Northumbria Journals
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I02 Physiological, perceptual and neuromuscular responses to 15 vs. 30 s work durations during short high intensity interval training
No full textHigh intensity interval training (HIIT) is an extremely potent stimulus for physiological adaptation offering a low volume training approach that can be easily accommodated into an individual’s training schedule. A key feature that drives physiological adaptation is the time the individual spends at or around their individual V̇O2max during HIIT. This can be influenced by several variables, including the work bout duration (Buchheit & Laursen, 2013, Sports Med, 43, 318-338). The use of short duration HIIT intervals (i.e., < 60 s) are popular due to their ability to facilitate a high oxygen uptake while minimising fatigue (Buchheit & Laursen, 2013, Sports Med, 43, 318-338). However, the physiological response to different short duration HIIT formats has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to measure the physiological, perceptual and neuromuscular responses to two traditional short duration (i.e., 15 and 30 s) HIIT formats in trained athletes. With ethics approval, 10 well-trained male and female team sport players (mean + SD; age: 22 ± 1 years; body mass: 78 ± 6 kg; stature: 176 ± 4 cm) were recruited to the study and visited the laboratory on three separate occasions. After an incremental test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer to establish V̇O2max (52.3 ± 5.7 ml·kg-1·min-1) and peak power output at V̇O2max (pV̇O2max; 313 ± 21 W), two HIIT sessions (15 s effort: 15 s passive recovery and 30 s effort: 30 s passive recovery) were completed in a randomised order. HIIT interventions comprised 15 s or 30 s at 120% pV̇O2max followed by 15 or 30 s passive recovery, repeated for 2 × 6 min with 5 min active recovery at 40% pV̇O2max. V̇O2, time >90% V̇O2max, heart rate, and RPE were measured during the HIIT session and blood lactate concentration recorded 5 minutes afterwards. Measures of knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were measured immediately before and after each HIIT session
I04 The effect of staged versus rapid immersion on the cardio-respiratory components of the cold-shock response
No full textDrowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death. Sudden cold-water immersion (CWI) leads to the stimulation of cutaneous cold receptors causing the cold-shock response (CSR) which includes a gasp, hyperventilation, and tachycardia for several minutes. Only one study has investigated staged CWI (Hayward and French, 1989, Av Space Env Med, 60, 1163-1165) and found a reduction in minute ventilation (V̇E) and respiratory frequency (fB) occurred when immersed to the waist for 30 s followed by to the shoulders. However, it is unclear whether a staged entry with a longer or shorter period at the waist would elicit a greater or lesser CSR. Thus, the aim of this study is to establish whether a staged immersion with a longer period immersed to the waist would attenuate the initial cardio-respiratory responses associated with CWI, when compared with rapid immersion. Ethical approval was gained from the University of Portsmouth Science Faculty Research Ethics Committee (SHFEC 2020-070). Seven male participants completed two, 5 min immersions that occurred at the same time of day (± 2 h) to avoid circadian variation in internal body temperature: a staged immersion (immersion to the iliac crest for 2 min prior to immersion to the acromion process); a rapid immersion (immersion to the acromion process for 5 min). Participants were lowered into stirred water (15°C) at a rate of 4 s to the waist, 4 s to the shoulder. Inspiratory and expiratory data were collected using a ventilatory turbine module and Douglas bags, respectively, whilst heart rate data was collected using a three-lead ECG. Variables were analysed over the first 30 s of immersion by a one-way ANOVA and a Tukey post hoc test. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d. Staged immersion to the waist resulted in a significantly lower fB (P < 0.05; d = 1.54) and V ̇E (P < 0.01; d = 1.96) over the first 30 s epoch, when compared to rapid immersion. Staged immersion to the shoulders resulted in a lower ventilatory equivalent of oxygen (P < 0.005; d = 1.95). There was no difference in heart rate between immersions. A staged immersion to the waist resulted in a 36.2% lower V̇E and 29.4% lower fB, potentially due to fewer cutaneous cold receptors being stimulated. This reduces the potential to aspirate water due to a lower ventilatory drive, therefore, could reduce drowning incidence attributed to the CSR
J08 Effects of caffeine on early morning physical and cognitive performance
No full textAnaerobic and gross muscular performance is significantly greater in the evening that in the morning, due to the body clock and higher muscle and core temperatures in the evening compared to the morning (Ayala et al. 2021., Chron Int, 38, 1522-1536). However, little is known on the effect of caffeine supplementation on early morning gross muscular and cognitive performance, and whether this can mask the performance limitations imposed by the morning hours. Eight healthy, active male participants (mean ± SD: age, 21 ± 1 years; body mass, 78 ± 7 kg; stature, 178 ± 4 cm) volunteered and completed 2 familiarisation sessions and two experimental sessions. Experimental sessions 1) caffeine pill condition and 2) no pill condition was counterbalanced in order of administration (separated by >48h). The sessions began at 07:00h. During each session, intra-aural temperature was taken after participants had reclined for 30-min at the start of the protocol. Questionnaires were also provided to assess mood and sleep, then cognitive performance was assessed via the Stroop test. Agility was assessed using the Whitty SEM micrograte system, grip strength was measured using a hand grip dynamometer and finally 3x countermovement jumps and 3x squat jumps were recorded using a Jump mat. The aims of the study were to assess the effects of caffeine supplementation on 1) gross muscular and 2) cognitive assessments
