Contemporary perspectives of core stability training for dynamic athletic performance: a survey of athletes, coaches, sports science and sports medicine practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Core stability training has grown in popularity over 25 years, initially for back pain prevention or therapy. Subsequently, it developed as a mode of exercise training for health, fitness and sport. The scientific basis for traditional core stability exercise has recently been questioned and challenged, especially in relation to dynamic athletic performance. Reviews have called for clarity on what constitutes anatomy and function of the core, especially in healthy and uninjured people. Clinical research suggests that traditional core stability training is inappropriate for development of fitness for heath and sports performance. However, commonly used methods of measuring core stability in research do not reflect functional nature of core stability in uninjured, healthy and athletic populations. Recent reviews have proposed a more dynamic, whole body approach to training core stabilization, and research has begun to measure and report efficacy of these modes training. The purpose of this study was to assess extent to which these developments have informed people currently working and participating in sport. METHODS: An online survey questionnaire was developed around common themes on core stability training as defined in the current scientific literature and circulated to a sample population of people working and participating in sport. Survey results were assessed against key elements of the current scientific debate. RESULTS: Perceptions on anatomy and function of the core were gathered from a representative cohort of athletes, coaches, sports science and sports medicine practitioners (n = 241), along with their views on effectiveness of various current and traditional exercise training modes. Most popular method of testing and measuring core function was subjective assessment through observation (43%), while a quarter (22%) believed there was no effective method of measurement. Perceptions of people in sport reflect the scientific debate, and practitioners have adopted a more functional approach to core stability training. There was strong support for loaded, compound exercises performed upright, compared to moderate support for traditional core stability exercises. Half of the participants (50%) in the survey, however, still support a traditional isolation core stability training. CONCLUSION: Perceptions in applied practice on core stability training for dynamic athletic performance are aligned to a large extent to the scientific literature

Trunk muscle activation in the back and hack squat at the same relative loads.

The hack squat (HS) is likely to produce a greater 1 repetition maximum (1RM) compared to the back squat (BS). This can be attributed to the support of the trunk during the HS compared to no support during BS. This support however, may compromise trunk muscle activation (TMA), therefore producing different training adaptations. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare 1RM in BS and HS and TMA at 4 relative loads, 65, 75, 85 and 95% of maximal system mass. Ten males completed 3 test sessions:1) BS and HS 1RM, 2) HS & BS neuromuscular test familiarization, and, 3) Neuromuscular test for 3 reps at 4 loads for BS and HS. BS TMA was significantly greater (p<0.05) than HS for all muscles and phases except rectus abdominus in concentric phase. TMA increased (p<0.05) with load in all muscles for both exercises and phases apart from lumbar sacral erector spinae in HS eccentric phase. Mean HS 1RM and submaximal loads were significantly (p<0.0001) higher than the equivalent BS loads. Duration of the eccentric phase was higher (p<0.01) in HS than BS but not different in concentric phase. Duration increased significantly (p<0.01) with load in both exercises and both phases. Despite higher absolute tests loads in HS, TMA was higher in BS. TMA is sensitive to load in both exercises. BS is more effective than HS in activating the muscles of the trunk and therefore arguably more effective in developing trunk strength and stability for dynamic athletic performance

Energy flux and dissipation of inhomogeneous plane waves in hereditary viscoelasticity

Inhomogeneous small-amplitude plane waves of (complex) frequency ω are propagated through a linear dissipative material which displays hereditary viscoelasticity. The energy density, energy flux and dissipation are quadratic in the small quantities, namely, the displacement gradient, velocity and velocity gradient, each harmonic with frequency ω, and so give rise to attenuated constant terms as well as to inhomogeneous plane waves of frequency 2ω. The quadratic terms are usually removed by time averaging but we retain them here as they are of comparable magnitude with the time-averaged quantities of frequency ω. A new relationship is derived in hereditary viscoelasticity that connects the amplitudes of the terms of the energy density, energy flux and dissipation that have frequency 2ω. It is shown that the complex group velocity is related to the amplitudes of the terms with frequency 2ω rather than to the attenuated constant terms as it is for homogeneous waves in conservative materials

