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June 12th, 2015 · Fitness Testing, Winter
The NHL (USA National (Ice)Hockey League) annual pre-draft combine was held last week with a new format and a couple of new tests. This combine does not compare to the hype and media circus of the NFL Combine, but the NHL realise that it needed to get with the times. For a start it moved the testing to an arena offering an increased viewing area with live result monitors, which means better media coverage and publicity for them. They know that watching potential champion athletes huffing and puffing through the tests provides a pretty good spectacle.
They were not just thinking about promotion, player welfare was also on their minds. The players do not make it to the testing stage until they have passed a thorough medical conducted behind closed doors. The two exhausting fitness tests, the 30 second all out Wingate anerobic test and the VO2max cycle test have been moved to separate days this year, so that fatigue from one does not affect the results of the other.
A new test this year was the Y-balance test for assessing flexibility, core control and proprioception. They have used a few different tests of this component over the years, recently a balance board. Though it has been scientifically studied, the Y balance test is pretty new and without established norms, and with no previous results it will be interesting to see what they take from it. It might take a few years before they get a feel for what’s good and bad in this test, and how the scores relate to performance and injury rates in the recruited players.
Conner McDavid doing the Y-Balance test at the 2015 NHL Combine.
You can see the video of Conner McDavid as he goes through each of the fitness tests, including the new Y-balance test.
In the vertical jump, instead of measuring jump height using the Vertec apparatus as they have used previously (and as used for most other combines), they have decided to go high-tech and measure jump height with a Kistler Force plate, also allowing measurement of ground reaction forces (will anyone ever look at these?). Again by changing protocols the scores from previous years may not be comparable. The best vertical jump score this year was 28.74 inches, well below the best last year of 35 inches, and one of the lowest best score ever.
Another change in equipment was to use the BodPod for body composition assessment. Again they have the issue of not being able to compare to previous results, which was based on skinfold testing and % body fat calculation using the Yuhasz equation. You would expect more accurate measures with the whole-body air-displacement plethysmography method of the BodPod, however this year’s lowest percent body fat score was an unrealistic 4%, well below the previous lowest score of 6%.
Although the test protocols using the Y-balance, force plate and BodPod are scientifically valid and reliable, and may result in the collection of good data, I just feel like they have gone with the latest gadgets without a longer term view of results that they can understand, interpret and make good use of.
Does it matter anyway? Most pundits are saying that the fitness test results are not that important in ice hockey – the medical assessment and team interviews from the combine are more important. Of yeah, another thing that may be important for potential NHL players – how they perform on the ice. Is there a test for that?
March 5th, 2015 · Uncategorized
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January 9th, 2015 · Olympic Games
On Topend Sports there is a list of Olympic Games Firsts, which inspired a reader, Hank Wisniewski of Austin, Texas, U.S.A., to send me a personal message with some very interesting information I just had to share with you.
He pointed out that the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will be the first to take place entirely in winter (to be held from 5 Aug 2016 to 21 Aug 2016). A wintertime Summer Olympics is only ever going to be held in the southern hemisphere. The two other southern hemisphere Olympic Games, in Melbourne and Sydney, were held in spring and summer (local time). The 2000 Summer Games in Sydney was held completely during spring (15 September 2000 to 1 October 2000), and the Melbourne Summer Olympics were held over spring and summer (22 Nov 1956 to 8 Dec 1956).
Hank went on with more details about the timing of both the Winter and Summer Olympics.
Here is the rest of his message …
I thought it might be interesting to point out which Summer Olympics took place farthest from the equator and which Winter Olympics were closest to the equator, but after I started organizing the data I realized that since the Olympics have been held at various times of the year, the fact that the sun’s position covers almost 47 degrees of latitude from solstice to solstice makes those other facts irrelevant. However, following my original thought, I found a web page that calculates the sun’s latitude for any day of the year, and for each Olympics I subtracted from the city’s latitude the sun’s latitude on the date directly between the opening and closing ceremonies. To my surprise, when I sorted my list according to those angles, there was no overlap between Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics, even though the difference between the lowest sun peak in a Summer Olympics and the highest sun peak in a Winter Olympics is only 3.7 degrees!
