Review of physical fitness, physiological demands and performance characteristics of jockeys

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
K.A. Legg ◽  
D.J. Cochrane ◽  
E.K. Gee ◽  
C.W. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Strength And Conditioning ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Physiological Capacity ◽  
Movement Dynamics ◽  
Physiological Demands ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Work Done

This narrative review collates data from different equestrian disciplines, both amateur and professional, to describe the physiological demands, muscle activity and synchronicity of movement involved in jockeys riding in a race and to identify limitations within our current knowledge. A literature search was conducted in Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus using search terms related to jockeys, equestrian riders and their physiological demands, muscle use, movement dynamics and experience. Abstracts, theses and non-peer reviewed articles were excluded from the analysis. Jockeys work at close to their physiological capacity during a race. The quasi-isometric maintenance of the jockey position requires muscular strength and endurance, specifically from the legs and the core, both to maintain their position and adapt to the movement of the horse. Synchronous movement between horse and rider requires a coordinated activation pattern of the rider’s core muscles, resulting in less work done by the horse to carry the rider, possibly leading to a competitive advantage in race riding. Reports of chronic fatigue in jockeys demonstrate poor quantification of workload and recovery. The lack of quantitative workload metrics for jockeys’ limits calculation of a threshold required to reach race riding competency and development of sport-specific training programmes. Until the sport-specific demands of race riding are quantified, the development of evidence-based sport specific and potentially performance enhancing jockey strength and conditioning programmes cannot be realised.

scholarly journals Wearable Technologies in Field Hockey Competitions: A Scoping Review

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5242
Author(s):  
Jolene Ziyuan Lim ◽  
Alexiaa Sim ◽  
Pui Wah Kong
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Field Hockey ◽  
Heart Rate Monitors ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Physiological Demands ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Skin Temperatures

The aim of this review is to investigate the common wearable devices currently used in field hockey competitions, and to understand the hockey-specific parameters these devices measure. A systematic search was conducted by using three electronic databases and search terms that included field hockey, wearables, accelerometers, inertial sensors, global positioning system (GPS), heart rate monitors, load, performance analysis, player activity profiles, and competitions from the earliest record. The review included 39 studies that used wearable devices during competitions. GPS units were found to be the most common wearable in elite field hockey competitions, followed by heart rate monitors. Wearables in field hockey are mostly used to measure player activity profiles and physiological demands. Inconsistencies in sampling rates and performance bands make comparisons between studies challenging. Nonetheless, this review demonstrated that wearable devices are being used for various applications in field hockey. Researchers, engineers, coaches, and sport scientists can consider using GPS units of higher sampling rates, as well as including additional variables such as skin temperatures and injury associations, to provide a more thorough evaluation of players’ physical and physiological performances. Future work should include goalkeepers and non-elite players who are less studied in the current literature.

scholarly journals Protocol for a systematic review on the experience of informal caregivers for people with a moderate to advanced dementia within a domestic home setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles James ◽  
Catherine Walshe ◽  
Katherine Froggatt
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Informal Caregiving ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advanced Dementia ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Search Terms

Abstract Background The knowledge about the experience of informal caregivers who provide care to people with moderate to advanced dementia in a domestic home setting is limited. A consequence of long hours of caregiving in addition to dealing with normal challenges of daily living is their experience of a poor quality of life. Some of their experiences may be described in terms of a feeling of powerlessness to make changes during care provision. This feeling may also suggest an experience of moral distress. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative evidence relating to these experiences. Methods This review adopts a narrative synthesis approach. A search will be conducted for studies written in the English language in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Academic Search Complete covering periods from 1984 to present. Included studies will be qualitative or mixed-methods designs. The search terms will be related to dementia and caregivers, and the process will be focused on dementia at the moderate to the advanced stages within the domestic home setting. Reference lists of included papers will also be searched for additional relevant citations. Search terms and strategies will be checked by two independent reviewers. The identification of abstracts and full texts of studies will be done by the author, while the quality and the risk of bias will also be checked by the two independent reviewers. Discussion Psychological distress is cited as an experience reported within informal caregiving. For the caregiver, it is associated with a negative impact on general health. To date, no synthesis exists on the specific experience of informal caregiving for people with moderate to advanced dementia within the domestic home setting. This review considers that variation of accounts contributes to how the informal caregivers’ general experience is explored in future research. This may enable gaps in current knowledge to be highlighted within the wider context of caregiving in the domestic home setting. Systematic review registration This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020183649).

