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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Optimal nutrition for athletic performance, with emphasis on fat adaptation in dogs and horses.

Four mathematical approaches are proposed to determine optimal ranges of nutrients for specified purposes. For exercise, the diet must provide optimal mixtures of fuels, also optimal amounts of nutrients conducive to a sound structure, a desired power/weight ratio, a water-electrolyte system that resists dehydration and buffers hydrogen ions, a tolerance to the cumulative stress of repetitive competition and tractable attitude. The nutritional strategy of carbohydrate loading risks a variety of abnormalities in dogs and horses. An alternative strategy of fat adaptation (the combination of fat feeding and training) was found to improve aerobic performance in dogs and horses and to spare glycogen utilization and reduce lactate accumulation. Surprisingly, improved anaerobic performance has also been confirmed in fat-adapted horses that have been sprint trained. Fat adaptation increased the blood lactate responses to incremental tests and repeated sprints. Blood lactate accumulation during repeated sprints was affected synergistically by the combination of fat adaptation and sodium bicarbonate supplementation. Fat adaptation in horses appears to facilitate metabolic regulation to achieve power needs, with glycolysis decreasing during aerobic work but increasing during anaerobic work and with blood lactate changes following accordingly. Interactions between fat adaptation and dietary cation-anion balance need further investigation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1996

Improved athletic performance in highly trained cyclists after interval training.

This study determined whether a 4-wk high-intensity interval training program (HIT) would improve the 40-km time trial performances (TT40) of 8 competitive cyclists (peak O2 uptake 5.2 +/- 0.4 I.min-1) with a background of moderate-intensity endurance training (BASE). Before intervention, all cyclists were tested on at least three separate occasions to ensure that their baseline performances were stable. In these tests, peak sustained power output (PPO) was measured during a progressive exercise test, muscular resistance to fatigue was determined during a timed ride to exhaustion at 150% of PPO (TF150), and a TT40 was performed on a cycle-simulator. The coefficient of variation for all baseline tests was < 1.7 +/- 1.3% (mean +/- SD). Cyclists then replaced 15 +/- 2% of their approximately 300 km.wk-1 BASE training with HIT, which took place on 6 d and consisted of six to eight 5-min repetitions at 80% of PPO, with 60-s recovery between work bouts. HIT significantly improved TT40 (56.4 +/- 3.6 vs 54.4 +/- 3.2 min; P < 0.0001), PPO (416 +/- 32 vs 434 +/- 34 W; P < 0.01) and TF150 (60.5 +/- 9.3 vs 72.5 +/- 7.6 s; P < 0.01). The faster TT40 was due to a significant increase in both the cyclists' absolute (301 +/- 42 vs 326 +/- 43 W; P < 0.0001) and relative (72.1 +/- 5.6 vs 75.0 +/- 6.8% of PPO; P < 0.05) power output after HIT. These results indicate that a 4-wk program of HIT increased the PPO and fatigue resistance of competitive cyclists and improved their 40-km time trial performances.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Association between vitamin E and enhanced athletic performance in sled dogs.

PURPOSE: To determine the association between prerace plasma vitamin E concentration and performance in sled dogs competing in the 1998 Iditarod Race. METHODS: Prerace blood samples were collected from 670 dogs. Samples were analyzed for plasma vitamin E concentration while controlling for selected hematological and biochemical variables and signalment. Starting in teams of 16, exercise consisted of running up to 1159 miles pulling a laden sled and musher via checkpoints. The records of dogs that were withdrawn from the race for health reasons, fatigue, or strategic or technical reasons, and those of dogs that finished the race were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used to determine factors associated with endurance. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with team speed. RESULTS: A total of 323 dogs (48%) were withdrawn from racing at various distances from the start. Median time to finish for 39 teams was 11.5 d and the winning time was 9.2 d. Dogs with prerace plasma vitamin E concentrations > 40.7 microg.mL-1 were 1.9 times more likely to finish (P = 0.0006) and had 1.8 times less of a risk of being withdrawn for every mile ran (P = 0.03) than were dogs with plasma vitamin E concentrations between 16.3 and 40.7 microg.mL-1. Neither a team's mean prerace vitamin E concentration, nor the proportion of dogs within a team with high (> 40.7 microg.mL-1) vitamin E concentration was associated with team speed. CONCLUSIONS: Dogs with higher plasma vitamin E concentrations have enhanced endurance compared with dogs with lower plasma vitamin E concentrations, but the plasma vitamin E status of a team is not associated with team speed.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Influence of girth strap tensions on athletic performance of racehorses.

