Plymouth Marjon University Repository
Not a member yet
930 research outputs found
Sort by
Lifestyle assessment and behaviour change
No full textLifestyle assessment refers to the collection of data on a person’s daily choices and attitudes in the context of health and fitness. An appropriate lifestyle assessment and relevant plan are essential to the long-term obtainment of goals. The initial meeting allows the practitioner to collect information on expectations, preferences, current and past lifestyle, and beliefs about physical activity (PA) and exercise. This information will not only allow tailoring of the exercise prescription but also the communication style and behaviour change practice (Nigg, 2014)
Leveraging the London 2012 Paralympic Games: What Legacy for Disabled People?
Get PDFThe International Paralympic Committee, U.K. Government, and the Organizing Committee for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games all contended that the London 2012 Paralympic Games would positively impact the lives of disabled people in the United Kingdom, particularly with regard to changing nondisabled attitudes toward disability. All three have claimed partial success during the course of the 4-year period (Olympiad) separating the London and Rio Paralympic Games. However, this is at odds with the findings of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) and the experiences of disabled individuals. This article considers the claims of both sides against a backdrop of public policies that are targeting large-scale benefit cuts, the media coverage of which actually appears to be hardening attitudes toward anyone on benefits and negating any positive impacts from the Games themselves. It argues that the continued predominance of “ableist” perspectives on disability underpins many of the challenges faced by disabled people. The article adopts a historical perspective on the development of legacy-based foundations upon which the disability sport and Paralympic movements originated. It contends that the gradual move toward an elite “Olympic” sports model of competition has actually served to undermine these foundations
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race: Performance, Pacing and Tactics Between 1890 and 2014
Get PDFBackground: Currently no studies have examined the historical performances of Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race crews in the context of performance, pacing and tactics which is surprising as the event has routinely taken place annually for over 150 years on the same course.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was twofold, to firstly examine the historical development of performances and physical characteristics of crews over 124 years of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race between 1890 and 2014 and secondly to investigate the pacing and tactics employed by crews over that period.
Methods: Linear regression modelling was applied to investigate the development of performance and body size for crews of eight males over time from Boat Race archive data. Performance change over time was further assessed in 10-year clusters while 4 intra-race checkpoints were used to examine pacing and tactics.
Results: Significant correlations were observed between performance and time (1890-2014) for both Oxford (r = -0.67; p<0.01) and Cambridge (r = -0.64; p<0.01). There was no difference in mean performance times for Oxford (1170 ±88s) and Cambridge (1168 ±89.8s) across 1890-2014. Crew performance times improved over time with significant gains from baseline achieved in the 1950s (Cambridge) and the 1960s (Oxford) which coincided with significant change in the physicality of the competing crews (p<0.01). There was no tactical advantage from commencing on either Surrey or Middlesex station beyond chance alone, however, all crews (n=228) adopted a fast start strategy, with 81% of victories achieved by the crew leading the race at the first intra-race checkpoint (24% of total distance). Crews leading the race at the final checkpoint (83% of total distance; 1143m) achieved victory on 94% of occasions.
Conclusion: Performances and physical characteristics of the crews have changed markedly since 1890, with faster, heavier crews now common. Tactically, gaining the early lead position with a fast start strategy seems particularly meaningful to success in the Boat Race throughout the years, and has been of greater importance to race outcome than factors such as starting station
Impact of an exercise programme on sustaining physical activity for recovering cancer patients: a qualitative study
Get PDFBackground: Pedometers have been shown to improve adherence to exercise programmes. Evidence suggests that PA can improve physical function, wellbeing and reduce the negative impact of some cancer related side-effects. Yet, there are limited PA guidelines for cancer patients in the UK. The aim was to examine the impact of an 8-week exercise programme on sustaining physical activity (PA) at 3-month follow-up.
Method: A qualitative study with 12 mixed site cancer patients aged 43-70 (10 women, 2 men), involved in an 8-week exercise programme. The Programme took place at a University in the South West of England, UK. Semi-structured interviews with patients took place 3 times over 6 months. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data.
Results: We found that the number of patients perceived to be physically active prior to take-up of the physical activity programme were low (20%). At completion, most patients reported being physically active (84%), sustained but to a lesser extent (67%) at 3-month follow-up. Explanations for sustained PA at follow-up included application of knowledge gained from the Programme in relation to walking technique and use of pedometers and perceived health and fitness gains. Explanations for those not physically active included new diagnosis, reduced mobility following surgery and lack of clear exit route or progression to another structured opportunity.
