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A Comparison of Maximal Isometric Force in The First Pull, Transition and Second Pull of the Clean and Their Contribution to Predict Performance in National and International Level Weightlifters.
Get PDFThis study aimed to examine differences in isometric peak force (PF) at the start of the first pull, transition, and second pull phases of the clean, and determine their contribution in explaining the variance in snatch and clean & jerk (C&J) performance. Thirty-one national and international level male and female weightlifters participated. Isometric start position pull (ISPP), isometric transition position pull (ITPP), and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) PF, along with competition performance, were analysed both in absolute and allometrically scaled terms. Partial Least Squares Regression identified a single latent variable explaining 81.4% of the variance in Snatch and 79.6% in C&J. ISPP PF alone significantly contributed to explaining the variance the snatch and C&J. For allometrically scaled values, a single latent variable accounted for and 62.8% variance in Snatch and 60.7% of the variance in C&J, with ISPP PF significantly contributing to the Snatch and approached significance for C&J (p = 0.056). These results underscore the importance of evaluating maximal force in the initial lift phase and suggest that training to enhance strength in this phase may be crucial for improving weightlifting performance
Neural Indicators of Sleep Loss and Sleep Propensity in Male Military Trainees: Insights from Dry-Electrode EEG - an Exploratory Study
Get PDFThis study examined the impact of reduced sleep on electroencephalogram (EEG) activity during cognitive tasks in Military Clearance Diver trainees using a novel dry-electrode EEG system. Seven male participants underwent two 5-day periods: a baseline and a ‘live-in’ phase with increased workload and reduced sleep (5.4 ± 0.1 vs. 7.4 ± 0.7 hours). EEG was recorded daily in the early morning (AM) and late afternoon (PM) during a Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), two oculography tests (AM: n = 4; PM: n = 3), and two minutes of eyes-closed rest. Significant increases in theta (t(29) = 2.308, p = 0.028, d = 0.421) and alpha (t(29) = 2.124, p = 0.042, d = 0.388) power spectrum densities were observed in the ‘live-in’ phase during the PVT. These findings align with increased lower frequency activity over time awake, reflecting heightened sleep propensity. Sleep loss was further confirmed by declining Odds Ratio Product (ORP) values. This study demonstrates the feasibility of dry-electrode EEG in detecting fatigue-related neural changes and highlights the potential of ORP as a quantifiable fatigue marker. These insights may inform operational settings, such as military diver performance monitoring and fatigue management strategies
‘No migration, no gender, no war’ : Contradictions and paradox in Hungarian migration discourse
Get PDFThe Hungarian Government’s long-standing politicisation of migration has recently become more complex. Two factors are particularly important here. First, following Russia’s war on Ukraine, over 60,000 refugees have arrived in Hungary seeking temporary protection. Second, Hungary’s FDI-based growth model and the country’s integration into global value-chains has exposed serious labour shortages. Hungary’s prime minister recently indicated the need for 500,000 new workers in the next two years. New government legislation now allows ‘third country’ nationals residence in Hungary as ‘guestworkers’ under strict conditions. More than 100,000 foreign workers are now in employment. The article explores contradictions between politicised anti-migrant discourse, the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and the introduction of guestworkers into the Hungarian labour market. It draws on qualitative data analysis including political speeches, social media postings and visual images. The article concludes by suggesting that Hungary can be understood as currently caught in a paradox between national economic imperatives on one hand and domestic political and public demands for the preservatio
Lady and the Champ: The shared career experiences and retirement transition of a Champion jockey and his partner
No full textElite sporting careers are made up of a succession of transitions and adjustments across multiple layers. Part of the micro-environment is an athlete’s romantic partner who moves through the transitions alongside them, being impacted along the way. Though researchers are yet to explore jockeys and their partners experiences within the horse racing context. Framed through the transition environment working model (Henriksen et al., 2024) and supported by the family systems theory (Broderick, 1993), this study aimed to explore the career experiences and retirement transition of a retired Champion jockey as perceived by him and his female partner. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with the two participants, Richard and Lizzie Hughes (M age = 46.5, SD = 2.1) who consented to their identities being disclosed. Three themes were constructed: “It was all worth it”; “You can’t have the good times without the bad”; and “It's been a journey but one I clearly wouldn’t change”. Findings of this study highlighted the influence of the micro-level environment in shaping transition experiences, which ultimately impacted the partner too. Secondly, addiction and obsessive passion were found throughout transition experiences. Thirdly, despite being normative the retirement transition process presented emotional and physical challenges across jockey and partner. In all, the study provided a novel insight of the experiences and perceptions of both jockey and partner. Further research attention and applied support avenues for both parties are warranted, since their experiences are closely intertwined
Using generative artificial intelligence to plan and resource primary science
No full textDiscusses the findings of a small-scale research project that explored using ChatGPT to provide lesson ideas for primary science teaching and learnin
The feasibility and test-retest reliability of wireless dry-electrode EEG during a dynamic psychomotor virtual reality task.
Get PDFPurpose
Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive environments for studying psychomotor performance, but the reliability of dry-electrode electroencephalography (EEG) in assessing brain activity during dynamic VR exergames (VRex) remains unclear. The present study investigated the feasibility and reliability of dry-electrode EEG frequency band, with primary focus on alpha band activity.
