It's Time to Change Direction on Agility Research: a Call to Action.

Agility is an important skill for both attackers and defenders in invasion sports such as codes of football. On the sporting field, agility requires reacting to a stimulus, often presented by an opponent's movement, before a change of direction or speed. There is a plethora of research that examines the movement component of agility in isolation, which is described as change-of-direction (COD) ability, and this is thought to underpin agility performance.

Association between plantar flexor muscle volume and dorsiflexion flexibility in healthy young males: ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Background: Although joint flexibility is important for human locomotion, the determinants of joint flexibility are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the relationship between dorsiflexion flexibility and plantar flexor muscle size in healthy young males.

Methods And Results: The dorsiflexion flexibility was assessed using range of motion (ROM) and stiffness during active and passive dorsiflexion.

Significance of serum branched-chain amino acid to tyrosine ratio measurement in athletes with high skeletal muscle mass.

Background: Few nutritional markers reflect the hypermetabolic state of athletes with high levels of skeletal muscle. Although branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) play crucial roles in protein metabolism in skeletal muscle, the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and amino acid imbalances caused by the metabolism of BCAA and aromatic amino acids remains unclear. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that athletes with high levels of skeletal muscle mass have plasma amino acid imbalances, assessed by serum BCAA to tyrosine ratio (BTR) which can be measured conveniently.

Weight Category-dependent Trunk Muscle Strength and its Relation with LBP in Elite Judokas.

Trunk muscle strength (TMS), especially rotator, is an important factor for both athletic performance and injury risks in judokas. However, the characteristics of TMS that depend on weight categories are still unclear. Although inadequate TMS might cause low back pain (LBP), the relationship between these two variables is not fully understood.

Psychological Screening and Tracking of Athletes and Digital Mental Health Solutions in a Hybrid Model of Care: Mini Review.

Background: There is a persistent need for mental ill-health prevention and intervention among at-risk and vulnerable subpopulations. Major disruptions to life, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, present an opportunity for a better understanding of the experience of stressors and vulnerability. Faster and better ways of psychological screening and tracking are more generally required in response to the increased demand upon mental health care services.

Arterial Stiffness and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Endurance Athletes.

The present study investigated the relationship between arterial stiffness and left ventricular diastolic function in endurance-trained athletes. Sixteen young male endurance-trained athletes and nine sedentary of similar age men participated in this study. Resting measures in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were obtained to assess arterial stiffness.

The distribution of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E after bouts of resistance exercise is altered by shortening of recovery periods.

Insufficient duration of recovery between resistance exercise bouts reduces the effects of exercise training, but the influence on muscle anabolic responses is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the changes in the distribution of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E, a key regulator of translation initiation, and related factors in mouse skeletal muscle after three successive bouts of resistance exercise with three durations of recovery periods (72 h: conventional, 24 h: shorter, and 8 h: excessively shorter). Bouts of resistance exercise dissociated eIF4E from eIF4E binding protein 1, with the magnitude increasing with shorter recovery.

Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor rs41274853 Polymorphism Is Associated With Weightlifting Performance in Japanese Weightlifters.

Homma, H, Kobatake, N, Sekimoto, Y, Saito, M, Mochizuki, Y, Okamoto, T, Nakazato, K, Nishiyama, T, and Kikuchi, N. Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor rs41274853 polymorphism is associated with weightlifting performance in Japanese weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res 34(11): 3037-3041, 2020-At least 69 genetic markers are associated with power athlete status.

Relationship between inter-city air pollution levels and physical fitness parameters among sixth-grade Mongolian primary school boys, China, 2013-2016.

Objectives: Adverse health effects due to air pollution have recently been recognized as a serious social problem in China. In this study, we investigated inter-city relationships between air pollution and physical fitness levels among Mongolian elementary school boys in five cities of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR), China.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study.

Comparison of the relative muscle volume of triceps surae among sprinters, runners, and untrained participants.

Muscle hypertrophy is considered more prominent in fast-twitch than in slow-twitch muscles. This leads to the hypothesis that the relative muscle volume of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) becomes larger than that of the soleus (SOL) in highly trained participants because MG and LG include more fast-twitch muscles than SOL. Thus, we compared relative muscle volume among highly trained sprinters, long-distance runners, and untrained participants to examine whether the above hypothesis is correct.

Calcaneus height is a key morphological factor of sprint performance in sprinters.

This study examined the relationships between the foot bone morphologies and sprint performance in sprinters. Foot images in 56 male sprinters obtained using magnetic resonance imaging. The relative lengths of the forefoot bones of the big and second toes, which were calculated as total lengths of the forefoot bones for each toe normalized to the foot length, correlated significantly with personal best 100-m sprint time (r =  - 0.

Electrically stimulated contractile activity-induced transcriptomic responses and metabolic remodeling in CC myotubes: twitch vs. tetanic contractions.

The contraction of myotubes using electrical pulse stimulation is a research tool used to mimic muscle contractile activity and exercise in rodents and humans. Most protocols employed in previous work used low-frequency twitch contractions. However, high-frequency tetanus contractions that are more physiologically relevant to muscle contractions in vivo are poorly characterized.

Psychosocial strategies for physiotherapy: A qualitative examination of physiotherapists' reported training preferences.

Physiotherapists report using a range of psychosocial strategies in their practice, yet, barriers to implementation include lack of time, limited knowledge, and minimal training. This research aimed to establish what training physiotherapists have had with regards to psychosocial strategies, why they think they would benefit from more training, what training they want, and delivery preferences. Content analysis of answers to four open-ended, online survey questions collected from Australian physiotherapists (N = 208) was conducted.

