The sports science of curling: a practical review [with radio interview]

Abstract

Includes radio interview discussing the paper (Bradley, John L. 2009. The sports science of curling: a practical review. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 8 (4), pp.495-500.) with Chris Walker on 'Daybreak', Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, radio show on 26 February 2010.Curling is a sport played on ice in which two teams each deliver 8 granite stones towards a target, or 'house'. It is the only sport in which the trajectory of the projectile can be influenced after it has been released by the athlete. This is achieved by sweeping the ice in front of the stone to change the stone-ice friction and thereby enable to stone to travel further, curl more or stay straight. Hard sweeping is physically demanding. Different techniques of sweeping can also have different effects on the stone. This paper will review the current research behind sweeping a curling stone, outline the physiological demands of sweeping, the associated performance effects and suggest potential strategies of sweeping that can be used by both coaches and curling teams