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Global positioning system (GPS) monitoring of movement patterns is widespread in elite football including the Australian Football League (AFL). However documented analysis of this activity is lacking. We quantified the movement patterns of AFL football and differences between nomadic (midfield), forward and defender playing positions, and determined whether the physical demands have increased over a four season period. Selected premiership games were monitored during the 2005 ( n = 80 game files), 2006 ( n = 244), 2007 ( n = 632) and 2008 ( n = 793) AFL seasons. Players were fitted with a shoulder harness containing a GPS unit. GPS data were downloaded after games and the following measures extracted: total distance (km), time in various speed zones, maximum speed, number of surges, accelerations, longest continuous efforts and a derived exertion index representing playing intensity. In 2008 nomadic players covered per game 3.4% more total distance (km), had 4.8% less playing time (min), a 17% higher exertion index (per min), and 23% more time running >18 km h −1 than forwards and defenders (all p < 0.05). Physical demands were substantially higher in the 2008 season compared with 2005: an 8.4% increase in mean speed, a 14% increase in intensity (exertion index) and a 9.0% decrease in playing time (all p < 0.05). Nomadic players in AFL work substantially harder than forwards and defenders in covering more ground and at higher running intensities. Increases in the physical demands of AFL football were evident between 2005 and 2008. The increasing speed of the game has implications for game authorities, players and coaching staff.

Over the last decades the cellular immune inflammation markers neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII = NLR × platelets) have emerged in clinical context as markers of disease-related inflammation and are now widely appreciated due to their integrative character. Transferring these clinically established inflammation markers into exercise physiology seems highly beneficial, especially due to the low temporal, financial and infrastructural resources needed for assessment and calculation. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize evidence on the value of the integrative inflammation markers NLR, PLR and SII for depiction of exercise-induced inflammation and highlight potential applications in exercise settings. Despite sparse evidence, multiple investigations revealed responsiveness of the markers to acute and chronic exercise, thereby opening promising avenues in the field of exercise physiology. In performance settings, they might help to infer information for exercise programming by reflecting exercise strain and recovery status or periods of overtraining and increased infection risk. In health settings, application involves the depiction of anti-inflammatory effects of chronic exercise in patients exhibiting chronic inflammation. Further research should, therefore, focus on establishing reference values for these integrative markers in athletes at rest, assess the kinetics and reliability in response to different exercise modalities and implement the markers into clinical exercise trials to depict anti-inflammatory effects of chronic exercise in different patient collectives.

Background/Objectives: To investigate the effects of dark chocolate milk on physiological variables such as heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), fatigue index and power output during an anaerobic sprint test. Methods: Twenty healthy participants underwent a randomised single-blinded experimental design and completed two trials—DC and iso-caloric white chocolate (WC) (used as a flavonoid-free control). Participants completed a running anaerobic sprint test (RAST, 35 m × 6 sprints × 2 sets, 4 min rest) with RPE and HR recorded after 2nd, 4th and 6th sprints. Results: Descriptive statistics of participants were for males: age: 23.8 ± 1.21 yrs; height: 174.51 ± 5.78 cm; weight: 73.91 ± 9.18 kg; body mass index (BMI): 24.18 ± 2.21 kg·m−2; body fat percent (BF%): 19.18 ± 6.17%; lean muscle mass percentage: 77.95 ± 6.16%; females: age: 26.33 ± 4.95 yrs; height: 160.69 ± 5.52 cm; weight: 55.72 ± 7.03 kg; BMI: 21.51 ± 2.02 kg·m−2; BF%: 27.24 ± 3.74%; lean muscle mass percentage: 69.20 ± 3.70%. A paired t-test revealed significant differences between trials for 2nd RAST average timings (DC 2nd RAST: 6.43 ± 0.97 s vs. WC 2nd RAST: 6.62 ± 1.05 s, p = 0.012); 2nd RAST total effort time (DC 2nd RAST: 38.58 ± 5.82 s vs. WC 2nd RAST: 39.72 ± 6.28 s, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Results indicated that DC supplementation significantly improved anaerobic sprint timings. Athletes, sports practitioners and coaches may consider implementing DC prior to training workouts and competitions to enhance sporting performance.

