Validity of a contact mat and accelerometric system to assess countermovement jump from flight time

Countermovement jump (CMJ) height is an important parameter in physical performance. This study compared CMJ height measured using ChronoJump contact mat (CJ) and Myotest accelerometer (MT) systems with a force platform (FP). Thirty recreationally active adults (32.1 ± 10.4 years, 75.9 ± 12.0 kg, 173.2 ± 6.3 cm) completed a CMJ protocol where height was simultaneously recorded using the three systems. CJ and MT measures were strongly and significant correlated (r = 0.65, 0.66, respectively; p  0.05), yet MT-derived measures were significantly different from those obtained using the FP (p < 0.05). Systematic bias was observed between FP and the CJ and between FP and MT. This study demonstrates the validity of CJ and MT systems for the assessment of CMJ height. Systematic bias and between-device differences in measurement should be considered when interpreting and comparing data from these devices

Mixed methods strength training for the masters athlete a review /

Participation numbers demonstrate that masters sport in Australia and throughout the world is on the increase. Despite this, research focused on performance enhancement in masters athletes is lacking. Age-related changes in morphological, neuromuscular and biochemical factors help explain why sprint performance declines with age. Current strength training guidelines recommend that older adults perform two strength training sessions per week, with each session including eight to ten different exercises for each of the major muscle groups. In addition, older adults should perform 8-12 repetitions of each of these exercises, at a moderate to vigorous intensity. However, to improve sprint performance, more complex training strategies may be necessary. A Sports Discus database search of the academic literature was performed using the following terms: “masters athletes AND mixed methods”, “ Mixed method training AND older adults” “Sprint performance AND masters athletes”. Literature was also sourced from the reference lists of peer-reviewed papers arising from the search above. The literature reviewed for this article is comprised of 50 original investigations and four reviews. The present review of the mixed methods strength training literature suggests the inclusion of a 20 week mixed methods strength training program into a masters athlete sprint training program may lead to improvements in sprint performance. Furthermore, the development of a comprehensive training program for a masters athlete including strength, speed, recovery and nutritional considerations is provided

Effect of concurrent resistance and sprint training on body composition and cardiometabolic health indicators in masters cyclists

In older previously sedentary individuals endurance training imposes a more effective stimulus to enhance cardiometabolic health compared with resistance or sprint training. We examined the effect of replacing a portion of endurance training with combined resistance and/or sprint training and how this influences cardiometabolic health indicators in masters endurance cyclists. Twenty-seven well-trained male road cyclists (53.7± 8.2 years) were allocated to a resistance and track sprintcycling training group (RTC, n= 10), an endurance and track sprint-cycling group (ETC, n = 7) or a control endurance group (CTRL, n = 10). Both the RTC and ETC groups completed a 12-week intervention of specific training while the CTRL group maintained their endurance training load. Lower limb lean mass (LLM), trunk fat mass (TFM), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured before and after the intervention period. TFM decreased for all groups (P< 0.05) while LLM significantly increased for RTC and ETC groups (P< 0.05). No significant between group or time effects were observed for FBG, TC, TG, SBP, or DBP. The results suggest that replacing a portion of endurance training with 12 weeks of ETC or RTC training favourably affects body composition by lowering TFM and increasing LLM without negatively affecting cardiometabolic health indicators in welltrained masters endurance cyclists.peerReviewe

Concurrent strength and sprint training increases resting metabolic rate in masters road cyclists

High-intensity concurrent sprint and strength training has been shown to provide a strong physiological training stimulus in young adult endurance athletes. However, the effect in veteran endurance athletes remains unknown. This study examined if replacing a portion of endurance training with concurrent sprint and strength training influenced resting metabolic rate (RMR) and lean mass (LM) in veteran endurance cyclists. Eighteen well-trained male veteran road cyclists (55.2 ± 8.4 years; 7.9 ± 1.1 training hrs/wk; 323 ± 53 Wpeak) were allocated to a concurrent strength and sprint training group (CT, n = 9) or control group (CON, n = 9). The CT group completed a 12-weeks of sprint and strength training while the CON group maintained their normal endurance training. RMR and LM were measured before and after the 12-week training intervention. CT training significantly (p < 0.05) increased both RMR (+14.2%, 1600 ± 244 to 1828 ± 207 kcal/day) and LM (+2.0%, 61.8 ± 5.5 to 63.1 ± 5.4 kg) pre to post-intervention. No significant changes from pre- to post-training were observed in the CON group. These findings suggest replacing a portion of endurance training with sprint and strength training may preserve, and even increase, LM and RMR in veteran road cyclists

Schizotypal personality traits and social cognition are associated with childhood trauma exposure

OBJECTIVES:Childhood trauma is a common risk factor for adult psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar-I disorder (BD). However, its association with schizotypal personality traits, as well as cognitive and social cognitive abilities, is less well studied in these populations. METHODS:In a cohort of 79 SZ cases, 84 BD cases, and 75 healthy controls (HCs), clinically significant levels of childhood trauma exposure (according to scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; CTQ) were evident in 54 SZ, 55 BD, and 26 HC individuals. Trauma-exposed and non-exposed groups were compared on schizotypal personality features (schizotypy) measured with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Cognitive assessments included executive function, working memory, attention, and immediate and delayed memory. Social cognitive measures assessed facial emotion processing and theory-of-mind abilities. RESULTS:Trauma-exposed participants showed higher levels of schizotypy, especially suspiciousness, relative to non-exposed individuals, regardless of clinical or HC status. Furthermore, trauma-exposed individuals showed deficits specifically in social cognitive, but not general cognitive abilities, regardless of clinical or HC status. These trauma-related results were found in the context of higher schizotypy levels in both SZ and BD relative to HC, and lower cognitive and social cognitive performance in SZ, relative to BD and HC groups. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that childhood trauma exposure impacts long-term schizotypy outcomes, especially paranoid ideation (suspiciousness), as well as complex social cognitive abilities in both healthy and psychotic populations. However, cognitive deficits associated with psychotic illness may not be distinguishable from those related to trauma exposure in previous studies. PRACTITIONER POINTS:Findings Childhood trauma exposure is associated with increased schizotypal features (in particular paranoid ideation) and complex social cognitive abilities, independently of the diagnosis of psychotic disorder. Cognitive and social cognitive deficits were larger in schizophrenia compared to bipolar-I cases and healthy controls, but increased schizotypal features were observed in both schizophrenia and bipolar-I disorder relative to healthy controls. Limitations We were unable to distinguish the specific effects of particular childhood trauma exposures due to the high rate of exposure to more than one type of maltreatment. Retrospective assessment of childhood trauma in adulthood cannot be externally validated, and associations with behavioural traits in later life may be confounded by other factors not studied here.Yann Quidé, Sarah Cohen-Woods, Nicole O’Reilly,Vaughan J. Carr, Bernet M. Elzinga and Melissa J. Gree