The sport participation legacy of major events in the UK.

This paper examines the extent to which attending major sporting events leads to subsequent changes in the sport participation behaviour of spectators. The research covered seven single-sport events of World or European level held in the UK in 2014 and was concerned with spectators (aged 16 and over) who attended one of these events. Baseline data was gathered from a sample of spectators at each event using a face-to-face survey. Follow-up data was captured using an online survey at least nine months post-event. Our analysis is based on 258 people for whom both baseline and follow-up data were available (matched pairs). Using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), the evidence from this research points to a small (net) positive staged change in sport participation among the sample overall. Variations in the nature and scale of changes associated with events featuring different sports were observed. Progression between the TTM stages was evident for individuals who were previously in the pre-preparation, preparation and action stages. The likelihood of progression appears to be strongest where prior contemplation for behaviour change was prevalent. Event attendance emerged as an important contributor for moving individuals along the TTM continuum, alongside a range of other factors. The demonstration or trickle-down effect was the primary mechanism by which any sport participation legacy supported by these events occurred. The practical applications of the research and the wider health benefits of leveraging event-induced sport participation increases are discussed.

The exercise pressor response to indoor rock climbing.

This paper assessed the blood pressure, heart rate, and mouth-pressure responses to indoor rock climbing (bouldering) and associated training exercises. Six well-trained male rock climbers (mean ± SD age, 27.7 ± 4.7 yr; stature, 177.7 ± 7.3 cm; mass, 69.8 ± 12.1 kg) completed two boulder problems (6b and 7a+ on the Fontainebleau Scale) and three typical training exercises [maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) isometric pull-up, 80% MVC pull-ups to fatigue, and campus board to fatigue]. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured via an indwelling femoral arterial catheter, and mouth pressure via a mouthpiece manometer. Bouldering evoked a peak systolic pressure of 200 ± 17 mmHg (44 ± 21% increase from baseline), diastolic pressure of 142 ± 26 mmHg (70 ± 32% increase), mean arterial pressure of 163 ± 18 mmHg (56 ± 25% increase), and heart rate of 176 ± 22 beats/min (76 ± 35% increase). The highest systolic pressure was observed during the campus board exercise (218 ± 33 mmHg), although individual values as high as 273/189 mmHg were recorded. Peak mouth pressure during climbing was 31 ± 46 mmHg, and this increased independently of climb difficulty. We concluded that indoor rock climbing and associated exercises evoke a substantial pressor response resulting in high blood pressures that may exceed those observed during other upper-limb resistance exercises. These findings may inform risk stratification for climbers.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This case study provides original data on the exercise pressor response to indoor rock climbing and associated training exercises through the use of an indwelling femoral arterial catheter. Our subjects exhibited systolic/diastolic blood pressures that exceeded values often reported during upper-limb resistance exercise. Our data extend the understanding of the cardiovascular stress associated with indoor rock climbing.

Home advantage in the Winter Paralympic Games 1976-2014.

PURPOSE: There is a limited amount of home advantage research concerned with winter sports. There is also a distinct lack of studies that investigate home advantage in the context of para sport events. This paper addresses this gap in the knowledge by examining home advantage in the Winter Paralympic Games. METHODS: Using a standardised measure of success, we compared the performances of host nations at home with their own performances away from home between 1976 and 2014. Both country level and individual sport level analysis is conducted for this time period. Comparisons are also drawn with the Winter Olympic Games since 1992, the point from which both the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Paralympic Games have been hosted by the same nations and in the same years. RESULTS: Clear evidence of a home advantage effect in the Winter Paralympic Games was found at country level. When examining individual sports, only alpine skiing and cross country skiing returned a significant home advantage effect. When comparing home advantage in the Winter Paralympic Games with the Winter Olympic Games for the last seven host nations (1992-2014), we found that home advantage was generally more pronounced (although not a statistically significant difference) in the case of the former. CONCLUSION: The causes of home advantage in the Winter Paralympic Games are unclear and should be investigated further.

An investigation of home advantage in the Summer Paralympic Games.

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of home advantage research set in the context of para-sport events. It is this gap in the knowledge that this paper addresses by investigating the prevalence and size of home advantage in the Summer Paralympic Games. METHODS: Using a standardised measure of success, we compared the performances of nations when competing at home with their own performances away from home in the competition between 1960 and 2016. Both country-level and individual sport-level analyses were conducted for this time frame. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine whether there was a genuine difference in nations' performance under host and non-host conditions. Spearman's rank-order correlation was run to assess the relationship between nation quality and home advantage. RESULTS: Strong evidence of a home advantage effect in the Summer Paralympic Games was found at country level (p < 0.01). When examining individual sports, only athletics, table tennis, and wheelchair fencing returned a significant home advantage effect (p < 0.05). Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. The size of the home advantage effect was not significantly correlated with the quality or strength of the host nation (p > 0.10). CONCLUSION: While our results confirm that home advantage is prevalent in the Summer Paralympic Games at an overall country level and within specific sports, they do not explain fully why such an effect does exist. Future studies should investigate the causes of home advantage in the competition and also draw comparisons with the Summer Olympic Games to explore any differences between para-sport events and able-bodied events.

Normative data on regional sweat-sodium concentrations of professional male team-sport athletes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this paper was to report normative data on regional sweat sweat-sodium concentrations of various professional male team-sport athletes, and to compare sweat-sodium concentrations among sports. Data to this effect would inform our understanding of athlete sodium requirements, thus allowing for the individualisation of sodium replacement strategies. Accordingly, data from 696 athletes (Soccer, n = 270; Rugby, n = 181; Baseball, n = 133; American Football, n = 60; Basketball, n = 52) were compiled for a retrospective analysis. Regional sweat-sodium concentrations were collected using the pilocarpine iontophoresis method, and compared to self-reported measures collected via questionnaire. RESULTS: Sweat-sodium concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in American football (50.4 ± 15.3 mmol·L-1), baseball (54.0 ± 14.0 mmol·L-1), and basketball (48.3 ± 14.0 mmol·L-1) than either soccer (43.2 ± 12.0 mmol·L-1) or rugby (44.0 ± 12.1 mmol·L-1), but with no differences among the N.American or British sports. There were strong positive correlations between sweat-sodium concentrations and self-reported sodium losses in American football (rs = 0.962, p < 0.001), basketball (rs = 0.953, p < 0.001), rugby (rs = 0.813, p < 0.001), and soccer (rs = 0.748, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The normative data provided on sweat-sodium concentrations might assist sports science/medicine practitioners in generating bespoke hydration and electrolyte-replacement strategies to meet the sodium demands of professional team-sport athletes. Moreover, these novel data suggest that self-reported measures of sodium loss might serve as an effective surrogate in the absence of direct measures; i.e., those which are more expensive or non-readily available.