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Negligible effects of fructose-glucose composite carbohydrates on performance across a prolonged soccer match simulation compared with a glucose-only control in semi-professional soccer players
Full text linkHigher carbohydrate availability, achieved through combined intake of glucose and fructose, has shown to enhance endurance performance. This study examined the effects of higher carbohydrate doses containing a fructose–glucose mixture (1:2 ratio) on performance during a 120-min simulated soccer match, compared to lower doses containing only glucose. Fifteen semi-professional soccer players (7 males, 8 females) completed two 120-min soccer-specific exercise sessions in a randomised and crossover design. Participants consumed either 60 g·h⁻¹ glucose, or a combination of 0.5 g∙min-1 fructose and 1.0 g∙min-1 glucose (90 g·h⁻¹) at pre-exercise, halftime, full-time, and midway through extra-time. Measures including gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, mental fatigue, passing accuracy, neuromuscular performance (reactive strength index, countermovement jump height, peak power output), and sprint performance (15 and 30m sprints), were assessed at 0-min, 45-min, 90-min, and 120-min. Blood glucose and lactate concentrations were assessed every 15 min. Fructose–glucose co-ingestion elevated blood glucose concentration from 105 min (p=0.006, d=1.2), but did not maintain performance (p>0.05). GI symptoms of gastric reflux at 45-min (p=0.011, d=0.9), fullness at 90-min (p=0.013, d=0.9), and flatulence at 120-min worsened in glucose (p=0.003, d=1.1). Abdominal cramps were greater in fructose–glucose at 45-min (p<0.001, d=1.7) and 90-min (p<0.001, d=1.6). Although supplementation did not influence any other variables (p<0.05), countermovement jump height, peak power output and sprint performance was negatively influenced by exercise in both conditions (p<0.05). A higher carbohydrate dosage of fructose–glucose co-ingestion increases blood glucose concentrations but does not mitigate technical and neuromuscular performance impairments during a prolonged simulated soccer match
Perceptual, thermoregulatory and performance effects Of menthol gel application in trained triathletes exercising in hot conditions:Sweat response and exercise performance
Full text linkPurpose. Topical menthol application improves thermal perception and enhances performance but reduces sweat production in hot environments. In the aquatic environment, where sweat evaporation is of limited thermoregulatory benefit (i.e., minimal evaporation) and leads to dehydration and cardiovascular strain, downregulating thermoregulatory sweating may have little consequence but preserve hydration status and improve subsequent performance especially in air (i.e., after 1st transition in triathlon); we tested this hypothesis. Method. Eight trained triathletes (36 (5) yrs; height 1.77 (0.1) m; 73.9 (8.0) kg) completed two experimental conditions with prior whole-body application of menthol GEL (40g, 3.5% menthol) contrasted to NO-GEL. The protocol comprised 30-minute swimming (@85% 400 m PB) in tropical water (29 °C) followed by a 20 km self-paced cycling time-trial (TT). Measures were deep body temperature (gastrointestinal pill; TGI), skin temperature (Tskin), sweat production, RPE, thermal sensation (TS) and comfort (TC). Paired (t-test) and ANOVA compared data (0.05 alpha level). Results. Wetbulb globe temperature equated to ‘red flag’ conditions - heat injury potential for all. Terminal TGI was 38.8 (0.3) °C and 38.8 (0.7) °C and TT performance was 39:36 (04:31) and 40:53 (05:53) minutes in the GEL and NO-GEL conditions respectively (p = .340; 95% CI -222 to 88 s; d = -.22). Sweat production increased in the GEL condition 1140 (257) mL; NO-GEL 961 (202) mL (t = 2.482, p = .042; 95% CI 08 to 349 mL; d = .77). Conclusion. Menthol improved perception but increased thermoregulatory sweating and didn’t enhance performance (partial hypothesis support)
Understanding the impact of professional football club cultural climates on the experiences of women working in football
No full textSince the professionalization of English women’s football in 2018, it is now considered a viable career opportunity for women footballers. Nevertheless, little is known about women working within the culture of professional football clubs, the impact on their career experiences, and crucially, within the context of women’s sport. Utilizing Schein’s model of organizational culture as a theoretical framework and focusing on the professional tiers of English women’s football, we interviewed General Managers and Head Coaches for what they perceive to be the cultural features of their organizations that either constrain or support the recruitment, retention, and/or progression of female leaders. Through this, we identified cultural features that either constrain or support the recruitment, retention, and progression of female leaders. In doing so, this research advances existing literature by centering the specific dynamics of women’s sport organizations rather than extrapolating from men’s football and offers a gendered critique of cultural assumptions that continue to marginalize women. We also extend Schein’s framework by applying it to a gendered sporting context, highlighting how deeper cultural artefacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions intersect with structural inequalities. Findings suggest that women continue to be appraised on the basis of gender rather than capability and that club cultures and practices are constraining the appointment of a gender-diverse workforce. We argue for a shift in focus toward systemic cultural change to address persistent gender inequalities in football leadership
