Training Blocks Research Articles

Comprehensive preparation strategies for a world-class endurance athlete competing in major international competitions in hot environmental conditions: A case study

Purpose To document a world-class race walking athlete's preparation for the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships (Doha, Qatar), including periodized training, physiological data, cooling strategies and nutritional practices. Methods Physiological data (VO2max, mL·kg−1·min−1; submaximal economy, mL·kg−1·min−1; and %VO2max), training volume (km) and intensity (min·km−1) were recorded (January–May 2019). Additional training strategies and interventions (altitude training, heat acclimation/acclimatization, cooling methods and pre- and during-race nutrition) were described (February–October 2019). Performances in IAAF-sanctioned 20 km races were also reported. Results The athlete's highest VO2max result was 74.6 mL·kg−1·min−1, and his highest 4 mmol·L−1 walking speed was 15.7 km·h−1. The best submaximal economy measures (the lowest proportional oxygen use at 13 km·h−1) were 48.4 mL·kg−1·min−1 (65.2% VO2max). The best performance outcome was a bronze medal-winning performance at the 2019 IAAF World Championships (32°C; 77% RH). Six blocks of altitude training were performed (119 days). Five blocks of heat acclimatization training (127 days), one block of heat acclimation training (8 days) and two blocks of post-training passive heat sessions (16 days) were completed. Internal and external cooling strategies were used, and the athlete's nutritional intake focused on carbohydrate and fluid intake prior to and during races, pre-race supplementation with sodium bicarbonate using chronic and acute protocols, caffeine supplementation during races and pre-race hyperhydration. Conclusion The strategies used by this elite athlete included repeated heat acclimation, heat acclimatization, passive heat exposure, hypoxic training and heat mitigation strategies. Similar strategies may provide benefit to elite athletes preparing for major international competitions in hot conditions.

Distribution-dependent representations in auditory category learning and generalization.

A fundamental objective in Auditory Sciences is to understand how people learn to generalize auditory category knowledge in new situations. How we generalize to novel scenarios speaks to the nature of acquired category representations and generalization mechanisms in handling perceptual variabilities and novelty. The dual learning system (DLS) framework proposes that auditory category learning involves an explicit, hypothesis-testing learning system, which is optimal for learning rule-based (RB) categories, and an implicit, procedural-based learning system, which is optimal for learning categories requiring pre-decisional information integration (II) across acoustic dimensions. Although DLS describes distinct mechanisms of two types of category learning, it is yet clear the nature of acquired representations and how we transfer them to new contexts. Here, we conducted three experiments to examine differences between II and RB category representations by examining what acoustic and perceptual novelties and variabilities affect learners' generalization success. Learners can successfully categorize different sets of untrained sounds after only eight blocks of training for both II and RB categories. The category structures and novel contexts differentially modulated the generalization success. The II learners significantly decreased generalization performances when categorizing new items derived from an untrained perceptual area and in a context with more distributed samples. In contrast, RB learners' generalizations are resistant to changes in perceptual regions but are sensitive to changes in sound dispersity. Representational similarity modeling revealed that the generalization in the more dispersed sampling context was accomplished differently by II and RB learners. II learners increased representations of perceptual similarity and decision distance to compensate for the decreased transfer of category representations, whereas the RB learners used a more computational cost strategy by default, computing the decision-bound distance to guide generalization decisions. These results suggest that distinct representations emerged after learning the two types of category structures and using different computations and flexible mechanisms in resolving generalization challenges when facing novel perceptual variability in new contexts. These findings provide new evidence for dissociated representations of auditory categories and reveal novel generalization mechanisms in resolving variabilities to maintain perceptual constancy.

Nameability supports rule-based category learning in children and adults.

The present study tested the hypothesis that verbal labels support category induction by providing compact hypotheses. Ninety-seven 4- to 6-year-old children (M = 63.2 months; 46 female, 51 male; 77% White, 8% more than one race, 4% Asian, and 3% Black; tested 2018) and 90 adults (M = 20.1 years; 70 female, 20 male) in the Midwestern United States learned novel categories with features that were easy (e.g., "red") or difficult (e.g., "mauve") to name. Adults (d = 1.06) and-to a lesser extent-children (d = 0.57; final training block) learned categories composed of more nameable features better. Children's knowledge of difficult-to-name color words predicted their learning for categories with difficult-to-name features. Rule-based category learning may be supported by the emerging ability to form verbal hypotheses.

