The first Central Queensland Sports Medicine and Sports Science Conference to be staged is being launched today (Friday) with an advanced sports trainer program in Rockhampton.

Central Queensland sports trainers will have the rare opportunity to undertake the Level II Sports Trainer course as part of the first conference in Rockhampton.

Offered through Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), this is the first time in eight years the course has been offered in Rockhampton.

Chairperson for SMA’s Rockhampton branch, Rick Robinson said the conference provided a great opportunity for sports trainers and health professionals to complete the advanced level sports trainer course outside of Brisbane.

The course is a progression from Level I Sports Trainer and is designed to increase the sports trainer’s knowledge of how the general principles of sports medicine relate to sports, as well as introducing new topics such as psychology of injury, rehabilitation principles, advanced taping and drugs in sport.

Focusing on sport and health issues relevant to the Central Queensland community, the Central Queensland Sports Medicine and Sports Science Conference has attracted 20 high profile guest speakers including Dr Rob Weatherby, CEO of Doping for the Sydney Olympics. Dr Weatherby was responsible for the blood and urine testing of the Olympic athletes.

Dr Weatherby’s will speak on anabolic steroids – how they work, side-effects (positive and negative) and how they are detected by testing blood and urine.

The Conference has been coordinated by three key health and sports bodies: Central Queensland University’s School of Health and Human Performance, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery – Rockhampton Hospital and Sports Medicine Australia – Central Queensland branch.

Other topics to be discussed at the Conference include nutritional supplements, effects of exercise on the cardiovascular system, exercise induced asthma, physiological changes with age, the myth of carbohydrate loading, principles of physiotherapy and rehabilitation, nutrition and sports psychology, sports injuries and biomechanics. Workshops will be held in nutritional case studies, taping in sports, stretching, warm ups and cool downs, and massage.

Head of the School of Health and Human Performance at CQU, Dr Peter Reaburn said the Conference was a first for Central Queensland, but hopefully not the last.

“We hope to bring together state-of-the-art science and the coalface practitioner,” Dr Reaburn said.

He said the objective of the Conference was to attract medical practitioners, allied health professionals, sports coaches, sports trainers, sports scientists, health and fitness industry professionals and exercise and sport science students to address current issues in the fields of sports medicine, sports science, health and fitness.

Orthopaedic surgeon at Rockhampton’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Dr Erik Hohmann said he was pleased to be able to provide the Central Queensland sports and health sectors with an opportunity to network and hear some of Australia’s leaders in the industry. Conditioning coach for the Sydney Swans Aaron Murphy along with Director of Orthopaedics at the Royal Brisbane Hospital Dr Kevin Tetsworth will make presentations throughout the conference.

Dr Hohmann said along with these high profile, nationally recognised speakers the conference would also feature specialists from the Central Queensland region. He said Central Queensland was lucky to have some quality health and sports facilities to be proud of including CQU’s School of Health and Human Performance and the sports clinic based at the Rockhampton Hospital.

Clinical biomechanist from CQU and one of the inaugurators of the Conference Adam Bryant said he was keen to showcase the region’s knowledge in the area of sports injuries and biomechanics. He said he had been coordinating a seminar and discussion session for the Conference which will focus on sports injuries and biomechanics of the knee.

Registrations will still be accepted this week phone Alex Bright on 4930 9814 or email a.bright@cqu.edu.au.

The Conference will be held at CQU Rockhampton, buildling 18 G.40.