Race Time Research Articles

Assessment of the inter-lap stability and relationship between the race time and start, clean swim, turn and finish variables in elite male junior swimmers’ 200 m freestyle

ABSTRACT The aims of this study were to: (1) assess the stability (mean and normative) of the lap performance, and a set of clean swim and turn variables of junior male swimmers in the 200 m freestyle, and; (2) verify the relationship between the start, clean swim, turn, and finish phases in the 200 m freestyle. Seventy-six individual races in the 200 m freestyle at the 2019 long-course LEN European Junior Championships were analysed. Start, clean swim, turn, and finish variables were assessed. The lap performance showed a significant variance. The highest variation was verified between the first and third lap (Coefficient of Variation = 7.37%). The clean swim and the total turn also presented a significant variance. Normative stability indicated a moderate to very-high stability for all variables. All phases of the race had significant correlations with the final race time (p < 0.001). The total turn (i.e., the total time spent to perform the turn), specifically turn #3, showed the largest correlation with the total race performance. The significant correlation between all phases of the race and the final race time indicates that coaches and swimmers should customise the swimmers’ preparation and race strategy at major international competitions, based on the individual characteristics of each swimmer.

Exercise Intensity and Pacing Pattern During a Cross-Country Olympic Mountain Bike Race.

Objective: To examine the power profiles and pacing patterns in relation to critical power (CP) and maximal aerobic power (MAP) output during a cross-country Olympic (XCO) mountain bike race.Methods: Five male and two female national competitive XCO cyclists completed a UCI Cat. 1 XCO race. The races were 19 km and 23 km and contained five (female) and six (male) laps, respectively. Power output (PO) during the race was measured with the cyclists’ personal power meters. On two laboratory tests using their own bikes and power meters, CP and work capacity above CP (W') were calculated using three time trials of 12, 7, and 3 min, while MAP was established based on a 3-step submaximal test and the maximal oxygen uptake from the 7-min time trial.Results: Mean PO over the race duration (96 ± 7 min) corresponded to 76 ± 9% of CP and 63 ± 4% of MAP. 40 ± 8% of race time was spent with PO > CP, and the mean duration and magnitude of the bouts >CP was ~8 s and ~120% of CP. From the first to last lap, time >CP and accumulated W' per lap decreased with 9 ± 6% and 45 ± 17%, respectively. For single >CP bouts, mean magnitude and mean W' expended decreased by 25 ± 8% and 38 ± 15% from the first to the last lap, respectively. Number and duration of bouts did not change significantly between laps.Conclusion: The highly variable pacing pattern in XCO implies the need for rapid changes in metabolic power output, as a result of numerous separate short-lived >CP actions which decrease in magnitude in later laps, but with little lap-to-lap variation in number and duration.

Effect of Half-Marathon Running on Arterial Stiffness and Blood Biomarkers in High-Level and Recreational Male Athletes.

There is no clear understanding about the effect of intensive physical load on arterial stiffness and related biomarkers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of half-marathon running on arterial stiffness and blood biomarkers during post-competitive recovery period in competitive and recreational male athletes. Eleven high-level long-distance runners (27.1 ± 4.8 yrs) and seven recreational athletes (34.3 ± 6.1 yrs), who participated in a half-marathon run were examined. Blood biomarkers and arterial stiffness (SphygmoCor 7.1) were measured at baseline and at 18 to 22 hours after the competition. There were no statistically significant changes between the groups in augmentation index (AIx, AIx@75) or pulse wave velocities at carotid-femoral segment (cfPWV) during recovery period. Between-group comparison did not reveal significant differences in blood pressure and arterial stiffness values at baseline and during recovery period. The change of cfPWV (difference between cfPWV at baseline and cfPWV during post-competitive recovery period) was significantly dependent on race time and sports level of the athlete (high-level or recreational). A significant increase was found in hsCRP, creatine kinase and LDH activity during the post-race period in both groups. No significant changes were found in oxidative stress markers in the groups after the race except for higher diene conjugates level in recreational athletes in comparison with the high-level group during recovery period. Our study results showed that half-marathon competition did not cause any significant changes in arterial stiffness parameters during the recovery period. However, the change in cfPWV was independently associated with half-marathon race time and the athlete's level of training revealing a mild increase of arterial stiffness in high-level athletes and athletes with a faster race time.

