Colin Munro has linked up with Trinbago Knight Riders, champions of the 2017 and 2018 editions, for the remainder of CPL 2019 following the completion of New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka.
New Zealander Munro was the highest run-getter in CPL 2018, with 567 runs at a strike rate of 140.34, hitting six half-centuries in the team's victory march. He was a key cog in the Knight Riders' wheel back in 2017 too, top-scoring for them with 366 runs at a strike rate of 135.05.
In more good news for the franchise, currently second on the table (on net run-rate) behind Guyana Amazon Warriors with three wins from three games, Darren Bravo has been cleared to join the squad after having retired during the Jamaica Test against India earlier this month with concussion.
Jade Dernbach joins Jamaica Tallawahs
Jade Dernbach has also found his way to the CPL for the first time, linking up with Jamaica Tallawahs. He was in action as Surrey's captain in the Vitality Blast, but they finished eighth in the nine-team South Group of the tournament, freeing the paceman up for the stint with the Tallawahs.
Jamaica Tallawahs have been penalised for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against Trinbago Knight Riders, played in Port of Spain on September 6.
It was a minimum over-rate offence, with the Tallawahs found to be just one over short, and an "applicable monetary fine" - the amount of which wasn't disclosed - was imposed on Chris Gayle, their captain, while, according to the playing conditions, the team was penalised with a 0.05 reduction in their net run-rate.
Imran Tahir will re-join the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL after one of their premier bowlers, Shadab Khan, had to cut his stay short. A press release from the tournament on Monday said the Pakistan legspinner had to return home "due to domestic commitments".
Tahir played for the Amazon Warriors in 2018 where he claimed 16 wickets at 17.75 as the team made it to the final. The 40-year old South African retired from international cricket after the World Cup but continues to be a force in franchise T20s, having picked up 19 wickets in 13 matches for Surrey in the Vitality Blast last month.
The Amazon Warriors added another leggie to their ranks with Afghanistan's Qais Ahmad replacing USA's Saurabh Netravalkar, who is unavailable due to international commitments.
September 7
Injured Dwayne Bravo ruled out for the season
Dwayne Bravo's finger injury has ruled him out of the entire CPL 2019. Bravo, part of the Trinbago Knight Riders squad, was initially ruled out for "a significant part" of the tournament, and the franchise decided to appoint Kieron Pollard as the captain before the season got underway.
However, while initially expected to play some part at a later stage, Bravo confirmed that the injury was severe enough to rule him out of the tournament altogether.
"The next aim for me is rehab to try to get my fingers moving again, it is going to be a long process...I will back playing competitive cricket in about two months' time," Bravo was quoted as saying by the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
Pollard, who like Bravo is from Trinidad and Tobago, will be turning out for his home franchise for the first time in the CPL. Trinbago have made a solid start to this edition, winning their first two matches.
Barbados Tridents bring in Duminy and Lalor for Wahab and Imad Wasim
Former South Africa batsman JP Duminy and Australian fast bowler Josh Lalor are set to join Barbados Tridents for the 2019 CPL season. The pair will replace Pakistan's Wahab Riaz and Imad Wasim, who had to leave for international commitments.
Duminy, a veteran of over 300 international matches across formats, will be making his first foray into the CPL, having previously played in T20 leagues in India, Pakistan, England and South Africa.
Lalor, a 31-year-old left-arm seamer, was one of Brisbane Heat's standout players in the 2018-19 Big Bash League, claiming a hat-trick against Perth Scorchers and a five-for against Sydney Sixers.
Lalor has an experience of 37 T20s for 42 wickets with an economy rate of 7.92.
Tridents will open their season against Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 9.
Malik confirms no fracture after taking Hetmyer shot in the hand
Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Shoaib Malik has confirmed he does not have a fracture on his hand after being struck by a Shimron Hetmyer shot at the non-stirker's end on Thursday. He was struck during the 11th over of Guyana's innings against St Lucia Zouks, but went on to bat and eventually be dismissed in the 16th over. Malik tweeted that he had undergone a scan and was healing, and that the 13-run win against the Zouks would "help heal quicker".
Just had a scan and Alhumdulilah it's not a fracture. The win will help heal quicker! Super well played boys, was good to see everyone stepping up like Warriors do. Congrats @chrisgreen_93 on the MOM. On to the next game! @GYAmazonWarrior#CPL19#GAWvSLZ
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots penalised for slow over rate
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have been penalised for a slow over rate after their 11-run loss to Trinbago Knight Riders in the opening game of this year's CPL. A media release said the "applicable monetary fine" was imposed on the captain, Carlos Brathwaite, and the team was penalised with a 0.05 reduction in their net run rate. Patriots were charged with a breach of Article 2.5 of the CPL Code of Conduct as they were one over down. The charge was laid by match officials against Brathwaite, who accepted it.
Pollard replaces injured Bravo as Trinbago Knight Riders captain
Kieron Pollard will take over as captain of the Trinbago Knight Riders after Dwayne Bravo suffered a finger injury that could rule him out for a significant part of the upcoming Caribbean Premier League. Pollard had been picked as Trinbago's marquee pick is set to represent his home franchise for the first time in the tournament.
"It's a very unfortunate injury, and Dwayne Bravo will be greatly missed," Venky Mysore, director of Trinbago franchise, said. "However, we are fortunate to have someone of the calibre of Kieron Pollard to take over the reins from Bravo. His leadership abilities are well proven and, like Bravo, will bring a very aggressive style as captain in TKR's quest for a third championship in a row."
Trinbago will begin their campaign in the opening match of the tournament, against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Port of Spain on September 4.