Auditory attention influences trajectories of symbol–speech sound learning in children with and without dyslexia

The acquisition of letter–speech sound correspondences is a fundamental process underlying reading development, one that could be influenced by several linguistic and domain-general cognitive factors. In the current study, we mimicked the first steps of this process by examining behavioral trajectories of audiovisual associative learning in 110 7- to 12-year-old children with and without dyslexia. Children were asked to learn the associations between eight novel symbols and native speech sounds in a brief training and subsequently read words and pseudowords written in the artificial orthography. We then investigated the influence of auditory attention as one of the putative domain-general factors influencing associative learning. To this aim, we assessed children with experimental measures of auditory sustained selective attention and interference control. Our results showed shallower learning trajectories in children with dyslexia, especially during the later phases of the training blocks. Despite this, children with dyslexia performed similarly to typical readers on the post-training reading tests using the artificial orthography. Better auditory sustained selective attention and interference control skills predicted greater response accuracy during training. Sustained selective attention was also associated with the ability to apply these novel correspondences in the reading tests. Although this result has the limitations of a correlational design, it denotes that poor attentional skills may constitute a risk during the early stages of reading acquisition, when children start to learn letter–speech sound associations. Importantly, our findings underscore the importance of examining dynamics of learning in reading acquisition as well as individual differences in more domain-general attentional factors.

The Effect of Modeling Methods on Mirror Neuron Activity and a Motor Skill Acquisition and Retention.

Mirror neurons have been suggested as a potential neural mechanism of observational learning. This study aims to investigate the effect of self-modeling, skilled model, and learning model on mu rhythm suppression and golf putting acquisition and retention. The study was conducted on 45 male volunteer students (aged 19.4±0.37 years) in three experimental groups, self-modeling, skilled, and learning models with six sessions of physical and observational training in three periods of pre-test, acquisition, and retention. In the pre-test, after the initial familiarity with the skill, participants performed 10 golf putting actions while scores were recorded. Then, electrical brain waves in C3, C4, and Cz regions were recorded during the observation of 10 golf putting actions by their group-related models. The acquisition period consisted of golf putting training during six sessions, each consisting of six blocks of 10 trials. Before each training block, participants observed golf putting related to their group 10 times in the form of a video. Acquisition and delayed retention tests were also performed by recording scores of 10 golf putting actions, as well as recording electrical brain waves while observing the skill performed by the related model. Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the mu rhythm suppression in the pre-test was more in the self-modeling group compared to the skilled model and learning model groups, but this suppression was not significantly different in all three groups in the acquisition and retention tests. In putting task variables, all three groups that had no significant difference in the pre-test period made considerable progress in learning the desired skill from the pre-test to the acquisition test, and this progress was somewhat stable until the retention test. Also, both in the acquisition and retention periods, the self-modeling group showed better performance than the other two groups; however, no significant difference was observed between these groups. These results suggest that the model-observer similarity is a crucial factor in modeling interventions and can affect the rate of mu rhythm suppression.

Failure of tDCS to impact militarised threat-detection in a military cohort

Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, has become a focus of military organisations due to its reported positive effects on cognitive and motor performance. However, the majority of tDCS research in this space is conducted with civilian participants and/or uses abstract tasks. Additionally, of the small subset of studies that have used military participants or military-relevant tasks, few have employed both, and none with a considerable sample size. Here, we extend on previous work by exploring whether tDCS to the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) enhances the performance of a large military cohort during a militaristic threat-detection task. 98 participants aged between 18 and 45 were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) 2 mA anodal tDCS to the rIFG; (2) Sham stimulation to the rIFG; or (3) 2 mA anodal tDCS to the visual cortex (V1). Participants viewed serially presented, virtually generated militaristic images, and responded Yes/No via keypress to a threat being present. tDCS was applied for 25 min during the first two training blocks of the 50 min task. Results showed evidence for the null hypothesis: tDCS did not influence mean accuracy or reaction time across the task, in contrast to previous work. We discuss possible methodological and population factors that may explain why previously published effects of tDCS were not reproduced.

