37 research outputs found
Movement profiles of soccer substitutes
Modifying a soccer substitute’s pre-pitch-entry activities may represent an opportunity to
maximise physical performance and minimise injury-risk following match-introduction.
Using a professional team that has previously participated in substitute profiling research,
this follow-up case study investigated the effects of a modified match-day protocol that
included substitutes; 1) performing a new pre-match warm-up alongside members of the
starting team (as opposed to a separate substitute-only warm-up), 2) participating in a staffled
half-time rewarm-up (as opposed to player-led half-time activities), and 3) receiving
ongoing education focusing on the efficacy of (re)warm-up activities. English Championship
substitutes (n = 15) were monitored using Micro-electromechanical Systems during 13
matches incorporating the modified practices (35 observations). On an individual player
basis, data were organised into bouts of warm-up activity (pre-pitch-entry) and five min
epochs of match-play (post-pitch-entry). Linear mixed modelling assessed the influence of
‘bout’ and ‘epoch’, position, and scoreline. Substitutes performed 3±1 rewarm-up bouts�-
player-1�match-1 between kick-off and pitch-entry, which were shorter (-17.2 to -27.1 min)
and elicited less distance (-696 to -1257 m) than the pre-match warm-up (p�0.001). Compared
with previous data, heightened absolute movement responses were observed during
the pre-match and staff-led half-time (re)warm-ups, alongside greater relative distances
covered during player-led activities performed between kick-off and pitch-entry. Whilst less
distance (-10%) was covered during the second versus first five min period following matchintroduction,
values remained higher than previously reported. Between pitch-entry and the
end of the match, the scoreline improved and worsened following 26% and 11% of substitutions,
respectively; a favourable record compared with existing observations. Acknowledging
the likely contribution from external factors, this case study reports heightened
movement profiles and improved match scorelines when pre-pitch-entry practices were
modified. Practitioners should note the potential influence of match-day activities on the physical responses of soccer substitutes and, if deemed necessary, consider adapting their
pre-pitch-entry routines accordingly
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Could valerian have been the first anticonvulsant?
To assess the available evidence for the belief that valerian, highly recommended in the past for treating epilepsy, possessed real anticonvulsant effectiveness.Review of available literature.In 1592, Fabio Colonna, in his botanical classic Phytobasanos, reported that taking powdered valerian root cured his own epilepsy. Subsequent reports of valerian's anticonvulsant effectiveness appeared. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was often regarded as the best available treatment for the disorder. Valerian preparations yield isovaleric acid, a substance analogous to valproic acid and likely to possess anticonvulsant properties, as isovaleramide does. In favorable circumstances, high valerian doses can be calculated to have sometimes provided potentially effective amounts of anticonvulsant substance for epilepsy patients.Valerian probably did possess the potential for an anticonvulsant effect, but the uncertain chemical composition and content of valerian preparations, and their odor and taste, made it unlikely that they could ever prove satisfactory in widespread use