Effects of Mindfulness Practice on Performance and Factors Related to Performance in Long-Distance Running: A Systematic Review

Fatigue, boredom, pain, performance anxiety, and negative thoughts are challenges characteristic of competitive running. One psychological technique that is gaining support and has been successfully implemented in sport is the practice of mindfulness. Where conventional psychological skills training interventions aim to change dysfunctional thoughts and emotions, mindfulness focuses on altering the relationship to physiological and psychological states. This could help in dealing with the demands of distance running but this has yet to be examined. This article was focused on reviewing mindfulness interventions on performance and performance-based factors in long distance running, assessing (a) mindfulness scores, (b) physiological performance-related factors, (c) psychological performance-related factors, and (d) performance outcomes. A search of relevant electronic databases yielded seven studies which met the inclusion criteria. The review provided some tentative support for the use of mindfulness interventions regarding: reducing competitive anxiety, attenuating immune responses to high-intensity running, and increasing state mindfulness. However, due to the methodological weaknesses of studies more research is required using high-quality randomized controlled trial designs

A Minimal Power Model for Human Running Performance

Models for human running performances of various complexities and underlying principles have been proposed, often combining data from world record performances and bio-energetic facts of human physiology. Here we present a novel, minimal and universal model for human running performance that employs a relative metabolic power scale. The main component is a self-consistency relation for the time dependent maximal power output. The analytic approach presented here is the first to derive the observed logarithmic scaling between world (and other) record running speeds and times from basic principles of metabolic power supply. Various female and male record performances (world, national) and also personal best performances of individual runners for distances from 800m to the marathon are excellently described by this model, with mean errors of (often much) less than 1%. The model defines endurance in a way that demonstrates symmetry between long and short racing events that are separated by a characteristic time scale comparable to the time over which a runner can sustain maximal oxygen uptake. As an application of our model, we derive personalized characteristic race speeds for different durations and distances.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figure

The Effect of a Barefoot Training Program on Running Economy and Performance

Barefoot (BF) running has developed into a recent training technique for elite and sub-elite endurance runners. BF running is a recent type of training that may improve a runner’s Running Economy (RE) and, ultimately performance, by allowing for an enhancement of the foot and lower leg musculature, which, in turn, could improve running biomechanics by allowing the runner to land on the mid- or fore-foot. In spite of the many anecdotal statements that have been raised suggesting the benefits of BF running, there has been limited research evaluating a systematic training program designed to teach this skill and then test the outcome of this training on a runner’s economy and race performance. PURPOSE: To determine if the use of a systematic barefoot running training program would result in an improved running economy and race performance. HYPOTHESIS: That this 10-week BF training program would yield an improvement in running economy as well as 5K race performance. METHODS: To date, 3 adult males who were habitual shoe-wearing runners (SHOD) have completed all testing. Each participant reported to the laboratory four times. On Day 1, informed consent was completed and subject characteristics were determined including height, body mass, and body composition followed by a VO2max test on a treadmill using a Cosmed K4b2 portable telemetric gas analysis system. Four to seven days later (Day 2), subject’s underwent RE tests on a treadmill in three conditions (flat (4 ms -1 ), decline (4.5 ms -1 at -5% grade), and incline (3 ms -1 at 5% grade)) and a 5k time trial performed on an indoor track. All tests were conducted in the SHOD condition. Following testing, subjects were allotted a one week break-in period prior to embarking on the 10-week systematic barefoot training program. This BF training program was a gentle and progressive program designed to minimize injury while learning the BF running skill. After ten weeks of barefoot running, Day 1 and 2 testing were repeated in the BF condition. RESULTS: Following the 10-week BF training program and compared to the SHOD condition, VO2max did not change, while RE improved 4.0% (flat), 3.3% (incline), and 0.1% (decline) in the BF condition. The 5k race time decreased ~1.0% post-training with mile split improvements observed mostly at mile 3. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that a progressive, 10-week barefoot running training program may result in improved RE that, in turn, yields a faster race performanc

Performance of a centrifugal pump running in inverse mode

This paper presents the functional characterization of a centrifugal pump used as a turbine. It shows the characteristics of the machine involved at several rotational speeds, comparing the respective flows and heads. In this way, it is possible to observe the influence of the rotational speed on efficiency, as well as obtaining the characteristics at constant head and runaway speed. Also, the forces actuating on the impeller were studied. An uncertainty analysis was made to assess the accuracy of the results. The research results indicate that the turbine characteristics can be predicted to some extent from the pump characteristics, that water flows out of the runner free of swirl flow at the best efficiency point, and that radial stresses are lower than in pump mode

Match running performance during fixture congestion in elite soccer: Research issues and future directions

Match congestion in elite soccer has been proposed to result in residual fatigue and underperformance in ensuing competition due to insufficient recovery time. In this article, matters relating to match congestion and running performance in elite soccer competition are discussed. The authors suggest a need to determine the extent to which elite players are in reality exposed to periods of match congestion hence to potential declines in performance. Despite evidence of exercise-induced muscle damage combined with a decline in physical performance up to 72-hours post-match, research using time-motion analyses suggest running performance represented by distances covered is unaffected over periods of match congestion. The authors recommend analysis of alternative movement variables including accelerations, decelerations and turns that are taxing metabolically and contribute greatly to muscle damage. Moreover, a holistic approach combining subjective ratings with biochemical, hormonal and immunological responses to exercise would be pertinent especially in players frequently exposed to match congestion. Contemporary practitioners typically implement various post-match recovery treatments during dense schedules in an attempt to accelerate recovery and ensure that subsequent running performance is not unduly affected. However, empirical evidence to support their efficacy in maintaining running performance is lacking and the authors recommend controlled intervention studies using match simulations in an attempt to verify their effectiveness. These points are critically addressed using findings from the current scientific literature while gaps in the current body of knowledge and future directions for research are highlighted

A Detailed Analysis of Contemporary ARM and x86 Architectures

RISC vs. CISC wars raged in the 1980s when chip area and processor design complexity were the primary constraints and desktops and servers exclusively dominated the computing landscape. Today, energy and power are the primary design constraints and the computing landscape is significantly different: growth in tablets and smartphones running ARM (a RISC ISA) is surpassing that of desktops and laptops running x86 (a CISC ISA). Further, the traditionally low-power ARM ISA is entering the high-performance server market, while the traditionally high-performance x86 ISA is entering the mobile low-power device market. Thus, the question of whether ISA plays an intrinsic role in performance or energy efficiency is becoming important, and we seek to answer this question through a detailed measurement based study on real hardware running real applications. We analyze measurements on the ARM Cortex-A8 and Cortex-A9 and Intel Atom and Sandybridge i7 microprocessors over workloads spanning mobile, desktop, and server computing. Our methodical investigation demonstrates the role of ISA in modern microprocessors? performance and energy efficiency. We find that ARM and x86 processors are simply engineering design points optimized for different levels of performance, and there is nothing fundamentally more energy efficient in one ISA class or the other. The ISA being RISC or CISC seems irrelevant