has severe professional and personal impacts on athletes. Though the issue is well known, there are key knowledge gaps regarding the role of different stakeholders both in creating and managing unintentional doping. The current study aimed to identify the influential tasks and stakeholders within the Australian sport system that are associated with supplements. A Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) was developed during a subject matter expert workshop (n = 12) to decompose the supplement use in sport ‘system’ into a hierarchical structure of goals, sub-goals, operations, and plans. A task network was developed during the SME workshop and based on the first level sub-goals of the HTA. Network analysis was then applied to determine the interdependency and influence of system tasks and stakeholders. Network metrics included Density, Out-degree centrality, In-degree centrality, Betweenness centrality, Closeness centrality, and Eigenvector centrality. In total, 15 first level sub-goals were identified which were further decomposed into 71 sub-goals and operations. The overall identified goal of athletes taking supplements was to optimise health, performance, recovery, image, and achieve optimal weight. Within this overall goal, numerous tasks are required to be performed including research, manufacturing and regulation of supplements, maintaining clean sport, to the administration of supplements by athletes, to subsequent assessments of their efficacy. The most influential tasks within the system include ‘maintaining clean sport’ by anti-doping authorities, and ‘marketing/advertising’ of supplements by supplement companies. Influential stakeholders within the system included ‘anti-doping agencies’, ‘athlete support personnel’, and ‘sponsors’. The analysis has demonstrated that multiple and varied stakeholders have specific roles to play in preventing unintentional doping. The findings suggest that for the prevention of unintentional doping through supplement use, interventions will need to shift away from the typical focus on athletes and athlete support personnel, to encompass a broader systemic focus.

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Journal article | Peer reviewed

Quantifying the effect of afternoon moderate-intensity exercise on sleep quality and quantity in healthy adult males using polysomnography ↗

by Gregory D. Roach, Shona L Halson, Charli Sargent, Dean J. Miller, Carissa Gardiner, Matthew Morrison and Jonathon Weakley

2025
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

Objectives To investigate the effect of afternoon moderate-intensity cycling exercise on objective and subjective sleep in healthy adult males. Design Repeated-measures, counter-balanced, crossover study design. Methods To assess the effect of moderate-intensity afternoon exercise on sleep quality and quantity, 12 healthy adult males who were identified as good sleepers (< 5 on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) completed either moderate-intensity cycling exercise for 40 min at 70 % HRmax at ~ 15:30 h or sedentary activities. Polysomnography was used to measure sleep during a 9-hour sleep opportunity (23:00 h to 08:00 h). Sleep was subjectively assessed using questionnaires 30 min after waking. Results There were no statistically significant changes in objective or subjective sleep quality or quantity between conditions. The inter-quartile range for total sleep time (exercise: 51.5 min vs no exercise: 13.4 min) and sleep efficiency (exercise: 9.5 % vs no exercise: 2.5 %) suggests that there was more individual variability in subsequent sleep after afternoon exercise compared to no exercise. Exercise appeared to have a moderate effect on reducing total sleep time (mean ± SD; control 493.7 ± 12.6 min vs exercise: 471.5 ± 55.2 min; Cohen's d: − 0.56), sleep efficiency (control 91.4 ± 2.3 % vs exercise: 87.3 ± 10.2 %; Cohen's d: − 0.56), and delaying REM onset latency (control: 76.1 ± 45.1 min vs exercise: 102.8 ± 46.9 min; r: 0.33), although the results did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Conclusions Healthy adult males can complete moderate-intensity exercise in the afternoon without compromising subsequent sleep. Individual responses in objective sleep outcomes may vary after exercise.

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Journal article | Peer reviewed

Repeated sprint training: The effects of session volume on acute physiological, neuromuscular, perceptual and performance outcomes in athletes ↗

by Fraser Thurlow, Shaun J. McLaren, Andrew Townshend, Matthew Morrison, Nicholas Cowley and Jonathon Weakley

2025
European Journal of Sport Science

We examined the effects of repeated sprint training (RST) session volume on acute physiological, neuromuscular, perceptual and performance outcomes. In a randomised, counterbalanced, and crossover design, 14 healthy and trained male and female athletes (age: 23 ± 3 years) completed two sets of 10 × 40 m (10 × 40), 5 × 40 m (5 × 40), 10 × 20 m (10 × 20) and 5 × 20 m (5 × 20) sprints with 30 s rest between repetitions and 3 min rest between sets for all protocols. Average and peak heart rate, average oxygen consumption (VO2), time >90% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), differential ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), session-RPE training load (sRPE-TL), percentage sprint decrement (Sdec), acceleration load and distance >90% of maximal sprint speed were recorded during each session. Neuromuscular performance (i.e. countermovement jump, lower-limb stiffness and isometric hamstring strength) were measured post-session, 24 h, and 48 h and compared to pre-session. A univariate analysis of variance was used to compare within- and between-protocol differences. To aid data interpretation, all effects were expressed as an effect size and accompanied by probability values (pMET). The 10 × 40 protocol induced the greatest training load compared to all other protocols (pMET < 0.05), including moderate to very large differences in breathlessness RPE, large differences in Sdec and time >90% VO2max and very large differences in sRPE-TL. The 5 × 20 protocol induced the lowest training load compared to all other protocols (pMET < 0.05), including moderate to large differences in sRPE-TL and leg muscle RPE. Heart rate, VO2, sRPE-TL, leg muscle RPE and Sdec were similar between 5 × 40 and 10 × 20 (pMET < 0.05), but the acceleration load was greater for 10 × 20 when compared to 5 × 40 (pMET < 0.001), and this difference was large. Changes in neuromuscular performance across all timepoints and all protocols were unclear. Larger session volumes increase the demands of RST and by manipulating volume, sprint distance and the number of repetitions, practitioners can alter the internal and external training load.

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