The test-retest reliability and validity of food photography and food diary analyses.

Aims: To assess test-retest reliability of both food photography and food diary methods and validity of these data against known values derived from food labels.

Methods: Test-retest reliability analyses of food diary and food photography were compared using single foodstuffs using intra-class correlation coefficients, coefficients of variation, and limits of agreement. For food diaries, 24-h test-retest reliability was also examined.

Assessing the locomotor demands of international men's and women's rugby sevens match-play according to passage of play.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of discrete passages of play on locomotor demands of international men's and women's rugby sevens matches and their relationship with winning or losing. Thirteen men's and thirteen women's international rugby sevens players wore 10 Hz Global Positioning Systems during twelve Tokyo Olympic games matches (966 observations; 507 for men, 459 for women). Discrete ball-in-play periods were categorised as: 'Single-phase defence', 'single-phase attack', 'multi-phase defence', 'multi-phase attack', 'multi-phase defence to attack', or 'multi-phase attack to defence'.

Habituation of the cold shock response: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cold water immersion (CWI) evokes the life-threatening reflex cold shock response (CSR), inducing hyperventilation, increasing cardiac arrhythmias, and increasing drowning risk by impairing safety behaviour. Repeated CWI induces CSR habituation (i.e.

Association between air temperature and unintentional drowning risk in the United Kingdom 2012-2019: A nationwide case-crossover study.

Objective: Drowning is a leading cause of death. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) emphasise the need for population-level data-driven approaches to examine risk factors to improve water safety policies. Weather conditions, have the potential to influence drowning risk behaviours as people are more likely to spend time around water and/or undertake risky activities in aquatic spaces as a behavioural thermoregulatory response (e.

Power, Endurance, and Body Composition Changes Over a Collegiate Career in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women Soccer Athletes.

McFadden, BA, Bozzini, BN, Cintineo, HP, Hills, SP, Walker, AJ, Chandler, AJ, Sanders, DJ, Russell, M, and Arent, SM. Power, endurance, and body composition changes over a collegiate career in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women soccer athletes. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1428-1433, 2023-The purpose of this study was to determine longitudinal changes in fitness and body composition throughout athletes' 4-year collegiate soccer careers.

The Efficacy of a Multimodal Recovery Strategy Implemented After a High-Intensity Rugby League Training Session.

Aben, HGJ, Hills, SP, Higgins, D, Cooke, CB, Davis, D, Jones, B, and Russell, M. The efficacy of a multimodal recovery strategy implemented after a high-intensity rugby league training session. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1634-1642, 2023-The efficacy of a multimodal recovery strategy implemented within 4 hours of rugby league (RL) training was investigated using repeated-measures, randomized, crossover methods in 10 professional academy RL players (age: 17 ± 1 years).

Assessing climatic, travel, and methodological influences on whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international men's rugby sevens match-play.

This study assessed the influence of environmental factors, air travel, and epoch estimation method on locomotor demands of international men's rugby sevens match-play. Eighteen men's rugby sevens players wore 10 Hz Global Positioning Systems (STATsport) during 52 international matches over nine global tournaments (418 observations). Whole-match average speed was recorded, whilst average speed and relative high-speed distance (>5.

The water incident database (WAID) 2012 to 2019: a systematic evaluation of the documenting of UK drownings.

Background: Death by drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in the United Kingdom (UK) and worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that effective documentation of drowning is required to describe drowning frequency and to underpin effective drowning prevention intervention, thus improving the quality of data describing drowning frequency represents a key initiative. The water incident database (WAID) has been used to document UK fatal and non-fatal water-based incidents since 2009.

Morning resistance exercise and cricket-specific repeated sprinting each improve indices of afternoon physical and cognitive performance in professional male cricketers.

Objectives: To compare two modes (general and cricket-specific) of morning priming exercise on afternoon physical and cognitive performance, and subjective readiness to perform in professional male cricketers.

Design: Randomised, crossover, counterbalanced.

