Search results for "athletes"

The Effect of Carbohydrate Intake on Strength and Resistance Training Performance: A Systematic Review

2022

High carbohydrate intakes are commonly recommended for athletes of various sports, including strength trainees, to optimize performance. However, the effect of carbohydrate intake on strength training performance has not been systematically analyzed. A systematic literature search was conducted for trials that manipulated carbohydrate intake, including supplements, and measured strength, resistance training or power either acutely or after a diet and strength training program. Studies were categorized as either (1) acute supplementation, (2) exercise-induced glycogen depletion with subsequent carbohydrate manipulation, (3) short-term (2–7 days) carbohydrate manipulation or (4) changes in pe…

2021

The aim of this study was to provide information on energy availability (EA), macronutrient intake, nutritional periodization practices, and nutrition knowledge in young female cross-country skiers. A total of 19 skiers filled in weighted food and training logs before and during a training camp. Nutrition knowledge was assessed via a validated questionnaire. EA was optimal in 11% of athletes at home (mean 33.7 ± 9.6 kcal·kgFFM−1·d−1) and in 42% at camp (mean 40.3 ± 17.3 kcal·kgFFM−1·d−1). Most athletes (74%) failed to meet recommendations for carbohydrate intake at home (mean 5.0 ± 1.2 g·kg−1·d−1) and 63% failed to do so at camp (mean 7.1 ± 1.6 g·kg−1·d−1). The lower threshold of the pre-ex…

Prevalence of rapid weight loss in Olympic style wrestlers

2022

Background: The methodology applied for rapid weight loss (RWL) among elite wrestlers is quite unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of sources of influence and methods used for RWL and to determine the differences between wrestling styles. Methods: A total of 229 wrestlers who competed at the World Championship held in Belgrade, Serbia, participated in this research. All respondents completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate RWL patterns in combat athletes. Participants were classified according to wrestling style: Greco-Roman, freestyle, and women wrestling. Results: Sixty-nine percent of wrestlers had previously lost weight to compete. Most respon…

The Effects of Physical Activity on the Gut Microbiota and the Gut-Brain Axis in Preclinical and Human Models: A Narrative Review.

2022

Increasing evidence supports the importance of the gut microbiota (GM) in regulating multiple functions related to host physical health and, more recently, through the gut–brain axis (GBA), mental health. Similarly, the literature on the impact of physical activity (PA), including exercise, on GM and GBA is growing. Therefore, this narrative review summarizes and critically appraises the existing literature that delves into the benefits or adverse effects produced by PA on physical and mental health status through modifications of the GM, highlighting differences and similarities between preclinical and human studies. The same exercise in animal models, whether performed voluntarily or forc…

Does Longer Leukocyte Telomere Length and Higher Physical Fitness Protect Master Athletes From Consequences of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Infection?

2020

Paper vs. Pixel: Can We Use a Pen-and-Paper Method to Measure Athletes' Implicit Doping Attitude?

2017

Doping attitude is an individual’s subjective evaluation (e.g., good or bad, useful or useless) toward the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances or methods in sports. Research on doping attitude has traditionally relied on self-report questionnaire methods to measure the construct (Ntoumanis et al., 2014; Chan et al., 2015). However, as doping in sport is illegal (World AntiDoping Agency, 2015) and perceived as socially unacceptable, athletes who hold positive attitudes toward doping are less likely to reveal them to others. As a result explicit measures of doping attitude are susceptible to potential bias as athletes may respond in a socially desirable fashion (Petróczi and Ai…

Understanding youth athletes' life designing processes through dream day narratives

2018

A number of studies have investigated career pathways in elite sport with retrospective designs, but few studies have explored how youth elite athletes construct narratives about their future lives and how their dreams and hopes relate to their careers in sport and other life contexts. We drew on career construction theory to understand youth elite athletes' dreams for the future and prominent life themes. Seventeen Finnish youth elite athletes (7 men, 10 women) in the first year of upper secondary sport school participated in the study. They were asked to make visual representations of their “dream days”, and these were used as aids for reflection in low-structured interviews where partici…

2021

The aim of the study was to (1) assess the within-session reliability of a unilateral isometric hex bar pull (UIHBP) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) test and, (2) determine unilateral isometric absolute peak force (PFabs) and relative peak force (PF) values in freeski athletes. Twenty-one male and eight female academy to national team freeskiers performed the novel UIHBP MVC task on a force plate and PFabs and relative PF were assessed (1000 Hz). Within-session measures of PFabs offered high reliability on left and right limbs for males (ICC = 0.91–0.94, CV = 2.6–2.2%) and females (ICC = 0.94–0.94, CV = 1.4–1.6%), while relative PF measures showed good to high reliability in both left a…

Influence of Vertical Dimension of Occlusion on Peak Force During Handgrip Tests in Athletes

2018

Background: In contact sports, such as martial arts, protection from oral injuries is generally recommended. Several authors have focused on the effects of wearing such oral protective gear on sports performances and, in particular, occlusal devices. Although many studies have shown improvements in athletic performance, especially in maximal isometric strength, to date there is still no consensus on the issue. Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate differences in isometric handgrip before and after the application of an occlusal splint (OS) in martial arts athletes. Methods: A repeated measures within-subjects design was adopted for the study. Twenty-five young martial arts athlet…

Training During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices of 12,526 Athletes from 142 Countries and Six Continents

2021

Abstract Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March–Jun…