The top five Summer Olympics held when and where the sun’s latitude was farthest from the host city’s latitude are…
- 1964, Tokyo, Japan (46.0°)
- 1972, Munich, West Germany (40.8°)
- 1952, Helsinki, Finland (40.8°)
- 1988, Seoul, South Korea (39.0°)
- 1912, Stockholm, Sweden (37.7°)
The top five Winter Olympics held when and where the sun’s latitude was/will be closest to the host city’s latitude are…
- 1960, Squaw Valley, United States (49.7°)
- 2018, PyeongChang, South Korea (50.0°)
- 1998, Nagano, Japan (50.3°)
- 2002, Salt Lake City, United States (53.7°)
- 1980, Lake Placid, United States (56.6°)
The Winter Olympic Games cauldron in Vancouver, Canada
While I’m at it, here are the extremes:
The Top Five Summer Olympics When & Where the Sun’s Latitude Was/Will Be Closest to the Host City’s Latitude:
- 1996, Atlanta, United States (14.6°)
- 1956, Melbourne, Australia (15.8°)
- 1984, Los Angeles, United States (16.9°)
- 1932, Los Angeles, United States (17.5°)
- 2020, Tokyo, Japan (17.8°)
The Top Five Winter Olympics When & Where the Sun’s Latitude Was Farthest from the Host City’s Latitude:
- 1994, Lillehammer, Norway (73.1°)
- 1952, Oslo, Norway (71.9°)
- 1956, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (64.3°)
- 1964, Innsbruck, Austria (64.2°)
- 1924, Chamonix, France (64.0°)
By the way, the first Olympics to be held within the tropics were the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City. The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will be the second time!
Hank has also provided me with the time zones for every Winter and Summer Olympics.
December 1st, 2014 · Olympic Games
The Olympic Games mascot for Rio 2016 has recently been announced, a yet unnamed yellow creature. It is supposed to represent all the animals of Brazil. (There is another one, for the Paralympics, which represents all the plants of Brazil). I can definitely see a cat and monkey in there, though I’m not sure what other animals it incorporates. Blue hands, green tail?
Unlike in recent times, the public was not consulted to choose the mascot, which is a good thing as the general population are not the experts in marketing, and the aim of creating a mascot is clearly stated as being to make lots of money on merchandise! The general population still do have a say – they can help pick the names. There is a shortlist of three choices, Oba and Eba; Tiba Tuque and Esquindim; and Vinicius and Tom. My vote is for Oba and Eda. I have no idea of the meanings of each of the names, Oba and Eda just sound the coolest.
On the official Rio website, you can go and make your own selfie with the mascot (like I did), and also cast your vote for the mascot names.
I’m glad there is just one mascot for the Olympic Games, as it was for London. When I saw that there were five mascots for Beijing in 2004, all I could think of was that they had trouble picking the best one to use. Sydney also struggled to make a decision and had three mascots. Using a single mascot that represents an animal from the host country is what has been traditionally used. You can see our list of previous Olympic Games mascots.
What do you think of the mascot?
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November 21st, 2014 · Track & Field
The Beer Mile
It is common for athletes to consume beer after sporting events, and spectators to drink beer during events, but in the case of the beer mile, it is the athletes who drink beer during the event. The beer mile participants are required to run a mile, and also drink a can of beer prior to each lap.
Races similar to the beer mile run have been around for quite a while on University campuses, but it becoming mainstream with the inaugural Beer Mile World Championship to be held in Texas next month.
The current world record holder is James Nielsen, who recently became the first person in the world to break the five-minute beer mile. See the video below, showing not only his quick mile running speed, but a phenomenal beer swilling speed too. The all-round athlete.
The beer mile is not the only sport with close beer links. I found that I already had a few beer sports on my list of unusual sports.
- Beer Pong – this is a staple game of US college parties, in which players throw a ping-pong ball across a table and try to land the ball in a cup of beer at the other end. If you can land the ball in the cup, you opponent has to drink it up.
- Speed Beer Drinking – another popular beer related sport popular at University is beer sculling or chugging races.
- Kastenlauf – which translates as beer crate running. In this German sport you and a friend have to carry a crate of beer over a 10km course, and consume all of its contents along the way.
- Real Ale Wobble & Real Ale Ramble – a fun walk or cycle around the Welsh countryside, with free beer provided at checkpoints.
- Beer Can Regatta – this one requires you to drink the beer before the race, so you have plenty of empty cans to make the boats with.
- Wife Carrying Competition – there is no beer involved during this race, though the winner’s prize includes the wife’s weight in beer.
