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Introduction Rugby league is a physically demanding sport that necessitates considerable nutritional intake, focusing on quality and type, in order to optimize training and competition demands. However, rugby league athletes are reported to have inadequate nutrition intake to match these demands. Some factors that may determine an athlete’s nutrition intake have been reported in other sports, including (but not limited to, knowledge, time, cooking skills, food costs, income, belief in the importance of nutrition, body composition goals, and family/cultural support). However, these potential factors are relatively unexplored in rugby league, where a range of personal (age, body composition) or social (ancestry) influences could affect nutritional intake. Further exploration of these factors is warranted to understand the knowledge, attitudes and behavior underlying rugby league athletes’ nutritional intake that can provide practitioners with a more detailed understanding of how to approach nutrition behaviors and attitudes in rugby league athletes.Objectives The primary aim was to describe the nutrition behaviors and knowledge of rugby league athletes. A secondary aim was to compare nutrition knowledge and behavior based on age, body composition and self-identified ancestry.Methods Fifty professional rugby league athletes anonymously completed a seventy-six-question online survey. The survey consisted of three sections : 1) sports nutrition knowledge, 2) attitudes toward nutrition on performance , and 3) nutrition behaviors. All participants completed the online survey without assistance using their own personal device, with data entered via REDCap during pre-season. Nutrition knowledge was compared based on age (years), body composition (body fat percentage (%)) and ancestral groups (Pasifika, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and Anglo- European).Pearson correlation was used for the relationship between nutrition knowledge, age and body composition. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine nutrition knowledge differences between ancestral groups with age and body composition as covariates. Attitudes and behaviors were compared based on age groups (25 y), ancestry and body composition. Attitudes and behaviors were analyzed by Pearson correlation for body composition, one-way ANOVA for age groups and ANCOVA for ancestry with covariates age and body composition.Results Overall athletes’ nutrition knowledge score was reported as 40 ± 12% (overall rating “poor”). Nutritional behaviors were significant for body composition, as those with lower body fat percentage had higher intakes of vegetables and dairy products (p = 0.046, p = 0.009), and ate more in the afternoon (lunch p = 0.048, afternoon snack p = 0.036). For ancestry, after adjustment for both age and body composition, Pasifika athletes were more inclined to miss breakfast and lunch compared to their Anglo-European (p = 0.037, p = 0.012) and ATSI (p = 0.022, p = 0.006) counterparts and ate more fruit than Anglo-Europeans (p = 0.006, p = 0.016). After adjustment for body composition, ATSI athletes also viewed the impact of nutrition on mental health and well-being significantly lower than Pasifika (p = 0.044).Conclusion These findings suggest differences exist within rugby league athletes based on ancestral backgrounds and body composition for nutrition attitudes, behaviors and knowledge. Such outcomes could be used when designing nutrition education interventions, with consideration given to these factors to optimize long-term positive behavior change.

Objective: To investigate the effect of 1) lockdown duration and 2) training intensity on sleep quality and insomnia symptoms in elite athletes.Methods: 1,454 elite athletes (24.1 ± 6.7 years; 42% female; 41% individual sports) from 40 countries answered a retrospective, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire relating to their behavioral habits pre- and during- COVID-19 lockdown, including: 1) Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI); 2) Insomnia severity index (ISI); bespoke questions about 3) napping; and 4) training behaviors. The association between dependent (PSQI and ISI) and independent variables (sleep, napping and training behaviors) was determined with multiple regression and is reported as semi-partial correlation coefficient squared (in percentage).Results: 15% of the sample spent < 1 month, 27% spent 1–2 months and 58% spent > 2 months in lockdown. 29% self-reported maintaining the same training intensity during-lockdown whilst 71% reduced training intensity. PSQI (4.1 ± 2.4 to 5.8 ± 3.1; mean difference (MD): 1.7; 95% confidence interval of the difference (95% CI): 1.6–1.9) and ISI (5.1 ± 4.7 to 7.7 ± 6.4; MD: 2.6; 95% CI: 2.3–2.9) scores were higher during-compared to pre-lockdown, associated (all p < 0.001) with longer sleep onset latency (PSQI: 28%; ISI: 23%), later bedtime (PSQI: 13%; ISI: 14%) and later preferred time of day to train (PSQI: 9%; ISI: 5%) during-lockdown. Those who reduced training intensity during-lockdown showed higher PSQI (p < 0.001; MD: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.87–1.63) and ISI (p < 0.001; MD: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.72–3.27) scores compared to those who maintained training intensity. Although PSQI score was not affected by the lockdown duration, ISI score was higher in athletes who spent > 2 months confined compared to those who spent < 1 month (p < 0.001; MD: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.26–2.3).Conclusion: Reducing training intensity during the COVID-19-induced lockdown was associated with lower sleep quality and higher insomnia severity in elite athletes. Lockdown duration had further disrupting effects on elite athletes’ sleep behavior. These findings could be of relevance in future lockdown or lockdown-like situations (e.g., prolonged illness, injury, and quarantine after international travel).

