Search

Presents abstracts on the physiological aspects of sport science presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on the psychological aspects of sport science presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on motor control in sport science presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on nutrition presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on exercise and health presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on biomechanics in sport science presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on kinanthropometry in sport science presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

Presents abstracts on sports medicine presented during the Second Annual Congress of the College of Sport Science in Europe.

An abstract of the article "Pediatric Anthropometrics are Inconsistent with Current Guidelines for Assessing Rider Fit on All-Terrain Vehicles," by A. C. Bernard and colleagues is presented.

Objective: Measurements of body volume (Vb), body density (Db), predicted thoracic gas volume (Vtgpred), and percent fat (%Fat) using the self-testing air displacement plethysmography unit (Bod Pod S/T) were compared to measurements determined using the original air displacement plethysmography unit (Bod Pod). In addition, %Fat measurements from the Bod Pod S/T were compared to %Fat measures from hydrostatic weighing (HW) and total body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scans (DXA). Methods: Standing height, followed by Bod Pod S/T, Bod Pod, HW with measured residual lung volume, and DXA scans were completed by 42 young adults. Measurements of Vb, Db, Vtgpred, thoracic gas volume (Vtgmeas) and %Fat were subsequently determined and compared. Results: Significant mean differences (mean ± SE) of Vb = 0.159 ± 0.045 litres (l), Db = -0.0049 ± 0.0008 g/cc, Vtg = -0.235 ± 0.096 l and 2.2 ± 0.3 %Fat were found between the Bod Pod S/T and the Bod Pod (P<0.05). Significant mean differences in %Fat measures were found between the Bod Pod S/T and HW (1.8 ± 1.5%), but there were no significant differences between Bod Pod S/T and DXA (0.6 ± 1.5%). Significantly strong correlation coefficients were found for all body composition measures between the Bod Pod S/T and Bod Pod, HW and DXA. Conclusions: The Bod Pod S/T produced small systematic differences of little physiological and methodological consequences, resulting in only a minor impact to the resulting body composition measurements. Hence, the Bod Pod S/T is a viable alternative to traditional body composition measuring techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The influence of load carriage in operational police officers is not well understood despite a relatively high injury rate. Assessing load related changes in head and torso coordination may provide valuable insight into plausible injury mechanisms., Research Question: Do typical police tactical vest loads alter head and torso coordination during running?, Methods: Thirty-eight UK police officers ran at a self-selected pace (>2 ms -1 ) on a non-motorised treadmill in four vest load conditions (unloaded, and low, high and evenly distributed loads). Peak head and torso tilt, and peak vest displacement were compared between all four conditions. Timings between vest and torso change of direction were compared between the three loaded conditions. The coupling angle between the head and torso calculated using modified vector coding were compared between unloaded and each loaded conditions using Statistical Parametric Mapping., Results: No significant differences were found between conditions for peak head or torso tilt alone (p > 0.05). Loading equipment low on the vest led to significantly greater mediolateral vest displacements (38 mm) away from the torso than a high (34 mm) or evenly distributed (30 mm) conditions. The vest was found to change direction vertically before the torso in the anterior-posterior direction, and then influence torso motion. The loaded conditions changed the head-torso coupling from in-phase (with head-dominancy) to anti-phase (with torso dominancy) between 55% and 77% stance. Anti-phase with a relatively stationary head and the torso rotating forward likely places a greater concentric demand on the posterior neck muscles relative to unloaded running., Significance: Current tactical vest designs allow significant extra displacement of load away from the body during running, altering coordination at the head and torso., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest This project formed part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, funded through Innovate UK in partnership with Arktis Endurance Textiles Ltd. The sponsors were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data. The sponsor did not have a role in the writing or submission of this manuscript. The authors have no financial conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biofeedback (BFb) can enhance the motor learning process by guiding skill exploration. Too much BFb, however, can foster dependency leading to skill retention deficits once removed. A reducing BFb schedule could negate dependency effects, however limited methodologies exist to assess the effectiveness of an intervention during application. This research proposes a new bi-variate method (CI2 Area ) to quantify coordination variability (Coord Var ) as a measure of skill exploration during a motor learning intervention. Thirty-two participants were introduced to a novel explosive-lunge task. A BFb group (n = 16) were provided with visual BFb on rear hip, knee and ankle joint extension magnitudes and timing during a 26-week reducing schedule BFb intervention. Coord Var of hip-knee and knee-ankle angular velocities were quantified by calculating the area encompassed by the 95% confidence intervals of joint coupling angular-velocity bi-variate plots (CI2 Area ). Linear regressions were fitted to group and individual Coord Var longitudinal data. The BFb was effective in successfully altering whole limb technique within just two sessions, and these changes were retained. The BFb group demonstrated a continual increase of Coord Var throughout the intervention, showing continual skill exploration strategies, while the Control group remained unchanged. Gradually increasing time between sessions, using a longitudinally reducing BFb schedule, successfully negates dependency effects on BFb while also encouraging motor learning. Manipulating time between sessions allows for the provision of a high frequency of 100% BFb without fostering dependency. The CI2 Area method was able to detect individual exploration strategies and could be used in the future to direct individual intervention modifications., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests.