Increased strength is associated with lower trunk muscle activation during loaded back squats and dynamic body weight jumps

This study measured how back squat strength (1RM) affected trunk muscle activation in performing squats, squat jump (SJ), and countermovement jump (CMJ). Fifty males, completed two test sessions. Squat 1RM was tested first. Participants were assigned to three groups: (a) strong group (SG), (b) middle group (MG), or (c) weak group (WG), based on relative squat 1RM. Test 2: EMG data were collected for four trunk muscle sites; rectus abdominus, external oblique, lumbar sacral erector spinae, and upper lumbar erector spinae while performing (3 reps) SJ, CMJ, and squats at 65%, 75%, and 95% 1RM. Squat and jump phases were determined from a linear transducer and 30° tertiles for each phase, from a knee goniometer. Normalized root mean square RMS increased significantly with load for each muscle site in both squat phases. Trunk muscle activation was significantly lower in SG vs WG in eccentric and concentric squat phases. Concentric and flight phase RMS in both jumps was lower in SG vs WG. RMS increased significantly for each eccentric tertile and first concentric tertile. Greater squat strength is associated with lower trunk muscle activation in squats and jumps and trunk muscle activation was highest in the two deepest 30° squat segments. In conclusion, back squat strength training to parallel, where top of thighs are horizontal, is an effective method of developing dynamic trunk stability

The Value of Urban Parklands: A Park User Study of the Baldwin Hills

The preservation and conservation of public open spaces are essential in urban settings as they promote the growth and sustainability of local communities and surrounding environments. The Baldwin Hills Conservancy manages the Baldwin Hills Parks System, and aims to promote recreation, restoration and protection of urban parks. In order to inform significant improvements to the parks system, a longitudinal study of the attitudes and behaviors of park visitors is being conducted. As part of the CURes (Center for Urban Resilience)/ TBF (The Bay Foundation) internship program, numerous LMU students administered a visitor survey over the course of 4 study seasons. This poster summarizes the survey findings from season 3, from June through September 2016. A total of 501 hours were spent in the park allowing for 416 surveys collected and 150 counts completed. Preliminary analyses on this data show several interesting findings, including a decrease in the number of users walking or cycling to the park throughout seasons, an increase in refusal rates by season, and evidence of a diverse user population. Future efforts consist of fully analyzing the collected data, and applying this study to public green spaces in Los Angeles as well as internationally.https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cures_posters/1004/thumbnail.jp

A Comparison of Blood Viscosity, Hematocrit and Blood Pressure between Yoga Practitioners and Sedentary Individuals

Elevations in whole blood viscosity (WBV) and hematocrit (Hct) have been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coexist with elevations in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Endurance training has been demonstrated to lower WBV and Hct; however, evidence supporting the efficacy of yoga on these measures is sparse. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted examining WBV, Hct and blood pressure among yoga practitioners with a minimum of 3 months of consistent practice and sedentary, healthy adults. Blood samples were collected from a total of 42 participants: 23 sedentary adults and 19 regular yoga practitioners. Brachial arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured and the averages of 3 measures were reported. RESULTS: Yoga practitioners had significantly lower WBV at 45 s-1 (p \u3c 0.01), 90 s-1 (p \u3c 0.01), 220 s-1 (p \u3c 0.05), and 450 s-1 (p \u3c 0.01) than sedentary participants. No significant group differences in Hct (p =0.38) were found. A tendency toward lower systolic BP (p=0.06) was observed in the yoga practitioner group; however, no significant group differences in BP were exhibited. CONCLUSION: A consistent yoga practice was associated with lower WBV and a trend of lower SBP, health indicators associated with CVD risk. These findings support a regular yoga practice as a valid form of exercise for improving rheological indicators of cardiovascular health

FY 17 Preliminary Education & General Budget Continuing the Discussion Presentation Slides

Slides from presentations regarding the University of Maine\u27s education and general budget for the 2017 fiscal year and fiscal planning. The first set of slides are regarding the preliminary budget, the second are of the final budget discussion, the third are of a multi-year financial analysis FY 2017-2021, and the fourth set are of unified budget with proposed recommendations