J16 High vs. low glycaemic index pre-exercise feeding
No full textCarbohydrates are proven to be the most important energy source to skeletal muscle during endurance exercise. However, the glucose that carbohydrates provide the muscle with can differ in how quickly they are digested and released into the bloodstream. High glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates are released into the bloodstream in a rapid burst following digestion whereas low GI carbohydrates are released into the bloodstream at a constant rate after consumption. The effects of low and high GI carbohydrate consumption pre-exercise on endurance exercise performance are not comprehensively understood. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the impact of low vs high GI pre-exercise feeding on maximal effort endurance exercise performance. With institutional ethics approval, twelve physically active, healthy males aged 18-40 years attended the laboratory on four separate occasions. On the first occasion, participants underwent a V̇O2max test to identify their maximal aerobic capacity. The final three lab visits consisted of the participants undergoing trials under three differing conditions upon arrival in the fasted state (participants were instructed to not consume food or drink other than water 6 h before arrival). The trial entailed of 20 km cycling followed by 5 km running with 2 min rest in between. Upon arrival, the participants received a carbohydrate beverage, either 40 g high GI, 40 g low GI, or a placebo, 15 min before exercising. Before consumption of the beverage, before the onset of exercise, after each 5 km during the cycle and following the run, heart rate and RPE were recorded, and a finger prick blood sample was taken to analyse for blood glucose and blood lactate concentrations throughout the exercise bout. However, the primary performance indicator was the overall time to complete the trial (bike and run minus 2 min rest). The final order of mean completion time across conditions from fastest to slowest went low GI, high GI, placebo. There was no significant difference between the mean time to completion in the low GI and high GI conditions. However, the low GI condition resulted in a faster time to completion than the placebo condition (P = 0.02) as well as the high GI condition resulting in a faster time to completion than the placebo condition (P = 0.043). Therefore, this could demonstrate that the presence of any carbohydrate type is more influential on endurance exercise performance rather than the glycaemic index of such carbohydrates
‘COVID sucked the soul out of all things decent’:: A qualitative exploration of student experiences of online education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFThe COVID-19 restrictions had a significant impact on higher education in the UK, with the majority of teaching moving to online delivery. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 students who were studying at universities across the United Kingdom in order to explore student experiences of digital teaching in the wider context of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Two key themes with associated themes were identified. The first theme explored students’ experiences of the move to e-learning, the support that was offered, and the perceived impact on their academic performance. The second theme explored the wider impact on students, in relation to opportunities for work experience, social relationships, future prospects, and mental health. The results illustrated that the sudden move to online learning left many students feeling disengaged from their learning; worried about their future prospects, socially isolated and experiencing poorer mental health. Implications for the provision of online education are discusse
J15 Exploring the use of music during ultramarathons using a think-aloud procedure
No full textIntroduction: ultrarunning is a rapidly growing sport and is receiving increased attention in scientific literature. Ultrarunning is the act of running ultramarathons, defined as any distance over a marathon (42.2 km). Some ultramarathons are run over a set time e.g., 12 hours. Ultrarunners face many different challenges throughout their races, including injuries and pain, thoughts of quitting, and boredom (Holt et al., 2014, Sport Psych, 28, 22-35). The application of music during sports and exercise has been shown to be a powerful psychological and ergogenic aid, however, there is a dearth of studies exploring how music is applied in ultrarunning. Previous research around ultramarathons has typically used interviews or a range of scales to collect data (Watkins et al., 2022, Psych Sport Ex, 63, 102271). Think-Aloud (TA) procedures have been used in studies involving shorter distance running (Johnson et al., 2023, Int J Sport Ex Psych) but have not yet been applied to ultrarunning. Accordingly, the present study uses a TA approach to capture ultramarathoners’ thoughts and feelings during an event where they listen to music. Method: ten participants completed a two-stage training procedure of TA to conform with established procedures (McGreary et al., 2024, Sport Ex Perf Psych). The TA procedure permits recording of real-time thoughts. The first stage consists