International Association Of Athletics Federations Research Articles

Sex Differences in Athletic Performance Response to the Imagery and Mental Toughness of Elite Middle- and Long-Distance Runners

This study aimed to determine whether there is a difference between the levels of imagery and mental toughness in the context of sports performance in male and female athletes. A total of 344 track and field athletes, 205 male (59.6%, 23.3 ± 4.0 years) and 139 female (40.4%, 22.9 ± 4.0 years), voluntarily participated in the study. Imagery Inventory and Mental Toughness Inventory in Sport were used as data collection tools in the study. In the evaluation of athletic performance, athletes were asked about their ranks in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 and were categorized according to the scoring tables specified by the International Association of Athletics Federation. A MANOVA analysis was used to determine whether there was a difference between low (−2% to +5%), medium (+6 to +11%), and high (+12 to +17%) performers among male and female athletes, and a post hoc analysis was used to determine the source of the difference. According to the present findings, there was no significant difference between the imagery and mental toughness levels of athletes with high, medium, and low performance among male athletes. On the contrary, a significant difference was detected between the imagery and mental toughness levels of female athletes with medium and high performances, showing that athletes in the high-performance range had higher levels of imagery (Eta2 = 8) and mental toughness (Eta2 = 10) than athletes in the medium- and low-performance ranges. The findings of this study show that imagery and emotional intelligence are important factors for sports performance. In this context, coaches and sports psychologists can include these parameters in their training programs to achieve the optimal performance range.

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.

Athletic performance, sports experience, and exercise addiction: an association study on ANKK1 gene polymorphism rs1800497.

Exercise addiction is a phenomenon being able to affecting the athletic performance. The gene, ANKK1 and the polymorphism NM_178510.2:c.2137G > A (rs1800497) has been linked to the exercise addiction. However, further studies on diverse populations and sport branches are needed to totally explore the possible association of this polymorphism with the athletic performance. Thus, the present study aims to decipher any possible relations of the rs1800497 polymorphism with the athletic performance/personal best (PB) and sport experience of elite athletes. Sixty volunteer elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 control/sedentary participated in the study. The polymorphism was genotyped using whole exome sequencing approach and PB were determined according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score. Our results underlined that there were not any significance differences for both allele and genotype frequencies between the groups in terms of athletic performance, although the frequency of allele G was higher (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, sport experience significantly associated with the rs1800496 polymorphism (p < 0.05). In conclusion, genotype G/G could be inferred to be linked to the higher sport experience and athletic performance. Still, further studies with higher number of participants are needed to conclude the association of this polymorphism with athletic parameters.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MCT1 GENE POLYMORPHISM (rs1049434) WITH THE ATHLETİC PERFORMANCE OF ELITE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1; SLC16A1) is a proton-dependent cotransporter/exchanger, located on the apical membrane of cells. MCT1 is able to transport several monocarboxylates including lactate, pyruvate and acetate, which makes this protein critical in terms of the athletic performances. The rs1049434 polymorphism in the MCT1gene was frequently associated with the performance of the athletes in different populations. The present study aims to decipher any possible association of the rs1049434 polymorphism with the personal best of elite track and field athletes. A total of sixty elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and twenty control/sedentary with the ages of 18-35 voluntarily participated in the study. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score scale was used to determine the performance levels of the personal best (PB) of the athletes. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed by the genomic DNA isolated from blood of the participants. Sport type, sex and PB were chosen as the parameters to compare within and between the groups by logistic regression models. The sex was not the criterion that was significantly different between or within the groups. Although PB scores were not significant within the sprint/power group, it was significant within the endurance group by the codominant (p=0.044), dominant (p=0.016) and over-dominant (p=0.048) models. The rs1049434 polymorphism in the MCT1 gene may be linked to the PB of the endurance athletes. However, other genetic alterations should be regarded to conclude the effect of this polymorphism. The multi-factorial genetic background that could associate with the athletic performance is still under investigation in our research group. Nevertheless, further studies with more participants are needed.

