Anaerobic performances and anaerobic characteristics of asthmatic children

The focus of this research was to examine the anaerobic characteristics and the related physiological effects of short-term, high intensity exercise on the asthmatic child. The research incorporated three studies that measured the physiological responses of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children to varied anaerobic stimuli

Anaerobic Characteristics and Performance of Prepubertal Asthmatic and Nonasthmatic Males

Anaerobic characteristics of preadolescent asthmatic and nonasthmatic males were measured using the accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD) on 10 asthmatics (mean age = 10.9 years) and 10 nonasthmatics (mean age = 11.1 years). Subjects ran to exhaustion at speeds that were 110% and 130% of their VO, peak. Mean AOD values for 110% and 130% were 53.23 ± 4.02 and 50.60 ± 2.81 ml · kg-1, respectively, for the asthmatic children's and 51.59 ± 2.66 and 47.04 k 3.44 ml · kg-1, respectively, for the nonasthmatic children. There were no statistically significant differences in anaerobic characteristics measured by AOD values (p > .05) between intensities and groups. FEV, data revealed that there was no bronchoconstriction occurring in either group under either of the test intensity conditions for up to 15 min postexercise

Effect of performance jewlery on balance of elite Australian rules footballers and healthy young adults

The purpose of this study was to test efficacy of a wrist band to improve static balance in an unstable environment using elite Australian Rules Football (AFL) players and healthy young adults. Thirty-five healthy young adults (AFL n=15, Female n=12, male n=8) were exposed to various static balance tasks using the Biodex Balance System®. The participants’ ability to maintain static balance was quantified in degrees of deviation from stability for the left and right limb; following a random allocation to three conditions of testing (1) use of a Power Balance® wrist band, (2) a placebo wrist band, and, (3) a control condition. There was no effect of wrist band on static balance within and across the participants (p >0.05). The results of this study do not support efficacy of the Power Balance® wrist band to acutely improve balance of healthy young adults

Anthropometric Profiling of Elite Junior and Senior Australian Football Players

Purpose: Body structure and physical development must be addressed when preparing junior athletes for their first season in a senior competition. The aim of this preliminary study was to measure the extent of the assumption that final year junior Australian Football (AF) athletes are at a physical mismatch to their senior counterparts. Methods: Twenty-one male participants (17.71 ± 0.27 y) were recruited from one state based elite junior AF competition and forty-one male participants (22.80 ± 4.24 y) were recruited from one club competing in the senior elite Australian Football League (AFL), who were subsequently divided into two groups; professional rookies aged 18–20 y (19.44 ± 0.70 y; n = 18) and professional seniors aged 21+ y (25.43 ± 3.98 y; n = 23). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans of all participants were completed. Results: Despite being an average 6.0% and 6.1% lighter in total weight and lean mass respectively, no significant difference was found between the elite junior athletes and their professional AFL rookie counterparts. However, significant differences were demonstrated in comparison with the professional AFL senior athletes (P < .01). Both professional AFL groups demonstrated greater than 0.3 kg total bone mineral content (BMC) than the elite junior athletes (P < .01) and significantly greater segmental BMC and bone mineral density (BMD) results (P < .05). Conclusion: While the results identify the differences in body composition of the elite junior athletes, development in a linear fashion is noted, providing useful information for the creation of age appropriate expectations and training programs

Shorter time to first injury in first year professional football players : A cross-club comparison in the Australian Football League

