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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the skills, knowledge, and experiences differentiating expert and competent strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches. Method: The participants were 87 elite-level head S&C coaches with an average of over 18 years of coaching experience. These coaches were employed by teams from the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA Division 1 FBS "Power Five" Conferences, United States National Teams, and the Australian Football League. This study used both a qualitative and quantitative research design through the use of the Delphi method, which incorporated three rounds of surveys. The first-round survey asked the participants to identify at least one important skill, knowledge area, and experience that should be possessed by an expert and competent S&C coach respectively. The characteristics generated from the first round were placed on a second-round survey and rated on their level of importance using a five-point Likert scale. If a characteristic received a suggestion for rephrasing, and did not reach a level of consensus, or an entirely new characteristic was suggested, then it was placed on the final-round survey to be rated again. Characteristics that reached a level of consensus were placed on the final list of characteristics. Results: A total of 46 characteristics reached a level of consensus and were placed on the final list of characteristics. Conclusion: There now exists an empirically validated list of characteristics differentiating expert and competent S&C coaches. This list can aid in the selection, evaluation, and development of S&C coaches.

The purpose of this study was to determine if NCAA Division I women's volleyball programs were in compliance with suggested current pre- and post-activity stretching protocols. Questionnaires were sent to NCAA division I women's volleyball programs in the United States. Fifty six coaches (23 males & 33 females) participated in the study. Some results seemed to conflict with current suggested practices for pre-activity stretching. The results of this study indicate that certification may not influence how well research guidelines are followed. Further research is needed to delineate how these factors affect coaching decisions. (Contains 10 tables.)

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are likely to experience decreased participation in activities and less competence in activities of daily living. Studies of children with spastic CP have shown that strengthening programs produce positive results in strength, gait, and functional outcomes (measured by the Gross Motor Function Measure). No investigations have analyzed electromyography (EMG) activity before and after strength training to determine whether any changes occur in the GMFM. This feasibility case report quantified dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscle activation changes during performance of 3-5 selected GMFM items following a plantarflexor strength training in two children with cerebral palsy. Increased plantarflexor strength and increased ability to selectively activate muscles were found. Little carryover to performance on GMFM items was observed. It is feasible to use EMG during performance on selected GMFM items to evaluate motor control changes following strength training in children with CP. (Contains 3 tables.)

We use a new, matched worker-firm dataset for the United Kingdom to estimate the income loss resulting from firm closure and mass layoffs. We track workers for up to nine years after the displacement event, and the availability of predisplacement characteristics allows us to implement difference-in-differences estimators using propensity score matching methods. Income losses during the first five years after the displacement event are in the range 18-35 percent per year for workers whose firm closes down, and 14-25 percent for workers who exit a firm which suffers a mass layoff. These losses are largely due to periods of nonemployment, which is consistent with previous work from Europe, but contrasts with that from the United States. (Contains 32 footnotes, 8 tables, and 6 figures.)

