Profiling Inflammatory Markers During the Competitive Season and Post Season in Collegiate Wrestlers.

Roth, J, Szczygiel, T, Moore, M, O'Connor, P, Edwards, J, Sharma, N, Pettit-Mee, R, and Zuhl, M. Profiling inflammatory markers during the competitive season and post season in collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 33(8): 2153-2161, 2019-The purpose of this study was to determine whether biological markers of muscle damage and inflammation coincide with subjective measures of muscle fatigue and sleep quality among Division I collegiate wrestlers. The goal was to provide practitioners with noninvasive techniques to evaluate a wrestler's inflammatory state. Subjects from the Central Michigan University Division I collegiate wrestling team (n = 6) were analyzed on 6 separate occasions throughout the course of the competitive season and post season. Biological measurements (creatine kinase [CK], interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], IL-1ß, IL-10) and subjective measurements (fatigue, muscle soreness, and sleep quality) were performed. The self-reported level of muscle soreness and fatigue was significantly higher from preseason through midseason, but leveled off late into the season. Creatine kinase followed a similar pattern early into the season compared with preseason and decreased at the end of season. Plasma TNF-α and IL-8 levels increased modestly late into season compared with preseason. Sleep quality correlated with plasma levels of IL-8 (r = 0.120, p < 0.05). Subjects experienced muscle soreness and fatigue early in the competitive season, along with an increase in markers of muscle damage. This may indicate an adaptive response to the training load. Low-grade systemic inflammation increased late into the season, and correlated with poor sleep quality. Based on these data, wrestlers may benefit by additional recovery time early into the season to prevent muscle fatigue and damage. As the season progresses, low-grade inflammation may be prevented or monitored by tracking the quality of sleep.

Comparison of Sprint Interval and Endurance Training in Team Sport Athletes.

Kelly, DT, Tobin, C, Egan, B, Carren, AM, O'Connor, PL, McCaffrey, N, and Moyna, NM. Comparison of sprint interval and endurance training in team sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res 32(11): 3051-3058, 2018-High-volume endurance training (ET) has traditionally been used to improve aerobic capacity but is extremely time-consuming in contrast to low-volume short-duration sprint interval training (SIT) that improves maximal oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max) to a similar extent. Few studies have compared the effects of SIT vs. ET using running-based protocols, or in team sport athletes. Club level male Gaelic football players were randomly assigned to SIT (n = 7; 21.6 ± 2.1 years) or ET (n = 8; 21.9 ± 3.5 years) for 6 sessions over 2 weeks. V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, muscle mitochondrial enzyme activity, running economy (RE), and high-intensity endurance capacity (HEC) were measured before and after training. An increase in V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (p ≤ 0.05) after 2 weeks of both SIT and ET was observed. Performance in HEC increased by 31.0 and 17.2% after SIT and ET, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). Running economy assessed at 8, 9, 10, and 11 km·h, lactate threshold and vV[Combining Dot Above]O2max were unchanged after both SIT and ET. Maximal activity of 3-ß-hydroxylacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (ß-HAD) was increased in response to both SIT and ET (p ≤ 0.05), whereas the maximal activity of citrate synthase remained unchanged after training (p = 0.07). A running-based protocol of SIT is a time-efficient training method for improving aerobic capacity and HEC, and maintaining indices of RE and lactate threshold in team sport athletes.

Physiological Profile and Activity Pattern of Minor Gaelic Football Players.

Cullen, BD, Roantree, M, McCarren, A, Kelly, DT, O'Connor, PL, Hughes, SM, Daly, PG, and Moyna1, NM. Physiological profile and activity pattern of minor Gaelic football players. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1811-1820, 2017-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological profile and activity pattern in club- and county-level under-18 (U-18) Gaelic football players relative to playing position. Participants (n = 85) were analyzed during 17 official 15-a-side matches using global positioning system technology (SPI Pro X II; GPSports Systems, Canberra, Australia) and heart rate (HR) telemetry. During the second part of this study, 63 participants underwent an incremental treadmill test to assess their maximal oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]o2max) and peak HR (HRmax). Players covered a mean distance of 5,774 ± 737 m during a full 60-minute match. The mean %HRmax and %V[Combining Dot Above]O2max observed during the match play were 81.6 ± 4.3% and 70.1 ± 7.75%, respectively. The playing level had no effect on the distance covered, player movement patterns, or %HRmax observed during match play. Midfield players covered significantly greater distance than defenders (p = 0.033). Playing position had no effect on %HRmax or the frequency of sprinting or high-intensity running during match play. The frequency of jogging, cruise running, striding (p = 0.000), and walking (p = 0.003) was greater in the midfield position than in the forward position. Time had a significant effect (F(1,39) = 33.512, p-value = 0.000, and (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.462) on distance covered and %HRmax, both of which showed a reduction between playing periods. Gaelic football is predominantly characterized by low-to-moderate intensity activity interspersed with periods of high-intensity running. The information provided may be used as a framework for coaches in the design and prescription of training strategies. Positional specific training may be warranted given the comparatively greater demands observed in the midfield playing position. Replicating the demands of match play in training may reduce the decline in distance covered and %HRmax observed during the second half of match play.

The 100 Most Cited Articles on Healthcare Simulation: A Bibliometric Review.

STATEMENT: This article provides an overview and synthesis of the 100 most cited healthcare simulation publications to provide insight into the articles that have shaped current knowledge and practice. Searches of the Scopus and Web of Science databases were conducted in July 2017. Most articles were concerned with medical education and training (86%) and were most often published in surgical journals (33%). Manikins (20%), standardized patients (16%), inanimate part-task trainers (16%), fully simulated environments (17%), and virtual reality part-task trainers (14%) were the most commonly featured types of simulators. Healthcare simulation research has matured and grown during the preceding decades. There has been a move away from research questions focused on "does simulation work?" to an assessment of the conditions under which simulation is most effective. It is hoped that providing an overview of highly cited works will help identify topics for further research.

A Systematic Review of Primary Care Safety Climate Survey Instruments: Their Origins, Psychometric Properties, Quality, and Usage.

IMPORTANCE: Safety climate (SC) measurement is a common and feasible method of proactive safety assessment in primary care. However, there is no consensus on which instrument is "best" to use. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify the origins, psychometric properties, quality, and SC domains measured by survey instruments used to assess SC in primary care settings. DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches were conducted using Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycInfo in February 2016. STUDY SELECTION: English-language, peer-reviewed studies that reported the development and/or use of a SC survey in a primary care setting were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data (survey characteristics, origins, and psychometric properties) from studies and applied the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs to assess methodological rigour. Safety climate domains within surveys were deductively analyzed and categorized into common healthcare SC themes. RESULTS: Seventeen SC surveys were identified, of which 16 had been adapted from 2 main U.S. hospital-based surveys. Only 1 survey was developed de novo for a primary care setting. The quantity and quality of psychometric testing varied considerably across the surveys. Management commitment to safety was the most frequently measured SC theme (87.5%). Workload was infrequently measured (25%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Valid and reliable instruments, which are context specific to the healthcare environment for intentional use, are essential to accurately assess SC. Key recommendations include further establishing the construct and criterion-related validity of existing instruments as opposed to developing additional surveys.