Conclusion: Our study has provided valuable insight into how a supervised multi-modal physical activity programme can enable recovering cancer patients to develop a physically active lifestyle
Linking corporate social responsibility in sport with community development: an added source of community value
Get PDFThis paper investigates the attributes of Corporate Social Responsibility programs in sport and their potential for sustainable community development. The gap between sport-related CSR and community development needs be filled by shifting attention to the capacity-building of
communities. While the neo-liberal foundations of CSR are recognized, it is essential to understand the ideological varieties driving CSR that can enable inclusiveness and collaboration in fostering community benefits of CSR programs. The paper contributes to the literature on
CSR in sport advancing the discourse, and sets the stage for a community-based framework for research: (1) related to sport as a tool for social change; (2) exploring the relationship of organizational motives, stakeholder engagement and CSR program design/implementation; and
(3) evaluating the perceived benefits of CSR programs, and the extent to which these can help achieve sustainable community development
The effect of elastic therapeutic taping on lumbar extensor isokinetic performance
Get PDFObjective: To investigate the effects of elastic therapeutic tape when applied overlaying the lumbar extensors on different measures of muscle performance, compared to a placebo taping technique and a no-tape control.
Relevance: Elastic therapeutic tape is frequently used as an adjunct to enhance athletic performance amongst athletes. However, limited research exists supporting its application on isokinetic performance of the lumbar extensor muscles.
Methods: A cross-sectional experimental study. 21 participants received three taping conditions in a randomised order: elastic therapeutic tape, a placebo tape and a no-tape control. Peak torque, the time taken to reach peak torque and peak velocity were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer.
Analysis: Friedman’s test and post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to determine the statistical differences between the three taping conditions. Level of significance was set at 0.05.
Results: A statistically significant improvement in peak lumbar extensor torque was observed when comparing elastic therapeutic tape with the no-tape control (p 0.05).
Conclusions: Results demonstrate that the application of elastic therapeutic tape overlaying the primary lumbar extensors significantly improves the maximal lumbar extension peak torque in healthy, asymptomatic adults
Realizing the latent potential in the part-time student workforce
Get PDFThe purpose of this article is to challenge employers to make the best use of the latent potential of their part-time student workforce and to retain this talent post-graduation. The authors report research which shows that increasing numbers of university students are working part-time alongside their degree studies, while at the same time businesses are becoming more explicit about their requirements for graduate entrants, specifying a range of traits, behaviours and soft skills. The authors argue that this developing scenario affords an opportunity for university students working part-time to develop skills and business-related knowledge that are desirable to their respective employers in the longer term. However, the desire to nurture and retain those individuals on graduation appears to be lacking. This paper concludes by challenging both employers and students to embrace a longer-term perspective for their mutual benefit
A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain
Get PDFack pain is a major health issue in Western countries and 60%–80% of adults are likely to experience low back pain. This paper explores the impact of back pain on society and the role of physical activity for treatment of non-specific low back pain. A review of the literature was carried out using the databases SPORTDiscuss, Medline and Google Scholar. A general exercise programme that combines muscular strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness is beneficial for rehabilitation of non-specific chronic low back pain. Increasing core muscular strength can assist in supporting the lumbar spine. Improving the flexibility of the muscle-tendons and ligaments in the back increases the range of motion and assists with the patient’s functional movement. Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues in the back, improving the healing process and reducing stiffness that can result in back pain
Age and type of maggot food sources, and the potential to affect the minimum post mortem interval estimate
No full textSkeletal muscle atrophy: disease-induced mechanisms may mask disuse atrophy
No full textDisuse atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass due to inactivity or lower than ‘normal’ use. It is not only a furtive component of the ‘modern’ sedentary lifestyle but also a part of numerous pathologies, where muscle loss is linked to disease specific and/or other toxicity factors, eventually leading to wasting (cachexia). Whether disuse-or-disease induced, muscle loss leads to weakness and metabolic comorbidities with a high societal and financial cost. This review discusses the intricate network of interacting signalling pathways including Atrogin-1/MAFbx, IGF1-Akt, myostatin, glucocorticoids, NF-kB, MAPKs and caspases that seem to regulate disuse atrophy but also share common activation patterns in other states of muscle loss such as sarcopenia or cachexia. Reactive oxygen species are also important regulators of cell signalling pathways that can accelerate proteolysis and depress protein synthesis. Exercise is an effective countermeasure and antioxidants may show some benefit. We discuss how the experimental model used can crucially affect the outcome and hence our understanding of atrophy. Timing of sampling is crucial as some signalling mechanisms reach their peak early during the atrophy process to rapidly decline thereafter, while other present high levels even weeks and months after study initiation. The importance of such differences lays in future consideration of appropriate treatment targets. Apart from attempting to correct defective genes or negate their effects, technological advances in new rational ways should aim to regulate specific gene expression at precise time points for the treatment of muscle atrophy in therapeutic protocols depending on the origin of atrophy induction