1 Title: Strength & Conditioning Recommendations for Female GAA athletes: The Camogie 2 Player 3 4 Abstract

5 Camogie (kuh·mow·gee) is a traditional, amateur Gaelic played by female athletes. This 6 invasion-based field sport involves high intensity intermittent physical demands. There is 7 currently a dearth of available research in intercounty camogie despite the prevalence of 8 research in the male version of the game (). The aims of this paper are to provide 9 strength & conditioning recommendations for the sport of camogie, specifically at 10 intercounty level. These recommendations include considerations working with intercounty 11 female camogie athletes, specific camogie injury epidemiology, physiological demands and 12 practical strength & conditioning for implementation by practitioners. Moreover, a sport 13 specific testing battery; development of physical attributes to enhance match-play 14 performance; a proposed annual periodization cycle and sample strength, speed and agility 15 programs will be discussed. 16 17 KEY WORDS: Camogie, , strength, power, periodization, athletic performance, 18 injury risks, injury prevention. 19 20 Introduction 21 The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is the governing body for Gaelic games in . Three 22 invasive based Gaelic games (Gaelic , hurling & camogie) and two other 23 ( and ) fall under the umbrella of the GAA (134). Hurling is a traditional, 24 invasive, Irish field sport, played throughout the island that has been expanded worldwide by 25 the and recent lucrative television broadcasting contracts (114). The female

26 version of the game is known as ‘camogie’ (kuh·mow·gee) (36) (Figure 1). The game is played 27 with an ash stick, called a (Camán- Figure 2), which is used to propel a solid leather

28 ball, called a slíotar (slit·er) (diameter 69-72 mm, mass 110-120 g, see Figure 2). Despite the 29 amateur ethos of the game, elite female intercounty camogie players may complete up to 30 five sessions a week (pitch and resistance training-based sessions) (23, 123). There are two 31 major competitions at elite intercounty level during the year, the National League and the All 32 Ireland Championship (160). The camogie National League consists of three divisions with the 33 top division consisting of one group of five and one group of four. Each team will play each 34 other once with the top team in each group qualifying for the divisional finals. The National 35 League runs from January to April. The All Ireland Championship consists of two groups with 36 a similar format to the National League in which the top two teams qualify for the semi-final 37 stages (160). This competition runs from May to September each year. The 2019 All-Ireland 38 Camogie final had an attendance of 24,730 and receives national and international TV 39 coverage (www.independent.ie). 40 41 A camogie team comprises of 14 outfield players and a (Figure 3), with the outfield 42 players comprised of six backs, two midfielders and six forwards (10). The game is played on 43 a rectangular pitch 145 m long and 90 m wide (49). The primary objective is to outwit the 44 opposition defense and goalkeeper by sending the slíotar through the opposition’s goalposts 45 (similar to rugby goalposts), either below the cross bar for three points () or above for a 46 point (51). The slíotar in intercounty camogie travels at velocities up to 112km/h through the 47 air, or along the ground (124). The fundamental skills include catching, blocking and lifting the 48 slíotar with the hurley, maintaining possession while running with the slíotar balanced or 49 bouncing on the hurley and striking the slíotar while stationary or running (114) (Table 1). In 50 camogie, minimal physical body contact is permitted (shoulder contact and/or with the 51 hurley) and occurs when competing for the slíotar. When tackling in open play, the ball carrier 52 is disposed by attempts to strike the off the opponents hurley by blocking and hooking- 53 (Table 1) (54). The majority of the research has been completed on male Gaelic games, 54 however the lack of research conducted in the female versions of the games is conspicuous 55 by its absence. The aims of this paper is to provide strength & conditioning recommendations 56 for the sport of camogie. These recommendations include considerations working for with a 57 female athlete, specific injury epidemiology based on the sport, physiological analysis and 58 practical strength & conditioning based recommendations for implementation by 59 practitioners.

60 *** INSERT FIGURE 1-3 ABOUT HERE ***

61 Needs Analysis 62 A needs analysis empowers the strength & conditioning practitioner to make informed 63 decisions regarding effective program design, selection of tests needed to monitor progress, 64 the potential injury risks unique to the chosen sport and the health status of the athlete (73). 65 Most of the research used to conduct a needs analysis on Gaelic games has been deduced 66 from other similar invasive sports such as Soccer, Australian Rules Football (ARF), both Rugby 67 Union and , field and (151). Recently, comprehensive 68 recommendations have been made for both hurling and (113, 114). The 69 biomechanical demands of Gaelic games include jumping, landing, sprinting, acceleration, 70 deceleration, multi-planar movements and directional changes, as well as evasion through 71 planting and cutting actions (17). Despite the continual levels of professionalism within the 72 game, there is a paucity of research regarding the physiological demands of camogie. 73 74 Time Motion Analysis 75 Time motion analysis (TMA) collected in hurling may be extrapolated for use in camogie. 76 During match-play, the skills described in Table 1 are executed at high speed. The sport 77 specific skills of Camogie demand a high degree of motor coordination (126). The play can 78 change rapidly from end-to end due to the distances (80-90m) the sliotar can travel. This 79 unique style of play with minimal interruptions allows the game to be an entertaining 80 spectacle (30). Hurling TMA suggests that the slíotar is in play for on average 19 seconds and 81 out of play for on average, 28 seconds (54). Game stoppages are largely a result of scores 82 (35%), attempted scores (23%) and foul play (27%). The remainder of the stoppages are a 83 result of 65s (when the defensive team sends the ball over the end-line and the attacking 84 team restarts the game 65 meters from the opposition goal) (2%) and sidelines (61%) (54). 85 Gilmore (2009) advocate the importance of players being proficient at the jab lift and the 86 aerial strike from the hand as this account for 72% of striking motion in the game. 87 88 *** Insert Table 1 here*** 89 90 Physiological Demands

91 Hurling and camogie are intermittent in nature and place demands on the both the anaerobic 92 and aerobic systems (94, 107). Malone et al. (98) found that male hurlers spent much of their

93 training time in low (≤ HR 2 mmolL-1) to moderate intensity (between HR 2 and 4 mmolL-1)

94 training. Furthermore, time spent at ≥90% of maximal heart rate (HRmax was related to 95 improvements in aerobic fitness. Hurling players have been found to perform at a mean of -1 96 83% of HRmax and reached a mean HRmax of 194 ± 3 beatsmin during match-play (28, 29). 97 Research demonstrated that the highest percentage of match time is spent above 160

98 beatsmin-1 in intercounty U21 hurlers (188). Movement demands within similar invasive 99 sports are powered aerobically and interspersed with anaerobic high-intensity (HI) actions 100 (22).

