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Elite alpine skiing demands strength, endurance, technical precision and the ability to perform across changing altitudes, time zones and conditions. In this episode, Bernd Wiener, Strength and Conditioning Coach with the U.S. Alpine Women’s Ski Team, shares how he prepares athletes for these demands. Bernd discusses individualizing training, monitoring load and recovery, managing travel and altitude, building athlete buy-in, and using physiological data to guide daily coaching decisions. He also explains the importance of aerobic development, communication between coaches and combining internal and external data to create a more complete picture of performance.

Welcome to the Firstbeat Sports Podcast where we talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in physiology monitoring and how it is making a difference in team sports. We’re going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. In this episode, we’re chatting with Matias Sarvela, S&C Coach at HIFK. Matias is an experienced strength and conditioning coach with a uniquely international background in professional ice hockey and athlete performance. Throughout his career, he has worked across Finland, U.S. college sports, and professional organizations in China, Russia, and North America, gaining extensive experience in a wide range of coaching environments and performance systems. Matias has built his expertise through years of working closely with elite athletes, helping teams optimize performance, manage training loads, and navigate the demands of long competitive seasons. His international experience has given him valuable insight into different coaching cultures, athlete development pathways, and approaches to performance management. In this conversation, Matias shares the lessons he has learned from working across diverse hockey environments, including managing demanding travel schedules, adapting to new cultures, and individualizing training for athletes with different needs and backgrounds. He also discusses how heart rate-based internal load monitoring data can be translated into practical coaching decisions, along with his perspectives on player development, weekly load planning, effective communication within high-performance teams, and the future of strength and conditioning in ice hockey.

Jonas Bode is a performance coach working with the first team at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga. He has built his career through the German football system, starting in youth development at Carl Zeiss Jena, then moving to Bayern Munich’s academy, before progressing to Borussia Mönchengladbach where he worked with the U23 team and now the first team. Jonas is responsible for load management, training planning, and integrating physiological data into daily coaching decisions. His work focuses on balancing training intensity, supporting communication with coaches and players, and applying data from tools such as heart rate monitoring and GPS. Jonas’s career path and transition to the first team (1:31)  Role and responsibilities in load management and planning (2:25)  How Firstbeat was implemented and integrated into daily workflow (7:04)  Using heart rate data to guide rest and training decisions (8:33)  Weekly microcycle and training structure (8:33)  Submaximal fitness testing: why, how, and when (12:12)  How testing data informs training adjustments (17:15)  Building player and coach buy in using physiological data (19:01)  Key metrics used in practice: high intensity minutes and TRIMP (20:52)  Managing data overload and focusing on key parameters (22:37)  Future needs for monitoring and real time data quality (24:43)

Roman Fomin is the Director of Sport Science at the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is based at the UFC APEX, a state-of-the-art, 130,000-square-foot production facility in Las Vegas that opened in 2019.Roman has a Ph.D. in Physiology and more than 20 years of experience in sports science, technology, and performance. He has been with the UFC since 2018, and prior to that he worked as Director of Research & Science Innovations for Omegawave, and as a Senior Research Scientist for the Research Centre of Sports Medicine in Moscow. Roman’s background (2:00) Roman’s role in UFC and tools they use (3:38) Over 50 different technologies with UFC athletes - how is it balanced? (7:25) Are UFC athletes interested in their performance data? (14:08) What does Roman mean with “Biological money”? (17:31) Has Roman seen athletes out of shape before training camp, but ended up dominating UFC after camp ended? (22:20) What made Roman and UFC go with Firstbeat? (30:38) What Firstbeat metrics does Roman focus on with UFC athletes? (37:28) How much does external and psychological factors affect training data? (41:07) Roman’s career tips to young sport scientists (43:56)

Dr Tamara Hew-Butler is a podiatric physician and associate professor of Exercise and Sports Science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Topics of this episode include hydration, internal and external load, salt intake and combining the art of coaching with science.Timestamps: Tamara’s background (1:40) Tamara’s thoughts and preferences about internal and external load (4:21) Athlete with Rhabdomyolysis - who is responsible and why does it happen? (6:47) Dangers of overhydration for athletes (9:02) Was there backlash from the episode of “Adam Ruins Everything - Why You Don't Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day”? (13:18) How did the “Adam Ruins Everything”- show find Tamara? (14:27) What liquids are the athletes having on the sideline of Wayne State Football? (16:39) If there would be an unlimited budget, what liquids Tamara would get for athletes? (17:26) Is players drinking pickle juice still a thing? (18:37) Training adjustments after pandemic and combining the art of coaching with science (20:16) Working with the new Football coach Tyrone Wheatley at Wayne State University (26:56) The reason why WSU Football got Firstbeat (27:34) Firstbeat Quick Recovery Test trends over the years (31:00) The most useful Firstbeat features and metrics for WSU Football (31:56) Analysis of different TRIMP values from last year to this year (32:50) Adam Ruins Everything - Why You Don't Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day

