vern neville

Injured Again, but once an Athlete always an Athlete!

2010-05-30T14:15:00.005+01:00

If you have a cool training video then email it to me or send me your Youtube link

Should I re-operate after three pec-major ruptures?

2010-05-29T13:42:00.001+01:00

I have rested the chest for 8 weeks now, only doing light shoulder stability exercises – it is amazing how quickly one can lose muscle mass –I am going for an MRI scan on 4 June to see what has happened to the allograft (the cadaver tendon that was implanted during the previous operation).
My surgeon, Dr Len Funk*, is hesitant about re operating due to the build up of scar tissue now after 4 operations and the fact that both of the last 2 repairs have been a success, but the rehabilitation has failed. So even with another successful operation, if the rehab process is not successful, I could end up in the same situation again...
As a private (non contracted) athlete, it is extremely difficult to find the same level of medical support that one is accustomed to in a professional team environment. In addition, unfortunately no physiotherapist in Loughborough has had previous experience of treating a similar injury.
My goal now is to try to find the appropriate medical support that I require prior to considering another operation...

* Dr Len Funk is one of the best shoulder surgeons in Europe and based in Manchester UK, his details can be found on his website, www.shoulderdoc.co.uk. I would recommend Len Funk to any athlete with a shoulder or chest injury

Chest Rupture #3

2010-05-16T13:17:00.001+01:00

6 Weeks after surgery, following my re rupture of my pectoralis major tendon, I had yet another setback with my rehabilitation - unfortunately during physio the shoulder was overstretched doing end of range mobility in shoulder flexion. This resulted in having to refrain from treatment for 3 weeks while the chest/shoulder settled down, and from then on my rehab was never quite the same. There was also a visual indentation just above the axilla, which was not apparent during the first 6 weeks. Determined to overcome the setback, I continued to rehab hoping to try to make it back to competing in the Louis Vuitton World Series in Sardinia in May, but 8 weeks later while in the gym with my physio, it got worse! either the loads were too great or the damage done 8 weeks earlier was now revealed, either way it was evident that the repair had come away... DEVASTATING

Restwise.com – the answer to monitoring athlete’s recovery

2010-04-16T14:51:00.014+01:00

“The founders of Restwise™ teamed up with Dr Vern Neville from Loughborough University, Sports Technology Institute to develop the first non-invasive web-based software to quantify an athlete’s state of recovery. Restwise analyzes a number of known markers of fatigue, stress and over-reaching and weights them appropriately to calculate a personalized Daily Recovery Score™. With this tool, athletes and coaches are able to make better, more informed training decisions: Superior Performance through Intelligent Recovery™”
As athletes we are all aware that performance enhancement is the result of a balance between training load and recovery. But when to rest and how much recovery is needed is difficult to determine. The science of training/coaching has advanced massively over the past few years as has recovery protocols, but no one really understands how much or when rest is required for optimal performance, and as a result many of us end up over-trained or injurred.
The signs and symptoms of fatigue, stress and over-reaching in athletes are well documented, and despite the hundreds of studies and publications on identifying markers of fatigue and over-reaching, as yet no single reliable marker has been determined (although numerous have shown empirical evidence in specific circumstances or cohorts). In addition, there are few (if any) reliable diagnostic tools available. With this in mind, a diagnostic tool which has a combination of markers is likely to increase the accuracy of identifying an athlete’s state of recovery.
Restwise is the first tool to combine a number of evidence based signs, symptoms and markers of fatigue, stress and over-reaching into an on-line daily assessment tool.
The markers include:
1. Changes in resting heart rate
2. Sleep duration and quality
3. Changes in body mass
4. Blood oxygen saturation
5. Urine colour
6. Appetite
7. Muscle soreness
8. Illness or well being
9. Subjective energy levels
10. Subjective mood state
11. Subjective rating of training performance

The product login includes a small pulse oximeter, ideal for measuring resting heart rate and SPO2.

The data can be entered on-line using an iPhone (or any other mobile device) and the results are automatically generated in a useful format. An overall daily recovery score is given as a percentage and coloured according to the risk of over-reaching, i.e. red being high risk and green being low risk. The results are also displayed graphically which can be compared to previous days/weeks (see image below).