Statistical learning of distractor locations is dependent on task context

Through statistical learning, humans can learn to suppress visual areas that often contain distractors. Recent findings suggest that this form of learned suppression is insensitive to context, putting into question its real-life relevance. The current study presents a different picture: we show context-dependent learning of distractor-based regularities. Unlike previous studies which typically used background cues to differentiate contexts, the current study manipulated task context. Specifically, the task alternated from block to block between a compound search and a detection task. In both tasks, participants searched for a unique shape, while ignoring a uniquely colored distractor item. Crucially, a different high-probability distractor location was assigned to each task context in the training blocks, and all distractor locations were made equiprobable in the testing blocks. In a control experiment, participants only performed a compound search task such that the contexts were made indistinguishable, but the high-probability locations changed in exactly the same way as in the main experiment. We analyzed response times for different distractor locations and show that participants can learn to suppress a location in a context-dependent way, but suppression from previous task contexts lingers unless a new high-probability location is introduced.

0185 Circadian Rhythm of Rock Climbing Specific Finger Strength

Abstract Introduction Circadian rhythm influences various aspects of athletic performance; however, the sport specific effects in rock climbing are not well studied. This study aimed to evaluate circadian changes in finger strength in rock climbers. This may have important implications for timing of training and challenging climbing goals. Methods Participants completed two rounds of finger strength testing on the same day (morning 7-9 am and evening 5-7 pm) consisting of maximal pulls on a polyurethane training block (18 mm flat edge) anchored to a dynamometer (TindeqTM). Participants were cued to keep 4 fingers on without using the thumb and given two attempts on each hand with the highest load recorded each session. Demographic data, climbing experience level, sleep quality (Promis Sleep short form.), and chronotype (Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire) were recorded for secondary outcome analysis. Standard descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were performed to compare the morning and afternoon findings. Results 10 participants completed finger strength testing. There was a significant increase in mean maximum finger strength from morning (M = 35.2 kg, SD = 14.8) to afternoon (M = 40.1 kg, SD = 16.1), t(9) = 4.1, p = .003, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.3). The mean increase was 5.0 kg with 95% confidence interval of 2.2 kg to 7.7 kg. The morning to afternoon increase in maximal strength remained significant when subdivided by sex (males n = 6, p = .04, 95% CI [0.4kg, 10.0] kg, and females n = 4, p = 0.48, 95% CI [0.1, 9.1] kg). This study lacked sufficient power to detect differences related to other secondary measures. Conclusion Maximum finger strength in rock climbers was greater in the afternoon compared to morning suggesting a circadian rhythm influence. Rock climbers needing peak finger strength may benefit from timing hard climbs in the afternoon rather than early morning. Further study is needed to determine if this finding is seen in larger groups or impacted by sleep quality and chronotype. Support (if any) Training space was supported by Triangle Rock Club, Durham NC.

Subliminal attentional bias modification training for itch.

Itch is unpleasant and induces the urge to scratch. This is adaptive to remove the itch-inducing stimulus from the skin. Accordingly, itch draws attention to protect our bodily integrity. Recent studies investigated whether attention is preferentially drawn towards its location, i.e., attentional bias (AB), and also whether this bias could be changed in healthy individuals. So far, results are mixed concerning the existance of an attentional bias towards itch stimuli in healthy individuals as well as the impact of modifications. However, available studies have typically focused on conscious processing and might miss preconscious aspects of attention and potential biases at these stages. This study included 117 healthy individuals who underwent a subliminal Attentional Bias Modification (ABM)- training for itch based on a dot-probe paradigm with itch- related pictures. Participants were randomly assigned to a training towards itch group, a training away from itch group and a control group. This was done by manipulating the itch-target congruency of the dot-probe task during a training block. Pre- and post-training assessments were regular dot-probe tasks. Exploratorily, also attentional inhibition, cognitive flexibility and itch-related cognitions were assessed. Lastly, participants received an itchy stimulus on the inner forearm before and after the ABM-training to assess potential effects on itch sensitivity. Results showed no AB towards itch across groups at baseline, i.e., pre-training, but an AB away from itch, hence, avoidance of itch, post-training. Further analyses showed that this effect was driven by an attentional bias away from itch in the control group, while there were no significant effects in the experimental groups. There was no effect on itch sensitivity. These findings are in line with recent studies on conscious ABM-training for itch and pain that also did not find significant training effects. Therefore, it is suggested that the field of AB might need to reconsider the current assessment of AB. Moreover, AB is probably a dynamic process that is highly dependent on current itch-related goals and relevance of itch in a specific situation. This suggests that processes probably differ in patients with chronic itch and that also ABM-training might work differently in these populations. https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR7561, identifier NTR7561.

