http://hdl.handle.net/1893/623 Electronic copies of Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport conference papers and proceedings. 2026-09-26T01:57:08Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38278 Title: Making sense of performance and health complexity in sport and music through a Salutogenic lens Author(s): Kirkland, Andrew; Lubert, Veronika Jana Abstract: Kirkland, Andrew1; Lubert, Veronika Jana2 1 University of Stirling, UK 2 Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts Keywords: Performance optimisation, Salutogenesis, biopsychosocial Performance optimisation in sport and music happens in open ecological systems, where the causes of performance and health reflect a complex state of dynamic equilibrium between body, mind, and the environment (Galderisi et al., 2015). Performance emerges through capacity to meet domain specific demands via psychobiological responses and coping skills. However, tradition and historical precedence (Williams & Hodges, 2005) often dominate how performance is conceptualised, with simple empiricist methods, disciplinary conventions, and entrenched biases shaping wider performance systems. Consequently, there is an ontological incongruence between the complex causation (Groff, 2016) of performance and the practices that claim to enhance it. Our aim is to present a conceptualisation of performance using a Critical Realist ontology (Bhaskar, 1975), synthesising the work of Meyer (1951) and Antonovsky (1979) on the causes of health and human adaptation. Meyer (1951) was an early critic of reductionist clinical approaches used to diagnose and treat psychiatric illness. The biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) emerged from his central ideas of holism and integration (Owen, 2023). Within this perspective, dynamic equilibrium is understood through life course analysis and case formulation, processes that help identify “dominant facts and what are the points of attack for modification and adjustment” (Meyer, 1951, p. 65). Salutogenesis, a complementary health promoting meta theory (Antonovsky, 1979), extends deficit models reflected by Meyer (1951) to understanding the origins of good health and human adaptation through stress coping responses throughout the life course approach. The theory rests on two biopsychosocial foundations: Sense of Coherence, comprising comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness, and General Resistance Resources, which reflect stress coping capacities shaped by life experiences and sociocultural and historical context. Drawing these strands together, we present a complex, integrative, and holistic model of performance that aligns ontological assumptions with biopsychosocial processes, offering a coherent framework for understanding how performance and health can be more effectively supported and enhanced. 2026-06-08T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/38276 Title: Endurance Runners’ Experiences of the Tapering Process: A Theory-Practice Divide? Author(s): Kirkland, Andrew; Donal, Moran Abstract: Optimising performance in competitive sport requires navigating complex biological, psychological, and sociological processes, particularly during the taper, the final preparatory phase before major competition. While tapering in endurance running is typically framed as a physiological training load adjustment (Mujika & Padilla, 2003; Ritchie et al., 2017), contemporary perspectives argue for a more integrated understanding of athlete adaptation (McGawley, 2024). This study emerged from practitioner discussions highlighting that physiologically driven recommendations often fail to translate effectively into the realities of international competition. Notably, athletes’ voices remain largely absent from tapering research (Weissensteiner, 2015). We therefore sought to understand athletes lived experiences of tapering and asked: What do we need to do to support coaches and athletes in developing better tapering processes for major competitions? Methods: Following ethical approval, six world class endurance runners were recruited. Semi structured interviews explored athletes’ definitions of tapering, their implementation strategies at major events, and the emotions and challenges experienced during this period. Interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019), informed by a critical realist ontology (Bhaskar, 1975; North, 2017; Kirkland & Cowley, 2023). Findings: Athletes’ tapering decisions were predominantly heuristic rather than rational, shaped by accumulated experience, contextual demands, and situational pressures. Contrary to dominant physiological discourse, athletes did not conceptualise or implement tapering primarily as a load management exercise. Instead, decisions were influenced by prior exposure to similar competitive scenarios, the quality of support networks (coaches, peers, family), and logistical constraints such as travel. Crucially, individual stress coping mechanisms played a central role in shaping stress appraisal and decision making throughout the taper. Conclusion: Tapering support must be individualised, recognising the interplay of experiential knowledge, psychosocial influences, and contextual demands. A more holistic, athlete centred approach is required to optimise preparation for major competitions. 2026-06-08T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/37705 Title: James Naismith: The Origins of Basketball and the Scottish Connection Author(s): Walker, Ross Abstract: Powerpoint presentation 2023-05-27T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1893/37495 Title: The best buy in enhancing student engagement and graduate destination. The ELEVATE sport mentoring model Author(s): Kielty, Robert 2025-06-12T00:00:00Z