Background: Protein-based multi-ingredient (MTN) supplements have been suggested as a safe and effective way of enhancing exercise outcomes. However, their effectiveness remains controversial when compared to isocaloric and single-nutrient supplements. This review aims to systematically summarise the current knowledge of multi -ingredient supplementation to optimise body composition and physical performance in middle-aged and older adults.Material and methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search of the literature was conducted using PubMed, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus from June to October 2021. Every publication identified from the outset to October 2021 was considered. The main inclusion criteria comprised randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies conducted in adults (>= 45 years old), following resistance-or endurance-based training programmes for a period of 6 weeks or longer, combined with MTN supplementation and a calorie equivalent comparator (COMP) supplement (e.g., carbohydrates). Continuous data on body composition [fat-free mass (FFM) or lean body mass], strength, and functional capacity as markers of physical performance were pooled using a random-effects model.Results: Initially, 3329 publications were identified. Data from nine RCTs were ultimately included, involving 476 participants. The overall quality of the included studies was high, demonstrating a low risk of bias. Compared to COMP, no significant further benefits of ingesting MTN were identified for FFM (kg) (g = 0.044, 95 % CI-0.14 to 0.22), upper-body strength (kg) (g = 0.046, 95 % CI-0.24 to 0.33), lower-body strength, leg press exercise (kg) (g = 0.025, 95 % CI-0.26 to 0.31), leg extension exercise (kg) (g = 0.106, 95 % CI-0.15 to 0.36) and functional capacity (time in seconds) (g = 0.079, 95 % CI-0.12 to 0.27).Conclusions: No additional benefits of ingesting MTN vs. COMP to maximise exercise-induced outcomes on body composition and physical performance in healthy physically active middle-aged and older adults have been identified.
This chapter outlines outline the purpose, aims and requirements of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route (SEPAR). The history and location of the qualification within the association are first noted. Details of the qualifications and entry requirements for this pathway, the enrolment process, the qualification journey, a summary of the key competencies which trainees are presented and assessment methods for such competencies are provided. A working illustration of the scheme reflections from a trainee who has taken this pathway including reviewer feedback and activities that then followed are offered. The SEPAR graduate supervisor offers a corresponding insight into their experience of undertaking the qualification and affords tips and guidance for future trainees seeking to join this independent pathway to Health and Care Professions Council Registration.
In the research concerning rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in sport and exercise, irrational beliefs are proposed as a risk factor for health. Concurrent to this, researchers have also indicated that autonomous and controlled motivation, as proposed in organismic integration theory could, together with irrational beliefs, determine individual health. However, research is yet to align irrational beliefs and motivation, and explore how this alignment relates to mental health. The present two study paper identifies individual subgroups, drawn from data concerning irrational beliefs, motivation, and health (psychological distress, and physical health), in a sample of exercisers (study 1) and student athletes (study 2). We examined the latent profile structure of irrational beliefs and motivation, and how these latent profiles relate to psychological distress (studies 1 and 2), and physical health (study 2). Results indicate a two class profile whereby class 1 is characterised by high irrational beliefs, low self-determined motivation, and poor health outcomes. Class 2 is characterised by low irrational beliefs, high self-determined motivation, and better health outcomes. The findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical implications for REBT and organismic integration theory, and the practical implications for key stakeholders in the health of exercise participants and athletes.
Pre-workout multi-ingredient admixtures are currently used to maximise subsequent exercise performance.The present double-blind, cross-over study compared the acute effects of ingesting a multi-ingredient (PREW) vs. maltodextrin (CHO) over a training week (microcycle) composed by three resistance training (RT) workouts alternated with two 30-min lowintensity endurance sessions (END) on total volume lifted (kg) during RT and substrate oxidation during END.Additionally, post-workout decreases of involuntary and voluntary muscle function, subjective measures of effort and feelings were analysed.Following a baseline performance assessment, seven recreationally trained middle-aged women (49 ± 4 years old) completed two identical microcycles separated by a 2-week washout period while receiving either PREW or CHO (15 minutes prior to workout).The exercise volume (kg lifted), per session (WVOL) and for the total three RT (WeeklyVol) was calculated.Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) during 30-min cycling corresponding to their individually-determined maximal fat oxidation was measured using expired gasses and indirect calorimetry.Assessments of strength and power performance, along with tensiomyography analysis, were conducted within 20 min after each RT.Under the PREW, the participants completed significantly (p = .001)higher WeeklyVol and WVOL (for the three RT) and higher, but not significant FAO (p = .17;d = 0.6) during the first END workout.No other statistically significant differences were observed between conditions.Compared to CHO, a pre-workout multi-ingredient appears to increase resistance exercise volume and may suppose a tendency to favour fat oxidation during low-intensity endurance exercises.