Taufel to train CPL match officials
Simon Taufel, the retired Australian umpire, has joined the CPL match officials team in a dual role. He will be one of the travelling match referees during the tournament, and also serve as umpire trainer and assessor.
"Simon's resume speaks for itself, and we are happy that he will be sharing his vast experience and knowledge in support of our tournament umpires," CPL tournament operations director Michael Hall said. "Since June, in collaboration with Peter Nero, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Umpire Trainer and Assessor, he has been conducting remote training sessions with all CPL match officials, and this will culminate in a one-day seminar and workshop in Trinidad on September 3rd."
Taufel said he had "no hesitation" in accepting the assignment. "Quite apart from having always enjoyed being in the Caribbean, the opportunity to support the tournament by developing reporting processes and systems which will provide more robust feedback on the performance of all the umpires in the tournament was something which definitely appealed to me."
Jerome Taylor re-signs with Jamaica
Jamaica Tallawahs have roped in fast bowler Jerome Taylor as a replacement for Pakistani seam-bowling allrounder Ahmad Butt, who will be unavailable for the entire CPL 2019 because of domestic commitments. Taylor was more recently part of the Vitality Blast in England, taking 14 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.46 for Somerset. Taylor has also played for Jamaica in the CPL before, picking up 22 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 7.93.
Jamaica will kickstart their CPL campaign against defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders on September 6 at the Queen's Park Oval.
August 30
West Indies' Lendl Simmons will replace New Zealand opener Colin Munro for the first three matches for Trinbago Knight Riders. Munro will be in Sri Lanka for the upcoming T20Is starting September 1 and Simmons will fill in for the CPL matches on September 4, 6 and 8.
This will be Simmons' fifth franchise in the CPL, having appeared for Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Jamaica Tallawahs, and the first time for his home franchise in Trinidad.
For the Patriots, Alzarri Joseph will replace Sri Lanka quick Isuru Udana, who will be unavailable for the entire CPL due to international commitments. Joseph has represented the Patriots since 2016 and is returning to competitive cricket since the arm injury he picked up during the IPL in April.
"It is always frustrating to lose players so close to the start of a tournament but in Alzarri we have a local player who is world-class and has a track record of success," Patriots director of cricket Robin Singh said. "As a very promising young fast bowler it is exciting to have Alzarri with us. We feel that the Patriots have a very strong squad this year and we are confident of making the knockout stages and pushing for our first title."
South Africa's Beuran Hendricks is also no longer available due to international commitments and his place will be taken by Dominican allrounder Kavem Hodge.
August 20
For Tallawahs, Jamaica batsman Kennar Lewis will replace USA's Xavier Marshall who will be unavailable until September 14, also due to international commitments. Marshall was drafted as Tallawahs' ICC Americas player but draft rules allow for him to be replaced by a Caribbean or an overseas player.
Lewis will join Chris Gayle and Andre Russell at Tallawahs who will play their first game on September 6 against Knight Riders.
For many professional athletes their introduction to the sport they love falls somewhere along the lines of joining a club from a young age, falling in love with the sport and dreaming of representing their country on the global stage. However, Lily Zhang’s table tennis origins are somewhat different!
Resident at Stanford University for eight years while her father, Bo Zhang, served as a professor of mathematics, Lily’s sporting journey was born in a humble laundry room located on the university campus which housed a table tennis table. While waiting for their clothes to dry, Lily and her parents would play to keep themselves entertained.
Before long Lily made the transition from laundry room table tennis to club table tennis and then, aged 12, she represented Team USA at the 2009 World Table Tennis Championships in Yokohama. In November 2011 Lily took home women’s doubles gold at the Peace and Sport Cup in Doha, partnering Anna Tokhomirova of Russia. One year later Lily made her Olympic Games debut in London and was also present at Rio 2016, reaching the third round of the women’s singles draw at the latter event.
Lily’s domestic record is simply outstanding, becoming US national champion for the sixth time in July this year. She was also the first table tennis players from the United States to take home a bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 and has even met with former President Barack Obama!
During much of her table tennis career Lily has had to endure the struggles of trying to balance her time on the table with her academic studies but, despite the busy timetable, she has managed to establish herself as one of her country’s top and most exciting players. Now a graduate of Berkeley University her attention is fully dedicated to the sport and the results are there to be seen.
Player of the tournament in Asunción
The 23-year-old has been in the spotlight recently thanks to her incredible outing at the 2019 ITTF-Pan American Championships, taking home all four titles available to her in Asunción.
Seeded fourth, Lily accounted for top seed Zhang Mo of Canada (11-9, 11-7, 11-4, 14-12) in the women’s singles semi-finals prior to a convincing victory over Brazilian third seed Bruna Takahashi (11-8, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9) to lift the trophy for the first time.
Lily also played an important role in the United States’ women’s team success, emerging undefeated in the four fixtures she was fielded for including the final which saw the US team edge Brazil in a 3-2 thriller.
Forming a formidable partnership with Wu Yue, Lily landed another gold medal in the women’s doubles draw. However, her mixed doubles campaign was even more noteworthy as she and Kai Zhang, seeded seventh as a pair, battled their way to the top step of the podium.
Exciting times ahead for US women’s team
Understandably Lily Zhang is stealing the limelight, but there was further encouragement for US table tennis at the Pan American Championships: Wu Yue, as ever, continues to be a reliable leader for her country while young stars Amy Wang and Crystal Wang, aged 16 and 17 respectively, showed their potential in Asunción with impressive scalps against Adriana Diaz (11-9, 5-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-6) and Jessica Yamada (11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9).