scholarly journals Portuguese Football Federation consensus statement 2020: nutrition and performance in football

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e001082
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Abreu ◽  
Pedro Figueiredo ◽  
Paulo Beckert ◽  
José P Marques ◽  
Samuel Amorim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Physiological Demands ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Nutritional Strategies ◽  
Practical Constraints ◽  
Practical Recommendations

Nutrition is an undeniable part of promoting health and performance among football (soccer) players. Nevertheless, nutritional strategies adopted in elite football can vary significantly depending on culture, habit and practical constraints and might not always be supported by scientific evidence. Therefore, a group of 28 Portuguese experts on sports nutrition, sports science and sports medicine sought to discuss current practices in the elite football landscape and review the existing evidence on nutritional strategies to be applied when supporting football players. Starting from understanding football’s physical and physiological demands, five different moments were identified: preparing to play, match-day, recovery after matches, between matches and during injury or rehabilitation periods. When applicable, specificities of nutritional support to young athletes and female players were also addressed. The result is a set of practical recommendations that gathered consensus among involved experts, highlighting carbohydrates periodisation, hydration and conscious use of dietary supplements.

scholarly journals Latvian Family Physicians’ Experience and Attitude in Diagnosing and Managing Depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-170
Author(s):  
Vineta Viktorija Vinogradova ◽  
Jeļena Vrubļevska ◽  
Elmārs Rancāns
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
National Research Programme ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Training Programmes

Abstract Depression is among the most common mental disorders in primary care. Despite high prevalence rates it remains to be under-diagnosed in primary care settings over the world. This study was aimed to identify Latvian family physicians’ (FPs) experience and attitude in diagnosing and managing depression. It was carried out within the framework of the National Research Programme BIOMEDICINE 2014–2017. After educational seminars on diagnosing and managing depression, FPs were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. In total 216 respondents were recruited. Most of the doctors, or 72.2% (n = 156), agreed with the statement that patients with depression use primary care facilities more often than other patients. More than a half of physicians, or 66.3% (n = 143) quite often asked their patients about their psycho-emotional status and 65.7% (n = 142) of clinicians thought that they can successfully assess a patient’s psychoemotional status and possible mental disorders. The majority, or 91.6 % (n = 198), supposed that routine screening for depression is necessary in Latvia. Despite the fact that a significant number, or 62.6% (n = 135) of FPs thought that their practice was well suitable for the treatment of depressive patients, half of the respondents, or 50.9% (n = 110), assessed their ability to build a trustful contact and to motivate patients for treatment as moderate. Although FPs acknowledged the importance and necessity to treat depression, current knowledge and management approaches were far from optimal. This justifies the need to provide specific training programmes for FPs.

scholarly journals Job Insecurity and Job Performance: A Serial Mediated Relationship and the Buffering Effect of Organizational Justice

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco De Angelis ◽  
Greta Mazzetti ◽  
Dina Guglielmi
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Serial Mediation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Relationship

The study aimed to extend the current knowledge of the relationship between job insecurity and performance. In line with traditional stress theories, work-family and burnout were hypothesized as serial mediators of the negative link between job insecurity and job performance. Also, the current study hypothesized that the association between job insecurity and the mediators [i.e., Work-family conflict (WFC) and burnout] could be buffered by perceived organizational justice among employees. Therefore, we empirically tested a moderated serial mediation model. Participants were 370 employees of an Italian multiservice social cooperative. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The obtained results indicated that WFC and burnout mediated the association between job insecurity and job performance. Furthermore, perceived organizational justice buffered the relationship between job insecurity and WFC. Concerning job burnout, the association with job insecurity was moderated only among employees perceiving medium and high levels of organizational justice. The moderated serial mediation index provided support to the role of organizational justice in decreasing the association between job insecurity and job performance. This study delves deeper into the variables explaining the relationship between job insecurity and job performance by testing a serial process mechanism that involved WFC and burnout. Additionally, the obtained results provide suggestions to organizations and managers regarding the protective role of organizational justice to sustain employees’ mental health and performance. Practical implications at the organizational and managerial level are provided, along with a focus on the actual impact of the pandemic.