To compare the effects of playing one or two games per week on subjective perceived exertion (RPE) and (RPE-based) training load, monotony index, sleep, stress, fatigue, and muscle soreness (Hooper index), total mood disturbance, and injury rate in elite soccer players. Fourteen males from a first-division soccer club (age: 24.42 ± 4.80 years) competed in two games per week for six weeks and one game per week for twelve weeks (a total of 24 games). Paired t-tests and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed ranks evaluated the significance of the differences (p < 0.05). The main findings were that RPE was significantly larger when playing two games per week compared with one game. However, subject total and mean training load, mood disturbance, monotony, and subjective perception of sleep, stress, fatigue, muscle soreness monitoring (Hooper index), and the number of injuries were not different. The findings suggested that competing in two matches per week does not negatively influence injury rate and players’ perceptions of training load or wellness, even though players perceive two games per week as more physically demanding compared with one game per week.

The current research aimed to analyze psychophysiological, body composition, biomechanical and autonomic modifications in an ultraendurance mountain race. We analyzed 11 finisher voluntary athletes that participated in a 51.2 km ultraendurance mountain race. We measured before and after the mountain ultraendurance event the following parameters: Rate of perceived exertion, body composition, cortical arousal, blood pressure, body temperature, forced vital capacity, blood oxygen saturation, isometric hand strength and heart rate variability parameters. The results of temperature, rate of perceived exertion, heart rate and the percentage of body water at the end of the race increased significantly. However, the variables of body weight, body fat, muscle, body mass index, abdominal fat, blood oxygen saturation, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cortical arousal and hands and legs strength significantly decreased after the race. The square root of the average of the sum of the differences squared between normal adjacent R-R intervals, percentage of differences between normal adjacent R-R intervals, high-frequency, sensitivity of the short-term variability, and long-term variability decreased significantly after the race. By contrary low-frequency increased significantly at the end of the race. An ultraendurance mountain event produced a large anticipatory anxiety response, an increase in sympathetic modulation, body fat consumption, percentage of body water, and RPE, not affecting the cortical arousal.

ObjectiveTo determine the prospective association between physical workload—in terms of specific physical exposures and the number of exposures—and long-term sickness absence (LTSA).MethodsUsing cox-regression analyses, we estimated the risk of register-based incident LTSA (at least 3 consecutive weeks) from self-reported exposure to different physical workloads among 11 908 wage earners from the general working population (Danish Work Environment Cohort Study year 2000 and 2005).ResultsThe incidence of LTSA was 8.9% during two-year follow-up. Spending 25% or more of the total work time with a bent or twisted back (HR 1.59 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.83)), arms above shoulder height (HR 1.35 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.59)), squatting or kneeling (HR 1.30 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.54)), pushing/pulling or lifting/carrying (HR 1.40 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.62)) and standing in the same place for 50% or more of total work time (HR 1.19 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.42), were risk factors for LTSA when adjusted for baseline age, gender, psychosocial work environment, lifestyle, musculoskeletal and mental disorders, and socioeconomic status. HR increased from 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.51) for one to 1.94 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.41) for four combined physical workloads. Results largely remained stable in subgroup analyses including only blue-collar workers (n=5055). Population attributable risks for LTSA from one or more physical workloads were 26% and 40% in the general working population and among blue-collar workers, respectively.ConclusionsSeveral of the investigated types of physical workload were risk factors for LTSA when exceeding 25% of the work time. A higher number of combined physical workloads was associated with progressively increased risk. Our study underscores the importance of physical workload as risk factors for LTSA in the general working population as well as among blue-collar workers.

Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery, and to evaluate, synthesise and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified. Methods A systematic review of articles was carried out using the databases Medline (1950–2014), CINAHL (1982–2014), EMBASE (1980–2014), Cochrane Library (2014) and Scopus (1960–2014). Additional studies were identified by searching personal files. Eligibility criteria for selection: Search 1: studies which assessed muscle mass, strength or function using objective non-laboratory measures; Search 2: studies which evaluated a clinimetric property (reliability, measurement error, validity or responsiveness) for one of the measures identified in search one. Two independent reviewers assessed articles for inclusion and assessed risk of bias using the consensus-based standards for selection of health status measurement instruments checklist. Results Thirty-three measures were identified; however, only 20 had established clinimetric properties. Ultrasonography, dynamometry, physical function in intensive care test scored and the Chelsea critical care physical assessment tool performed the strongest for the measurement of impairment of body systems (muscle mass and strength) and activity limitations (physical function), respectively. Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness. Future work should identify a core set of standardized measures, which can be utilized across the continuum of critical illness recovery embedded within the International Classification of Functioning framework. This will enable improved comparisons between future studies, which in turn will assist in identifying the most effective treatment strategies to ameliorate the devastating longer-term outcomes of a critical illness.

