dietary intake may prove to be advantageous. Diet has an impact on athletic performance, influencing exercise capacity, promoting training adaptations, assisting recovery, and protecting immune function ( Thomas et al., 2016 ). Athletes playing nonelite AF may also be interested in dietary modifications
Search Results
Australian Football Athletes Lack Awareness of Current Sport Nutrition Guidelines
Gina L. Trakman, Adrienne Forsyth, Kane Middleton, Russell Hoye, Sarah Jenner, Stephen Keenan, and Regina Belski
Eating Disorders in Sport: Comparing Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Athletes and Non-Athletes During Intensive Eating Disorder Treatment
Laura K. Fewell, Riley Nickols, Amanda Schlitzer Tierney, and Cheri A. Levinson
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious illnesses with the highest mortality rate among all psychiatric disorders ( Harris & Barraclough, 1998 ). The prevalence of EDs has been found to be higher in athletes than non-athletes: non-athletes hold a lifetime prevalence rate of up to 4.6% ( Sundgot
Strength and Power Improvements in Athlete and Non-Athletes During Intensive Eating Disorder Treatment
Laura K. Fewell, Riley Nickols, Amanda Schlitzer Tierney, and Cheri A. Levinson
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious and life impairing illnesses ( Harris & Barraclough, 1998 ) and are present in approximately 4.6% of the population ( Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2004 ). Some studies have found that EDs are even more common among athletes, with rates as high as 13.5% ( Sundgot
Development and Implementation of the National Mental Health Referral Network for Elite Athletes: A Case Study of the Australian Institute of Sport
Simon Rice, Matt Butterworth, Matti Clements, Daniel Josifovski, Sharyn Arnold, Cecily Schwab, Kerryn Pennell, and Rosemary Purcell
-quality care for these subpopulations. Elite athletes, however, are a population group who, up until recently, have been ignored from targeted mental health programming. Organizations, coaches, and sport-governing bodies can do much to support the mental well-being of athletes ( Hainline & Reardon, 2019
International Olympic Committee Expert Group Statement on Dietary Supplements in Athletes
widespread among elite athletes, as it is in the general population. Users cite many different reasons for consuming dietary supplements, though these reasons are often based on unfounded beliefs rather than on any clear understanding of the issues at stake, and may reflect encouragement from individuals who
Perceptual-Cognitive Training of Athletes
Jocelyn Faubert and Lee Sidebottom
This present article discusses an approach to training high-level athletes’ perceptual-cognitive skills. The intention herein is to (a) introduce concepts in regard to what may be required by athletes to optimally process sports-related visual scenes at the perceptual-cognitive level; (b) present an experimental method of how it may be possible to train this capacity in athletes while discussing the necessary features for a successful perceptual-cognitive training outcome; and (c) propose that this capacity may be trainable even among the highest-level athletes. An important suggestion is that a simple difference between sitting and standing testing conditions may strongly influence speed thresholds with this task, which is analogous to game movement dynamics in sports, indicating shared resources between such high-level perceptual-cognitive demands and mechanisms involved in posture control. A discussion follows emphasizing how a perceptual-cognitive training approach may be useful as an integral component of athletic training. The article concludes with possible future directions.
The Psychological Experience of Athletes With Vocal Cord Dysfunction
Tonya Nascimento and Gershon Tenenbaum
Exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a respiratory dysfunction where athletes’ vocal cords close prematurely, causing partially or fully obstructed air-flow. Due to a resulting severe decrement in performance and lack of efficacious treatments, this study aimed to discover some of the psychological experiences of athletes with VCD symptoms. Semistructured interviews were conducted with five athletes from three different sports and two mothers of participants. Data were coded for meaningful units and themes by the researcher and one independent rater. Ten psychological facets were derived. Based on the data from these five participants, athletes with VCD may have several common psychological experiences, which may possibly be a result of the breathing disorder. The first seven facets highlight that athletes with VCD may be at risk for burnout. The facets identified are a starting point for sport personnel to plan their treatment and support of athletes in their care.
Managing Heat and Immune Stress in Athletes With Evidence-Based Strategies
David B. Pyne, Joshua H. Guy, and Andrew M. Edwards
Heat and immune stress can affect athletes in a wide range of sports and environmental conditions. The classical thermoregulatory model of heat stress has been well characterized, as has a wide range of practical strategies largely centered on cooling and heat-acclimation training. In the last decade evidence has emerged of an inflammatory pathway that can also contribute to heat stress. Studies are now addressing the complex and dynamic interplay between hyperthermia, the coagulation cascade, and a systemic inflammatory response occurring after transient damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Damage to the intestinal mucosal membrane increases permeability, resulting in leakage of endotoxins into the circulation. Practical strategies that target both thermoregulatory and inflammatory causes of heat stress include precooling; short-term heat-acclimation training; nutritional countermeasures including hydration, energy replacement, and probiotic supplementation; pacing strategies during events; and postevent cooling measures. Cooperation between international, national, and local sporting organizations is required to ensure that heat-management policies and strategies are implemented effectively to promote athletes’ well-being and performance.
Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Correlating Variables Among German Elite Athletes
Insa Nixdorf, Raphael Frank, Martin Hautzinger, and Juergen Beckmann
Depression among elite athletes is a topic of increasing interest, but empirical data are rare. The present study aimed to provide insight into the prevalence of depressive symptoms among German elite athletes and possible associated factors. In an online survey of 162 athletes, we explored depressive symptoms, chronic stress, coping strategies and stress-recovery states. Results indicated an overall prevalence of 15% for depression among elite athletes (n = 99), and revealed higher levels of depressive symptoms among the individual athletes than the team athletes. Furthermore, correlation analyses showed a significant connection between high levels of depressive symptoms and high levels of chronic stress, negative coping strategies and negative stress-recovery states. Results indicate that the prevalence for depressive symptoms in elite athletes is comparable to that in the general German population. Moreover, exploratory analyses provide first indications of factors associated with depressive symptoms.
The Effects of Video Feedback on Coaches’ Behavior and the Coach-Athlete Relationship
Mathieu Simon Paul Meeûs, Sidónio Serpa, and Bert De Cuyper
This study examined the effects of video feedback on the nonverbal behavior of handball coaches, and athletes’ and coaches’ anxieties and perceptions. One intervention group (49 participants) and one control group (63 participants) completed the Coaching Behavior Assessment System, Coaching Behavior Questionnaire, and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 on two separate occasions, with 7 weeks of elapsed time between each administration. Coaches in the intervention condition received video feedback and a frequency table with a comparison of their personal answers and their team’s answers on the CB AS. Repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that over time, athletes in the intervention group reported significantly less anxiety and perceived their coaches significantly more positively compared with athletes in the nonintervention condition. Over time, coaches in the intervention group perceived themselves significantly more positively than coaches in the nonintervention condition. Compared with field athletes, goalkeepers were significantly more anxious and perceived their coaches less positively. It is concluded that an intervention using video feedback might have positive effects on anxiety and coach perception and that field athletes and goalkeepers possess different profiles.
