Effect of a Recovery Supplement on Weight Lifting Performance, Muscle Fiber Morphology and Muscle Protein Accretion

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine the effect of a protein and carbohydrate recovery beverage versus a placebo on weightlifting performance, its effect on muscle morphological changes and specific muscle protein accretion. The following are major finding from the dissertation: 1) Protein and carbohydrate recovery supplementation does not appear to have influence on performance measure in trained weightlifters. This finding may be associated with the short-term nature of this study and the trained population used. 2) Compared with placebo, a protein and carbohydrate beverage provided greater benefits on cross sectional area of type I and type II muscle fibers. Additionally, the block periodization protocol incorporating phase potentiation improved cross sectional area of both groups compared to baseline. 3) Finally, protein and carbohydrate supplementation provided greater benefits on total mTOR and myosin heavy chains 6 & 7. These findings indicate that a protein and carbohydrate beverage provide greater benefits compared with a placebo on cellular signaling, myosin heavy gene expression and muscle fiber increases in trained weightlifters. Improved cross sectional area and increased myosin heavy chains indicate positive adaptations to resistance training combined with supplementation and may indicate improved skeletal muscle qualities necessary for increased power output. The mTOR pathway is the master regulator of cellular growth and increases in total mTOR indicate a greater proclivity for cellular growth and greater activity resulting from resistance training may increase synthesis and accretion of muscle contractile proteins. This dissertation highlighted several benefits of recovery supplementation, however further longitudinal studies utilizing block periodization and well-trained athletes are necessary to fully elucidate benefits for strength and power athletes

Validity of a Wireless Inertia Measurement Device in Quantifying Performance in Vertical Jumping Tests

The use of technology in sport and fitness training has rapidly become a tool for both athletes and coaches in monitoring performance variables for optimizing training stimulus and recovery (Duking, Hotho, Holmberg, Fuss, & Sperlich, 2016; Peake, Kerr & Sullivan, 2018). Wireless fitness trackers, GPS and accelerometry devices are growing in popularity with the athletic population outside of the clinical setting due to their lower cost and ease of use compared to traditional clinical measurement tools (Dellaserra, Gao & Ransdell, 2014). With the increased popularity of these devices comes the necessity to understand and validate the information collected from them (Kooiman et al., 2015). Previous research has validated the measurement capability of wireless inertia sensors in the collection of curvilinear and linear velocity during upper body resistance exercise compared to 3D motion capture, which suggests it as a useful tool in a coaching environment (Sato, Beckham, Carroll, Bazyler, & Sha, 2015). Furthermore, wired or anchored devices limit the variety of exercises that can be measured, and may also present potentially more difficulty in managing data collection amongst several athletes simultaneously (Sato et al., 2015). Studies have examined the reliability and validity of wireless inertial sensor measurement compared to currently validated wired measurement tools like the GymAware (Orange et al., 2018). The use of specific algorithms to detect and measure different exercises restricts the extrapolation of results related to validity and reliability from one exercise to another (Sato et al., 2015). Few studies have been performed in relation to the validity of wireless inertia devices on measurement of vertical jumping performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of a wireless measurement device on several types of vertical jump exercise. Specifically, this investigation examined static, countermovement, and drop jumps as measured with a wireless sensor compared with commercially available force plates