of two problems: a multiplication problem, and an anagram-based problem. The second stage involves thinking aloud for a short period while on a training run. Following the training, participants recorded their thoughts at six time points around their event: before the race, after 1 mile, at 30, 60, and 90% into the race, and within five minutes of race completion. Data Analysis: thematic analysis will be undertaken on the transcribed data and will follow standard procedures. Applications: TA has not been applied in ultrarunning previously and its use in the present study can offer evidence to its future feasibility for similar research. Findings of this study will inform the practical application of music around ultramarathon events, with insights offered for athletes and coaches. Moreover, recommendations will be made as to when music could be applied during an event to maximise its effects. These findings will be couched within contemporary conceptual frameworks for applying music in sport and exercise contexts and offer fresh insight into how these models could be expanded to consider ultra-endurance events more fully
J20 Lattice use in rugby headguards
No full textThis project is related to the design of rugby headguards. The World Rugby regulations limit the ability of headguards to reduce impact force. As such, World Rugby approved headguards are not intended to reduce the risk of serious injuries, like concussion or skull fracture. Rather, current headguards only limit the risk of superficial injuries to the soft tissue, like lacerations and contusions. With concussions linked to CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), an improvement in headguards could lead to an increased quality of life for all rugby players. With about a quarter of all rugby union injuries being concussion in the 2021/2022 season, there is justification to explore new headguard designs with potential to reduce the risk of such injuries. With World Rugby and the RFL recently introducing new rules for tackle height to try to reduce concussion rates, headguards that offer more protection could also help to reduce concussion rates. A lattice is a structure made from connected cells. When used within protective devices, lattices have potential advantages over the materials traditionally used, such as foams, from reducing the overall mass to allowing forces to be spread more evenly throughout the structure. The aim of this study was to design and comparatively impact test a lattice against foam in relation to rugby headguards. Prior data was limited as most studies on lattices focused on combining materials to have either a hollow lattice or a filled lattice which is not applicable to this study due to World Rugby regulations on protective equipment which states no sandwich material. The FEA results show that the force is more equally distributed through the lattice then it is foam allowing a lower force to hit the base
J05 The association of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and in-game performance in elite Rugby Union players
No full textGenetic variation has been proposed as a factor in human athletic performance. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been studied extensively albeit with heterogeneous results. The insertion (I) and deletion (D) alleles have been associated with altered serum and tissue ACE, as well as endurance- and power-based performance respectively. It is suggested the distinction in rugby union performance can be partly attributed to variations in the ACE gene. The aim of this study was to identify associations between the ACE I/D genetic polymorphism and in-game performance in elite (≥ 5 games at top-flight) rugby union athletes. The athlete cohort consisted of 347 Caucasian men, divided into positional groups (backs and forwards) and positional subgroups (front five, back row, halves, centres, and back three). Ethical approval was provided by Manchester Metropolitan University with written informed consent obtained from all participants. Genotyping and genotype analysis was performed using a combination of the X9 High-Throughput Genomics System (Standard BioTools) and the StepOnePlus™ Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems) and their respective corresponding software. IBM SPSS Statistics 28 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) software was used to conduct Pearson's Chi-square (χ2) test of independence comparing genotype and allelic frequencies and the Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests to investigate differences between genotypes. Genotypic and allelic frequencies did not differ at the population level, nor at the positional group/subgroup levels. Performance did not differ between genotypes nor alleles at the population and positional group levels. Back row II genotypes beat more defenders than IDs (P = 0.008) but completed fewer tackles than both IDs (P = 0.05) and DDs (P = 0.013). Halfback DDs missed fewer tackles than both IDs (P = 0.003) and IIs (P = 0.01). Centre DD genotypes made more carries than IIs (P = 0.006). Back three IIs scored more tries than both IDs (P = 0.005) and DDs (P = 0.007) and made more clean breaks than IDs (P = 0.004). Most of the existing literature has been concerned with identifying the ACE gene as a marker of elite performance. To our knowledge, this is the first study to elucidate how the inter-personal differences in rugby union performance are influenced by the ACE I/D polymorphism. The findings from this study may provide novel insight into the specialisation of training and rehabilitation modalities for athletes, based on their genetic makeup
J19 Does electronic cigarette use adversely affect cardiac autonomic function?
