Dr Christopher McLaren-Towlson's Outputs (9)

Bio-banding in soccer: past, present, and future (2022)
Journal Article
Towlson, C., & Cumming, S. P. (in press). Bio-banding in soccer: past, present, and future. Annals of Human Biology, https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2022.2129091

Maturity-related selection biases are engrained within professional academy soccer programmes. The process of grouping of children by biological maturity (“bio-banding”), rather than age is not new. However, practice of bio-banding is becoming incre... Read More about Bio-banding in soccer: past, present, and future.

Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players? (2022)
Journal Article
Maughan, P. C., MacFarlane, N. G., Towlson, C., Barrett, S., & Swinton, P. A. (2023). Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players?. International journal of sports science & coaching, 18(5), 1541-1549. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221114739

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure of relationships between measures of training load and assess whether these can be modified through non-linear transformations. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and seven external load mea... Read More about Does transforming subjective measures of load better represent training and match-play intensity in youth soccer players?.

Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions (2022)
Journal Article
Bennett, T., Marshall, P., Barrett, S., Malone, J. J., & Towlson, C. (2022). Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions. International journal of sports science & coaching, https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221112825

High-speed running has previously been documented as a popular metric among rugby league researchers. Researchers place importance on high-speed running due to its inclusion in assessing the demands of training and match-play to help prescribe accura... Read More about Quantifying high-speed running in rugby league: An insight into practitioner applications and perceptions.

Soccer academy practitioners’ perceptions and application of bio-banding (2022)
Data
McLaren-Towlson, C., Jo-Watson, D., Cumming, S., Salter, J., & Toner, J. Soccer academy practitioners’ perceptions and application of bio-banding. [Data]

The primary aims of this study were to examine the application of maturity status bio-banding within professional soccer academy programmes and understand the methods employed, the intended objectives, and the potential barriers to bio-banding. Using... Read More about Soccer academy practitioners’ perceptions and application of bio-banding.

Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games (2022)
Journal Article
Barrett, S., Short, K., Lowthorpe, A., Swinton, P., Maughan, P., Hamilton, A., Hunter, F., & Towlson, C. (2022). Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games. PLoS ONE, 17(7), Article e0270259. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270259

The aims of the current study were to investigate the use of dRPE with academy soccer players to: 1) examine the effect of bio-banded and non-bio-banded maturity groups within SSG on players dRPE; 2) describe the multivariate relationships between dR... Read More about Examination of differential ratings of perceived exertion (dRPE) during bio-banded small-sided games.

Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players (2022)
Journal Article
Bolckmans, S., Starkes, J. L., Towlson, C., Barnes, C., Parkin, G., & Helsen, W. F. (2022). Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, Article 847438. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.847438

Relative age selection bias persists within all major soccer leagues and youth soccer academies across the globe, with the relative age effect (RAE) being typically characterized as the over selection of relatively older players (who have sometimes a... Read More about Leveling the Playing Field: A New Proposed Method to Address Relative Age- and Maturity-Related Bias in UK Male Academy Soccer Players.

Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units (2022)
Journal Article
Lewis, G., McLaren-Towlson, C., Roversi, P., Domogalla, C., Herrington, L., & Barrett, S. (2022). Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units. PLoS ONE, 17(2), Article e0263518. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263518

Aims The aims of the study were two-fold: I) examine the validity and reliability of high-speed kicking actions using foot-mounted inertial measurement unit's (IMU), ii) quantify soccer players within-microcycle and inter-positional differences in bo... Read More about Quantifying volume and high-speed technical actions of professional soccer players using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety (2022)
Journal Article
Roberts, J., McLaren-Towlson, C., & Malone, J. (2022). A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety. International journal of sports science & coaching, 18(1), 176-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221075213

Soccer heading may be problematic for neurocognitive function. The English Football Association (FA) recently introduced guidelines in order to limit the number of headers within training for youth soccer. However, it remains to be seen what the infl... Read More about A survey on the English FA heading guidelines for youth soccer: evidence of compliance, but with limited knowledge of safety.

Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies (2022)
Journal Article
Clubb, J., Towlson, C., & Barrett, S. (2022). Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies. PLoS ONE, 17(1), Article e0262274. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262274

The aim of this study was to assess the measurement properties of external training load measures across three formats of standardised training games. Eighty-eight players from two English professional soccer clubs participated in the study spanning... Read More about Measurement properties of external training load variables during standardised games in soccer: Implications for training and monitoring strategies.