The reliability and validity of different jump-test performance metrics for fatigue monitoring in amateur boxing

© 2022 The Authors. Published by Sport & Exercise Science New Zealand. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.36905/jses.2022.02.03Jump testing has become widespread practice in sport science for monitoring athletes’ fatigue. The purposes of this study were to determine whether the number of trials performed influenced the reliability of jump-test performance metrics, as well as establish the construct validity of these jump-test performance metrics for monitoring fatigue in amateur boxing. After institutional ethical approval, seven novice (stature 1.81 ± 0.08 m, mass 82.7 ± 12.4 kg, age 20.9 ± 0.8 years, training 18 months) participated. All boxers completed familiarisation and three experimental trials, involving a standardised warmup and eight jump-tests. These jumptests included countermovement and squat jumps, performed bilaterally and unilaterally as well as vertically and horizontally. For each jump-test, 12 performance metrics were calculated using the maximum, mean or median height or distance, from combinations of the four attempts performed per jump-test, with and without one initial practice. Trial two also involved 3 x 2 min rounds of sparring to induce fatigue. Reliability was calculated for novice and experienced boxers separately using typical error between trials one and two, which ranged from 1.5 to 19 cm across the performance metrics. Construct validity was determined by a 2 x 2 within and between group ANOVA (novice v experienced, trial two v three). Only unilateral vertical squat jump height could discriminate experienced from novice boxers after a fatiguing sparring bout. Jump height of experienced boxers was lower than novices by 2.0 ± 0.2 cm (p = 0.01, 95% CI [1.1, 3.0] cm) when using the mean of two attempts after one practice. As typical error was 1.3 cm, results suggest that this jump-test and performance metric appear reliable and valid for monitoring fatigue in amateur boxing

The Effect of Carbohydrate Mouth Rinsing on Multiple Choice Reaction Time During Amateur Boxing

Purpose: To examine whether the use of a carbohydrate mouth rinse (CMR) can improve multiple choice reaction time in amateur boxers during sparring. Methods: A total of 8 male amateur boxers (age 22 [3] y, stature 1.78 [0.07] m, mass 73.6 [14.2] kg) with at least 18 months of experience in the sport volunteered to participate in the study. All participants attended a familiarization session, followed by an experimental (CMR; 6% dextrose) and placebo trials in a randomized order. Participants undertook 3 × 2 minutes of sparring against an ability- and size-matched (stature and mass) opponent. Multiple choice reaction time and perceived exertion were measured before round 1 and then after each round. The respective mouth rinse was administered in a 25-mL solution for 10 seconds before each round. Magnitude-based inferences were used to compare the results of each round (mean difference; ±90% confidence limits). Results: The CMR was unlikely to have a beneficial effect on multiple choice reaction time compared with placebo (mean ± 90% confidence limits: 5 ± 9.5, 4 ± 3.4, −1 ± 8.5 lights for rounds 1 to 3, respectively) and had a possibly harmful effect on perceived exertion in round 1 (10 ± 20). There was an unlikely harmful effect on perceived exertion in rounds 2 (1 ± 12) and 3 (9 ± 23). Conclusion: There is no evidence to support the use of CMR during sparring in amateur boxers

The acute and delayed effects of foam rolling duration on male athlete’s flexibility and vertical jump performance

© 2022 The Authors. Published by International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v2i1.90Foam rolling (FR) durations totaling ≤60 s per muscle are reported to acutely increase flexibility and vertical jump performance. However, limited research has investigated whether these benefits can outlast the inactive post-warmup preparatory period that typically separates warmups from the start of sporting competition. Eleven male athletes (height 1.77 0.09 m, body mass 78.0 17.0 kg, age 22 2 years) completed familiarization, followed by three experimental trials in a randomized and counterbalanced repeated measures crossover design. Trials commenced with 5 min jogging, before ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ADF-ROM), sit and reach (S&R), countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) baseline testing. Participants then sat inactively for 10 min (control) or performed lower extremity FR totaling either 30 (30FR) or 60 s (60FR) that targeted four agonist-antagonist leg muscles. Testing was then repeated before and after a simulated inactive 15 min post-warmup preparatory period to establish the acute and delayed effects of FR on performance. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to identify any significant interaction effects between conditions (30FR, 60FR, control) and timepoint (baseline, acute, delayed). No significant condition x timepoint interaction effect was detected for the ADF-ROM (f = 1.63, p = 0.19), S&R (f = 0.80, p = 0.54), CMJ ((f = 0.83, p = 0.99) or SJ (f = 0.66, p = 0.99). Therefore, FR totaling ≤60 s appears insufficient to enhance flexibility or vertical jump performance in male athletes

Paranoid-Schizoid, Manic Defensive Society: Kleinian Psychodynamics in Contemporary Political Culture

There is a trend at present within political discourse whereby extreme polarisation and post-truth attitudes are rife. One can see the rise of emotive far-right populist candidates and causes as exemplary of this. Specifically in the case of the support for Donald Trump, Brexit as well as the rise in COVID-19 conspiracy theories. The root cause of irrational, angry and conspiratorial reasoning within public perception of political affairs urgently needs identification and questioning. Building on Bollas’ (1979) work on the internal mood, public mood can be defined as “mood of a certain age, the mood of an audience which jointly attends to a public performance, or the bonding which takes places between bodies which are in close physical proximity to each other” (Ringmar 2017). As such, it is exactly fitting to be examined via the psychodynamic work of Melanie Klein, specifically the concepts of the paranoid-schizoid position, the depressive position and the manic defences. In order to identify this, news reports of Dominic Cummings’ journey to Durham from the 22nd May 2020 to the 27th May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic shall be analysed. This analysis shall assess the psychosocial, cultural implications of this trip utilising a qualitative, critical discourse analysis, and will be analysed in order to identify paranoid-schizoid and manic defensive language in both news media reports, as well as within the language of users on Twitter. After which, there will be a discussion of these findings and the means in which they can be applied in order for society to move on from the extreme polarisation and post-truth attitudes that currently exist

Abstracts of the 3rd Annual Graduate Entry Research in Medicine Conference

This book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at The 3rd Annual Graduate Entry Research in Medicine Conference (GERMCON 2020) Organized by Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick in collaboration with Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Wales, UK held on 12–18 October 2020. This was especially important for Graduate Entry Medical (GEM) students, who have less opportunity and time to engage in research due to their accelerated medical degree. Conference Title: 3rd Annual Graduate Entry Research in Medicine ConferenceConference Acronym: GERMCON 2020Conference Date: 12–18 October 2020Conference Location: Online (Virtual Mode)Conference Organizer: Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UKCo-organizer: Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Wales, UK Other Abstract Book of GERMCON: Abstracts of the 4th Annual Graduate Entry Research in Medicine Conferenc