Test performance indicators from a single soccer specific fitness test differentiate between highly trained and recreationally active soccer players

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a single soccer specific fitness test (SSFT) could differentiate between highly trained and recreationally active soccer players in selected test performance indicators. Methods. Subjects: 13 Academy Scholars (AS) from a professional soccer club and 10 Recreational Players (RP) agreed to participate in this study. Test 1-(V)over dotO(2) max was estimated from a progressive shuttle run test to exhaustion. Test 2-The SSFT was controlled by an automated procedure and alternated between walking, sprinting, jogging and cruise running speeds. Three activity blocks (1A, 2A and 3A) were separated by 3 min rest periods in which blood lactate samples were drawn. The 3 blocks of activity (Part A) were followed by 10 min of exercise at speeds alternating between jogging and cruise running (Part B). Results. Estimated (V)over dotO(2) max did not significantly differ between groups, although a trend for a higher aerobic capacity was evident in AS (p<0.09). Exercising heart rates did not differ between AS and RP, however, recovery heart rates taken from the 3 min rest periods were significantly lower in AS compared with RP following blocks 1A (124.65 b(.)min(-1) +/-7.73 and 133.98 b(.)min(-1) +/-6.63), (p<0.05) and 3A (129.91 b.min(-1) +/-10.21 and 138.85 b.min(-1) +/-8.70), (p<0.01). Blood lactate concentrations were significantly elevated in AS in comparison to RP following blocks 2A (6.91 mmol(.)l(-1) +/-2.67 and 4.74 mmol(.)l(-1) +/-1.28) and 3A (7.18 mmol(.)l(-1) +/-2.97 and 4.88 mmol(.)l(-1) +/-1.50), (p<0.05). AS sustained significantly faster average sprint times in block 3A compared with RP (3.18 sec +/-0.12 and 3.31 sec +/-0.12), (p<0.05). Conclusion. The results of this study show that highly trained soccer players are able to sustain, and more quickly recover from, high intensity intermittent exercise.

Performance-based contracting in the construction sector

Construction procurement is complex and there is a very wide range of options available to procurers. Inappropriate choices about how to procure may limit practical opportunities for innovation. In particular, traditional approaches to construction procurement set up many obstacles for technology suppliers to provide innovative solutions. This is because they are often employed as sub-contractors simply to provide and install equipment to specifications developed before the point at which they become involved in a project. A research team at the University of Reading has developed a procurement framework that comprehensively defines the various options open to procurers in a more fine-grained way than has been known in the past. This enables informed decisions that can establish tailor-made procurement approaches that take into account the needs of specific clients. It enables risk and reward structures to be aligned so that contracts and payment mechanisms are aligned precisely with what a client seeks to achieve. This is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Rather, it is an approach that enables informed decisions about how to organize individual procurements that are appropriate to particular circumstances, acknowledging that they differ for each client and for each procurement exercise. Within this context, performance-based contracting (PBC) is explored in terms of the different ways in which technology suppliers within constructed facilities might be encouraged and rewarded for the kinds of innovation sought by the ultimate clients. Examples from various industry sectors are presented, from public sector and from private sector, with a commentary about what they sought to achieve and the extent to which they were successful. The lessons from these examples are presented in terms of feasibility in relation to financial issues, governance, economics, strategic issues, contractual issues and cash flow issues for clients and for contractors. Further background documents and more detailed readings are provided in an appendix for those who wish to find out more.

Is gender crucial for cardiovascular adjustments induced by exercise training in female spontaneously hypertensive rats?

Evidence of mild hypertension in women and female rats and our preliminary observation showing that training is not effective to reduce pressure in female as it does in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) prompt us to investigate the effects of gender on hemodynamic pattern and microcirculatory changes induced by exercise training. Female SHR and normotensive controls (Wistar- Kyoto rats) were submitted to training (55% VO2 peak; 3 months) or kept sedentary and instrumented for pressure and hindlimb flow measurements at rest and during exercise. Heart, kidney, and skeletal muscles (locomotor/ nonlocomotor) were processed for morphometric analysis of arterioles, capillaries, and venules. High pressure in female SHR was accompanied by an increased arteriolar wall: lumen ratio in the kidney (+30%; P < 0.01) but an unchanged ratio in the skeletal muscles and myocardium. Female SHR submitted to training did not exhibit further changes on the arteriolar wall: lumen ratio and pressure, showing additionally increased hindlimb resistance at rest (+29%; P < 0.05). On the other hand, female SHR submitted to training exhibited increased capillary and venular densities in locomotor muscles (+50% and 2.3- fold versus sedentary SHR, respectively) and normalized hindlimb flow during exercise hyperemia. Left ventricle pressure and weight were higher in SHR versus WKY rats, but heart performance (positive dP/dt(max) and negative dP/dt(max)) was not changed by hypertension or training, suggesting a compensated heart function in female SHR. In conclusion, the absence of training- induced structural changes on skeletal muscle and myocardium arterioles differed from changes observed previously in male SHR, suggesting a gender effect. This effect might contribute to the lack of pressure fall in trained female SHRs.

