Sport-specific Context Research Articles

Perceptions of university athletes engaged in soccer, rugby and netball towards people living with HIV

This article explores knowledge and perceptions of university athletes towards people living with HIV. Data were collected by using a questionnaire with athletes involved in soccer, netball and rugby at a South African tertiary institution. Knowledge about HIV and ways of transmission was relatively high. The risk of HIV transmission in sport was considered as moderate (51.7%), low (33.3%) and high (15%). Participants were equally divided about athletes' obligation to be tested. A great majority agreed that they could play with someone who was HIV-positive. However, 23.7% were unsure whether they would stay away from a player with HIV in the field of sport and 8.5% admitted that they would rather stay away. Although most of the participants (83.6%) stated willingness to be tested, 60.7% admitted to have tested regularly. Most of the participants stated that they would try to support a teammate living with HIV, whereas 11.7% perceived that their team had a negative attitude towards athletes with HIV. Few would disclose to their team if they tested HIV-positive, and 8.2% stated that their team attended a HIV-education programme. In conclusion, although knowledge was relatively high, risk perceptions, fears and attitudes towards testing need to be addressed in the sport-specific context. Sport teams and trainers should be capacitated to provide a supportive environment and to facilitate peer education. More research is needed on mediator effects, such as group cohesion, support and communication in the sport teams, and on social–cultural perceptions related to body and physical interaction, which comes into play using games and sports in HIV education.

Characteristics of Inhibitory Motor Control in Elite Soccer Players: The Importance of Aerobic Exercise Ability

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between elite athletes and non-athletes in non-sport-specific fundamental cognitive function, as well as the role of aerobic fitness in modulating this difference. Fifteen male elite soccer players and fifteen age-matched male non-athletes were recruited. Both groups performed a stop-signal task with no sport-specific design, while their inhibitory control performance was measured. In addition, the aerobic fitness level among participants was evaluated using the PACER test (progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run). The results showed that soccer players had faster stop-signal reaction times (SSRT) relative to non-athletes, whereas no differences were found in go RTs, non-cancelled go RT and error rates. Subsequent analysis indicated that although an association was observed between groups (soccer players/non-athletes) and SSRT, this association was significantly reduced when aerobic fitness was taken into account. These results suggested that aerobic fitness might play a role in this association. Our findings concluded that superiority in inhibitory control in soccer players can be seen outside of a sport-specific context. However, this effect may be due to the consequence of aerobic fitness levels. Future research studies may necessary to address the interaction between athletic skill and aerobic fitness levels on fundamental cognitive functions.

An exercise protocol that simulates the activity patterns of elite junior squash

Squash is a popular racket sport that requires intermittent activity with frequent bursts of near maximal-intensity exercise. Consequently, effective physiological and thermoregulatory responses are important contributors to performance during squash match-play. Controlled field-based simulation protocols have been introduced in a growing number of sports, which allow sports scientists to investigate changes in physiology and the efficacy of various interventions in sport-specific contexts. This study aimed to develop an exercise protocol that simulates the physiological requirements of elite squash match-play. Eight elite junior squash players (age 16.2 ± 0.8 years, height 1.76 ± 0.06 m, body mass 61.3 ± 5.9 kg; mean ± s) completed the following in a randomized order: (1) a squash match against a player of similar standard and (2) a squash-specific incremental exercise protocol (multistage squash test [MST]) followed by the squash simulation protocol (SSP). The multistage squash test was continued for 18.0 ± 1.0 min and elicited near maximal post-MST heart rates, blood lactate concentrations and ratings of perceived exertion (198 ± 9 beats · min−1, 5.7 ± 1.7 mmol · l−1 and 18 ± 1, respectively). The SSP was 12.2 min in length compared with mean game length during competitive matches of 10.0 ± 1.6 min (P = 0.27). Peak heart rates were similar during the SSP and match-play (192 ± 11 and 189 ± 6 beats · min−1, respectively; P = 0.44). Mean exercising heart rates were similar during the SSP (180 ± 8 beats · min−1) and match-play (179 ± 13 beats · min−1; P = 0.73). Peak blood lactate concentrations during the SSP and match-play were 3.5 ± 1.5 and 2.4 ± 1.2 mmol · l−1 (P = 0.07), respectively. Peak ratings of perceived exertion during the SSP and match-play were similar (17 ± 2 and 17 ± 2, respectively; P = 0.64). It was concluded that the SSP closely replicated the demands of squash match-play in elite junior squash players. Furthermore, the SSP provides coaches and scientific support staff with a controlled squash-specific exercise protocol that has potential application in the objective investigation of a range of interventions such as training programmes, nutritional supplements and strategies to maintain core body temperature.

A multilevel investigation of the relationship between role ambiguity and role efficacy in sport

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between role ambiguity and role efficacy within the context of sport teams from a multilevel perspective. Methods Secondary school rugby and field hockey players ( n =277) comprising 33 intact teams completed the Role Ambiguity Scale [Group Dyn. Theor. Res. Pract. 6 (2002) 229] at the beginning of a competitive season. One month later measures of role efficacy were also obtained. Multilevel models were examined in relation to the sport-specific contexts of offence and defence. Results and conclusions Role ambiguity accounted for 20.70% of the total variance in role efficacy on offence and 22.45% on defence. For both offensive and defensive models, role ambiguity was able to explain individual- and group-level variances in role efficacy. However, in both cases, the majority of variance was captured at the individual level. Results highlight the explanatory value of examining nested data using multilevel frameworks when examining cognition, affect, and behaviour in interdependent environments such as sport teams. Findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms through which role ambiguity and role efficacy might be related.