Do you know of any more?
September 25th, 2014 · Sports Nutrition
I have spent some time collecting information about popular diets, including some pretty bizarre fad diets, and the most bizarre prize has to go to the tapeworm diet. The idea is to ingest a tapeworm, which then shares your gut and consumes some of your calories. I have no doubt you will also feel unwell and will eat less food too. Just the thought of it has put me off my food.
You can buy tapeworm eggs to ingest (really!), but if you are really desperate you could just try eating undercooked meat (I’m kidding). I am not surprised that some desperate people do actually try this extreme measure diet, but it is not at all recommended, it is dangerous, don’t do it, seriously.
Read more about the Tapeworm Diet.
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August 29th, 2014 · Fitness, Sports Nutrition
Have you heard of the website fiverr before? Until recently I hadn’t. It is a fascinating site where people offer to do tasks and services for just $5. I can’t get enough of it. I have been ordering services for my website, as well as fun things too. Now I have partnered with Fiverr to bring you this great deal. For only $5 you can get a great workout or diet plan designed just for you. (no longer active)
The plan is provided by a Certified Personal Trainer with over 5 years of experience. You can read his reviews and see that he has many very satisfied customers. Whether you want to lose body fat, build muscle mass, or just be healthy, he can help you achieve your personal fitness or diet goals for just $5. If you’re looking for healthy supplements then checkout pre workouts for vegans.
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August 25th, 2014 · Basketball, Fitness
LeBron James has recently added yet another title to his illustrious career of accolades, and his latest one is now World’s Most Fit Athlete according to a poll conducted by Sports Illustrated. The poll consisted of four criteria categories related to their athletic ability. LeBron scored an impressive perfect score of 40 out of 40.
Impressive to say the least, but I wonder how the rest of the NBA feels about this poll. NBA players Nate Robinson, Serge Ibaka, and Dwight Howard are all specimens to rival LeBron so here we will stack up the King against 3 other formidable opponents for the distinction of the Fittest Player currently in the NBA.
Nate Robinson (PG/SG, Nuggets)
Nate brings tremendous energy to every team he’s a part of. Can this pint-sized, fiery point guard challenge LeBron for his fit title? Don’t let the size fool you, Nate has never been one to shy away from contact.
Size: 5’8’’ 180 lbs. Ability: High flying, speedy
Evaluation: Speed: 10, Strength: 6, Agility: 10, Endurance: 10
Overall Score: 36
Serge Ibaka (PF Thunder)
Serge Ibaka is a 6’10’’ chiseled specimen who resembles a statuesque Greek God. Could he be in fact more fit than LeBron?This shot-blocking virtuoso is one of the most intimidating players in the NBA. Serge was ranked #7 on SI’s poll. How will he fare here?
Size: 6’10’’ 245 lbs. Ability: Serge is a super athletic specimen. Thrives off of thunderous shot blocking ability, and excellent ability to run the floor to get a power slam dunk.
Evaluation: Speed: 8, Strength: 8, Agility: 9, Endurance: 10
Overall Score: 37
Dwight Howard (C Rockets)
Dwight Howard strikes fear all around the NBA. His massive frame and explosive athleticism hasn’t been seen since Wilt Chamberlain at his size. Dwight is a freak of nature being that he’s 6’11 and moves and jumps like a guard. Many players are reluctant to attempt to score at the rim when they see #12 close to the area.
Size: 6’11’’ 265. Ability: Dwight has explosive athleticism and elite interior strength.
Evaluation: Speed: 7, Strength: 10, Agility: 8, Endurance: 8
Overall Score: 33
LeBron remains on top as NBA’s most fit
After the final tabulations, the winner of our fit challenge remains LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a summer of dieting and working out harder, he has been turning heads with his new slimmer and muscular physique. This spells disaster for the rest of the league in 2014, we may have only seen the tip of the iceberg from what LeBron will accomplish in his career.
Howard 33
Nate 36
Ibaka 37
LeBron 40
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July 9th, 2014 · Fitness
Fitness and sport is not all serious. On Topendsports we have a whole section on sports fun such as Funny Sports Quotes, as well as my favourite Apt Sporting Names – such as 1986 400m hurdle WR holder Marina Stepanova and Chuck Long the former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams.
Photo courtesy of: worldsfittest.net
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