2011 an important year for the All Blacks but head strength and conditioning coach Nic Gill says working with one of the best rugby teams in the world is always busy.
The AUT Research Supervisor at the School of Sport and Recreation is charged with developing and implementing the fitness and training programme for the players aiming to win rugby's biggest prize on Sunday 23 October at Eden Park.
Gill works closely with the All Black coaches and selectors on the fitness and strength of players as well as ball-handling skills and injury management. He says the All Black team knows everything about every player who pulls on the black jersey and it is that intimate knowledge that enables them to perform at their best.
Combining this role with his work at AUT is something he thoroughly enjoys. "I am earning a living doing what I love. Over the years there has been a big move towards professional sport and consequently there are more roles available, both here in New Zealand and overseas, for people who have gained sport science degrees."
While Gill has spent almost his entire working life in educational institutions and despite a long list of academic achievements, he believes he is always learning. "The day you stop learning is the day you die."
Gill says sport science, like the world-leading research he leads at the Sport Research Institute of New Zealand at AUT, is an integral part of the evolution of fitness and training for elite sportspeople.
"We don't change the programme on a day-to-day basis, but we do use the science to guide us," he says.
"What is important is getting the basics right. It's all about improving decision-making while improving fitness and strength. Not doing the basics right is a bit like having a roast with all the trimmings but no chicken."
The Sport and Recreation School will soon be moving to the AUT Millennium Campus on Auckland's North Shore. Gill is looking forward to it. "It's going to be awesome. It will allow more science with a purpose."
Travis McMaster, one of Nic Gill's PhD students, is already doing power and speed testing at AUT Millennium Campus. His research looks at novel wearable technologies which will help with the assessment, monitoring and improvement of athletic performance in rugby.
McMaster is one of a number of post-graduate students Gill is working with.
Another is Martin Beaven who received his PhD at the recent AUT graduation ceremony on Auckland's North Shore. He did his thesis on the physiological impacts of resistance exercises focusing on how the hormones, testosterone and cortisol, can influence performance.
Prospective PhD student Richard Swinburne will work with the New Zealand Sevens team in investigating the science of sleep and its impact on sporting performance. One aspect of the research will investigate cherry juice - which contains natural melatonin - and its use in inducing sleep.
"It's incredible the number of people that turn up to the gym and they're already tired. It's possibly because they haven't had a good night's sleep," says Gill.
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The Science of Rugby
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