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Book Review: Leading schools in challenging circumstances
No full textReview of Leading schools in challenging circumstances, by Philip Smith and Les Bell, London, Bloomsbury, 2014, 184 pp, £24.99 (pbk), ISBN 978-1-4411-8405-
Adaptation to Hot Environmental Conditions: An Exploration of the Performance Basis, Procedures and Future Directions to Optimise Opportunities for Elite Athletes
No full textExtreme environmental conditions present athletes with diverse challenges; however, not all sporting events are limited by thermoregulatory parameters. The purpose of this leading article is to identify specific instances where hot environmental conditions either compromise or augment performance and, where heat acclimation appears justified, evaluate the effectiveness of pre-event acclimation processes. To identify events likely to be receptive to pre-competition heat adaptation protocols, we clustered and quantified the magnitude of difference in performance of elite athletes competing in International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships (1999–2011) in hot environments (>25 °C) with those in cooler temperate conditions ( 0.8; large impairment), while in contrast, performance in short-duration sprint events was augmented in the heat compared with temperate conditions (~1 % improvement, Cohen’s d > 0.8; large performance gain). As endurance events were identified as compromised by the heat, we evaluated common short-term heat acclimation (≤7 days, STHA) and medium-term heat acclimation (8–14 days, MTHA) protocols. This process identified beneficial effects of heat acclimation on performance using both STHA (2.4 ± 3.5 %) and MTHA protocols (10.2 ± 14.0 %). These effects were differentially greater for MTHA, which also demonstrated larger reductions in both endpoint exercise heart rate (STHA: −3.5 ± 1.8 % vs MTHA: −7.0 ± 1.9 %) and endpoint core temperature (STHA: −0.7 ± 0.7 % vs −0.8 ± 0.3 %). It appears that worthwhile acclimation is achievable for endurance athletes via both short-and medium-length protocols but more is gained using MTHA. Conversely, it is also conceivable that heat acclimation may be counterproductive for sprinters. As high-performance athletes are often time-poor, shorter duration protocols may be of practical preference for endurance athletes where satisfactory outcomes can be achieved
Normative Minor Childhood Stress and Risk of Later Adult Psychopathology in Saudi Arabia
Get PDFChronic minor childhood stress in the form of corporal punishment predicts adult psychopathology in the United States but has not been demonstrated in a country where corporal punishment is normative. We tested whether adult psychopathology was predicted by recalled frequency of childhood corporal punishment and recalled controllability of punishment in Saudi Arabia. Two hundred and fifty nine Saudi men with substance addictions (who for cultural reasons were at risk for depression) completed a survey measuring: demographic variables, frequency of beating and controllability of punishment as a child, depression and borderline personality disorder symptoms (BPD). Beating frequency and punishment control were uncorrelated and unrelated to patients’ or parents’ education. 92 men (36%) had major depression (PHQ-9 ≥15). Compared to those never beaten, those experiencing infrequent beating (once or twice a year) were significantly more likely to have major depression and higher BPD symptoms, after controlling for demographic variables. Those experiencing frequent beating (monthly or more frequent) were more likely to have major depression and higher BDP symptoms compared to those never beaten, but only when perceived control was low. Perceived punishment control was not significantly related to outcome for those who never had or had infrequent corporal punishment. These results provide evidence in a culture where corporal punishment is normative that corporal punishment, even when infrequent, predisposes to adult psychopathology and that uncontrollability increases the pathogenic effect of frequent corporal punishment. These results support the hypothesis that frequent minor stressors in childhood act as kindling factor for later depression
Inspiratory Muscle Training Improves Exercise Tolerance in Recreational Soccer Players Without Concomitant Gain in Soccer-Specific Fitness
