Abstract Lee, EC, Fragala, MS, Kavouras, SA, Queen, RM, Pryor, JL, and Casa, DJ. Biomarkers in sports and exercise: tracking health, performance, and recovery in athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(10): 2920–2937, 2017—Biomarker discovery and validation is a critical aim of the medical and scientific community. Research into exercise and diet-related biomarkers aims to improve health, performance, and recovery in military personnel, athletes, and lay persons. Exercise physiology research has identified individual biomarkers for assessing health, performance, and recovery during exercise training. However, there are few recommendations for biomarker panels for tracking changes in individuals participating in physical activity and exercise training programs. Our approach was to review the current literature and recommend a collection of validated biomarkers in key categories of health, performance, and recovery that could be used for this purpose. We determined that a comprehensive performance set of biomarkers should include key markers of (a) nutrition and metabolic health, (b) hydration status, (c) muscle status, (d) endurance performance, (e) injury status and risk, and (f) inflammation. Our review will help coaches, clinical sport professionals, researchers, and athletes better understand how to comprehensively monitor physiologic changes, as they design training cycles that elicit maximal improvements in performance while minimizing overtraining and injury risk.
Maloney, SJ. The relationship between asymmetry and athletic performance: A critical review. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-Symmetry may be defined as the quality to demonstrate an exact correspondence of size, shape, and form when split along a given axis. Although it has been widely asserted that the bilateral asymmetries are detrimental to athletic performance, research does not wholly support such an association. Moreover, the research rarely seeks to distinguish between different types of bilateral asymmetry. Fluctuating asymmetries describe bilateral differences in anthropometric attributes, such as nostril width and ear size, and are thought to represent the developmental stability of an organism. There is evidence to suggest that fluctuating asymmetries may be related to impaired athletic performance, although contradictory findings have been reported. Sporting asymmetries is a term that may better describe bilateral differences in parameters, such as force output or jump height. These asymmetries are likely to be a function of limb dominance and magnified by long-standing participation within sport. Sporting asymmetries do not seem to carry a clear influence on athletic performance measures. Given the vast discrepancy in the methodologies used by different investigations, further research is warranted. Recent investigations have demonstrated that training interventions can reduce sporting asymmetries and improve performance. However, studies have not sought to determine whether the influence of sporting asymmetry is independent of improvements in neuromuscular parameters. It may be hypothesized that the deficient (weaker) limb has a greater potential for adaptation in comparison to the strong limb and may demonstrate greater responsiveness to training.
Alejandro Pérez-Castilla, Antonio Piepoli, G. Delgado-García
et al.
Abstract Pérez-Castilla, A, Piepoli, A, Delgado-García, G, Garrido-Blanca, G, and García-Ramos, A. Reliability and concurrent validity of seven commercially available devices for the assessment of movement velocity at different intensities during the bench press. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1258–1265, 2019—The aim of this study was to compare the reliability and validity of 7 commercially available devices to measure movement velocity during the bench press exercise. Fourteen men completed 2 testing sessions. One-repetition maximum (1RM) in the bench press exercise was determined in the first session. The second testing session consisted of performing 3 repetitions against 5 loads (45, 55, 65, 75, and 85% of 1RM). The mean velocity was simultaneously measured using an optical motion sensing system (Trio-OptiTrack; “gold-standard”) and 7 commercially available devices: 1 linear velocity transducer (T-Force), 2 linear position transducers (Chronojump and Speed4Lift), 1 camera-based optoelectronic system (Velowin), 1 smartphone application (PowerLift), and 2 inertial measurement units (IMUs) (PUSH band and Beast sensor). The devices were ranked from the most to the least reliable as follows: (a) Speed4Lift (coefficient of variation [CV] = 2.61%); (b) Velowin (CV = 3.99%), PowerLift (3.97%), Trio-OptiTrack (CV = 4.04%), T-Force (CV = 4.35%), and Chronojump (CV = 4.53%); (c) PUSH band (CV = 9.34%); and (d) Beast sensor (CV = 35.0%). A practically perfect association between the Trio-OptiTrack system and the different devices was observed (Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient (r) range = 0.947–0.995; p < 0.001) with the only exception of the Beast sensor (r = 0.765; p < 0.001). These results suggest that linear velocity/position transducers, camera-based optoelectronic systems, and the smartphone application could be used to obtain accurate velocity measurements for restricted linear movements, whereas the IMUs used in this study were less reliable and valid.
Aaron D Heishman, Bryce D Daub, Ryan M. Miller
et al.
Heishman, AD, Daub, BD, Miller, RM, Freitas, EDS, Frantz, BA, and Bemben, MG. Countermovement jump reliability performed with and without an arm swing in NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate basketball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The countermovement jump (CMJ) is routinely used in athlete performance to quantify adaptions to training, as well as monitor neuromuscular readiness and fatigue. However, controversy remains in whether to incorporate an arm swing during the CMJ (CMJ AS) or keep the hands placed on the hips (CMJ NAS). Incorporating the arms provides a higher degree of sport-specificity that may yield improved reliability, especially in skilled jumpers. By contrast, the hands-on-hips approach isolates lower extremity force production and eliminates potential arm-swing variation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the reliability of CMJ typical (CMJ-TYP), CMJ concentric alternative (CMJ-Conc-ALT), and CMJ eccentric alternative (CMJ-Ecc-ALT) variables obtained during the CMJ AS and CMJ NAS. Twenty-two (men = 14, women = 8) NCAA Division 1 collegiate basketball players performed 3 CMJ AS and 3 CMJ NAS on a force plate, in a randomized order. To assess the test-retest reliability, participants returned 1 week later to perform 3 additional CMJ AS and 3 CMJ NAS. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) were used to assess intersession and intrasession reliability for the various CMJ variables. A majority of CMJ-TYP and several CMJ-Conc-ALT and CMJ-Ecc-ALT variables exhibited adequate intersession and intrasession reliability (ICC > 0.700 and CV <10%) during both the CMJ AS and the CMJ NAS. Countermovement jump AS may provide more pertinent information about long-term changes in sport-specific performance, whereas the CMJ NAS may be more beneficial for detecting acute changes in neuromuscular fatigue and athlete readiness.