101 Similar to female elite footballers, intercounty camogie involves repeated, short-duration HI 102 bouts of anaerobic exercise interspersed with sustained light-to-moderate aerobic activity 103 (85, 86). The unique physiological demands of the intercounty game need to be considered 104 when devising a holistic, athlete-centered strength & conditioning program (185). During an

-1 -1 105 elite female soccer game, athletes exhibited a relative VO2max of 52.2 ± 1.3mL·kg ·min (86).

106 In male Gaelic games, players have been recorded working at 85% of HRmax and cover an 107 average distance of 5732 ± 1072m (134). Demands within the game of camogie include 108 winning possession, evading opponents, and breaking through tackles (126). These activities 109 involve or repeated bouts of high running velocities and muscular strength (36). 110 Camogie also contains unique positional demands like soccer, hockey and ARF, with the total 111 distance covered differing across positions. For instance, in the male equivalent of the game, 112 full backs covered 5089 ± 524m, half backs covered 6592 ± 856m, while midfielders covered 113 the greatest distance of 6740 ± 384m, half forwards covered 6151 ± 645m and full forwards 114 covered 4660 ± 729m (29). Position-based conditioning requires specific consideration and 115 development to meet individual positional demands of the game (40, 186).

116 During an elite female soccer game, a player performed on average between 84-86% of HRmax 117 and covered an average distance between 9.10-11.90km (3). Sprinting accounted for 0.41- 118 0.65 km and HI running accounted for 1.90-2.43km (85, 102). Furthermore, elite female 119 soccer players cover total distances of up to 10km with up to 1.7km covered at high speed 120 (>18km-h-1) (39). These physiological measures could be used as potential baseline measures 121 for camogie players until such time that research is conducted on the sport confirms 122 otherwise.

123 As the use of GPS becomes commonplace in intercounty camogie, this will allow practitioners 124 to quantify and modulate individual training loads within the sport (23). It is imperative that 125 individualized training programs are developed to cater for the specific positional and tactical 126 requirements in field-based sports (188). Furthermore, the manipulation of volume and 127 intensities is vital for the specificity of training programs to prepare players for the demands 128 of match play (41). Castagna et al. (25) advocates that weekly doses of 6-8% of total training

129 time spent at 90-95% of HRmax is effective to develop aerobic fitness and performance 130 development in elite male footballers. In order to measure baseline aerobic fitness measures, 131 a Yo-Yo IR1 could be used in camogie. In female elite soccer a that ranges from 1100- 132 1500m could indicate a reasonable level of fitness (85). These variables may provide baseline 133 measures for practitioners to formulate intercounty camogie specific training loads to 134 quantify athlete specific weekly training loads until specific measures are confirmed through 135 research.

136 The nature of movement within invasion games requires the utilization and development of 137 all three energy systems (ATP-PC, Glycolytic, and Aerobic systems) (5). Recent trends within 138 the area of strength & conditioning have emphasized the need to develop HI aerobic power 139 in field-sport athletes. HI movement demands of 5-6 s duration use the phosphocreatine (PCr) 140 system (13) and the resynthesis of PCr is critical for repeated HI actions (38). Moreover, 141 buffering of H+ ions could be beneficial during sprint-type activities (44). Therefore, the 142 ability of intercounty camogie players to recover from HI exercise to critical (removal of lactic 143 acid and the resynthesize of creatine phosphate), which is related to peripheral oxidative 144 capacity. Furthermore, a more developed, efficient anaerobic threshold would enable the 145 athlete to maintain a higher average intensity in an activity prior to the onset of fatigue (71). 146 Anaerobic glycolysis contributes approximately 40% of the total energy during a six-second 147 sprint (16). Conversely, Di Salvo et al. (42) suggest that sprinting characteristics are influenced 148 by position. These researchers state that wide players should complete additional HI activities 149 during training sessions to meet the specific positional demands of the game. 150 151 Active recovery enhances the oxidation of lactate through redistributing blood flow to 152 operational muscles at lower intensities or alternatively, transportation to the liver for 153 gluconeogenesis (111). As sprints become more repeated in nature, oxidative metabolism 154 contributes up to 40% of energy needs (15, 16). Furthermore, PCr resynthesis is oxygen 155 dependent, emphasizing the importance of aerobic capacity to enhance an athletes in-game 156 repeated sprint abilities (108). Sprint performance relies initially on ATP contribution, with 157 depletion requiring PCr utilization and resynthesis. Therefore, inadequate recovery periods 158 and oxygen utilization during active recovery may impede PCr resynthesis rates that are 159 oxygen dependent (108).