Firefighters are exposed to numerous stressors during wildfire suppression, including working in hot temperatures and sleep restricted conditions. Research has shown that when sleep restricted, individuals choose foods higher in carbohydrates, fat, and sugar, and have increased cravings for calorie dense foods. However, there is currently no research on the combined effect of heat and sleep restriction on snacking behaviour. Conducting secondary analyses from a larger study, the current study aimed to investigate the impact of heat and sleep restriction on snacking behaviour and food cravings. Sixty-six firefighters completed three days of simulated physically demanding firefighting work and were randomly allocated to either the control (n = 18, CON; 19 °C, 8 h sleep opportunity), sleep restricted (n = 16, SR; 19 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity), hot (n = 18, HOT; 33 °C, 8 h sleep opportunity), or hot and sleep restricted (n = 14 HOT + SR; 33 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) condition. During rest periods firefighters were able to self-select sweet, savoury, or healthy snacks from a ration pack and were asked to rate their hunger, fullness, and cravings every two hours (eating block). Mixed model analyses revealed no difference in total energy intake between conditions, however there was a significant interaction between eating block and condition, with those in the CON, HOT, and HOT + SR condition consuming significantly more energy between 1230 and 1430 compared to the SR condition (p = 0.002). Sleep restriction and heat did not impact feelings of hunger and fullness across the day, and did not lead to greater cravings for snacks, with no differences between conditions. These findings suggest that under various simulated firefighting conditions, it is not the amount of food that differs but the timing of food intake, with those that are required to work in hot conditions while sleep restricted more likely to consume food between 1230 and 1430. This has potential implications for the time of day in which a greater amount of food should be available for firefighters.

BACKGROUND:Female soccer has grown extensively in recent years, however differences in gender-specific physiology have rarely been considered. The female reproductive hormones which rise and fall throughout the menstrual cycle, are known to affect numerous cardiovascular, respiratory, thermoregulatory and metabolic parameters, which in turn, may have implications on exercise physiology and soccer performance. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate potential effects of menstrual cycle phase on performance in soccer specific tests. METHODS:Nine sub elite female soccer players, all of whom have menstrual cycles of physiological length; performed a series of physical performance tests (Yo-Yo Intermittent endurance test (Yo-Yo IET), counter movement jump (CMJ) and 3x30 m sprints). These were conducted at distinct time points during two main phases of the menstrual cycle (early follicular phase (FP) and mid luteal phase (LP)) where hormones contrasted at their greatest magnitude. RESULTS:Yo-Yo IET performance was considerably lower during the mid LP (2833±896 m) as compared to the early FP (3288±800 m). A trend towards significance was observed (p = 0.07) and the magnitude based inferences suggested probabilities of 0/61/39 for superiority/equality/inferiority of performance during the mid LP, leading to the inference of a possibly harmful effect. For CMJ (early FP, 20.0±3.9 cm; mid LP 29.6±3.0 cm, p = 0.33) and sprint (early FP, 4.7±0.1 s; mid LP, 4.7±0.1 s, p = 0.96) performances the results were unclear (8/24/68, 48/0/52, respectively). CONCLUSION:The results of this study are in support of a reduction in maximal endurance performance during the mid LP of the menstrual cycle. However, the same effect was not observed for jumping and sprint performance. Therefore, consideration of cycle phase when monitoring a player's endurance capacity may be worthwhile.