Background Despite the enormous financial and humanistic burden of chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is little consensus on what constitutes the best treatment options from a multitude of competing interventions. The objective of this network meta-analysis (NMA) is to determine the relative efficacy and acceptability of primary care treatments for non-specific CLBP, with the overarching aim of providing a comprehensive evidence base for informing treatment decisions. Methods We will perform a systematic search to identify randomised controlled trials of interventions endorsed in primary care guidelines for the treatment of non-specific CLBP in adults. Information sources searched will include major bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO and LILACS) and clinical trial registries. Our primary outcomes will be patient-reported pain ratings and treatment acceptability (all-cause discontinuation), and secondary outcomes will be functional ability, quality of life and patient/physician ratings of overall improvement. A hierarchical Bayesian class-based NMA will be performed to determine the relative effects of different classes of pharmacological (NSAIDs, opioids, paracetamol, anti-depressants, muscle relaxants) and non-pharmacological (exercise, patient education, manual therapies, psychological therapy, multidisciplinary approaches, massage, acupuncture, mindfulness) interventions and individual treatments within a class (e.g. NSAIDs: diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen). We will conduct risk of bias assessments and threshold analysis to assess the robustness of the findings to potential bias. We will compute the effect of different interventions relative to placebo/no treatment for both short- and long-term efficacy and acceptability. Discussion While many factors are important in selecting an appropriate intervention for an individual patient, evidence for the analgesic effects and acceptability of a treatment are key factors in guiding this selection. Thus, this NMA will provide an important source of evidence to inform treatment decisions and future clinical guidelines. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registry number: CRD42019138115
Preworkout multi-ingredient admixtures are used to maximise exercise performance. The present double-blind, cross-over study compared the acute effects of ingesting a preworkout multi-ingredient (PREW) admixture vs. carbohydrate (CHO) over a week (microcycle) comprising three resistance training (RT) workouts alternated with two 30-min low-intensity endurance sessions (END) on RT volume (kg lifted) and END substrate oxidation. Additionally, postworkout decreases of muscle function and subjective responses were analysed. Following a baseline assessment, fourteen recreationally trained, middle-aged adults (seven females, 48.8 ± 4.7 years old) completed two identical microcycles separated by a two-week washout period while receiving either PREW or CHO (15 min prior to workout). The RT volume, per session (SVOL) and for the entire week (WVOL), was calculated. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) during 30-min cycling corresponding to their individually determined maximal fat oxidation was measured using expired gasses and indirect calorimetry. Assessments of performance and tensiomyography were conducted within 20 min after each RT. Higher (p = 0.001) SVOL and WVOL along with a larger proportion of FAO (p = 0.05) during the second END workout were determined under the PREW treatment. No other statistically significant differences were observed between conditions. Compared to CHO, a preworkout multi-ingredient appears to increase resistance volume and favour fat oxidation during low-intensity endurance exercises.
In this article, the authors describe a new theory, the Evaluative Space Approach to Challenge and Threat (ESACT). Prompted by the Biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat (BPS: Blascovich and Tomaka, 1996) and the development of the Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (Jones et al., 2009), recent years have witnessed a considerable increase in research examining challenge and threat in sport. This manuscript provides a critical review of the literature examining challenge and threat in sport, tracing its historical development and some of the current empirical ambiguities. To reconcile some of these ambiguities, and utilizing neurobiological evidence associated with approach and avoidance motivation (c.f. Elliot and Covington, 2001), this paper draws upon the Evaluative Space Model (ESM; Cacioppo et al., 1997) and considers the implications for understanding challenge and threat in sport. For example, rather than see challenge and threat as opposite ends of a single bipolar continuum, the ESM implies that individuals could be (1) challenged, (2) threatened, (3) challenged and threatened, or (4) neither challenged or threatened by a particular stimulus. From this perspective, it could be argued that the appraisal of some sport situations as both challenging and threatening could be advantageous, whereas the current literature seems to imply that the appraisal of stress as a threat is maladaptive for performance. The ESACT provides several testable hypotheses for advancing understanding of challenge and threat (in sport) and we describe a number of measures that can be used to examine these hypotheses. In sum, this paper provides a significant theoretical, empirical, and practical contribution to our understanding of challenge and threat (in sport).
Stressful situations, performance pressure, and setbacks are part of contemporary organizational life. The dynamic nature of technological advances and globalisation of business leads to tougher competitive pressures and constant change. People’s responses to these challenging circumstances vary widely. Some bounce back and adapt to increasing challenges and adversity, others’ healthy functioning is significantly impaired. Even though resilience is recognised as a crucial issue in the workplace, the rates of new cases of work-related stress and depression have remained broadly flat for more than 10 years. Resilience research within Applied Psychology typically focuses on the psychological domain of a person’s functioning. This means that also resilience trainings or interventions focus on only one area. The present paper aims to build a comprehensive conceptualization of workplace resilience ultimately to assist in informing targeted intervention and in developing a model to move the research area forward as a whole. A cross-disciplinary understanding of and approach to individual resilience in the workplace would allow to better understand the mechanism of why some people bounce back from adverse events whereas others’ well-being declines. We propose a resilience framework with antecedents considering psychological (cognitive and emotional) and physiological correlates (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and metabolic).
