The chronic and acute effects of whole body vibration training

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyWhole body vibration training (WBVT) has gained a lot of interest for its proposed benefits across a range of populations both active and injured. The purpose of the present thesis was to test the efficacy of WBVT in terms of injury rehabilitation and performance enhancement amongst professional and amateur athletes. The five papers submitted for the degree of PhD by publication are grouped into two key themes relevant to the development of knowledge and evidence to advance a better understanding of the chronic and acute effects of WBVT. The themes encompass the efficacy of WBVT (Chronic) as a rehabilitation tool and as an addition to a warm-up routine (acute). The explanatory narrative provides a brief background to WBVT, a summary of each paper and what the paper has contributed to the field both in terms of knowledge and methodological development. The papers presented provide evidence that chronic WBVT is an effective method of improving balance and stability in athletes suffering functional ankle instability (FAI) (Paper 1). Even when compared to traditional methods of rehabilitation for FAI, the addition of WBVT enhances the benefits of traditional rehabilitation protocols (Paper 2). The use of acute WBVT enhances reactive strength, again showing a significant benefit as an addition to a more traditional warm-up (FIFA 11+) amongst amateur soccer players (Paper 3). When training status was considered (amateur vs. professional), high frequency acute WBVT stimulus significantly improved landing stability (DPSI) amongst professional players only (Paper 4). These differences between groups were also identified when examining knee extensor potentiation and force output with significant improvements amongst professional but not amateur soccer players. Professional players also reported significantly greater beliefs in the effectiveness of WBVT (Paper 5). In conclusion the body of work presented discusses the practical and methodological implications of the new knowledge presented and identifies a series of future lines of research

Six-week combined vibration and wobble board training on balance and stability in footballers with functional ankle instability.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a combination of vibration and wobble board training against wobble board training alone in footballers suffering from functional ankle instability (FAI). Design: A 2 · 3 prefactorial–postfactorial design. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Thirty-three male semiprofessional footballers with self-reported unilateral FAI were randomly assigned in 3 groups: vibration and wobble board (mean age 22.2 years), wobble board (mean age 22.7 years), and control (mean age 23.1 years). Interventions: Participants in each intervention group performed a 6-week progressive rehabilitation program using a wobble board, either with or without the addition of vibration stimulus. Main Outcome Measures: Absolute center of mass (COM) distribution during single-leg stance, modified star excursion balance test (SEBT) reach distances, and single-leg triple hop for distance (SLTHD) were measured before and after 6-week intervention. Results: Combined vibration and wobble board training resulted in AU3 reduced COM distribution [P # 0.001, effect size (ES) = 0.66], increased SEBT reach distances (P # 0.01 and P # 0.002, ES = 0.19 and 0.29, respectively), and increased SLTHD (P # 0.001, ES = 0.33) compared with wobble board training alone during the course of the 6-week training intervention. Conclusions: Combined vibration and wobble board training improves COM distribution, modified SEBT scores and SLTHD among footballers suffering FAI, compared with wobble board training alone

Relative Age, Maturation, Anthropometry and Physical Performance Characteristics of Players Within an Elite Youth Football Academy

A professional English football club with Category 1 academy status was investigated to determine the magnitude of relative age effects (RAE) within the club and explore between quartile differences for somatic maturity, anthropometry and physical performances. Birth dates of 426 players from Under 9 to First Team were categorised into four birth quartiles (Q) and examined for RAEs. Additionally, data on 382 players (Under 11 to First Team) were obtained for somatic maturity, anthropometry, countermovement jump, sprint (10 and 30 m), agility T-Test, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 or 2 performance to determine between-quartile differences. Odds ratios revealed Q1 players were 6.0 times more likely to be represented than Q4 players. Multilevel modelling demonstrated similarities between-quartile for each variable across all age groups, though there was a tendency for Q4 players to outperform Q1 players between Under 11 and Under 18 groups. Strong RAEs exist within this club as well as a tendency to select players demonstrating advanced growth and/or maturity, with some indication that higher categorised academies in England may be at risk of amplified selection biases. Talent identification strategies in elite youth football should actively seek to adopt novel approaches to reduce selection biases and avoid wasted potential

Professional Soccer Player Neuromuscular Responses and Perceptions to Acute Whole Body Vibration Differ from Amateur Counterparts.

