Book reviews

Richard Cox, Sport — A Guide to Historical Sources in the UK (London, Sports Council, 1983). Pp.vii + 61. £8.00 ISBN 0 906577 34 9.

P.B. Munsche, Gentlemen and Poachers: The English Game Laws 1671–1831 (Cambridge, CUP, 1983). Pp.x + 255. £18.50. ISBN 0 521 23284 8.

Garry Whannel, Blowing the Whistle: The Politics of Sport (London, Pluto Press, 1983). Pp. 117. £2.50. ISBN 0 86104 508 4.

David Smith and Gareth Williams, Fields of Praise: The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881–1981 (Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1980). Pp.xii + 505. £12.95. ISBN 0 7083 07663.

John Arlott, Jack Hobbs — Profile of ‘The Master’ (London, John Murray and Davis‐Poynter, 1981). Pp. 144. £6.95. ISBN 07195 3886 6 (John Murray) and 0 7067 0214 X (Davis‐Poynter).

Richard S. Gruneau, Class, Sports and Social Development (Amherst, The University of Massachusetts Press, 1983). Pp.x + 213. $18.50 and $9.50. ISBN 0 87023 387 4 and 0 87023 388 2.

R. Roberts, Jack Dempsey: The Manassa Mauler (London, Louisiana State University Press 1984). Pp.314. £8.50. ISBN 8071 1161 9.

Richard Cashman and Michael McKernan (eds.), Sport: Money, Morality and the Media (Kensington, NSW, New South Wales University Press, 1981). Pp. 343. ISBN 0 86840 160 9.     

Pre-exercise antioxidant enzyme activities determine the antioxidant enzyme erythrocyte response to exercise

Free radical production increases during exercise and oxidative damage occurs in several tissues. We examined the effects of three different exercise tests on the pattern of change of erythrocyte enzyme antioxidant activities. The tests were a short maximal exercise test, a submaximal prolonged exercise test and a cycling stage during competition. The participants were amateur and professional cyclists with different training statuses and different basal erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities. The maximal test produced no changes in the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities of amateur sportsmen. The submaximal test, performed at 80% of maximal oxygen uptake, decreased erythrocyte catalase (12%), glutathione peroxidase determined with H₂O₂ (14%) and glutathione reductase (16%); superoxide dismutase activity increased by about 25%. The cycling stage performed by professional cyclists increased erythrocyte catalase (29%) and glutathione reductase (10%) activities. The in vivo changes in glutathione reductase activity were confirmed by in vitro measurements: hydrogen peroxide decreased and the presence of catalase increased the activity of this enzyme. In conclusion, we suggest that the different erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme responses to diverse exercise tests can be explained by the effects of hydrogen peroxide and the superoxide anion on the antioxidant enzyme activities in erythrocytes.     

Body Fatness and Motor Performance During Preadolescence

Abstract

Performance differences between males and females have been attributed to both biological and cultural factors, although the relative significance of each has not been ascertained. Differences in body fatness between males and females has been frequently mentioned as one biological factor responsible for variations in physical performance. In children, it has been shown that boys exhibit slightly higher performance levels than girls until adolescence, when the differences favoring the boys become greater. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected physical performance tests and body fatness in preadolescent boys and girls. Measures of age, height, weight, skinfold thicknesses at two sites, and performance scores on the vertical jump, standing broad jump, modified pullup, 40-yard dash, and 400-yard run were obtained on 563 elementary school children. The results of a one-way ANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference between boys and girls on all of the physical performance tests. Although the boys were slightly taller and heavier and scored better than the girls on the performance tests, there was no significant difference between the sexes in the sum of two skinfolds. Separate regression equations for the sum of two skinfolds by performance on each test indicated that, with the exception of the modified pullup test, body fatness was only marginally related to performance. These findings indicated that, although inversely related to the ability to move the total body weight, body fatness was of minimal importance in explaining performance differences between young boys and girls.     

What the Zoo Should Ask: The Visitor Perspective on Pro‐wildlife Behavior Attributes

Abstract Zoos have some choice about which pro‐wildlife behaviors to ask their visitors to do, but with this freedom comes the difficult task of choosing behaviors that are appropriate, effective, and that do not affect visitors’ experiences. This paper presents attributes of pro‐wildlife behaviors that emerged from self‐completed questionnaires administered to 114 zoo visitors. Questions sought to elicit attributes that visitors felt should be considered in the behavior selection process. The results say that behaviors should: have an on‐site option; be new, or if known, include new learning that underpins why they are needed; be easy to do; and have a clear link between the behavior and how it helps wildlife. Respondents also made comments about specific behaviors as well as how behaviors should or should not be requested. We suggest that visitors’ perspectives be incorporated into pro‐wildlife behavior selection in zoos, and we propose that these findings may be relevant beyond zoos.     

Utility, library priorities, and cataloging policies

This paper seeks to provide a philosophical framework for choices made about library priorities and cataloging policy, the contexts in which they are made, and the consequences they have for users. The authors invoke the notion of utility as a philosophical backdrop for dealing with competing library choices and the fallout from those prioritizations. They then look at how general utilitarian principles can contextualize the layers of wants, needs, and resource allocations in the research library environment. Finally, they examine issues and recent developments at the Cornell University Library as a case study with which to illustrate some of these principles.     

Business Planning for Higher Education Institutions

Business planning is now an essential discipline for universities, polytechnics and colleges. Those which do not already have a corporate strategy will find they have to develop one in order to succeed in the new funding competition. The skills and attitudes required for successful business planning will have to be acquired and exploited alongside traditional academic strengths. In this article two management consultants who know higher education well explain how institutions can develop and benefit from a structured approach to business planning.