AbstractObjectives Australian Football League (AFL) players have a high risk of injury. Anecdotally, this injury risk is greater in emerging players (i.e. those in their first year), compared with established players (with 3+ years of experience). This study aimed to conduct the first comparison of injury risk and playing experience in these two player groups across a large number of AFL clubs. Design Prospective, cohort. Methods Injuries, game participation and training participation were collected weekly by 8 AFL clubs for 61 emerging and 64 established players. Injury incidence rates (IIR) and Cox proportional hazard models for time to first injury, separately for games and training, were computed. Results The game IIR was significantly higher for emerging than established players: 45.6 (95% CI: 35.7, 57.6) versus 18.3 (95% CI: 13.1, 24.9) per 1000 game-hours. Emerging players also had a higher training IIR than did the established players: 9.6 (95% CI: 7.6, 11.9) versus 8.9 (95% CI: 7.0, 11.1) per 1000 training-hours. Emerging players were significantly less likely to remain injury free in games than established players (HR = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.27, 9.45). A similar outcome was seen in training sessions, although to a lesser degree (HR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.69). Conclusions Despite efforts to modify the playing/training program of emerging players, this group remain at greater risk of injury in games and training sessions, compared with established players. Continued efforts should be made toward understanding reasons for this increased risk to better prevent injury during the early years of a professional football career

Accumulated oxygen deficit measurements during and after high intensity exercise in trained male and female adolescents

The purpose of this study was to compare accumulated oxygen deficits and markers of anaerobic metabolism [plasma ammonia (NH3) and lactate (La&minus;) concentrations] in anaerobically trained male [n&thinsp;=&thinsp;8, age 14.8 (0.5) years; maximal oxygen consumption V˙O2 max 61.74 (2.23) ml&thinsp;&middot;&thinsp; kg&minus;1&thinsp;&middot; min&minus;1] and female [n&thinsp;=&thinsp;8, age 14.5 (0.2) years; V˙O2 max 49.62 (3.52) ml&thinsp;&middot;&thinsp;kg&minus;1&thinsp;&middot;&thinsp;min&minus;1] adolescents. The exercise protocol consisted of runs to exhaustion at speeds predicted to represent 120% and 130% of V˙O2 max. Arterialised blood samples were obtained from a pre-warmed hand via a catheter inserted into a forearm vein. Samples were taken at rest and after 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 min of recovery. The high-intensity exercise resulted in mean accumulated oxygen deficits that were less (P&thinsp;&lt;&thinsp;0.05) in females (52.3&thinsp;ml&thinsp;&middot;&thinsp;kg&minus;1) than in males (68.6&thinsp;ml&thinsp;&middot;&thinsp;kg&minus;1). Lower (P&thinsp;&lt;&thinsp;0.05) plasma concentrations of NH3 and La&minus;1, and a higher pH were evident in females compared with males during various stages of the 20-min recovery period. The increase in anaerobic performance in the male adolescent athletes when compared with their female counterparts was associated with an increased plasma concentration of selected plasma and blood metabolites. The observed results may reflect well-established differences between the sexes in the morphology and metabolic power of muscle.<br /

Assessment of breathing patterns and respiratory muscle recruitment during singing and speech in quadriplegia

Objectives: To explore how respiratory impairment after cervical spinal cord injury affects vocal function, and to explore muscle recruitment strategies used during vocal tasks after quadriplegia. It was hypothesized that to achieve the increased respiratory support required for singing and loud speech, people with quadriplegia use different patterns of muscle recruitment and control strategies compared with control subjects without spinal cord injury. Design: Matched, parallel-group design. Setting: Large university-affiliated public hospital. Participants: Consenting participants with motor-complete C5-7 quadriplegia (n=6) and able-bodied age-matched controls (n=6) were assessed on physiologic and voice measures during vocal tasks. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Standard respiratory function testing, surface electromyographic activity from accessory respiratory muscles, sound pressure levels during vocal tasks, the Voice Handicap Index, and the Perceptual Voice Profile. Results: The group with quadriplegia had a reduced lung capacity (vital capacity, 71% vs 102% of predicted; P=.028), more perceived voice problems (Voice Handicap Index score, 22.5 vs 6.5; P=.046), and greater recruitment of accessory respiratory muscles during both loud and soft volumes (P=.028) than the able-bodied controls. The group with quadriplegia also demonstrated higher accessory muscle activation in changing from soft to loud speech (P=.028). Conclusions: People with quadriplegia have impaired vocal ability and use different muscle recruitment strategies during speech than the able-bodied. These findings will enable us to target specific measurements of respiratory physiology for assessing functional improvements in response to formal therapeutic singing training