Relative Age Effects in Elite Olympic Weightlifters

PURPOSE: To determine if RAEs exist in elite Olympic weightlifters from the past five Olympic Games. METHODS: Using retrospective competition data from the International Weightlifting Federation database a total of 953 Olympic Weightlifters (595 males and 358 females) who competed in the Olympic Games between 2000 and 2016 were included in this study. Weightlifters who competed in multiple Olympic Games were only counted once and duplicates were removed from this investigation. The weightlifters were divided into subset weight classes; men lightweight (56kg, 62kg, and 69kg), men middleweight (77kg, 85kg, and 94kg), men heavyweight (105kg and 105kg+), women lightweight (48kg, 53kg, and 58kg), women middleweight (63kg and 69kg), and women heavyweight (75kg and 75kg+). Using the subset weight classes, the observed date of birth distribution vs. the expected worldwide date of birth distribution were compared using multiple chi square (χ2) goodness of fit tests with the alpha level set at (p≤0.05). Following up the χ2 test, standardized residuals were calculated for each month with values of ±2 denoting significant over-and under-representation. RESULTS: RAEs were present overall for Olympic weightlifters (χ2 = 189.428, p\u3c0.001), with significant over-representation in January (z= +12.6, 20.9%) and under-representation in June (z= -2.1, 6.3%), September (z= -3.2, 5.7%), and November (z= -3.0, 5.1%). RAEs were also present in all three male classes; men lightweight (χ2 = 74.773, p\u3c0.001), men middleweight (χ2 = 41.786, p\u3c0.001), and men heavyweight (χ2 = 39.395, p\u3c0.001) and women lightweight (χ2 = 37.251, p\u3c0.001). Significant over-representation was noted in January for men lightweight (24.1%), men middleweight (20.0%), men heavyweight (22.2%), and women lightweight (21.2%), and there was a significant under-representation for the month of November in men lightweight (z= -2.7, 2.8%). However, RAEs were not present in the women’s middleweight (χ2 = 18.632, p=0.068) or heavyweight (χ2 = 16.692, p= 0.117) classes. CONCLUSION: In males significant RAEs are present in Olympic weightlifters regardless of weight class. However, for females RAEs only exist for lightweight Olympic weightlifters. Indicating that RAEs are present in Olympic weightlifting is important because it will help maintain the amount of opportunity for all athletes regardless of when they were born in the year. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Coaches should be aware of the possible advantages of training age and the effect of physical maturation as a result of these RAEs. Coaches may use this information for athlete selection but the presence of RAEs should not discourage athletes from participating in the sport of weightlifting

Force-Time Differences between Ballistic and Non-Ballistic Half-Squats

The purpose of this study was to examine the force-time differences between concentric-only half-squats (COHS) performed with ballistic (BAL) or non-ballistic (NBAL) intent across a range of loads. Eighteen resistance-trained men performed either BAL or NBAL COHS at 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of their one repetition maximum (1RM) COHS. Relative peak force (PF) and relative impulse from 0–50 ms (Imp50), 0–90 ms (Imp90), 0–200 ms (Imp200), and 0–250 ms (Imp250) were compared using a series of 2 × 4 (intent × load) repeated measures ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to provide measures of practical significance between the BAL and NBAL COHS and each load. BAL COHS produced statistically greater PF than NBAL COHS at 30% (d = 3.37), 50% (d = 2.88), 70% (d = 2.29), and 90% 1RM (d = 1.19) (all p \u3c 0.001). Statistically significant main effect differences were found between load-averaged BAL and NBAL COHS for Imp90 (p = 0.006, d = 0.25), Imp200 (p = 0.001, d = 0.36), and Imp250 (p \u3c 0.001, d = 0.41), but not for Imp50 (p = 0.018, d = 0.21). Considering the greater PF and impulse observed during the BAL condition, performing COHS with BAL intent may provide a favorable training stimulus compared to COHS performed with NBAL intent

Strengthening the Springs: Improving Sprint Performance via Strength Training

How the inclusion of properly sequenced weightlifting derivatives into the strength-training program can improve sprint performance

Acute Ingestion of Dark Chocolate Fails to Affect Running Economy in Recreational Female Runners