Locating meaning:health professionals’ views on the psychological and clinical significance of self-injury sites
No full textBackground: This study explored how health professionals construct clinical and psychological meaning based on the location of self-injury on the body, particularly in relation to concealed or visible injuries and how they might inform attributions about risk, self-injury functions, and distress. Methods: This study used qualitative thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 19 health professionals with experience working with self-injury, exploring perceptions and attributions about self-injury in different body locations. Results: Seven themes emerged. In some cases, staff’s attributions aligned with the findings from studies of those who self-injure, such as injuries to areas such as the neck are higher risk. Location was one factor among others, such as injury severity, that staff considered when assessing the risk of infection or suicide. Staff often viewed visible injuries as less risky and attributed them to interpersonal communicative functions, and concealed injuries to intrapersonal factors, though not all staff shared these perspectives. Some staff considered other potential drivers of injury location, including past experiences such as trauma, demographic factors, mental health diagnoses, and exposure to social influences. Some staff described the practical determinants of injury location, such as ease of access, and considered the impact of self-injury location on themselves and their colleagues. Conclusions: Injury location can influence staff perceptions of risk, self-injury functions and distress, underscoring the need for individualized assessment and formulation of each self-injury episode to ensure appropriate risk management. Staff training should be adapted to address injury location to improve understanding, raise awareness of related attributions, and enhance the development of clinical skills. Organizations should support staff in their role due to the potential emotional impact of working with individuals who self-injure and are at risk of suicide. Future research should investigate whether location-based attributions are associated with unintended clinical consequences, such as inaccuracies in risk assessment and formulation
The role of psychology in social justice:a qualitative analysis of student accounts
No full textAs a discipline, psychology is well-placed to explore and address matters relevant to social justice, as reflected in the British Psychological Society’s new strategy, underpinned by the simple vision of “Building a world where psychology transforms lives” (BPS, 2024). Only a small percentage of undergraduate psychology students pursue a career in the professional areas of psychology post-graduation. However, cultivating students’ understanding and appreciation of their ability not only to analyse social justice issues, but to also actively drive meaningful change with their skills expands the discipline’s potential for lasting impact both within and beyond its traditional boundaries. Understanding how students conceptualise the role of psychology in social justice issues is a perquisite to purposefully and effectively scaffolding transformative visualisation and application of knowledge. Thus, this study explored how second-year undergraduate psychology students construct the role of psychology in social justice. Embedded within their qualitative research methods training, undergraduate students (N=140) were invited to co-create and participate in an anonymous online qualitative survey to explore the prompt: ‘How can we find out about what students think about the role of psychology in social justice?’, resulting in 60 responses to nine open-ended questions. Using a critical reflexive thematic analysis, two overarching themes were sculpted: 1) Psychologically informed experts help others to help themselves, and 2) Psychological activism as ‘giving voice’. Findings are discussed in relation to opportunities to deepen understanding of how community engagement and participatory action research can enable psychology to address real-world issues through active collaboration with communities
Wittgenstein's dichotomy and religious diversity
