Montmorency tart cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) supplementation accelerates recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in females

Abstract

Tart Montmorency cherry concentrate (MC) has been reported to attenuate the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and to accelerate exercise recovery, which has been attributed to its high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Although these data are promising, there are no data regarding exclusively female populations. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of MC on recovery following EIMD in females. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, twenty physically active females (mean?±?SD age 19?±?1?y; stature 167?±?6?cm; body mass 61.4?±?5.7?kg) consumed MC or a placebo (PL) for eight days (30?mL twice per day). Following four days of supplementation, participants completed a repeated-sprint protocol and measures of muscle soreness (DOMS), pain pressure threshold (PPT), limb girth, flexibility, muscle function, and systemic indices of muscle damage and inflammation were collected pre, immediately post (0?h) and 24, 48 and 72?h post-exercise. Time effects were observed for all dependent variables (p?<?0.05) except limb girth and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. Recovery of countermovement jump height was improved in the MC group compared to PL (p?=?0.016). There was also a trend for lower DOMS (p?=?0.070) and for higher PPT at the rectus femoris (p?=?0.071) in the MC group. The data demonstrate that MC supplementation may be a practical nutritional intervention to help attenuate the symptoms of muscle damage and improve recovery on subsequent days in females.     

The effects of an increased calorie breakfast consumed prior to simulated match-play in Academy soccer players

Dietary analysis of Academy soccer players highlights that total energy and carbohydrate intakes are less than optimal, especially, on match-days. As UK Academy matches predominantly kick-off at ～11:00?h, breakfast is likely the last pre-exercise meal and thus may provide an intervention opportunity on match-day. Accordingly, the physiological and performance effects of an increased calorie breakfast consumed ～135-min before soccer-specific exercise was investigated. English Premier League Academy soccer players (n?=?7) repeated a 90-min soccer match simulation on two occasions after consumption of habitual (B_hab; ～1100?kJ) or increased (B_inc; ～2100?kJ) energy breakfasts standardised for macronutrient contributions (～60% carbohydrates, ～15% proteins and ～25% fats). Countermovement jump height, sprint velocities (15-m and 30-m), 30-m repeated sprint maintenance, gut fullness, abdominal discomfort and soccer dribbling performances were measured. Blood samples were taken at rest, pre-exercise, half-time and every 15-min during exercise. Although dribbling precision (P?=?.522; 29.9?±?5.5?cm) and success (P?=?.505; 94?±?8%) were unchanged throughout all time-points, mean dribbling speed was faster (4.3?±?5.7%) in B_inc relative to B_hab (P?=?.023; 2.84 vs 2.75?m?s^?1). Greater feelings of gut fullness (67?±?17%, P?=?.001) were observed in B_inc without changes in abdominal discomfort (P?=?.595). All other physical performance measures and blood lactate and glucose concentrations were comparable between trials (all P?>?.05). Findings demonstrate that Academy soccer players were able to increase pre-match energy intake without experiencing abdominal discomfort; thus, likely contributing to the amelioration of energy deficits on match-days. Furthermore, whilst B_inc produced limited benefits to physical performance, increased dribbling speed was identified, which may be of benefit to match-play.     

‘Strong is the new skinny’: navigating fitness hype among teenagers in northern Sweden

An increased interest in health, diet, and physical activity exist among young people, in this study termed ‘fitness hype’. Viewing the body and health as commodities can be understood as part of a healthism discourse. In this study, we explored how Swedish high school students perceive and negotiate the trend regarding exercise, diet and body ideals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten high school students, aged 16–18 years, from various educational programs and with varying levels of physical activity. Using qualitative content analysis, we developd one overarching theme navigating life satisfaction in the face of an ‘unhealthy fitness hype’. Four additional, interrelated categories showed how the young people negotiated this developing trend through: (1) the quest for social recognition and value, (2) social media sets the standards, (3) the paradox of strong and skinny as the new standard, and (4) the need for new safety nets. Our results highlight the young people’s perceptions of an excessive and influential focus on health and exercise in contemporary society. They described a fitness hype as exorbitant and unhealthy ideals of body and exercise, and understood this as problematic. Social media was seen as contributing to this hype as a powerful arena for ‘the quest for social recognition and value’. While not all the young people felt negatively affected by the fitness hype, they perceived its influence on their lives. Further, body and fitness ideals were gendered. Teenage girls faced the paradox of shaping themselves as ‘strong and skinny’. Social ties were recognized as an important safety net, particularly classmates, sports mates, and coaches. Knowledge of these problems from the perspective of young people is crucially needed among health professionals and educators. Further research should explore additional support strategies, and young people’s experiences of fitness hype among additional youth groups.     