160 161 Injury Epidemiology 162 In a self-reported participant injury survey in intercounty camogie, O’Connor et al. (124) 163 indicated that most traumatic injury that occurred in game activities was knee ligament 164 damage (21% of all injuries) with over 60.8% of correspondences reporting lower limb injuries 165 (See table 2). Concerningly, 85% of correspondents continued to play whilst injured. During 166 intercounty camogie participation, the injury incident rate was reported as 26.4 per 1000 167 match hours compared to 4.2 per 1000 training hours with a high incidence of lower limb 168 injuries (71.4%) including 19% to the knee and 23.8% to the thigh (23). Due to the high 169 velocity, multi-directional and physical contact within game play, players are inherently at risk 170 of injury (115, 123). Therefore, strength & conditioning practitioners need to be cognizant 171 that there is a high incidence of knee injuries in female field sports athletes (2). Female 172 athletes are six times more likely to obtain an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than 173 their male counterparts (78). Therefore, it is imperative that practitioners design robust and 174 “sports-specific” strength programs. It has been suggested that anatomical and hormonal 175 aspects could be responsible for the high incidence of ACL injuries in female athletes and 176 include joint laxity, limb alignment, inter-condylar notch proportions ligament size and 177 hormonal fluctuation (65). Female soccer players reported a higher incident of serious injury 178 in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (112). There was also an increase in non-contact 179 ACL injuries in female athletes during the ovulatory phase and decrease in these injuries in 180 the follicular phase of the cycle (183). 181 182 It has been proposed that neuromuscular changes which lead to sub optimal biomechanics 183 such as increased knee valgus upon ground contact can exacerbate symptoms (121). 184 Biomechanical deficits are modifiable and need to be a primary target for strength & 185 conditioning coaches to reduce injury risk and improve performance as the majority of ACL 186 injuries occur from non-contact mechanisms (deceleration, change of direction, unplanned 187 landing) (19, 138). Training programs which integrate resistance training, plyometrics and 188 movement competencies can strengthen support structures, improve neuromuscular control 189 and possibly reduce the incidence of non-contact ACL injuries (117, 119). Conclusively, these 190 programs should be integrated in adolescent training in order to take advantage of training 191 adaptations of neural plasticity associated with this phase of motor development and 192 continued into adulthood (120, 121) 193 194 Gender specific neuromuscular deficits have been identified in female athletes and include 195 quadriceps dominance, coronal plane knee control (ligament dominance), and core 196 dysfunction (trunk dominance) (173, 189). Quadriceps dominance occurs when there is an 197 imbalance in motor recruitment, co-ordination and strength between the quadriceps and 198 hamstrings (117). It has been demonstrated that female athletes tend to increase quadriceps 199 and decrease hamstring recruitment (67). This unbalanced recruitment results in less knee 200 flexion on ground contact, an over reliance on the quadriceps to provide joint stability and a 201 diminished ability of the flexors to reduce knee extension during athletic movements (65, 66). 202 This can also lead to the lack of ability to activate the hamstrings at the same rate as the 203 quadriceps resulting in asynchronous contraction between the agonist and antagonist (67, 204 68). Thus, the design of appropriate injury prevention programs to target and minimize 205 strength deficits in the posterior chain are necessary (75). Ligament dominance has been 206 shown to increase dynamic knee valgus (68). Female athletes who have ligament dominance 207 movement patterns have a dependency on ligament and bone to regain or maintain joint 208 stability during athletic movements. Therefore, ground reaction forces (GRFs) are absorbed 209 through the ligaments and joints as opposed to the anterior and posterior chain musculature. 210 Athletic movements such as cutting and landing require quick execution and increased forces 211 which need to be produced in a short timeframe, which could lead to ligament rupture (46, 212 65). Practitioners need to design movement actions which encourage optimal knee 213 positioning upon cutting and landing. Alternatively, leg dominance signifies the inter-limb 214 asymmetries regarding strength, flexibility, coordination and neuro-muscular control (116). 215 This is when the preferred or dominant limb is at increased risk of injury due to intensified 216 GRFs being absorbed by the limb which could surpass the force absorption capabilities of the 217 soft tissue structures. Practitioners are encouraged to design training programs that improve 218 strength and develop robust landing mechanics using both bi-lateral and uni-lateral exercises 219 (14). Finally, trunk dominance has been outlined as an imbalance between inertial forces of 220 the trunk and the capability to oppose perturbations of the centre of mass in the body (119, 221 120) This inability to dissipate force efficiently lead to excessive trunk motion, which increases 222 knee joint torques (183). The combination of valgus and trunk dominance during a single leg 223 drop jump was correlated with increased injury risk in female athletes than just knee valgus 224 alone (43). The strength & conditioning practitioner can play a pivot role in the education of 225 both players and coaching staff. The implementation of an injury prevention program could 226 assist in the potential reduction of injuries in hurling and camogie (49, 123). 227

228 ***INSERT TABLE 2 HERE***

229

230 Developing stronger, resilient female athletes will permit the mastering of complex 231 movements and cope with the increased physiological demands of training and competition 232 (48). Myer et al. (119, 120) recommend an Integrated Neuromuscular Training (INT) 233 approach, which combines strength training, plyometrics and movement skill competencies 234 to maximize female athletic performance. This further emphasizes the importance of a 235 systematic injury prevention program to reduce these types of injuries (88, 133, 141) (See 236 table 3). Therefore, it could be a useful program for practitioners to implement if there is lack 237 of access to S&C facilities. The monitoring of training load throughout the season is 238 imperative to reduce player injury and enhance player performance and welfare (29). 239 240 ***INSERT TABLE HERE 3*** 241 242 Considerations for working with the female athlete 243 244 Menstrual Cycle 245 From the ages of 13-50 years, females experience a circa-mensal rhythm called the menstrual 246 cycle (132). Increased training loads can have adverse effects on normal menstrual cycle 247 rhythm. Young female athletes with low body mass who partake in intensive training regimes 248 may experience delayed menarche (177). As female athletes train and compete during all 249 stages of their menstrual cycle, the effect on performance is worthy of due consideration (40). 250 There is a limited amount of research in the area with conflicting findings to date. Beidleman 251 et al. (11) indicated in distance runners that VO2max is unaffected by the menstrual cycle, 252 nonetheless, increased minute ventilation (136), heart rate and rating of perceived exertion 253 (128) have been observed during the luteal phase. Sprint performance which was measured 254 by power output was unaffected by the menstrual cycle (165). Research conducted on 255 contractile strength during the cycle has led to contradictory results (76). Recent research has 256 suggested a resistance training stimulus in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle maybe 257 advantageous of estrogens’ anabolic effect on muscle (103, 162). Estrogen stimulates the 258 proliferation and differentiation of skeletal myoblasts, affects the release of growth hormone 259 (GH), insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin which appears to promote both 260 neurological and morphological strength adaptations (93, 140). Additionally, Sung et al. (158) 261 also advocate the periodization (manipulation of sets, reps and intensities) of strength 262 training between the follicular phase (hypertrophy, strength & power depending on the 263 objective of periodization cycle) and luteal phase (maintenance, tapering) in order to 264 augment anabolic effects during the menstrual cycle. Therefore, an interesting area for 265 practitioners in the future is to implement multi-disciplinary strategies (appropriate 266 monitoring of workload, recovery and nutritional interventions) which can potentially 267 augment/support female athletes during different phases of the menstrual cycle. 268 269 Female Athlete Triad 270 The Female Athlete Triad is a medical condition, which can occur in physically active females. 271 The condition consists of three components: 1) low energy availability (EA) which can occur 272 with or without disordered eating (DE), 2) menstrual dysfunction (MD) and 3) low bone 273 mineral density (BMD) (79). The presence of low EA can lead to exercise related menstrual 274 disturbances (180). Furthermore, low EA and/or BMD can lead to increased risk of bone stress 275 injuries in female athletes (163). Also, menstrual dysfunction is associated with EA, this can 276 potentially lead to symptoms including loss in body mass, metabolic hormone alterations or 277 energy conservation (180). Athletes who engage in intensive training coupled with 278 inadequate energy intake and recovery to support the training regime are at risk at 279 developing one, two or all three conditions of the female athlete triad (9, 132). It is advised 280 that if a strength & conditioning practitioner suspects an athlete is developing a component 281 of the triad, they should seek medical advice from the physiotherapist or medical 282 professional. 283 284 Development of Physical Characteristics 285 Strength and Power 286 Previous work has demonstrated the importance of resistance training for female athletes 287 (116, 117, 118). This form of training may resolve the lack of strength, appropriate landing 288 mechanics and efficient neurological control previously reported in female soccer players 289 (119). The importance of muscular strength for athletic performance has been advocated by 290 Suchomel et al. (155) who demonstrated that strength correlated with rate of force 291 development (RFD – how quickly an individual can produce force), mechanical power output, 292 and sports specific movements (running, jumping, striking) as well as enhanced ability to 293 perform sports specific skills. Resistance training has the potential to increase the of 294 sarcomeres in series; adaptation of fibre type and modify the angle of pennation, which have 295 the potential to enhance force generation (1). Peak strength levels in untrained female 296 athletes are usually attained by the age of 20 (19). Female adolescents are likely to experience 297 increases in skeletal growth and fat mass with less increases in skeletal tissue, muscle mass 298 and strength (95). These physiological changes result in an increased center of mass, making 299 stability during sports specific movements more challenging (65). Such anatomical and 300 physiological differences re-iterate the importance of intercounty camogie players engaging 301 in supervised and developmentally appropriate strength training with a technical focus. The 302 development of muscular strength is an important attribute in Gaelic games to enable the 303 athlete to tackle and tolerate tackles (80). Malone et al. (100) demonstrated that hurlers 304 lower body strength is strongly correlated with 10m and 20m sprint times, repeated sprint 305 ability and the ability to tolerate weekly spikes in training load. Enhanced muscular strength 306 can contribute to athletes producing superior performance during sports specific tasks and 307 also can decrease the risk of injury, in particular ACL injuries (147). Injuries sustained during 308 gameplay were more frequent in male hurling than football, which could be due to the 309 enhanced physicality of hurling (125). This information in hurling can be used to inform 310 practice in camogie.