Effects of preseason training on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers and workload variation in professional rugby union players

Few studies have examined the impact of a preseason training intervention through systematic measures in Pro D2 rugby union (RU). Therefore, this study aimed to describe the effects of 12 weeks of preseason training (three blocks) on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers, and workload (WL) variation in professional RU players. Physiological (physical and biochemical) responses to preseason WL were analyzed by examining changes in anthropometric characteristics, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) test, blood samples (BS), Hooper index (1–7), the 10-Hz global positioning system (GPS), and session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) in nineteen elite male players. Changes throughout the preseason were analyzed using the one-way and mixed-model analysis of variance. Significant (p < 0.01) improvements occurred in anthropometry and Yo-Yo IR1 running performance in forwards and backs. Total distance (p < 0.01) and impact (p < 0.05) during the second block were meaningfully higher than the other two blocks, with backs showing higher values than forwards. As expected, WL decreased significantly (p < 0.01) during the last training block. The WL variations were correlated with changes in biochemical markers over the preseason period. The collected data can be used for i) profiling French Pro D2 rugby championships players, ii) establishing effective training strategies, and iii) setting preseason WL expectations.

Traces: Inkling Blockchain for Distributed Storage in Constrained IIoT Environments

Storing data from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors in blockchain (BC) for monitoring the applications leads to management issues like bloating. The crux of this work is generating traces (the part of industrial data) using an ARIMA model and storing only the metadata over the network, resulting in reduced delay and managed data. We determine the size of the traces for storing on the S&G blocks (blocks that store traces along with their metadata) by considering principal parameters such as training time, block size, and error. In general, S&G consists of three phases: 1) Categorizing the data into groups based on their sampling rates, 2) Storing the trace of data and metadata into the blocks, and 3) Retrieving the entire data. We demonstrate the feasibility of S&G with errors and regret in the range of 0.07 to 0.10 and 0.20 to 0.25, respectively, using the appropriate ARIMA model.

Determining Stroke and Movement Profiles in Competitive Tennis Match-Play From Wearable Sensor Accelerometry.

Perri, T, Reid, M, Murphy, A, Howle, K, and Duffield, R. Determining stroke and movement profiles in competitive tennis match-play from wearable sensor accelerometry. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1271-1276, 2023-This study determined stroke and movement accelerometry metrics from a wearable sensor and compared between court surface (grass vs. hard) and match outcome (win vs. loss) during competitive tennis match-play. Eight junior high-performance tennis players wore a trunk-mounted global positioning system, with in-built accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope during singles matches on hard and grass courts. The manufacturer software calculated accelerometer-derived total player load (tPL). A prototype algorithm classified forehands, backhands, serves, and "other" strokes, thereby calculating stroke PL (sPL) from individual strokes. Movement PL (mPL) was calculated as the difference between tPL and sPL, with all metrics reported as absolute and relative (min -1 , %, and ·stroke). Analysis of accelerometer load and stroke count metrics was performed through a two-way (surface [grass vs. hard] × match outcome [win vs. loss]) analysis of variance ( p < 0.05) and effect sizes (Cohen's d ). No interaction effects for surface and match outcome existed for absolute tPL, mPL, and sPL ( p > 0.05). Increased mPL% featured on grass courts, whereas sPL% was increased on hard courts ( p = 0.04, d = 1.18[0.31-2.02]). Elevated sPL·min -1 existed on hard courts ( p = 0.04, d = 1.19[0.32-2.04]), but no differences in tPL·min -1 and mPL·min -1 were evident for surface or outcome ( p > 0.05). Relative forehand sPL (FH-sPL·min -1 ) was higher on hard courts ( p = 0.03, d = 1.18[0.31-2.02]) alongside higher forehand counts ( p = 0.01, d = 1.29[0.40-2.14]). Hitting demands are heightened on hard courts from increased sPL and counts. Conversely, increased mPL% on grass courts likely reflects the specific movement demands from point-play. Physical preparation strategies during training blocks can be tailored toward movement or hitting loads to suit competitive surfaces.

Efficient training of spiking neural networks with temporally-truncated local backpropagation through time.

