Bournemouth back for more
For the second year running, the players kicked off their pre-season training with a series of tests, under the scrutiny of Dr Stewart Bruce-Low - Senior Lecturer in sport and exercise science - and a team of staff and students.
Eddie Howe, the youngest manager in the English Football League, is part of a growing number of forward-thinking bosses using sports science to up their training programmes and polish their game.
When asked how key the use of Solent’s facilities and experts had been in assisting the team’s performance and ultimate promotion last season, he said: “Massively. We are lucky to have the use of Solent’s facilities. The testing that is carried out and the professional way they conduct themselves make it a pleasure to be here. The state-of-the-art facilities are a real help to me and the team.”
The team started the series of tests with the VO2 max test, which involves players running on a treadmill wearing oxygen masks to test levels and intensity of oxygen and how it gets to muscles around the body. The team was also tested for lumbar strength, leg power, ECG for the heart, lung function, nutrition and height, weight and fat tests. The data from the tests is used by the team’s coaches to detail a pre-season training programme which can be individualised for the players.
Dr Stewart Bruce-Low, who has a history of working with football clubs, including Crystal Palace and Torquay United, said: “Like Eddie, more and more managers are seeing the benefit of sports science to up their game. Working with professional athletes benefits staff with their research and provides students with great hands-on experience.”
Sports science students are delighted to see the equipment – and their skills – used to train professional footballers. “It’s a great opportunity, not only to improve my CV, but to learn new techniques and gain more experience,” said level one student, Ross Jones.