311 Woods et al. (184) state the importance of developing athletic movement competencies 312 including trunk/hip stability, squat and lunge capabilities and a developed posterior chain 313 within field-based players. The development of these movement competencies maybe 314 beneficial for intercounty camogie players as invasion games players apply high forces 315 through triple extension of the hip, knee and ankle joints during gameplay (105, 174). 316 Strength training programs for camogie athletes, which includes weightlifting, ballistic, and 317 plyometric movements would enhance neural drive, neural activation rates and inter- 318 muscular coordination (24, 106). Thus, increasing impulse by enabling the athlete to generate 319 increased force in a reduced timeframe (4). As the training competency of the athlete 320 progresses, there may be benefit in progressing to complex training and the associated 321 neurological adaptations reported in this training modality. (87) (See tables 8, 9 & 10). 322 Increasing lower body strength and power through resistance training would correlate with 323 maintenance or enhancement of 10m sprint times (6). This would enhance sports-specific 324 attributes needed within invasion games (142, 146, 182).

325 Power (Weightlifting derivatives) 326 Weightlifting exercises (jump shrug, hang variations) require the athlete to effectively utilize 327 the extension patterning of the body under load, namely the triple extension of the ankle, 328 knee and hip. These movements share kinetic and kinematic similarities of sporting 329 movements, namely sprinting and jumping which have been postulated to lead to specific 330 transfer to sports performance (62, 149). The second pull phase of the clean has been shown 331 to generate the greatest power output (152). Recently, evidence has suggested that 332 weightlifting derivatives can be tailored to train various sections of the force-velocity curve 333 (153, 154). 334 The second pull of the clean exercise produces the highest level of force across all the phases 335 of the lift (82, 145). This movement phase during a submaximal clean can generate vertical 336 velocity ranging from 0.88m/s to 1.73m/s in elite weightlifters (150). Evidence advocate the 337 importance of high force, high velocity training programs in weightlifting to develop strength, 338 speed and power for field-based athletes (72, 81, 157). Therefore, the application of 339 weightlifting derivative movements may enhance the triple extension movement within the 340 athletic population (101). From a pragmatic coaching perspective, the teaching of such 341 derivative lifts may enable the athlete to produce higher velocities and force movements 342 without the necessity of gaining full technical competency of the full lift from the ground (84, 343 154). 344 345 Reactive Strength 346 Plyometric activities are described as movements which utilize the Stretch Shortening Cycle 347 (SSC) using modalities including, but not exclusive to, high velocity jumping or rebounding 348 exercises (104, 106). The SSC consists of an eccentric contraction, amortization phase and an 349 immediate concentric contraction (83). The SSC involves a rapid stretch followed by a 350 concentric muscle action (55). This mechanism takes advantage of the neural and the 351 musculo-tendon arrangement to produce maximal force in a fast timeframe via pre-activation 352 and the release of elastic energy produced (18). The SSC can be characterized into a fast SSC 353 (drop jumps) and a slow SSC in which ground contact time (GCT) is below or above 250 ms 354 respectively (166). The use of a slow SSC could be developed by ballistic training. Ballistic 355 Training refers to exercises which demand an athlete to maximally exert force in a limited 356 amount of time, the principal objective to accelerate mass (body mass or implement) with 357 maximal velocity into free space (31, 33, 34, 57). Loaded and unloaded training modalities 358 (squat jumps, weightlifting derivatives, medicine ball throws) have been advocated as a 359 method to enhance maximal power output and athletic movement qualities (32, 33, 34). This 360 type of training can elicit advantageous training stimuli including increased RFD by 361 augmenting neural activation and increasing intra and inter neuromuscular coordination 362 (164). Specific movements that facilitate fast and slow SSC capabilities will increase 363 musculotendinous stiffness and can potentially enhance and maximize power output in 364 explosive movements (181,187). 365 366 For plyometrics the following progressions have been suggested (50): phase 1, eccentric 367 loading and the implementation of correct landing mechanics, phase 2, low intensity fast 368 plyometrics in which a short GCT is implemented (e.g. pogo hops, ankling). Phase 3 involves 369 the implementation of hurdle and/or depth jumps in which the objective is short GCT (<250) 370 and optimum jump height (depth jumps, horizontal hurdle jumps). It has been suggested that 371 combining plyometric or ballistic movement efforts with other resistance training methods 372 (complex training) can lead to enhanced performance as opposed to plyometric training alone 373 (156, 159). Moreover, another key factor that should be considered is the training status of 374 the athlete when designing a plyometric training program (155). Athletes with a low training 375 age should be exposed to low intensity plyometric progressions with adequate volume and 376 progression as they become more proficient (156). For more information on plyometric 377 guidelines see Potach and Chu (129). A 12-week plyometric training intervention combined 378 with regular football training improved explosive strength and improvements transferred to 379 soccer specific skills in female athletes (24). Previous research also confirms that the inclusion 380 of plyometric training into a well-designed training program can decrease knee valgus and 381 increase GRFs and increase hamstring strength which may protect against ACL injuries (172). 382

