Search

Rugby has a higher injury burden than other popular sports, such as football. Athletes who are forced to retire as a result of injury are associated with poor mental health. With its high injury burden, professional rugby players might be at risk of mental health conditions associated with injury-related forced retirement. This study aimed to compare mental health between former professional rugby players who were and weren't forced to retire. A questionnaire including the 4DSQ (distress), GHQ-12 (anxiety/depression), PROMIS short-form (sleep disturbance) and AUDIT-C (alcohol misuse) was completed by retired professional players from Ireland, France and South Africa. The questionnaire asked players whether or not they were forced to retire, as well as the reason for retirement. Players forced to retire were more than twice as likely to report symptoms of distress in comparison to those that retired voluntarily (odds ratio: 2.1, 95 % confidence interval: 1.2-3.6, p < 0.001). None of the other mental health measures (anxiety/ depression, sleep disturbance or alcohol misuse) were associated with forced retirement. In conclusion, rugby players that were forced to retire may require support structures and longitudinal monitoring. Future studies should begin monitoring players during their careers to accurately assess the effect of retirement on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proteins ELN and FBN2 are important in extracellular matrix function. The ELN rs2071307 and FBN2 rs331079 gene variants have been associated with soft tissue pathologies. We aimed to determine whether these variants were predisposing factors for both Achilles tendinopathy (AT) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. For the AT study, 135 cases (TEN group) and 239 asymptomatic controls were recruited. For the ACL rupture study our cohort consisted of 141 cases (ACL group) and 219 controls. Samples were genotyped for both the ELN rs2071307 and FBN2 rs331079 variants using TaqMan assays. Analysis of variance and chi-squared tests were used to determine whether either variant was associated with AT or ACL rupture with significance set at p < 0.05. The GG genotype of the FBN2 variant was significantly over-represented within the TEN group (p=0.035; OR=1.83; 95% CI 1.04-3.25) compared to the CON group. We also found that the frequency of the G allele was significantly different between the TEN (p=0.017; OR=1.90; 95% CI 1.11-3.27) and ACL groups (p=0.047; OR=1.76; 95% CI 1.00-3.10) compared to controls. The ELN rs207137 variant was not associated with either AT or ACL rupture. In conclusion, DNA sequence variation within the FBN2 gene is associated with both AT and ACL rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart rate after a standardized test varies with a change in training status, possibly compromising the accuracy of measuring changes in heart rate recovery (HRR). The aim of this study was to determine if a change in the exercise intensity would result in a change in heart rate recovery and / or the accuracy of the heart rate recovery measurement. 31 subjects performed 4 submaximal running tests (HIMS). Based on the heart rate after the fi rst HIMS, subjects either completed 4 identical HIMS (SAME (n = 9)), 2 standard and 2 faster HIMS (FASTER (n = 10)) or 2 standard and 2 slower HIMS (SLOWER (n = 12)). Although no changes in heart rate recovery were found when the HIMS protocol was adapted, lower coefficients of variation (CV) and typical errors of measurement (TEM) were found in the SLOWER (CV: 11 ± 7 to 5 ± 3 % ( p = 0.025)), TEM: 6 to 3 beats and FASTER group (CV: 11 ± 7 to 4 ± 3 % ( p = 0.048), TEM: 7 to 3 beats). To ensure the highest level of sensitivity in detecting meaningful changes in HRR over time, submaximal testing protocols should target exercise intensities ranging inbetween 86 - 93 % of heart rate maximum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]