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Dept. of Sports Medicine, Medical Faculty of Uludag University in Journal of Sports Science & Medicine on 23/02/2016, available online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763847/ The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Acute whole body vibration (WBV) is an increasingly popular training technique amongst athletes immediately prior to performance and during scheduled breaks in play. Despite its growing popularity, evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness on acute neuromuscular responses is unclear, and suggestions that athlete ability impacts effectiveness warrant further investigation. The purpose of this study was to compare the neuromuscular effects of acute WBV and perceptions of whether WBV is an effective intervention between amateur and professional soccer players. Participants were 44 male soccer players (22 professional and 22 amateur; age: 23.1 ± 3.7 years, body mass: 75.6 ± 8.8 kg and height: 1.77 ± 0.05 m). Participants in each group were randomly assigned to either an intervention of 3 x 60 s of WBV at 40 Hz (8mm peak-to-peak displacement) or control group. Peak knee isometric force, muscle activation and post activation potentiation (PAP) of the knee extensors along with self-report questionnaire of the perceived benefits of using the intervention were collected. A three-way ANOVA with repeated measures revealed professional players demonstrated a significant 10.6% increase (p < 0.01, Partial Eta(2) = 0.22) in peak knee isometric force following acute WBV with no significant differences among amateur players. A significant difference (p < 0.01, Partial Eta(2) = 0.16) in PAP amongst professional players following acute WBVT was also reported. No significant differences amongst amateur players were reported across measurements. Results also indicated professional players reported significantly stronger positive beliefs in the effectiveness of the WBV intervention (p < 0.01, Partial Eta(2) = 0.27) compared to amateur players. Acute WBV elicited a positive neuromuscular response amongst professional players identified by PAP and improvements in knee isometric peak force as well as perceived benefits of the intervention, benefits not found among amateur players. Key pointsAcute WBV improves knee extensor peak isometric force output and PAP amongst professional and not amateur soccer playersProfessional players perceived acute WBV as more beneficial to performance than amateur playersIsometric strength,vibration intensity and duration appear to influence results amongst players of different playing levels

Brief online interventions to improve 5K running

© 2023 The authors. Published by the Foundation of Advanced Education. 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/10.58524/jcss.v2i1.214Athletes and coaches strive to identify and learn to use interventions to enhance performance. The goal to be a competent user of psychological skills which aid performance is common among coaches and athletes. However, how frequently such skills are used and how they are learned is less well understood. Many athletes experience plateaus in performance despite efforts to improve, and as such are prime candidates to test interventions to enhance performance. To he present study investigate the effectiveness of learning brief psychological skills among athletes who competed in a weekly 5km time trial whose performances had plateaued. Participants (n = 7) volunteered to follow brief psychological skills training which involved watching brief videos on how to use one of self-talk, reappraisal, if-then plans, or a non-treatment condition, but in the context of the study represent receiving encouragement to mentally prepare. Data analysis compared intervention results with baseline data taken from 2 months of data before the intervention. Results Psychological skills usage associated with finishing 347.37m (p = .019) ahead of baseline. Post-race reflections indicated using psychological skills helped re-appraise fatigue.  Findings offer encouraging data on encouraging runners to engage in mental preparation and that following brief psychological skills training is helpful, however, confirmatory research is needed with larger samples.We acknowledge the Sport Physical Activity Research Centre at the University of Wolverhampton who supported the project. We also acknowledge the British Psychological Society who supported the RESIST project.Published onlin

Acute effects of Vitamin D3 supplementation on muscle strength in Judoka athletes: a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

Objective: Indoor athletes have been shown to be prone to vitamin D3 deficiency. The aim of the study was to examine the acute effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function using isokinetic dynamometry. Design: Randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Setting: Institutional. Participants: Adult male white national level judoka athletes (n = 22) who were involved in full-time training. Exclusion criteria were vitamin supplementation, overseas travel to sunny climes, and/or an injury incurred during the last 3 months before testing. Interventions: Subjects were randomly allocated to the treatment (150 000IU vitamin D3) or placebo and given blinded supplements by an independent researcher. Participants were tested twice, 8 days apart, on a Monday morning before the start of judo training and after 2 days of rest. A 5 to 7 mL of blood sample was collected followed by isokinetic concentric quadriceps and hamstring muscle function assessments on the right leg at 30 and 200°·s. Main outcome measures: Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze isokinetic muscle force and serum 25(OH)D3. Regression to the mean was used to examine changes in 25(OH)D3 levels over the study period. Results: The treatment group demonstrated a significant increase in serum 25(OH)D levels (34%, P ≤ 0.001) and muscle strength (13%, P = 0.01) between days 1 and 8. No significant differences were found for the placebo group for the same period. Conclusions: A single bolus of 150 000IU vitamin D3 had a significant positive effect on serum 25(OH)D levels and muscle function in vitamin D insufficient elite indoor athletes. Clinical relevance: Serum 25(OH)D3 levels of indoor athletes should be monitored throughout the year and especially during winter months. Beneficial responses, in muscle strength and serum 25(OH)D3, to 1 dose of vitamin D3 supplementation can be observed within 1 week of ingestion. Muscle strength is linked to serum 25(OH)D levels. Acute Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Muscle Strength in Judoka Athletes: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283499805_Acute_Effects_of_Vitamin_D3_Supplementation_on_Muscle_Strength_in_Judoka_Athletes_A_Randomized_Placebo-Controlled_Double-Blind_Trial [accessed May 10, 2016]

