Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Kinesio Tape Makes Wall Street Journal


Putting on the Stripes to Ease Pain .
Text By LAURA JOHANNES

Bright-colored strips of tape in odd patterns are increasingly being seen on professional and recreational athletes. Kinesiology tape can help take pressure off overused muscles, reduce swelling and alleviate pain from injuries, say companies that sell it. Scientific evidence is mixed, but clinicians say it seems to work—at least in the short term.

Kinesiology taping, developed in the 1970s by Japanese chiropractor Kenzo Kase, came to the U.S. in the mid-1990s. Now, a number of companies are competing with the tape created by Dr. Kase, called Kinesio Tex Tape. While the tape is sold by Kinesio Holding Co. only to clinicians, such as physical therapists and chiropractors, some of the newer brands are being marketed to consumers, with application instructions included on the package and on Web videos. (Kinesio Holding is an Albuquerque, N.M., company owned by Dr. Kase's daughter, Tomoko Kase.)


U.S. volleyball player Kerri Walsh wore Kinesio Tex Tape at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ms. Walsh is now a paid endorser for competitor KT Tape.
.Unlike standard athletic taping, which often involves wrapping a joint for support and compression, kinesiology tape is placed in a variety of patterns depending on the injury, says Graceann Forrester, a Cortland, N.Y., physical therapist who instructs clinicians on how to use the tape. It is pulled to differing degrees of tension to create the desired effect and is typically worn for two to five days, unlike standard tape, which is used mainly during an activity.

Kinesiology tape can be used to pull back a shoulder that is hunching forward, Ms. Forrester says. Or to reduce swelling in a joint, tape can be used to pull up the skin and create an area of low pressure where fluid can move and drain, she says. Some clinicians believe the tape provides stimulation to skin cells that affects pain pathways—similar to rubbing a spot that hurts.

Tape can be applied along the length of a tired muscle for support. "It allows the muscles to go on vacation for a day or two so they come back healed," says Gainesville, Va., physical therapist Holly Moriarty, a member of the Lumos medical advisory board who was offered stock options, but hasn't decided to accept them.


Kinesthesiology is growing as a non-drug means to treat muscle inflammation using strips of colored tape. D.C.-based sports chiropractor Holly Moriarty demonstrates how to tape a patient.
.Lumos, a Provo, Utah, company that began selling its KT Tape last year in major sporting-goods stores, offers a perforated and precut version to make it easier to use. Other new market entrants include Toronto's Nucap Medical Inc., which sells its SpiderTech brand to clinicians in a variety of pre-cut patterns, and RockTape Inc., of Los Gatos, Calif., which is marketing its tape to consumers as an enhancer of athletic performance.

RockTape so far hasn't published any evidence of its performance-enhancing claim, and clinicians are skeptical. Other companies' claims of reduction of pain and swelling are backed up by athlete experiences but the scientific literature remains inconclusive.

"There's no evidence of a long-term or medium-term clinically significant effect," says George Theodore, Massachusetts General Hospital surgeon and team physician for the Boston Red Sox, However, he says, kinesiology taping "is not harmful and over the short term it can have a beneficial effect" on pain and range of motion. It isn't clear if the effect is psychological, he adds.

Some trainers swear by it.Clay Sniteman, physical therapist and trainer for Association of Tennis Professionals, says he uses KT Tape during breaks in matches. "The athlete feels better immediately," says Mr. Sniteman, who says he gets no compensation from Lumos. "When that happens multiple times, there is something to it."


Two recent studies on Kinesio Tex showed some short-term effect. A study of 42 patients with shoulder pain, published in 2008 in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, found that range of motion improved immediately after application of kinesiology tape, compared with a sham taping using no tension. But the study found no significant difference in pain or overall disability scores.

Last year, a study on 41 patients with whiplash after car accidents found statistically significant pain relief and improvements in range of motion with kinesiology taping compared with a sham tape. The effects were seen immediately and continued a day later. In the paper, published last year in the same journal, the Spanish-led research team said the changes were so small they "may not be clinically meaningful." Kinesio Holding, which didn't fund either study, says a limitation of the shoulder study is that the kinesiology taping wasn't customized to each patient's injury.

Even if taping does work in the hands of a trained clinician, it isn't clear it will work when used by consumers. Taping can sometimes cause skin rashes, which can be minimized by not overstretching the ends, clinicians say. Baby oil can be used to remove any sticky residue.

