Development and application of wearable micro technologies for the assessment of swimming performance and activity. Australia's sporting performance at a national and international level are ingrained in the psyche of everyday Australians. It encourages sporting activity at every level of our society contributing to our well being and the development of tommorrow's athletes.
This research project will develop important tools for the assessment and servicing of our nations elite athletes, includ ....Development and application of wearable micro technologies for the assessment of swimming performance and activity. Australia's sporting performance at a national and international level are ingrained in the psyche of everyday Australians. It encourages sporting activity at every level of our society contributing to our well being and the development of tommorrow's athletes.
This research project will develop important tools for the assessment and servicing of our nations elite athletes, including those in regional areas. These tools will encompass the very latest in wearable technology and allow athletes to be measured under performance conditions rather than in the laboratory.
Assessment of human motion is also desirable as we seek to assess and aid a progressively aging population and a growing epidemic of obesity in our children.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the impact of neuromusculoskeletal impairment on athletic performance. Sufficient physical activity is required for good health. Competitive sport is a culturally significant physical activity in Australia and the prospect of participating in fair competition is known to drive participation. In Paralympic sport, fair competition is enabled by classification, which aims to minimise the impact of impairments on competition outcome. Unfortunately classification methods are not evidence-b ....Evaluating the impact of neuromusculoskeletal impairment on athletic performance. Sufficient physical activity is required for good health. Competitive sport is a culturally significant physical activity in Australia and the prospect of participating in fair competition is known to drive participation. In Paralympic sport, fair competition is enabled by classification, which aims to minimise the impact of impairments on competition outcome. Unfortunately classification methods are not evidence-based, reducing confidence in the process and discouraging participation. This project will inform the development of the first evidence-based classification system, creating the possibility that, in the future, the prospect of truly fair competition may motivate sports participation among Australians, regardless of disability.Read moreRead less
Tracking the musculoskeletal health and performance of talented adolescent female athletes. The vision is to gain an innovative understanding of risk factors for the early detection or prevention of injury, and to identify factors that promote participation longevity in young athletes. The biomechanics explored in this study will provide a basis for larger studies in future years. Large economic and social benefits can be gained from increased knowledge of injury prevention early in life. Lowere ....Tracking the musculoskeletal health and performance of talented adolescent female athletes. The vision is to gain an innovative understanding of risk factors for the early detection or prevention of injury, and to identify factors that promote participation longevity in young athletes. The biomechanics explored in this study will provide a basis for larger studies in future years. Large economic and social benefits can be gained from increased knowledge of injury prevention early in life. Lowered injury costs provide immediate cost benefits to the nation. Ultimately, in a nation familiar with the high costs of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, the health sector of Australia will be the greatest benefactor of this project.Read moreRead less
Preventing hospital readmissions and loss of functional ability in high risk older adults: A randomised controlled trial. Older people have higher rates of hospital admission and readmission due to complications and falls. During hospitalisation, many older people experience functional decline which impacts on their future independence. Acute hospital services comprise the largest section of health expenditure in Australia, costing $26,413 million/year. Prevention or delay of disease is known to ....Preventing hospital readmissions and loss of functional ability in high risk older adults: A randomised controlled trial. Older people have higher rates of hospital admission and readmission due to complications and falls. During hospitalisation, many older people experience functional decline which impacts on their future independence. Acute hospital services comprise the largest section of health expenditure in Australia, costing $26,413 million/year. Prevention or delay of disease is known to produce more effective use of services. This study will compare the effectiveness of innovative strategies to prevent deconditioning, functional decline and hospital readmissions. Comparative analysis of these strategies will provide information with potential to reduce costs whilst improving functional status, psychosocial well-being and independence in older peopleRead moreRead less