No full textSome philosophers of religion are attracted to Wittgenstein’s claim of approaching religion in a descriptive and non-revisionary manner because they desire greater plurality and diversity of religions in their study. However, Wittgenstein’s account of religious beliefs as never based on evidence (i.e., non-evidentialism) and rituals as never performed as a means to an end (i.e., non-instrumentalism) results in a prescriptive conception of religion that impedes the plurality and diversity of religions apt for study. Moreover, since he thinks scientific beliefs are evidential and scientific practices are instrumental, he effectively dichotomizes religion from science. After demonstrating this, we counter that: (i) many religious beliefs are based on evidence; (ii) many religious practices are means to an end;(iii) not every society that has a religion separates it from science; (iv) Wittgenstein's approach gaslights many religious believers
Revisionism 2.0:The Royal Irish Constabulary Commemoration Controversy of 2020
No full textThis article explores the Royal Irish Constabulary Commemoration controversy of 2020. It argues that the Irish government’s attempts to separate the ‘good’ (Irish) recruits from ‘bad’ (British) recruits to the force can be linked to longer-running trends in Irish collective memory, and is an example of what has been termed ‘commemorative memory’: where historical narratives are used (instrumentally) ‘to legitimise collective identities and social institutions’. The RIC commemoration, it is argued, bore resemblances to the revisionist controversy of the 1980s, which saw debates about the morality of violence where the (legitimate) campaign of the ‘old IRA’ was contrasted with the (illegitimate) campaign of the Provisional IRA. The result, it contends, was that the government’s attempt at an inclusive commemoration in a ‘post-imperial’ setting inadvertently pathologised those of British heritage in Ireland
Insights and results from a pilot study for a self-led, digital-health treatment programme for CSBD (compulsive sexual behaviour disorder)
Full text linkBackground and aims: CSBD (compulsive sexual behaviour disorder) continues to be controversial amongst academics and clinicians. Common criticisms include lack of studies on treatment efficacy and an over emphasis on behaviour change rather than on psychological well-being. This paper explores the effectiveness of providing an online, self-guided treatment programme that reduces commonly recognised blocks to treatment seeking, namely stigma, shame, access and cost. Method: We recruited 96 participants who self-identified as struggling with CSBD, 68 of whom met the pilot study criteria. Participants completed three anonymous surveys at baseline, mid-point and post-course. In addition to basic demographics, participants provided feedback on the programme’s content and usability and answered questions relating to psychological well-being, impact on relationships and risk. The programme consisted of 60 podcasts with an accompanying digital workbook that took users through the psycho-educational CHOICE Recovery Model. Results: Adherence to the programme was good with 55% completing the course. The relevance of the course content was rated highly and, on completion, all but one participant felt more confident about their recovery. Improvements were seen in reduction of unwanted behaviours and preoccupation with those behaviours as well as psychological well-being. There were also improvements in risk, including a reduction in suicidality and the risk of breaking the law. There was also a strong positive association between higher emotional wellbeing and lower risk around unwanted behaviours. Conclusions: The results support previous studies demonstrating the benefits of online interventions and indicates that this treatment model design, based on the CHOICE Recovery Model, is effective, both in terms of behaviour change and improvements in psychological well-being and risk
‘It felt like a secret ballot’:the impact of accreditation on academics working in initial teacher education in England, 2022/2023
No full textIn 2022, a mandatory accreditation process was enacted across the pre-service teacher education sector in England, the successful navigation of which would be a requirement for institutions to continue offering initial teacher education (ITE) beyond 2024. We surveyed 143 academics working in ITE in 2022/23, using an online survey to capture opinions and thoughts about their experiences of the academic year. In this paper we focus on experiences of the re-accreditation process. The results show a number of significant concerns within this group, including workload, perceptions of ideologically motivated change and existential concerns for individuals and the sector. Taking a descriptive research approach to the study, we conclude that the accreditation process has had a serious and negative impact on ITE academics in 2022/23. Whilst our focus is on one country, which is an outlier in terms of the policy, regulation and accountability of teacher education, there are national governments that have expressed an interest in carrying out their own provider accreditation processes, and this may be of interest to those working in ITE in those countries, and to anyone who has an interest in the future of pre-service teacher education and teacher educators