Pacing strategy of a wheelchair athlete in a 5x and 10x Ironman ultra triathlon: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: For disabled athletes such as wheelchair athletes, there is no knowledge about competing and pacing during a long-distance triathlon such as an Ironman triathlon. This study aimed to investigate the pacing strategy of a paraplegic wheelchair athlete competing and finishing a Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon (i.e., five times 3.8 km swimming, 180 km handbike cycling and 42.195 km wheelchair racing in five days) and a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon (10 times the same distance in 10 days). METHODS: Data from an ultra-distance triathlon race (Swissultra) covering 5x and 10x Ironman distance were collected. Official performance data were acquired from the race organizer's website and athlete's personal information from the athlete through online interviews. The athlete is a man born in 1962, the races analysed in this study were held in the summer of 2017 (5x) and 2019 (10x). The split times for swimming, cycling and running, the overall race times for each Ironman and the lap times in cycling (handbike) and running (wheelchair) were analysed. RESULTS: The athlete finished the Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon in an overall race time of 66:28:31 h:min:s and the Deca Iron ultra-triathlon in 137:03:20 h:min:s. He adopted an even pacing in both races in split disciplines and for overall race time. CONCLUSION: The paraplegic wheelchair athlete was able to finish both a Quintuple and a Deca Iron ultra-triathlon by adopting an even pacing in all split disciplines and for overall race time.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTriathlon is a growing sport among athletes with spinal cord injury.Ultra-triathlons are ultra-endurance events and pacing is a key aspect to a successful race regardless the athlete's category.An athlete with a spinal cord injury finished a 5x and 10x Ironman ultra-triathlon applying an even pacing strategy.

Analysis and Evaluation of Nutritional Intake and Nutrition Quotient of Korean Athletes with Disabilities in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

This study analyzed and evaluated the nutritional intake and nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A) among 21 disabled national athletes preparing for the Tokyo Paralympic competition. A 24-h recall nutrition survey was conducted on the second day of training and one day of the weekend (holidays) to analyze daily nutritional intake. Dietary information was analyzed using the NQ-A questionnaire, which comprises 21 items. The athletes were divided into three groups based on the NQ-A score (High, Middle, Low). A comparative analysis of dietary intake of disabled athletes with the recommended dietary intake amount (RDA) was performed. The intake of carbohydrates (166.9%), proteins (112.3%), vitamin E (112.0%), thiamine (124.6%), riboflavin (100.2%), vitamin B6 (110.6%), vitamin B12 (120.7%), sodium (216.6%), phosphorus (118.3%), iron (146.5%), iodine (143.2%), and selenium (114.2%) was higher than the Korean-recommended amount. In particular, as the results of comparing dietary intake between the three groups showed, the low NQ-A score group had significantly lower intake compared to the %RDA for vitamin E (67.1%), C (26.3%), and Potassium (42.8%). However, with most nutrients, nutritional intake deficiency was not shown to be a problem.

Percepção de qualidade de sono e de vida em atletas paralímpicos: comparação entre atletas com deficiência física e visual / Perception of sleep and quality of life in paralympic athletes: comparison between athletes with physical and visual disabilities

RESUMO O esporte paralímpico cresceu muito nos últimos anos, com isso, torna-se importante a avaliação do sono e da qualidade de vida dos atletas, as quais podem influenciar em seus desempenhos. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a diferença de percepção de qualidade de sono e de vida entre atletas paralímpicos dois meses antes dos Jogos Paralímpicos de Londres. Foram avaliados 30 atletas com deficiência física (18 atletas) e deficiência visual (12 atletas). Para avaliar a qualidade subjetiva de sono, a sonolência e a qualidade de vida (QV) utilizou-se o questionário de Pittsburgh, a escala de Epworth e o WHOQOL-bref, respectivamente. Para comparação entre grupos de deficiência foi utilizado o teste Mann-Whitney. Para verificar diferenças entre os domínios de QV foi utilizado o teste de Friedman, seguido do teste de Wilcoxon. A associação entre variáveis nominais foi analisada pelo teste qui-quadrado. Houve predomínio de atletas com eficiência de sono >85%. Não houve diferença entre os grupos na comparação da percepção da qualidade de sono. O domínio "meio ambiente" apresentou menor escore comparado a todos os outros domínios, enquanto o domínio "relações sociais" apresentou menor escore comparado ao domínio "psicológico". Não houve diferença na qualidade de sono e QV entre as deficiências.

