"Sport, Recovery and Performance" is the title of a new book published by Routledge Publishing House and written by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann together with Prof. Dr. Michael Kellmann (Ruhr University Bochum). The anthology is a collection of contributions from various scientists active in varied disciplines.
"The idea for this book developed over the past year, where we had invited international experts about sport and recovery to an interdisciplinary symposium at the TUM Academy Center in Raitenhaslach," explains Beckmann, a Full Professor of the Chair for Sport Psychology.
"Recovery": A systemic change of central importance
According to Beckmann, "recovery", as an important factor for performance, has attained only little attention over the course of many years in both psychology and sport practice. "In sports it has for a long time been accepted that an increase in performance could be attained primarily by means of increasing the amplitudes and the intensities. But recovery also plays a significant role here," says Beckmann.
"In Germany, it has primarily been Prof. Kellmann who investigated this and transferred it to the field of sports," says Beckmann further. The concept of "recovery" thereby extends beyond a mere regeneration. "'Recovery' is always associated with a systemic change, which leads to the fact that, also on a psychological level, the actual shutdown of the preceding demands must take place," explains the habilitated psychologist.
Such systemic changes can appear quite differently and, for example, might also involve the completion of studies carried out along with the career in sports. "We know from athletes that they do not necessarily consider such a course of studies to be an auxiliary load, but instead even see it as a completely different demand through which they are able to switch off from their competitive sport for a period of time," according to Beckmann.
18 chapters, with a view from an interdisciplinary perspective
The book "Sport, Recovery and Performance" examines this topic in 18 chapters from an interdisciplinary perspective - for example from that of medicine, the sport sciences, occupational as well as sport psychology, and also physiology. Reknowned international authors from all fields could be obtained, for instance Prof. Dr. Romain Meeusen (Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels) or Prof. Dr. Aaron Coutts (University of Technology, Sydney).
To the Homepage of the Chair of Sport Psychology
The book "Sport, Recovery and Performance"
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann
Lehrstuhl für Sportpsychologie
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24541
Email: Info.sportpsychologie(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: Routledge; TUM