No full textAbstract: Guy, JH, Edwards, AM, and Deakin, GB. Inspiratory muscle training improves exercise tolerance in recreational soccer players without concomitant gain in soccer-specific fitness. J Strength Cond Res 28(2): 483–491, 2014—This study investigated whether the addition of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) to an existing program of preseason soccer training would augment performance indices such as exercise tolerance and sports-specific performance beyond the use of preseason training alone. Thirty-one men were randomized across 3 groups: experimental (EXP: n = 12), placebo (PLA: n = 9), and control (CON: n = 10). The EXP and PLA completed a 6-week preseason program (2× weekly sessions) in addition to concurrent IMT with either an IMT load (EXP) or negligible (PLA) inspiratory resistance. Control group did not use an IMT device or undertake soccer training. All participants performed the following tests before and after the 6-week period: standard spirometry; maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP); multistage fitness test (MSFT); and a soccer-specific fitness test (SSFT). After 6-weeks training, EXP significantly improved: MIP (p = 0.002); MSFT distance covered (p = 0.02); and post-SSFT blood lactate (BLa) (p = 0.04). No other outcomes from the SSFT were changed. Pre- to posttraining performance outcomes for PLA and CON were unchanged. These findings suggest the addition of IMT to preseason soccer training improved exercise tolerance (MSFT distance covered) but had little effect on soccer-specific fitness indices beyond a slightly reduced posttraining SSFT BLa. In conclusion, there may be benefit for soccer players to incorporate IMT to their preseason training but the effect is not conclusive. It is likely that a greater preseason training stimulus would be particularly meaningful for this population if fitness gains are a priority and evoke a stronger IMT response
Coastal impacts of marine renewables: perception of breaker characteristics by beach water users
No full textBeach water users such as bathers and surfers are of economic importance to tourism in Cornwall, UK. Wave energy converters soon to be trialed at the ‘Wave Hub’ marine renewables test site in Cornwall, may reduce inshore wave heights and have an unknown effect on wave period, therefore potentially affecting water recreation and tourism on the beaches in its lee. There is little existing research to indicate what surf conditions are ‘preferred’ by various beach water user groups, and how they perceive different wave conditions has never been investigated. Without an understanding of how waves are observed and described by water users, little can be said about how likely they are to be affected by, or if they will correctly perceive, any changes to inshore waves caused by Wave Hub or future renewables projects. To investigate how waves are perceived, nearshore wave buoy measurements collected in 10 m water depth and transformed to breaking height, were compared to concurrent visual observations of mean breaker height and period made by 354 participants. Ratios of observed over measured height and period were used to quantify the perceptions. The vast majority of water users underestimated significant wave height and period at breaking, and their average perceptions can be approximated by Hvis ≈ 0.70Hb and Tvis ≈ 0.83T1/3 (for waves 0.5≤Hb≤ 3.5 m and 3 ≤T1/3 ≤ 15 s). Although perceptions were highly varied, average perceptions did not change significantly under different wave conditions. Perception of wave period did not change significantly between the different water user groups considered. Expert water users and surfers generally under predicted wave height the most, especially for small and/or short period waves, while novices and non-surfing water users made height observations closer to measurements
Ranolazine enhances nicardipine-induced relaxation of alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated contraction on isolated rabbit aorta
No full textRanolazine (RAN) and nicardipine (NIC) have been studied for their vasorelaxing effects but the combination of these agents against adrenergic vasoconstriction has not been tested. The present study aimed at investigating the vasorelaxing effect by the combination of the two agents on alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated contraction on isolated rabbit aorta. Aortic rings were mounted for isometric tension recording in organ baths containing Krebs-Henseleit solution. Concentration-response curves of RAN (10–9 to 10–4 M), NIC (10–9 to 10–5 M), and RAN + NIC (3 × 10–6 M) were obtained in a cumulative manner using phenylephrine (PE, 2 × 10–6 M) as constrictor agent. The effective concentration (EC)50 values for RAN and NIC were 6.5 × 10–6 M and 1.4 × 10–5 M, respectively. The treatment of PE-precontracted aortic rings with either RAN or NIC up to 65 min revealed that both agents displayed a biphasic pattern of initial rising and late sustained phases of relaxation. At 35 min of incubation, RAN and NIC induced relaxation by 23 ± 3% and 14 ± 4%, respectively (N = 7, P = NS, RAN vs NIC); their combination resulted in a 34 ± 4% relaxation (N = 7; P < 0.01, RAN + NIC vs NIC). At 65 min the effect of NIC prevailed and tended to be closer to the values of the combination treatment (P < 0.01, RAN + NIC vs RAN). The results indicate that RAN at therapeutic concentrations exerts a significant additive vasorelaxing effect when combined with NIC in rabbit aorta