Consistency of performances in the Tkatchev release and re-grasp on high bar

The Tkatchev on the high bar is a release and re-grasp skill in which the gymnast rotates in a direction during flight opposite to that of the preceding swing. Since the release window is defined as the time during which the gymnast has appropriate linear and angular momentum to ensure the bar can be re-grasped, it was speculated that the release windows for this skill would be smaller than for dismounts that are less constrained. One senior male gymnast competing at national standard performed 60 Tkatchev trials. A four-segment planar simulation model of the gymnast and high bar was used to determine the release windows in 10 successful and 10 unsuccessful performances of the Tkatchev recorded using a Vicon motion analysis system. Model parameters were optimized to obtain a close match between simulations and recorded performances in terms of rotation angle (1 degree), bar displacements (0.01 m), and release velocities (1%). Each matched simulation was used to determine the time window around the actual point of release for which the model had appropriate release parameters to complete the Tkatchev successfully. The release windows for the successful trials were small compared with those of dismounts. The unsuccessful trials were associated with later release and later timing of the actions at the shoulders and hips.     

Place‐related identity,texts, and transcultural meanings

The spatial turn has been marked by increasing interest in conceptions of space and place in diverse areas of research. However, the important links between place and identity have received less attention, particularly in educational research. This paper reports an 18‐month research project that aimed to develop a theory of place‐related identity through the textual transactions of reading and writing. The research was an in‐depth qualitative study in two phases: the first phase involved the development of an interdisciplinary theory of place‐related identity, which was ‘tested’ in a second empirical phase. Two contrasting primary school classes were the site for the research that included the development of a unit of work, inspired by the book My place, as a vehicle for exploring place‐related identity. The data were interviews, classroom observations and outcomes from pupils’ work. The construct of transcultural meanings, established from the analytic categories of localising identity, othering identity and identity as belonging, was identified as a defining phenomenon of place‐related identity. The conclusions offer reflections on the development of our initial theory as a result of the empirical work, and the implications for practice and future research.     

Publisher–Society partnerships to further image accessibility and global inclusivity in the Humanities and Social Sciences: Comparing top-down and bottom-up approaches

• Collaboration between publishers and learned society partners can accelerate and amplify DEIA outcomes.
• 97 HSS titles have adopted alt-text publication workflows and this change has been welcomed by journal authors and editors.
• Efforts to promote global inclusivity do not always result in greater membership diversity, retention and growth.
• Top-down, publisher-led DEIA initiatives are effective when they are aligned strategically to pre-existing society initiatives.
• Bottom-up, member-led DEIA initiatives benefit from publisher support to mitigate financial and time-based barriers to active participation.
• To reliably track DEIA outcomes, publishers ought to adopt systematic data collection strategies through initiatives like C4 and the Joint Commitment.

     

Exploring how children with reading difficulties respond to instructional supports in literacy games and the role of prior knowledge

Digital literacy games can be beneficial for children with reading difficulties as a supplement to classroom instruction and an important feature of these games are the instructional supports, such as feedback. To be effective, feedback needs to build on prior instruction and match a learner's level of prior knowledge. However, there is limited research around the relationship between prior knowledge, instruction and feedback in the context of learning games. This paper presents an empirical study exploring the influence of prior knowledge on response to feedback, in two conditions: with or without instruction. Thirty-six primary children (age 8–11) with reading difficulties participated: each child was assessed for their prior knowledge of two suffix types—noun and adjective suffixes. They subsequently received additional instruction for one suffix type and then played two rounds of a literacy game—one round for each suffix type. Our analysis shows that prior knowledge predicted initial success rates and performance after a verbal hint differently, depending on whether instruction was provided. These results are discussed with regards to learning game feedback design and the impact on different types of knowledge involved in gameplay, as well as other game design elements that might support knowledge building during gameplay.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Instructional supports, such as elaborative feedback, are a key feature of learning games.
• To be effective, feedback needs to build on prior instruction and match a learner's level of prior knowledge.
• Prior knowledge is an important moderator to consider in the context of elaborative feedback.

What this paper adds

• Providing additional instruction (eg, pre-training) may act as a knowledge enhancer building on children's existing disciplinary expertise, whereas the inclusion of elaborative feedback (eg, a hint) could be seen as a knowledge equaliser enabling children regardless of their prior knowledge to use the pre-training within their gameplay.
• Highlights the importance of children's preferred learning strategies within the design of pre-training and feedback to ensure children are able to use the instructional support provided within the game.
• Possible implications for pre-training and feedback design within literacy games, as well as highlighting areas for further research.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Pre-training for literacy games should highlight key features of the learning content and explicitly make connections with the target learning objective as well as elaborative feedback.
• Pre-training should be combined with different types of in-game feedback for different types of learners (eg, level of prior knowledge) or depending on the type of knowledge that designers want to build (eg, metalinguistic vs. epilinguistic).
• Modality, content and timing of the feedback should be considered carefully to match the specific needs of the intended target audience and the interaction between them given the primary goal of the game.