383 Speed/Agility (Table 5)

384 Speed is a desirable attribute that has been associated with successful sporting performance 385 (135, 176). The ability to transition defense into attack or vice versa is an important attribute 386 in camogie. Acceleration is important to enable the player to intercept the sliotar to create 387 attacking opportunities. Maximal running velocity enables the player to solo the sliotar into 388 space. The ability to evade an opponent is essential to create scoring opportunities. Datson 389 et al. (39) advocate the importance of sprinting in elite female soccer due to the explosive 390 nature of the game with 95% of sprints less than 10m. Furthermore, elite female 391 high speed running accounts for 15-25% of total distance covered with sprinting capabilities 392 differentiating elite and developmental players (175). In elite female soccer, sprint distances 393 ranged between 168 ± 82m when sprint distances were classified as < 25.1 km·h-1 (42). Linear 394 sprinting can be broken down into two phases, acceleration and maximum velocity with a 395 transition phase between the two phases to enhance optimal performance (8). Acceleration 396 is an important attribute in field-based sports that involve locomotion (35, 91). In hurling, the 397 number of accelerations within the game ranged from 134 to 248 depending on playing 398 position (29). During the acceleration phase, the athlete needs to increase the degree of 399 horizontal propulsive force to overcome inertia and increase power output and then speed 400 (69). Athletes need to adopt a posture that will enable them to overcome inertia and push 401 hard into the ground to propel them forward. Optimal acceleration mechanics for field based 402 athletes include: parallel shin angles, forward trunk lean to allow for center of mass to be 403 located in front of base of support; full extension of the drive leg; rapid and short ground 404 contact with the lead foot so it contacts the ground immediately when drive leg is at full 405 extension; initial short stride length with increased stride frequency and head up to scan for 406 environmental stimuli (61). 407 408 Sprinting was a common mechanism of injury in both male Gaelic football and hurling (125). 409 The prevalence of hamstring injuries was a regular occurrence amongst all levels of male 410 hurlers, therefore, improving acceleration and maximal velocity efficiency could improve 411 performance and reduce the risk posterior-chain injuries. To enable the athlete to run at a 412 higher velocity, there should be a decrease in ground contact time with increased muscle 413 contraction (55). Moreover, faster athletes can produce a greater vertical impulse in a shorter 414 ground contact time (178). A further goal of maximal velocity sprinting is to achieve a high 415 stride frequency combined with an optimal stride length (179). Optimal maximal velocity 416 mechanics for field based athletes include an upright body position; a high center of mass to 417 optimize stride length; dorsiflexion of the ankle at ground contact; triple extension the 418 supporting leg; ground contact slightly under the center of mass; high recovery of the foot 419 crossing the knee on the stance leg to create a cyclic action. Practitioners can practice and 420 implement efficient running mechanics into their warm-ups through different types of skips 421 (A, B, C skips), ankling, dribbles, pogos, low level SSC type activities and rolling sprints type 422 activities (61).

423 Agility had been defined as a rapid whole-body movement, which involves a change of 424 velocity or direction in response to a stimulus (143). The authors also suggest that agility has 425 two components, a COD speed component and a perceptual/decision making component. 426 Furthermore, the development of both reactive and non-reactive components of multi- 427 directional speed is fundamental (56). With the invasive nature of camogie with opposing 428 teams operating man marking and zonal marking systems, space is at a premium. The ability 429 to create space and penetrate through the defensive line is important to create scoring 430 opportunities. Furthermore, it has been reported that agility is a characteristic in female 431 soccer which can distinguish between developmental players between 12-21 years of age 432 (176). Lloyd et al. (90) offers a comprehensive approach to develop both agility components 433 for athletes. Furthermore, the ground contact time in COD exceeds that of the same contact 434 phase of acceleration and maximal velocity phase of sprinting (141). Thus, reinforcing the 435 importance of the athlete’s ability to manage differences in ground reaction force (105). 436 Hoffman et al. (74) demonstrated in female lacrosse that attackers tend to be more powerful 437 than other positions, which enabled them to break through tackles and score. Therefore, a 438 systematic, integrated speed and agility program could enhance an athlete’s ability to handle 439 forces through the ground. Speed and agility tasks need to be short in duration and maximal 440 intent needs to be encouraged throughout the completion of the task. Therefore, the 441 intensities of the tasks should be high, volume should be low and work to rest ratios relatively 442 long. This will ensure appropriate physiological and technical improvement in the speed and 443 agility objectives are met. 444 Conditioning for field-based performance

445 Due to the intermittent nature of camogie, training loads and intensities must meet game 446 demands. These demands may be met through small-sided games (SSGs) (174). When 447 employing SSGs, high intensity game activities are powered by the phosphate system with 448 the oxidative system used to recover between phases of play (21, 77). During SSGs, the 449 intensity can be manipulated in a variety of ways including changing exercise type (tactical 450 constraints, number of players, specific conditions), field dimensions and time constraints (89, 451 131). In relation to Gaelic Games, SSGs using playing conditions of 4v4 on an 80m x 20m pitch

452 provide an effective physiological stimulus similar to that of interval training at 90-95% HRmax 453 and a 60m x 20m pitch showed that players covered 127m/min, which replicates physical 454 demands of match play (97). Furthermore, 4v4 SSGs which involved normal play, regular play 455 and small goals (height 4m; width 10m) in hurling had the highest physiological demands (96). 456 The small goals also lead to increased running performance (including high speed running 457 distance, very high-speed running distance and peak velocity km·h-1. To elicit appropriate 458 hurling physiological responses in SSGs, a work to rest ratio of 2:1 or 1:1 should be considered 459 (99). Thus, the manipulation of pitch dimensions impacts the physical and physiological 460 demands of the SSG in Gaelic Games (96), with similar results been reported in soccer (60). 461 From a physiological standpoint, SSGs may enhance oxidative capacity (OC) supporting PCr 462 resynthesis (108), which will result in increased availability of PCr for repeated HI intervals 463 (137). Consequently, OC will contribute to lactate removal from oxidation through 464 augmented delivery and mitochondrial capacity (37) allowing for the improved utilization of 465 lactate (63).

466 The development of repeated sprint ability (RSA) appears to be an important variable for 467 field-based athletes (16). RSA is the ability to perform numerous sprints interspersed by short 468 recovery periods (13, 15). RSA is a complex, multifaceted quality, which is related to 469 neuromuscular aspects (maximal sprint speed, motor activation) and metabolic aspects (OC 470 for PCr recovery, H+ buffering) (22, 45). Recommended work to rest ratios should be 1:5 to 471 enable sufficient recovery periods for the aerobic system to resynthesize ATP and PCr (168).

