A STUDY OF CSE CRAFTWORK EXAMINATIONS

More and more higher education courses in this country are being organized on the sandwich principle of alternate periods of academic study and industrial training. But the educational implications of such courses have been comparatively little investigated. From a survey of the existing literature and an empirical study of thick sandwich courses at the University of Bradford, it is argued that the ideal of an integrated education in two environments is not being attained at present, and may, in fact, be unattainable. There are undoubted benefits, both educational and political, which accrue from such courses, but these must be set against the evident disadvantages. The time is ripe for a re‐appraisal of the role of sandwich courses.     

Electromyographic analysis of exercise resulting in symptoms of muscle damage

Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the hamstring muscles during six sets of submaximal isokinetic (2.6 rad s -1 ) eccentric (11 men, 9 women) or concentric (6 men, 4 women) contractions. The EMG per unit torque increased during eccentric (P < 0.01) but not during concentric exercise. Similarly, the median frequency increased during eccentric (P < 0.01) but not during concentric exercise. The EMG per unit torque was lower for submaximal eccentric than maximum isometric contractions (P < 0.001), and lower for submaximal concentric than maximum isometric contractions (P < 0.01). The EMG per unit torque was lower for eccentric than concentric contractions (P < 0.05). The median frequency was higher for submaximal eccentric than maximum isometric contractions (P < 0.001); it was similar, however, between submaximal concentric and maximum isometric contractions (P = 0.07). Eccentric exercise resulted in significant isometric strength loss (P < 0.01), pain (P < 0.01) and muscle tenderness (P < 0.05). The greatest strength loss was seen 1 day after eccentric exercise, while the most severe pain and muscle tenderness occurred 2 days after eccentric exercise. A lower EMG per unit torque is consistent with the selective recruitment of a small number of motor units during eccentric exercise. A higher median frequency during eccentric contractions may be explained by selective recruitment of fast-twitch motor units. The present results are consistent with the theory that muscle damage results from excessive stress on a small number of active fibres during eccentric contractions.     

Modification and Revision of the Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools

Twenty-six male and female collegiate and semiprofessional/professional soccer players (age = 20.4 ± 2.0 years; height = 172.1 ± 8.2 cm; weight = 70.7 ± 10.8 kg) participated in this study to determine the reliability and validity of a field anaerobic shuttle test (FAST) and the Cunningham and Faulkner (1969) treadmill anaerobic speed test (AST). The relationship between the AST and FAST was also investigated. Intraclass reliability coefficients were acceptable for the FAST (.96) and AST (.97) with no significant difference between the means at T1 and T2 (FAST = 56.0 vs. 55.8 sec; AST = 41.9 vs. 41.4 sec). Poor reliability for the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAT), .83 (W), .70 (W · kg-1), necessitated correcting the validity coefficients for attenuation, FAST vs. WAT = -.89 (W) and -.71 (W · kg-1); AST vs. WAT = .82 (W) and .74 (W · kg-1). These coefficients provide preliminary evidence that the construct being measured is anaerobic work capacity. The results (FAST vs. AST = -.85) indicate that FAST and AST appear to be measuring the same construct. Further research is needed to substantiate the validity of AST and FAST scores as measures of anaerobic work capacity of collegiate and professional soccer players.