Elite Marathoners Run Faster With Increasing Temperatures in Berlin Marathon.

The influence of environmental conditions has been investigated for different marathon races, but not for the Berlin Marathon, the fastest marathon race course in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential influence of environmental conditions such as temperature, precipitation, sunshine, and atmospheric pressure on marathon race times in the Berlin Marathon since its first event in 1974–2019. A total of n = 882,540 valid finisher records were available for analysis, of which 724,135 correspond to male and 158,405 to female runners. We performed analyses regarding performance levels considering all finishers, the top 3, the top 10, and the top 100 women and men. Within the 46 years of Berlin marathons under study, there was some level of precipitation for 18 years, and 28 years without any rain. Sunshine was predominant in 25 of the events, whilst in the other 21, cloud cover was predominant. There was no significant trend with time in any of the weather variables (e.g., no increase in temperature across the years). Overall runners became slower with increasing temperature and sunshine duration, however, elite runners (i.e., top 3 and top 10) seemed to run faster and improved their race times when the temperature increased (with women improving more than men). Top 10 women seemed to benefit more from increasing temperatures than top 10 males, and male top 100 runners seemed to benefit more from increasing temperatures than female top 100 runners. In the top three sub-group, no differences were observed between male and female correlations. In summary, in marathoners competing in the Berlin Marathon between 1974 and 2019, increasing temperatures and sunshine duration showed a different effect on different performance levels where overall runners (i.e., the general mass of runners) became slower with increasing temperature and sunshine duration, but elite runners (i.e., top 3, top 10) became faster with increasing temperatures where sex differences exist.

Development and Validation of Prediction Equation of "Athens Authentic Marathon" Men's Race Speed.

AimDespite the increasing popularity of outdoor endurance running races of different distances, little information exists about the role of training and physiological characteristics of recreational runners. The aim of the present study was (a) to examine the role of training and physiological characteristics on the performance of recreational marathon runners and (b) to develop a prediction equation of men’s race time in the “Athens Authentic Marathon.”MethodsRecreational male marathon runners (n = 130, age 44.1 ± 8.6 years)—who finished the “Athens Authentic Marathon” 2017—performed a series of anthropometry and physical fitness tests including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), anaerobic power, squat, and countermovement jump. The variation of these characteristics was examined by quintiles (i.e., five groups consisting of 26 participants in each) of the race speed. An experimental group (EXP, n = 65) was used to develop a prediction equation of the race time, which was verified in a control group (CON, n = 65).ResultsIn the overall sample, a one-way ANOVA showed a main effect of quintiles on race speed on weekly training days and distance, age, body weight, BMI, BF, and VO2max (p ≤ 0.003, η2 ≥ 0.121), where the faster groups outscored the slower groups. Running speed during the race correlated moderately with age (r = −0.36, p < 0.001) and largely with the number of weekly training days (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) and weekly running distance (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), but not with the number of previously finished marathons (r = 0.08, p = 0.369). With regard to physiological characteristics, running speed correlated largely with body mass (r = −0.52, p < 0.001), BMI (r = −0.60, p < 0.001), BF (r = −0.65, p < 0.001), VO2max (r = 0.67, p < 0.001), moderately with isometric muscle strength (r = 0.42, p < 0.001), and small with anaerobic muscle power (r = 0.20, p = 0.021). In EXP, race speed could be predicted (R2 = 0.61, standard error of the estimate = 1.19) using the formula “8.804 + 0.111 × VO2max + 0.029 × weekly training distance in km −0.218 × BMI.” Applying this equation in CON, no bias was observed (difference between observed and predicted value 0.12 ± 1.09 km/h, 95% confidence intervals −0.15, 0.40, p = 0.122).ConclusionThese findings highlighted the role of aerobic capacity, training, and body mass status for the performance of recreational male runners in a marathon race. The findings would be of great practical importance for coaches and trainers to predict the average marathon race time in a specific group of runners.

Meso-pacing in Olympic and World Championship sprints and hurdles: Medallists save their best for the final

ABSTRACT The aim of this novel study was to analyse performance changes across qualifying heats, semi-finals and finals in world-class sprinters and hurdlers. Finalists’ finishing positions, times and rankings at the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships (2012–2019) were obtained. 78% of gold, 67% of silver and 38% of bronze medallists won their qualifying heat and semi-final, and in most events final placings were associated with finishing positions in the qualifying heats (P ≤ 0.006), but not with finishing times. Medallists ran faster in each successive round (P < 0.001), whereas those finishing between 4th-6th did not improve on their semi-final times. Most athletes finishing last and second-last ran the final slower than both their semi-final and qualifying heats. The short hurdles events, with fixed barrier heights and distances, differed from the other races as the medallists were faster than most rivals in the qualifying rounds (P < 0.05), and their race times did not improve from the semi-final to the final. Coaches should note that the world’s best athletes were able to conserve energy for the final within a meso-pacing strategy throughout the championships, which was more important in the short hurdles, and requires preparation within their training regimens.

Effects of forearm wearable resistance during accelerated sprints: From a standing start position

ABSTRACT Fusiform weighted garments enable specific loading strategies during sport-specific movements. Loading the arms over during accelerated sprinting from a 2-point start position is pertinent to a variety of sporting performances. Fourteen sprint-trained individuals (age = 20.61 ± 1.16 years; height = 1.73 m ± 3.85 cm; body mass 65.33 ± 4.86 kg; personal best 100-m race time 11.40 ± 0.39 s) performed unloaded/loaded wearable resistance (WR) sprints. Between-condition step kinematics and kinetics were compared over four acceleration phases: steps 1–4, 5–8, 9–12 and 13–16. Sprint performance did not differ between unloaded and loaded WR at 10-m (−1.41%; ES = −0.32), or 30-m (−0.76%; ES = −0.24). Sprinting with forearm WR significantly decreased step frequency during phase two (p < 0.05, −3.42%; ES = −0.81) and three (−3.60%; ES = −0.86) and step velocity during phase four of the 30 m sprinting task (p < 0.05, −3.61%; ES: 0.91) only. There were no significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between step kinetics amongst the two conditions. Findings indicate that arm-loaded WR may provide specific sprinting overload for 2-point starting positions. This may be relevant to a wider sporting context such as field and team sport performances.

Olympic Rowing – Maximum Capacity over 2000 Meters

Olympic rowing in its current form is a high-intensity boat race covering a distance of 2000 m with fastest race times ranging ~5.5-7.5 min, depending on boat class, sex, and environmental factors. To realize such race times, rowers need strength and endurance, which is physiologically evident in an oxidative Adaption of the skeletal muscles, a high aerobic capacity, and the ability to contribute and sustain a relatively high percentage of anaerobic energy for several minutes. Anthropometrically, male and female rowers are characterized by relatively large body measurements. Biomechanics &amp; Physiology: The sitting position of the rower, the involvement of a large muscle mass and the structure of the rowing cycle, consisting of drive and recovery phase where the rower slides back and forth on a sliding seat, affect the cardiovascular and the respiratory system in a unique manner. In Addition to these physiological and anthropometric characteristics, this brief review outlines the extreme metabolic implications of the sport during racing and training and mentions rarely-discussed topics such as established testing procedures, summarizes data on training intensity distribution in elite rowing and includes a short section on heat stress during training and racing in hot and humid conditions expected for the Olympic Games 2021 in Tokyo.

PCN207 Retrospective Study of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients in a Single Hospital System

