Myths of Sport Performance - (Sequoia Myths) by Amy Whitehead & Jenny Coe (Paperback)

About the Book

Demystify some of the most pervasive myths, misconceptions and realities surrounding the how, what and why of improving performance in sport.

Book Synopsis

Stretching? Sleep? Fatigue? Psychological Safety? Pregnancy? Leadership?

Sport Performance is a complex, highly studied, highly debated and often controversial mixture of theories, opinions and evidence. This book aims to demystify some of the most pervasive myths, misconceptions and realities surrounding the how, what and why of improving performance in sport.

Ultimately, you'll learn the truth about a particular myth, based on the most credible evidence available.

The subject is multidisciplinary in nature, made up of a myriad of sciences and philosophies, with the aim (the majority of the time) of improving performance, well-being, and health. Readers will learn multidisciplinary perspectives of sport and performance, from the physiological, psychological, pedagogical, sociological, and even philosophical.

Yes, this book is underpinned by science, but we also invited authors from around the world to bring their own personal experiences to the chapters, hence including not just experts within academia, but also those working on the ground of sport and performance. Contributors include lead sport scientists working in national institutes of sport, physiotherapists, sport and exercise psychologists, former athletes and high-performance consultants. It is important to us that this book is read by practitioners in the field of sport, and therefore is informed by those successfully working in these areas.

Whichever area of sport you compete, participate, work, or have an interest in, this book provides both the research underpinnings and practical considerations for you to be able to apply to your own environment and context. Whether you just become more aware of a specific topic, or you actually change what you do as a result, we hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed putting together.

Review Quotes

Have your ever wondered why, despite training hard, you don´t achieve the expected results? Do you believe in most of the "stories" they tell you about issues that affect your sport performance? Behind every elite or recreational athlete, there is a mountain of information, but also a cloud of myth that can sabotage your progress. In this book, the most common beliefs are dismantled and offer science based tools to put an end to this cloud of myths and optimize and improve your health and, therefore, your performance.

Dr Cristina Salazer Ramirez, expert sport science Doctor, Master Skyrunning World Champion.

A brilliant, paradigm-shifting book written by genuine experts in sport. I'm delighted to see the generic cr*p that is 'received wisdom' around training being challenged and corrected for the benefit of athletes and coaches. A fascinating read!

Dr Emma Pooley, Olympic medallist and world champion cyclist.

In a world of hearsay and amateur traditions, this book will go some way in smashing myths that have long been held as gospel. It is a remedy to the phrase 'we have always done it that way', founded in scientific research and cross sport thinking.

Kevin Pickard, Development Director

Whether you are a psychologist, coach or academic, The Myths of Sport Performance will offer you insights to improve your practice. If you are a practitioner psychologist, the book offers compelling arguments and great studies to back up points you might be discussing with athletes. If you are a coach, it offers great advice for how to get the best from your athletes. If you are coming from an academic approach, the book brings to light the many contradictions that exist within 'well established' disciplines of study so you can assess with a more questioning mindset.

Dr Josephine Perry, Sport Psychologist.