Human Braking Performance | Founder @BrakingPerform | PhD Deceleration | Lecturer @Uni_Lancashire | Performance Consultant | Sport Scientist FCASES | S&C Coach
Website ⬇️
Joined January 2012
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🆕 Just published…
Maximum DECELERATION is related to players ability to repeat high-intensity decelerations in a match in @BarclaysWSL
Aligns well with concept of DECELERATION reserve
Fantastic collaboration led by @DavidMH_7 with @jmolivalozano and @PaulAJonesUoS 👇
#WSL
Damian Harper, PhD retweeted
🆕"These findings indicate that worst-case scenario demands in @SkyBetLeagueOne are position-specific, highly variable & infrequently reach near-max levels during matches ⚽️"
➡️Considering relative measures of INT
👉P. McGrath et al. 2026 🏴
📂Open Access: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…
Damian Harper, PhD retweeted
🆕"This exploratory study aimed to investigate current practices in injury surveillance, on-field rehabilitation & RTP criteria in male professional football ⚽️"
➡️ @premierleague @SkyBetChamp @MLS
👉 B. Dixon, J. Alexander & @DHMov 2026 🏴
📂Open Access: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…
WHY TRAIN FOOTBALLERS TO BRAKE? ⚽️
Great to see this paper now published in @BiolSport ...
DECELERATION & eccentric training for muscle damage PROTECTION & RECOVERY in football...
Fantastic to collaborate with a great team @fsitraining_ @galiaaans @Fabio_sportsci @josasian
Check it out FREE at link below:
🔗 termedia.pl/Deceleration-and…
#brakes #deceleration #football #soccer #performance
🆕 Great to see this paper just published…
A survey exploring contemporary practices & rehabilitation procedures in male professional football ⚽️
Fantastically led by @ben_dixon23 as part of his DProf in Elite Performance @Uni_Lancashire 👇
⚽️ Latest article out now in @JSportsSci
🔓 Open Access
Injury surveillance, OFR and RTP criteria: A survey of current practices in male professional football
🔗 tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…
Thanks to all survey participants and to co-authors @DHMov & Jill Alexander
BLOG ➡️ Eccentric strength training for improving horizontal DECELERATION…
✔️ Eccentric strength is critical for enhancing horizontal deceleration ability.
✔️ The BRAKING PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK provides a continuum of ECCENTRIC strength training methods.
Develop the BRAKES❗️
Link to full article:
sciofmultispeed.com/eccentri…
🆕 Great to see this paper just accepted in @JSCRonline …
Comparison of Initial Braking & Propulsive Phase Force-Time Characteristics of Countermovement Hex-Bar Jump & Hang High Pull
Fantastically led by Chris Peil as part of his DProf in Elite Performance @Uni_Lancashire 👏
Fantastic weekend presenting at two amazing conferences & venues…
📍 Swiss S&C conference, Swiss Inst of Sport🇨🇭
📍@SportsmithHQ Speed conference, Etihad Stadium 🏴
Was great to discuss latest insights into deceleration testing/training & learn from many great practitioners
Grateful for the opportunity to speak at two incredible events this weekend⚡️
📍Swiss S&C Conference, Magglingen🇨🇭
📍@SportsmithHQ Speed Training Conference, Manchester🏴
I'll be presenting on the Braking Performance Framework & Profiling Braking Capabilities
See you there!🤝
Damian Harper, PhD retweeted
Upper-body isometric strength qualities are associated with faster high-intensity running #footballscience #footballresearch footballscience.net/2026/09/…
Great to be a part of this study led by the excellent work of @tallen_5 through his DProf in Elite Performance @Uni_Lancashire …
Does running more in the @premierleague actually win matches? One for @GNev2 😂⚽️👇
Does running more actually win football matches?
A research study over nine seasons and 3,379 Premier League games suggests it’s more complicated than that.
Total distance had NO significant relationship with league position.
Sprint distance showed the strongest relationship with success.
Winning teams averaged just 91m more sprinting than losing teams.
Teams who run less than others can still be successful. Aston Villa were bottom three for distance covered and sprint distance last season - they finished fourth.
The real question isn’t how much you run. It’s when, where and why you run. Context is key.
Damian Harper, PhD retweeted
Can deceleration-specific isometric exercises acutely enhance change of direction (COD) performance? ⚡Smoliga et al. found both protocols improved 5-0-5 COD, peaking at 8 min.
Early-dec. work yielded superior gains vs late-dec. (p=0.002; g=0.90) 🏃♂️
🔓🔗 doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.20…
ALT Smoliga JE, Oliva V, Novosád A, Suja M, Harper DJ. Deceleration specific isometric exercises acutely enhance change of direction performance in male youth academy soccer players. Biology of Sport. 2026;43:1253-1259. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2026.159569.
Damian Harper, PhD retweeted
DECELERATiON permits some of the highest changes in velocity 💨 🟰
📌 Rapid space separation
📌 Rapid changes of direction
📌 More time for technical actions
📌 Disrupt defensive organisation
📌 ⬆️ access to VMax
More game defining moments❗️
⚽️🏀🏈
humanbrakingperformance.com/
Great to be a part of this one!
Injury surveillance, on-field rehab and return to play criteria in professional football ⚽️
Excellently led again by @ben_dixon23 as part of his DProf in Elite Performance @Uni_Lancashire
Out soon in @JSportsSci 👇
🚨 Pleased to get this accepted!
🔜 Injury surveillance, on-field rehabilitation, and return-to-play criteria: A survey of current practices in male professional football
@JSportsSci
Thanks to all practitioners who completed the survey and co-authors @DHMov & Jill Alexander
