What are the unintentional drawbacks of the tests we run? Today, we’ll have an educational conversion all about research, statistics, and conducting tests for high performance athletes with our special guest, Dr. Mal McHugh! Dr. McHugh received his PhD in exercise physiology in 1999 from the University of Wales, Bangor before he began his work as Director of Research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports & Medicine and Athletic Trauma. In his decades long experience, he has led a multidisciplinary team including orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, biomechanists, medical engineers, and athletic trainers.

In this episode, we’ll explore his research and approach to testing, measurements, and statistics. We will dive deep into testing hip asymmetry, most notably the drawbacks of adductor squeeze tests. As we go, I’ll share the aha moments that changed my perspective on how we view these tests and the unintended consequences of them. Whether you’re a sports scientist, coach, or athlete, you’ll be able to discover something new from the tests you run. This is how we can conduct research that makes a difference!

0:00:00 Introducing the Director of Research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports & Medicine and Athletic Trauma, Dr. Mal McHugh!

0:02:20 What does your role as Director of Research entail?

0:04:35 How do you build a research team?

0:08:05 How did you get involved with testing NHL combines?

0:10:25 Data cleaning & organization.

0:14:55 What is your approach to stats?

0:16:00 What did you discover from your study testing hip strength?

0:21:20 Unpacking the adduction to abduction ratio.

0:24:40 Explore the science & practice behind the sport of ice hockey from The High Performance Hockey Masterclass!

0:25:55 What was my aha moment when it came to adductor squeeze tests?

0:28:10 What are the drawbacks of squeeze tests?

0:31:15 How do you test abduction strength?

0:36:05 How do you use a handheld dynamometer?

0:38:35 How can beginners educate themselves on handheld testers?

0:41:30 Why do you recommend using Newton meters?

0:44:05 What is your rule of thumb for determining size of difference?

0:48:00 The difficulties of measuring human models.

0:52:00 How do you determine effect size?

0:53:30 What do you like to look for when you read research?

0:57:05 Why do you avoid Twitter?

1:00:15 What are you working on now?

1:03:15 What do you want your legacy to be remembered as?

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