Unit rationale, description and aim

To optimise athlete and/or team performance, strength and conditioning coaches working in high performance sport require advanced knowledge of theoretical concepts, and the practical skills to apply this knowledge. This unit develops this knowledge and skills for contemporary practice, with a focus on emerging research, innovation and practical application in areas such as warm up, altitude training, high-intensity interval training, and speed training. This focus on innovation and application also addresses evidence-based and ethical challenges faced by the practitioner. Students will also gain the practical skills required to deliver high quality training sessions.

2026 10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 1Online Unscheduled
  • ACU Term 3Online Unscheduled

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Communicate emerging research and practices in str...

Learning Outcome 01

Communicate emerging research and practices in strength and conditioning and their application
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC9, GC11

Analyse, interpret and report the outcomes of athl...

Learning Outcome 02

Analyse, interpret and report the outcomes of athlete assessment protocols and their application
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC8, GC9, GC11

Plan meaningful interventions for athletes, direct...

Learning Outcome 03

Plan meaningful interventions for athletes, directed at enhancing performance and reducing the likelihood of injury or illness
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC3, GC6, GC8, GC10, GC12

Content

Topics include: 

  • Blood flow restriction training; 
  • Velocity based training and testing;
  • Speed and agility training;
  • Altitude training;
  • Other contemporary and/or emerging practices in strength and conditioning.  

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies have been purposefully designed for the assessment of learning outcomes reflecting the principles of authentic assessment design and include:

  • Assessment Task 1: Written summaries to assess comprehension and reflection on unit content.
  • Assessment Task 2: Critical appraisal and application of literature. 
  • Assessment Task 3: Oral presentation to assess students' ability to search and synthesise the literature and to apply the evidence in a high-performance sport environment.


To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.

Overview of assessments

To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.

Assessment Task 1 Week(s) in review  Requires s...

Assessment Task 1

Week(s) in review 

Requires students to engage with the weekly content and demonstrate their comprehension. 

Weighting

10%

Learning Outcomes LO1

Assessment Task 2 Article review  Requires stud...

Assessment Task 2

Article review 

Requires students to critically appraise, summarise and disseminate information.  

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 3 Pitch to the Coach (Oral Prese...

Assessment Task 3

Pitch to the Coach (Oral Presentation)

Requires students to search and synthesise the literature and to apply the evidence in a high-performance sport environment

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

ACU Online

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in regards to strength and conditioning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Farrow, D., & Robertson, S. (2017). Development of a Skill Acquisition Periodisation Framework for High-Performance Sport. Sports Medicine (Auckland), 47(6), 1043–1054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0646-2.

Girard, O., Brocherie, F., Goods, P. S. R., & Millet, G. P. (2020). An Updated Panorama of “Living Low-Training High” Altitude/Hypoxic Methods. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2, 26–26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.00026.

Girard, O., Levine, B. D., Chapman, R. F., & Wilber, R. (2023). "Living High-Training Low" for Olympic Medal Performance: What Have We Learned 25 Years After Implementation? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 18(6), 563–572. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2022-0501.

Hickson, R. C. (1980). Interference of strength development by simultaneously training for strength and endurance. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 45(2-3):255-63. doi: 10.1007/BF00421333. PMID: 7193134.

McGowan, C. J., Pyne, D. B., Thompson, K & Rattray, B. (2015). Warm-Up Strategies for Sport and Exercise: Mechanisms and Applications. Sports Medicine (Auckland), 45(11), 1523–1546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0376-x.

Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Bezodis, N. E., & Lockie, R. G. (2018). Change of Direction and Agility Tests: Challenging Our Current Measures of Performance. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 40(1), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000309.

Patterson, S. D., Hughes, L., Warmington, S., Burr, J., Scott, B. R., Owens, J., Abe, T., Nielsen, J. L., Libardi, C. A., Laurentino, G., Neto, G. R., Brandner, C., Martin-Hernandez, J., & Loenneke, J. (2019). Blood Flow Restriction Exercise: Considerations of Methodology, Application, and Safety. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 533–533. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00533.

Racinais, S., Alonso, J. M., Coutts, A. J., Flouris, A. D., Girard, O., González-Alonso, J., Hausswirth, C., Jay, O., Lee, J. K. W., Mitchell, N., Nassis, G. P., Nybo, L., Pluim, B. M., Roelands, B., Sawka, M. N., Wingo, J. E., & Périard, J. D. (2015). Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25(S1), 6–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12467.

Van Cutsem, J., Marcora, S., De Pauw, K., Bailey, S., Meeusen, R., & Roelands, B. (2017). The Effects of Mental Fatigue on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine (Auckland), 47(8), 1569–1588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0672-0.

Weakley, J., Mann, B., Banyard, H., McLaren, S., Scott, T., & Garcia-Ramos, A. (2021). Velocity-Based Training: From Theory to Application. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 43(2), 31–49. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000560.

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