EFFECT OF ENDURANCE TRAINING ON HYPOTHALAMIC SEROTONIN CONCENTRATION AND PERFORMANCE

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that modulates several functions, such as food intake, energy expenditure, motor activity, mood and sleep. Acute exhaustive endurance exercise increases the synthesis, concentration and metabolism of serotonin in the brain. This phenomenon could be responsible for central fatigue after prolonged and exhaustive exercise. However, the effect of chronic exhaustive training on serotonin is not known. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of exhaustive endurance training on performance and serotonin concentrations in the hypothalamus of trained rats. Rats were divided into three groups: sedentary rats (SED), moderately trained rats (MOD) and exhaustively trained rats (EXT), with an increase of 200% in the load carried during the final week of training. Hypothalamic serotonin concentrations were similar between the SED and MOD groups, but were higher in the EXT group (P < 0.05). Performance was lower in the EXT group compared with the MOD group (P < 0.05). Thus, the present study demonstrates that exhaustive training increases serotonin concentrations in the hypothalamus, together with decreased endurance performance after inadequate recovery time. However, the mechanism underlying these changes remains unknown.

Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the Development of Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Fatigue and Changes in Biochemical Markers Related to Postexercise Recovery

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized crossover double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can affect biceps muscle performance, fatigue development, and biochemical markers of postexercise recovery. BACKGROUND: Cell and animal studies have suggested that LLLT can reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in muscle tissue. But it remains uncertain whether these findings can translate into humans in sport and exercise situations. METHODS: Nine healthy male volleyball players participated in the study. They received either active LLLT (cluster probe with 5 laser diodes; A = 810 nm; 200 mW power output; 30 seconds of irradiation, applied in 2 locations over the biceps of the nondominant arm; 60 J of total energy) or placebo LLLT using an identical cluster probe. The intervention or placebo were applied 3 minutes before the performance of exercise. All subjects performed voluntary elbow flexion repetitions with a workload of 75% of their maximal voluntary contraction force until exhaustion. RESULTS: Active LLLT increased the number of repetitions by 14.5% (mean +/- SD, 39.6 +/- 4.3 versus 34.6 +/- 5.6; P = .037) and the elapsed time before exhaustion by 8.0% (P = .034), when compared to the placebo treatment. The biochemical markers also indicated that recovery may be positively affected by LLLT, as indicated by postexercise blood lactate levels (P<.01), creatine kinase activity (P = .017), and C-reactive protein levels (P = .047), showing a faster recovery with LLLT application prior to the exercise. CONCLUSION: We conclude that pre-exercise irradiation of the biceps with an LLLT dose of 6 J per application location, applied in 2 locations, increased endurance for repeated elbow flexion against resistance and decreased postexercise levels of blood lactate, creatine kinase, and C-reactive protein. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Performance enhancement, level 1b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(8):524-532. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.3294

Low-level Laser Therapy Improves Skeletal Muscle Performance, Decreases Skeletal Muscle Damage and Modulates mRNA Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in a Dose-dependent Manner

We tested if modulation in mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2) can be related to protective effects of phototherapy in skeletal muscle. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups receiving either one of four laser doses (0.1, 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 J) or a no-treatment control group. Laser irradiation (904 nm, 15 mW average power) was performed immediately before the first contraction for treated groups. Electrical stimulation was used to induce six tetanic tibial anterior muscle contractions. Immediately after sixth contraction, blood samples were collected to evaluate creatine kinase activity and muscles were dissected and frozen in liquid nitrogen to evaluate mRNA expression of COX-1 and COX-2. The 1.0 and 3.0 J groups showed significant enhancement (P < 0.01) in total work performed in six tetanic contractions compared with control group. All laser groups, except the 3.0 J group, presented significantly lower post-exercise CK activity than control group. Additionally, 1.0 J group showed increased COX-1 and decreased COX-2 mRNA expression compared with control group and 0.1, 0.3 and 3.0 J laser groups (P < 0.01). We conclude that pre-exercise infrared laser irradiation with dose of 1.0 J enhances skeletal muscle performance and decreases post-exercise skeletal muscle damage and inflammation.