472 Enhancing an athlete’s ability to withstand lactate would increase field-based performance 473 (26). The incorporation of HI training stimuli, which included repeated fast-running efforts 474 interspersed with short recovery intervals would allow the athlete to develop game-specific 475 fitness (64, 167). In , a 3000m periodized running interval-based conditioning 476 program with male and female hockey players, which coincided with normal skill-based 477 training lead to a significant improvement in conditioning during a competitive season (27).

478 Interval training with male participants involving a soccer ball run in conjunction with regular

479 soccer training resulted in improved VO2max scores with no negative interference effects on 480 explosive strength performance (110). Seminal research by Helgerud et al. (63) confirmed 481 that interval training with elite male soccer players consisting of 4 periods of 4 minutes at 90-

482 95% of HRmax with a 3 minute recovery jog in between the 4 minute periods twice per week

483 achieved: enhanced aerobic capacity (VO2max increased from 58.1 ± 4.5 to 64.3 ± 3.9mL 484 kg/min), improved running economy (6.7%), and increased lactate threshold (47.8 ± 5.3 to 485 55.4 ± 4.1mL/kg/min). Baker (5) & Dupont et al. (44) suggest that maximal aerobic speed 486 (MAS) (Table 5) protocols (15 seconds at 120% MAS alternated with 15 seconds rest) and 487 sprint intervals (12-15 Sprints of 40m with 30 seconds passive recovery) improved physical 488 qualities during the season. See table 5, which provides MAS protocols for different metabolic 489 adaptations throughout the season.

490 Proposed Fitness Testing Battery 491 It is important that the testing battery is designed from the needs analysis. Each test requires 492 careful consideration and specific alignment to the specific demands of the sport and the 493 training age of the athlete (171). In intercounty camogie, these are characterized by speed, 494 agility, strength, reactive strength and the contribution of the aerobic energy system (107). 495 These are the essential characteristics of the sport. Furthermore, this can aid practitioners to 496 monitor the progression of the athletes throughout the season. The testing battery has been 497 designed in order to place the least fatiguing first which will optimize testing efficacy and 498 efficiency (73). Finally, the longitudinal collection of testing data is imperative to provide an 499 in-depth analysis of the physical demands of intercounty camogie. 500 501 Practical Applications 502 Periodization 503 A non-linear based periodization strategy is advocated for field-based athletes (53, 58). This 504 periodization strategy involves the manipulation of variables (volume & intensity) on a 505 ‘session-by-session’ basis. A non-linear approach can allow the practitioner to tailor each 506 session based on how the athlete is feeling on that day (59) and be more receptive to 507 individual coaching plans to support the development of physical qualities on an inter- 508 individual basis. Thus, an integrative, periodized training program may reduce the risk of 509 injury and create a more resilient athlete on the field of play (170). Practitioners may use an 510 undulating non-linear periodized approach for in-season resistance training (53). 511 Theoretically, this approach has been suggested to maintain the athlete close to their peak 512 throughout the season and will assist in the prevention of a rapid decay in performance (109). 513 Potentiation complexes which use a high force exercise modality to potentiate the 514 performance of a subsequent high-powered exercise modality can allow practitioners to 515 develop both force and velocity bio-motor qualities in one session (156) (see tables 8, 9, & 516 10). This may become important as the athletes approach the competitive phase of the 517 season, with more emphasis being placed on skill/field-based sessions (169). The camogie 518 macrocycle is provided in Table 7. 519 520 General Preparation Phase (GPP) (Table 8) 521 A GPP block is usually between 6-12 weeks in duration and involves higher volumes and lower 522 intensities (148). The length of this phase is to facilitate the potential low training age of the 523 athlete. The objective of this phase is to increase the athletes’ tolerance to increased training 524 loads, the demands of the game and decrease any individual movement dysfunction. During 525 this phase, up to 3 gym sessions maybe completed per week. Any exercise in this phase should 526 emphasize the individual needs of each athlete (Table 8). 527 528 Specific Preparation Phase (SSP) (Table 9) 529 The SSP block maybe between 2 & 4 weeks in duration and involves higher intensity training 530 with the reduction of volume. The purpose of this phase is to develop sports specific training 531 modalities to facilitate a greater transfer of training from the gym to the field (144) (Table 9). 532 During this phase, a primary emphasis is placed on muscular strength, with a secondary 533 emphasis on power development and a tertiary emphasis on strength endurance if needed 534 (58). 535 536 Competition Phase (CP) (Table 10) 537 The CP block may last from 4 weeks to 24 weeks depending on how the team progresses 538 through the All-Ireland series which culminates in the All-Ireland Final in the first weekend of 539 September each year. The objective of this phase is to preserve the athlete as close to their 540 physical peak as possible (170). The maintenance of in-season strength is an important bio- 541 motor quality and should always be considered in the longer-term planning of the CP phase. 542 Furthermore, for power development, each athlete should be encouraged to move the load 543 at a specific speed using velocity-based technologies (53). In conclusion, muscular power is 544 the primary focus with a secondary focus on maximal strength development during this phase 545 (148). 546 547 ***INSERT TABLES 4-10 HERE*** 548 549 Conclusion 550 Camogie is an amateur sport in which strength & conditioning provision maybe lacking due 551 to a paucity of research and lack of funding within the game. Therefore, the aim of this paper 552 was to provide a needs analysis of the sport; provide information on camogie injury 553 epidemiology; a proposed fitness testing battery to guide practitioners on the specific 554 components of fitness within the sport and a proposed season long periodized plan. Due to 555 the intermittent demands of the game, players must develop high levels of aerobic fitness, 556 strength and power. The authors recommend specific training modalities to assist 557 practitioners to develop these attributes. Practitioners must be cognizant that the 558 recommendations are guidelines and may not be appropriate for all players. Governing 559 bodies should seek certified practitioners to design and implement safe, appropriate and 560 effective S&C programs. As the popularity of the sport increases nationally and 561 internationally, further research is needed to establish the specific physiological demands of 562 the intercounty game; the internal and external load demands of training and the game; the 563 impact of the menstrual cycle on performance and the effectiveness of bio-motor qualities to 564 improve performance. 565 566 References 567 1. Aagaard P, Simonsen EB, Andersen JL, Magnusson P, and Dyhre-Poulsen P. 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This movement is used in both attacking and defensive situations. (similar to a swing) Striking (moving) Slíotar is struck by throwing it up into the air to shoulder level and struck with the base of the hurley whilst running. This movement is used in both attacking and defensive situations. Hand Pass Slíotar is struck with the hand to pass to teammate Gaining Possession Possession Defined as either holding the slíotar in hand or controlling it on the hurley Catch Slíotar is caught anywhere below the head with the non-dominant hand High Catch Slíotar is caught above the head with the non-dominant hand. The player gaining possession will use the hurley to protect non-dominant hand and the slíotar Roll Lift Slíotar is rolled back towards the player with the hurley and then pushes the hurley underneath the slíotar to elevate it into the air either to be caught, struck or travelling with Jab Lift Hurley is brought under the slíotar to raise it off the surface into the air with contact with the hurley to be caught, struck or travelled with Methods of Travel Solo Slíotar is carried or bounced on the hurley for three or more steps. This method is used to travel with the slíotar into open space Methods of dispossession Block Slíotar is blocked down with the hurley. This method is used to dispossess the opposition player. Hooking The player uses hurley to prevent opposition player from striking the sliotar. This method is used to dispossess the opposition player.