No full textIntroduction: tobacco cigarette (TC) smoking is a predominant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a leading preventable cause of death (Kondo et al., 2019, Circ J, 83, 1980-1985). Electronic Cigarette (EC) use has increased significantly in recent years (King et al., 2015, Nic Tob Res, 17, 219-227), mainly as it is considered a safer alternative to TC. A low heartrate variability (HRV) is an independent marker of adverse cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality (Fang et al., 2020, Bio Res Nur, 22, 45-56). TC smokers have a lower HRV, and similar responses have now also been observed in EC smokers (Arastoo et al., 2020, Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 319, 262-270). However, the influence of cognitive / psychological stress on HRV in TC and EC users remains unexplored. As such, this study aims to assess the impact of cognitive stress on Time and Frequency domain measures of HRV. Methods: upon receiving ethical approval, HRV data was collected through electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of healthy controls (HC), TC and EC smokers which were recorded using lead II ECG at 1000 Hz on LabChart during periods of rest (5 min) and cognitive stress (serial subtraction; 5 min). Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were assessed with LabChart. Data will be compared between groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-way mixed methods ANOVA as appropriate. Conclusions: we hypothesise that EC smokers will present similar impaired autonomic function and reduced HRV as TC smokers during rest and cognitive stress in comparison to HC
Navigating Vicarious Trauma: The Importance of Planning, Teaching, and Delivering Vicarious Trauma Training to Support Law Students and the Legal Profession
Get PDFThe significant effects of Vicarious Trauma (VT) are now being recognised in various professions, including law where the requirement for trauma informed practice’”[1] is now starting to be recognised. VT can be defined as: “a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors. Anyone who engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents, torture, and material relating to their trauma, is potentially affected” . Trauma- informed practice then focusses on how to work with those who have been impacted by their traumatic experience as a result of exposure to reading, writing, and hearing details of cases that they deal with. This may lead to a one-off feeling of despair or may be the result of the cumulative effect from working constantly with complicated, sensitive, and emotional materials and people. The legal professional may take on the emotions of a client and experience trauma that puts them in the place of the individual that they are trying to assist. Certain areas of the profession may be more prone to such experiences, for example criminal lawyers dealing with such cases as murder, manslaughter, and serious sexual offences. These feelings can be overwhelming, even for the most experienced practitioner. VT too, may also be experienced by students participating in Clinical Legal Education (CLE) undertaken in universities, again impacting on those involved in criminal case work where students have their first exposure to complicated and sensitive cases.
This article considers the experience of members of the Criminal Justice Clinic (CJC), within the Open University (OU) and looks at the scope and impact of the VT training that is being delivered and its importance in preserving students’ mental well-being. Added is the factor of this being an online only clinic where isolation can also be an issue. There is a need to provide VT training to support the mental welfare of students, and staff alike. This training is paramount to the success of the CJC and is pivotal to any CLE provision and should be expanded to the law curriculum and onto legal practice.
This article argues that the experience in the CJC demonstrates that there is a need for professional legal education to recognise and address the incidence of VT and to provide skills to those who may be affected. Consideration is given to measures that should be adopted in the delivery of CLE to support students participating in pro bono projects. This should carry on beyond university into their future careers. A brief mention will be made of the provisional results of a small-scale research project in this area. Another article is planned to discuss those results fully in the future.
[1] Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill as introduced references the introduction and definition of trauma -informed practice. https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/bill-as-introduced.pbill-as-introduced.pdf (accessed 12th January 2024).