Aspects of weight management in NCAA Division III collegiate wrestlers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to observe the weight management habits of division III collegiate wrestlers during the week leading up to a competition. Methods: Subjects reported to the lab on Monday morning after an overnight fast. Subjects were measured for height and weight and were asked to provide urine and blood samples for analysis of hydration and creatine kinase activity, respectively. Throughout the week, subjects were weighed in and out of practice to monitor daily weight fluctuations. Subjects also self-recorded all food and drink consumption throughout the 5-day period. On Saturday morning, approximately 1 hour before weigh-ins for the competition, subjects reported to the lab after an overnight fast. They were measured for body weight and provided a second set of urine and blood samples. Results: Four subjects participated in the study while only two completed all aspects of the study. Subject 1 intended to lose over 7 kg in the 5-day period, however ended up dropping out of the study due to illness. Subject 3 lost roughly 2 kg throughout the week and induced severe dehydration and increases in creatine kinase activity, suggesting increased skeletal muscle damage. This subject also self-reported an average daily caloric intake of 1180 Kcals. Subject 4 lost roughly 1 kg throughout the study. This subject also induced severe dehydration but was able to reduce his creatine kinase activity, suggesting recovery of skeletal muscle. He self-reported eating an average caloric intake of 1635 Kcals. Subject 5 did not have to manage his weight. He showed low values of creatine kinase activity and did not induce severe dehydration during the 5-day period. Conclusion: Subjects who were consciously managing their weight experienced severe dehydration and appeared to be in a severe caloric deficit, even though they did not lose significant percentages of total body weight as compared to findings from other studies

In Season Heart Rate and Session Rate of Perceived Exertion in Collegiate Softball Athletes

Introduction Monitoring of workload is vital to minimize risk of overuse musculoskeletal injuries in athletes while optimizing performance Heart rate (HR) and session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) have been shown to be reliable measures of training intensity in steady state and interval exercise Relationship between training load and injury in running-based team sports has been established Limited studies have investigated internal load in throwing-dominant athletes despite rigorous competition seasonhttps://jdc.jefferson.edu/esposters/1000/thumbnail.jp

Training, Diet and Supplement Regimen of an Elite Female Standup Paddler in Preparation for an Ultra-distance Event: a Case Study

PURPOSE: Standup paddleboard (SUP) racing is the quintessential power-endurance sport that requires a combination of skill, aerobic power as well as muscular strength and endurance. The purpose of this case study was to examine the training, diet and supplement regimen of an elite paddler in preparation for an ultra-distance Standup paddleboard race (i.e., Molokai to Oahu [M2O) 32-mile open ocean SUP race). METHODS: The physical characteristics of the paddler are as follows: 32-year old female, 167.6 cm height, 62.7 kg weight and 19% body fat (Bod Pod®). During the six-month training program, the athlete\u27s daily average intake of the macronutrients was as follows: protein 151 g/d, carbohydrate 122 g/d and fat 62 g/d. Through this time the athlete incorporated more protein-based supplements pre-and post-training as well as supplementing with beta-hydroxy methylbutyrate (HMB) and beta-alanine. The athlete also incorporated a periodized training plan over the 6 months prior to the race. This included an average distance of run training of 24 miles/month as well paddle training 74 miles/month. Paddling training increased from 64 miles in the first month, eventually working up to 105 miles for the fifth month followed by a taper. The periodized plan was designed to increase paddling mileage 15 to 25% every four weeks and included a mix of various training types such as high intensity interval training, steady state cardio, and sprint training. RESULTS: The interventions listed above, along with a periodization training program resulted in an increase of 2.2 kg body mass and a decrease of 2% body fat. CONCLUSION: The nutritional strategies undertaken included an increased daily protein intake, as well as supplementation with HMB and beta-alanine. Together, these strategies resulted in a 3.16 kg gain in LBM as well as a 2% decrease in body fat. In addition, the prescribed strategies lead to a successful finish of 6th place overall female with a time of 6:37:36 at the M2O Stand-up Paddleboard Championship

The Influence of Overbuilt Versus Game-Permitted American Football Facemasks on Peripheral Visuomotor Ability in NCAA Division I Football Athletes

