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1
Kinugasa, Taisuke. "Individualized assessment of conditioning for elite athletes /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18053.pdf.
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Wimshurst, Zöe. "Visual skills in elite athletes." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2012. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/791906/.
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In order to perform at the highest level, athletes will acquire information from all of their sensory systems. It would be intuitive to assume that the most vital information for the majority of sports-related tasks will be gathered via the visual system and that this visual input. tends to override information from other sensory sources. Research is beginning to highlight the links between the ability to quickly and accurately pick up visual information and quality of performance in a range of sports (Erickson, 2007). The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the visual skills of elite athletes and the effect of these visual skills on performance at the highest level of sport. The first experimental chapter aims to assess the current level of visual skills present in athletes of the highest level and compare these to lower level athletes, as well as by gender and sport. The thesis then goes on to develop a tool to use in order to assess the visual demands of a particular sport. In Chapters Four and Five visual training programmes are used with the aim of improving visual skills of elite athletes. In one study improvements are measured by playing position and the next applies different methods of vision training and improvements are measured not only in visual skill but also in sport-specific skill. Finally Chapter Six uses fMRI to compare the different brain function of expert athlete with novices. This thesis has shown that athletes from different sports, genders and abilities show assorted visual skills. It has also developed a tool to uncover which visual skills an expert considers most important for their sport. The training studies have proved successful in improving not only the visual skills of elite athletes but also their sport specific skills. Finally, it has been shown that experts use different areas of their brain when making sporting judgements, regardless of whether the decision is in the sport in which they excel or in an unfamiliar sport.
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Smith, Judith Veronica. "Psychological momentum in elite athletes." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2000. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5636/.
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The competitive sporting environment provides an ideal opportunity to examine the concept of psychological momentum. The aim of this thesis is to further develop the issues raised by the momentum literature through the application of an eclectic range of research approaches. Study One examined positive and negative experiences for successful and unsuccessful performances within a population of elite middle and long distance runners. A qualitative design revealed that there were differences between the number of positive and negative experiences exhibited for the two performances. More specifically, more positive experiences were found for the successful performance and negative experiences for the unsuccessful performance. Personal and situational variables, such as confidence, goals, anxiety and attributions, were examined and it was concluded that the athletes' interpretations of experiences may be related to positive and negative momentum states. The second study examined in more detail the relationship between positive and negative experiences. It also attempted to gain a greater understanding of perceived momentum by tracking momentum shifts over time between competing tennis players. A diverse approach to data collection and analysis allowed for comparisons between competing players to be made. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that winning the first point in a game resulted in more games being won, compared to losing the first point. Content and frequency analysis was also carried out based on interview data. Results indicated that differences existed between the winners and losers. In particular, more positive experiences were exhibited by the winners and more negative experiences by the losers. More in-depth case studies were used to gain a more detailed insight into momentum shifts. Each match examined told a unique story, however similarities were found. There were two main findings, firstly losers identified more key momentum moments than winners. Secondly, questionnaire data revealed divergent patterns for perceived status over a range of parameters (e.g. fatigue) between each winner and loser. In combination these findings offered further support for the differentiated existence of momentum within sports competition. The final study considered the notion of momentum from a more holistic perspective and utilised a longitudinal methodology to examine both on and off court activities of a female tennis player on the professional circuit. A departure from the previous post-positivistic paradigm lead to a case study being produced which identified fluctuation of momentum both during and between performances. Results adapt well to recent models of momentum and are discussed in terms of each construct. The findings from the thesis support the existence of psychological momentum and contribute towards a reformulated model of momentum. The model draws upon findings from the present thesis and also incorporates findings from previous momentum research. Finally, the unique approach of combining traditional quantitative methods with more recent qualitative techniques highlighted concerns over the rigidity of past research and suggests how new lines of enquiry might be used in future research.
4
Gustafsson, Henrik. "Burnout in Competitive and Elite Athletes." Doctoral thesis, Örebro : Universitetsbiblioteket, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-1737.
