Identifying Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) of intellectual capital and Islamic work ethics in Malaysian SMES

The creation of intangible assets such as intellectual capital and Islamic ethics are crucial to cope with firm competitiveness issues. Five components of intellectual capital (human capital, organizational capital, relational capital, spiritual capital and technological capital) and Islamic work ethics were identified to model their impact on SME business performance in Malaysia. In doing so, survey questions from previous studies were adopted and customized to collect data. The sample of 445 SME entrepreneurs was utilized and the data were analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.6. The results of the study revealed that human capital, organizational capital, technological capital and Islamic work ethics significantly influenced business performance. Then, this study explored the use of the Importance-Performance matrix analysis to identify priority factors that can be enhanced to increase business performance.Keywords: Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA); SME; intellectual capital; Islamic work ethic

Branched-chain amino acid supplementation improves cycling performance in untrained cyclists

Objectives To investigate the effects of acute branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation on cycling performance and neuromuscular fatigue during a prolonged, self-paced cycling time-trial. Design Randomised double-blind counterbalanced crossover. Methods Eighteen recreationally active men (mean ± SD; age: 24.7 ± 4.8 years old; body-weight, BW: 67.1 ± 6.1 kg; height: 171.7 ± 4.9 cm) performed a cycling time-trial on an electromagnetically-braked cycle ergometer. Participants were instructed to complete the individualised total work in the shortest time possible, while ingesting either BCAAs (pre-exercise: 0.084 g kg−1 BW; during exercise: 0.056 g kg−1 h−1) or a non-caloric placebo solution. Rating of perceived exertion, power, cadence and heart rate were recorded throughout, while maximal voluntary contraction, muscle voluntary activation level and electrically evoked torque using single and doublet stimulations were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise and 20-min post-exercise. Results Supplementation with BCAA reduced (287.9 ± 549.7 s; p = 0.04) time-to-completion and ratings of perceived exertion (p ≤ 0.01), while concomitantly increasing heart rate (p = 0.02). There were no between-group differences (BCAA vs placebo) in any of the neuromuscular parameters, but significant decreases (All p ≤ 0.01) in maximal voluntary contraction, muscle voluntary activation level and electrically evoked torque (single and doublet stimulations) were recorded immediately following the trial, and these did not recover to pre-exercise values by the 20 min recovery time-point. Conclusions Compared to a non-caloric placebo, acute BCAA supplementation significantly improved performance in cycling time-trial among recreationally active individuals without any notable changes in either central or peripheral factors. This improved performance with acute BCAA supplementation was associated with a reduced rating of perceived exertion

Characterizing the plasma metabolome during and following a maximal exercise cycling test

Although complex in nature, a number of metabolites have been implicated in the onset of exercise-induced fatigue. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the plasma metabolome and specifically, to identify candidate metabolites associated with the onset of fatigue during prolonged cycling. Eighteen healthy and recreationally active men (mean ± SD; age: 24.7 ± 4.8 yr; mass 67.1 ± 6.1 kg; body mass index: 22.8 ± 2.2; peak oxygen uptake: 40.9 ± 6.1 ml·kg−1·min−1) were recruited to this study. Participants performed a prolonged cycling time-to-exhaustion (TTE) test at an intensity corresponding to a fixed blood lactate concentration (3 mmol/l). Plasma samples collected at 10 min of exercise, before fatigue (last sample before fatigue <10 min before fatigue), immediately after fatigue (point of exhaustion), and 20 min after fatigue were assessed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomic approach. Eighty metabolites were putatively identified, with 68 metabolites demonstrating a significant change during the cycling task (duration: ~80.9 ± 13.6 min). A clear multivariate structure in the data was revealed, with the first principal component (36% total variance) describing a continuous increase in metabolite concentration throughout the TTE trial and recovery, whereas the second principal component (14% total variance) showed an increase in metabolite concentration followed by a recovery trajectory, peaking at the point of fatigue. Six clusters of correlated metabolites demonstrating unique metabolite trajectories were identified, including significant separation in the metabolome between prefatigue and postfatigue time points. In accordance with our hypothesis, free-fatty acids and tryptophan contributed to differences in the plasma metabolome at fatigue. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Metabolites have long been implicated in the onset of fatigue. This study applied a metabolomic approach to track 80 plasma-borne metabolites during a cycle to fatigue task. Of these, 68 metabolites demonstrated significant change, with the plasma metabolome at fatigue being clearly distinguishable from other time points. Six unique clusters of metabolites were identified, and free fatty acids were strongly associated with fatigue onset therein lending support to the central fatigue hypothesis