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) are part of a group of hematological disorders with high risk of marrow failure and mortality. There is scarce real-world data about these cancer patients. We sought to evaluate differences in patterns of care between the AML and MDS populations at an NCI-designed center. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients who were ≥ 18 years old, diagnosed with AML or MDS and treated between 06/01/2016 and 03/31/2020. Patients were excluded if they had acute promyelocytic leukemia, unknown race, or inadequate treatment time. Information collected for analysis included laboratory data, type of treatment, and demographics. Age, gender, race, smoking status, eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) status, AML cytogenetics risk, malignancies, survival and reception of bone marrow transplants, palliative care consults or chemotherapy inductions were variables that were assessed. Chi squared tests and ANOVA were used to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Out of 129 patients, the mean age was 75 [SD 10.0], 66% were male, and 81% were white. Primary diagnosis was MDS in 58% and AML in 42% of the patients. Age, gender, race, smoking status, ECOG, malignancies and number of bone marrow transplants and palliative care consults were similar in both groups. Differences between AML and MDS patients were seen in cytogenetics risk category with an adverse risk (59% and 9.7%, respectively; p< 0.0001), in the number of chemotherapy inductions (67.3% and 43.1% had two cycles, respectively; p=0.008) and mean survival (459 days [SD 366] and 974 days [SD 1132], respectively; p=0.007). Significant differences exist between characteristics of the AML and MDS patient populations. Further research is warranted to assess the impact of these differences on healthcare costs and resource utilization.

The Optimal Ambient Conditions for World Record and World Class Performances at the Berlin Marathon.

The “Berlin Marathon” is the fastest marathon racecourse in the world and has witnessed 11 world records (WRs; eight in men and three in women). Weather conditions can have an important impact on race time and we therefore examined the influence of environmental conditions (i.e., temperature, sunshine, precipitation, barometric pressure, and cloud cover) on WRs and elite (i.e., winner, top three and top 10 finishers) marathon performances of men and women at the “Berlin Marathon” between 1974 and 2019. Average world record marathon times in men were 2:03:52 ± 0:01:19 h:min:s and 2:25:05 ± 0:08:25 h:min:s in females (p < 0.05). Male competitions were held 44 times (mean winning time: 2:09:48 ± 0:09:15 h:min:s) and female competitions 41 times (mean winning time: 02:30:35 ± 0:19:09 h:min:s; p < 0.05). World record performances were set at mean temperatures of 18.61 ± 2.59°C for men and 13.07 ± 4.01°C for women (p > 0.05). The ideal environmental conditions for world record performances for men were temperatures of 18.61°C (p > 0.05), sunny, mostly dry days, with higher atmospheric pressure and little cloud cover (all p > 0.05). In women, ideal conditions for world records performances were temperatures of 13.07°C (p > 0.05), with low atmospheric pressure (p > 0.05), but significantly more rain (p < 0.05), and with no sunshine (p < 0.05) and cloud cover (p < 0.05). With elite performances, the ideal temperatures were of 17.36 ± 4.33°C for men and 17.93 ± 4.07°C for women (p > 0.05), with little to no rain, and moderate cloud cover and sunshine (p > 0.05). In summary, novel findings are, that environmental conditions in world records performances differ between men and women, with women obtaining world records in bad weather (with rain, cloud cover, and no sunshine) and men in good weather (sunny, mostly dry days, with little cloud cover). Larger sample sizes are needed to examine sex differences and environmental conditions on world record marathon performances.

15 Outcomes following same-day discharges following minimally invasive prolapse surgery

To describe outcomes and assess factors associated with complications following same-day discharge for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for prolapse (POP). Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we identified women undergoing POP surgery between 2012 and 2018 who were discharged on postoperative day 0 (POD0) or 1(POD1) using postoperative diagnosis code. Procedure codes were used to select patients who underwent MIS. Patient and procedural characteristics as well as readmission, reoperation, and 30-day postoperative complications (POCs) were abstracted. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the cohort, and bivariate analyses were performed to describe differences between patients discharged on POD0 and POD1. Multivariable logistic regression (MVLR) was used to determine the role of day of discharge on POC, readmission and reoperation controlling for potential confounders. There were 23,540 patients who met inclusion criteria: 19% patients were discharged POD0, while 81% were discharged POD1. The mean ± SD age for the cohort was 61 ± 12 years with a median (IQR) body mass index (BMI) of 28 (25-32) kg/m2. The majority was white (90%) with an ASA class 2 (68%), and nearly half had a major medical comorbidity (43%). Overall complication rate was 5.5%; UTI was most common (3.9%) followed by superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (0.5%) and organ/space SSI (0.4%). Table 1 shows differences in characteristics between the two cohorts. Of note, patients discharged on POD0 had lower rates of POC compared to those discharged on POD1 (4.8% vs 5.6%, P = 0.04); however, no differences in readmission (1.6% vs 1.9%, P = 0.1) or reoperation rates (1.1% vs 1.1%, P = 0.74) were found in patients discharged POD0 or POD1. In MVLR models controlling for age, race, BMI, ASA class, procedure type, and operative time, day of discharge was not independently associated with increased odds of POC (aOR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.85-1.16) nor was increased odds of reoperation (aOR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.80-1.54); however, POD1 discharge was associated with decreased odds of readmission (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.66-0.77). Interaction analysis showed no differences in risk factors in risk factors for POC, reoperation and readmission between the POD0 and POD1 groups. After controlling for confounders, same-day discharge was not associated with increased odds of postoperative complications or reoperation in women undergoing MIS for POP; however, it was associated with increased odds of readmission.