Muhammad Adib Adam Mat Nor, N. M. Suleyman Dawood, D. Z. Abang Hasbollah
et al.
The use of geosynthetics to reinforce soft ground is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by soft soils, including their low shear strength, high compressibility, and inadequate drainage. These challenging soil conditions, frequently found in regions like Malaysia, present major obstacles to infrastructure development. This research examines how geosynthetic materials such as geogrids, geotextiles, and vertical drains can offer innovative solutions to enhance soil stability and load capacity. By reviewing three case studies, the study illustrates how geogrids reduced settlement in a railway project, geotextiles stabilized road embankments on soft ground, and vertical drains sped up soil consolidation. These cases show that geosynthetics improve stability, shorten construction time, and support durable infrastructure on soft soils. This study examines the use of geosynthetics, including geogrids for high-speed railway embankments in Malaysia, geotextiles for road stabilization in Indonesia, and prefabricated vertical drains for ground improvement in Egypt. The findings highlight the practical advantages of geosynthetics in improving construction efficiency, promoting sustainability, and enhancing resilience in soft soil conditions. Ultimately, this paper adds to the expanding body of knowledge on advanced geotechnical methods, emphasizing the crucial role of geosynthetics in modern construction practices.
A. Martin-García, Antonio Gómez Díaz, P. Bradley
et al.
Abstract Martín-García, A, Gómez Díaz, A, Bradley, PS, Morera, F, and Casamichana, D. Quantification of a professional football team's external load using a microcycle structure. J Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3520–3527, 2018—The aims of this study were to (a) determine the external load of a football team across playing position and relative to competition for a structured microcycle and (b) examine the loading and variation the day after competition for players with or without game time. Training and match data were obtained from 24 professional football players who belonging to the reserve squad of a Spanish La Liga club during the 2015/16 season using global positioning technology (n = 37 matches and n = 42 training weeks). Training load data were analyzed with respect to the number of days before or after a match (match day [MD] minus or plus). Training load metrics declined as competition approached (MD-4 > MD-3 > MD-2 > MD-1; p MD + 1R; p < 0.05; ES: 1.4–1.6). Acceleration and deceleration metrics during training exceeded 50% of that performed in competition for MD + 1C (80–86%), MD-4 (71–72%), MD-3 (62–69%), and MD-2 (56–61%). Full backs performed more high-speed running and sprint distance than other positions at MD-3 and MD-4 (p < 0.05; ES: 0.8–1.7). The coefficient of variation for weekly training sessions ranged from ∼40% for MD-3 and MD-4 to ∼80% for MD + 1R. The data demonstrate that the external load of a structured microcycle varied substantially based on the players training day and position. This information could be useful for applied sports scientists when trying to systematically manage load, particularly compensatory conditioning for players without game time.
An electrophoretic method (on-line coupled capillary isotachophoresis with capillary zone electrophoresis with conductometric detection (cITP-CZE-COND)) for the determination of chitin in insects based on the analysis of glucosamine after acidic hydrolysis of the sample is described. Chitin is deacetylated and hydrolyzed to glucosamine by acidic hydrolysis (6 M sulfuric acid, 110 °C, 6 h). Under optimized electrophoresis conditions, glucosamine (GlcN) is separated from other sample components in cationic mode and detected with a conductometer within 15 min. The performance method characteristics of the GlcN assay, i.e., linearity (0.2-20 μmol), accuracy (103 ± 5%), repeatability (1.9%), reproducibility (3.4%), limits of detection (0.06 μmol/L) and quantification (0.2 μmol/L), were evaluated. On a series of 28 insect samples, it was proven that cITP-CZE-COND provides results of chitin content in insects comparable to the literature data. The important features of the developed cITP-CZE-COND method are easy sample treatment, high sensitivity and selectivity, and low running costs. It is clear from the above that the cITP-CZE-COND method is suitable for analysis of insect samples for chitin content.
Due to its low atomic mass, hydrogen is the most promising element to search for high-temperature phononic superconductors. However, metallic phases of hydrogen are only expected at extreme pressures (400 GPa or higher). The measurement of the record superconducting critical temperature of 203 K in a hydrogen-sulfur compound at 160 GPa of pressure [A.P. Drozdov, M.I. Eremets, I.A. Troyan, arXiv:1412.0460 [cond-mat.supr-con] (2014); A.P. Drozdov, M.I. Eremets, I.A. Troyan, V. Ksenofontov, S.I. Shylin, Nature 525, 73 (2015)], shows that metallization of hydrogen can be reached at significantly lower pressure by inserting it in the matrix of other elements. In this work we investigate the phase diagram and the superconducting properties of the H-S systems by means of minima hopping method for structure prediction and density functional theory for superconductors. We also show that Se-H has a similar phase diagram as its sulfur counterpart as well as high superconducting critical temperature. We predict H3Se to exceed 120 K superconductivity at 100 GPa. We show that both H3Se and H3S, due to the critical temperature and peculiar electronic structure, present rather unusual superconducting properties.
This present article, author deduce an explanation of the neutrosophic soft graphs (NSG) w.r.t. a neighborly edge irregular as well as neighborly edge totally irregular NSG. The results based on the neutrosophic soft graphs with a constant function to evaluate a neighborly edge irregular as well as totally irregular on edge neighborly NSG.