Digital technologies in undergraduate and postgraduate education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy: a scoping review.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to map research in the use of digital technologies in occupational therapy and physiotherapy education in terms of the type of digital technology used, how the digital technology is applied, and the author-reported outcomes of digital technology use.

Introduction: The ubiquitous nature of digital technology has influenced higher education, offering benefits of integrating digital technologies into curricula. However, the extent of the application of digital technologies in higher education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy warrants investigation.

A pilot study on a potential relationship between leg bone length and sprint performance in sprinters; are there any event-related differences in 100-m and 400-m sprints?

Objective: This study examined the relationship between leg bone length and sprint performance in sprinters. The leg bone lengths in 28 100-m specialized sprinters and 28 400-m specialized sprinters were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The lengths of the upper and lower leg bones were assessed by calculating the lengths of the femur and tibia, respectively.

Effects of the menstrual cycle on oxidative stress and antioxidant response to high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion in healthy women.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the menstrual cycle on the oxidative stress and antioxidant response during high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion in healthy women who habitually exercised.

Methods: Ten women with normal menstrual cycle completed 2 menstrual cycle phases, including the early follicular phase (FP) and the midluteal phase (LP). High-intensity exercise until exhaustion was performed on each test day.

A comparison of acute glycaemic responses to accumulated or single bout walking exercise in apparently healthy, insufficiently active adults.

Objectives: To investigate the acute glyacaemic response to accumulated or single bout walking exercise in apparently healthy adults.

Design: Three arm, randomised crossover control study.

Methods: Ten adults (age: 50±12.

Thermoforming technique for suppressing reduction in mouthguard thickness: Part 2 Effect of model height and model moving distance.

Background/aim: Wearing a mouthguard reduces the risk of sports-related injuries, but the material and thickness of the mouthguard have a substantial impact on its effectiveness and safety. The aim of this study was to establish a thermoforming technique in which the model position is moved just before formation to suppress the reduction in thickness. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of model height and model moving distance on mouthguard thickness.

Effects of the Menstrual Cycle on Serum Carnitine and Endurance Performance of Women.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the menstrual cycle on serum carnitine and the endurance performance of healthy women. Fifteen eumenorrheic women underwent cycle ergometer exercise at 60% maximal oxygen uptake (V̇ O) for 45 min, followed by exercise at an intensity that was increased to 80% V̇ O until exhaustion, during two menstrual cycle phases, including the early follicular phase (FP) and the midluteal phase (LP). The blood levels of estradiol, progesterone, total carnitine, free carnitine, and acylcarnitine were assessed.

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species emission and induces mitochondrial protease Omi/HtrA2 in skeletal muscle.

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is an enzyme involved in redox homeostasis as well as the detoxification process in alcohol metabolism. Nearly 8% of the world's population have an inactivating mutation in the gene. However, the expression patterns and specific functions of ALDH2 in skeletal muscles are still unclear.

An exploration of physiotherapists' perceived benefits and barriers towards using psychosocial strategies in their practice.

Background: This study aimed to determine what physiotherapists perceive are the benefits of using psychosocial strategies in their own practice, and whether perceived barriers extend beyond practitioner and contextual barriers.

Methods: Content analysis of two open-ended questions was conducted. Australian physiotherapists (n = 206) provided written comments.

Apple polyphenols induce browning of white adipose tissue.

We and others have shown that apple polyphenols decrease adipose tissue mass. To better understand the underlying mechanisms and to expand clinical applicability, we herein examine whether apple polyphenols induce adipose thermogenic adaptations (browning) and prevent diet-induced obesity and related insulin resistance. In mice fed a standard diet, daily apple polyphenol consumption induced thermogenic adaptations in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), based on increases in the expression of brown/beige adipocyte selective genes (Ucp1, Cidea, Tbx1, Cd137) and protein content of uncoupling protein 1 and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation enzymes.

The role of occupational therapy in the Solomon Islands: experiences and perceptions of occupational therapists and rehabilitation health workers.

Introduction: In most Western countries occupational therapy is well established as a crucial aspect of overall health care; however, in low-middle-income countries it is still an emerging profession. This article investigates the role of occupational therapy in the Solomon Islands by examining the experiences and perceptions of occupational therapists (OTs) and other rehabilitation health workers who have worked there.

Methods: Using a qualitative research design, participants were recruited using purposive sampling, and data were gathered through in-depth interviews, diary entries and observations of an occupational therapy setting in the Solomon Islands.

Insights into local health and wellbeing policy process in Australia.

To investigate factors that enable or challenge the initiation and actioning of health and wellbeing policy in Australian local governments using political science frameworks. An online survey was distributed to staff and elected members of Australian local governments. The survey sought responses to a range of variables as informed by political science frameworks.

Cast immobilization of hindlimb upregulates sarcolipin expression in atrophied skeletal muscles and increases thermogenesis in C57BL/6J mice.

Mechanical unloading impairs cytosolic calcium (Ca) homeostasis in skeletal muscles. In this study, we investigated whether sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase (SERCA) itself or one of the regulators of the Ca SERCA pump, sarcolipin (SLN), is altered to deregulate Ca homeostasis in cast immobilized, atrophied muscles. Hindlimb muscles of 8-wk-old male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to bilateral cast immobilization for 2 wk.