Knowledge and reported use of sport science by elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors.

OBJECTIVE This study enquired about the knowledge and reported use of sport science in elite Olympic class sailors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The sailors responded to a simple questionnaire. SETTING The questionnaire was administered as part of an introductory seminar on sport science during a training camp. PARTICIPANTS The participants were 28 (22 male, 6 female) elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASURES The questionnaire asked whether or not they used a training race diary, enquired about their current and past injuries and their knowledge and use of sport science in the areas of nutrition, psychology and physical training. RESULTS Only ten (36%) of the sailors kept a training/race diary. Whilst only four (14%) had a current injury, sixteen (57%) reported an injury in the previous three years. The injuries were in the lower back (45%), knee (22%), shoulder (18%), and arm (15%). Although nineteen (68%) of the sailors had experienced dehydration during racing, the average volume of fluid reported to be taken on a four hour sail was only 0.9 litre, of which only an average of 0.7 litres (77%) was reported to be drunk. All the sailors reported being sometimes (46%) to very often (3%) anxious before races and sometimes (43%) to always (7%) being frustrated with their own mistakes. Only one sailor reported never having negative thoughts whilst fifteen (53%) reported having them sometimes, and seven (25%) often or very often. Twenty-four (86%) of the sailors reported that they sometimes had a loss of concentration near the end of the race. Whilst eighteen (64%) reported practising relaxation and seventeen (61%) reported practising visualisation as a mental skill, only five (18%) practised progressive mental relaxation, two (7%) practised meditation and none practised yoga. Seventeen (61%) undertook strength/circuit training, ten (36%) flexibility and twenty-one (75%) off water aerobic training. Twenty-four (86%) reported undertaking on-water aerobic training. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that there is considerable scope for improvement in the knowledge and use of sports science amongst elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors.