Search

Background: The growing interest of the scientific community in trail running has highlighted the acute effects of practice at the time of these races on isolated aspects of physiological and structural systems; biological, physiological, cognitive, and muscular functions; and the psychological state of athletes. However, no integrative study has been conducted under these conditions with so many participants and monitoring of pre-, per-, and postrace variables for up to 10 days over a distance close to 100 miles. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the kinetics of the performance parameters during a 156 km trail run and 6000 m of elevation gain in pre-, per-, and postrace conditions. The general hypothesis is based on significant alterations in the psychological, physiological, mechanical, biological, and cognitive parameters. Methods: The Trail Scientifique de Clécy took place on November 11, 2021. This prospective experimental study provides a comprehensive exploration of the constraints and adaptations of psychophysiological and sociological variables assessed in real race conditions during a trail running of 156 km on hilly ground and 6000 m of elevation gain (D+). The study protocol allowed for repeatability of study measurements under the same experimental conditions during the race, with the race being divided into 6 identical loops of 26 km and 1000 m D+. Measurements were conducted the day before and the morning of the race, at the end of each lap, after a pit stop, and up to 10 days after the race. A total of 55 participants were included, 43 (78%) men and 12 (22%) women, who were experienced in ultra-trail-running events and with no contraindications to the practice of this sport. Results: The launch of the study was authorized on October 26, 2021, under the trial number 21-0166 after a favorable opinion from the Comité de Protection des Personnes Ouest III (21.09.61/SIRIPH 2G 21.01586.000009). Of the 55 runners enrolled, 41 (75%) completed the race and 14 (25%) dropped out for various reasons, including gastric problems, hypothermia, fatigue, and musculoskeletal injuries. All the measurements for each team were completed in full. The race times (ie, excluding the measurements) ranged from 17.8206 hours for the first runner to 35.9225 hours for the last runner. The average time to complete all measurements for each lap was 64 (SD 3) minutes. Conclusions: The Trail Scientifique de Clécy, by its protocol, allowed for a multidisciplinary approach to the discipline. This approach will allow for the explanation of the studied parameters in relation to each other and observation of the systems of dependence and independence. The initial results are expected in June 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A wide range of outcome measures is available for the assessment of individuals with shoulder disorders. Since outcome measures are used to orientate treatment decision-making, clinicians must make sure that the ones they intend to use present adequate properties for their clinical purpose. Objectives: To review the psychometric evidence relating to five categories of shoulder outcome measures: range of motion, scapular position and motion, strength, functional performance, and self-report questionnaires. Validity, reliability, and responsiveness were reviewed for each category. Major findings: For most of the shoulder outcomes reviewed, evidence relating to relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients) and construct validity was favorable. Globally, intrarater and test-retest reliability indices were excellent, while interrater indices were good to excellent. Favorable evidence on responsiveness (effect size, standardized response mean, clinically important difference) and absolute reliability (minimal detectable change) was also found for self-report questionnaires. However, for range of motion, scapular position and motion, strength and functional performance tests, evidence on responsiveness and absolute reliability was limited or non-existent. Conclusions: Self-reported scales, such as the DASH, ASES, WORC, or WOSI, should be first line tests as they are highly responsive. Furthermore, they are the only shoulder outcomes for which most useful clinical benchmarks are established, such as minimal detectable change or clinically important difference. As for more conventional measures such as range of motion and strength, while still clinically relevant, they require further investigations to define their responsiveness, minimal detectable change, or clinically important difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]