The Influence of Hormonal Contraception on Vitamin D Supplementation on Serum 25(OH)D3 Status in Premenopausal Women: A Prospective Double-Blind Placebo Random Controlled Trial

Background: A number of cross-sectional studies have highlighted a potential benefit of estrogen-containing contraception on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. The purpose of the present prospective study was to determine whether oral vitamin D3 supplementation significantly increases serum 25(OH)D more for women taking the estrogen-containing oral contraception than those not taking this medication. Methods: Thirty-eight premenopausal adult females aged 18 - 45 years old were recruited from a university campus; exclusion criteria included those presently taking vitamin D supplementation, those who stopped or started taking oral contraception in last 6 months and those taking any other form of contraception. A prospective doubleblind placebo design was implemented; the dependent variable was serum 25(OH)D and the independent variables were using or not using oral estrogen-containing contraception, and vitamin D3 or placebo supplementation. Participants were tested 4 weeks apart, and blood samples were collected using a capillary blood spot sample method and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. An independent technician prepared the identical supplement bottles with either 100 placebo pills or 100 active vitamin D3 pills (1,000 IU per pill) and participants randomly selected a supplement bottle. Results: Baseline measurements of 25(OH)D were non-significantly 11% higher in those taking estrogen. ANOVA results revealed a significant two-way interaction between supplementation group (treatment vs. placebo) and treatment period (before vs. after) (P < 0.001), demonstrating a substantial rise in serum 25(OH)D for the treatment group compared with the placebo group. The results also identified a three-way interaction (P = 0.014) on serum 25(OH)D between the three independent variables, with the vitamin D oral contraception group having significantly greater serum 25(OH)D increases (from 45.9 to 98.3 nmol/L) compared with those not taking oral contraception (44.2 - 69.6 nmol/L) (P = 0.019). Conclusions: The estrogen-containing oral contraception increases serum 25(OH)D in premenopausal women with a magnified effect in those taking vitamin D supplementation. Future studies need to examine the relationship between estrogen, vitamin D supplementation, serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone and other markers of bone metabolisms

Strength and conditioning in dance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This is an author's accepted manuscript of an article due to be published by Wiley in European Journal of Sport Science. The accepted manuscript may differ from the final published version.To assess the evidence for the effect of strength and conditioning on physical qualities and aesthetic competence in dance populations, three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus) were searched (until September 2022) for studies that met the following criteria: (i) dancers aged >16 years; (ii) structured strength and conditioning intervention; and (iii) with physical qualities and aesthetic competence as outcome measures. Methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed through the systematic review tool “QualSyst”. Meta-analyses of effect sizes (Hedges’ g) with forest plots explored the effects of the strength and conditioning interventions. Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Meta-analysis indicated strength and conditioning significantly (p < 0.05) improved lower body power (g = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.53 to 1.27), upper body strength (g = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.39 to 1.57), lower body strength (g = 1.59, 95%CI: 0.97 to 2.22), and flexibility (g = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.05 to 1.66). Strength and conditioning interventions were found to be effective at improving physical qualities in dancers, recommending their participation in additional sessions to enhance overall fitness and ultimately dance performance. It is recommended that future strength and conditioning intervention research should include sample size calculations, with participants recruited from a specific dance genre and skill level in order to evaluate how strength and conditioning influences dance performance

Cardiorespiratory profile and performance demands of elite hip-hop dancers: Breaking and new style

Dancers need to constantly maintain and develop their physiological capabilities to support their performances. Previously these physiological demands have been investigated only in traditional dance styles such as ballet and modern. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological demands of two types of hip-hop: new style and break dance. Nine female new style dancers (age 20±6 yrs, height 163.5±1.4 cm, mass 55.8±22 kg) and 9 male break dancers (age 23±4.2 yrs, height 178.2±5.7 cm, mass 62.1±7.7 kg) volunteered for the study. Each subject completed a maximal graded treadmill test and a dance performance routine, either new style (approx 1:45-2:30 min) or breaking (2 min). Breathe-by-breathe gas analysis and heart rate (HR) were collected by a portable gas analyser, and blood lactate (BLa) was measured at the end of the treadmill test and each routine. The male breaker dancers had significantly higher VO2 peak than other equivalent dancers in other genres, whilst the female new style dancers were similar to that previously reported for female dancers. Performance data showed significant differences between the two styles for VO2, HR, and BLa (p<0.001) and for VO2 and HR relative to individual maximal treadmill data (p<0.05). New style is more comparable to other theatrical dance genres, with a lower relative mean VO2 demand, whilst break dance is shorter in duration, allowing a higher cardiorespiratory demand and generating significant levels of blood lactate. This difference is also reflected in the dancers' cardiorespiratory profiles