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Biggin, Isobelle J. R. "An investigation of elite athletes' and coaches' perceptions of mental ill-health in elite athletes." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2015. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/13826/.
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Research suggests elite athletes have an equal, possibly higher, probability of developing mental ill-health as the general population. However understanding of these issues amongst athletes and coaches remains largely unknown. The perceptions of 20 elite athletes and 16 elite coaches of mental ill-health amongst elite athletes were explored. Two concurrent, three round Delphi methods, using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, were used to compare groups’ responses. Athletes and coaches expressed different opinions and experiences of mental ill-health amongst elite athletes. However, both felt the pressure athletes place upon themselves is a significant contributing factor and that obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety may be particularly prevalent. Whilst associated stigma was thought to be a barrier to support seeking, both groups felt sport and clinical psychologists would provide the most appropriate support, with coaches playing an important role. Implications for coaches, clinical and sport psychologists are explored and suggestions for future research are presented.
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Burden, Sharon. "Transition experiences following involvement in an elite athlete residential program ̜/." View thesis View thesis, 2002. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030325.173337/index.html.
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Carr, Christopher M. "Substance abuse education with elite athletes." Virtual Press, 1992. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/833473.
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This study addressed the efficacy of a multimodal substance abuse prevention program with elite-level athletes. By utilizing components of substance abuse information and education, coping skills training, and self-esteem strategies, the study examined the effect of these variables on the subsequent alcohol and drug use behaviors and attitudes of the participants.In addition, measures of self-esteem and stress were examined to determine the effect of prevention on these variables. Gender differences were examined regarding substance use behaviors and attitudes, and change score measures were utilized to observe for behavioral changes from pretest to follow-up testing.Results indicated no differences on any of the dependent measures. Utilizing a repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), no significant differences in substance use behaviors and attitudes between athletes in the treatment and control conditions were found. There were also no gender differences reported on the dependent measures. In addition, chisquare (X2) analyses demonstrated no behavioral or attitudinal differences. A significant finding indicated that control group subjects had more substance abuse changes (both positive and negative) than the treatment condition. The hypotheses of the study were unconfirmed as a result of the statistical analyses.Limitations of the present study include the small sample size (although representative of the population), the small amount of actual reported use behaviors, and the length of the program (not sufficient time). It is recommended that future research in this area maintain the multimodal approach, while lengthening the time of implementation. Future dependent measures must be able to accurately detect small fluctuations in reported substance abuse behavioral changes.The survey data suggest that athletes at the elite level do demonstrate alcohol and drug use behaviors that may be detrimental to their personal and professional potential. Substance abuse education programs are necessary components of holistic prevention for athletes at all levels of training and competition. Future programs must consider the present study in the development of more successful and practical substance abuse education for athletes.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
8
Stone, Michael H. "Periodization for Advanced and Elite Athletes." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4505.
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Stone, Michael H. "Periodization for Advance and Elite Athletes." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4503.
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Malekos, Andrea. "The use of dietary supplements among elite national athletes, varsity athletes and non-athletic university students." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0015/MQ49640.pdf.
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Burden, S. A., University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Psychology. "Transition experiences following involvement in an elite athlete residential program." THESIS_CAESS_PSY_Burden_S.xml, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/424.
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The aims of this thesis were to determine the relationship between transition model variables and athlete reactions to the transition event, the incidence of positive versus negative reactions to the event, identifications of variables that assisted or hindered the adaptation process, and the usefulness of the revised model for investigating a transition event. The study was conducted using a sample of adolescent athletes who participated in the residential program at the Australian Institute of Sport during the years 1993 to 1997. The findings highlighted areas for future consideration in research and development of transition programs for institutional settingsDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) (Psychology)
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Marthinus, Jantjie M. "Psychological effects of retirement on elite athletes." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1133.
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Sagar, Sam S. "Fear of failure among young elite athletes." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2007. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/19049.