Race Performance Prediction from the Physiological Profile in National Level Youth Cross-Country Cyclists.

Cross-country mountain biking is an Olympic sport discipline with high popularity among elite and amateur cyclists. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding the key determinants of performance, particularly in young cross-country cyclists. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological profile of youth national-level cross-country cyclists and to determine those variables that were able to best predict the performance in an official race. Ten youth cross-country cyclists of a national team underwent a complete evaluation that included anthropometric assessments, laboratory tests to evaluate the wattage at blood lactate thresholds and at maximal oxygen uptake (POVO2max), and field tests to make an in-depth power profile of the athletes. The data obtained in the above-mentioned tests was analysed along with total and partial race times during a competition belonging to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar. In the present study, large and statistically significant correlations (r = −0.67 to −0.95, p ≤ 0.05) were found between maximal and submaximal indices of aerobic fitness and cycling performance, especially when they were normalised to body mass. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the wattage at 2 mmol/L, 4 mmol/L and POVO2max were able to explain 82% of the variance in total race time. In summary, the results of this study support the use of maximal and submaximal indices of aerobic power as predictors of performance in youth cross-country cyclists.

TNF-alpha immunosuppressive use and future malignancy risk.

10558 Background: Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-a) inhibitors suppress the immune system in patients with systemic inflammatory conditions. Long term data assessing future cancer risk for these patients is not known. We assessed long term risk of malignancy in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA], Inflammatory Bowel Disease [IBD], Psoriasis [PS], and Ankylosing Spondylitis [AS], who were or were not exposed to a TNF-a inhibitor. Methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study conducted using electronic medical record data for patients with complete demographic and treatment data at Northwestern Medicine from years 1998 to 2020 (RA: n = 10763; IBD: n = 12106; PS: n = 1920; AS: n = 5103). Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the distributions of age, race, gender, smoking status, and follow-up time across exposure groups within each inflammatory condition type. Relative risk (RR) of malignancy based on TNF-a exposure was assessed using logistic regression. Results: 2583 (24.0%) of RA, 2185 (18.0%) of IBD, 1811 (94.3%) of PS, 572 (11.2%) of AS patients had TNF-a exposure. Median follow-up for patients was 43 months. The RR for any cancer was higher for patients exposed to a TNF-a agent with rheumatoid arthritis (RR 1.121 (95% CI 1.02-1.23, p = 0.015) and psoriasis (RR 1.763 (95% CI 1.32-2.37, p &lt; 0.001). The relative risk of any cancer was lower in patients exposed to a TNF-a agent with IBD (RR 0.858 (95% CI 0.78-0.94, p = 0.001). No significant difference in relative risk associated with TNF-a exposure was detected with ankylosing spondylitis (RR 0.929 (95% CI 0.8-1.08, p = 0.344). Conclusions: Patients with RA or PS and TNF-a exposure had higher RR of overall malignancy. Patients with IBD and TNF-a exposure had lower risk of overall malignancy. TNF-a immunosuppression may alter cancer risk differently based on the disease states for which it is being used. This information is critical when counseling patients on long term risk and screening strategies when considering TNF-a inhibition.

The Role of Environmental Conditions on Master Marathon Running Performance in 1,280,557 Finishers the 'New York City Marathon' From 1970 to 2019.