Background Understanding exercise participation for overweight and obese adults is critical for preventing comorbid conditions. Group-based high-intensity functional training (HIFT) provides time-efficient aerobic and resistance exercise at self-selected intensity levels which can increase adherence; behavioral responses to HIFT are unknown. This study examined effects of HIFT as compared to moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training (ART) on exercise initiation, enjoyment, adherence, and intentions. Methods A stratified, randomized two-group pre-test posttest intervention was conducted for eight weeks in 2012 with analysis in 2013. Participants (n = 23) were stratified by median age (< or ≥ 28) and body mass index (BMI; < or ≥ 30.5). Participants were physically inactive with an average BMI of 31.1 ± 3.5 kg/m 2 , body fat percentage of 42.0 ± 7.4%, weight of 89.5 ± 14.2 kg, and ages 26.8 ± 5.9 years. Most participants were white, college educated, female, and married/engaged. Both groups completed 3 training sessions per week. The ART group completed 50 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each session and full-body resistance training on two sessions per week. The HIFT group completed 60-minute sessions of CrossFit™ with actual workouts ranging from 5–30 minutes. Participants completed baseline and posttest questionnaires indicating reasons for exercise initiation (baseline), exercise enjoyment, and exercise intentions (posttest). Adherence was defined as completing 90% of exercise sessions. Daily workout times were recorded. Results Participants provided mostly intrinsic reasons for exercise initiation. Eighteen participants adhered (ART = 9, 81.8%; HIFT = 9, 75%). HIFT dropouts (p = .012) and ART participants (p = .009) reported lower baseline exercise enjoyment than HIFT participants, although ART participants improved enjoyment at posttest (p = .005). More HIFT participants planned to continue the same exercise than ART participants (p = .002). No significant changes in BMI or body composition were found. Workouts were shorter for HIFT than ART (p < .001). Conclusions HIFT participants spent significantly less time exercising per week, yet were able to maintain exercise enjoyment and were more likely to intend to continue. High-intensity exercise options should be included in public health interventions. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: http://NCT02185872 . Registered 9 July 2014.

Background Movement behaviours performed over a finite period such as a 24 h day are compositional data. Compositional data exist in a constrained simplex geometry that is incongruent with traditional multivariate analytical techniques. However, the expression of compositional data as log-ratio co-ordinate systems transfers them to the unconstrained real space, where standard multivariate statistics can be used. This study aimed to use a compositional data analysis approach to examine the adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness predictions of time reallocations between children’s daily movement behaviours. Methods This study used cross-sectional data from the Active Schools: Skelmersdale study, which involved Year 5 children from a low-income community in northwest England ( n  = 169). Measures included accelerometer-derived 24 h activity (sedentary time [ST], light physical activity [LPA], moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA], and sleep), cardiorespiratory fitness determined by the 20 m shuttle run test, objectively measured height, weight and waist circumference (from which zBMI and percent waist circumference-to-height ratio (%WHtR) were derived) and sociodemographic covariates. Log-ratio multiple linear regression models were used to predict adiposity and fitness for the mean movement behaviour composition, and for new compositions where fixed durations of time had been reallocated from one behaviour to another, while the remaining behaviours were unchanged. Predictions were also made for reallocations of fixed durations of time using the mean composition of three different weight status categories (underweight, normal-weight, and overweight/obese) as the starting point. Results Replacing MVPA with any other movement behaviour around the mean movement composition predicted higher adiposity and lower CRF. The log-ratio model predictions were asymmetrical: when time was reallocated to MVPA from sleep, ST, or LPA, the estimated detriments to fitness and adiposity were larger in magnitude than the estimated benefits of time reallocation from MVPA to sleep, ST or LPA. The greatest differences in fitness and fatness for reallocation of fixed duration of MVPA were predicted at the mean composition of overweight/obese children. Conclusions Findings reinforce the key role of MVPA for children’s health. Reallocating time from ST and LPA to MVPA in children is advocated in school, home, and community settings.