Exploring resilience in relation to physical activity and dietary behaviours among children from neighbourhoods of low socioeconomic position. The link between social disadvantage and poor health, across a broad age range, is a serious public health challenge. Current interventions to promote healthy weight-related behaviours among young people ignore the motivators and barriers unique to demographic sub-groups, and are largely ineffective. The personal and socio-environmental correlates of heal ....Exploring resilience in relation to physical activity and dietary behaviours among children from neighbourhoods of low socioeconomic position. The link between social disadvantage and poor health, across a broad age range, is a serious public health challenge. Current interventions to promote healthy weight-related behaviours among young people ignore the motivators and barriers unique to demographic sub-groups, and are largely ineffective. The personal and socio-environmental correlates of healthy behaviours among young South Australians identified in this study are likely to be relevant to low socioeconomic neighbourhoods in other states and territories. As such, this study will offer new insights into intervention design that will give impetus to the efforts of researchers, policy makers and practitioners throughout Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovering genes which modify human physical performance: a means of developing healthier life styles & novel athletic training programs. The aim of this multicentred study (University of Sydney, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport) is to find genes in the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems that are involved in modifying human physical performance. From this knowledge, it is proposed to develop novel physical training programs in our national sporting institutions ba ....Discovering genes which modify human physical performance: a means of developing healthier life styles & novel athletic training programs. The aim of this multicentred study (University of Sydney, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport) is to find genes in the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems that are involved in modifying human physical performance. From this knowledge, it is proposed to develop novel physical training programs in our national sporting institutions based on an individual's genetic information. In the broader community, knowledge of genes which contribute to the normal and healthy functioning of the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems will be invaluable in understanding and preventing breakdowns in these body systems.Read moreRead less
Molecular dissection of the effects of alpha-actinin-3 deficiency on normal variation in skeletal muscle function. We will study the mechanisms by which a common genetic variant influences muscle bulk, muscle strength and the metabolic efficiency of muscle in the general population. Common genetic variants that influence skeletal muscle function have major potential public health implications as they are likely to influence individuals' response to exercise and diet, and to contribute to suscept ....Molecular dissection of the effects of alpha-actinin-3 deficiency on normal variation in skeletal muscle function. We will study the mechanisms by which a common genetic variant influences muscle bulk, muscle strength and the metabolic efficiency of muscle in the general population. Common genetic variants that influence skeletal muscle function have major potential public health implications as they are likely to influence individuals' response to exercise and diet, and to contribute to susceptibility to common diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and the loss of muscle strength in the elderly. In addition, the identification of genetic factors that influence muscle bulk in vertebrates has implications for breeding programs in sheep and cattle and may provide commercial benefit to the livestock industry.Read moreRead less
An investigation into performance characteristics of elite male and female soccer players in training and competition environments. The aim of the project is to identify critical determinants of soccer performance that will improve preparation of Australian teams for international competition. Three studies are proposed. Study One will utilize a decade of physical performance and anthropometric data on male and female soccer players at the Australian Institute of Sport to identify physical perfo ....An investigation into performance characteristics of elite male and female soccer players in training and competition environments. The aim of the project is to identify critical determinants of soccer performance that will improve preparation of Australian teams for international competition. Three studies are proposed. Study One will utilize a decade of physical performance and anthropometric data on male and female soccer players at the Australian Institute of Sport to identify physical performance standards characteristic of elite players. Study Two will comprise match analyses to delineate crucial physical, technical and tactical aspects of individual and team performance. Study three will identify characteristics specific to elite goalkeepers that may be used for monitoring responses to training and competition.Read moreRead less
Comprehensive discharge-planning and in-home follow-up for older adults incorporating exercise strategies to avoid de-conditioning and reduce risk of hospital re-admission. Older people have significantly higher rates of hospital admission and length of stay than the general population and higher rates of hospital re-admission due to complications and falls. During hospitalisation, older people experience significant functional decline which impacts on their future levels of independence and qua ....Comprehensive discharge-planning and in-home follow-up for older adults incorporating exercise strategies to avoid de-conditioning and reduce risk of hospital re-admission. Older people have significantly higher rates of hospital admission and length of stay than the general population and higher rates of hospital re-admission due to complications and falls. During hospitalisation, older people experience significant functional decline which impacts on their future levels of independence and quality of life. This research aims to design, deliver and evaluate an innovative model of discharge planning and in-home exercise-based follow-up for community-living frail older people at high risk of hospital re-admission as a means of promoting health. Results should delay occurrence of disease, reduce re-admissions, and improve functional status, psycho-social well-being and patient satisfaction.Read moreRead less