Methods: On three occasions, 16 professional men's cricketers completed afternoon tests of countermovement jump height, cricket-specific sprint performance (running between the wickets, two runs), cognitive function (Stroop test, time taken), and subjective readiness to perform.

Body temperature and physical performance responses are not maintained at the time of pitch-entry when typical substitute-specific match-day practices are adopted before simulated soccer match-play.

Objectives: To profile performance and physiological responses to typical patterns of match-day activity for second-half soccer substitutes.

Design: Descriptive.

Methods: Following a warm-up, 13 male team sports players underwent ∼85min of rest, punctuated with five min rewarm-ups at ∼25, ∼50, and ∼70min, before ∼30min of simulated soccer match-play.

Quantifying the Peak Physical Match-Play Demands of Professional Soccer Substitutes Following Pitch-Entry: Assessing Contextual Influences.

: To quantify the peak post-pitch-entry physical responses of soccer substitutes while assessing contextual influences. Peak responses may be important performance indicators for substitutes introduced to provide a physical impact. : Thirty-three professional substitutes wore Microelectromechanical Systems during 44 matches (4 ± 3 observations·player).

Profiling the Post-match Recovery Response in Male Rugby: A Systematic Review.

Aben, HGJ, Hills, SP, Cooke, CB, Davis, D, Jones, B, and Russell, M. Profiling the post-match recovery response in male rugby: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 2050-2067, 2022-To minimize underperformance, injury, and illness, and to enhance readiness for training and match-play, post-match responses are commonly monitored within professional rugby.

Profiling the Post-match Top-up Conditioning Practices of Professional Soccer Substitutes: An Analysis of Contextual Influences.

Hills, SP, Barrett, S, Busby, M, Kilduff, LP, Barwood, MJ, Radcliffe, JN, Cooke, CB, and Russell, M. Profiling the post-match top-up conditioning practices of professional soccer substitutes: An analysis of contextual influences. J Strength Cond Res 34(10): 2805-2814, 2020-Soccer practitioners implement "top-up" conditioning sessions to compensate for substitutes' limited match-play exposure.

The Reliability of Neuromuscular and Perceptual Measures Used to Profile Recovery, and the Time-Course of such Responses following Academy Rugby League Match-Play.

In professional academy rugby league (RL) players, this two-part study examined; A) the within- and between-day reliability of isometric mid-thigh pulls (IMTP), countermovement jumps (CMJ), and a wellness questionnaire ( = 11), and B) profiled the responses with acceptable reliability (no between-trial differences and between-day coefficient of variation (CV) ≤10% and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥0.8) for 120 h (baseline: -3, +24, +48, +72, +96, +120 h) following RL match-play ( = 10). In part A, force at 200, and 250 ms, and peak force (PF) demonstrated acceptable within- (CV%: 3.

Modifying the pre-pitch entry practices of professional soccer substitutes may contribute towards improved movement-related performance indicators on match-day: A case study.

Modifying a soccer substitute's pre-pitch-entry activities may represent an opportunity to maximise physical performance and minimise injury-risk following match-introduction. Using a professional team that has previously participated in substitute profiling research, this follow-up case study investigated the effects of a modified match-day protocol that included substitutes; 1) performing a new pre-match warm-up alongside members of the starting team (as opposed to a separate substitute-only warm-up), 2) participating in a staff-led half-time rewarm-up (as opposed to player-led half-time activities), and 3) receiving ongoing education focusing on the efficacy of (re)warm-up activities. English Championship substitutes (n = 15) were monitored using Micro-electromechanical Systems during 13 matches incorporating the modified practices (35 observations).

The physical demands of professional soccer goalkeepers throughout a week-long competitive microcycle and transiently throughout match-play.

The physical demands of English Premier League soccer goalkeepers were quantified during training and match-play in a two-part study. Goalkeeper-specific micromechanical electrical systems (MEMS) devices, profiled training and match-day activities throughout one competitive week (=8; part A). Changes in MEMS-derived outputs were also profiled throughout match-play (100 matches; =8, 18±14 observations per goalkeeper; part B).