Effect of Cluster Multi-Diode Light Emitting Diode Therapy (LEDT) on Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Fatigue and Skeletal Muscle Recovery in Humans

Background and Objectives: There are some indications that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may delay the development of skeletal muscle fatigue during high-intensity exercise. There have also been claims that LED cluster probes may be effective for this application however there are differences between LED and laser sources like spot size, spectral width, power output, etc. In this study we wanted to test if light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) can alter muscle performance, fatigue development and biochemical markers for skeletal muscle recovery in an experimental model of biceps humeri muscle contractions. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Ten male professional volleyball players (23.6 [SD +/- 5.6] years old) entered a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover trial. Active cluster LEDT (69 LEDs with wavelengths 660/850 nm, 10/30 mW, 30 seconds total irradiation time, 41.7J of total energy irradiated) or an identical placebo LEDT was delivered under double-blinded conditions to the middle of biceps humeri muscle immediately before exercise. All subjects performed voluntary biceps humeri contractions with a workload of 75% of their maximal voluntary contraction force (MVC) until exhaustion. Results: Active LEDT increased the number of biceps humeri contractions by 12.9% (38.60 [SD +/- 9.03] vs. 34.20 [SD +/- 8.68], P = 0.021) and extended the elapsed time to perform contractions by 11.6% (P = 0.036) versus placebo. In addition, post-exercise levels of biochemical markers decreased significantly with active LEDT: Blood Lactate (P = 0.042), Creatine Kinase (P = 0.035), and C-Reative Protein levels (P = 0.030), when compared to placebo LEDT. Conclusion: We conclude that this particular procedure and dose of LEDT immediately before exhaustive biceps humeri contractions, causes a slight delay in the development of skeletal muscle fatigue, decreases post-exercise blood lactate levels and inhibits the release of Creatine Kinase and C-Reative Protein. Lasers Surg. Med. 41:572-577, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparison between cold water immersion therapy (CWIT) and light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) in short-term skeletal muscle recovery after high-intensity exercise in athletes-preliminary results

In the last years, phototherapy has becoming a promising tool to improve skeletal muscle recovery after exercise, however, it was not compared with other modalities commonly used with this aim. In the present study we compared the short-term effects of cold water immersion therapy (CWIT) and light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) with placebo LEDT on biochemical markers related to skeletal muscle recovery after high-intensity exercise. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed with six male young futsal athletes. They were treated with CWIT (5A degrees C of temperature [SD +/- 1A degrees]), active LEDT (69 LEDs with wavelengths 660/850 nm, 10/30 mW of output power, 30 s of irradiation time per point, and 41.7 J of total energy irradiated per point, total of ten points irradiated) or an identical placebo LEDT 5 min after each of three Wingate cycle tests. Pre-exercise, post-exercise, and post-treatment measurements were taken of blood lactate levels, creatine kinase (CK) activity, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. There were no significant differences in the work performed during the three Wingate tests (p > 0.05). All biochemical parameters increased from baseline values (p < 0.05) after the three exercise tests, but only active LEDT decreased blood lactate levels (p = 0.0065) and CK activity (p = 0.0044) significantly after treatment. There were no significant differences in CRP values after treatments. We concluded that treating the leg muscles with LEDT 5 min after the Wingate cycle test seemed to inhibit the expected post-exercise increase in blood lactate levels and CK activity. This suggests that LEDT has better potential than 5 min of CWIT for improving short-term post-exercise recovery.

Brainstem oxytocinergic modulation of heart rate control in rats: effects of hypertension and exercise training

Oxytocinergic brainstem projections participate in the autonomic control of the circulation. We investigated the effects of hypertension and training on cardiovascular parameters after oxytocin (OT) receptor blockade within the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and NTS OT and OT receptor expression. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were trained (55% of maximal exercise capacity) or kept sedentary for 3 months and chronically instrumented (NTS and arterial cannulae). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured at rest and during an acute bout of exercise after NTS pretreatment with vehicle or OT antagonist (20 pmol of OT antagonist (200 nl of vehicle)-1). Oxytocin and OT receptor were quantified (35S-oligonucleotide probes, in situ hybridization) in other groups of rats. The SHR exhibited high MAP and HR (P < 0.05). Exercise training improved treadmill performance and reduced basal HR (on average -11%) in both groups, but did not change basal MAP. Blockade of NTS OT receptor increased exercise tachycardia only in trained groups, with a larger effect on trained WKY rats (+31 +/- 9 versus +12 +/- 3 beats min-1 in the trained SHR). Hypertension specifically reduced NTS OT receptor mRNA density (-46% versus sedentary WKY rats, P < 0.05); training did not change OT receptor density, but significantly increased OT mRNA expression (+2.5-fold in trained WKY rats and +15% in trained SHR). Concurrent hypertension- and training-induced plastic (peptide/receptor changes) and functional adjustments (HR changes) of oxytocinergic control support both the elevated basal HR in the SHR group and the slowing of the heart rate (rest and exercise) observed in trained WKY rats and SHR.

