Eating disorder symptoms and weight pressure in female rowers: associations between self-concept, psychological well-being and body composition.

BACKGROUND: Female rowers may be at risk of eating disorders and high weight pressure. AIM: The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of disordered eating symptoms and weight-related pressure and the associations with self-concept, psychological well-being, socio-demographic data, experience, performance level and body composition in female fixed-bench rowers. METHODS: Female rowers (n = 208; age ranged mean ± SD 23.6 ± 6.5 years) completed the SCOFF scale, Weight-Pressures in Sport-Females (WPS-F), Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire and the Ryff scales of psychological well-being and provided information on their experience and level of competition. In a subgroup of 115 athletes, body composition was assessed using bioimpedance. RESULTS: It was found that 42.3% of the athletes scored ≥ 2 on SCOFF and mean ± SD value of WPS-F score was 3.65 ± 0.82. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that self-concept of strength and pressure from teammates and the uniform were associated with higher ED symptoms, whereas better psychological well-being in terms of autonomy, self-concept of attractiveness, and age were protective factors for ED symptoms. BMI, athletes' physical condition, strength, and experience were associated with more weight-related pressure and better self-concept of attractiveness and physical well-being of autonomy were significantly associated with less pressure. In body composition analysis, higher extra cellular water, self-acceptance, and physical condition were associated with more weight-related pressure in female rowers, being attractiveness and the environmental mastery protective elements. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ED symptomatology and weight-related pressure are high in female fixed bench rowing. The psychological factors of well-being and self-concept, team environment, body image concerns and body composition analysis should be considered to promote healthy eating behaviours in female rowers.

Athletes may be at increased risk of developing disordered eating behaviours that, if persistent, may lead to a diagnosis of an eating disorder. This can affect their health in the short and long term. The risk factors are many, and perceived weight-related pressures and psychological attitudes towards body image, appearance and concerns are less well understood. Female rowers are at high risk for eating disorder symptoms, and athletes' self-concept of strength and pressure from teammates and the uniform were associated as negative factors for eating disorder symptoms. On the other hand, better psychological well-being in terms of autonomy, self-concept of attractiveness and age were protective factors for eating disorder symptoms. Weight pressure was associated with higher body mass index, water retention, physical condition, strength and experience, whereas better self-concept of attractiveness and physical well-being were significantly associated with less pressure. Weight pressure and psychological attitudes towards body image have the role of protective/facilitating factors against the development of eating disorders. They should be taken into account when designing prevention and intervention programmes for athletes, coaches, parents and technical staff.

Differences in Functional Capacity between Oncologic and Non-Oncologic Populations: Reference Values.

This study is focused on the fact that in the context of increasing global aging and cancer diagnoses, additional challenges arise in clinical care. Adequate functionality and body composition are key to coping with antineoplastic treatment, which can lead to better treatment tolerance, survival, and quality of life. This is a cross-sectional comparative study focused on the assessment and comparison of body composition and functionality between cancer patients and a reference population, with the aim of establishing meaningful baseline values. Techniques such as manual dynamometry, the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand test, and bioimpedance were used to collect data from 374 oncologic patients and 1244 reference individuals. The results reveal significant disparities in functionality and body composition among participants, and provide age group-specific adjusted baseline values for those diagnosed with cancer. These findings may have crucial clinical implications for applying particular cut-off points designed for this population group, which makes the assessment process faster and more accurate, enhances the capacity of medical personnel to act quickly, and improves the management of frailty in cancer patients.

Well-trained Endurance Runners' Foot Contact Patterns: Barefoot vs. Shod Condition.