Preferential attention to living creatures is believed to be an intrinsic capacity of the visual system of several species, with perception of biological motion often studied and, in humans, it correlates with social cognitive performance. Although domestic dogs are exceptionally attentive to human social cues, it is unknown whether their sociability is associated with sensitivity to conspecific and heterospecific biological motion cues of different social relevance. We recorded video clips of point-light displays depicting a human or dog walking in either frontal or lateral view. In a preferential looking paradigm, dogs spontaneously viewed 16 paired point-light displays showing combinations of normal/inverted (control condition), human/dog and frontal/lateral views. Overall, dogs looked significantly longer at frontal human point-light display versus the inverted control, probably due to its clearer social/biological relevance. Dogs' sociability, assessed through owner-completed questionnaires, further revealed that low-sociability dogs preferred the lateral point-light display view, whereas high-sociability dogs preferred the frontal view. Clearly, dogs can recognize biological motion, but their preference is influenced by their sociability and the stimulus salience, implying biological motion perception may reflect aspects of dogs' social cognition.

Postural control deficits have been identified among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) compared to healthy controls. Although deficits in static balance have previously been reported using center of pressure (COP) and, more recently, time to boundary (TTB) measures, the underlying mechanism behind these deficits warrants further investigation. It is unclear if there are differences in the spatial distribution of COP and TTB minima data points under the foot. Our purpose was to determine if there are differences in the location of the distribution of the COP and the TTB minima data points between groups with and without CAI. Fifty healthy and 61 CAI subjects participated in this case-control study. The subjects performed three successful 10-s trials of quiet single limb stance on a force plate with eyes-open and -closed conditions. Results showed that during eyes-open trials, the CAI group exhibited more COP and TTB minima data points on the anterolateral aspect of the foot compared to controls. With eyes-closed single limb balance, the CAI group demonstrated significantly more COP and TTB minima data points anterior to the horizontal midline of the foot compared to controls. Overall, the CAI group showed a greater anterior displacement of COP and TTB minima during single limb static stance compared to controls. This alteration may result from the CAI subjects adopting a more dorsiflexed position in an effort to keep the ankle in a more stable, closed pack position and limiting the available degrees of freedom in the distal lower extremity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current recommendations call for adults to be physically active at moderate and/or vigorous intensities. Given the popularity of walking and running, the use of step rates may provide a practical and inexpensive means to evaluate ambulatory intensity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify step rate thresholds that correspond to various intensity classifications., Methods: Oxygen consumption was measured at rest and during 10 minute treadmill walking and running trials at 6 standardized speeds (54, 80, 107, 134, 161, and 188 m·min⁻¹) in 9 men and 10 women (28.8 ± 6.8 yrs). Two observers counted the participants' steps at each treadmill speed. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses were used to develop prediction equations to ascertain step rate thresholds at various intensities., Results: Nonlinear regression analysis of the metabolic cost versus step rates across all treadmill speeds yielded the highest R² values for men (R² = .91) and women (R² = .79). For men, the nonlinear analysis yielded 94 and 125 step·min⁻¹ for moderate and vigorous intensities, respectively. For women, 99 and 135 step·min⁻¹ corresponded with moderate and vigorous intensities, respectively., Conclusions: Promoting a step rate of 100 step·min⁻¹ may serve as a practical public health recommendation to exercise at moderate intensity., (©2011 Human Kinetics, Inc.)

