Examining a negative halo effect to anabolic steroids users through perceived achievement goals, sportspersonship orientations, and aggressive tendencies.

We investigated the social image of anabolic steroids (AS) users grounding our analysis on the achievement goal theory of Nicholls. Our main goal was to explore how an athlete's acceptance of AS use would impact on the way that athlete will be perceived by others. Non-AS-using participants reacted to one of two scenarios portraying a male athlete either accepting or refusing to engage in drug use behavior. The results suggested that the acceptance of anabolic steroids yielded an unfavorable social image--perceivers inferred a predominant ego orientation to characterize the AS-user's motivation as well as weaker sportspersonship and a stronger proclivity for reactive aggression than instrumental aggression. Moreover, the analyses did not yield significant gender or interaction effects. Finally, those findings are commented in view of methodological shortcomings and of the perspectives that they may offer for future research concerning the motivational aspects of the social perceptions of drug use in sport.

Physical activity and combined hormonal contraception: association with female students' perception of menstrual symptoms.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the association between physical activity (PA) and combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) on female students' self perceptio of their menstrual cycle symptoms. Methods: Healthy French female students (n = 834) completed an online questionnaire to assess their PA level (Group 1: non-active; Group 2: moderate physical activity; Group 3: high physical activity; Group 4: very high physical activity), menstrual status or contraception use, self-reported diet and medication, impact on engagement in some social activities, and self-assessment of perceived mental and physical symptoms during the week prior to menses (PM) for students with a normal menstrual cycle (NMC), and the week of menses (ME) for normal menstrual cycle students and those using combined hormonal contraception. Results: Whatever the conditions (PM and ME, NMC and CHC), fewer self-perceived symptoms and self-reported alteration in fat intake were reported by the students in Group 4, and more analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication use was reported by Group 1. Fewer self-perceived symptoms were also found in CHC vs NMC female students for all physical activity levels, but in a more marked way when associated with very high physical activity. In addition, less university and sports practice absenteeism was observed with high and very high physical activity. Conclusion: In conclusion, the perception of menstrual cycle symptoms was lower with very high physical activity, as with combined hormonal contraception. Moreover, female students training more than 5 h/week also reported less university absenteeism and impairment in physical activities. Further studies are necessary to establish the causal link of physical activity and combined hormonal contraception on menstrual symptoms.

The Specificities of Elite Female Athletes: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

Female athletes have garnered considerable attention in the last few years as more and more women participate in sports events. However, despite the well-known repercussions of female sex hormones, few studies have investigated the specificities of elite female athletes. In this review, we present the current but still limited data on how normal menstrual phases, altered menstrual phases, and hormonal contraception affect both physical and cognitive performances in these elite athletes. To examine the implicated mechanisms, as well as the potential performances and health risks in this population, we then take a broader multidisciplinary approach and report on the causal/reciprocal relationships between hormonal status and mental and physical health in young (18-40 years) healthy females, both trained and untrained. We thus cover the research on both physiological and psychological variables, as well as on the Athlete Biological Passport used for anti-doping purposes. We consider the fairly frequent discrepancies and summarize the current knowledge in this new field of interest. Last, we conclude with some practical guidelines for eliciting improvements in physical and cognitive performance while minimizing the health risks for female athletes.

Effect of implicit theories on judgement of cheating acceptability in physical education: the mediating role of achievement goals.

We tested a hypothetical model that examined both the effects of implicit theories of ability on the judgement of cheating acceptability in a physical education context and the mediating role of the achievement goals defined in the social-cognitive model of achievement motivation. Data were collected from 477 middle-school students, who completed measures of implicit theories of ability, achievement goals, and judgement of cheating acceptability in team sports within a cross-sectional design. The results indicated that performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between entity theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability, and mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between incremental theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability. Further research is needed to determine whether these results would be replicated with other moral variables and other contexts.

Does eccentric-concentric resistance training improve early functional outcomes compared to concentric resistance training after total knee arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the preferred surgical treatment of end stage osteoarthritis of the knee. However, up to 20% of patients are dissatisfied after TKA. Moreover, kinesiophobia is negatively correlated with functional outcomes. RESEARCH QUESTION: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of combined concentric-eccentric versus concentric program on muscular strength assessment and quality of life, after total knee arthroplasty in elderly people. METHOD: A prospective study including 20 subjects (72.1 ±â€¯6.3 years), following a rehabilitation program after TKA was performed. Subjects were randomized in combined eccentricconcentric (ECC-CON, n = 10) versus concentric (CN, n = 10) early rehabilitation protocols. There were no significant differences between groups with respect to demographic data. Data were collected before and after protocol: performance-based physical function (timed up and go test, 10-meter walk test, isokinetic assessment), Selfreported physical function and quality of life (Lequesne-ISK, WOMAC, OAKHQOL) and kinesiophobia assessment (TSK-CF). The Gaussian distribution for the whole population of this study was tested by a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U or Fisher's exact probability test, as appropriate. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Performance-based physical function tests showed a significant improvement after early rehabilitation in the ECC-CON group for timed up and go (p = 0.0002) and 10-meter walk test (p = 0.001). Operated hamstring muscle peak torque was significantly improved in the ECC-CON group (p = 0.03). Self-reported physical function and quality of life tests were significantly better in the ECC-CON group for ISK (p = 0.03) and WOMAC (p = 0.04). Self-reported kinesiophobia significantly decreased after rehabilitation in both groups (p = 0.01) whilst there were no differences between groups. Early combined eccentric-concentric rehabilitation after TKA appears to be associated with improved outcomes compared to classic concentric rehabilitation protocols, on both physical function and quality of life. This information is new. Assessment and care of kinesiophobia should be considered in rehabilitation protocols standards.

How would I live with a disability? Expectations of bio-psychosocial consequences and assistive technology use.

PURPOSE: It is widely accepted that social dimensions are crucial when facing a disability. More specifically, a normative incentive to conceal one's disability, which can lead to abandonment of assistive technology devices (ATD), is often reported. This study seeks to examine this norm. METHOD: The expected consequences of having a disability were measured using a sample of 549 able-bodied students from three groups. RESULTS: The results showed that the expected consequences of having a disability and therefore the descriptive norms associated with disability were less negative for the participants who were familiar with disability, but higher for sports students. Furthermore, the relation between objective and subjective consequences (having a disability and feeling disabled, respectively) and public and private use of ATD were modelled. The model shows that both higher objective and lower subjective consequences were linked to higher ATD use in public and, indirectly, in private. CONCLUSION: The present study contributes to the literature on the normative elements related to the use of ATD. Indeed, it shows that when a person makes his/her disability a part of him/herself, she/he is expected to hide it and therefore to avoid using ATD. However, this assessment proves to be context-dependent and calls for the implementation of handicap awareness programs. Implications for Rehabilitation If faced with a disability, expecting to feel disabled and expecting lower objective consequences are linked to lower ATD use. Expected ATD use in private seems to be related to ATD use in public but not to the expected consequences of the disability. Expectations and therefore social norms about having a disability are highly context-dependent which encourages the implementation of handicap awareness programs.