There is also a new Coach Platform which allows coaches to view the recovery scores of all their athletes. Coaches can also set threshold values for individual athletes which are then flagged if the athlete scores below the threshold. This is really cool!

http://www.halfvolley.co.uk/2010/03/rest-launch-revolutionary-online-athlete-recovery-programme/

Loughborough University: potential to be the best centre for sport in Europe

2010-02-23T11:40:00.026Z

I am still training mostly at LA Fitness Loughborough and occasionally workout at Loughborough University PowerBase. Loughborough University sport has very few weaknesses and is considered the centre for sport in the UK with World class Olympic standard sport specific facilities for most sports, yet the strength & conditioning facilities are clearly outdated. Not only is the equipment outdated but there are insufficient machines to cater for the increased requirements of specific athletes/sports. With the Olympics only 2-years away, performance could be greatly enhanced by improved facilities! One only has to train in almost any USA University (or College) strength & conditioning centre to understand what great strength facilities could be. Understandably funding is 'tight' for educational institutions in the UK at the moment and there may not be funds available to invest in upgrading a S&C facility, however, in my opinion this could be a great opportunity for a commercial enterprise to become directly involved in the success of many of Brittons medal hopefuls; the opportunity to capitalise on the Olympic movement leading up to 2012 and to be involved in a lasting legacy. If the Loughborough University S&C facilities were state-of-the-art one would expect that the University would be able to attract more athletes and teams to Loughborough, and athletes like myself and others would thrive on training there. There is real potential to capitalise on the Olympics and to create a world class S&C centre at Loughborough Uni!

Rehab - week 9 post op

2010-02-20T19:25:00.001Z

After having taken most of week 8 ‘off’ from rehab and training, partly due to having been ill for 5 days and partly because I felt that I needed to psychologically remove myself from the injury for a few days, I feel great and back into full training now.
My schedule of Physiotherapy, Massage and Chiropractor is similar to previous weeks. I am now using the blue theraband for most of my rehab exercises and begun using resistance machines, such as: chest press, seated rows, shoulder press, lat pulldowns, biceps curls and triceps. I have also picked up the grinding intensity a little to ~140 W and have begun chest strengthening exercises (eg, cable presses and machine chest press) and chest proprioception exercises.

33rd America’s Cup - greatest yachts in history

2010-02-19T03:18:00.003Z

I have just returned from watching the greatest yacht race of our generation; the 33rd America’s Cup ‘Deed-of-Gift’ race in Valencia, Spain. USA is once again the defender of the America’s Cup! This was an amazing piece of history; the two most technologically advanced racing yachts ever built went head-to-head in a best-of-three series to decide who would defend the 34th America’s Cup. There are simply no words to describe... the BMW Oracle Racing trimaran was incredible – I was one of the fortunate few to have been invited onboard and was totally blown away with the engineering; the wing sail and the hydraulics control system were seriously impressive! The Alinghi catamaran was also an engineering masterpiece (although I only got to see it from the dock).
But the real talent was my good mate Jimmy Spithill; he steered the BOR ‘beast’ with perfection. Jimmy has got to be by far the World’s best match racing helmsman, in fact I have said many times before, he could have been a top pro athlete in almost any sport had he chosen!

Well done to Russell Coutts and all the BOR team for an amazing effort. Regardless of all the personalities, egos, legal battles and side shows, one has got to feel sympathy for Brad Butterworth, my good friend Jan Dekker and the Alinghi crew; it’s a hard way to lose the Cup!
I can only hope that the 34th America’s Cup is going to be the biggest and best America’s Cup ever, and of course, I will be ready. I’m feeling good!