Aim: This study investigated the influence of weather conditions on running performance in female and male age group runners in the largest marathon in the world, the “New York City Marathon.”Methods: The analysis included data from 1,280,557 finishers the “New York City Marathon” from the years 1970 to 2019. Linear mixed models for men and women finishers with race time (min) as dependent variable and 5-year age groups, temperature, wind and relative humidity tertiles (low, medium, high) as independent factors and finisher as random intercept was performed. Additional models with an interaction between age groups and one weather variable each were performed.Results: Temperature was positively associated with race time while wind speed and humidity were negatively associated (p < 0.001). Men were significantly greater affected wind speed and humidity than women (p < 0.001 for interaction) but not by temperature (p = 0.17 for interaction). With an average of 8 min longer race time, high temperature had the greatest effect on race time. The effect of high humidity on race time was significantly increased in 40–59 years old men and 25–65 years old women. High temperatures had an increased effect on race time in 30–64 years old men and 40–64 years old women. The inverse association between race time and high wind speed was pronounced in finishers with younger age.Conclusion: Performance was lower on days with high temperature, low humidity and low wind speed. Men seemed to benefit more from higher humidity and wind speed than women. Aged (70 +) finishers were not greater affected by high temperatures.

Trends in Weather Conditions and Performance by Age Groups Over the History of the Berlin Marathon.

The effect of different environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, barometric pressure, and precipitation has been well investigated in elite marathoners, but not by age categories (i.e., age group marathoners). The aim of the study was to investigate the potential influence of environmental conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure on marathon performance in age group marathoners competing in the ‘Berlin Marathon’ from 1974 to 2019. A total of 869,474 valid finisher records were available for analysis, of which 711,136 correspond to males and 158,338 to females. The influence of temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation on marathon race times was investigated in age group marathoners grouped in 5-year-intervals. Within the 46 years of Berlin marathons under investigation, there was some level of precipitation for 18 years, and 28 years without any rain. Sunshine was predominant in 25 of the events, whilst in the other 21 years, cloud cover was predominant. Marathon race times were significantly and positively correlated with age (i.e., older runners were slower than younger runners) where the correlation was higher for males than for females. Marathon race times were significantly and positively correlated with both the hours of sunshine and the daily maximum temperature. The fastest marathon runners (meaning the minimum times) achieved the fastest race times on race days with higher maximum temperatures (i.e., 15–30°C). Daily maximum temperatures showed an influence on age group marathoners from age group 35–40 years and older. Higher precipitation levels impaired performance across most age groups. In summary, higher daily maximum temperatures (i.e., >15°C) and higher precipitation levels impaired performance of master marathoners (i.e., 35–40 years and older) competing in the ‘Berlin Marathon’ in the last 45 years. Master marathoners should start in marathon races with temperatures < 15°C and no precipitation in order to achieve a fast marathon race time.

Do Impairments in Visual Functions Affect Skiing Performance?

Nordic and alpine skiing-related visual tasks such as identifying hill contours, slope characteristics, and snow conditions increase demands on contrast processing and other visual functions. Prospective observational studies were conducted to assess the relationships between skiing performance and a broad range of visual functions in nordic and alpine skiers with vision impairments. The study hypothesized that contrast sensitivity (CS), visual acuity (VA), and visual field (VF) would be predictive of skiing performance. Binocular static VA, CS, light sensitivity, glare sensitivity, glare recovery, dynamic VA, translational and radial motion perception, and VF were assessed in elite Para nordic (n = 26) and Para alpine (n = 15) skiers. Skiing performance was assessed based on skiers’ raw race times. Performance on the visual function tests was compared with skiing performances using Kendall’s correlations (with and without Bonferroni–Holm corrections) and linear multivariable regressions (p < 0.05 considered significant). None of the vision variables were significantly correlated with performance in Para nordic or Para alpine skiing after Bonferroni–Holm corrections were applied. Before applying the corrections, VF extent (ρ = -0.37, p = 0.011), and static VA (ρ = 0.26, p = 0.066) demonstrated the strongest correlations with Para nordic skiing performance; in Para alpine skiing, static VA and CS demonstrated the strongest correlations with downhill (static VA: ρ = 0.54, p = 0.046, CS: ρ = -0.50, p = 0.06), super G (static VA: ρ = 0.50, p = 0.007, CS: ρ = -0.51, p = 0.017), and giant slalom (static VA: ρ = 0.57, p = 0.01, CS: ρ = -0.46, p = 0.017) performance. Dynamic VA and VF were significantly associated with downhill (ρ = 0.593, p = 0.04) and slalom (ρ = -0.49, p = 0.013) performances, respectively. Static VA was a significant predictor of giant slalom [(F(3,11) = 24.71, p < 0.001), and R of 0.87], super G [(F(3,9) = 17.34, p = 0.002), and R of 0.85], and slalom [(F(3,11) = 11.8, p = 0.002), and R of 0.80] performance, but CS and VF were not. Interestingly, static VA and CS were highly correlated in both Para nordic (ρ = -0.60, p < 0.001) and Para alpine (ρ = -0.80, p < 0.001) skiers. Of the vision variables, only static VA and VF were associated with skiing performance and should be included as the in Para nordic and Para alpine classifications. The strong correlations between static VA and CS in these skiers with vision impairment may have masked relationships between CS and skiing performance.