All in all there were plenty of positives for Team USA to celebrate in Asunción and with Houston, Texas set to host the newly expanded World Table Tennis Championships in 2021, the timing couldn’t be any better!
Spreading the word about World Squash Day in France with family club joint owner Florian Pouffer at Squash du Lac de Maine in Angers
Casting light on a great business model for squash By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Roving Reporter
After a great night’s sleep, my friend Etienne takes me by car to revisit the club where I played as an exchange student at the Faculte de Lettres at Angers University, Squash du Lac de Maine. This club, situated reasonably close to the campus where I was based, had not long opened its doors back in 1985-86 when I was there, but these days is a thriving hub of squash activity.
I am greeted by the owner, Philippe Pouffer, who admitted that he was probably coaching squash at the club back when I was first there. We will be joined later by his son Florian, who has recently entered the family business as co-owner.
As I know my way around the club, I have a quick scout about and am once again in awe of the first feature of this club that I have always admired – the amount of natural light that comes into the building. In fact, Philippe proudly boasts that one of the five courts is the only one in France that does not require any artificial lighting, during daylight hours at least.
We chat about the business model and general philosophy behind the running of this successful club, which boasts over 750 individual players that come through its doors. These are mostly casual leisure players, but at least 100 of them have also taken out full memberships.
Philippe is a true believer in catering for the leisure player through arranging fun internal competitions, social events and doing the maximum to encourage people to play different opponents. Every Friday, there is a team match, with a more serious individual competition every month. These are always followed by a social gathering in the bar, or a trip into town for a meal at the club’s partner restaurant. There is also a club ranking system, with challenge matches being used to change positions.
In addition, Philippe takes the stress out of arranging matches by matching opponents. All a player has to do is put their name down for a court and Philippe will find an opponent for them to play. This is by far the most common method by which matches are arranged at the club. This is also a good way of players getting to know each other, of playing opponents at different levels and most importantly of allowing players’ games to develop and strengthen.
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Once we are joined by Florian, we move on to discuss World Squash Day, which both father and son admit to not having been aware of up until now. I encourage them to consider staging an event on Saturday 12th October.
Finally, we agree to consider an exchange event for next year, with me bringing a team of English players over and Philippe and Florian then matching us with a Lac de Maine team. Perhaps we could organise this during the 2020 French Open, so we could combine it with a visit to Nantes to watch the action?
Etienne and I then nip back over to Les Ponts-de-Cé to the south of the city where he lives, to collect his son Romain. After a good lunch, we head into Angers city centre to revisit some of the main sights. If you have not been, it really is worth a visit.
Like Nantes, there is a fine Chateau, which is a bit older than the one at Nantes, although it was expanded to its current size around the same period that the Nantes Chateau was built. It is certainly bigger than the one in Nantes, but I will let you be the judge of whether bigger is better …
Tomorrow (now today, Friday), I return to Nantes, firstly to watch the inaugural Amateur French Open at La Maison du Squash, before finally linking up with the Lings crew for a much-needed hit at D’Sport and Co. I then will meet up with the Squash Travel Tour group at the Chateau to watch the semi-finals.
Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson says being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis just five months before the Rugby World Cup was a "freak thing".
The 27-year-old, who has won two international caps, was ruled out for three months in April and missed out on England's 31-man squad for Japan.
"Something like that is not just really an injury," Robson told BBC Sport.
"It is to do with your health as well so it makes you think a lot more. It was very difficult."
Robson made his England debut during this year's Six Nations, appearing from the bench in the games against France and Italy - scoring a try in the latter match.
He was then withdrawn from the squad to face Scotland on 16 March after the discovery of blood clots, which Wasps said "arose spontaneously" in the week before the game.
"I had to go through a lot more different stages and make sure my health was the main priority," Robson, who is now off medication and back in full training, added.
"It was tough, and being in the middle of the Six Nations was not ideal timing.
"I have had all the blood tests done and sat down for hours on end trying to think of what could have made it occur.
"We came to the conclusion that it was one of those freak things - I probably got a knock and had a little bleed.
"It might have been lurking there for a little bit. It was frustrating and I'm glad we found it when we did."
Robson 'told to be ready'
England coach Eddie Jones named Robson in a training squad for a camp in London at the end of June, but the Wasps man was not included in the 38-man squad for a training camp in Italy the following month or the final travelling party for the Far East.
"It is a World Cup and I want to be there," Robson said. "It is not something I have hidden.
"You are always frustrated [at missing out on a squad] as you want to be playing for England."
Robson has been named co-captain of Wasps for the start of the domestic campaign while regular skipper Joe Launchbury is away on duty with England in Japan.
However, with Leicester's Ben Youngs and and Gloucester's Willi Heinz the only scrum-halves in the England squad, Robson could yet be handed a late call-up to the if injury or illness arises.
"That's all I have been told - to be ready," he added.
"Things happen and it is a long tournament. The training we are doing at Wasps is definitely going to keep me in shape."
The English domestic season kicks off on Friday, 20 September, with the Premiership Rugby Cup, followed on Friday, 18 October, with the start of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign.
Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial have been ruled out of Manchester United's Premier League clash against Leicester City on Saturday, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying he could be without seven senior players for the game.
Pogba (ankle) and Anthony Martial (muscle injury) are also expected to miss Thursday's Europa League encounter with Astana, while Diogo Dalot (hip), Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Eric Bailly (knee) are also due to miss the Leicester clash.
And Solskjaer, whose United team have made the club's worst start to a season in 27 years, said he could also be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka (back) and Jesse Lingard (illness) following their withdrawals from Gareth Southgate's England squad last week.