Pec major rehab - week 6 post op

2010-01-30T17:29:00.001Z

It is now 6 weeks since my last op and rehab is progressing well.
My daily treatment/therapy for this past week has included:
Physiotherapy (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) - gentle assisted range of movement of the shoulder joint/girdle (flexion & extension, external & internal rotation, abduction & adduction), soft tissue massage of the pec muscle and scar, upper traps, rhomboids and scapular trigger point release;
Massage (Tuesday, Friday) - neck, back, non-injured shoulder, gluteus and hamstrings;
Chiropractic adjustment (Thursday) - realignment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine and pelvis.
My training has been as follows: Friday – Rehab + Upper body strength (non injured side), Saturday – (no rehab as my chest was very tender after yesterdays physio) + Cardio (50 mins), Sunday – Rehab + Upper body strength (non injured side), Monday – Rehab + Legs strength, Tuesday – Rest, Wednesday – Rehab + Upper body strength (non injured side).
My rehab exercises have picked up a little in intensity and I am using the Red Theraband for most exercises. I usually start with the grinder (arm erg) for 5-10 mins at ~110W (mainly pushing with non-injured arm and following with injured), then pendulum swings and gentle rollout stretching on knees with a FitBall, then I do a three circuits of band exercises, beginning with lateral raise (thumb down) x20, front raise (thumb down) x20, upright row x20, horizontal scapular retraction and row x20, external scapular rotation x20, internal scapular isometric pulsing 30s, biceps curls x20, triceps pushdowns x20, shrugs x20, shoulder extensions x20, forearm spring grips x100.

The America's Cup - marketing genius!?

2010-01-26T15:37:00.000Z

Over the past 12 months, where ever I have gone in the world and everyone I have spoken to has had an opinion or commented on the current 'state' of the America's Cup. Many wonder whether the America's Cup will ever truly recover from the past two years of litigations and disputes. One of the greatest concerns for pro-sailors, teams and commercial partners is the long-term affect that the current situation of the America's Cup will have on sponsorship. But, what amazes me is the number of people that are aware of the ongoing crisis and aware that the 'Americans' and 'Swiss' are going to be sailing against each other in the world’s most technologically advanced racing yachts. In fact, people that may previously have had little idea of the America's Cup are now intrigued. So, apart from the fact that more than 2500 sailors and support staff (me included) have been out-of-work for the past two years, the current state of the America's Cup may just have increase the marketability of the event...
Sponsorship is all about exposure and increasing revenue; if the Deed of Gift race between BMW Oracle Racing (USA) and Alinghi (Swiss) on February 8th in Valencia is half the spectacle we are all expecting, then Russell Coutts (skipper BOR) and Brad Butterworth (skipper Alinghi) may actually succeed in elevating the global exposure of the sport way beyond what may have otherwise occurred. Call it what you will, but in my opinion, history may just look back at this event and call it “marketing genius”!

Déjà vu: same story, different day...

2009-12-19T12:41:00.002Z

Operation number 4! Apparently the operation was successful! my pec tendon was re-attached with 3 metal anchors and reinforced with tendo-achilles allograft (sterilised achilles tendon tissue taken from a cadaver...) and biologically enhanced with platelet rich plasma (taken from my own blood). I am feeling surprisingly good, nowhere near as drowsy and numb as post the previous operations, but considerably more local pain in the chest – the ‘nerve block’ obviously did not work, and my back is numb instead of my chest... anyhow, I am feeling confident that this is the final step to full recovery and I will be back sailing again before the end of next year...

Fast Rewind life 7 months...

2009-12-16T12:13:00.009Z

It was just over 7 months ago that I ruptured my pec major (chest muscle), resulting in 3 successive reattachment surgeries and a rollercoaster ride of emotional lows and highs. The initial thought of having a career ending injury followed by months of intensive rehab and training, then the excitement of potentially getting back into top condition and seeing ‘the light’ of possibly making a comeback. And here I am again, 7 months later, back in hospital and about to go in for my 4th operation for the same injury...
It’s difficult to understand, let alone being able to explain why and what happened, particularly after my rehab and training was progressing so well. It could be summed up by simply saying that my surgeon (Prof. Len Funk) was not surprised that the tendon had re ruptured. I recall him telling me after the 3rd operation that he may have to re operate in a few months time as the integrity of the muscle had deteriorated significantly following an infection. Anyway here I am ready to rewind my life 7 months and begin the rehab process all over again!
So, what have I learned in the process? Well, firstly, the mind in incredibly powerful, in-fact far stronger than the human body. Secondly, peak performance is not about pushing oneself to the limit every training session, but being able to carefully judge when to push and when to allow the body to recover; the art of knowing how much is too much! Thirdly, it is not the first to start that’s important, it’s the first to finish that counts. Basically, I need a good trainer!
As I write this, just a few hours before going in to surgery, I recall how I felt 7 months ago; one may expect it to get easier, on the contrary. Whether it’s the thought of once again having to endure the countless hours of rehab, or having to re learn to brush my teeth with my left hand, or not being able shower for weeks (well, not without a measure or creativity), or loosing another 10kg’s of muscle mass, or the fact that the operation is going to be considerably more complex than previous (I am undergoing an ‘allograft’), I am not sure.

