E236 Applying sport and exercise sciences to coaching Scenario EMA, Evidence-based report with three sections | The Open University

EMA

Cut-off date: 9th April 2026
Word limit: 3000 words

Task

For the scenario you are given in this EMA, write an evidence-based report with three sections:

• Section A – explain where the beliefs informing the current practice of the coach stem from
• Section B – discuss the scientific knowledge the coach should acquire in order to inform their practice and make it more effective
• Section C – propose a reasoned and informed approach to help the coach learn and apply this scientific knowledge.

Scenario: Environmental physiology

British Triathlon (BT): Sophie

You are employed by British Triathlon (BT) as a coach mentor, tasked with supporting coaches working towards their next coaching qualification. Sophie is the head coach at a local triathlon club, and you have been assigned to mentor her in her coaching practice.
You have attended several of Sophie’s training sessions and will soon provide her with feedback. During a conversation with club members before a long training ride, you learn that Sophie has been offered access to an environmental chamber at the local university. The chamber can simulate various altitudes and temperatures, and the university has proposed regular sessions in preparation for the club's upcoming event: the Ironman Andes Challenge. The race includes a 180 km cycling and a 42.2 km marathon, with parts of the course at altitudes exceeding 3,500 m. Competitors will experience temperature swings, from high temperatures in the valleys to near-freezing conditions at higher elevations.

The athletes are dedicated and eager to optimise their training for the challenging environmental conditions. While some members are enthusiastic about the opportunity, others are sceptical about reducing their outdoor training time. Despite this, Sophie has decided that all athletes will undergo environmental chamber sessions, alternating between high-altitude, cool-temperature simulations and low-altitude, heat-stress simulations. Consequently, outdoor training has been reduced, limiting time spent refining techniques for different terrains.
Sophie’s background is in short-distance triathlons, and she previously used an environmental chamber to prepare for a hot-weather competition. She felt this approach improved her performance. Based on this experience, she has informed the university that the same environmental chamber protocol will be applied to all athletes, without reviewing their individual fitness levels or consulting previous physiological testing data.

Sophie tracks weekly training distances from her athletes and gathers data on subjective markers, such as muscle soreness, sleep quality, recovery, nutrition,or overall training load. However, she does not use these data to adapt her training plans and tailor them to the athlete’s needs and responses to training.

The following statements will provide further insight into Sophie’s coaching beliefs and practices.

Specific Guidance

As well as following the general guidance for this scenario, in section B your report must include a discussion about the following, in relation to the case study:

• the physiological effects that performing at altitude can have on the body
• the types of training that can prepare the body for performing at altitude and the physiological adaptations these bring about
• the impact of temperature on the body during performance, the factors that can influence this, and how an appropriate training programme can prepare the body for performing in such extreme temperatures
• the extent to which training can be tailored to meet the needs of those triathletes who want to compete and perform and those who want to approach the race in a more leisurely way.
  You will see from this specific guidance that there is significant scope, particularly in the second section of your report, to describe and evaluate the scientific knowledge that Sophie should be applying to her practice.

General Guidance

You should choose the scenario that reflects ONE of the options that you studied in Study Topic 5. The EMA also covers the content you studied in Study Topic 6 and elements of Study Topic 1.
The purpose of the EMA is to assess your understanding and ability to apply appropriate scientific knowledge to support the learning and development of the individual featured in the scenario that you choose.

The task focuses on producing an evidence-based report and you should support your answers with reference to the module materials and other appropriate academic literature.
Your report should provide clarity and clearly reasoned arguments for the suggestions that you are proposing to support the development of the coach in your chosen scenario. Your report should also be written in third person narrative throughout.

Structure of the report

This specific EMA report is structured in three sections. Each section is weighted differently, and marks will be allocated proportionally. The three sections are:

Section A (300 words, 10 marks)

• In Section A you should explain how the coach’s past experiences, biography and current beliefs are influencing their current practice. In this section you will need to establish the connection between these beliefs and the coach’s previous experiences and biography.
• Reference could be made to Unit 3, Activity 3.6 Exploring filtering processes through Sarah and Alex, to illustrate that a coach’s beliefs can act as a filter through which they assess new information and knowledge. You may use diagrams to support this section.

Section B (1700 words, 60 marks)

• Section B enables you to discuss the scientific knowledge the coach should be drawing on and applying to their practice.
• The scientific knowledge that you discuss should be evidence-based and grounded in credible research which is appropriately referenced in your report.
• Be wary of drawing on anecdotal knowledge that is not supported by appropriate scientific evidence.
• You should cover all of the specific guidance points in your chosen scenario.
• You should refer to your selected option from Study Topic 5 to help you complete this section.
• Note – in the past, students have lost marks by not applying the research evidence they have found back to the case study. Alternatively, they’ve focussed on the case study without providing any evidence from research literature to support their discussions on how scientific knowledge can be applied to improve the coaching practice of the case study.

Section C (1000 words, 30 marks)

• This section should focus on the strategy and approach you intend to follow, as the coaching mentor, that will help the coach learn and develop.
• Appropriate models and concepts (e.g. behavioural stairway model) should be drawn on to inform your intended approach.
• Reference could be made to Unit 3, Section 3.6 Using science to explain how coaches learn as well as Unit 25, Section 25.3 Transforming a coach’s practice to Section 25.6 Using an iceberg analogy.
• Note – in the past, students have lost marks by applying the wrong focus in this section – they have incorrectly discussed how the coach should be working with their athletes / clients. Instead, you should focus your approach on how you, as the mentor, can work with the coach to improve their coaching effectiveness.

References

Ensure that all references both in your report and in the reference list at the end of it are appropriately formatted using the Cite Them Right (Harvard) style.

For information and guidance on the use of generative artificial intelligence in your assessments, please refer to the ‘Student use of Generative AI on E236’ document on the E236 Assessments tab.