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Fear of failure has negative psychological and physiological effects on children in achievement settings. Perceiving the consequences of failure to be aversive provides the basis for fear of failure, and the anticipation of threatening outcome elicits fear. This thesis focuses on investigating fear of failure in the sport domain, specifically among young elite athletes. The first study (chapter 4) examined young athletes' (n=9; ages 14-17 years) perceptions of the consequences of failure, the effects of fear of failure on them, and their coping responses to the effects of fear of failure. Data analysis revealed that the most commonly perceived aversive consequences of failure were diminished perception of self, no sense of achievement, and the emotional cost of failure. Fear of failure affected the athletes' well-being, interpersonal relationships, schoolwork, and sporting performance. They employed a combination of problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance focused coping strategies, the latter being the most frequently reported strategy. Study 2 (chapter 5) aimed to examine the developmental origins of fear of failure among young elite athletes. Three intact families of young elite athletes (ages 13-14 years) volunteered to participate in this study. Data analysis revealed three mechanisms of fear of failure transmission: parental punitive behaviour, parental controlling behaviour, and parental expectations. The athletes and their parents reported common fears of failure, such as fears of negative judgment, of not attaining aspirations, of losing ranking, and of nonselection to future competitions. The study provided evidence to support an intergenerational transmission of fear of failure from parents to young elite athletes through recurrent patterns of parent-child interaction. The third and final study (chapter 6) designed an intervention programme whose primary aim was to reduce young elite athletes' (n=6, ages 13-15 years) fear of failure levels through parental training, and its secondary aim was to reduce their parents' fears of their child's failure. The intervention comprised two separate educational programmes. The first programme offered the parents (6 couples) a one-off educational seminar (Study 3a) and the second programme offered a young elite athlete and her parents ten weekly one-to one intervention sessions (Study 3b). Both programmes aimed to teach parents about fear of failure and about their role in the development of their child's FF, specifically addressing issues of parent-child communication and interaction. Cognitive-behavioural therapy provided the framework for the intervention. Findings from both programmes showed that the parents reduced their punitive behaviours and adopted more favourable ways of reacting to their child's failures. Both programmes showed that the athletes' and parents' fear of failure levels had decreased post-intervention. Avoidance motivation goals also decreased for most of the athletes. This research extends our knowledge on the FF phenomenon in the youth sport context, where research on FF has been greatly neglected. It provides the first scientific documentation of young elite athletes' perceptions of the consequences of failure, the effects of fear of failure on them, and their coping responses to these effects. It also provides the first evidence to support intergenerational transmission of fear of failure from parents to young elite athletes; thus, implicating parents in the developmental origins of fear of failure in young elite athletes. The intervention programme offers the first documented scientific programme designed to reduce fear of failure levels of young elite athletes and their parents, thus, enhancing our knowledge about the treatment ofFF. The findings of this research can be used to inform assessment, diagnosis, and treatment off ear of failure in sport. A better understanding of the fear of failure phenomenon in sport will enable sport psychologists to enhance young athletes' performances, well-being, and social development.
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Whale, Andy. "Sleep and performance in elite level athletes." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2014. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/14624.