Directly training spiking neural networks (SNNs) has remained challenging due to complex neural dynamics and intrinsic non-differentiability in firing functions. The well-known backpropagation through time (BPTT) algorithm proposed to train SNNs suffers from large memory footprint and prohibits backward and update unlocking, making it impossible to exploit the potential of locally-supervised training methods. This work proposes an efficient and direct training algorithm for SNNs that integrates a locally-supervised training method with a temporally-truncated BPTT algorithm. The proposed algorithm explores both temporal and spatial locality in BPTT and contributes to significant reduction in computational cost including GPU memory utilization, main memory access and arithmetic operations. We thoroughly explore the design space concerning temporal truncation length and local training block size and benchmark their impact on classification accuracy of different networks running different types of tasks. The results reveal that temporal truncation has a negative effect on the accuracy of classifying frame-based datasets, but leads to improvement in accuracy on event-based datasets. In spite of resulting information loss, local training is capable of alleviating overfitting. The combined effect of temporal truncation and local training can lead to the slowdown of accuracy drop and even improvement in accuracy. In addition, training deep SNNs' models such as AlexNet classifying CIFAR10-DVS dataset leads to 7.26% increase in accuracy, 89.94% reduction in GPU memory, 10.79% reduction in memory access, and 99.64% reduction in MAC operations compared to the standard end-to-end BPTT. Thus, the proposed method has shown high potential to enable fast and energy-efficient on-chip training for real-time learning at the edge.

National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Weightlifting for Sports Performance.

Comfort, P, Haff, GG, Suchomel, TJ, Soriano, MA, Pierce, KC, Hornsby, WG, Haff, EE, Sommerfield, LM, Chavda, S, Morris, SJ, Fry, AC, and Stone, MH. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement on weightlifting for sports performance. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1163-1190, 2023-The origins of weightlifting and feats of strength span back to ancient Egypt, China, and Greece, with the introduction of weightlifting into the Olympic Games in 1896. However, it was not until the 1950s that training based on weightlifting was adopted by strength coaches working with team sports and athletics, with weightlifting research in peer-reviewed journals becoming prominent since the 1970s. Over the past few decades, researchers have focused on the use of weightlifting-based training to enhance performance in nonweightlifters because of the biomechanical similarities (e.g., rapid forceful extension of the hips, knees, and ankles) associated with the second pull phase of the clean and snatch, the drive/thrust phase of the jerk and athletic tasks such as jumping and sprinting. The highest force, rate of force development, and power outputs have been reported during such movements, highlighting the potential for such tasks to enhance these key physical qualities in athletes. In addition, the ability to manipulate barbell load across the extensive range of weightlifting exercises and their derivatives permits the strength and conditioning coach the opportunity to emphasize the development of strength-speed and speed-strength, as required for the individual athlete. As such, the results of numerous longitudinal studies and subsequent meta-analyses demonstrate the inclusion of weightlifting exercises into strength and conditioning programs results in greater improvements in force-production characteristics and performance in athletic tasks than general resistance training or plyometric training alone. However, it is essential that such exercises are appropriately programmed adopting a sequential approach across training blocks (including exercise variation, loads, and volumes) to ensure the desired adaptations, whereas strength and conditioning coaches emphasize appropriate technique and skill development of athletes performing such exercises.

Dual form of competence acquisition in the sphere of higher education: the global experience of implementation and integration of Ukraine