Olympic Infighting: An Exploration of Power Games between Leaders of International Sport Federations and the International Olympic Committee

A diffuse network of institutional and individual actors comprises international sport governance. Amongst them is the General Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF), an umbrella organization under which international sport federations (IFs) are organized. For several decades, GAISF leaders have engaged in power plays with individuals leading the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The GAISF’s history from its foundation in the late 1960s to the early 2000s highlights the roles of individual leaders in shaping and blocking joint initiatives between the two organizations. An important role is played the presidents of the International Association of Athletics’ Federations (IAAF) due to their influential role in opposing GAISF. Due to personal interests, GAISF was disorganized and at times dysfunctional, wrought with disagreements on topics ranging from global politics to accusations of individual favouritism. This eventually led to the formation of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and its winter counterpart, the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AWOIF).

Evaluation of the Association of VDR rs2228570 Polymorphism with Elite Track and Field Athletes' Competitive Performance.

The present study aimed to examine the vitamin D receptor (VDR), rs2228570 polymorphism, and its effect on elite athletes' performance. A total of 60 elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 control/ physically inactive, aged 18-35, voluntarily participated in the study. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score scale was used to determine the performance levels of the athletes' personal best (PB). Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed by the genomic DNA isolated from the peripheral blood of the participants. Sports type, sex, and competitive performance were chosen as the parameters to compare within and between the groups by linear regression models. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the CC, TC, and TT genotypes within and between the groups (p > 0.05). Additionally, our results underlined that there were no statistically significant differences for the association of rs2228570 polymorphism with PBs within the groups of the (p > 0.05) athletes. The genetic profile in the selected gene was similar in elite endurance, sprint athletes, and in controls, suggesting that rs2228570 polymorphism does not determine competitive performance in the analyzed athlete cohort.

Faulty Hip and Pelvis Biomechanics Do Not Differentiate Between 5k Performance in NCAA Division II Cross-Country Runners

Introduction: Excessive hip adduction (HADD) and contralateral pelvis drop (CPD) angles during running are associated with running-related injuries. Their influence on performance is less known. Therefore, we aimed to determine if HADD and CPD could differentiate between high and low race performers, and if there were relationships between CPD, HADD and race performance. Methods: Twenty-six healthy male and female NCAA Division II cross-country runners participated in this prospective study. They underwent 3D motion analysis of their HADD and CPD during pre-participation physical examinations. Times from the first race of the season were converted to International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) points and high and low performance groups were created. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the associations between HADD, CPD and IAAF points, and Independent Samples T-tests were used to determine differences in HADD and CPD between high and low performance groups. Results: There were no significant relationships between IAAF points and left HADD (r=0.11, p=0.59), right HADD (r=0.19, p=0.35), left CPD (r=-0.06, p=0.79), or right CPD (r=-0.06, p=0.76). There were no significant differences between high and low performance groups in left HADD (t(24)=0.48, p=0.64), right HADD (t(24)=0.45, p=0.33), left CPD (t(24)=0.62, p=0.27), or right CPD (t(24)=0.53, p=0.30). Conclusions: The RRI biomechanics of excessive CPD and HADD do not influence 5k race performance in collegiate distance runners.

Evaluation of Association between PPARGC1A Gene Polymorphism and Competitive Performance of Elite Athletes

Limited number of researches exist on the relationship between PPARGC1A gene polymorphism (rs8192678) and affects the athletic performance. Thus, the present study aims to decipher any possible association of the rs8192678 polymorphism in the PPARGC1A gene with the competitive performances of Turkish elite track and field athletes. A total of 60 elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 control/sedentary with the ages of 18-35 voluntarily participated in the study. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score scale was used to determine the performance levels of the personal best (PB) of the athletes. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed by the genomic DNA sample isolated from blood of the participants. The association between rs8192678 polymorphism and PB was examined by one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the adjustment of sex and sport experience. According to the results, there were not any significant deviation between the wild-type (G/G), heterozygote (G/A) and homozygote (A/A) genotypes within and between the groups (p&gt;0.05). Our results underlined that there were not any significances for association of rs8192678 polymorphism with PBs within the groups of the sprint/power and endurance athletes. However, it is recommended that similar studies be conducted with more participants to provide clearer information about the research.