"The treatment room been busy and still is," Solskjaer said. "I don't really know who will be available.
"Maybe Aaron, maybe Jesse. But that's it, from the ones who have pulled out. I can't promise they'll be available either.
"Pogba won't be fit unless he has had a miraculous recovery overnight or before the game. He has not been ready to do 100% training.
"We hope more can be ready for West Ham next week and Paul and Anthony are in that category. I think they'll be ready for then, I can't say more really.
"But you have players who can come in with loads of experience -- Juan [Mata], Nemanja [Matic], Ash [Young]. They are the ones who have to step up now."
Leicester have started the season unbeaten and face United sitting third in the table.
And Solskjaer admits that Brendan Rodgers's team will a stern challenge to his injury-hit team.
"Leicester want to push into the top four," Solskjaer said. "They have got good players and a very good manager.
"Brendan's teams always play good football and we need to play good football to get three points."
Andrew Strauss, England's former director of cricket, is set for a new role with the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] following his appointment as the chair of the board's cricket committee.
His new role will involve "monitoring and developing the delivery" of men's and women's professional cricket, as well as disability cricket, national counties, clubs and universities cricket and the talent pathway, the ECB said in a release.
Strauss, who recently received a knighthood, had been England's director of cricket between 2015 and 2018, his appointment to that role coming soon after England's exit from the 2015 World Cup. Under his watch, England made significant strides in white-ball cricket, reaching the final of the 2016 World T20 and winning their first ODI World Cup earlier this year. The team's Test fortunes, however, did not see as sharp an upturn as the limited-overs results.
In October 2018, Strauss stepped down from the role in order to spend more time with his family as his wife, Ruth, underwent treatment for cancer. After her death in December, Strauss launched a foundation to help raise funds to research rare forms of lung cancer and to provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their families.
"It is a real pleasure to return to ECB in this new capacity. ECB and the whole cricket family have been a vital source of support over an extremely difficult year and it's really great to be back at Lord's, a place that has become a second home to me," Strauss said in a statement. "I'm extremely passionate about developing and growing cricket in England and Wales and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Cricket Committee to continually drive all aspects of the professional game, including women's, men's and disability cricket.
"I've seen first-hand how this summer of cricket has inspired more people to fall in love with the sport and I can't wait to help build on its success and support the roll-out of ECB's strategy to grow the game, Inspiring Generations."
Peta Bee on what’s in and what’s out when it comes to some current theories on nutrition for athletes
Three or four decades ago, an athlete’s nutritional preparation most likely amounted to little more than eating copious amount of carbs in the form of pasta, bread and potatoes, swigging flat cola and recovering with a glass of milk. Dozens of athletes I’ve interviewed from the 1970s and 1980s admit their diets lacked any scientific input with pre-competition meals consisting of anything from toast and jam to digestive biscuits.
Fast forward to today and sports nutrition is a science in itself, athletes armed as they are with cutting-edge pea protein products and nitrate shots, practicing bizarre sounding rituals such as carb-rinsing and tactical dehydration.
So what’s in and what’s out in terms of nutrition – and which products, if any, do you really need to invest in to fuel your training?
OUT
Carb loading
In the 1960s, researchers began to show how muscle glycogen levels could be influenced and, as a result, endurance could be enhanced work time improved.
Cue a craze in the early 1970s for ‘carbohydrate loading’ among marathon runners who trained to exhaustion to deplete glycogen stores, then ingested a low-carb diet for two to five days before a race.
This carb depletion phase was followed by a loading of pasta, bread, rice – any carbs they could, 70–85% carbohydrate, up to 600g or more of carbohydrate for one or two days before they raced. It soon became apparent that any gains were matched with downsides – athletes typically gained 2-3kg (mostly fluid as glycogen is stored in the body with water), felt poorly, and were anxious about their performance.
By the 1980s, a modified approach, dubbed “loaf-loading” by some, saw athletes ease down completely on training and just eat more carbs before a race.
IN
Carb manipulation
For a while it seemed that carbs were in danger of drifting completely out of fashion in favour of high fat and high protein diets – something that triggered warning lights among sports nutritionists. According to the IAAF consensus statement: “The usefulness of high fat, low carb diets is limited to selected individuals, events or scenarios in distance events.”
A 2017 study on elite race walkers conducted by Louise Burke, nutritionist for the Australian Institute of Sport, concluded that a low carb, high fat diet significantly “impairs performance in elite endurance athletes despite a significant improvement in peak aerobic capacity”.
Strategic carb manipulation is key for today’s athletes – that means consuming more carbs on training days that require them for fuel and fewer when the energy and training demands are lower.
OUT
Excessive use of sports drinks
Hydration for athletes in the 1970s and early 1980s typically meant water or homemade concoctions such as flat cola, a popular beverage among top marathon runners of the era. Ron Hill drank nothing when he won the 1970 Commonwealth Games marathon. Neither did Mike Gratton when he won the 1983 London Marathon.
But when isotonic sports drinks became popular in the late 1980s and 1990s, the claims that their unique concentration of easily digestible carbohydrate particles could enhance endurance performance resulted in an obsession with over-hydration. Athletes were encouraged to drink before thirsty to avoid dehydration and it was recommended that at least 500ml per hour of fluid was consumed during endurance training and events.
IN
Tactical dehydration and carb ‘rinsing’
In the most recent consensus statement published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, Dr Mitchell Rosner, a kidney specialist from the University of Virginia school of medicine and a group of 16 independent experts from four countries, stressed a reliance on listening to your body.
