
Seminar 26 February 2025 16:00 (AEDT)
Title: Mathematical Modelling and Optimisation of Athletic Performance
Speaker: David Ceddia
The University of Melbourne
Summary:
In order to improve at an activity, it is generally agreed upon that it requires practice. How this practice should be structured, however, is not a generally agreed-upon thing. In this talk, I will introduce the topic of mathematically modelling a change in athletic performance in response to a training load. Specifically, I will introduce two prominent athletic performance models from the literature: the Banister et al. (1975) Fitness-Fatigue Impulse Response Model and the Busso (2003) Variable Dose-Response Model. I then ask: given these models of athletic performance, what is the training load that maximises the change in performance over a fixed period?
Ideally, we would expect the optimised training loads derived from these models to align with common training practices of elite athletes, displaying trends such as moderation, periodisation and tapering. Such an agreement is not, however, observed. I will then detail potential modifications to an athletic performance model that elicit periodisation and tapering.
Moderation, however, is likely driven by concern for injury rather than directly an aspect of performance improvement. I then examine incorporating recommendations from the literature surrounding training load management, explicitly, Blanch and Gabbett’s (2016) acute to chronic workload ratio bounds and the 10% training guideline surrounding gradual progression. I then introduce a more mechanistically inspired injury risk model and examine its capacity to elicit moderation and periodisation under optimisation.
Biography:
David Ceddia is a PhD student in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Melbourne, supervised by OPTIMA Chief Investigators, Prof. Howard Bondell and Prof. Peter Taylor. He has a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (Hons) and Science (Hons) and a Master of Philosophy in Physics from Monash University. In his PhD, he is working on athletic performance modelling and optimisation.
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This event is Hybrid: Seminar to start 16:00 on Zoom and in-person
Location for in person: * Please arrive early to get a cup of tea and get settled in for a 4pm sharp start*
Melbourne Connect, Level 8, Room 8109, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton
SEMINAR: WED 26 FEBRUARY 2025 16:00 -17:00 (AEDT, Melbourne Time)
ZOOM MEETING ID: 873 1557 5255; PASSWORD: 778635