Reasons for Performing Study: Perineural analgesics are used for lameness diagnosis but the duration of effect, knowledge of which would provide valuable information when performing subsequent blocks, is unknown., Objective: To evaluate the duration of a palmar digital nerve block using force plate measurements., Methods: Ten horses diagnosed with unilateral navicular syndrome were trotted at range of 3 +/- 0.15 m/sec over a force plate to record ground reaction forces for 5 trials of each forelimb. Data were recorded before nerve block, and then at 15 mins, 1, 2 and 24 h post nerve block., Results: Before nerve block, peak vertical force (mean +/- s.e.) was significantly higher in the contralateral forelimb (CL = 5345 +/- 188 N) than in the lame forelimb (L = 4256 +/- 204 N; P<0.05). At 15 mins post nerve block there was no significant difference between the 2 forelimbs (CL = 5140 +/- 184 N; L = 5126 +/- 129 N), and this remained the case for 1 h. By 2 h, the mean score for the lame leg had decreased (L = 4642 +/- 182 N) but was still greater than preblock. By 24 h, vertical forces had returned to preblock values., Conclusions: The palmar digital nerve block was fully effective between 15 mins and 1 h. The analgesic effect began to subside between 1 and 2 h but sufficient analgesia persisted to affect gait characteristics beyond 2 h., Potential Relevance: When using a palmar digital nerve block, it is important to perform lameness evaluations between 15 mins and 1 h to be sure of effective nerve blockade.

Reasons for Performing Study: Surface markers are usually used to track bone movement. However, skin movement related to the bone has a large effect on the analysis of skeletal kinematics. A 2-dimensional (2D) skin displacement correction model has been successfully developed, but no 3D skin displacement model exists., Objectives: To develop a 3-dimensional (3D) skin displacement model for the equine radial segment during trot., Methods: The 3D trajectories of 6 skin-based markers and a bone-fixed triad were captured at trot in 4 horses. Skin displacements in the bone-based coordinate system were calculated using a singular-value decomposition method. The truncated Fourier series models were developed for the skin displacements using a generalised cross-validatory spline., Results: Mean + /- s.d. of peak skin displacement of the 3 markers on the proximal radius as percentage of radial length was 10.7 +/- 0.5, 4.6 +/- 1.5 and 14.5 +/- 2.9% in x, y and z direction, respectively. For the 3 markers on the distal radius, the equivalent displacements were 4.7 +/- 0.6, 1.7 +/- 0.8 and 7.3 +/- 18% in x, y and z direction, respectively., Conclusions: The 3D skin displacement model for correction of skin marker motion over the equine radius relative to the bone can be established using a truncated Fourier series, which has previously been used successfully to develop 2D models., Potential Relevance: This method of determining 3D skin displacement correction needs to be extended to the entire fore- and hindlimbs to provide a more sensitive measure of kinematic analysis. Accurate descriptions of the 3D motions of the limb segments and interactions between adjacent segments at the joints are necessary for understanding of the mechanics of different gaits and the gait aberrations that manifest as lameness.

Reasons for Performing Study: Athletic taping is used frequently by human athletes to stabilise, maintain or strengthen soft tissue structures, but empirical evidence supporting any changes in equine kinematics is lacking., Objectives: To assess the effects of athletic taping of the fetlock applied by an experienced athletic trainer on forelimb mechanics in healthy horses., Hypotheses: That athletic taping of the distal forelimb reduces 1) hyperextension of the fetlock joint during stance, 2) flexion of the fetlock joint during swing and 3) ground reaction forces during stance., Methods: Ground reaction force and kinematic data were obtained for 6 healthy horses trotting at 3 m/sec for 4 sequential conditions (baseline, untaped; pre-exercise, taped; post exercise, taped post 30 mins trotting exercise; transfer, 4 h after tape removal). Data were analysed using 2-way mixed ANOVAs (condition; joint)., Results: A statistically significant interaction was identified for the fetlock during the swing phase (mean +/- s.d. peak flexion at baseline 157 +/- 4 degrees, reduced with taping to 172 +/- 4 degrees; P<0.05) compared with no differences across conditions for the other joints. Peak vertical force reduced significantly (P<0.05) with taping., Conclusions: Athletic taping of the fetlock does not alter the kinematics of the forelimb during stance, but does limit flexion of the fetlock during the swing phase. The decreased peak vertical force may be due to an increased proprioceptive effect., Potential Relevance: Reduced peak vertical forces may be of benefit in preventing or reducing injury. Further investigation remains necessary before it can be concluded that taping should be applied for tendinous or ligamentous rehabilitation in equine patients.