See the full article here http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703465204575208193178227952.html


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Gender Influence on Response Time to Sensory Stimuli


Gender Influence on Response Time to Sensory Stimuli

by Spierer, David K; Petersen, Rebecca A; Duffy, Kevin; Corcoran, Bradley M; Rawls-Martin, Tracye
Spierer, DK, Petersen, RA, Duffy, K, Corcoran, BM, and Rawls-Martin, T. Gender influence on response time to sensory stimuli. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 957-963, 2010-

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of auditory stimuli (AS) and visual stimuli (VS) on response time, speed, and distance in male and female college athletes. Thirty-five healthy National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's soccer and women's lacrosse athletes (mean age 20.7 +/- 2.3 years) participated in the study. This experiment was conducted in a laboratory environment, using a Cybex "Reactor" a 14-sensor force plate device used to detect response times, speed, and distance. Subjects stood on the "start" sensor and were instructed at the prompt (auditory: a prerecorded "go" command, visual: an illuminated circle on a television monitor) to run through the "end" sensor without braking. Three trials of each condition were performed by each subject. Movement time, speed, and distance were recorded for each trial. General linear model repeated measure analyses and post hoc 1-way analysis of variance were conducted on all dependent variables (p <= 0.05). Movement time was significantly faster in men compared with women under AS (p = 0.008) and VS (p < 0.05) conditions. A trend toward a faster transit time was noted in men in the AS condition (p = 0.072), but transit time was faster in men in the VS condition (p < 0.001). Transit speed (distance covered) was faster in men in response to AS (p < 0.05) and VS (p < 0.001). Male athletes respond faster as compared with female athletes, and cover greater distance when presented with VSs as compared to ASs. Data suggest that performance in male athletes related to response times, speed, and distance may be enhanced with the use of visual cueing or VSs. (C) 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association



Heart Rate Responses to Small-Sided Games Among Elite Junior Rugby League Players by Foster, Christine D; Twist, Craig; Lamb, Kevin L; Nicholas, Ceri

Heart Rate Responses to Small-Sided Games Among Elite Junior Rugby League Players
by Foster, Christine D; Twist, Craig; Lamb, Kevin L; Nicholas, Ceri W
Foster, CD, Twist, C, Lamb, KL, and Nicholas, CW. Heart rate responses to small-sided games among elite junior rugby league players. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 906-911, 2010-This study investigated the influences of player number and playing area size on the heart rate (HR) responses elicited by junior male rugby league players during small-sided games (SSGs). Twenty-two players from a professional club (n = 22, mean age: 14.5 +/- 1.5 years; stature: 172.5 +/- 11.4 cm; body mass: 67.8 +/- 15.1 kg; [latin capital V with dot above]o2peak: 53.3 +/- 5.6 mL[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1; HRmax: 198 +/- 7.8 beats[middle dot]min-1) participated in 2 repeated trials of six 4-minute conditioned SSGs over a 2-week period. The SSGs varied by playing area size-15 x 25 m, 20 x 30 m, and 25 x 35 m-and player number-4v4 and 6v6. HRs were recorded continuously in each game and expressed as overall and age-related (15-16 and 12-13 years) means and percent of maximum (%HRmax). Analysis revealed nonsignificant (p > 0.05) effects of trials and playing area size on HRs but a significant effect of player number in the 15-16 age group only (p < 0.001), with HRs being higher in the 4v4 (90.6% HRmax) than the 6v6 SSGs (86.2% HRmax). The HR responses were found to be repeatable in all SSG conditions (within +/- 1.9% HRmax), apart from the small 6v6 condition in the older players. The findings demonstrate that these SSGs generate physiological responses suitable for aerobic conditioning that, although unaffected by the size of the area used, are sensitive to the player number. Accordingly, among such players it is advisable that coaches use 4v4 SSGs to achieve an appropriate and consistent aerobic conditioning stimulus. (C) 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Flexibility and Sports Injuries

Sports Med. 1997 Nov;24(5):289-99.

Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and performance.
Gleim GW, McHugh MP.

Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, USA. gleim@nismat.org

Abstract
Flexibility measures can be static [end of ROM (range of motion)], dynamic-passive (stiffness/compliance) or dynamic-active (muscle contracted, stiffness/compliance). Dynamic measures of flexibility are less dependent on patient discomfort and are more objective. Acute and chronic changes in flexibility are likely to occur with stretching exercises, but it is difficult to distinguish between changes in stretch tolerance as opposed to changes in muscle stiffness. How flexibility is measured impacts these findings. There is no scientifically based prescription for flexibility training and no conclusive statements can be made about the relationship of flexibility to athletic injury. The literature reports opposing findings from different samples, frequently does not distinguish between strain, sprain and overuse injury, and rarely uses the proper denominator of exposure. There is basic scientific evidence to suggest that active warm-up may be protective against muscle strain injury but clinical research is equivocal on this point. Typically, specific flexibility patterns are associated with specific sports and even positions within sports. The relationship of flexibility to athletic performance is likely to be sport-dependent. Decreased flexibility has been associated with increased in-line running and walking economy. Increased stiffness may be associated with increased isometric and concentric force generation, and muscle energy storage may be best manifested by closely matching muscle stiffness to the frequency of movement in stretch-shorten type contractions



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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Relationship Between Strength, Power, Speed, and Change of Direction Performance of Female Softball Players


Relationship Between Strength, Power, Speed, and Change of Direction Performance of Female Softball Players

by Nimphius, Sophia; Mcguigan, Michael R; Newton, Robert U
Nimphius, S, McGuigan, MR, and Newton, RU. Relationship between strength, power, speed and change of direction performance of female softball players. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 885-895, 2010-The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the cross-sectional relationship of strength, power, and performance variables in trained female athletes and (b) determine if the relationship between these variables changes over the course of a season. Ten female softball players (age = 18.1 +/- 1.6 years, height = 166.5 +/- 8.9 cm, and weight = 72.4 +/- 10.8 kg) from a state Australian Institute of Sport softball team were tested for maximal lower body strength (one repetition maximum [1RM]), peak force (PF), peak velocity (PV), and peak power (PP) during jump squats unloaded and loaded, unloaded countermovement vertical jump height (VJH) 1 base and 2 base sprint performance and change of direction performance on dominant and nondominant sides. The testing sessions occurred pre, mid, and post a 20-week training period. Relationship between body weight (BW), relative strength (1RM/BW), VJH, relative PP, relative PF, PV, speed, and change of direction variables were assessed by Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient at each testing session. Significant relationships were found across all time points with BW, speed, and change of direction measures (r = 0.70-0.93) and relative strength and measures of speed and change of direction ability (r = -0.73-0.85). There were no significant relationships between VJH and any measure of performance at any time point. In conclusion, BW and relative strength have strong to very strong correlations with speed and change of direction ability, and these correlations remain consistent over the course of the season. However, it seems as if many relationships vary with time, and their relationships should therefore be investigated longitudinally to better determine if these cross-sectional relationships truly reflect a deterministic relationship. (C) 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
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Sunday, April 4, 2010

Sleep quality in athletes under normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 1500 m altitude: A polysomnographic study


Sleep quality in athletes under normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 1500 m altitude: A polysomnographic study

Authors: Masako Hoshikawa a; Sunao Uchida b; Takayuki Sugo c; Yasuko Kumai d; Yoshiteru Hanai a;Takashi Kawahara d
Affiliations: a Department of Sports Sciences, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo
b Faculty of Sport Science, Waseda University, Tokorozawa
c Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Osaka
d Department of Sports Medicine, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
DOI: 10.1080/17461390903470020
Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Published in: European Journal of Sport Science, Volume 10, Issue 3 May 2010 , pages 191 - 198
Subject: Sport & Exercise Science;
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Abstract
In the present study, we evaluated the duration of slow-wave sleep (Stage 3 and 4) and total delta power (< 3Hz) in all-night non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep electroencephalograms (EEGs) of athletes during normobaric hypoxia at simulated altitudes of 1500 m. Seven male athletes slept for two nights in a normoxic condition and one night in an hypoxic condition equivalent to an altitude of 1500 m. Whole-night polysomnographic recordings, thoracic and abdominal motion, nasal and oral airflow, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded. Visual sleep stage scoring and fast Fourier transformation analyses of EEG were performed using 30-s epochs. Mean and minimum SpO2 decreased significantly during sleep in the hypoxic condition. Between groups, changes in heart rate, respiratory disturbance measures including apnoea and hypopnoea, slow-wave sleep and total delta power of the all-night NREM sleep EEG were small and non-significant for the hypoxic condition. However, individual difference in time at an SpO2 below 90% were large in the hypoxic condition, and both slow-wave sleep and total delta power of all-night NREM sleep EEG decreased in three participants who spent a prolonged time below 90% SpO2. The present results suggest that monitoring time below 90% SpO2 is recommended when studying individuals' living-high schedule even under hypoxic conditions equivalent to an altitude of 1500 m.
Keywords: Acute hypoxia; slow-wave sleep; total delta power; all-night NREM sleep EEG; individual differences


