Charles Sturt University (CSU) Senior Lecturer Dr Stephen Bird will provide expert guidance to the Australian Taekwondo Team as it prepares for the Rio Olympics.

Dr Bird, from CSU's School of Human Movement Studies, was invited to attend the 2015 U.S. Open Taekwondo Championships in Orlando, Florida from 20 until 15 January by Taekwondo Australia. In his capacity as a fatigue and recovery management expert, he will observe the Team's current athletic preparation strategies.

"My role during the Championships will be to observe what the current practice is for the Team, how athletes view recovery management, and look at strategies, both physical and psychological, that can be implemented to help fatigue and recovery," Dr Bird said.

"If we can help the athletes improve their focus on recovery management and get them thinking about what they can do off the mat and away from the gym to assist their performance, then that will go a long way in helping them perform at a world-best level in Rio."

Dr Bird has previously worked with the Indonesian Olympic Team and believes that whilst fatigue management in combat sports such as Taekwondo differs from sports such as rugby, it is still a crucial part of performance preparation.

"Fatigue monitoring and recovery management are just once small part of competition preparation and are crucial for all athletes," Dr Bird said.

"An athlete can be technically proficient and be able to perform tactically, but if they're fatigued they won't be able to perform technically and therefore won't be able to be tactical.

"For Taekwondo athletes, a major concern is travel fatigue. For example, the Australian Team will be travelling for more than 20 hours to attend the Championships, which will be both physically and mentally draining. They will then only have one to two days before their first match and it's part of a sport scientist's role to make sure the athlete is equipped with the knowledge and techniques to manage that fatigue."

Dr Bird will be working to profile athletes for the duration of the Championships to measure their energy and power levels, muscle soreness and also their mental wellness. He hopes his observations and recommendations see the Australian Taekwondo Team head to Rio informed and prepared with fatigue and recovery management techniques.