Bring it on!

2009-10-07T14:16:00.002+01:00

Having received the all clear to resume maximal training from my surgeon (Prof. Lennard Funk), I am back on track; 107 kg's and 12.8% body fat. Yes I know... body fat is a little high, but it's on the way down from a life-time high of 15% after the ops! My goal, 110 kg and < 11% fat.
Strength is improving well and it won't be long before I can throw around the 60 kg dumbbells again... The most noticeable deficit at the moment is my velocity of movement - my chest and shoulder muscles seem to be slower at reacting to high speed - it may be a neural deficit post op or just muscle recruitment issues which will hopefully adjust over time. Hence, I have included loads of upper body proprioceptive and reaction drills into my training; for example, reaction focus-mitt boxing, med-ball, swiss-ball and wobble board exercises, etc.
Will I be ready to grind in the Louis Vuitton World Series in Nice in November? Definitely! But with all 8 of the America's Cup teams already having finalised their crews it is unlikely that I will find a team with only 4 weeks to go! I am desperately hoping and will be in peak condition waiting for the call!

Grinding Workout

2009-09-18T23:44:00.004+01:00

After having had loads of requests for grinding workouts, I thought that I would post my grinding session from yesterday. I trained at Virgin Active in Derby (UK) for a change in 'scenery'; and of course the gym is equipped with only the best, Technogym!

This was the first 'high intensity' session that I have done since my injury. With my iPod pumping out Guns N' Roses, Texas, Nickleback & Akon (yeah I know its old school...), I started with an easy 15 minutes at 170 W, then I upped the next 15 minutes to 180 W, before resting (and stretching) for 5 minutes. Then the real work started; 6 sets of 60 seconds sprints at ~400 W, followed by 60 seconds rest. I then rested for 5 minutes, and did another 5 sets of the same (60 seconds sprints at ~400 W, followed by 60 seconds rest). It's a real killer!

BASES Conference

2009-08-14T20:59:00.002+01:00

The 2009 BASES Annual Conference will be at Leeds Metropolitan University from 1-3 September. http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/conferences/bases2009/index.htm

Look out for a presentation titled: "Optimising Arm-crank Configurations: testing the most powerful upper-body athletes in sport" at 12h15 on Tuesday 1 September (Lecture C). There will also be a sailing symposium at 13h00 on the Thursday, specifically detailing Dee Caffaris preparations for the 2008 Vendée Globe yacht race.

Training 'Circus'

2009-08-12T21:14:00.010+01:00

I thought that I had just about seen it all when it came to 'gym creativity' until today. I had just finished a 15 minute warmup on the grinder at LA Fitness and was about to start dynamic stretching when I noticed these two guys... yes, both were guys... engaged in some rather 'intimate' spotting... One of the guys asked me why I had taken a picture with my mobile, to which I politely replied "because it was a unique exercise that I had never seen before", he then asked if I could post the image on Youtube so that "others could see how its done correctly..." Amazing!

Injury Update

2009-08-04T00:21:00.008+01:00

It is now 12 weeks post surgery and training is coming good. The chest and shoulder are getting stronger every day. I am up to 60 minutes on the grinder – pain free! and I can just about do 5 push-ups now. I am more confident that ever that I will be ready to ‘rock-and-roll’ come the end of year Louis Vuitton Series... (thanks everyone for all the support, emails, etc.)