Medical resources deployed for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar

Background: International sporting events such as the World Athletics (WA) competition require proper medical coverage to ensure the wellbeing of athletes, support teams, and spectators1. Several factors may have an impact on people&apos;s requirements for medical attention such as the climate, altitude, and intensity of the sporting competition on the athletes2,3. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) held its 2019 competition in Doha, Qatar, and this study reports on the medical resources deployed to cover the event based on risk assessment. Case presentation: Although the competition was held for 10 days across two venues. The medical cover started 3 days earlier and also encompassed warm-up/training venues and official hotels (Table 1). It involved multiple healthcare organizations providing equipment, manpower, medical tents/clinics, and vehicles in case of transportation to the hospital was required. Results: Resources were allocated to various locations based on the risk assessment (Table 1) and depending on the number of people competing, training, or attending, and the size of the venue. Environmental factors were accounted for with the provision of cold-water immersion recovery baths at multiple locations and ample manpower with rostering of clinical staff from various relevant healthcare professions (Table 2). All resources were deployed on a rotational shift basis in the official locations well ahead of the start of each event until an hour or two after the completion of the event. Conclusion: Proper planning, communication, and collaboration among organizers, hosts, medical services providers, and other authorities play a vital role in the safety of athletes, support team members, and spectators. Such large events impose huge strain on the resources which can impact aspects of daily healthcare delivery to the rest of the community and hence need to be carefully considered. It is worth noting that the medical coverage provided was not overwhelmed by patient demand, hence; the medical coverage was appropriate.

Sports diplomacy as a modern means of solving international problems

Problem setting.. The scientific article is devoted to the issues of considering the peculiarities of one of the types of public diplomacy - sports diplomacy both in historical retrospect and in terms of current achievements. The authors try to analyze the historical stages of development of sports diplomacy, the essence of this concept and other names of "sports diplomacy", namely "cricket diplomacy", "ping-pong diplomacy", "basketball diplomacy" and so on. This chapter states that public diplomacy is an integral part of the state's strategic communications, and its function is to establish a state-to-human dialogue, taking into account the diversity of national and global audiences, and to promote human-to-human interpersonal contacts. At the same time, one of the components of achieving the desired result in the field of international relations by peaceful means is sports diplomacy. In addition, the term sports diplomacy is actively used by many modern international organizations (International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Football Association (FIFA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), etc.) to establish relations. Analysis of recent researches and publications. This topic occupied an important place in the works of such scientists as N. Litvinenko, V. Shchetkina, S. Martynenko, S. Kulik, Yu. Filippova, I. Gridina, N. Bogolyubova, S. Murey, Yu. Nikolaeva, G. Malone, I. Kant, V. Telipko, A. Ovcharenko, D. Feldman, H. Dzhantayev. Target of research. The scientific article states the following purpose: 1) coverage of the history of the formation and essence of sports diplomacy; 2) definition of the main forms of sports diplomacy, their advantages and practical application; 3) highlighting the shortcomings of sports diplomacy and prospects for their solution and improvement of this type of diplomatic activity. Article`s main body. The article reveals the forms of this diplomacy in the following important aspects: diplomacy of sports competitions; diplomacy of sports organizations; sport as a means to achieve foreign policy goals. Also, the negative side of sports diplomacy is reflected, such as its shortcomings such as fierce competition, neglect of friendly relations between countries, commercialization of this area and so on. The authors propose measures to improve the current situation and improve this type of diplomacy. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of solving acute problems that exist in sports diplomacy for the further development of international communication between the countries.

Atypical Athletic Corporeality and Clinical Embodied Deviance: A Case Study of Dutee Chand

The paper outlines the politics of gendered athleticism appropriated and instrumentalised through the medico-juridical apparatus of the sports governing bodies. The biomedical discourse governing the atypical athletic body and the embodied nature of its pathologised deviancy is drawn through the critical reflection of athletic regulatory bodies’ testing regimes and policies. It is through the detailed analysis of the Indian sprinter Dutee Chand’s case that one of many confounding disqualification charges and trials of hyperandrogenism against athletes with differences of sex development (DSD’s) is foregrounded. Drawing on the critical scholarship of gender theorists and activists, the legitimacy of the stipulated biological mechanism of testosterone as a regulatory performance index in female elite sport is contested and problematized. Pertinent here is Dutee Chand’s narrative of trial and triumph that destabilises the reductive embodiments of sex institutionalised in and beyond the sporting track. Significantly, the paper also delineates the premises of the constitutive exclusionary and arbitrary regulatory regimes propounded by the athletic governing bodies like the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). These concerns border on the geopolitics of race and nation framing the normative, prescriptive and reserved rights of femininity, able-bodiedness and heteronormativity in international women’s elite sport.

The End of Compulsory Gender Verification: Is It Progress for Inclusion of Women in Sports?