Perceptual and cognitive responses during exercise: Relationships with metamotivational state and dominance


Perceptual and cognitive responses during exercise: Relationships with metamotivational state and dominance

Authors: Joanne Thatcher a; Yusuke Kuroda a; Rhys Thatcher a;Fabien Legrand b
Affiliations: a Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
b Laboratoire de Psychologie Applique, Universit de Reims, Reims, France
DOI: 10.1080/17461390903470012
Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Published in: European Journal of Sport Science, Volume 10, Issue 3 May 2010 , pages 199 - 207
Subject: Sport & Exercise Science;
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Abstract
In this study, we examined ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and attentional focus during exercise in relation to telic and paratelic metamotivational dominance and state. Thirty regular exercisers (11 females, 19 males), of whom 10 were telic dominant (mean Paratelic Dominance Scale score=6.2±2.9), 10 paratelic dominant (mean PDS score=23.8±1.4), and 10 non-dominant (mean PDS score=15.4±0.7) completed two exercise trials. In the first trial, the participants completed a maximal ramped exercise test on a motorized treadmill to determine their gas exchange threshold (the speed at which determined exercise intensity of the subsequent trial). Throughout the second trial (a 30-min treadmill run), the participants reported their metamotivational state, RPE, and attentional focus (associative or dissociative) at 5-min intervals. Heart rate was recorded at 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, and 28 min and expired air was analysed for oxygen consumption (VO2) between 1-3, 6-8, 11-13, 16-18, 21-23, and 26-28 min. There was no main effect of dominance or dominancetime interaction on any variables (P >0.05). Oxygen consumption did not differ between states but RPE was higher in the telic than paratelic state at 25 and 30 min (t 28=2.87, P <0.05; t 26.77=3.88, P <0.05, respectively). Attentional focus was more associative in the telic than paratelic state at 20, 25, and 30 min (t 28=- 3.73, P <0.05; t 28=- 4.85, P <0.01; t 28=- 5.15, P <0.05, respectively) and heart rate was higher at 23 min in the telic state (t 27=3.40, P <0.05). During the latter stages of exercise, the telic metamotivational state, not dominance, was related to a more associative attentional focus and higher RPE. Our results support the use of reversal theory (Apter, 2001) to understand perceptual and cognitive responses during aerobic exercise, but an experimental design in which state is manipulated is needed to examine the effects of metamotivational dominance and state on perceptual and cognitive responses.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Recovery following an Ironman triathlon: A case study


Recovery following an Ironman triathlon: A case study

Authors: Kazunori Nosaka a; Chris R. Abbiss a; Greig Watson a; Bradley Wall a; Katushiko Suzuki b;Paul Laursen a
Affiliations: a School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
b Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
DOI: 10.1080/17461390903426642
Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Published in: European Journal of Sport Science, Volume 10, Issue 3 May 2010 , pages 159 - 165
Subject: Sport & Exercise Science;
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Abstract
Completion of an Ironman triathlon results in muscle damage, indicated by reductions in muscle function and muscle soreness. However, the time course of recovery from this damage has received little attention. The purpose of this case study was to examine the time course of changes in blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation, muscle function, muscle soreness, and economy of motion following an Ironman event. An experienced well-trained male triathlete aged 35 years completed the Western Australian Ironman triathlon in 11 h 38 min 41 s (winner's time: 8 h 3 min 56 s). Before and on several occasions in the 15 days after the event, the participant performed an incremental cycling test to exhaustion, running economy test at 12 km · h-1 (2% incline), maximal isometric knee flexion and extension at 90° knee flexion, and maximal squat and countermovement jumps. Venous blood samples and muscle soreness were also assessed. Maximal oxygen consumption, efficiency of motion, maximal muscle strength, and jump performance were all markedly reduced (4.5-54%) following the event, but returned to baseline within 15, 8, 2, and 8 days following the event, respectively. Muscle soreness and blood markers peaked 2-24 h after the race but returned to baseline within 8 days. In conclusion, although the Ironman triathlon induces marked muscle damage, a trained triathlete recovered almost completely within approximately one week, without the use of any therapeutic interventions after the event.