In the conditions of increased competition in the labor market, the task of improving the system of training qualified personnel in higher education is being updated. One of the ways of their implementation is the formation of a system of dual training of higher education applicants, which will contribute to the elimination of the use of traditional forms and methods of education, increase the quality of personnel training, considering the modern requirements of the implementation of employers. The dual form of acquiring competencies is an effective way of obtaining the necessary knowledge and skills. It is possible to combine the study of theoretical material at a higher education institution with practical training at enterprises, organizations, and institutions. The realities of the modern educational space in the previous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and today's wartime conditions in Ukraine require greater use of dual education in higher education as one of the elements of an innovative form of education in support of a competitive educational environment. To study this issue, we turn to foreign experience in different countries; educational institutions that implemented dual professional education have a long history of successful development, recognized at the world level. Today, in the world's advanced countries, the block of practical training accounts for about 70% of the educational process, which contributed to a significant increase in the number of specialists working in a pre-selected specialty. Therefore, using the world experience of implementing dual education in educational institutions in the complex modern conditions of the domestic educational environment is highly relevant and requires further research. The article aims to reveal the world experience of implementing a dual form of competence acquisition in higher education and the application of directions in Ukraine. The results. Having analyzed the experience of some countries in implementing dual education, we outline the importance of complex quality education in the way of training highly qualified specialists with critical competencies and appropriate professional suitability in the labor market. Therefore, today, there is a reformation of the domestic system of higher education on the way to the introduction of two-formal education in the aspect of forming an equal partnership of higher education institutions, employers, and applicants, providing them with practical experience in the conditions of actual professional activity. The implementation of personnel dual education will contribute to the improvement of the quality of education, the growth of the number of employers in the professional training of the future, the approximation of the training of specialists to the modern requirements of the labor market and companies in demand in various fields of activity in the context of the post-war recovery of the domestic economy. The concept of the induction form of acquiring competence in the field of higher education differs from the traditional strengthening of the training of practical specialists, which provides training in higher education institutions of highly qualified personnel by the needs of enterprises in various fields of activity and the requirements of the modern labor market. Keywords: education, world experience, dual form of education, student of higher education, competitive specialists, higher education.

Mental strategies and resting state EEG: Effect on high alpha amplitude modulation by neurofeedback in healthy young adults

Neurofeedback (NFB) is a brain-computer interface which allows individuals to modulate their brain activity. Despite the self-regulatory nature of NFB, the effectiveness of strategies used during NFB training has been little investigated. In a single session of NFB training (6*3 min training blocks) with healthy young participants, we experimentally tested if providing a list of mental strategies (list group, N = 46), compared with a group receiving no strategies (no list group, N = 39), affected participants’ neuromodulation ability of high alpha (10–12 Hz) amplitude. We additionally asked participants to verbally report the mental strategies used to enhance high alpha amplitude. The verbatim was then classified in pre-established categories in order to examine the effect of type of mental strategy on high alpha amplitude. First, we found that giving a list to the participants did not promote the ability to neuromodulate high alpha activity. However, our analysis of the specific strategies reported by learners during training blocks revealed that cognitive effort and recalling memories were associated with higher high alpha amplitude. Furthermore, the resting amplitude of trained high alpha frequency predicted an amplitude increase during training, a factor that may optimize inclusion in NFB protocols. The present results also corroborate the interrelation with other frequency bands during NFB training. Although these findings are based on a single NFB session, our study represents a further step towards developing effective protocols for high alpha neuromodulation by NFB.

Neuromuscular adaptations to different set configurations during a periodized power training block in elite junior Judokas

Although the impacts of traditional sets (TS) versus cluster (CL) sets resistance training have been broadly explored among recreationally trained populations, no studies have previously compared these set configurations among elite Judokas. Twenty-two elite male and female Judokas (age = 17.5 ± 1.2 years) performed identical periodized 4-week hypertrophy and strength blocks (8 weeks in total). Following this, for the final 4-week power training block, the cohort was separated into either TS (n = 11) or CL (n = 11) set structures. CL were prescribed by including 45-second intra-set rest every two repetitions. One-repetition maximum (1RM) and peak barbell velocities of the back squat and bench press, and countermovement (CMJ) jump height were assessed before and following each 4-week mesocycle. Significant strength and power improvements were observed after the 4-week hypertrophy training block (1RM bench press = Δ3.82 kg, ES [95% CI] = 1.34 [0.76, 1.93], p &lt; 0.001; 1RM squat = Δ4.71 kg, ES = 0.52 [0.07, 0.96], p = 0.024; CMJ height = Δ0.54 cm, ES = 0.62 [0.16, 1.07], p = 0.008) and after the 4-week maximal strength training block (1RM bench press = Δ1.5 kg, ES = 0.68 [0.21, 1.41], p = 0.004; 1RM squat = Δ5.47 kg, ES = 0.61 [0.15, 1.06], p = 0.010; CMJ height = Δ0.45 cm, ES = 0.71 [0.23, 1.17], p = 0.003). However, no time × group differences were observed between the TS and CL groups following the 4-week power training block. Though traditional periodized resistance training improved neuromuscular qualities of elite junior Judokas, no between-group neuromuscular differences using either TS or CL suggests that both methods may be used as part of periodized training programs.

