The public perception of doping in sport in Switzerland, 1995-2004

The article reports findings on the perception of doping and anti-doping policies from four representative population surveys carried out in 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2004, as well as from a 2005 - 2006 survey of top-level athletes in Switzerland. The results show a growing public awareness for doping issues and increasing support for a comprehensive anti-doping strategy in Switzerland. The vast majority of the Swiss population and top-level athletes are strongly against doping and support a strategy that combines strict prohibition and sanctioning with informational and educational efforts. The perception of the doping issue and the strategic preferences in fighting doping stated by the public are largely in line with the current anti-doping strategy followed by the Swiss authorities. The results thus suggest a successful use of information resources by the authorities to create public awareness and to communicate its strategy.     

Ability of test measures to predict competitive performance in elite swimmers

The purpose of this study was to quantify the relationship between changes in test measures and changes in competition performance for individual elite swimmers. The 24 male and 16 female swimmers, who were monitored for 3.6 years (s = 2.5), raced in a major competition at the end of each 6-month season (3.6 competitions, s = 2.2). A 7 x 200-m incremental swimming step-test and anthropometry were conducted in up to four training phases each season. Correlations of changes in step-test and anthropometry measures between training phases and seasons with changes in competition performance between seasons were derived with repeated-measures mixed-modelling and linear regression. Changes in competition performance were best tracked by changes in test measures between taper phases. The best single predictor of competition performance was skinfolds for females (r = -0.53). The best predictor from the step-test was stroke rate at a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol x l(-1) (females: r = 0.46; males: r = 0.41); inclusion of the second-best step-test predictor in a multiple linear regression improved the correlations (females: r = 0.52 with speed in the seventh step included; males: r = 0.58 with peak lactate concentration included). In conclusion, a combination of fitness and technique factors is important for competitive performance. The step-test is a useful adjunct in a swimmer's training preparation for tracking large changes in performance.     

Effect of order of exercise on performance during a complex training session in rugby players

In this study, we examined the acute effects of manipulating exercise order when combining countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats in a complex training session, and the acute effects of countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats on sprinting performance. Eight rugby players participated in five trials, including two that involved performing loaded parallel squats followed by countermovement jumps or vice versa in a randomized cross-over design. Peak rate of force development and peak force were measured during countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats. Peak power, jump height, and duration of amortization phase were also determined during the countermovement jumps. Peak force during squatting was significantly greater in both cross-over treatments (loaded parallel squats-countermovement jumps and countermovement jumps-loaded parallel squats) compared with the control (P 相似文献   

Assay validity of point-of-care platelet function tests in thrombocytopenic blood samples

IntroductionPoint-of-care (POC) platelet function tests are faster and easier to perform than in-depth assessment by flow cytometry. At low platelet counts, however, POC tests are prone to assess platelet function incorrectly. Lower limits of platelet count required to obtain valid test results were defined and a testing method to facilitate comparability between different tests was established.Materials and methodsWe assessed platelet function in whole blood samples of healthy volunteers at decreasing platelet counts (> 100, 80-100, 50-80, 30-50 and < 30 x10⁹/L) using two POC tests: impedance aggregometry and in-vitro bleeding time. Flow cytometry served as the gold standard. The number of platelets needed to reach 50% of the maximum function (ED₅₀) and the lower reference limit (ED_ref) were calculated to define limits of test validity.ResultsThe minimal platelet count required for reliable test results was 100 x10⁹/L for impedance aggregometry and in-vitro bleeding time but only 30 x10⁹/L for flow cytometry. Comparison of ED₅₀ and ED_ref showed significantly lower values for flow cytometry than either POC test (P value < 0.05) but no difference between POC tests nor between the used platelet agonists within a test method.ConclusionCalculating the ED₅₀ and ED_ref provides an effective way to compare values from different platelet function assays. Flow cytometry enables correct platelet function testing as long as platelet count is > 30 x10⁹/L whereas impedance aggregometry and in-vitro bleeding time are inconsistent unless platelet count is > 100 x10⁹/L.     

During early to mid adolescence,moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with restoring sleep,psychological functioning,mental toughness and male gender

Numerous studies showed that regular physical activity (PA) is associated with both favourable and restorative sleep and improved psychological functioning (PF). However, there is little research on the topic covering the early to mid-adolescence period. Moreover, curiosity and exploratory behaviour (CEB) and mental toughness (MT) as a result of PA remains thus far uninvestigated, as do possible gender differences. The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between PA, subjective sleep (sS), PF, CEB, and MT during early to mid-adolescence. A total of 1361 participants (mean age = 13.37 years; range: 11–16 years; 51.2% female) took part in the study. They completed questionnaires covering PA, sS, PF, CEB, and MT. Greater PA was related to improved PF, better sS, and increased CEB and MT. Compared to male participants, females reported less PA, poorer sS, and had lower PF and MT scores. The present pattern of results suggests that during early and mid-adolescence greater PA was associated with more favourable sS and better PF, including CEB and MT, and that female participants reported lower scores in PA, sS, and PF. Accordingly, if PA has a favourable impact on sleep and psychological functioning, then data suggest that sports participation should be more tailored to increase motivation among female adolescents.     