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There is a widespread belief among elite level athletes and their coaches that adequate sleep is pre-requisite for those seeking to achieve optimum performance. Despite the prevalence of this belief, combined with the common occurance of sleep complaints among athletes, there has been surprisingly little empirical investigation of sleep in this population; the vast majority of sleep research takes place in normal populations, and employs methods of sleep disturbance that are not relevant to elite level athletes. When athletes have been studied, investigations thus far have failed to measure sleep objectively during the competitive season, and have relied on subjective and retrospective self-report. The aim of this thesis has been to examine the prevalence of sleep disturbance among elite level athletes, and to investigate the impact that sleep can have on subsequent performance both in training for competition and in competition itself. The impact that training and competing in elite level sport could have on sleep was also investigated, as were a number of other factors related to elite level competition. A total of 68 elite level athletes, both male and female, from 3 different sports (football, basketball, swimming), volunteered to have their sleep measured by wrist actigraphy for a period of at least 2 weeks. Twenty-seven age-matched sedentary participants were similarly recruited to act as a control group. Thirty-three professional football players, playing in either an England and Wales Premiership or Championship football club continued to have their sleep measured by wrist actigraphy for a period of eight weeks of the regular competitive season, during which their on-pitch performance was measured by means of the ProZone® player tracking system, and their performance in training was measured by the Catapult X3® GPS system. Both measures are widely used currently to measure performance in professional football, ensuring that performance was measured as it occurred naturally instead of in a contrived setting. Wrist actigraphy was similarly chosen since it allows for long term objective measurement of sleep. In agreement with anecdotal reports and previous research, evidence of a significant level of sleep disturbance was found among all the types of elite athletes studied. A number of stressors associated with elite competition also demonstrated a significant impact on sleep, particularly to sleep timing following matches, and more generally as a consequence of physical activity during evening matches. Sleep did not have a statistically significant impact on subsequent performance during matches, although, given the narrow margins between success and failure involved in competing at such a high level, the size of the effect in evidence may still have important implications for athletes and coaches. Sleep also demonstrated a significant impact on performance during training. The evidence of significant sleep disturbance has serious implications for elite level athletes; on its own the level of sleep disturbance has a number of potentially adverse consequences, such as increased risk of infection and illness, compromised metabolism, and sub-optimal recovery from training, potentially serious factors for those training for optimal performance. In addition, the consequences that poor sleep has on training could hamper efforts to prepare properly for elite athletic competition, as well as having a marginal impact on performance itself.
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Moyle, Gene Margaret. "Psychological screening and injury among elite athletes." Thesis, University of Southern Queensland, 2005. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/69367/1/Gene_Moyle_-_Doctoral_Thesis_2005.pdf.
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The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of the psychological component of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Health Screening Questionnaire in screening for injury/illness characteristics among elite athletes. In total, 793 scholarship athletes (409 females and 384 males) ranging in age from 11 to 41 years (M = 19, SD = 4.4) across 20 sports at the QAS in Brisbane, Australia, completed the QAS Health Screening Questionnaire. Psychological risk factors examined were life stress and mood, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale - 10 (PSS-10) and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) respectively, in addition to disordered eating behaviours and history of diagnosed psychological disorders. Medical risk factors examined included asthma and back pain. Single-factor MANOVAs showed multivaritate effects for injury, second injury, back pain, asthma, anxiety disorder diagnosis, and fasting. Discriminant function analyses demonstrated that life stress and mood scores had significant utility in correctly classifying injury and second injury status, asthma, back pain, anxiety, and eating disorder diagnosis, in addition to the use of fasting and vomiting as weight control methods. The present findings suggest that the psychology component of the QAS Health Screening Questionnaire demonstrates significant utility as a screening tool regarding injury/illness characteristics among elite athletes.
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Cregan, Kerry. "The knowledge of elite level coaches of swimmers with a physical disability /." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=83174.
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The last decade has seen an increase in empirical research pertaining to coaching science and education. A great deal of research has focused on coaches of elite able-bodied athletes, while coaches of athletes with a disability have generally been overlooked. In a recent analysis of disability sport, only 5% of empirical publications pertained to coaching. Thus, the current study addressed the gap in the literature by examining the knowledge of disability sport coaches. Six elite level Canadian coaches of swimmers with a physical disability were interviewed using an unstructured, open-ended interview format. Four categories emerged from the analysis: coach background and characteristics, training, competition, and contextual factors. Results revealed who the coaches were, what they did, and similarities with elite able-bodied coaches, as well as differences that were specific to coaching swimmers with a physical disability. Specifically, it was essential for coaches to become knowledgeable of their athletes' disabilities, deal with issues of equality between able-bodied and swimmers with a physical disability, and accommodate a large array of individual needs. These findings augment knowledge in coaching psychology by including elite level coaches of athletes with physical disabilities.
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Lindmark, Emily, and Sabine Lif. "Successful and less successful athletic retirement in Swedish female elite athletes : Contributing factors." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Sektionen för hälsa och samhälle (HOS), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-21587.