“We recommend using your thirst as a guide,” he says. “If you drink when thirsty, you will not become hyponatremic and you will not suffer from significant dehydration.”
Tactical dehydration is a growing trend. “Think about it,” says John Brewer, professor of applied sports science at Bucks New University. “Each litre of fluid lost equates to approximately 1kg of body weight. Carrying around less weight has a positive impact on endurance performance, so people train their bodies to cope with dehydration, rather than fighting to prevent it.”
And, while sports drinks remain an essential endurance aid, the practice of mouth rinsing – when you swill and gargle (but don’t swallow) a sports drink – is now common. According to the recent IAAF consensus statement, the ‘mouth sensing’ of carbs that occurs when you do this can hold benefits for the brain and energy systems.
OUT
Milk and meat protein
As early as the 1940s, scientists had shown how protein could enhance muscle mass if taken by power or strength athletes, but thought it was of little use to endurance athletes. During the 1950s and 1960s athletes increased their protein intakes through diet and “training tables” and focused their intakes on high quality sources such as milk and beef.
IN
Whey, soy, pea and hemp protein
The rise in protein products has been phenomenal. Intensive marketing campaigns by supplement companies have suggested that protein and amino acid products should be consumed within a two-hour window for optimal recovery.
However, in 2018, a panel of scientists assembled by the American College of Sports Medicine published a position statement on sports nutrition which suggested that while eating protein an hour or two after intense sessions may help to reboot glycogen stores more quickly, there’s no evidence that it has a direct impact on recovery.
And there are signs that things are turning full circle. A study cited by the IAAF and conducted at the University of Stirling and McMaster University in Canada, concluded that athletes’ diets do not “require an overemphasis on protein-containing foods and, beyond convenience, there is not a suggestion for a need to use protein or amino acid-based supplements.”
Instead, sports nutritionists are once again recommending athletes drink milk, which contains whey naturally, as studies have shown that it’s just as effective in promoting muscle synthesis after resistance training and suggesting that protein demands for even elite level training can be met with ordinary food like tuna, milk and eggs.
OUT
Mug of tea or coffee
Caffeine is one ergogenic nutritional aid that has never gone out of fashion. Although it was banned in high concentrations by WADA between 1984 and 2004, athletes in the 1960s and 1970s swore by the stimulatory effects of a pre-race cuppa for a competitive lift.
IN
Strategic caffeine dosing
Caffeine has proven advantages on focus and energy levels, but it’s how you take it that now matters. James Collins, an elite sports nutritionist who has worked with Olympic medallists and the 2018 World Cup-winning French football team, says that timing your java intake is crucial. “For optimal performance in an event or exercise session, caffeine should be taken around 45 to 60 minutes beforehand.”
Caffeine remains in your blood for three to five hours so “a 4pm pick-me-up coffee at work might be enough to deliver the requisite boost to performance in your evening training session at 6pm,” he adds.
Research presented at the 2018 International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference confirmed that berry anthocyanins — the potent antioxidant pigments that give the fruits their deep purplish colour — help to improve blood flow to muscles and prevent muscle stiffness after exercise.
They are also good for your ticker according to Glyn Howatson, a professor in sports science at Northumbria University, who in his latest study found that people with the highest anthocyanin intake were 9% less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Professor Glyn Howatson’s work at Northumbria has also investigated the natural anti- and anti-oxidative power of U.S. Montmorency tart cherries, (see choosecherries.com) popular as juice and shots. His work is cited in the International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement, which highlights the use of tart cherry nutritional supplements as an evidenced based recovery strategy.
Not all scientists agree – a Cochrane review published in 2018 by experts at Sheffield Hallam University showed that antioxidant rich products such as cherry juice did not result in any meaningful reduction in muscle soreness after exercise. But there are other reasons to try them – they contain melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that is critical in the regulation of sleep in humans and have a natural inflammatory effect.
Nitrates, compounds found in the vegetable that are converted by the body to nitrite, not only relaxes and widens blood vessels but influences how efficiently our cells use oxygen. A growing body of evidence suggests nitrates play a role in improving blood flow, maintaining immune function and cardiovascular health and also potentially enhancing performance.
Consume nitrates and the mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses of our cells, are able to utilise oxygen more sparingly, thereby conserving energy.
Some studies have suggested that a good dietary intake of nitrates lowers the oxygen cost of exercise to such an extent that endurance rises by up to 15%. On a weight for weight basis, rocket supplies the most, almost four times the amount in fresh beetroot.
Swiss chard, oak leaf lettuce and rhubarb also contain high levels. Beetroot is popular because of its convenience – it can be juiced to provide the concentrated measured doses essential in laboratory settings – but there’s plenty of evidence that shots of it can be useful.
As athletes move away from excessive use of sugary sports drinks, manufacturers are responding with a range of more natural hydration products. SOS Hydration, developed by athletes to WHO recommendations, come as a powder that you mix into water.
It provides easily absorbed concentrations of electrolytes, which will help you to stay hydrated and replace the electrolytes lost
in your sweat, and glucose, which will top up your energy stores.
And Veloforte’s range of sports recovery drinks providing energy, sodium and potassium as well as micronutrients, contain purely plant-based ingredients.
It is the nutrient of the moment and getting enough of the sunshine vitamin – so-called because the most efficient source is the sun as it is synthesised when chemicals in the skin react to ultraviolet rays – can speed up your recovery from sessions and enhance your overall exercise performance.
Adults need at least 400 international units – or 10 micrograms – of the vitamin every day (children under the age of four need 7 to 8.5mcg).