Exploring the physiological determinants of marathon performance

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): ESPA 2014-2020 Background/Introduction: Long-time endurance exercise training leads to cardiovascular, respiratory, haematological and neuromuscular adaptations. The relative contribution of these adaptations to running performance in long-distance races remains to be elucidated in an integrative manner. Purpose The study of the relationship of marathon performance with anthropometric, cardiorespiratory and haematological adaptations. Methods Thirty-one marathon runners (26 males, age: 42 ± 9 years) were examined within 3 weeks before Athens marathon race (42.195 km). Assessment of training characteristics, anthropometric measurements, including height, body weight and body fat percentage, echocardiographic study, cardiopulmonary exercise testing using treadmill ergometer and blood test were performed. Results Training age was 11(1-39) years. Body fat percentage(BFP) was 17.3 ± 7.1% and body weight-indexed maximum oxygen uptake(VO2max) was 52.6 ± 8.9 mL/kg/min. Marathon race time(MRT) was 3:59:01(2:47:17-5:31:32). Among anthropometric measurements, MRT was positively associated with BFP(r= 0.561, p = 0.002) and body fat mass(r = 0.514, p = 0.005), even after adjustment for VO2max or oxygen uptake at first(VO2-VT1) or second(VO2-VT2) ventilatory threshold, implying an effect of BFP on running economy. Among echocardiographic parameters, MRT correlated negatively with right ventricular end-diastolic area(RVEDA) (r = -0.707, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and ratio of early to late diastolic transtricuspid flow velocity(TVE/A) (r= -0.430, p = 0.025). MRT correlated negatively with body weight-indexed VO2max (r= -0.692, p &amp;lt; 0.001), VO2-VT1 (r= -0.426, p = 0.019) and VO2-VT2 (r= -0.688, p &amp;lt; 0.001). MRT correlated negatively with maximum minute ventilation(VEmax) (r= -0.418, p = 0.022), VEmax indexed for body surface area(BSA) (r= -0.456, p= 0.011), maximum tidal volume(Vtmax) indexed for BSA(r= -0.436, p = 0.018) and oxygen uptake efficiency slope(OUES) (r= -0.529, p = 0.003). MRT was not associated with haemoglobin concentration. RVEDA correlated positively with maximum oxygen pulse (r = 0.653, p = 0.001), which is an estimate of stroke volume during exercise, and OUES(r = 0.534, p = 0.009). After performing multivariate linear regression analysis with MRT as dependent variable and BFP(standardized β=0.495, p = 0.001), RVEDA(standardized β= -0.550, p = 0.001) and Vtmax indexed for BSA(standardized β= -0.110, p = 0.418) as independent variables, only BFP and RVEDA were significant independent predictors of MRT(adjusted R2 = 0.667, p &amp;lt; 0.001 for the model). Conclusions The results of the present study demonstrated that the main cardiorespiratory adaptation that could predict a better marathon performance was right ventricular dilatation, through the increase in stroke volume during exercise, whereas upregulation of tidal volume during exercise was found to be a weaker predictor. The principal anthropometric determinant of marathon performance appears to be body fat percentage, via the influence on running economy. Abstract Figure 1

