Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports
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Scand J Med Sci Sports · Feb 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialThe power of competence support: The impact of coaches and athlete leaders on intrinsic motivation and performance.
Grounded in the Cognitive Evaluation Theory, a mini-theory of Self-Determination Theory, this experimental field study sought to examine the impact of competence support of both coaches and athlete leaders on athletes' competence satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and subjective as well as objective performance. Male basketball players (N = 120) were allocated to groups of 5 players. These groups were then randomly assigned to a control group or to 1 of 3 experimental conditions. ⋯ Furthermore, structural equation modeling revealed that players' competence satisfaction mediated the relationship between the provided competence support and players' intrinsic motivation, while a direct effect was observed on objective performance. In conclusion, the study findings indicate that also athlete leaders can adopt a motivating role, and that by doing so, their impact is as strong as the impact of the coach. Both coaches and athlete leaders can thus boost athletes' objective performance and foster competence satisfaction, with the latter resulting in increased intrinsic motivation.
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Scand J Med Sci Sports · Jan 2018
Microcirculation after Achilles tendon rupture correlates with functional and patient-reported outcomes.
Patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) display an extended healing process with varying clinical outcome. Poor microcirculatory blood flow has been suggested to be a significant factor for the healing process. However, whether microcirculation may predict healing outcome has been mostly unknown. ⋯ Furthermore, enhanced patient-reported outcome, ATRS, at 3 months, was associated with an elevated ratio of maximum to resting blood flow (r=.809, P=.015) in the uninjured limb. Blood flow in early tendon healing is associated with long-term patient-reported and functional outcomes after ATR. The microcirculatory blood flow of both the healing and contralateral Achilles tendon seems to determine the healing potential after injury.
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Scand J Med Sci Sports · Jan 2018
Review Meta AnalysisThe effect of sclerotherapy and prolotherapy on chronic painful Achilles tendinopathy-a systematic review including meta-analysis.
Chronic painful Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a common disorder among athletes. Sclerotherapy (ST) and prolotherapy (PT) are two promising options among the numerous other conservative therapies. As their efficacy and potential adverse effects (AE) are still unclear, we systematically searched, analyzed, and synthesized the available literature on ST and PT for treating AT. ⋯ Only one serious AE and two minor AEs were reported in the entire literature. This systematic review suggests that ST and PT may be effective treatment options for AT and that they can be considered safe. Long-term studies and RCTs are still needed to support their recommendation.
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Scand J Med Sci Sports · Jan 2018
Blood flow after contraction and cuff occlusion is reduced in subjects with muscle soreness after eccentric exercise.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs within 1-2 days after eccentric exercise, but the mechanism mediating hypersensitivity is unclear. This study hypothesized that eccentric exercise reduces the blood flow response following muscle contractions and cuff occlusion, which may result in accumulated algesic substances being a part of the sensitization in DOMS. Twelve healthy subjects (five women) performed dorsiflexion exercise (five sets of 10 repeated eccentric contractions) in one leg, while the contralateral leg was the control. ⋯ Compared with pre-exercise (day 0), reduced PPT (~25%, P<.002), MVC (~22%, P<.002), ATA diameter (~8%, P<.002), ATA post-contraction/occlusion blood flow (~16%, P<.04), and intramuscular peak blood flow (~23%, P<.03) were found in the DOMS leg on day 2 but not in the control leg. These results showed that eccentric contractions decreased vessel diameter, impaired the blood flow response, and promoted hyperalgesia. Thus, the results suggest that the blood flow reduction may be involved in the increased pain response after eccentric exercise.
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Scand J Med Sci Sports · Jan 2018
Autonomic testing for prediction of competition performance in Paralympic athletes.
While we now appreciate that autonomic dysfunction can impact wheelchair rugby performance, this is currently not being assessed during classification, largely due to lack of a standardized and evidence-based strategy to assess autonomic function. Our aim, therefore, was to establish the optimal autonomic testing protocol that best predicts cardiovascular capacity during competition by comprehensively examining autonomic function in elite wheelchair rugby athletes with cervical SCI and thereby enhance the standardized classification. Twenty-six individuals with cervical SCI (C4-C8; AIS A, B, C) participated in this study during the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada. ⋯ Conversely, International Wheelchair Rugby Federation classification was poorly associated with in-competition peak heart rate (R2 =.204; P<.05). Autonomic testing provides deep insight regarding preserved autonomic control after SCI that is associated with performance in elite wheelchair rugby athletes. As such, incorporating assessments of cardiovascular capacity in classification will help to ensure a level playing field and may obviate the need for practices such as boosting to gain an advantage due to poor cardiovascular control.