Practitioner perceptions regarding the practices of soccer substitutes.

Despite empirical observations suggesting that practitioners value the use of substitutions during soccer match-play, limited research has sought to substantiate such claims. This study used online surveys to assess the perceptions of practitioners within professional soccer about the use and practices of substitutes. Thirty-three practitioners completed one of two surveys (each requiring both open and closed questions to be answered), depending upon whether their primary role related mostly to tactical ('tactical practitioners'; n = 7) or physical ('physical practitioners'; n = 26) aspects of player/team management.

A comparison of rolling averages versus discrete time epochs for assessing the worst-case scenario locomotor demands of professional soccer match-play.

Objectives: To compare fixed epochs (FIXED) and rolling averages (ROLL) for quantifying worst-case scenario ('peak') running demands during professional soccer match-play, whilst assessing contextual influences.

Design: Descriptive, observational.

Methods: Twenty-five outfield players from an English Championship soccer club wore 10-Hz microelectromechanical systems during 28 matches.

Assessing the whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international women's rugby union match-play.

Objectives: To profile the distances covered during international women's rugby union match-play and assess the duration-specific worst-case scenario locomotor demands over 60-s to 600-s epochs, whilst comparing the values determined by fixed epoch (FIXED) versus rolling average (ROLL) methods of worst-case scenario estimation and assessing positional influences.

Design: Descriptive, observational.

Methods: Twenty-nine international women's rugby union players wore 10Hz microelectromechanical systems during eight international matches (110 observations).

Honey Supplementation and Exercise: A Systematic Review.

Honey is a natural substance formed primarily of carbohydrates (~80%) which also contains a number of other compounds purported to confer health benefits when consumed. Due to its carbohydrate composition (low glycaemic index, mostly fructose and glucose), honey may theoretically exert positive effects when consumed before, during or after exercise. This review therefore appraised research examining the effects of honey consumption in combination with exercise in humans.

A match-day analysis of the movement profiles of substitutes from a professional soccer club before and after pitch-entry.

Whilst the movement demands of players completing a whole soccer match have been well-documented, comparable information relating to substitutes is sparse. Therefore, this study profiled the match-day physical activities performed by soccer substitutes, focusing separately on the pre and post pitch-entry periods. Seventeen English Championship soccer players were monitored using 10 Hz Micromechanical Electrical Systems (MEMS) devices during 13 matches in which they participated as substitutes (35 observations).

Match-Play and Performance Test Responses of Soccer Goalkeepers: A Review of Current Literature.

Goalkeepers are typically the last defensive line for soccer teams aiming to minimise goals being conceded, with match rules permitting ball handling within a specific area. Goalkeepers are also involved in initiating some offensive plays, and typically remain in close proximity to the goal line while covering ~ 50% of the match distances of outfield players; hence, the competitive and training demands of goalkeepers are unique to their specialised position. Indeed, isolated performance tests differentiate goalkeepers from outfield players in multiple variables.

Profiling the Responses of Soccer Substitutes: A Review of Current Literature.

Depending upon competition regulations, the laws of soccer allow between three and an unlimited number of substitutions that can be made on either a permanent or rolling basis. Substitutes are typically introduced to minimise/offset the effects of fatigue, alter tactics, replace players deemed as underperforming or injured, and/or give playing time to youth players or to squad members returning from injury. While the match-day practices of substitutes include participation in the pre-match warm-up, and sporadic periods of rewarm-up activity, it is currently unclear as to whether these pre-entry preparations facilitate optimal match performance thereafter.

Associatons Between Self-Reported Well-being and Neuromuscular Performance During a Professional Rugby Union Season.

Hills, SP, Rogerson, DJ. Associatons between self-reported well-being and neuromuscular performance during a professional rugby union season. J Strength Cond Res 32(9): 2498-2509, 2018-Self-reported wellness is often used to monitor fatigue responses to training and competition.