Dwain Chambers Switch to Rugby League

It is a rare occasion that Rugby League events make a significant impact on the national press, yet this week it most certainly has. The most infamous of British athletes, Dawin Chambers, has begun a months trial at Castleford Tigers. Many people have commented on this with respect to his ban for use of performance enhancing drugs. This however is not what i would like to discuss, I am more interested in on what physical basis, if any, there was in making this happen.

As a strength and conditioning coach there is an expectation that we have a strong research/science background. Therefore applying this we can see past the obvious dissimilarities between sprinting and rugby. What I am trying to do is see what precedent this sets in athletes moving from sport to sport.

In its simplest form sprinting is the productionand channelling of leg power through the body, whilst the mechanics are different in Rugby, the core elements require the same thing. As a strength and conditioning coach, I can be confident that I would have spend much less time with Dwain in the gym than I would other athletes, this actually would allow to spend more time working on technical aspects.

Furthermore his training background will have involved many other activities other than sprinting, I would hop then that he would have developed a sense of proprioception much more honed than a normal individual. As a consequence it is possible that the time it takes him learn new skills may be reduced.

As an international athlete for many years, he will have become accustomed to the physical and mental demands of full time training, and therefore will be comfortable in handling the training schedules.

On a more physiological level sprinting is clearly dependant upon a strong proportion of type 2 muscle fibres. Rugby league is defined by its intermittant periods of highly forceful actions, tackling, sprinting, change of directions etc. Therefore genetically he has starting edge on those around him.

However, research shows that linear running speed is poorly related to agility, Young, McDowell & Scarlett (2001). Gabbet, Kelly & Pezet (2008) have also found that when examining the influence of fitness and skill on selection, skill is the key determining factor.

In conclusion then the notion that a sprinter can transfer to team sports isn't that far fetched, however there some significant consideratiosn that must be accounted for. As a strength and conditioning coach my main priority for working in this scenarion would be maintain his speed, but through skills conditioning, focus strongly on agility.

Mark