Reasons for Performing Study: Descriptions of 3D kinematics assist in understanding joint function and dysfunction, and are an essential step toward 3D inverse dynamic analysis., Objectives: To measure 3D carpal joint motion during trotting., Methods: Three-dimensional trajectories of bone-fixed markers on the radius and third metacarpus of the right forelimb of 3 healthy horses were recorded at 120 Hz using a 6-camera analysis system. Joint kinematics were calculated in terms of helical angles between the 2 segments using a spatial attitude method., Results: All horses showed carpal extension and internal rotation of the metacarpus relative to the radius as the carpus assumed the close-packed position. In late stance, the carpus began a cycle of flexion that continued through midswing, accompanied by a small cycle of internal rotation. The direction of abduction/adduction varied between horses. The predominant rotational movement was flexion/extension, which showed a range of motion of 15 +/- 6 degrees in stance and 76 +/- 13 degrees in swing., Conclusions: Carpal motions were generally similar between horses with the exception of abduction/adduction., Potential Relevance: Knowledge of carpal joint motion should assist in understanding the pathogenesis of carpal injuries. However, it seems probable that real differences exist between individuals; therefore, further investigations of the effect of conformation on carpal motion should be performed in a much larger population of horses.

Reasons for Performing Study: Gaited horses employ 4-beat stepping (singlefoot) gaits that extend into speeds typical of trots. Ground reaction force (GRF) patterns of these specialised gaits have not been reported; therefore, appraisal of these gaits using nongaited horse kinetics may lead to clinical misjudgements., Hypothesis: GRFs of tölting Icelandic horses will be comparable in profile and magnitude with those of trotting horses., Methods: Forelimb and hindlimb GRFs were obtained for 10 Icelandic horses ridden at a tölt. These data were evaluated across 3 speed ranges: <2, 2.5-5 and >5 m/sec., Results: Virtually all vertical force tracings were single-peaked. Forelimbs typically had greater peak vertical forces and impulses compared with hindlimbs. Support duration and forelimb vertical impulse were correlated negatively with speed, whereas peak vertical, braking and propulsive forces and hindlimb braking and propulsive impulses were correlated positively with speed., Conclusions: GRF profiles of tölting Icelandic horses are more similar to profiles of trots than walks, suggesting that tölts follow bouncing mechanics., Potential Relevance: Greater overlap of limb support in 4-beat gaits (even at high speeds) is associated with lower peak vertical force magnitudes of tölts compared with those reported for trots at comparable speeds, which may help limit the occurrence of overloading injuries in Icelandic horses.

Reason for Performing Study: It is well known that adding a load to a horse's back increases its energetic costs of locomotion, but the magnitude of increase obtained by loading the most distal portion of limb has not been measured., Objectives: To measure oxygen consumption in horses with mass added to the back and hooves. Because such mass distribution alters inertial parameters of the limbs, kinematic measurements were made to quantify the magnitude of change in limb movement., Methods: Steady-state oxygen consumption was measured in 6 horses with a load of 2.4 kg. The load was either carried on the back or distributed equally between the 4 limbs. Modified bell boots kept the mass at the level of P3. Horses trotted on a treadmill at speeds ranging from 2 to 5 m/sec (in 0.5 m/sec increments). High-speed (250 Hz) digital images were recorded in a sagittal plane and the positions of retroreflective markers located on standard positions on the limbs were digitised for kinematic analysis., Results: Loading of the distal limbs produced a 6.7% increase in metabolic rate, an order of magnitude higher than when the mass was added over the back. Although the stride period was 2% longer in horses with loads on the distal limbs, time of contact and duty factor were not different. Distal limb loading increased the range of motion in hind- but not forelimbs., Conclusions: The costs of swinging the limbs in the horse are considerable and the addition of weights to the distal limb can have a profound effect on not only the energetics of locomotion but also the kinematics, at least in the hindlimb., Potential Relevance: The use of weighted shoes, intended to increase animation of the gait, increases the metabolic effort of performance horses a disproportionate amount. The additional mass also increases the joint range of motion and, potentially, the likelihood of injury.