Dr Graeme Close, a researcher in sports nutrition and exercise metabolism at Liverpool John Moores University, found that “even using conservative guidelines” up to 70% of the recreational and serious athletes he tested had worryingly low vitamin D levels.
In tests on a group of footballers who were given either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo Close found that, after eight weeks of training, the nutrient group showed significant improvements in 10m sprint times and vertical jumps – compared to no change among their placebo counterparts.
It is found in fortified cereals and dairy products, oily fish, cod liver oil, milk and eggs, but the best source is sunlight.
Iron
Try: Blueiron (£14.99; blueiron.co.uk) which contains vitamin C-rich blueberries that help iron absorption and Healthspan Elite Iron Complex (£10.99; healthspan.co.uk), a non-constipating formula which also contains immune-boosting copper.
Men of all ages and aged 50 to 64 years need 8.7mg iron a day; for women aged 19 to 50 years it is 14.8mg a day. To find out if you are low, you need a blood test from your GP which will determine if your haemoglobin levels are below the normal range of 130-170g per litre (g/l) for men and 120-150g/l for women.
Low levels can have a huge impact on performance and some marathon runners are prone to “foot-strike haemolysis” where red blood cells are damaged by the feet repeatedly hitting the ground over many miles of training which reduces haemoglobin levels.
Of the two types of dietary iron, the haem iron in meat, fish and poultry is better absorbed, but pulses, tofu, sardines, prunes, leafy green veg and salmon all contain iron.
Add beetroot leaves to salads as they contain more iron per serving than spinach. Gut-friendly probiotics can also help. In a 2015 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, a team of Swedish scientists reported that the “intake of probiotics can increase iron absorption by approximately 50%.
So called ‘soda-doping’ – drinking a bicarb solution before training as a means to enhancing performance – is popular among athletes. Why? Because of its alkalinity, bicarbonate of soda is thought to act as a buffer against performance-limiting by-products that lead to soreness and fatigue. And there’s reams of evidence it might work.
One study conducted at the University of Hull and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning showed that swimmers who took a drink containing bicarb recorded a 4% improvement in performance compared to those who took a placebo of salted water.
“It’s a useful ergogenic aid for some people,” says Damien Gleadall-Siddall, a researcher in sport and exercise nutrition and biochemistry who carried out the trial. Paul Andsell, a researcher at the University of Northumbria’s school of sport, exercise and rehabilitation, says it helps to prevent a build-up of negative metabolites, such as hydrogen ions, which cause the pH of a muscle
to drop and become more acidic, during intense training.
“If these negative metabolites build up, it means the muscle cells can’t contract as forcefully,” he says. A dose of 0.2-0.4 grammes per kg of body weight should be consumed 60-90 minutes before a training. For an 80kg male, that means 16-32 grammes of sodium bicarbonate as a supplement or added to water.
New Zealand back-row forward Luke Jacobson has been ruled out of the World Cup because of concussion.
Jacobson played against Tonga last week and travelled with the squad for the tournament in Japan, but the All Blacks said the 22-year-old had suffered a "delayed onset of concussion".
New Zealand Coach Steve Hansen said the player showed symptoms after their first training session this week.
Jacobson, who has two caps, will be replaced by Shannon Frizell.
"After discussing this latest episode with Luke, as well as our medical team, the decision has been made to, sadly, withdraw him from the tournament," Hansen told the All Blacks website.
"We all felt that the best thing for him to do is to take a break from rugby until he is symptom-free and ready to return."
Like it or not, Video Assistant Referees are here to stay. The International Football Association Board, football's lawmaker, has set out the protocol and this is how it will be applied in the Premier League.
What will the VAR review?
- Goal/no goal
- Penalty/no penalty
- Direct red card (not second yellow card/caution)
- Mistaken identity (when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player)
What will it not review?
- Any yellow card (including second yellow card leading to red)
- Any free kick offence outside the box (other than red card offence)
Can a player or manager request a review?
No, all incidents are automatically checked by the VAR.
Questions & Answers: VAR
⚽ Only the referee on the field of play can take decisions; the VAR cannot! So can the referee stop the game, consult the VAR first, and only then decide?
Does the VAR make the final decision?
No, this will always be taken by the match referee. The VAR may advise the referee to change his decision, but the final call must always be the referee's.
Who is in the VAR room?
In the Premier League there will be a lead official, who will make judgements on all reviews. There will also be an assistant official, who continues to watch the live game while the lead handles a review. The third person is the Hawk-eye operative, who controls the technology and is independent of the decision-making process.
When does the VAR check an incident?
Every moment is watched for an infringement or missed incident and all goals are checked.
Some people expected that VAR would disrupt flow of the game too much. The facts are:
What does "clear and obvious" mean?
If the referee's description of an reviewed incident does not accurately match replays, it may be considered he has made a "clear and obvious" error. This is grounds for a decision to be reversed.
Which replays does the VAR watch in slow motion?
Slow-mo is only used to judge the point of contact on a foul or handball, or where the place an offence took place. Over-riding judgements will always be made from real-time replay.
Can a goal be disallowed for an offence in the build-up?
Offside and fouls by an attacking player will be checked and any offence will see the goal ruled out and a free kick awarded to the defending team. The VAR can also check for ball out of play.
Does the same apply after a penalty has been awarded?
Yes, any offence prior to the award of a spot kick is checked, including whether it took place inside or outside the penalty area.
Can a goal be disallowed if it comes following a wrongly-awarded corner?
Restart decisions, such as corner kicks and throw-ins, cannot be changed once play has restarted, so the goal would stand.