Revising the Program Portfolio: Elevating Academic Program Performance and Strategic Alignment

At many institutions, program review is an underproductive exercise. Review of existing programs is often a check-the-box formality, with inconsistent criteria and little connection to institutional priorities or funding considerations. Decisions about where to concentrate resources across the portfolio can be highly politicized. This report profiles how academic planning exemplars use program review as a strategic tool, integrating data on academic quality, student demand, and resource utilization to improve the economics of challenged programs and prioritize programs for investment and expansion.

Assessing global economic activity linkages: an empirical exercise based on global autoregressive regression

Economic performance increasingly relies on global economic environment due to the growing importance of trade and nancial links among countries. Literature on growth spillovers shows various gains obtained by this interaction. This work aims at analyzing the possible e ects of a potential economic growth downturn in China, Germany and United States on the growth of other economies. We use global autoregressive regression approach to assess interdependence among countries. Two types of phenomena are simulated. The rst one is a one time shock that hit these economies. Our simulations use a large shock of -2.5 standard deviations, a gure very similar to what we saw back in the 2008 crises. The second experiment simulate the e ect of a hypothetical downturn of the aforementioned economies. Our results suggest that the United States play the role of a global economy a ecting countries across the globe whereas Germany and China play a regional role.

Aminophylline affects glycemia control and increases anaerobic glycolysis in horses during incremental exercise

A study was conducted on the effects of acute administration of aminophylline on physiological variables in purebred Arabian horses submitted to incremental exercise test. Twelve horses were submitted to two physical tests separated by a 10-day interval in a crossover study. These horses were divided into two groups: control (C, n = 12) and aminophylline (AM, n = 12). The drug at 10 mg/kg body weight or saline was given intravenously, 30 minutes before the incremental exercise test. The treadmill exercise test consisted of an initial warmup followed by gradually increasing physical exigency. Blood samples were assayed for lactic acid, glucose, and insulin. Maximal lactic acidemia was greater (P = .0238) in the AM group. Both V-2 and V-4 (velocities at which lactate concentrations were 2 and 4 mmol/ L, respectively) were reduced in the AM group by 15.85% (P = .0402) and 17.76% (P = .0 109), respectively. At rest as well as at 4 minutes, insulinemia was greater in the AM group (P = .0417 and .0393), Glycemia group at times 8 was statistically lower in the Al (P = .0138) and 10 minutes (P = .0432). Use of ammophylline in horses during incremental exercise does not seem to be beneficial, because this drug has a tendency to cause hypoglycemia and to increase dependence on anaerobic glucose metabolism.

Blood lactate threshold reflects glucose responses in horses submitted to incremental exercise test

Determinou-se, em eqüinos, o efeito do treinamento sobre as concentrações sangüíneas de lactato e plasmáticas de glicose durante exercício de intensidade progressiva em esteira rolante. Demonstrou-se que o treinamento aeróbico causou diminuição da concentração máxima de lactato e que o limiar de lactato corresponde ao ponto de inflexão da curva de glicose plasmática, confirmando esse parâmetro como indicador da capacidade aeróbica de cavalos.

Effect of acute administration of Clenbuterol on athletic performance in horses

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of clenbuterol on the anaerobic-threshold of horses on a tread-mill with increasing physical stress, measuring heart rate (HR) and blood levels of lactate, glucose, and insulin. Twelve Arabian horses. were submitted to two physical tests separated by a 10-day interval. Clenbuterol (CL) at 0.8 mu g/kg or saline (control-C) was administered intravenously 30 minutes, before the test. The treadmill exercise test consisted of an initial warmup followed by a gradually increasing effort. There was no statistical difference in either V-2 or V-4 (velocity at which plasma lactate concentration reached 4 and 2 mmol/L, respectively) between the two-experimental groups. For the CL group, V-200, V-180, V-160, and V-140 (velocity at which the rate heart is 140, 160, 180, and 200 beats/minute, respectively) decreased significantly. At rest as well as times 4, 6, and 10 minutes, insulin levels were higher in the group that recieved clenbuterol (P < .05). Contrary to what was expected, apparently, there was no improvement in aerobic metabolism in animals when given a therapeutic dose of the bronchodilator. The elevated heart rate observed could have been attributable to the stimulation of cardiac beta(1) adrenoceptors and the increased insulin levels to the stimulation of pancreatic beta(2) receptors.