Reversing the Gains of the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements: How Housing Strain and Market Exclusion Led to Wealth Depletion During the Great Recession

Objective: We use feminist standpoint theory to investigate how the intersection of identity influenced wealth loss following the Great Recession among older single adults who benefitted from the social movements and legislative gains of the 1960s and 1970s. Looking back on more than a decade of recession and recovery, this study explores how intersections of race, class, and gender produced different wealth outcomes for the early baby boomer EBB cohort. Method: A sample of older baby boomers from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study was selected at two waves, 2004 and 2016. We used a generalized estimation equation with interaction effects to test changes in wealth over time for different race and gender groups. Results: Controlling for income and health, we found that both single Black and white women lost wealth at significantly higher rates than single white men. Poor health was associated with wealth shocks, or substantial wealth loss, for single white women, whereas the intersection of race and gender was associated with wealth loss for single Black women. Black women in this cohort ended the Great Recession with $85,000 less than their peers based on the overlapping identities of race and gender independent of health trouble. Conclusions: The policy history of women’s credit and lending access, as well as predatory targeting during the subprime lending crisis, contextualizes our findings. We discuss policy approaches to prevent future wealth erosion in households headed by Black women.

Baseline Metabolomic Profile as Potential Biomarker for Weight Change After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Introduction: Weight loss surgery (WLS) has emerged as an effective treatment for severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 in adults) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is a wide spectrum of long-term response, both in weight change and resolution of T2D after WLS. Younger age at surgery, white race and the extent of weight loss prior to surgery are the known traits associated with favorable outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate untargeted metabolite profile prior to surgery as a potential biomarker for long-term weight change response to WLS. Methods: Latent class growth mixture modeling (LCGMM) was used to classify the longitudinal weight change trajectories in a cohort of individuals who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Untargeted metabolite profile was done on a 4-module Liquid Chromatography/ Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS) platform on the pre-surgery fasting plasma samples from subjects with weight regain or sustained weight loss. Metabolite wide association studies followed by pathway analysis was undertaken using Mummichog and GSEA algorithms. Partial least-square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), a supervised classification framework used for datasets with thousands of correlated variables and a small number of samples that performs variable selection and classification as a one-step procedure, was used to identify the informative features that defined the two groups. Results: LCGMM identified 3-classes of weight change in a cohort of 1589 subjects who had undergone RYGB – a) typical trajectory with significant weight loss by 12 months with plateau at ~80% weight loss (n= 1357, 85.4%), b) sustained weight loss without plateau (SWL, n=116, 7.3%) c) weight regain (RGN, 116, 7.3%). Samples from 80 subjects each with RGN or SWL (age 42.5 ± 10 years, 55% F, Excess body weight 221 ± 40 lbs) were used for untargeted profiling of 37,570 metabolite features (564 known). After QC and adjusting for age, sex, race and fasting time, 1920 features (37 known) were associated with the weight category at nominal significance (p <0.05). Amongst the known metabolites, the pathways represented in RGN were amino acid metabolism, branched chain and other essential amino acids that have been previously identified as markers of insulin resistance and T2D, while those with SWL were from sphingolipid metabolism. Dimethylguanidino valeric acid, a marker of liver fat and predictor of T2D was higher in individuals with SWL. Pathway analysis of the known and unknown metabolites together revealed pathways in urea cycle, pyrimidine, glutamate, essential amino acids, and butyrate metabolism. Features identified by PLS-DA overlapped with these pathways. Conclusions: Untargeted baseline metabolites may serve as predictive biomarkers for weight change after RYGB. Future work will focus on developing a metabolite risk score and replication in other cohorts.

A New Decision Calculus: Race in International Political Economy Studies

On September 30, 2020, several of us dialed in to attend a webinar panel discussion on “Race, Identity and Culture in the (Post-)Globalization Era.” The participants shared their thoughts on how and why race factors into international political and economic processes. In the spirit of addressing the topic from a political economy perspective, it seems worthwhile to outline the decision calculus that determines why considering race in international political economy (IPE) research is a good idea. If the benefit b of accounting for race times the probability p of success outweighs the costs c weighted by the probability (1 - p) of failure, race should be a key component of IPE research moving forward.