Eight horses were exercised at speeds to produce 80% of maximal heart rates, on 4 occasions using a randomised block design, and girthed at tensions of approximately 5, 10, 15 or 20 kg using a standard canvas girth attached to a racing saddle. Tension was recorded continuously using an in-line load cell connected to a physiograph. Horses ran until fatigued on a treadmill inclined at 10% slope. Tensions were measured at peak inhalation (T/inh) and exhalation (T/exh), recorded at rest (rest) and during exercise (ex). Data were analysed by ANOVA and, in addition, least squares linear regression was performed to determine the relationship between distance travelled, time to fatigue and the recorded maximum tensions at inhalation and minimum tensions at exhalation. For T/inhrest, every increase in girth tension by 1 kg was associated with a reduction in distance to fatigue by 98.3 +/- 28.6 m and a corresponding reduction in run times of 0.24 +/- 0.07 min (P = 0.01). Results for T/exhrest were similar, with a reduction of mean +/- s.e. 81.3 +/- 26.9 m and 0.20 +/- 0.07 min per 1 kg increase in tension (P = 0.02). The mean distances to fatigue for the T/exhrest of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg were 6624, 5812, 5268 and 5405 m respectively. These data indicate that distances to fatigue are similar once T/exhrest equals or exceeds 10 kg. Based on this study, resting girth tensions less than 10 kg are optimal for performance, but from our survey data, tensions exceeding this tension are typical for Thoroughbred racing in Victoria.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2004

Effects of an external nasal dilator on athletic performance of male adolescents.

This study examined the effect of an external nasal dilator strip (ENDS) on three field tests of maximal performance and monitored the rating of perceived breathing effort (RPBE). Thirty male Chinese students (age 15.2 +/- 1.6 yrs) performed three maximal field tests: (a) short-term anaerobic power (SAnP: 40-m sprint); (b) long-term anaerobic power (LAnP: shuttle sprint); and (c) peak aerobic performance (AeP: multistage 20-m shuttle run) under three conditions: ENDS, placebo, and control. Students were randomly placed into 6 groups using a fully counterbalanced single-blind design. No significant differences were seen between conditions in the anaerobic performances measured by SAnP and LAnP. However, the ENDS produced a significant improvement in peak aerobic performance (p = 0.037) compared to the control condition of 3.2% (95% CI= 6.2-0.2; Cohen effect size = 0.2), and also compared to the placebo condition (p = 0.018) of 2.9% (95% CI = 5.1-0.2; Cohen effect size =0.2). The ENDS condition also significantly reduced RPBE during the AeP and LAnP tests by an average of 5.5% and 3.8%, respectively. Wearing an external nasal dilator can significantly reduce breathing effort and improve peak aerobic performance during field tests involving maximal running.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

"We'll cross that hurdle when we get to it". Teaching athletic performance within adaptive physical education.

Persons with developmental and physical disabilities who are enrolled in educational programs often participate in adaptive physical education classes. Primarily, these classes are designed to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop their physical abilities. However, they can also serve as a training ground for the Special Olympics. Teaching the motor skills that are prerequisite to participation in many adaptive physical education and Special Olympics activities can be a formidable objective. This study demonstrates how a person with developmental disabilities was taught, by way of stimulus control shaping, the necessary motor skills to enable him to participate in the hurdling event at the Special Olympics.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tibiofibular synostosis and recurrent ankle sprains in high performance athletes.

Recent evidence points toward a weight bearing and dynamic stabilizing function of the distal fibula in ankle joint mechanics. When fibular rotation and translation are restricted, ankle pain during weight bearing and push off often (but not always) results. The case histories of six professional athletes with distal tibial synostosis resulting from internal rotation-inversion injury confirm recent reports of ankle disability resulting from restriction of fibular motion, but suggest that there may be many patients with this lesion who are not disabled. Two patients with incomplete synostosis were asymptomatic, and one with complete synostosis had only occasional pain after vigorous exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The use of an enhanced simplified habit-reversal procedure to reduce disruptive outbursts during athletic performance.

An enhanced simplified habit-reversal procedure was used with a 14-year old boy who presented with a long history of disruptive, angry outbursts during tennis matches. Initial treatment involved simplified habit-reversal procedures delivered in a multiple baseline design across settings. Modest results led to additional supporting contingencies, including response costs. Results showed elimination of disruptive outbursts during both nontournament and tournament matches and highlight the importance of adding additional supporting contingencies to simplified habit reversal for some self-control problems.

Acting Out↗