The number of steps for representative real-world, unsupervised walking data using a shoe-worn inertial sensor.

Inertial measurement units are now commonly used to quantify gait in healthy and clinical populations outside the laboratory environment, yet it is unclear how much data needs to be collected in these highly variable environments before a consistent gait pattern is identified. We investigated the number of steps to reach consistent outcomes calculated from real-world, unsupervised walking in people with (n=15) and without (n=15) knee osteoarthritis. A shoe-embedded inertial sensor measured seven foot-derived biomechanical variables on a step-by-step basis during purposeful, outdoor walking over seven days. Univariate Gaussian distributions were generated from incrementally larger training data blocks (increased in 5 step increments) and compared to all unique testing data blocks (5 steps/block). A consistent outcome was defined when the addition of another testing block did not change the percent similarity of the training block by more than 0.01% and this was maintained for the subsequent 100 training blocks (equivalent to 500 steps). No evidence was found for differences between those with and without knee osteoarthritis (p=0.490), but the measured gait outcomes differed in the number of steps to become consistent (p<0.001). The results demonstrate that collecting consistent foot-specific gait biomechanics is feasible in free-living conditions. This supports the potential for shorter or more targeted data collection periods that could reduce participant or equipment burden.

Formiranje instrumentacione putanje ručnim i mašinskim instrumentima u povijenim kanalima - in vitro studija

Introduction: Preparation of glide path is an important precondition for the safe use of rotary NiTi instruments during endodontic treatment. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the duration of glide path preparation as well as all the changes in canal morphology and canal diameter after the use of hand K-files and NiTi rotary PathFiles. Material and methods: This research was performed on a total of twenty Endo Training Blocks (Dentsply, Maillefer, Switzerland). The glide path was prepared using hand stainless steel K-files ISO #10-15-20 (Dentsply, Sirona, USA) (n = 10) and NiTi rotary PathFiles ISO #13, #16 and #19 (Dentsply, Sirona, Switzerland) (n = 10). The time required to establish the glide path was measured with an iPhone stopwatch (Apple Inc. Cupertino, California). The images of the apical segment of canals before and after glide path preparation were taken under the stereomicroscope (Boeco BSZ-405, Germany), and then images were analyzed and processed with Scopeimage 9.0 (Teleskop, Austria). Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney test at the level of significance 5% (a = 0.05). Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in terms of the time required for glide path preparation. The mean total time for glide path preparation was significantly longer with K-files (382 ± 62 s) than with PathFile (200 ± 11 s) (p &lt; 0.05). A statistically significant difference in terms of changing the morphology of the apical part of the canal (p &gt; 0.05) was not observed. The difference in the diameter of the root canal was at the limit of statistical significance (p ≈ 0.05). Conclusion: Instrumentation with NiTi rotary PathFiles reduces the time required for glide path preparation. Preparing endodontic space for rotary instrumentation with hand K-Files and rotary PathFiles leads to similar changes in the morphology of the apical segment. A slightly larger diameter of the root canal was measured after preparation with the hand K-files.

The influence of compression garments on recovery during a triathlon training camp: a pilot study

Triathletes often schedule intense training camps into their program to promote functional overreaching, although these periods pose a greater risk of illness or injury due to heightened training load. To mitigate this risk, triathletes may implement recovery strategies such as the use of compression garments. However, little is known about the influence of such garments during multi-day exercise periods. Ten highly-trained triathletes (6 male, 4 female, mean ± SD age; 32 ± 8 y) completed a six-day intensive training block and were randomly assigned to one of two recovery groups; donning lower body compression tights (COMP, n = 5) for at least 6 hours following the last training session each day, or no compression (CON, n = 5). Physical performance data (6s sprint, 30s sprint, 4-minute mean power cycling tests) was collected on Day 1 and Day 6 of the training camp and subjective wellbeing monitoring was completed daily. There were no significant group x time interactions for any of the performance or perceptual measures (p &gt; 0.05). However, a large (d = -1.35) reduction in perceived stress was observed from Day 1 to Day 5 in COMP compared to CON; and perceived muscle soreness was associated with significant main effects for group (p = 0.047) and time (p = 0.02), with COMP lower than CON on Day 4 and Day 6. Lower-body compression garments may reduce perceived stress and muscle soreness during an intense six-day triathlon training camp, with minimal influence on physical performance.