Assessing the Rock Island Community Garden Program

As part of Sustainable Working Landscapes Initiative with Augustana College’s Upper Mississippi Center, students in Urban Design and Environmental Justice (Geography 325) conducted research on Rock Island’s community garden program this fall. The City of Rock Island currently has 21 vacant-lot community gardens and plans to expand the program to 24 gardens in 2019. The purpose of this project was to develop an initial assessment of the community garden program and provide general information about the benefits of urban gardens. Students worked with Dr. Strunk to conduct a survey with current garden program participants and tested soil from 14 gardens for lead contamination. Students collected 3 soil samples from 3 different sections of most gardens (north, middle, south sections). The soil tests showed that sections of 5 different gardens (#3N, #10M, #11N, #11M, #11S, #15N, and #21)have elevated lead levels above the EPA standard of 400 parts per million. The remaining 8 gardens will be tested for soil lead contamination in early 2019. Students also created informational resources about the health benefits of gardens, conducted research about features of successful after-school gardening programs to be discussed with Rock Island-Milan school officials, and developed a proposal for a recipe book that can be used to raise awareness about the diversity of cultural practices in gardens and raise money for small-scale garden grants. Finally, students developed a proposal for a rainwater harvesting system and created designs for a sign for Rock Island Urban Farms and a future community garden site on city property

Parental education and inequalitties in child mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis

The educational attainment of parents, particularly mothers, has been associated with lower levels of child mortality, yet there is no consensus on the magnitude of this relationship globally. We aimed to estimate the total reductions in under-5 mortality that are associated with increased maternal and paternal education, during distinct age intervals. This study is a comprehensive global systematic review and meta-analysis of all existing studies of the effects of parental education on neonatal, infant, and under-5 child mortality, combined with primary analyses of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data

Correction to: Sol–Gel Synthesis of High-Density Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Monoliths via Ligand Assisted Methods: Exceptional Porosity, Hydrophobicity, and Applications in Vapor Adsorption (Advanced Functional Materials, (2021), 31, 5, (2008357), 10.1002/adfm.202008357)

In the original published version of this article, the bulk densities of the powder ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 were quoted as 0.96 g/cm3 and 0.94 g/cm3 respectively. However, the values for the powder samples’ true density were quoted in error. The correct bulk densities, used for calculating volume-relative capacities and surface areas, were 0.39 g/cm3 and 0.38 g/cm3 for ZIF-8 and ZIF-67, respectively. As this affects the calculated ‘volume-relative’ quantities, corrected tables and graphs are included below. The authors apologise for any inconvenience or confusion this error may have caused. Corrected tables Corrected values will be written and underlined in red. 1 Table Physical characteristics of ZIF samples. Surface areas and porosities expressed in mass-relative and volume-relative terms. Tpycometry = 25 °C. Tgas adsorption = -196 °C (Table presented.) a) Volume-relative quantities calculated by multiplying bulk density by mass-relative quantity b) Due to lack of micropores within sample, micropore volume could not be determined. 3 Table Summary of low concentration dynamic adsorption experiments. All measurements carried out at a toluene partial pressure of 0.00026, and a temperature of 25 °C (Table presented.) a) Calculated by dividing capacity when toluene is first detected by the capacity when the inlet and outlet concentrations of toluene are equal. 4 Table Estimated mass-relative and volume-relative toluene vapour capture productivities for adsorbents. Calculated using gravimetric toluene adsorption data at a partial pressure of 0.1 and a temperature of 25 °C (Table presented.) a) Time taken to reach a mass gradient value of 0.00075% dry mass per minute. Corrected main text figures 6 Figure (Figure presented.) Co-sorption volume-relative toluene vapour capacities as a function of process humidity, for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) ZIF samples. Partial pressure of toluene in all measurements, P/P0 = 0.005, while water vapour partial pressure varied. All measurements carried out at 25 °C. Corrected supplementary information figures S4 Figure (Figure presented.) Volume-relative nitrogen adsorption isotherms for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) samples. Temperature in all experiments is -196 °C. S5 Figure (Figure presented.) Volume-relative adsorption isotherms for zinc (left) and cobalt (right) samples: water (top), toluene (middle), methanol (bottom). Temperature in all experiments is 25 °C