1036

1037

1038

1039

1040

1041

1042

1043

1044 1045 Table 2: Injury type and body region injured for self-reported worst injuries sustained while playing 1046 Camogie (O’Connor et al, 124)

Face, head Upper Limb Trunk & Back Lower Limb Total and Neck n % n % n % n % n % Muscle Tendon 0 0 17 3.9 22 5 69 15.7 108 24.6 Ligament 0 0 10 2.3 0 0 94 21.4 104 23.7 Fracture-acute 1 0.2 43 9.8 0 0 2 0.5 46 10.5 Dislocation 1 0.2 7 1.6 1 2.3 3 0.7 13 4 Cartilage/meniscus 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 7.5 33 7.5 Overuse 1 0.2 4 0.9 5 1.1 21 4.8 31 7.1 Concussion 17 3.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 17 3.9 Dead leg or bruise 0 0 4 0.9 0 0 17 3.8 21 4.8 Laceration 1 0.2 8 1.8 0 0 5 1.1 14 3.2 Fracture-stress 0 0 2 0.5 8 1.8 1 0.2 11 2.5 Nerve 0 0 2 0.5 8 1.8 1 0.2 11 2.5 Abrasion 0 0 5 1.1 0 0 3 0.7 8 1.8 Dental 1 0.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 0.2 Other 0 0 6 1.4 7 1.6 11 2.5 24 5.5 Total 22 5 107 24.4 43 9.8 267 60.8 439 100 1047 Table 3: GAA 15 warm up protocol (141, 161) GAA 15 warm up protocol (15 minutes) Section 1 – Part A (5 minutes) Part A: Running at increasing intensities Slow runs, hip out, hip in, heel flicks, toes, run (50%), run (80%)

Section 2 – PART B, C, D & E Improving running mechanics (max 7 minutes) Part B: Strengthening exercises focusing on the core and lower body (4 mins) Single leg Bridge, Forward lunge, Reverse lunge, squats Core exercises: Front and Side Plank Part C: Balance and controlled partner contacts (1 min) Single Leg Deadlift, Part D: Jumping (1 min) Countermovement Jumps, Lateral Jumps side to side Part E: Hamstrings (1 min) Nordic Hamstring Curls Section 3 – Part F: Sports Specific movements (3 min max) Part F: Sports specific exercises at moderate/high speed with cutting and planting movements. Speed Runs (80%) Alternative Bounds Plant and push while jogging 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 Table 4: Proposed fitness testing battery for Camogie player Bio-motor Test Rest Reference Sport When to quality interval implement Anthropometry Height and Mass, Skinfold NA 30 Hurling Tri-annually assessment  5 sites in accordance to the ISAK Sum of skinfolds

Power Vertical Jump x 3 >2 85, 86 Female Weekly basis SJ concentric only minutes Soccer movement CMJ – slow SSC which involves both eccentric and concentric actions. CMJ has been associated with strength and sprint performance (182) Reactive Reactive Strength Index >2 50, 142 Rugby Monthly basis Strength (RSI) 30cm Drop jump minutes Union, from box on to jump mat Female x 3 Soccer

RSI = jump height (meters) ÷ contact time in seconds (s) (50) Speed Linear Speed Test x 3 >2 100 Hurling Monthly basis Using timing gates to minutes enhance reliability athletes should perform 0-10m to measure acceleration and 0-30m to measure maximal speed COD Pro-agility or 505 test for >2 122 Tri-annually protocol see (52) x 3 minutes Nimphius et al. (122) recommend that video footage also be attained to assess any biomechanical deficiencies in the movement pattern Strength LB: 3RM Hexbar deadlift, 3-5 100 Hurling Tri-annually 3RM Barbell Front Squat, minutes UB: 3RM Bench Press for 3rm testing protocol see Hoffman (73) Predicting 1RM: Epley (47) formula (0.033 x reps x repetition weight) + repetition weight Brzycki (20) formula: Repetition weight / (1.0278 – 0.0278 x reps) Repeated Sprint RAST (70) 20 130 Male Tri-annually Ability 6 x 40m shuttle sprints seconds Professional with 20 seconds passive passive Football recovery between each recovery sprint between Each sprint time is each recorded accurate to sprint 0.01s and the total time is used as the criterion score (70). These times can be used to determine the FI:

퐹퐼 (푟푢푛푛푛푖푛푔) (푆푠푙표푤푒푠푡 − 푆푓푎푠푡푒푠푡) = 100 푥 푆푓푎푠푡푒푠푡

Aerobic The Yo-Yo Intermittent NA 7, 92, 127, Male Gaelic Tri-annually Endurance Recovery Test (7, 92, 127) 139 Football, Level 1: tests the capacity Female to perform aerobic Soccer intermittent exercise and is recommended for younger athletes and those who have a low training age Level 2: test the athlete’s capability to recover from repeat bouts of running with a larger contribution from the anaerobic energy pathway

MAS (5, 12): 5-minute 5, 12, 44 ARF, Rugby Tri-annually running time trail for each League & athlete, to determine Union MAS Distance run in meters (m) / time in seconds (s) = 100% MAS To determine distance travelled in a timeframe multiply % MAS by time of interval for example 4.8m/s x 15 seconds = 72m 1056 1RM = 1 Repetition Maximum; 3RM = 3 repetition Maximum; CMJ = countermovement jump; COD = change of direction; FI = Fatigue Index; 1057 ISAK = International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry; LB = lower body; MAS = maximal aerobic speed; RAST = repeated 1058 sprint ability test; Sfastest = fastest sprint time; Sslowest = slowest sprint time; SJ = squat jump; UB = upper body 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 Table 5: Speed and Agility session for Female Gaelic Athlete