Endocrine Effects of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsty J. Elliott-Sale ◽  
Adam S. Tenforde ◽  
Allyson L. Parziale ◽  
Bryan Holtzman ◽  
Kathryn E. Ackerman
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Relative Energy ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Female Athlete Triad ◽  
Hormonal Changes ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Energy Deficiency ◽  
And Performance

The term Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport was introduced by the International Olympic Committee in 2014. It refers to the potential health and performance consequences of inadequate energy for sport, emphasizing that there are consequences of low energy availability (EA; typically defined as <30 kcal·kg−1 fat-free mass·day−1) beyond the important and well-established female athlete triad, and that low EA affects populations other than women. As the prevalence and consequences of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport become more apparent, it is important to understand the current knowledge of the hormonal changes that occur with decreased EA. This paper highlights endocrine changes that have been observed in female and male athletes with low EA. Where studies are not available in athletes, results of studies in low EA states, such as anorexia nervosa, are included. Dietary intake/appetite-regulating hormones, insulin and other glucose-regulating hormones, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1, thyroid hormones, cortisol, and gonadal hormones are all discussed. The effects of low EA on body composition, metabolic rate, and bone in female and male athletes are presented, and we identify future directions to address knowledge gaps specific to athletes.

Process improvement approaches in emergency departments: a review of the current knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Vitória Lachowski Volochtchuk ◽  
Higor Leite
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Methodological Procedures ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe healthcare system has been under pressure to provide timely and quality healthcare. The influx of patients in the emergency departments (EDs) is testing the capacity of the system to its limit. In order to increase EDs' capacity and performance, healthcare managers and practitioners are adopting process improvement (PI) approaches in their operations. Thus, this study aims to identify the main PI approaches implemented in EDs, as well as the benefits and barriers to implement these approaches.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a rigorous systematic literature review of 115 papers. Furthermore, under the lens of thematic analysis, the authors present the descriptive and prescriptive findings.FindingsThe descriptive analysis found copious information related to PI approaches implemented in EDs, such as main PIs used in EDs, type of methodological procedures applied, as well as a set of barriers and benefits. Aiming to provide an in-depth analysis and prescriptive results, the authors carried out a thematic analysis that found underlying barriers (e.g. organisational, technical and behavioural) and benefits (e.g. for patients, the organisation and processes) of PI implementation in EDs.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to knowledge by providing a comprehensive review of the main PI methodologies applied in EDs, underscoring the most prominent ones. This study goes beyond descriptive studies that identify lists of barriers and benefits, and instead the authors categorize prescriptive elements that influence these barriers and benefits. Finally, this study raises discussions about the behavioural influence of patients and medical staff on the implementation of PI approaches.

Snapshot of Personnel Productivity Assessment in Indian IT Industry

2012 ◽  
pp. 220-234
Author(s):  
Thamaraiselvan Natarajan ◽  
Saraswathy R. Aravinda Rajah ◽  
Sivagnanasundaram Manikavasagam
Keyword(s):  
Illustrative Case ◽  
It Industry ◽  
Productivity Measurement ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Common Criteria ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Productivity Assessment

Measuring the productivity of employees has been one of the concerns of IT organisations globally. It is indispensable to calculate the cost of the project vis-a-vis the time estimate. While calculating the lines of coding (Loc) has generally been the common criteria for programmers, it is not always considered an effective measure of the actual work done. The time spent on activities like attending training programmes, participating in meetings, co-coordinating with colleagues, or conceptualising, is presumably unaccounted. Questions lurking unanswered relate to the effective criteria and international benchmarks. Amusingly most companies have their own home-grown productivity calculators to track the progress of their projects. Productivity measurement is equally important for an organisation as well as an IT worker. Awareness of productivity paves way-for mutual progress-self and the organization. This paper, through illustrative-case examples, provides a holistic perspective of personnel productivity assessment methods used in Indian IT industry.

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