This paper outlines the development and preliminary validation of a sport-specific measure of athletes’ experience of challenge and threat. Three independent studies assess the content validity, factor structure, criterion validity and internal consistency of the Challenge and Threat in Sport (CAT-Sport) Scale. In study 1, a group of 25 athletes and 2 experts assessed the content validity of items derived from existing measures of challenge and threat. Participants examined a pool of 25 items, and were asked to rate the items’ applicability to their experiences of challenge and threat in sport. Items failing to reach applicability of 50% were excluded from further analysis. In study 2, 197 runners completed the 21 items retained from study 1 before competition. A principal components analysis with an oblique, direct oblimin rotation yielded a 12-item, two-component solution with items indicative of athletes’ experiences of challenge and threat. In study 3, 201 shooters completed the 12-item CAT-Sport before competition. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a 12-item 2-factor correlated model provided acceptable model fit with good internal consistency and criterion validity. Collectively these studies provide support for the CAT-Sport as a measure of athletes’ experience of challenge and threat in anticipation of sport competition.
This study investigated the effect of long-term training on the development of mental toughness (MT). Thirty recreationally active participants (age: 33.53±6.83years; height: 177.41±7.11cm; weight: 78.40±11.94kg; maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max): 47.00±6.48 ml.kg-1.min-1) undertook 6-months of training prior to completing an iron-distance triathlon. Mental toughness questionnaires (MTQ48) were completed at 0,2,4,6 months of training and 1-month post-race. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for each MTQ48 variable with consideration to faster v slower finishers. No significant differences (p>0.05) were found between fast and slow finishers on any of the MT criteria. There was an effect for time with overall mental toughness (OMT) improving from baseline-post race (cohens d = 0.52; p<0.01) and month 2-post race (d = 0.39; p<0.01), commitment improving from baseline-post race (d = 0.60; p<0.05) and confidence increasing from month 2 post-race (d = 0.39; p<0.05). MT was not associated with race time. The findings indicate that longitudinal training culminating with competitive experience may favourably impact MT.
BACKGROUND:The incidence of cardiovascular disease is considerably disparate among different racial and ethnic populations. While dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) has been shown to be useful in Caucasian patients, its role among ethnic minority groups remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic importance of DSE in three ethnic groups in the UK.METHODS:DSE was performed on 6231 consecutive patients. After exclusions, 5329 patients formed the study (2676 [50.2%] Indian Asian, 2219 [41.6%] European white and 434 [8.1%] Afro-Caribbean). Study outcome measures were non-fatal cardiac events (NFCE) and all-cause mortality.RESULTS:There were 849 (15.9%) NFCE and 1365 (25.6%) deaths over a median follow-up period of 4.6 years. In total 1174 (22%) patients had inducible myocardial ischaemia during DSE, 859 (16.1%) had fixed wall motion abnormalities and 3645 (68.4%) patients had a normal study. Ethnicity did not predict events. Among the three ethnic groups, ischaemia on DSE was associated with 2 to 2.5 times the risk of non-fatal cardiac events and 1.2 to 1.4 times the risk of all-cause mortality. Peak wall motion score index was the strongest independent predictor of non-fatal cardiac events and all-cause mortality in all groups. The C statistic for the prediction of NFCE and all-cause mortality were significantly higher when DSE parameters were added to the standard risk factors for all ethnic groups.CONCLUSIONS:DSE is a strong predictor of NFCE and all-cause mortality and provides predictive information beyond that provided by standard risk factors in three major racial and ethnic groups. No major differences among racial and ethnic groups in the predictive value of DSE was detected.
In football there are various objective methods for measuring and tracking development of specific physical (e.g., speed) and motor skills (e.g., shooting). However, there are no objective tools to measure football specific perceptual-cognitive skills (e.g., anticipation). Thus, the primary objective of the study was to examine the perceptual-cognitive skills (i.e., anticipation and option generation processes) of low and high skill, male and female football players using a video-based task environment. Players were shown action clips of developing football plays that were stopped at three temporal points (i.e., 400ms, 200ms and 0ms) prior to an action and when the last frame was frozen or occluded. Using an answer sheer, players were required to anticipate the action and generate and prioritize the plausible options. High-skill players scored better on the anticipation and option generation tasks throughout the conditions. In addition, task conditions affected high and low-skill players differently. Gender differences were also observed. Male players anticipated actions more accurately, generated more plausible options, and prioritized them more efficiently, than females. Findings provided insights into the mechanisms underlying option generation and anticipation processes in football. Furthermore, the findings suggest that it is possible to capture perceptual-cognitive skills in soccer.