Recently, the so-called Semenya case has brought the problem of gender in sports competitions back into the spotlight. But the fact is that it is not a unique case; rather, it seems a recurrent and inconclusive problem in the history of sports. In this context, the Spanish athlete Martínez-Patiño is an important figure in the history of sport and gender verification, as well as the Indian sprinter Dutee Chand. Martínez-Patiño’s story thus serves as an important case study of the gender-based anxieties that hampered women’s advancement in track and field. Martínez-Patiño’s experience in Spanish athletics demonstrates the difficulties women faced when attempting to compete in track and field, both in Spain and internationally. Moreover, her experience with gender policies shows the inadequacies of the chromosomal check as a sex marker, as well as the harms caused by the technique. Finally, Martínez-Patiño’s protest of the International Association of Athletics Federations’ policy started to dismantle compulsory sex verification used as a criterion for gender eligibility. The publicity surrounding her case pushed the track and field federation to abandon mandatory, on-site testing in 1992. Seven years later, the International Olympic Committee also dropped its compulsory control. Martínez-Patiño became the face of the fight against sex/gender verification in sport and helped dismantle the practice. The case of Martinez-Patiño remains in the collective memory of elite sports and serves as an argument for national and international sporting institutions to reconsider discriminating policies in the context of progress being made for women’s rights.

‘If the IOC Finds Out about This, All of You Will Be Declared Professionals’: The Professionalization of Finnish Track Athletes from the 1960s to 1980s

For most of the twentieth century a characteristic feature of international athletics was the association of ‘shamateurism’ with elite athletes. The amateur rules of the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations ushered professionally motivated athletes towards under-the-table payments of gate and sponsor money, ostensible jobs, and tax avoidance. After the deterioration of Olympic amateurism in the 1970s and 1980s, professionalism was finally accepted at the turn of the 1990s. This paper contributes to the understanding of the professionalization of athletics by tracing career paths of Finnish athletes in the last decades of the amateur age. Taking some of the most successful Finnish athletes in the 1970s and 1980s as case studies, the underlying mechanics of Finnish sports system are analyzed with source material that reflects the perspective of athletes. Some athletes adroitly seized on the opportunities that the underground culture presented and gained both full-time training conditions and financial profits, whereas others remained nearly genuine amateurs. A watershed moment was the establishment of trust funds in 1983, after which the culture of shamateurism gradually fell apart. New revenue streams also created ways for Finnish women to become fully professional track athletes.

EXTENDED ANALYSIS OF TYPES OF STRIDE PATTERN AND PACING STRATEGY IN 400 M HURDLE RUN

The study aims to evaluate the strategy of men’s 400 m hurdles (400 mH) run of the best hurdlers in the world, implementing five types of stride pattern. The analysis included 243 individual runs of 114 leading world hurdlers at a distance of 400 mH, participating in the international championship (39) in 1968-2015. Data was obtained from own sources, published literature, and projects implemented by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) during the major athletics competitions. The parameters analyzed in the study included the temporal parameters and the spatial structure (space parameters) of 400 mH race. The adopted strategy of the 400 mH run determines significant differences in the temporal structure of the first part of the run and the spatial structure in its second part. Additionally, the differences determining the time strategy in the 400 mH run concern the distance from the first to the fifth hurdle. The number of steps is of particular importance in the second part of the distance, mainly between the 6th and 8th hurdles. The stride patterns determine the course of the competition (pacing strategy) in the 400mH run. In 400 mH training, about 30% time should be devoted to technical training, which will strengthen the effective use of “weaker” lead leg (attacking leg).

The importance of Reaction Time in Athletics: Influence on the Results of Sprint Runs of World Championships Finalists

In athletic sprint disciplines, the segments of start and start acceleration occupy an important place that significantly generates the final outcome of the race. The question is to what extent the start time of the reaction (latent time) has a contribution to achieving the results of sprint disciplines. The aim of the current research was to determine the influence and connection between the reaction time and the result performance of running in the disciplines of 100 m, 200 m, 400 m finalists of ten world championships. The results of a total of 456 finalists (231 men) and 225 (women) competitors who competed in the final races of the championships (from Edmonton, 2001 to Doha, 2019) were analyzed. The evaluation of the start reaction time and sprint results was based on reports officially published by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). Central and dispersion parameters were calculated for all variables. The relationship between reaction time and sprint results was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and simple regression analysis determined the direct influence of reaction time on the result success and calculated the relevant coefficients for the level of statistical significance p < 0.05. Based on the obtained results, a positive but low correlation was recorded between the mean values of the 100 m sprint results and the reaction time in men (r = 0.230p < 0.044), which was also confirmed by regression analysis. In other correlations and values of regression coefficients, no significant numerical values of the influence of reaction time on the result success were recorded in both categories of finalists.

