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Long-span structures such as school gyms and sports centres are often used by the Italian Department of Civil Protection as post-catastrophe shelters or headquarters. The Emilia 2012 earthquake drew the attention of the department to this type of structure due to the damage that many of these buildings suffered. In this work, a dataset of 101 timber structures was analysed based on a simplified methodology that detects the major vulnerabilities in long-span timber roofs in order to help plan further investigations and retrofit interventions. Using fast and straightforward approaches, the elements most vulnerable to seismic action were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative evaluation of the vulnerabilities was achieved by applying the Italian Building Code. The aspects not considered in the quantitative evaluation were assessed through qualitative parameters inspired by damage identification forms (e.g. the AeDES form). The analysed structures are located near the epicentres of the last strong earthquakes that struck Italian territory: Abruzzo in 2009, Emilia in 2012 and central Italy in 2016. Damage and retrofits, identified by interviewing owners, designers and builders, showed a good correlation between the real behaviour shown by the surveyed structures and the vulnerabilities detected using the simplified methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of recreational football performed once (LOW) vs. twice (MOD) a week on cardiovascular risk factors in healthy, sedentary men. Body composition, resting blood pressure, blood lipid profile and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) were measured at baseline, after a 12-week control and training period, using an interrupted time-series study (study 1, n = 18: n = 8, LOW and n = 10, MOD) nested in a randomized parallel trial (study 2, n = 34: n = 18 LOW and n = 16 MOD). After the intervention in study 1, LDL-cholesterol (−12.3 mg·dLˉ1 [−22.7 to −2.0]) and VO2max (4.5 ml·kgˉ1·minˉ1 [1.2–7.8 ]) changed in LOW whereas differences were found in weight (−2.1 kg [−3.7 to −0.4]), BMI (−0.7 kg·m−2 [−1.2 to −0.1]), total cholesterol (−22.2 mg·dLˉ1 [−36.0 to −8.4]), no-HDL-cholesterol (−17.5 mg·dLˉ1 [−30.5 to −4.5]), LDL-cholesterol (−14.9 mg·dLˉ1 [−23.6 to −6.2]) and VO2max (5.7 ml·kgˉ1·minˉ1 [2.8–8.6]) in MOD. Study 2 showed no evidence of differences between groups. Our results therefore suggest positive health effects of recreational football even when performed at low frequency as it can happen in real context. Highlights Moderate and high amount of recreational football practice (i.e. 2 or 3 h a week) have been shown to be effective to improve health-related factors in both healthy and unhealthy people. Scarce data are present regarding the effect of a low frequency of recreational football practice (i.e. 1 h a week) that is often usual in a real context. Our results showed the practice of recreational football, once a week, is effective for improving some cardiovascular risk factors (maximal oxygen consumption and LDL-cholesterol) in sedentary, healthy middle-aged men. Moreover, practising recreational football once or twice a week seems to lead to similar positive health adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the construct validity of the session rating perceived exertion (s-RPE) assessed with the Borg CR100 scale to measure training loads in elite soccer and to examine if the CR100 is interchangeable and can provide more-accurate ratings than the CR10 scale. Methods: Two studies were conducted. The validity of the CR100 was determined in 19 elite soccer players (age 28 ± 6 y, height 180 ± 7 cm, body mass 77 + 6 kg) during training sessions through correlations with the Edwards heart-rate method (study 1). The interchangeability with CR10 was assessed in 78 soccer players (age 19.3 ±4.1 y, height 178 ± 5.9 cm, body mass 71.4 + 6.1 kg) through the Bland-Altman method and correlations between change scores in different sessions. To examine whether the CR100 is more finely graded than the CR10, the proportions of responses corresponding to the verbal expressions were calculated (study 2). Results: Individual correlations between the Edwards method and s-RPE were large to very large (.52-85). The mean difference between the 2 scales was-0.3 ± 0.33 AU (90% CI -0.41 to -0.29) with 95% limits of agreements (0.31 to -0.96 AU), Correlations between scales and between-changes scores were nearly perfect (.95 and .91-.98). Ratings corresponding to the verbal anchors were 49% in CR10 and 26% in CR100. Conclusions: The CR100 is valid for assessing the training load in elite soccer players. It can be used interchangeably with the CR10 and may provide more-precise measures of exercise intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature there is a lack of data about the development of top level athletes in cross-country mountain biking (XCO). The purpose of this study was to analyze anthropometric and physiological characteristics of some of the best XCO bikers aged between 13 and 16. The study involved 45 bikers (26 males and 19 females) belonging to a youth national team. The evaluations, consisting of anthropometric measures, incremental cycling tests (VO2max, PPO, P@RCP), and 30 s Wingate Tests (PMax, PMean), were conducted over a lapse of 4 years. Our findings showed in bikers, already at young age, a specific athletic profile advantageous for XCO performance. At the age of 16, just before entering the junior category and competing at international level, male and female bikers showed physiological values normalized to the body mass comparable to those reported in literature for high level athletes (VO2max>70 and >60 ml/kg/min, PPO >6.5 and >5.5 W/kg, respectively in males and females). The production of high power-to-weight ratios and high peaks of anaerobic power attests the presence of highly developed aerobic and anaerobic systems in young XCO cyclists reflecting the high physiological demand of this sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the construct validity of the session rating perceived exertion (s-RPE) assessed with the Borg CR100 scale to measure training loads in elite soccer and to examine if the CR100 is interchangeable and can provide more-accurate ratings than the CR10 scale., Methods: Two studies were conducted. The validity of the CR100 was determined in 19 elite soccer players (age 28 ± 6 y, height 180 ± 7 cm, body mass 77 ± 6 kg) during training sessions through correlations with the Edwards heart-rate method (study 1). The interchangeability with CR10 was assessed in 78 soccer players (age 19.3 ± 4.1 y, height 178 ± 5.9 cm, body mass 71.4 ± 6.1 kg) through the Bland-Altman method and correlations between change scores in different sessions. To examine whether the CR100 is more finely graded than the CR10, the proportions of responses corresponding to the verbal expressions were calculated (study 2)., Results: Individual correlations between the Edwards method and s-RPE were large to very large (.52-.85). The mean difference between the 2 scales was -0.3 ± 0.33 AU (90% CI -0.41 to -0.29) with 95% limits of agreements (0.31 to -0.96 AU). Correlations between scales and between-changes scores were nearly perfect (.95 and .91-.98). Ratings corresponding to the verbal anchors were 49% in CR10 and 26% in CR100., Conclusions: The CR100 is valid for assessing the training load in elite soccer players. It can be used interchangeably with the CR10 and may provide more-precise measures of exercise intensity.