Zwischenbetriebliche elektronische Katalogsysteme: Netzwerkstrategische Gestaltungsoptionen und Erfolgsfaktoren

Zusammenfassung. Das Internet und darauf aufbauende Technologien er?ffnen neue Potentiale für zwischenbetriebliche Informationssysteme und f?rdern die elektronische Unterstützung von Gesch?ftsbeziehungen. Dabei bleibt jedoch das grunds?tzliche Problem bestehen, da? der Hauptinvestor jeweils eine gewisse Anzahl an Teilnehmern ben?tigt, um eine angemessene Verzinsung der für die Systementwicklung und -implementierung eingesetzten Ressourcen zu erreichen. Da es sich im zwischenbetrieblichen Kontext bei den Transaktionspartnern in der Regel um entscheidungsautonome Organisationseinheiten handelt, kann davon ausgegangen werden, da? die kritische Masse nur dann erreicht wird, wenn sich für die Teilnehmer selbst wiederum eine angemessene Verzinsung der für Anbindung und Systemanpassung notwendigen individuellen Aufwendungen ergibt. Dem Hauptinvestor stehen dabei eine Reihe von Gestaltungsoptionen zur Verfügung, denen jeweils unterschiedliche Erfolgsfaktoren zuzuordnen sind. In der Vergangenheit dominierten einerseits auf Zwang ausgerichtete, stark kompetitive Vorgehensweisen und andererseits kooperative Strategien, wie etwa die freiwillige Beschr?nkung der Anzahl an Zulieferbeziehungen im Rahmen vertrauensbildender Ma?nahmen. Mit dem Aufkommen offener Kommunikationsstandards und neuer Technologien lassen sich diese von relativ geringen zus?tzlichen finanziellen Belastungen gekennzeichneten Strategien m?glicherweise nicht mehr aufrechterhalten, und es wird notwendig, neue Optionen in Betracht zu ziehen, wie etwa die Subventionierung einzelner Systemteilnehmer oder die Verbesserung des Gesamtsystems, die jeweils sowohl kompetitive als auch kooperative Elemente aufweisen. Der vorliegende Beitrag diskutiert diese These am Beispiel zwischenbetrieblicher elektronischer Katalogsysteme, wie sie in jüngster Zeit im Kontext elektronischer Absatz- und Beschaffungssysteme sowie elektronischer M?rkte an Bedeutung gewinnen. Eingegangen am 16. Dezember 1999 / Angenommen am 15. April 2000     

Modeling parameters that characterize pacing of elite female 800-m freestyle swimmers

Pacing offers a potential avenue for enhancement of endurance performance. We report here a novel method for characterizing pacing in 800-m freestyle swimming. Websites provided 50-m lap and race times for 192 swims of 20 elite female swimmers between 2000 and 2013. Pacing for each swim was characterized with five parameters derived from a linear model: linear and quadratic coefficients for effect of lap number, reductions from predicted time for first and last laps, and lap-time variability (standard error of the estimate). Race-to-race consistency of the parameters was expressed as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The average swim was a shallow negative quadratic with slowest time in the eleventh lap. First and last laps were faster by 6.4% and 3.6%, and lap-time variability was ±0.64%. Consistency between swimmers ranged from low-moderate for the linear and quadratic parameters (ICC = 0.29 and 0.36) to high for the last-lap parameter (ICC = 0.62), while consistency for race time was very high (ICC = 0.80). Only ~15% of swimmers had enough swims (~15 or more) to provide reasonable evidence of optimum parameter values in plots of race time vs. each parameter. The modest consistency of most of the pacing parameters and lack of relationships between parameters and performance suggest that swimmers usually compensated for changes in one parameter with changes in another. In conclusion, pacing in 800-m elite female swimmers can be characterized with five parameters, but identifying an optimal pacing profile is generally impractical.     

Implicit and explicit attitudes towards sport among young elite athletes with high versus low burnout symptoms

The development of cynical attitudes towards elite sport is a core symptom of athlete burnout and has been associated with dropout from elite sport. To date, this phenomenon has mainly been studied by investigating explicit attitudes towards sport, whereas athletes’ automatic evaluations (i.e. implicit attitudes) that have been shown to influence behavior as well were not considered. This study aimed to compare explicit and implicit attitudes towards sport of young elite athletes with high (N = 24) versus low (N = 26) burnout symptoms. Using self-reported measures, general and athlete burnout symptoms were assessed. Additionally, a single-target implicit association test was administered to examine participants’ automatic evaluation of sport. Statistical analysis revealed greater emotional/physical exhaustion and sport devaluation in athletes reporting high compared to low burnout symptoms. Implicit attitudes towards sport did not significantly differ between the groups. Furthermore, no significant correlations were observed between different athlete burnout symptoms and implicit attitudes. Athletes with high burnout symptoms show a tendency to explicitly detach themselves from sport, thus fostering sport devaluation as a core symptom of athlete burnout. However, this process does not seem to be reflected in their implicit attitudes towards sport.