BACKGROUND: Despite the physical nature of the occupation many firefighters have low levels of physical fitness which is associated with poor performance of occupational tasks and increased injury rates. For many fire departments an initial step in promoting health and wellness within the department is to conduct annual fitness testing. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of implementing a consequential fitness assessment within a fire department. METHODS: A retrospective repeated measures design was used to analyze annual fitness assessment data of professional firefighters (n = 1415) from 2019 to 2022 within a large urban fire department located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The fitness tests included assessments of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, aerobic capacity, and body composition. Repeated measure analyses of variances (ANOVAs) assessed the effect of year and a 2-way ANOVA was conducted to investigate the effects of sex and age on fitness measures on 2022 data. RESULTS: All fitness measures were found to be maintained over the 4-year period. Significant main effects of age and sex across all fitness measures, but no significant interactions were found. Older firefighters (50 + years) exhibited lower performance (p < 0.001, d > 0.80) on muscular fitness assessments than young firefighters (20–29 years). A large effect of sex (males > females) was found for pull-ups (d = 1.04), push-ups (d = 1.23), and aerobic capacity (d = 1.38). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that implementing a consequential fitness assessment could help maintain firefighters' fitness levels over a multi-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muscular strength is an important component of physical fitness. We evaluated the relationship between baseline muscular strength and risk of stroke among adults who were aged ≥65 years during follow-up., Methods: We included 7627 healthy adults (mean age = 43.9 years, 86.0% male) underwent a baseline physical examination between 1980 and 1989. Muscular strength was determined by 1-repetition maximum measures for bench press and leg press and categorized into age- and sex-specific tertiles for each measure. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was assessed via a maximal treadmill exercise test. Those enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare from 1999 to 2019 were included in the analyses. Associations between baseline strength and stroke outcomes were estimated using a modified Cox proportional hazards model. In a secondary analysis, we examined stroke risk by categories of CRF where Quintile 1 = low, Quintiles 2-3 = moderate, and Quintiles 4-5 = high CRF based on age and sex., Results: After 70,072 person-years of Medicare follow-up, there were 1211 earliest indications of incident stroke. In multivariable analyses, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval (95%CI)) for stroke across bench press categories were 1.0 (referent), 0.96 (0.83-1.11), and 0.89 (0.77-1.04), respectively (p trend = 0.14). The trend across categories of leg press was also non-significant (p trend = 0.79). Adjusted hazard ratio (95%CI) for stroke across ordered CRF categories were 1.0 (referent), 0.90 (0.71-1.13), and 0.72 (0.57-0.92) (p trend < 0.01)., Conclusion: While meeting public health guidelines for muscular strengthening activities is likely to improve muscular strength as well as many health outcomes in older adults, performing such activities may not be helpful in preventing stroke. Conversely, meeting guidelines for aerobic activity is likely to improve CRF and lower stroke risk., (Copyright © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the variations in body composition and performance in Japanese collegiate American-football players. OBJECTIVE: To clarify what characterizes competitors at the highest levels – in the top division or on the starting lineup – we compared players' body compositions and performance test results. METHODS: This study included 172 players. Each player's body composition and performance (one-repetition maximum bench press, one-repetition maximum back squat, and vertical jump height) were measured; power was estimated from vertical jump height and body weight. Players were compared according to status (starter vs. non-starter), position (skill vs. linemen), and division (1 vs. 2). Regression analysis was performed to determine characteristics for being a starter. RESULTS: Players in higher divisions and who were starters were stronger and had more power, greater body size, and better performance test results. Players in skill positions were relatively stronger than those in linemen positions. Vertical jump height was a significant predictor of being a starter in Division 1. CONCLUSION: Power and vertical jump may be a deciding factor for playing as a starter or in a higher division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Physically demanding occupations such as the military, firefighting and law enforcement have adopted physical employment standards (PES). The intent of PES is to match the physical capacity of personnel with the physical demands of job tasks. Inadequate physical capacity can affect occupational task performance as well musculoskeletal injury (MSKI) risk. OBJECTIVE: To present contemporary evidence on the relationship(s) between PES, physical training, physical capacity and MSKI in physically demanding occupations, and provide recommendations regarding physical training for improved occupational performance and reduced MSKI risk. METHODS: This narrative review draws on evidence from 104 published sources. RESULTS: Physical training is central to the development and maintenance of occupationally-relevant physical capacity, as well as mitigating MSKI risk associated with job performance. In addition, given the prevalence of manual handling tasks, strength training needs to be emphasised in physical training regimen. CONCLUSIONS: PES development can inform both physical training and injury prevention strategies in physically demanding occupations. Furthermore, a physical performance continuum is essential to through-career maintenance of occupational performance and health, and the preservation of organisational capability. Finally, organisations should consider the potential to implement PES as maximal performance tests to better understand the relationship between occupational task performance and MSKI risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The general physical task demands of law enforcement may suggest that police Officers are of similar fitness levels across cities, states and countries. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether fitness levels of police Officers from two different United States (U.S.) Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) are similar. METHODS: Retrospective data were analysed from two LEAs (LEA1 n = 79 and LEA2 n = 319). The data for Officers included: age, mass, 1-minute push-up repetitions, 1-minute sit-up repetitions, vertical jump height, 2.4 km run time (LEA 1) and 20-meter Multi-Stage Fitness Test results (LEA 2). Independent samples t-tests were used to compare anthropometric and fitness data between LEA with significance set at 0.05. RESULTS: Officers from LEA1 weighed significantly less and performed significantly better than Officers from LEA2 on all fitness measures. When comparing male Officers alone, there was no statistical difference in age and mass; nonetheless, Officers from LEA1 significantly outperformed Officers from LEA2 on all fitness measures. CONCLUSION: While similarities / differences in job tasks performed between these two LEA are not known, the results from this study suggest differences in fitness between these two different U.S. LEA. Fitness standards and training protocols need to be developed and contextualized to each LEA's specific population and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic literature search was conducted to identify and analyze articles that reported on physical fitness of new US Army recruits. The National Library of Medicine's PubMed and the Defense Technical Information Center were searched using the keywords (military personnel OR trainee OR recruit OR soldier) AND (physical fitness OR strength OR endurance OR flexibility OR balance OR coordination OR muscle contraction OR running OR exercise OR physical conditioning). Reference lists of obtained articles and contact with authors enhanced the search. Studies were selected if they involved recruits in Basic Combat Training or One- Station Unit Training, provided a quantitative assessment of at least one fitness measure, and the fitness measure(s) were obtained early in training. Average values for each fitness mea- sure were obtained, plotted by the year of data collection, and fitted to linear regression models (fitness measure 3 year). Fifty-three articles met the review criteria. Regression analysis indicated little temporal change in height, but body weight, body mass index, body fat, and fat-free mass increased over time. Limited ...O2max data suggested no temporal change in male recruits, but those in female recruits ...O2max seem to have slightly improved. Apparently contradicting the ...O2max findings, performance on endurance runs (1- and 2-mile) declined, possibly because of the increase in body weight. Muscular endurance (push-ups, sit-ups) demonstrated little systematic change over time. Limited but multiple measures of muscular strength suggest a temporal increase in strength. Specific components of US Army recruit fitness seem to have changed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to test reports that size and arrangement manipulations of weight plates (i.e., inducing a size-weight illusion [SWI]) effect athletic weightlifting performance. The participants were 72 experienced, weight-trained collegiate American football players. Across three weeks, each athlete performed three different repetitions-to-fatigue bench press tests (NFL-225, SWI-225, and SWI- 215). A multiple regression revealed a positive association between participants' strength relative to the test load and repetitions for NFL-225 and SWI-215, but no association with SWI-225. To explore these results, players were ranked into quartiles based on their one-repetition maximum relative to 102.27 kg (225 lb), and a 3 x 4 repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted. The primary finding was a significant Test Condition x Quartile interaction (p = .004). Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons revealed that Quartile 4 (those with lowest strength relative to test load) completed more repetitions for SWI-225 compared with NFL-225 (p = .049). These results suggest that alternate weight plate arrangements may be beneficial for those whose bench press load is near the lifter's one-repetition maximum. However, variations of the SWI do not appear to affect the performance of repetitions-to-fatigue bench press tests for the majority of collegiate American football players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]