Reasons for Performing Study: Acupuncture may be recommended for horses with 'heaves' because it is being increasingly applied to treat human asthma. Therefore, its efficacy was investigated in horses with this asthma-like disease., Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a single acupuncture treatment for the relief of airway obstruction in heaves-affected horses., Methods: The efficacy of a single acupuncture treatment was tested in 10 heaves-affected horses, and the effect of removal from the dusty stall environment in 5 heaves-affected horses. Before treatment, horses were stabled to induce airway obstruction and, apart from trips to the laboratory for pulmonary function measurements, they remained stabled for the duration of each treatment. The severity of airway obstruction was quantified by measurement of lung function before treatment (baseline), and at 20, 60, 120 and 240 mins and 24 h after the following treatments administered in random order: halter restraint and patting, a single acupuncture treatment by an experienced acupuncturist, and a single acupuncture treatment using predetermined points (recipe) by a veterinarian with no acupuncture training. In a second study, horses were untreated and remained either in their stall or in a paddock for all measurements of lung function, after baseline readings were made., Results: In the first study, after all treatments, there was a temporal improvement in maximal change in pleural pressure, pulmonary resistance, dynamic compliance, respiratory rate, and tidal volume that lasted less than 24 h. There was no specific effect of acupuncture treatment. In the second study, removal from the dusty environment did not produce an improvement in lung function in the first 6 h. We conclude that most of the improvements in lung function observed in the study were due to handling., Conclusions: Assessed objectively, a single acupuncture treatment during an attack of heaves causes no more improvement in lung function than does handling the horse., Potential Relevance: Acupuncture should not replace conventional medical treatments for heaves.

Biomechanics and motor control researchers measure how the body moves and interacts with its environment. The aim of this review paper is to consider some key issues in research methods in biomechanics and motor control. The review is organized into four sections: proposing, conducting, analysing and reporting research. In the first of these, we emphasize the importance of defining a worthy research question and of planning the study before its implementation to prevent later difficulties in the analysis and interpretation of data. In the second section, we cover selection of trial sizes and suggest that using three trials or more may be beneficial to provide more 'representative' and valid data. The third section on analysis of data concentrates on effect size statistics, qualitative and numerical trend analysis and cross-correlations. As sample sizes are often small, the use of effect size is recommended to support the results of statistical significance testing. In using cross-correlations, we recommend that scatterplots of one variable against the other, with the identified time lag included, be inspected to confirm that the linear relationship assumption underpinning this statistic is met and, if appropriate, that a linearity transformation be applied. Finally, we consider important information related to the issues above that should be included when reporting research. We recommend reporting checks or corrections for violations of underpinning assumptions, and the effect of these checks or corrections, to assist in advancing knowledge in biomechanics and motor control.

The aim of this study was to assess the likelihood of individuals to participate in enough physical activity to promote fitness and, more conservatively, to accrue only health benefits. Sedentary (n = 883; 20.5%) and active (n = 1144; 26.5%) groups were identified from the 1990 Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey of English adults (n = 4316). The data were analysed using logistic regression. Participants were described using 20 variables identified from previous research, six of which made a significant contribution to the model (P < 0.05). The odds of being sedentary increased with age, self-perception of lifestyle problems, and lower scores on education, self-perception of motivation to exercise, perception of own participation in physical activity and recognition of exercising enough for health benefits. The odds of being active were associated with the opposite characteristics to those observed for sedentary behaviour. The extreme scores varied from individuals who may be 385 times more likely to be sedentary, to those who were 29 times more likely to be active, depending on scores on the selected variables. The results of this study provide a means to determine individual propensity to participate in adequate physical activity, and to identify those who may benefit most from health promotion campaigns.

Physiological variables must often be scaled for body size differences to permit meaningful comparisons between subjects or groups. This study aimed to determine the proper relationship between body dimensions and left ventricular mass (LVM) via allometric scaling (AS) in 142 subjects (78 males, 64 females; ages 18-40). A cubic formula was used to estimate LVM from wall thickness and left ventricular internal dimensions derived from M-mode echocardiography. Fat free mass (FFM) was predicted from anthropometry. "Best compromise" allometric equations (y = a.xb) revealed a common body mass (BM) exponent of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.65-0.91). The widely adopted ratio scaling (RS) method assumes that the exponent b = 1. In this sample, use of RS would penalize heavier subjects by overcorrecting for BM. The equivalent mean FFM exponent of 1.07 was not different from unity (95% CI, 0.92-1.22). Hence, RS using BM would appear to penalize those subjects who are heavier owing to excess fat not excess FFM. Gender differences in LVM were 70.44, and 18%, for absolute values per BM 0.78 and per FFM 1.07, respectively, (P < 0.05). This reveals quantitative differences in heart size independent of body dimensions. We conclude that sample specific AS permits meaningful intersubject or intergroup comparisons.

Mount St. Helens volcano in southern Washington has erupted many times during the last 4000 years, usually after brief dormant periods. This behavior pattern. suggests that the volcano, last active in 1857, will erupt again-perhaps within the next few decades. Potential volcanic hazards of several kinds should be considered in planning for land use near the volcano.