Bangor Sport Science

Join Dr. Aamer Sandoo on a captivating journey through time as we uncover the history of exercise during pregnancy, from the 1850s to today. In this episode, we dive into the incredible physiological benefits of staying active for both mother and baby, while shedding light on the risks and potential complications like pre-eclampsia and pelvic floor dysfunction. Plus, we explore the unique challenges and adaptations for athletes during pregnancy. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast, a healthcare professional, or simply curious about this transformative topic, this episode promises to be both insightful and inspiring.

In this month’s episode we speak to Officer Mark Langley to discuss how his Sport and Exercise Science Degree at Bangor helped him pursue a career in the Police force. Mark talks candidly about his life experiences and how he navigated his career through the difficulties of the COVID era. He also discusses the intricacies of the different duties an officer has and how physical and psychological factors play a crucial part in performing well in the role. 

This months episode features Dr Julian Owen who focuses on player welfare and prevention of injury in rugby union. Julian also discusses injury prevention in girls youth rugby and work that is being done to understand the causes of injury in school age children. The video version of the podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/iDeWQ1Kq_iAA relevant academic paper can be accessed here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37495222/

In this video, Dr Vicky Gottwald discusses the importance of a skill acquisition practitioner to improve sporting performance with a special focus on Rugby. During the episode she provides expert insights about the following topics:1. The role of a Skill Acquisition practitioner in a sport science support team.2. Discusses common coaching myths.3. Highlights methods to support coaches about the science of skillacquisition.So whether you are a coach, practitioner, scientist, student or athlete, this episode provides you with all the essential information about how we acquire skill.A video of this podcast recording can be found here: https://youtu.be/xpXqC0VRU8kRelevant publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37293436/

In this first ever episode, Dr Seren Evans (an expert in Rugby Science) talks about several important themes related to non-contact injuries in Rugby. She also addresses the important issue of concussion and it's risk of causing subsequent non-contact injuries. Some of the questions covered include:What steps can players, coaches, and teams take to minimize the risk of non-contact injuries? Are there any emerging technologies or techniques being used to detect non-contact injuries in rugby? How do non-contact injuries impact a player's career and the overall team performanceWhat are athlete monitoring protocols, and how do they work to track athlete performance and health?What specific metrics and data points are most valuable in injury prediction?How can coaches and sports medicine professionals use this data to make informed decisions and prevent injuries?What are the potential long-term effects of a concussion on an athlete's health and performance?How can concussions increase the risk of non-contact injuries in sports?Are there any rehabilitation strategies that can help athletes recover from concussions and reduce their injury risk?The episode will be particularly relevant to coaches, practitioners (e.g., S&C coach, physiotherapists, doctors, etc.), data scientists, players and community rugby union teams.A video of the podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/JOqx8Bhwyd4?si=HcHqNoEyJZB441gwRelevant Publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35184953/