Anaerobic Speed Reserve with Dr. Gareth Sandford

The latest ALTIS Podcast features Dr. Gareth Sandford and is hosted by Strength & Power Coach, Jason Hettler.    Gareth (along with Jason) was a member of our first Intern group in the Spring of 2014. Following his internship Gareth joined Athletics New Zealand as a Performance Physiologist and completed his PhD with Auckland University of Technology.   He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher and Performance Physiologist with the University of British Colombia and the Canadian Sport Institute - Pacific.    In this conversation Gareth and Jason cover many topics centered around Gareth’s PhD dissertation, Applications of Anaerobic Speed Reserve to Elite 800m Running. From a ‘big picture’ perspective they cover topics such as asking the right questions and defining the relevant terminology. They then zoom-in on determinants of performance, categorizing athletes, and more.   The final third of the conversation centers around the application of Gareth’s work beyond the 800m, particularly into team sport.    PODCAST TIME STAMPS 1:00 - Background Highlights 11:15 – Developing performance questions 15:45 – The complexity of middle distance 23:45 – Immersion within high performance environments around the World 25.50 – What is anaerobic speed reserve? 30:40 – Determinants of the sprint finish 34.05 – How does anaerobic speed reserve apply differently between genders and performance levels? 39.30 – Categorizing athletes – to better understand complexity 44:45 – Biomechanical components of the kick – the skill of running ‘fast relaxed’ 50:15 – What is speed? 54:25 – Outliers, cultural differences and making judgements on training approach 59:00 – Anaerobic speed reserve and team sport applications 66:50 – Individualizing based on biomechanical differences? 73:30 -  Connecting science between coaches, research teams and stakeholders 78:30 – Future applications of anaerobic speed reserve principles 85:45 - Concluding Thoughts