ABSTRACT Paralympic sport has grown significantly in recent years, andtherefore, is important to evaluate the sleep and the quality of life of these athletes, which can influence their performance. The objective of the study was to verify if there is a difference in perceptions of sleep and quality of life among Paralympic athletes, two months before the London Paralympic Games. A total of30 athletes with physical disability (18 athletes) and visual impairment (12 athletes) were evaluated. The Pittsburgh questionnaire, the Epworth scale and the WHOQOL-bref, respectively, were used to assess subjective sleep quality, somnolence and quality of life (QOL). For comparison between disability groups were used the Mann-Whitney test. To verify differences between the domains of QOL, the Friedman test was used, followed by the Wilcoxon test. The association between nominal variables was analyzed by the Chi-square test. There was a predominance of athletes with sleep efficiency >85%. There was no difference between the groups in the comparison of perception of the quality of sleep. The domain "environment" showed lower scores compared to the other domains, while the domain "social relations" showed lower score compared to the "psychological". There was no difference in the sleep and life between disabilities.

The preparticipation evaluation for athletes with disability.

BACKGROUND: Athletes are routinely assessed medically prior to competition. Although standardized preparticipation examinations (PPEs) are available for able-bodied athletes, the literature lacks any validated equivalent for the athlete with disability (AWD). Since participation and level of competition is increasing in this population, evidence-based tools such as a standardized PPE form should be available for health professionals to assess AWD health and safety. AIM OF THE STUDY: To develop an AWD-targeted standardized preparticipation history evaluation (PPE history) using consensus-based expert recommendations. METHODS: Researchers developed a PPE history for critical evaluation of its content validity. Structured Delphi method for collecting and interpreting contributions from an expert panel using a series of questionnaires with controlled feedback was performed. Opinions based on the experience of related experts - physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians and physiatrists - were studied during each of the three survey rounds. The process was terminated once adequate consensus relating to the proposed PPE history document was reached. RESULTS: Majority consensus was reached for forty-nine of fifty-four items to create a refined ten section AWD-specific document to supplement the current standardized PPE. Modifications were made by researchers to accommodate the five items that did not reach statistical consensus. CONCLUSION: Consensus was reached on a variety of AWD-specific PPE items, including the disability-related history and functional review. Equipment issues represent a complex area of evaluation, worthy of future research and discussion. The current proposed PPE history tool is considered comprehensive and ready for application in a clinical setting as an adjunct to existing PPE tools. Injury research in the AWD population will provide guidance for refinement and further validation of this PPE history document. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

Gender differences in wheelchair marathon performance - Oita International Wheelchair Marathon from 1983 to 2011.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was (1) to examine the changes in participation and performance of males and females at the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon in Oita, Japan, between 1983 and 2011, and (2) to analyze the gender difference in the age of peak wheelchair marathon performance. METHODS: Age and time performance data for all wheelchair athletes completing the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon from 1983 to 2011 were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean annual number of finishers was 123 ± 43 for males and 6 ± 3 for females (5.0% ± 2.0% of all finishers), respectively. Mean age of overall finishers was significantly (P = 0.026) greater for males (41.3 ± 1.8 years) compared to females (32.7 ± 1.4 years). In contrast, there was no difference in the mean age of the top three overall finishers between males (35.8 ± 3.2 years) and females (31.6 ± 1.5 years). The race time of the top three overall finishers was significantly lower (P < 0.01) for males (1:34 ± 0:11 hours:minutes) compared to females (1:59 ± 0:20 hours:minutes), but it was not significantly different between male (2:06 ± 0:12 hours:minutes) and female (2:12 ± 0:18 hours:minutes) overall finishers. The mean gender difference in time was 26.1% ± 9.7% for the top three overall finishers. CONCLUSION: Further studies are required to investigate the reasons for the low participation of females in wheelchair marathons and why the gender difference in marathon performance is much greater for disabled athletes than for able-bodied athletes.

A pilot survey on injury and safety concerns in international sledge hockey.

OBJECTIVE: To describe sledge hockey injury patterns, safety issues and to develop potential injury prevention strategies. DESIGN: Pilot survey study of international sledge hockey professionals, including trainers, physiotherapists, physicians, coaches and/or general managers. SETTING: Personal encounter or online correspondence. RESPONDENTS: Sledge hockey professionals; a total of 10 respondents from the 5 top-ranked international teams recruited by personal encounter or online correspondence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Descriptive Data reports on sledge athlete injury characteristics, quality of rules and enforcement, player equipment, challenges in the medical management during competition, and overall safety. RESULTS: Muscle strains and concussions were identified as common, and injuries were reported to affect the upper body more frequently than the lower body. Overuse and body checking were predominant injury mechanisms. Safety concerns included excessive elbowing, inexperienced refereeing and inadequate equipment standards. CONCLUSIONS: This paper is the first publication primarily focused on sledge hockey injury and safety. This information provides unique opportunity for the consideration of implementation and evaluation of safety strategies. Safety interventions could include improved hand protection, cut-resistant materials in high-risk areas, increased vigilance to reduce intentional head-contact, lowered rink boards and modified bathroom floor surfacing.