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 1, 2024. Ingestion of dark chocolate (DC), a dietary source high in flavanols, may increase nitric oxide bioavailability. Elevating blood nitric oxide concentrations may augment metabolic efficiency by reducing the amount of oxygen or energy needed to perform a given task. Utilizing a crossover design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of DC on running economy (RE). Nineteen recreationally trained females (age: 20±1 years) volunteered for this investigation, with 16 completing all procedures (n = 16). Two-hours before RE assessment, participants consumed either 42.5 g of DC or an isocaloric amount of white chocolate (WC) (37.2 g) with a 34 mg caffeine pill. Participants ran on the treadmill at 2.68 m/s for 10-minutes to assess RE. However, only the last 5-minutes of the test were used for oxygen utilization (VO2), energy expenditure (EE), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) determination via indirect calorimetry. Identical testing procedures were utilized for DC and WC treatments with a seven-day washout period separating trials. A repeated measure paired t-test was used to determine differences between dependent variables with statistical significance set at p \u3c 0.05. There were no significant mean differences (ps \u3e 0.05) between trials for VO2, EE, or RER. In conclusion, supplementation of DC 2-hours prior to steady state running had no effect on RE or fuel utilization compared to an isocaloric serving of WC in recreational female runners

Application of Principal Components Analysis in Kinetics Study for Isometric Squat

Abstract available in the 10th Annual Coaches and Sport Science College

Effects of the French Contrast Method on Maximum Strength and Vertical Jumping Performance

Introduction: French Contrast Method (FCM) was first created by French track and field coach Gilles Cometti. Anecdotally, FCM is widely utilized by strength and conditioning coaches in their programming for athletes. However, research on the effectiveness of this method is limited. Methods: A pre-post design was used to examine the effects of FCM on maximum strength and vertical jumping performance. A total of 10 weight-trained males volunteered to participate in this study (Age: 21.84±2.38, Height: 175.37±4.94, Body Mass: 80.6±11.11 Training Age: 4.7±2.3, one repetition maximum (1RM) Back Squat: 136.9±37.14, 1RM Trap Bar Deadlift: 189±42.85)

Emphasizing Task-Specific Hypertrophy to Enhance Sequential Strength and Power Performance

While strength is indeed a skill, most discussions have primarily considered structural adaptations rather than ultrastructural augmentation to improve performance. Altering the structural component of the muscle is often the aim of hypertrophic training, yet not all hypertrophy is equal; such alterations are dependent upon how the muscle adapts to the training stimuli and overall training stress. When comparing bodybuilders to strength and power athletes such as powerlifters, weightlifters, and throwers, while muscle size may be similar, the ability to produce force and power is often inequivalent. Thus, performance differences go beyond structural changes and may be due to the muscle’s ultrastructural constituents and training induced adaptations. Relative to potentiating strength and power performances, eliciting specific ultrastructural changes should be a variable of interest during hypertrophic training phases. By focusing on task-specific hypertrophy, it may be possible to achieve an optimal amount of hypertrophy while deemphasizing metabolic and aerobic components that are often associated with high-volume training. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to briefly address different types of hypertrophy and provide directions for practitioners who are aiming to achieve optimal rather than maximal hypertrophy, as it relates to altering ultrastructural muscular components, to potentiate strength and power performance

Effects of a Carbohydrate and Protein Recovery Beverage on Performance in Trained Weightlifters

INTRODUCTION: Previous investigations have examined nutrient timing with untrained subject and less is known about effects in trained subjects. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a carbohydrate and protein supplement (CHO+PROT) on performance measures in trained weightlifters. METHODS: 10 trained weightlifters (30.8±5.1 years, 177.4 ±4.0 cm, 94.3 ± 12.4 kg, training age = 5.3 ± 2.9 years) completed a 12 week training program utilizing block periodization. Using a double blind placebo design, jump height, scaled peak power measured in vertical jumps and peak force and rate of force development measured in isometric mid-thigh pulls were compared between groups using a series of 2x4 (group x time) repeated measures ANOVA’s. RESULTS: No significant differences (p \u3e 0.05) were observed between treatment and placebo groups in respect to measures of jump height and peak power with weighted and unweighted jumps. Likewise, no statistical differences (p \u3e 0.05) were observed for peak force or rate of force development with isometric mid-thigh pulls. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that a CHO+PROT supplement provided no additional performance benefits compared to a placebo within a 12 week block periodization protocol in trained weightlifters