Can a match be called off if VAR stops working?
A match is not invalidated by malfunctioning VAR or if an incorrect decision is made.
Should fans in stadiums be better informed?
This is a work in progress. Messages are displayed on big screens or electronic advertising boards and, in some instances, replays are used to explain decisions. But these are controlled by the home club's staff, so could be subject to delay or incomplete information.
Does a VAR review take too much time out of the game?
The ball is only in play for an average of 60 minutes per game, so most reviews will be completed when it is naturally out of play.
Is VAR aiming for 100% accuracy?
In 2018-19, the Premier League calculated that 82% of key match-changing incidents were correct and it hopes, with the help of VAR, to raise that number to around 96%. The fact that some decisions are subjective, though, means that 100% accuracy is impossible.
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1:42
Premier League takeaways - Pochettino now a fan of VAR?
Craig Burley picks the winners and losers from the Premier League's second weekend and delves into Mauricio Pochettino's love-hate relationship with VAR.
HANDBALL
What is going on with handball?
The IFAB changed the law for this season to try and eliminate uncertainty when a goal is scored. This means that any contact with the hand/arm of an attacking player that leads to or creates a goal -- even if accidental -- is against the laws of the game.
Surely a referee missing a slight offence is not a "clear and obvious" error?
Like offside, it has been decided that handball leading to a goal is a binary decision. If it happens, the goal will be disallowed.
We have seen this twice in the Premier League already: Leander Dendoncker of Wolves was denied at Leicester after a Willy Boly handball and Man City had an injury-time winner against Tottenham chalked off after the ball brushed Aymeric Laporte's arm.
What is different if the ball comes off a defender's arm?
A defending player can still be adjudged to have accidentally handled the ball, so it is not automatically an offence, creating a two-tier handball law.
Will VAR be strict on defensive handballs?
The Premier League says nothing will change with its interpretation of handballs by defenders, so do not expect a glut of penalties as seen in FIFA and UEFA competitions.
For instance, the penalty given to Liverpool after the ball struck the arm of Tottenham's Moussa Sissoko in the Champions League final would not have been awarded in the Premier League.
So this is not VAR's fault?
VAR is purely enforcing this new law.
OFFSIDE
Is offside judged as a "clear and obvious" error?
Offside, like the ball crossing the line, is considered a binary and objective decision. For example, a player will be adjudged offside even if only his toes are in front of the last defender.
On the season's opening weekend, Manchester City had a goal disallowed at West Ham after Raheem Sterling's shoulder was shown to be just ahead of the last defender.
Does someone draw lines on a TV screen?
The Premier League (and FIFA) uses Hawk-eye 3D imaging technology, which judges offside by the part of a player's body furthest forward (excluding arms). Several cameras are used to judge the offside line.
How does the VAR decide which frame to use?
The first point of contact of the passing act is key, not the point of release. The Hawk-eye operative will select three frames for the VAR, who will choose the one that best represents that first point. From this frame, the 3D imaging is activated.
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1:43
Darke: Offside rule needs to be tweaked to 'clear daylight'
After VAR's debut in the Premier League, Ian Darke says the offside rule is what needs to be changed going forward.
Is VAR 100% accurate for offside?
Present technology means it cannot be 100%, but it does allow officials to make a more informed decision than by using the naked eye in real time.
Why not use a margin for error on tight calls?
MLS and the A-League have chosen not to use calibrated lines or Hawk-eye technology, instead preferring the naked eye to analyse the freeze frame while looking for anything they categorise as "clearly and obviously wrong."
The IFAB is set to discuss this and could change protocol even if technology is in place.
Why not look for "daylight" between defender and attacker?
This would give a huge advantage to the attacking team. Moreover, the "marginal point" would just go further back and players would still be offside by millimetres.
Is the assistant referee instructed to keep his flag down?
If the call is exceptionally tight, the assistant can raise the flag when the attacking move ends. This could, for instance, mean a corner is cancelled and offside given. Similarly, referees have the right to let play continue if it is felt there could be an attacking advantage.
This differs to UEFA and FIFA competitions, in which flags are kept down unless a player is clearly offside. This means play can run on unnecessarily.
Questions & Answers: VAR
Is there a limited period after an incident for the referee to undertake a VAR 'review'? What if play after an incident has stopped and been restarted?
What is the difference between a check and a review?
Check: The VAR watches the replay of an incident before allowing play to continue. Most checks are completed so quickly that players and fans are not aware they have happened.
Review: The referee might delay the restart of play -- signalled by placing his finger to his ear -- while the VAR investigates a possible offence. The referee might also watch the incident on a pitch-side monitor.
How does the referee signal a decision has been changed?
A rectangular TV signal is made with both hands before the official points to where the infringement took place.
What is the difference between use of VAR 'check' and 'review' signal? CHECK: referee stops play by pointing finger to ear and extending other hand/arm to communicate with the VAR REVIEW: referee makes the 'TV signal' and changes or confirms his decisionhttps://t.co/iPIDbKrz78pic.twitter.com/4lMxxX7iFT
Is there a time limit for a review?
No, accuracy is deemed more important.
When should the referee stop play for a full review?
If a clear incident has been spotted, such as an obvious red card or penalty, play will be stopped when the ball is in a neutral area. Otherwise, it will continue until the ball is dead.
So could Team A score a goal, only for it to be disallowed and Team B awarded a penalty?
Play would revert back to the point at which the offence occurred, so it is possible for there to be a two-goal swing.
In a February 2019 Serie A game, the VAR ruled out a goal that would have given SPAL a 2-1 lead in the 79th minute. Instead, Fiorentina got a penalty and went on to win 4-1.
