Training for recovery:impact of sprint interval training on recovery dynamics and aerobic performance in kickboxing athletes

PurposeRecovery within and between rounds is crucial to combat sports performance. We sought to determine whether sprint interval training (SIT) improves recovery dynamics and aerobic performance.MethodsEleven male kickboxing athletes (26 ± 5 years; body mass index 25 ± 3 kg/m2) were recruited. Participants were tested three times for VO2peak/time to exhaustion and critical power; baseline, 3 weeks control, 3 weeks of SIT (8 × 10 s lower body sprints followed by a maximum of 10 min recovery before completing 8 × 10 s upper body sprints). During SIT session 1 and 9 continuous gas analysis was performed.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in recovery time between lower and upper body sprints with training (session 1: 441 ± 150 s; session 9: 268 ± 10 s; P < 0.01; d = 2.77) and change in oxygen off-kinetics amplitude (session1: 3.0 ± 0.7 L/min, session 9: 3.6 ± 1.0 L/min; P < 0.05; d = − 1.77), VO2 end (session 1: 0.59 ± 0.19 L/min, session 9: 0.81 ± 0.21 L/min; P < 0.05, d = − 0.90), time constant (session 1: 81 ± 21 s; session 9: 60 ± 11 s; P < 0.05; d = 1.03). Following training there was a significant improvement in critical power (P < 0.05; η2p = 0.72) time to exhaustion (P < 0.05; η2p = 0.30) but not VO2peak (P > 0.05).ConclusionSIT improves recovery time associated and aerobic performance associated with improved oxygen off-kinetics. Therefore, training needs to focus on improving oxygen off-kinetics to enhance combat performance

The effect of upper body sprint interval training on golf drive performance

BACKGROUND: Improving golf fitness is one way to improve club head velocity and subsequently golf performance. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a three-week upper-body sprint training (SIT) program on power output and golf performance.METHODS: Eleven golfers (handicap: 5.5±2.8) completed the SIT intervention. This was a self-controlled experiment with three testing points (pre-control, post-control and post-intervention) where subjects completed a ballistic bench press, upper-body Wingate and golf testing session.RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed (13.3-15.5%) in peak and mean power production during the Wingate post-intervention in comparison to pre- and post-control time points (P&lt;0.05). This was replicated in peak power for the ballistic bench press for both peak power (P&lt;0.05), but significance for mean power was only observed between post-control and post-intervention (P&lt;0.05) (improvements of 6.1-8.5%). These improvements were not seen consistently in golf performance variables measured, with no significance identified for the 7-iron and significant improvements (P&lt;0.05) observed in Carry Distance (2.2%) and Ball Velocity (1.4%) between pre-control and post-intervention.CONCLUSIONS: Lack of golf performance improvements could be because of the natural variation in club-head velocity across sessions or the inability of subjects to utilise their power gains during the golf swing. Longer SIT interventions may be needed to observe improvements in golf performance.</p

Recent Developments: The Uniform Arbitration Act

This Article is an overview of recent court decisions that interpret state versions of the Uniform Arbitration Act ( U.A.A. ).\u27 Arbitration statutes patterned after the U.A.A. have been adopted by thirty-four states and the District of Columbia. The goal of this project is to promote uniformity in the interpretation of the U.A.A. by articulating the underlying policies and rationales of recent court decisions interpreting the U.A.A

Recent Developments: The Uniform Arbitration Act

This Article is an overview of recent court decisions that interpret state versions of the Uniform Arbitration Act ( U.A.A. ).\u27 Arbitration statutes patterned after the U.A.A. have been adopted by thirty-four states and the District of Columbia. The goal of this project is to promote uniformity in the interpretation of the U.A.A. by articulating the underlying policies and rationales of recent court decisions interpreting the U.A.A

Examining the association between perceived discrimination and heart rate variability in African Americans.