We aimed to investigate the initial foot contact and contact time in experienced endurance runners at individualized speeds, in running shoes and barefoot. Forty-eight participants (33.71±7.49 y, 70.94±8.65 kg, 175.07±7.03 cm, maximum aerobic speed 18.41±1.54 km.h-1) were distributed into three groups according to athletic performance: highly-trained runners, middle-trained runners, and control group. An incremental running test until exhaustion was performed for assessing maximum aerobic speed. After≥24 h of recovery participants randomly walked and ran, barefoot and in running shoes, over a pressure plate at ~4.7 km.h-1 and 85% of the maximum aerobic speed, respectively. They wore the same model of running shoes with homogeneous lacing pattern. A rearfoot strike was performed by 68.8% and 77.1% of participants when running barefoot and in running shoes, respectively. Considering the tendency to develop a rearfoot strike was lower in the barefoot condition, runners with higher performance may benefit from training in minimalist running shoes because their foot contact pattern could tend towards a non-rearfoot strike. Our results suggest that initial foot contact and contact time are related to running performance and may also be influenced by running shoes.

Pacing and packing behaviour in elite and world record performances at Berlin marathon.

HighlightsPrior to participation in meet marathon races such as Berlin marathon, elite runners should select the group that they will join during the race according to their current performance level as a preassigned pace set by a pacemaker will be adopted.Athletes could follow an even rather than positive pacing behaviour which will allow them to achieve a more optimal performance.Female runners should consider being paced by a male runner of greater performance level as runners of both sexes are allowed to run the race altogether during this type of races.

Central and Peripheral Fatigue in Recreational Trail Runners: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding fatigue mechanisms is crucial for exercise performance. However, scientific evidence on non-invasive methods for assessing fatigue in trail running competitions is scarce, especially when vertical kilometer trail running races (VK) are considered. The main purpose of this study was to assess the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity (i.e., central fatigue) and the state of muscle activation (i.e., peripheral fatigue) before and after a VK competition. METHODS: A cross-sectional pilot study was performed. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 8 recreational male trail runners (31.63 ± 7.21 yrs, 1.75 m ± 0.05 m, 70.38 ± 5.41 kg, BMI: 22.88 ± 0.48, running experience: 8.0 ± 3.63 yrs, weekly training volume: 58.75 ± 10.35 km) volunteered to participate and were assessed for both central (i.e., via heart rate variability, HRV) and peripheral (via tensiomyography, TMG) fatigue before and after a VK race. RESULTS: After the VK, resting heart rate, RMSSD (p = 0.01 for both) and SDNN significantly decreased (p = 0.02), while the stress score and the sympathetic-parasympathetic ratio increased (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). The TMG analyses suggest that runners already suffered peripheral fatigue before the VK and that 20-30 min are enough for muscular recovery after the race. In summary, our data suggest that participants experienced a pre-competition fatigue status. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to investigate the mechanisms underlying fatigue during trail running races, while training periodization and tapering strategies could play a key role for minimizing pre-competition fatigue status.

Motives for the Use or Not of Protective Equipment for the Recreational Practice of Skiing and Snowboarding in Spanish Winter Stations.

The objective of this research was to analyze the motives for using or not using protections by recreational ski and snowboard athletes, specifically regarding gender and age in the winter resorts of Sierra Nevada and Alto Campoo (Spain). A total of 520 users participated in Sierra Nevada (n = 306 (58,8%)) and Alto Campoo (n = 214 (42.2%)); 257 of them were men (49.4%) and 263 (50.6%) were women; from 6 to 50 years old; classified by 4 stages of development (Childhood (n = 106 (20.4%); Teenagers (n = 110 (21.2%); Young adults (n = 101 (19.4%); Adults (n = 203 (39.0%)). For the data collection an ad hoc questionnaire was used (socio-demographic data, use/no use of protection, motives for the use). The data revealed that 76.5% used protections equipment, with the women being more likely to use protective equipment than men. Regarding age, young adults and adults were the ones using less protection. In relation to the motives of using protective equipment, security was the main motive for using it, while the reason to avoid using it was, most of the time, discomfort. Additionally, the childhood and teenager groups were the ones who reported, as motivation, family obligation, showing the importance of the influence of the parents.