How far back in play can a review go after a goal is scored?
This decision is based on the Attacking Phase of Play, which begins when the scoring team starts the attacking move toward goal and ends when it is completed. However, an attacking move can be considered to have reset to create a new phase if the defence has regrouped.
Last season, Liverpool scored against Southampton when Mohamed Salah was offside from the first pass forward. However, play carried on for some time after this point and the Saints defend would have reset. Therefore, this goal would not have been ruled out even though there was an earlier offence.
"VAR is like a parachute - it's better to have it when you need it"
Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of @FIFAcom Referees Committee, about benefits of using VAR: constant support for a referee, fewer protests from players and off-the-ball incidents.
What is the process for a subjective review?
- The VAR advises the referee that a check is taking place for a possible infringement
- The on-pitch official is asked to describe the incident why he came to his decision
- The VAR watches the incident in real-time speed to judge the referee's view
- If the VAR considers a true and accurate description of the incident has been given, the check ends and play continues
- If the VAR thinks a "clear and obvious" error has been made, he can advise that the decision is changed. However, he referee does not have to accept and can stay with his own decision
What is the "high bar" for decisions in the Premier League?
The Premier League does not want the pace of play to be affected, so will not micro-analyse subjective reviews; if a mistake is not immediately apparent, a decision is unlikely to be reversed.
In Manchester City vs. Tottenham, a penalty was not awarded for an alleged foul on City's Rodri by Erik Lamela of Spurs. On-pitch referee Michael Oliver told the VAR that Rodri had gone to ground, rather than forced down, and the review concluded no clear and obvious error had been made.
When will a referee use the pitch-side review monitor?
The Premier League believes referees work as a team and wants to limit occasions when the lead official watches an incident alone, so protocol states that the pitch-side review is not mandatory.
Monitors will only be used in exceptional cases, such as when an incident has not been seen, although the referee can insist on a pitch-side review for any incident, rather just take advice from the VAR.
Questions & Answers: VAR
Must the referee view the replay footage before making a final decision ('on-field review') or can he/she take a decision based on information from the video assistant referee?
Outside England, UEFA, FIFA and many domestic leagues use pitch-side review for the majority of subjective decisions. However, factual decisions on offside and ball out of play are made by the VAR. Feedback from officials will determine the future of the policy.
How long should a review take?
The Premier League says that the average time for a full VAR review with an overturned decision is approximately 84 seconds. With regard to checks, there is an average delay of 22 seconds across an entire game.
Is lost time added on?
The referee will add any time used for a review to the end of the half.
When is it too late to review an incident?
Once play has restarted. The referee should pause the game if a review is being conducted, except for a potential sending-off offence relating to violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive gestures.
What is a referee blows his whistle before the ball goes into net?
This is a basic rule of football -- you play to the whistle. Once the whistle has gone, play is dead. There is nothing VAR could do to award a goal.
Questions & Answers: SIMULATION
The referee awards a penalty kick. The VAR review shows that an attacking player was guilty of simulation (pretended to be fouled). What is the referee's decision❓
Can VAR ever lead to a yellow card?
VAR cannot review a yellow card, but it can award one. For instance, if a player has deceived the referee to win a penalty. Also, any player who excessively appeals for the use of VAR -- including substitutes -- can be cautioned.
Can a player get a yellow card following a red card review?
A review for a direct red card can lead to a player's punishment being downgraded to a booking. For example, if there is a review for a high tackle that the VAR believes could be a red card, the referee could decide it is only worth yellow.
Questions & Answers: VAR
A referee initiates a video review in relation to a red card offence. Is the referee allowed to change decision after using VAR and show a yellow card?
Can a red card be rescinded as well as shown?
If the VAR advises that a player should not have been sent off, the sanction can be downgraded to a yellow or rescinded entirely.
If a decision is overturned, are yellow and red cards quashed?
Only for denying a goalscoring opportunity or the stopping of a promising attack. Any other cards shown between the infringement and the stoppage of play would stand (dissent, for instance).
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1:20
Steve Nicol praises VAR decision in Man City vs. Tottenham
Steve Nicol dismisses any naysayers that VAR is not a positive after he feels it correctly ruled off Man City's goal late on versus Tottenham.
PENALTIES
When will VAR get involved in a penalty kick?
It will only check for an encroaching player who gets directly involved in the outcome -- after a save, or rebound off the post, for example -- and to check that a player has not stuttered his run directly before taking the kick.
Sergio Aguero missed a penalty for Man City against West Ham, but a retake was ordered because Declan Rice encroached and was first to the rebound. Had a non-encroaching player been first to the ball, the kick would not have been retaken.
Questions & Answers: VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREES
May VAR be used to check/review offences committed during a penalty kick?
What about a goalkeeper staying on his line?
The revised law states that a goalkeeper must have one foot on the line when the penalty is struck and was stringently enforced at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
UEFA, the Premier League and the Bundesliga subsequently decided that the law will only be enforced if it is blatantly flouted, which means we are unlikely to see VAR ordering a retake in major competitions. However, on Aug. 21, the IFAB insisted that leagues with VAR must enforce the Laws of the Game, making specific reference to penalty kicks.
This rule will not be enforced if a player misses the target or hits the woodwork. It will only apply to a goalkeeper save.
A penalty is awarded but a review overturns the decision. How does play restart?
In the case of no foul, with an uncontested dropped ball to the goalkeeper. If there was an attacking infringement in the build-up, like offside or a foul, play restarts with a free kick to the defending team.
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