Previous research attempting to delineate the role of discrimination in racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension has focused largely on blood pressure, which is chiefly governed by the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Consequently, few studies have considered the role of the parasympathetic branch and particularly its regulation of the heart via the vagus nerve

Improved physical health in middle-older aged golf caddies following 24-weeks of high-volume physical activity

Background: The physical demands of golf caddying, including walking while carrying a golf bag, may potentially affect body composition, and markers of metabolic, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal health. Therefore, this study examined the impact of 24 weeks of caddying on physical health in middle-older aged males. Methods: Eleven full-time experienced male caddies (age: 59 [8] y; caddying experience: 14 [12] y) were recruited from a local golf course. The following were assessed at preseason and after 24 weeks of caddying (March–September 2022): body composition, heart rate, blood pressure, blood lipids, and performance tests (static and dynamic balance, strength, and submaximal fitness). Physical activity (PA) levels were assessed at preseason and at the mid-point of the caddying season. Across the caddying season, participants completed a monthly average of 24.0 (3.8) rounds. Results: Following the caddying season, improvements in static balance (Δ = 13.5 s), dynamic balance (Δ = −1.8 s), and lower back absolute strength (Δ = 112.8 N), and muscle quality (Δ = 2.0 N·kg−1) were observed (all P &lt; .05). Additionally, blood lipids, including total cholesterol (Δ = −0.6 mmol·L−1), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Δ = 0.1 mmol·L−1), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Δ = −0.6 mmol·L−1) (all P &lt; .05), and body composition, including body mass (Δ = −2.7 kg), fat mass (Δ = −1.9 kg), fat percentage (Δ = −1.4%), fat-to-muscle ratio (Δ = −0.03), and body mass index (Δ = −0.9 kg·m−2) (all P &lt; .05) improved. Caddying did not offer beneficial changes to cardiovascular variables or cardiorespiratory fitness (P &gt; .05), while coronary heart disease risk score decreased (Δ = −3.3%) (P &lt; .05). In relation to PA, light- (Δ = 145 min) and moderate-intensity (Δ = 71 min) PA, moderate to vigorous PA (Δ = 73 min), and total PA (Δ = 218 min) between preseason and the mid-point of the caddying season increased, while sedentary time (Δ = −172 min) decreased (all P &lt; .05). Conclusion: Golf caddying can provide several physical health benefits such as improvements in various markers of cardiometabolic health, lower back absolute strength, and static and dynamic balance. The physical health improvements that caddying offers is likely contributed to by increased PA volume and intensity through walking on the golf course. Therefore, caddying may represent a feasible model for increasing PA volume and intensity and achieve physical health–related benefits

Novel application of behavioral assays allows dissociation of joint pathology from systemic extra-articular alterations induced by inflammatory arthritis

Introduction: Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease of articular joints, patients often suffer from co-morbid neuropsychiatric changes, such as anxiety, that may reflect links between heightened systemic inflammation and abnormal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we apply behavioral neuroscience methods to assess the impact of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) on behavioral performance in wild type (WT) and interleukin-10 deficient (Il10-/-) mice. Our aim was to identify limb-specific motor impairments, as well as neuropsychological responses to inflammatory arthritis. Methods: Behavioral testing was performed longitudinally in WT and Il10-/- mice before and after the induction of arthritic joint pathology. Footprint analysis, beam walking and open field assessment determined a range of motor, exploratory and anxiety-related parameters. Specific gene changes in HPA axis tissues were analyzed using qPCR. Results: Behavioral assessment revealed transient motor and exploratory impairments in mice receiving AIA, coinciding with joint swelling. Hind limb coordination deficits were independent of joint pathology. Behavioral impairments returned to baseline by 10 days post-AIA in WT mice. Il10-/- mice demonstrated comparable levels of swelling and joint pathology as WT mice up to 15 days post-AIA, but systemic differences were evident in mRNA expression in HPA axis tissues from Il10-/- mice post-AIA. Interestingly, the behavioral profile of Il10-/- mice revealed a significantly longer time post-AIA for activity and anxiety-related behaviors to recover. Conclusions: The novel application of sensitive behavioral tasks has enabled dissociation between behaviors that occur due to transient joint-specific pathology and those generated by more subtle systemic alterations that manifest post-AIA

Changing hearts and minds: Results from a multi-country gender and sexual diversity training

Engaging key populations, including gender and sexual minorities, is essential to meeting global targets for reducing new HIV infections and improving the HIV continuum of care. Negative attitudes toward gender and sexual minorities serve as a barrier to political will and effective programming for HIV health services. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), established in 2003, provided Gender and Sexual Diversity Trainings for 2,825 participants including PEPFAR staff and program implementers, U.S. government staff, and local stakeholders in 38 countries. The outcomes of these one-day trainings were evaluated among a subset of participants using a mixed methods pre- and post-training study design. Findings suggest that sustainable decreases in negative attitudes toward gender and sexual minorities are achievable with a one-day training