Steve Chouinard is Associate Athletic Director for Health and Performance at Colgate Athletics. He has been promoted from head athletic trainer to his new leadership role overseeing health and performance but also physical education, recreation and outdoor education after serving 23 years within the department.While Chouinard previously worked with nearly every sport within Colgate Athletics, most recently being the men's hockey and rowing teams, he will continue with athletic training duties for the men's golf program. In July 2019, Chouinard also received a Maroon Citation for his significant and invaluable personal contributions to Colgate University.Timestamps: Steve’s background (1:29) From Head Athletic Trainer to Associate AD for Health and Performance - what are the differences in day-to-day work? (2:47) Icing sports injuries nowadays - yes or no? (4:11) New upgrades to the Colgate Athletics facilities and it’s possibilities (6:01) Did the pandemic create any permanent changes to Athletics? (10:38) How are things looking for Ice Hockey and Basketball teams in Colgate? (11:33) Steve’s thoughts of NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness policy (12:19) Quickfire round (15:44) What made Steve go with Firstbeat (18:07) Most useful features and metrics to use with the teams (18:43) How has using Firstbeat changed during the years with the teams? (21:05) Differences of using Firstbeat with Basketball vs Ice Hockey (21:54) If Steve could time travel, what tip would he give to himself of using Firstbeat in year one? (22:57)

Welcome to the Firstbeat Sports Podcast where we talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We’re going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. In this episode, we’re chatting with Katie Delude. Katie is Head Athletic Trainer at Northeastern University where she works with the women’s ice hockey team who have won five championships in a row since 2018.Timestamps: Katie’s background (1:06) Katie’s research projects (4:40) Secret sauce behind Northeastern Ice Hockey’s continuous success (7:35) Adjusting training decisions based on data findings (9:21) Is social media helping or hurting the coaching and rehab field? (11:18) What work aspects does coordinator of care entail? (12:45) Dealing with over half the spots to fill in a roster (15:42) Northeastern’s recruiting focus (16:33) Is it worth icing injuries anymore? (19:30) Quickfire questions (20:36) Changes in Firstbeat utilization between first season and latest season (22:53) Have the coaching staff ever worn a Firstbeat sensor during a game? (25:17) Goalie heart-rate data (27:08) Process of getting heart-rate data to coaches and players (28:33) The future of college hockey (29:44) Getting the most out of the data with teamwork (32:18) Would you like to listen to more content like this? Subscribe to our mailing list.

Welcome to the Firstbeat Sports Podcast where we talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We’re going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level. On the line today is Jaime Fernandez. Jaime is the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports at the University of Arizona where he works specifically with the Wildcats Women's Basketball program. Timestamps: Jaime’s background (1:16)  Recruiting processes for Wildcats Women’s Basketball (9:11)  Role of sports technology in strength & conditioning (11:50)  How did the pandemic influence the current season? (13:50)  Did being in the bubble make coaching easier or more difficult? (17:40)  Playing Stanford in the NCAA Championship (19:46)  Dealing with several canceled games back-to-back (20:34)  Quickfire questions (22:38)  What made Wildcats choose Firstbeat? (24:23)  Most important Firstbeat Sports data points and features (25:20)  Training load differences between positions on the court (28:12)  How did athletes accept tracking training data? (29:21)  Best advice for upcoming S&C coaches (30:25)  Transcript available here (.pdf).  Would you like to listen to more content like this? Subscribe to our mailing list.

Penn State’s Assistant Director of Performance Enhancement talks about the Ice Hockey programs transition from club level to Division I, the traits of elite student-athletes, and how monitoring intensity helps build a winning program.  On the line today is Cam Davidson. Cam is Asst. Director of Performance Enhancement at Penn State where he works with the ice hockey, volleyball and track & field programs.  Topics discussed in this episode: The journey from Club to Division 1 Ice Hockey | S&C social media – the good and the bad | The value of intensity data | Honing elite talent and turning student-athletes pro | Dealing with COVID-19 protocols  >>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com

We talk with coaches and sports scientists to explore the latest in performance monitoring and how it is making a difference in NCAA and pro sports alike. We’re going to connect you with practical advice from the best in the business to help you take your athletes to the next level.www.firstbeat.com/sports

On the line today is Stephen Volek. Stephen is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Binghamton Devils, the top minor league affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.Topics discussed in this episode: How the team is adapting during the Coronavirus pandemic | Training programs during gruelling AHL schedule | Strategies for low game minute players | Collaborating with the New Jersey Devils | Position-specific data – what it shows>>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com

On the line today is Martin Spohrer. Martin is Strength and Conditioning Coach at Bundesliga soccer club Eintracht Frankfurt. Topics discussed in this episode: The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic | Monitoring players remotely | Keeping players focused and motivated | Building fitness of new signings | Playing ‘ghost games’>>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com

On the line today is Darrell Gray. Darrell is the High Performance Director at Burke Mountain Academy, the leading ski racing academy in the United States.Topics discussed in this episode: Spotting and developing Olympic-level athletes | Balancing training and academics | Informing coaching through data | Eight key domains of high performance | Factoring in recovery into training/competition>>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com

In this episode, we'll look back at some of the highlights from the conversations we've had with our guests over the past 10 episodes.   We'll hear from athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, directors of performance, program coordinators, and the coaching staff themselves, as they offer their unique perspective and expert advice on topics ranging from load management and recovery to talent optimization and the practicalities of using data.   Over the episode, you'll hear insights from the worlds of basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer and hockey.>>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com

On the line today is Ed Lippie. Ed works as a Senior Performance Advisor for AS Roma and is also Director of Health and Fitness at Raptor Capital Management. Topics discussed in this episode: Building a strong performance infrastructure | Balancing the art and science of coaching | Customizing individual player load | Backing up the ‘eye test’ with data | Similarities between elite athletes and private sector workers>>> More information about Firstbeat Sports >>> firstbeat.com