Methods
Ten amateur combat sports male participants (37 ± 11 years) volunteered for this study. The feasibility of dry-electrode EEG recording during motion and test-retest (24 h) reliability, was investigated. EEG measurements were obtained pre, post, and throughout a standardized boxing focus ball VRex session, comprising three 3-min rounds interspersed with 1-min rest intervals. EEG data were analyzed globally and at each electrode site, calculating average power spectral density values.
Findings
ICCs data indicated poor-to-excellent (0.208–0.858) reliability across all measurements within the 4- to 30-Hz frequency range. Poor-to-good reliability (0.393–0.636) was found across the task-active VRex intervals. Electrode sites ranged in reliability from poor (electrode P3; 0.262) to excellent (electrode P4; 0.728), with higher reliability found in the alpha band across electrode sites compared to average spectral band values.
Conclusion
The present study demonstrates the feasibility, although variable reliability, in neuronal detection during a dynamic VR task, using novel dry-electrode EEG technology
Editorial: Behaviours, Bias, and Decision-Making in Health
Get PDFThe nexus of mental health, cognitive functions, and health-related behavior presents a rich field for applied psychological research, shedding light on how psychological, emotional, and social factors influence health decisions, be they social, clinical, or related to individual strategies. The research call, Behaviors, bias, and decision-making in health, was intentionally created to make a meaningful contribution in this applied domain. Thirteen interdisciplinary contributions explore the cognitive and emotional factors, mechanisms, and potential interventions that shape behavior in health contexts
Performances of Eating Disorders on TikTok—A Case of Hysterical Modes of Externalization
Get PDFAn increasing number of videos on the social media platform TikTok show individuals who allegedly have or are recovering from an eating disorder. The videos depict particular performances and aestheticisations of eating disorders which are analyzed in detail in this article through an interdisciplinary perspective of psychoanalysis as well as media and communication studies. This analytical perspective focusses upon the dialectic of content and aesthetic form, while also taking into account the technical features of the platform. The guiding question is whether eating disorders can be analyzed using the psychoanalytic concept of hysteria which is applied to further unpack common qualities of the videos around performances of reinterpreting and remodeling of inner and psychosocial reality as a pseudo‐solution of conflicts. We argue that eating disorders staged and performed in the videos by the young women can be regarded as different forms of externalization in hysterical modes: attempting triangulation; repeating and acting out; representing a punishing super‐ego. We conclude that hysteria remains a vital and critical concept for understanding contemporary representations of the body in the context of mental health on digital platforms
Measuring Physical Function Capacity in Persons With Haemophilia: A Systematic Review of Performance‐Based Methods
Get PDFIntroduction: Currently, physical health assessments in persons with haemophilia focus on bleed‐related events and after‐effects. The aim of the systematic review was to review and apply standardised criteria to evaluate reliability, responsiveness and construct validity of performance‐based instruments evaluating physical capability in persons with haemophilia.
Methods: Medline, CINAHL, Embase, EMCARE, and Cochrane (inception‐March 2024) were searched using COSMIN filters for 7 performance‐based tests in haemophilia, supplemented by manual searches. Reliability, responsiveness and construct validity of the six‐minute walk test (6MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), timed up and down stairs (TUDS), 30‐second sit‐to‐stand (30‐STS), single leg stance (SLS), tandem stance (TS) and single hop for distance (SH) were evaluated.
Results: The search yielded 88 abstracts; 25 studies remained after full‐text screening, covering 5 of 7 performance‐based instruments: 6MWT, TUG, TUDS, SLS, and 30‐STS. No performance‐based test was evaluated for all properties across all ages. Only TUG in adults and older adults and 6MWT in children and adolescents has been tested for all properties. No test received a high grading. Low and very low grades were given mostly for indeterminate results, small or single studies and lack of a similar construct of comparator. The 6MWT in all age groups was the only performance‐based test graded moderate, and this was for responsiveness.
Conclusion: With increasing use of performance‐based methods of physical function capacity, evaluating measurement properties is a priority. Until evidence is generated, we can only advocate the 6MWT to monitor responsiveness in adult persons with haemophilia affected with marked arthropathy
Physical and mental recovery for female footballers: considerations and approaches for better practice
Get PDFIncreased physiological demands in elite women’s football coupled with growing demands on and off the field of play have
inevitably placed more pressure on players. Recovery therefore plays a critical role in sustaining health and maintaining high
performance for training and readiness to compete. Recovery strategies start with the fundamental need for adequate sleep
quality and duration, and nutrition. When these are in place, recovery could be further augmented with additional recovery
techniques. Where there is a priority to maximise an adaptative response, there is an argument to withhold additional recovery
strategies to maximise the adaptation stimulus. Conversely, when rapid recovery is desired for an imminent match, or in a
tournament setting, the application of recovery strategies must be prioritised. This article discusses the approaches that should
be considered to support physical and mental recovery and regeneration strategies in the context of women’s football. Whilst most recovery research is based on studies of male athletes, there is also work that exclusively focusses on female individuals; this article highlights the potential applicability of this collective work and specific considerations for female football players and offers practical recommendations. Although far from complete, there is emerging evidence of an interplay between cyclical variations of reproductive hormones, associated menstrual cycle/hormonal contraception symptoms and recovery/adaptation. Whilst there is an expected individual variability in menstrual cycle and symptoms, these additional female-specific considerations might contribute to the total stress and recovery needs of the individual athlete. Exploring the role of recovery strategies in support of training and competition for female football players represents an exciting area for future research