Speed Training Speed Prescription Warm Up Warm Up Linear Speed COD/Agility Work Time: <5secs Work Time: <5secs Distance Run: 10-50m Reps per set: 2-4 Reps per set: 2-4 Total sets per session: 2-4 Total sets per session: 2-4 Total distance per set 40m-80m Total distance per set 40m-80m Total distance per 160m -500m Total distance per 160m -500m Intra set work: recovery ratio: 1:6 Intra set recovery 45-60 secs per 10m run of Intra set Work:Rest ratio 1:20 maximum intensity sprinting Inter set recovery 1.5 – 2x intra-set recovery 1065 Adapted from Barker (8) 1066 Table 6: MAS Protocols for different aerobic enhancement for field-based athletes (5, 12, 44) 1067 Exercise Phase Recovery Phase Number of Number of Sets Potential Repetitions Physiological Adaptations Long-Long 3-10min 90- 2-3 min AR 3-5 1  Aerobic 100 MAS capacity  V02 max Moderate- 30 sec-2min 30 sec-3 mins 5-2 1-3  V02 max Moderate 100-110% MAS AR

Short-Short 10-20 sec 110% 10-20 sec AR or 10-16 3-5  V02 max MAS to Sprint PR  Anaerobic capacity 1068 AR = active recovery; PR = passive recovery; MAS = maximal aerobic speed 1069 Table 7: Periodization strategy for Camogie players

Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Competition Off Season Pre-Season National All Ireland Series Focus League Season Phase GPP SPP CP Transition CP Gym P Hyper Str Str-Sp Str Str-Sp Based- S AA Str-Sp Sp-Str Str-Sp Sp-Str Focus T Str Str Str Sp-Str Sets per 3-5 3-6 3-5 3-6 3-5 exercise Repetitions 8-10 3-5 3-5 3-5 3-5 per exercise Average 50-75% 75%-85% Varied 75%-85% Varied Intensity Rest between 1 2-4 2-4 2 2-4 sets (mins) Field based Accel and Sp Accel and Sp Accel and Sp Accel and Sp Accel and Sp Mechanics focus Speed Mechanics Mechanics Mechanics Mechanics Accel and Max Vel (0-30m) and Agility CSCOD Accel Accel and Max Accel OSRA (See Table 5) mechanics Max Vel build Vel (0-30m) Max Vel build ups 30m OSRA ups 30m CSCOD CSCOD Field based Long-Long Moderate- Short-Short/ Moderate- Short-Short / SSGs focus Moderate/SSGs SSGs Moderate/SSGs Conditioning (See Table 6) 1070 Accel = acceleration: AA = anatomical adaptation; CP = competition phase; CSCOD = closed skill change of direction; GPP= general 1071 preparation phase; Hyper = hypertrophy; Max Vel = max velocity sprinting; OSRA = open skill reactive agility; P = primary objective; S = 1072 secondary objective; Sp = speed; Sp-Str = speed strength ; SSG = small sided games SSP = sports specific phase; Str = strength; Str-Sp = 1073 strength-speed; T = Tertiary Objective 1074 1075 Table 8: Example of General Preparation Phase (GPP) in Camogie Players

GPP strength Program Warm Up Exercise Set x Reps Rest time Myofascial: Self-selected foam 5 mins NA rolling Mobility: Inchworm 2 X 5 L/R Knee Hug Leg Cradle ‘World’s greatest stretch’ Activation Miniband circuit, 2 x 10m Potentiation clamshells, miniband walks, forward, backwards and laterally Bi lateral drop lands Straight leg pogos 2 X 8 2 x 10m Strength Program Exercise Set x Reps Rest 1a Goblet Squat 3 x 8-10 1b Box Drop lands 3 x 4 90-120secs 2 Nordic Curls 3 x 4-6 3a BB Split Squat 3 x 8-10 3b SL Horizontal jumps 3 x 4 L/R 4a BB inverted prone row 3 x 8-10 4b SA Landmine Press 3 x 8-10 L/R Core Exercise Set x Reps Rest 5a Pallof Press 3 x 8-10 L/R 5b Lateral Bear Crawl 3 x 10m L/R 1076 BB = barbell; L/R = left and right; SA = single arm; SL = single leg 1077 Table 9: Example of Specific Preparation Phase (SPP) in Camogie Players

SPP strength Program Warm Up Exercise Set x Reps Rest time Myofascial: Self-selected foam 5 mins NA rolling Mobility: Inchworm 2 X 5 L/R Knee Hug Leg Cradle ‘World’s greatest stretch’ Activation Miniband circuit, 2 x 10m clamshells, miniband walks, forward,

backwards and laterally Potentiation Unilateral drop lands 2 X 5 L/R Single leg pogos 2 x 10m Strength Program Exercise Set x Reps Rest 1 BB Jump Shrug 3 x 3-5 <1.8m.s 2a Front Squat 3 x 3-5 120-240secs 2b Horizontal Hurdle jumps 3 x 3-5 3a SL Hip Thrusters 3 x 3-5 120-240secs 3b Lateral Bounds 3x 10m L/R 4a ½ Knelling KB Press 3 x 3-5 120-240secs 4b Single arm DB row 3 x 3-5 Core Exercise Set x Reps Rest 5a GHR 3 x 8-12 5b Deadbug 3 x 8-12 1078 BB = barbell; DB = dumbbell; GHR = Glute Ham Raise; L/R = left and right; SL = single leg 1079 Table 10: Example of Competitive Phase (CP) in Camogie Players

Competitive strength Program Warm Up Exercise Set x Reps Rest time Myofascial: Self-selected foam 5 mins NA rolling Mobility: Inchworm 2 X 5 L/R Knee Hug Leg Cradle ‘World’s greatest stretch’ Activation Miniband circuit, 2 x 10m clamshells, miniband walks, forward,

backwards and laterally Potentiation complex Ankling 2 x 10m A March A Skip Strength Program Exercise Set x Reps Rest 1 Clean Grip Second Pull 3 x 3-5 <1.8m.s 2a Trapbar Deadlift 3 x 3-5 120-240secs 2b SL Box Jumps 3 x 3-5 L/R 3a Contra lateral SL RDL 3 x 3-5 120-240secs 4a Banded Chin Up 3 x 4-6 120-240secs 4b Isometric Alternating DB 3 x 4-6 Bench Press Core Exercise Set x Reps Rest 5a Plate Drags 3 x 8-10 L/R 5b Banded Side Plank Row 3 x 8-10 L/R 1080 DB = dumbbell; L/R = left and right; SA = single arm; SL = single leg; RDL= Romanian deadlift. 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 Figure 1: Hurley & Slíotar 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 Figure 2: Camogie player in action (courtesy of Inpho Photography) 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 Figure 3: Positional layout of Camogie team