Two University of the Sunshine Coast experts in the science of sport will speak at a free community lecture on Wednesday evening, 13 May, at the USC Innovation Centre auditorium.

Senior Lecturer in Sports Biomechanics Dr Mark Sayers will sort the myths from reality about balance training, particularly for seniors.

“Nearly a quarter of all falls can be attributed to poor balance,” he said. “I’ll focus on current falls research and the role that balance training programs have in decreasing the incidence of falls in the elderly.

“I’ll present our novel research at USC and discuss what you can do to reduce the chances of suffering a fall.”

Lecturer in Coaching Science Angela Calder will provide an overview of recovery techniques used by high-performance athletes.

“This is a popular area of sports training,” she said. “If you’ve ever seen rugby and football players doing their post-match sessions in a pool or a cold tub, that’s the type of activity now used as part of training and competition programs.

“The challenge for athletes and coaches is to adopt a holistic approach to performance recovery, rather than one or two strategies.”

The lecture will be held from 5.30 to 7.30pm including questions and answers, a chance to meet the speakers, and refreshments.

It is part of the Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering’s free community lecture series called Research@USC.

Upcoming lectures include Nursing and Midwifery on Tuesday 14 July and Aquaculture on Wednesday 16 September.

To register, email the faculty at thoogvli@usc.edu.au or call 5459 4529.

— Julie Schomberg