When I’m not at physio or in the gym, I am consulting for the Sports Technology Institute (STI) at Loughborough University (http://www.sports-technology.com/). The STI is the World leading Sports Technology research centre where much of the R & D for major sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, New Balance, Callaway golf, etc is performed. In fact we also performed some exciting research on grinding at the STI last year (the novel research is currently in press) and we hope will influence the design of future big-boat grinding pedestals and winch systems. The World Cup soccer ball was also designed at the STI, as well as the new synthetic NBA basketball, not to mention the most successful golf club of all time, the Calloway big-Berther.
I attended an interesting presentation recently by Dr Richard Liang from the High Performance Materials Institute in the USA (http://www.hpmi.net/) on the use of Carbon Nanotube Buckypaper composite, which is taking the place of carbon fibre and is one tenth the weight yet 500 times stronger than steel. It is being used in the aerospace and military industries, and is sure to find its way into the likes of the America’s Cup and Formula 1 very soon.

33rd America’s Cup - 100% technology

2009-08-03T16:23:00.009+01:00

As for the Deed of Gift match, what an awesome display of yachting technology! Both the BMW Oracle Racing and Alinghi multi-hulls are amazing. Legal issues aside, the 33rd America’s Cup is destined to be a truly historical event. As for using engines to drive the winch and hydraulic systems, one can understand this from a technology aspect (with the ‘open’ Deed of Gift rule), but as an athlete one can only hope that this does not become the future of pro-sailing.
Only recently have the physical demands of elite/pro sailing become acknowledged as an important component of sailing success, particularly in big-boat sailing. For example, efficient grinding has been shown to affect the speed of manoeuvres. Hence, the high physical demands of ‘grinding’ has led to innovative research of the sports science of grinding, including optimum grinding pedestal configurations, grinding technique, etc. It’s not commonly realised, but big-boat sailing is the only able-bodied sport where arm-cranking (grinding) is the primary physical activity. It is not surprising that grinders are among the most powerful upper-body athletes. Therefore, in my opinion from a physiological aspect the uniqueness of grinding as a sporting activity is extremely interesting and should be encouraged as a fundamental activity in pro-sailing.

Shoulder Rehab

2009-07-07T22:57:00.004+01:00

It is now week 7 post op (10 weeks post the initial op) and physio and rehab are going well. I almost have full range of mobility at the shoulder (last few degrees of flexion and abduction are tight) although I still have some shoulder impingement. I can do most normal activities now, like driving a car... and have regained 3 kg's body weight (still 7 kg's to go!).
Apart from ongoing CV and leg strength training, my rehab includes shoulder mobility exercises 7 days/week, physio 3 days/week and heavy band strengthening 3 days/week.

Injury rules Vern Neville out of 2009 sailing season

2009-07-07T17:24:00.006+01:00

“A couple of weeks before the start of the 2009 European sailing season, America's Cup grinder Vern Neville tore his chest muscle which required immediate surgery and will rule him out for the majority of this season”
I tore a muscle in my shoulder (pectoralis major muscle) during a training session in April. A combination of being over-trained, pushing too hard and doing an unfamiliar exercise... As an athlete, one is always on the fine edge of over/under training and it is the ability to optimally manipulate ‘over reaching’ and recovery which leads to performance. I got it wrong... again!

I had surgery in Manchester (UK) with Dr Len Funk which required the tendon to be re anchored back on to my humerus (an anchor screwed into the bone of the arm) and the muscle sutured back onto the tendon. If that wasn’t enough, I got an infection in the repair and had to go back into surgery a week later, spend a few days in hospital on IV antibiotics, then back into surgery again.

The atrophy was phenomenal; I lost 10 kg’s during the first 4 weeks. But more than the atrophy, pain or discomfort, was the psychological impact of the injury... (I have a whole new appreciation for athletes who end up with career ending injuries!). After having taken most of 2008 off from sailing to finish off my Doctorate, I was really looking forward to getting back on the water and had a full season of sailing scheduled for this year. So, coming to terms with being ‘out’ for another year was pretty difficult to accept. But I’m determined to come back even stronger and hope to be back on the water again before the end of the year. Watch this space...