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 2: Issue 1, Article 9, 2021. Heavier facemask reinforcement has been shown to impair reaction time. While overbuilt facemasks are illegal for gameplay at all levels of competition, empirical rationale for this has not be realized and it is unknown if overbuilt facemasks are worse for peripheral vision than permitted ones. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing an overbuilt facemask versus game permitted facemasks on peripheral visuomotor ability in collegiate football players. Male NCAA Division I football players (n=18) completed a 60-second peripheral visuomotor test on a Dynavision D2 visuomotor board under the following conditions: 1) Baseline (No helmet), 2) Helmet + Light reinforced facemask, 3) Helmet + Medium reinforced facemask, 4) Helmet + Heavy reinforced facemask, 5) Helmet + Overbuilt facemask. Overall peripheral reaction time (PRT) and PRT separated by rings and quadrants were analyzed. Points of application: 1) Regardless of facemask reinforcement, wearing protective headgear impairs peripheral reaction time (PRT) compared to baseline with no helmet. Addition of an overbuilt facemask significantly impairs PRT compared to NCAA permitted facemasks. 2) An overbuilt facemask exhibits the most visuomotor decrement in far peripheral visual fields. 3) Decreases in visuomotor ability while wearing an overbuilt facemask are most pronounced in lower regions of visual field

Gender Comparisons of the Electromyographic Responses to Knee Extension Exercises with Different Initial Restriction Pressures

The effects of blood flow restriction training (BFR) may be impacted by the several physiological and biological differences found between genders. Since the pattern of regional body composition may be different between males and females, the impact of tightness of the restrictive cuffs (initial restrictive pressure; IRP) might be different for females causing variation in the level of muscle activation; therefore research on a female population is needed to have a complete understanding of BFR. PURPOSE: To compare changes in electromyography (EMG) amplitude (RMS) and median frequency (MDF) in males and females during application of different IRPs of 40-45 mmHg and 60-65 mmHg on knee extension exercises. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 10 males and10 females (age=24.4 ± 4.6), who visited the lab on three separate occasions. The first session consisted of measurement of skin thickness using ultrasound. In the sessions thereafter, the EMG electrode was placed on the VL to the mark made at one-third the distance from the lateral femoral epicondyle to the greater trochanter. A BFR cuff was then placed over the inguinal region of the subjects’ right leg. Subjects performed a pre-exercise maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) during first visit and the values from MVC test were used to determine the load lifted for both first and second visits. Each session consisted of a set of 30 repetitions and three sets of 15 repetitions performed at 20% MVC, with one minute rest between sets. RESULTS: Thigh skin thickness was significantly less in males (p CONCLUSION:Both conditions were determined to increase RMS throughout the exercise, which suggests a shift and increase in muscle fiber recruitment. However, lower values in EMG activity for the female subjects indicate that a higher IRP may be required to mirror the effects of BFR on males. Greater skin thickness in females may be acting as a barrier between the BFR cuff and circulatory pathways, producing lower neuromuscular activation

Lactate Concentration Response to Knee Extension Exercise with Various Initial Restrictive Pressures in Females

Literature remains lacking in regards to the role that initial restrictive pressure (IRP) coupled with resistance training as it pertains to the production and accumulation of metabolic byproducts such as lactate, more specifically in women. Purpose: The present study investigates the importance of the IRP as a variable on lactate concentrations during knee extension exercise in combination with blood flow restriction in female subjects. Methods: Thirteen female volunteers (age 21± 1.35) served as the test sample for this study. Initial health screening, PAR-Q, signing of the informed consent, procedural and dynamometer setting familiarization were completed on the first meeting. Prior to exercise, the participants’ maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque of right leg extensors was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Participants performed knee extension exercise with IRP set randomly at either 40-45 mmHg or 60-65 mmHg on two subsequent visits separated by a minimum of 48 hours. On each visit, participants performed 4 sets (1×30 reps and 3×15 reps) of dynamic knee extension exercises with the load set at 20% of their respective MVC. The load lifted for both visits was same and determined using pre-MVC values from the first visit. A lactate analyzer was employed to measure lactate concentration within blood sample from finger pricks. Participants washed their hands before testing started and isopropyl alcohol wipes were used to clean the puncture site before the collection of blood. Levels of lactate concentration were measured prior to exercise, between the second and third sets, and at immediately post exercise. Results: A significant main effects for time (p0.05) between the conditions (40-45 mmHg vs. 60-65 mmHg) over the course of dynamic knee extension exercise. Conclusion: Given that females may store more adipose tissue accumulated around their hip and thighs, magnitude of the effect of IRPs may vary within and across genders, resulting in changes in the type of muscle fibers (type I vs. type IIx) recruited, the total number of muscle fibers recruited, and the level of fatigue. More research is required to determine the impact of various IRPs on the level of byproducts production and accumulation