World-Class Sprinters' Careers: Early Success Does Not Guarantee Success at Adult Age.

To quantify how many of the top 50 under-18 (U18) sprinters in the world managed to become top 50 ranked as adult competitors. The authors also described the career trajectory of athletes ranked in the top 50 during either U18 or senior category. A total of 4924 male and female athletes competing in sprint races and ranked in the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Athletics) lists in any of the seasons between the 2000 and 2018 were included in the study. The athletes ranked in the top 50 positions of all-time lists during U18, senior, or both categories were analyzed. Only 17% of the male and 21% of the female top 50 ranked U18 managed to become top 50 ranked senior athletes. The top 50 ranked senior athletes consistently produced yearly larger improvements during late adolescence and early adulthood compared with those who ranked in the top 50 at U18. Furthermore, top 50 ranked senior athletes reached their peak performance later compared with the top 50 ranked only in U18. This study confirms that early success in track and field is not a good predictor of success at senior level in sprinting events. The yearly performance improvements and their tracking provide the most suitable approach to identify athletes more likely to succeed as elite performers in adulthood. The authors hope that the results of this study can provide useful comparative data and reference criteria for talent-identification and -development programs.

The IAAF Rules on Testosterone Levels and the Right to Health

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) regulates the participation of athletes, both male and female, at an international level (see IAAF website https://www.iaaf.org/home). Therefore, it has the mandate to develop criteria for the administration of athletic competitions. In pursuance of this role, in 2018, the IAAF rolled out the Eligibility Regulations for Female Classifications – Athletes with Differences in Sex Development (2018). The IAAF states that the Rules are intended to ensure that females are given the same opportunities in terms of competing in races (International Association of Athletics Federations, 2018 Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification – Athletes with Differences in Sexual Development for events from 400 metres to the mile, including 400 metres, hurdles races, 800 metres, 1500 metres, one mile races and combined events over the same distances, 26 April 2018 - the 2018 Regulations). According to these Regulations, for Relevant Athletes to be eligible to compete internationally in the 400 metres, 800 metres, and 1500 metres races, their testosterone levels have to be under 5 nanomoles (nml) per litre. Importantly, “Relevant Athletes” who are females and belong to a specific list of DSD conditions all happen to be XY. These athletes are to reduce their testosterone levels to 5 nml/L for at least six months and thereafter to maintain it at that level for as long as they wish to participate in these races (the 2018 Regulations). They are therefore being asked to lower their testosterone levels to help ensure a level playing ground based on the debatable assumption that testosterone levels impact on athletic performance. These rules were rolled out against the backdrop of existing standards on human rights demanding, among other things, that the rights of all people are respected. That would include athletes. One such right is the right to health.

The Missing Involvement of Athletes in the Governance of International Athletics: A Historical Perspective

Abstract In recent years, an increasing number of academic studies have highlighted the fact that athletes have little influence on decision-making in international sport. However, these studies have omitted historical perspectives on the organizational structures of the governing bodies of sport that prevented the facilitation of athletes’ representation. This paper explores the struggle for athletes to gain a voice in one of the biggest and most influential Olympic federations, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). In particular, it focuses on the processes of professionalization and commercialization during the 1980s that culminated in the foundation of the Athletes’ Commission in 1989. Drawing on historical documentation from various archives, it is argued that the amateur ideology in athletics and the conservative beliefs of leading IAAF officials prevented active athletes from participating in policy-making. Thus, today’s lack of athletes’ involvement is also a result of sport’s amateur past.

Response to commentaries on ‘Caster Semenya, athlete classification, and fair equality of opportunity in sport’

I appreciate all of the commentaries as they raise a series of critical and constructive points. Due to limited space, I can only address some of the issues in brief...

Caster Semenya, athlete classification, and fair equality of opportunity in sport

According to the Differences of Sex Development (DSD) Regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Caster Semenya and other athletes with heightened testosterone levels are considered non-eligible for...