JOINT DISPLACEMENTS AND PEAK ACHILLES TENDON FORCE DURING IRISH DANCING-SPECIFIC LANDING TASKS

Achilles tendinopathy is prevalent among Irish dancers, thought to be due to the high impact, stiff-style landing tasks associated with the sport. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sagittal plane joint displacements, at the ankle, knee, hip and thorax segment, and peak Achilles tendon force during an Irish dancing ‘leap over’ landing task. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected for 12 participants performing the ‘leap over’, and used to calculate peak Achilles tendon force and joint displacements. Results of the study found a statistically significant positive correlation between ankle dorsiflexion and peak Achilles tendon force during the ‘leap over’. These findings can be used to inform future research into the effect of joint displacement on peak Achilles tendon force, and to develop strategies to help dancers reduce their risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN STATIC FOOT POSTURE AND PEAK PATELLAR TENDON FORCE DURING SINGLE-LEG LANDINGS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Patellar tendinopathy is particularly prevalent in jumping-sport athletes and develops due to chronic overloading without appropriate load modification. Pronated and supinated foot postures have been suggested to be associated with the development of the injury. This study aimed to investigate the association between static foot posture, measured using the Foot Posture Index (FPI), and peak patellar tendon force during single-leg drop landings. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected during a single-leg landing task and used to estimate peak patellar tendon force. There was no statistically significant association between FPI and peak patellar tendon force during landing (p = 0.910). Further research investigating how foot posture may affect lower limb loading during landing is required to inform pre-screening and rehabilitation protocols for jumping sport athletes

Immunomodulatory effects of fucoidan in recreationally active adult males undertaking 3-weeks of intensified training

The aim of the current study was to determine whether daily fucoidan supplementation ( Undaria pinnatifida extract containing &gt;85% fucoidan, 1 g/day) for three-weeks in a double blind-placebo controlled cross-over trial (ACTRN12621000872831) could modulate alterations in faecal (calprotectin, lysozyme and IgA) and salivary (lactoferrin, lysozyme and IgA) markers of mucosal immune competence typically observed in response to both acute physical activity, and a period of intensified exercise training, in healthy recreationally active men ( n  = 12). Participants responded positively to the intensified training with 16-19% improvement in mean power that was not different between supplement groups. Faecal biomarkers and concentrations of lactoferrin, lysozyme and IgA from resting saliva samples were largely stable over the supplementation period. Concentrations of salivary biomarkers varied significantly over time in response to acute exercise, however differences between supplementation groups were modest. For salivary lysozyme, there was a trend for a lower magnitude of increase post-exercise ( p  = 0.08) and limited return towards pre-exercise in response to fucoidan. For salivary IgA, a greater acute exercise response was noted for IgA in response to fucoidan (~2.7-fold higher; p  = 0.02). Different dosage and supplementation protocols and inclusion of additional immune markers should be considered in subsequent assessments of any potential benefits of fucoidan supplementation in healthy active adults. </p

Does the fit of personal protective equipment affect functional performance? A systematic review across occupational domains

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of personal protective equipment (PPE) fit on functional performance across a range of occupational domains. BACKGROUND: PPE introduces an ergonomic, human systems integration, and mass burden to the wearer, and these factors are thought to be amplified if PPE is ill-fitting. However, few studies have considered the role of fit (static, dynamic, and cognitive) when evaluating PPE-related performance detriments in occupational settings. METHOD: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies, which were then critically appraised based on methodological quality and collated to compare key findings and present evidence-based recommendations for future research directions across a range of occupational domains. RESULTS: 16 published studies met the inclusion criteria, 88% of which found that the fit of PPE had a statistically significant effect on occupational performance. Poorly sized PPE resulted in slower or increased reaction time; decreased range of motion or mobility; decreased endurance or tolerance; decreased pulmonary function; and altered muscle activation. Limited research met the inclusion criteria and those that did had risks of bias in methodology quality. CONCLUSION: Future research evaluating the effect of PPE on performance in occupational settings should aim to recruit a more representative population; consider sex as a covariate; quantify and evaluate PPE fit and performance when integrated with all relevant equipment items; include outcome measures related to all three categories of fit (static, dynamic, cognitive); and assess performance of operationally relevant tasks

The search strategy terms to identify studies relevant to the present review.

The search strategy terms to identify studies relevant to the present review.</p

Methodological overview of the 16 studies included in the present review.

Methodological overview of the 16 studies included in the present review.</p

PRISMA flow diagram [43] of the study selection, including literature search and reasons for exclusion.

The reason for exclusion of an article was based on a hierarchy; that is, where a paper failed to meet multiple inclusion criteria, it was excluded based on the first appropriate reason and counted at this point in the exclusions list.</p

PRISMA 2020 checklist.

(DOCX)</p

Quality assessment of the included 16 studies, based on the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool criteria (MMAT) [44].

A score of 0 indicates a high risk of bias (dark grey), a score of 1 indicates an unclear risk of bias (grey) and a score of 2 indicates a low risk of bias (light grey); a description of the 7 checklist items is presented for each type of study in the figure legend. NB: Studies labelled in italics are Mixed-Methods (Davis et al. 2020; Park & Langseth-Schmidt et al. 2016); as per the MMAT [44], these studies were assessed on both Qualitative and Quantitative /Non-Randomised study criteria below.</p