Quantifying the Movement Characteristics of Australian Football League Women's Competition.

ABSTRACT: Thornton, HR, Armstrong, CR, Gamble, T, Rigby, A, Johnston, RD, and Duthie, GM. Quantifying the movement characteristics of Australian Football League Women's competition. J Strength Cond Res 36(12): 3415-3421, 2022-The purpose is to provide an overview of the externally measured movement characteristics of Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) competition, and the variability in this between matches. A range of movement variables were measured from 28 athletes who wore 10-Hz global positioning system devices during games and were summarized according to positional groups. The variance in each athlete's match loads for each round were expressed using standardized scores ( z -scores), and the change compared with the first game played was calculated and expressed as a standard deviation. Furthermore, using the raw export, moving means (1-10 minutes) of speed (m·min -1 ) and acceleration (m·s -2 ) were calculated. Following log transformation of the maximal means, intercept and slopes were calculated. Linear mixed models identified differences between positional groups for match loads, and intercept and slopes. Effects were described using standardized effect sizes (ESs) and magnitude-based decisions. There were no substantial and unclear differences between positional groups for match loads (ES range; ±confidence limits = 0.10-0.80; ±0.30-4.30) and for intercept and slopes (ES range; 0.04-0.44; ±0.52-2.11). Large within-athlete variation in match demands between rounds was observed ( z -score up to -1.8 SD for distance), and the maximal means for speed and acceleration demonstrate the extensive physical demands of AFLW competition. These data describe the intense and variable physical demands of AFLW competition, and further provide novel information regarding the maximal mean intensities and intercept and slopes, which should assist practitioners in planning and prescribing training in preparation for competition.

Preparing for an Australian Football League Women's League Season.

The aims were to investigate the externally measured weekly loads, and the distribution intensity relative to the 1-min maximal mean (MM) intensity of matches. Athletes (n = 28) wore 10 Hz GNSS devices during training and matches. For the descriptive analysis, a range of movement variables were collected, including total distance, high-speed distance, very high-speed distance, acceleration, and acceleration load. Using raw GNSS files, 1-min moving averages were calculated for speed (m·min-1) and acceleration (m·s-2), and were multiplied by time, specifying total distance (m), and by body mass to quantify impulse (kN·s-1). The distribution of distance and impulse accumulated at varied intensities relative to MMs was calculated, with percentages ranging from zero to 110%. Drills were categorized as either; warm-ups, skill drills, games (i.e., small-sided games), conditioning and matches. Linear mixed models determined if the distribution of intensity within each threshold (>50%) varied between drill types and matches, and if the distribution within drill types varied across the season. Effects were described using standardized effect sizes (ES) and 90% confidence limits (CL). Compared to matches, a higher proportion of distance was accumulated at 50% of the MM within warm-ups and conditioning (ES range 0.86-1.14). During matches a higher proportion of distance was accumulated at 60% of MM when compared to warms ups, skill drills and conditioning (0.73-1.87). Similarly, greater proportion of distance was accumulated between 70 and 100% MM in matches compared to skill drills and warm-ups (1.05-3.93). For impulse, matches had a higher proportion between 60 and 80% of the MM compared to conditioning drills (0.91-3.23). There were no other substantial differences in the proportion of impulse between matches and drill types. When comparing phases, during competition there was a higher proportion of distance accumulated at 50% MM than general preparation (1.08). A higher proportion of distance was covered at higher intensities within matches compared to drills. The proportion of impulse was higher between 60 and 80% MM within matches compared to conditioning. Practitioners can therefore ensure athletes are not only exposed to the intensities common within competition, but also the volume accumulated is comparable, which may have positive performance outcomes, but is also extremely important in the return to play process.

Phenomenological model of stochastic, spatiotemporal, intensity dynamics of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a two-mode optical fiber.

We present a simple numerical model that is used in conjunction with a systematic algorithm for parameter optimization to understand the three-dimensional stochastic intensity dynamics of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a two-mode optical fiber. The primary factors driving the complex dynamics appear to be thermal density fluctuations, transverse pump fluctuations, and asymmetric transverse mode fractions over the beam cross-section.