Pre-exercise carbohydrate ingestion : effect of the glycemic index on endurance exercise performance

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of glycemic index of pre-exercise carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion on exercise metabolism and performance.

Methods: Eight endurance trained men ingested a high glycemic index (HGI), low glycemic index (LGI), or a placebo (CON) meal 45 min before exercise and then cycled for 50 min at 67% V·O_2max. Subjects subsequently performed a 15-min self-paced performance ride in which total work (kJ) was recorded.

Results: Plasma glucose concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) after ingestion in HGI compared with LGI and CON (7.53 ± 0.64 vs 5.55 ± 0.21 and 4.65 ± 0.14 mmol·L^-1 for HGI, LGI, and CON, respectively, 30 min postprandial; mean ± SE) but declined at the onset of exercise and were lower (P < 0.01) compared with LGI and CON (4.03 ± 0.31 vs 4.64 ± 0.24 and 5.09 ± 0.16 mmol·L^-1 for HGI, LGI, and CON respectively; mean ± SE) at 10 min of exercise. Plasma glucose remained depressed (P < 0.01) until 30 min into exercise in HGI compared with other trials. Plasma insulin concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) following ingestion during rest and exercise in HGI compared with LGI and CON. Plasma FFA concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) following ingestion in HGI and LGI compared with CON and higher (P < 0.05) in LGI compared with HGI at the start and end of exercise. RER and CHO oxidation was higher (P < 0.01) in HGI compared with LGI and CON during submaximal exercise. There were no differences in work output during the performance cycle.


Conclusions: These data indicate that pre-exercise CHO feedings with varying glycemic indexes do not affect exercise performance following short term submaximal exercise despite alterations in metabolism.

A preliminary investigation of the utility of the "Behavior support plan quality evaluation guide II" for use in Australia

Background The quality of behaviour support plans (BSPs) can be an important influence on the quality of the support provided to people with disability who show challenging behaviours. The Behavior Support Plan Quality Evaluation Guide II (BSP-QE II) is one tool that may be useful in assessing the quality of behaviour support plans. It has previously been used to assess BSPs to support children in schools in the USA. In this preliminary study, we examined the utility of the BSP-QE II for assessing behaviour support plans designed for adults with an intellectual disability in community support services in Australia.

Method  Experienced practitioners were surveyed concerning the relevance of BSP-QE II components to the evaluation of BSPs in Australia, and an audit was conducted of randomly selected BSPs submitted as a statutory requirement to the Office of the Senior Practitioner.

Results  The BSP-QE II showed evidence of acceptable construct validity and interrater reliability. There was evidence of a need for substantial improvement in the quality of BSPs, consistent with previous findings conducted using other audit tools.

Conclusions The findings support the utility of the BSP-QE II, to inform and evaluate service planning in supporting adults with intellectual disability who show challenging behaviour.

How well does the index of receptivity to tobacco industry promotion discriminate between smoking and never smoking adolescents.

Tobacco advertising is often named as the culprit that causes children to start smoking (Lancaster & Lancaster, 2003). This belief can partly be attributed to the Index of Receptivity to Tobacco Industry Promotion (IRTIP) developed by Evans, Farkas, Gilpin, Berry, & Pierce (1995). IRTIP was later modified and used by Pierce, Choi, Gilpin, Farkas, & Berry (1998) in a longitudinal study that claimed to have found a causal link between advertising and adolescent cigarette trial. The model is advertised by the American National Cancer Institute (2004) as being able to measure the likelihood of an adolescent starting smoking. Because of Pierce’s causality claim and this endorsement, IRTIP has been widely adopted by tobacco-control researchers. Consequently, the results from IRTIP based surveys have played a central role in influencing tobacco control policy. Based on the logic that a model used to predict the chances of a non-smoker becoming a smoker should be able to distinguish between these two groups, discriminant analysis with dummy coded variables was used to validate IRTIP. The results show that while IRTIP classifies never-smokers well, it grossly misclassifies smokers. This leads to questions about the validity of the model and of studies using IRTIP.

Analysis of the cost performance of structural building frames in Australia

The significance of this research is that it is the first comprehensive analysis of cost performance across Australia. It is well known that measuring cost performance is not an easy task; comparisons of building projects on a `like-for-like’ basis are uncommon, and rarely occur in the real world. However, this paper analyses 120 different structural frame models that represent various; structural designs, construction methods, grid spans, and locations.

The research produced price models that were representative of structural frames used in medium-rise non-residential buildings. It is based on pricing a number of standard building frame designs in five Australian cities. The results represent the cost of producing the same building in different locations, using similar building construction techniques. By utilizing a standard model, project variables like building quality, ground conditions and access were eradicated, thereby facilitating an unbiased comparison of cost performance. I addition, the results are an indicator of building productivity based on costs per square metre of various construction types.

This research provides the Australian industry with robust data about the relative cost performance of various structural building frames. In addition, this research has wider implications because the models may also become useful data for the measuring relative cost performance in other countries.

The influence of climate change on Thorthwaite moisture index on the design of light structures

Significant long term changes in the earth’s climate have occurred in the past but recently there has been more severe climate fluctuation than have occurred in the past few centuries. The effect of this climate change on the foundation conditions of roads and low-rise buildings is costing several hundred billion dollars world-wide. A method which tracks this climate change will be of great value for companies and governments. C.W. Thornthwaite (1948) defined the Thornthwaite Moisture Index (TMI) as the first base for his climate classification system and mapping in the United States. There are 3 important factors to predict ground movement: (a) the degree of moisture index change (b) the depth at which this change occurs and (c) the foundation soil type. The water budget model was used by Thornthwaite (1948) to calculate the moisture index. This paper also discusses two typical examples of the use of this model. Originally TMI’s were mainly used to map soil moisture conditions for agriculture but soon became a method to predict environmental and pavement foundation changes.

Morphometric vertebral fractures of the lower thoracic and lumbar spine, physical function and quality of life in men

The epidemiology and sequelae of morphometric vertebral fracture (MVF) are poorly documented. We found that MVFs of the lower thoracic and lumbar spine were associated with poor quality of life and impaired physical function in men. We recommend that morphometric X-ray absorptiometry be included in routine requests for bone densitometry.