Damian Harper, PhD

Human Braking Performance | Founder @BrakingPerform | PhD Deceleration | Lecturer @Uni_Lancashire | Performance Consultant | Sport Scientist FCASES | S&C Coach

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

Full text available open access here:

🔐 https://t.co/yAgGwdYNWC

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

🚨 Just Published 🚨

DECELERATION specific isometric exercises acutely enhance change of direction performance in academy ⚽️ players

✔️ 8th min most pronounced gains & with early DEC-ISO position

✔️ Application to pre-training or competition warm-ups for COD sports 🏈⚽️ 🏀👇

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

Awesome to be apart of the Move the Needle 2026 symposium alongside some amazing speakers!… 👇

[Hunter Eisenhower @Huntereis_sc]

Move The Needle Symposium registration is open! Elite line up, elite experience! 🔥
•
Virtual event, so you get 5 hours of world class material from your couch. Can’t beat it ⬇️

https://t.co/wzgbYRhPFr

#MTNsymposium

[Move the Needle @mtn_perform]

MTN Symposium Speaker 🚨

@DHMov will be joining us for this years MTN Symposium. Damian joins Maggie Bryant, Les Spellman, and Trent Salo as presenters

Last presenter announced at the end of the week!

Go to: https://t.co/M9vTf86wmk to guarantee your spot!

[1080 Motion @1080motion]

When athletes can handle higher speeds and control them, it shows up everywhere

Because braking capacity isn’t just a quality, it’s a separator

Total time can look the same, but how it’s produced isn’t: entry velocity + decel = performance

Overview:
-Basketball demands high braking capacity in multiple directions, especially in defensive shuffling
-Total time alone misses how movement is produced, with deceleration possibly being a key driver
-This study tested whether linear braking ability differentiates lateral movement performance

Methods:
-124 NCAA Division I basketball players (Guards and Bigs) from 10 Power 4 programs
-Two tests: 10m ADA Test and m5-0–5 lateral shuffle test (both directions)
-Athletes were split into high vs low deceleration groups based on ADA results, then compared in shuffle performance

Results:
-Athletes with higher linear deceleration performed better in the lateral shuffle, with faster total time & higher deceleration
-Differences were meaningful across both Guards and Bigs, with moderate to large effect sizes
-Better performance was driven by a combination of higher entry velocity and greater braking

Discussion:
-Braking capacity is a key driver of multidirectional performance, better decelerators move better across tasks
-It separates athletes who can handle higher speeds and forces in multiple planes
-Treat deceleration as a KPI: profile it, train it, and expect it to transfer

🧠 Researchers: Adam Petway, @DHMov , @Dr_DanielCohen , @OlaAthletic1080

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

@DaneVishnubala @BMJOpenSEM @FionaWilsonf @Sharief_H @23Benjones @basem_uk @BJSM_BMJ @bmj_company Congrats Dane!

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

🔐 https://t.co/lz2feXjvPs

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

LEADING ARTICLE ON...

➡️ How to assess DECELERATION in applied settings?

❌"Focus in sports performance been on assessing acceleration & top speed, neglecting necessity to DECELERATE!"

✔️ "Obtaining ACCURATE information on DECELERATION critical"

KEY POINTS ⬇️

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

Link to article…

🔗 https://t.co/K97GehFtl6

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

🚨 Just published 🚨

Influence of max linear deceleration on lateral deceleration & shuffle performance in NCAA power 4 🏀

10 teams, 124 players

📌 10m ADA Test
📌 5-5 Lateral Shuffle Test

✔️ Max linear deceleration differentiated lateral decelerstion ➕ shuffle performance

[Ken Vick @CoachKenVick]

Reminder why eccentric force capacity matters.

Damian’s work shows the real eccentric demands in sports.

Eccentric actions that attenuate forces can create an advantage or lead to damage.

Is your eccentric training doing enough?

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

@CoachKenVick Thanks Ken…that’s why we referred to deceleration specific-load as a “critical mediator”!! 😉

https://t.co/kxHnjs0SSv

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

🚨 Biomechanical & neuromuscular performance requirements of horizontal deceleration…

📌 High Impact Forces ⚡️
(2.7 x ⬆️ than acceleration)

📌 Braking for Rapid COD 🔑

📌 High Eccentric Muscle Forces 🟰 Risk of Damage

📌 Braking Kinematics 🦵

🔐 https://t.co/mn37gFCRXa

[Specialized Training™️ @Tatopek1]

🆕"This review evaluated methodologies used to quantify high-intensity patterns in male elite ⚽️"
➡️ Providing recommendations to support more individualized & context-sensitive monitoring frameworks
👉@paulmcgrath_ @DHMov et al. 2026 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
📂Open Access: https://t.co/Rvpoqpd66T

[Paul McGrath @paulmcgrath_]

New Paper Published 🚨

“Current approaches to measuring high-intensity locomotor actions in adult male professional soccer: A Scoping Review.”

https://t.co/RyqswPoebh

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

🆕 Latest just published...

Intraday and interday reliability of horizontal upper body push and pull isometric strength qualities using @VALDPerformance Dynamo Max

Fantastic work from @Uni_Lancashire PhD student Ivan Curovic

🔓https://t.co/NhbeH2uJaZ

#Isometric #Strength

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

Developing the qualities needed to DECELERATE & BRAKE rapidly🏈

What a great few days at the Elite Football Rehab Conference in Indianapolis 🇺🇸

⚡️Bonus: Got to watch the NFL combine, and learn from some great performance practitioners!!

Thanks to @erikMeira for the invite

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

📍Lucas Oil Stadium, Indy 🇺🇸

NFL combine 🏈

Elite Football Rehab Conference 🎤

Human Braking Performance @BrakingPerform

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

@SimonBrundish Thanks mate, and very nice read on your recent post!

[Damian Harper, PhD @DHMov]

Excited to be presenting at the 2026 Elite Football Rehab Conference this week in Indy, USA! 🇺🇸✈️

NFL Combine Capital & Combine Week! 🏈

Honour to share some of my latest work on DECELERATION AND BRAKING alongside some of the best minds in the NFL and performance space.

#NFL