Protections in the Recreational Practice of Ski and Snowboard-An Age and Gender Discussion? A Case Study in Spain.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the protections taken by ski and snowboard recreational athletes of the winter stations Sierra Nevada and Alto Campoo (Spain), regarding gender, age, and practiced sport. A total of 520 users participated, Sierra Nevada (n = 306 (58.8%)); Alto Campoo (n = 214 (42.2%)), 257 of them were men (49.4%) and 263 (50.6%) were women, from 6 to 64 years old, classified by 4 stages of development (Childhood (n = 106 (20.4%)); Teenagers (n = 110 (21.2%)); Youth (n = 101 (19.4%)); Adults (n = 203 (39.0%))). For the data collection, an Ad Hoc questionnaire was used (Socio-demographic data, use/no use of protection). The data revealed that 23.5% of the participants did not use any protection. Regarding the development stage, 1% of the children did not use any protection, neither did 3.1% of the teenagers, 6.7% of the youth, or 12.7% of the adults (p < 0.001). Regarding gender, a total of 17.1% of men did not use protection, and regarding women, 6.3% of them did not use it (p < 0.001). In relation to the practiced sport, 15.8% of the skiers did not use it against 7.7% of the snowboarders (p = 0.006). The use of protection for the practice in winter sports is not enough to reduce the injury risk in these sports and, in the worst cases, fatal accidents.

Follicular phase of menstrual cycle is related to higher tendency to suffer from severe injuries among elite female futsal players.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the injury incidence according to each phase of menstrual cycle (MC) in professional futsal players along two consecutive season and, secondly, to compare the injury incidence and frequency between different phases of the MC. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTINGS: Elite futsal players. PARTICIPANTS: 179 players. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Players were registered along two consecutive seasons. RESULTS: 191 injuries were reported throughout both seasons. The injury incidence was 30.63 days-off during the follicular phase, 23.6 during ovulatory phase and 17.59 days-off in luteal phase, showing higher incidence during the follicular phase. No statistical differences (p > 0.05) were reported for any variable comparing among the three phases of MC. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the relevance to track the MC, but reduces its possible relationship or influence on the injury distribution during each phase of the MC. The knowledge of injury incidence, burden and etiology is a key factor to design injury prevention programs with the focus on the most common injuries, where MC could be included as a complementary factor.

Different race pacing strategies among runners covering the 2017 Berlin Marathon under 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The purposes of this study were 1) to analyse the different pacing behaviours based on athlete's performance and 2) to determine whether significant differences in each race split and the runner's performance implied different race profiles. A total of 2295 runners, which took part in Berlin's marathon (2017), met the inclusion criteria. 4 different groups were created based on sex and performance. Men: Elite (<02:19:00 h), Top 1 (<02:30:00 h), Top 2 (<02:45:00 h) and Top 3 (<03:00:00 h); women: Elite (02:45:00 h), Top 1 (<03:00:00 h), Top 2 (<03:15:00 h), Top 3 (<03:30:00 h). With the aim of comparing the pacing between sex and performance the average speed was normalized. In men, no statistically significant changes were found between performance group and splits. A large number of significant differences between splits and groups were found amongst women: 5-10 km Top 2 vs Top 3 (P = 0.0178), 10-15 km Top1 vs Top 2 (P = 0.0211), 15-20 km Top1 vs Top 2 (P = 0.0382), 20-21.1 km Elite vs Top 2 (P = 0.0129); Elite vs Top 3 (P = 0.0020); Top1 vs Top 2 (P = 0.0233); Top 1 vs Top 3 (P = 0.0007), 25-30 km Elite vs Top 2 (P = 0.0273); Elite vs Top 3 (P = 0.0156), 30-35 km Elite vs Top 2 (P = 0.0096); Top 1 vs Top 2 (P = 0.0198); Top2 vs Top3 (P = 0.0069). In men there were little significant differences based on athletes' performance which implied a similar pacing behaviour. Women presented numerous differences based on their performance which suggested different pacing behaviours.