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Drybrough, Daniel J. "Former elite-amateur athletes' experience of successful transition." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/mq24657.pdf.
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Amirault, Kimberley. "The perception of balance in elite athletes' lives." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0001/MQ32523.pdf.
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Martin, Neil. "Investigating phenotypes of asthma in elite performance athletes." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/28464.
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There is a high prevalence of exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in elite athletes. It has been suggested that damage to the airway epithelium is the key effector process and that EIB in athletes is due to different mechanisms than exercise induced asthma. Whether testing strategies are as valid in athletes is controversial, but regulatory bodies continue to advocate the use of objective tests for diagnosis. How responses to these relate to sport, airways inflammation and to symptoms is unclear. We investigated responses to direct and indirect challenge tests and patterns of airways inflammation in symptomatic, international, endurance athletes. We focused on differences between pool-based and non-pool based endurance athletes to see if environmental factors played a significant role. We also investigated the interaction between airways epithelial and human lung mast cells in vitro and compared these between healthy and asthmatic donors. Of the challenges assessed, EVH related most closely to eosinophilic airways inflammation. The other tests examined did not relate particularly closely to each other, to eosinophilic airways inflammation or to markers of mast cell activation. There were no differences between pool and non-pool based athletes in terms of patterns of airways inflammation or airway mediator release in response to challenge testing. Pool-based athletes had significantly more airways hypereactivity when compared to non-pool based athletes. Those who test positive to EVH have more eosinophilic airways inflammation and more epithelial cells in their sputum than those who have a negative test. All indirect challenge tests increased the level of PGE2 in the airways compared to direct testing, even when corrected for degree of bronchoconstriction, suggesting epithelial stress. In vitro, an intact, healthy epithelium significantly suppresses constituitive and IgE mediated human lung mast cell histamine secretion. This suppression is attenuated in asthmatic or injured epithelium and is mediated by a small, labile, lipid soluble mediator. There is a significant heterogeneity in airways inflammation and airways hyperreactivity in elite performance athletes. The role of the epithelial cell in the development of EIB requires further exploration. The interaction between the epithelium and human lung mast cells needs to be fully elucidated and its potential for therapeutic manipulation further explored.
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Heffernan, S. M. "Molecular genetic characteristics of elite rugby union athletes." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2016. http://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/618365/.
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The capacity to achieve elite athletic success is known to be highly heritable and physiologically complex. Recently, there has been a substantial rise in the number of peer reviewed sports genomics publications, however the majority of these have focused on the genetic components of either strength/sprint/power or endurance athletes, with little attention given to team sports. Since rugby union (RU) athletes perform under a well-defined set of rules and parameters, which are ubiquitous across all playing positions, they present an ideal cohort via which to study the importance of genetic variation in sport and as such is the purpose of the present thesis. The aims of the present thesis were, firstly, to recruit a large cohort of elite RU athletes and compare the genetic profile of these athletes to that of a control population. Secondly, because of the large physiological differences between elite RU playing position, the present thesis further aimed to compare the genetic diversity in RU inter-positional variation. 1164 participants, consisting of 454 elite RU athletes and 710 controls from the general population were recruited for the present thesis. Genotyping data was generated for SNPs within the APOE ε4 (rs429358 and rs7412), ACTN3 (rs1815739), ACE I/D or ACE tag SNP (rs4341), COL5A1 (rs12722 and rs3196378) and FTO (rs9939609) genes. Only the COL5A1 SNPs were different when comparing the entire elite RU cohort to controls. However, observations of APOE ε4 frequency did reveal that ~30% of elite RU athletes are at higher risk of poor outcome following mTBI (concussion). Regarding playing position, both ACTN3 and FTO showed position specific variation, with the greatest associations in the backs playing position. There were no associations between elite RU athletes and controls for ACE I/D. When incorporating all of the above SNPs into a polygenic profile, the entire elite RU cohort, the backs and forwards showed significant deviation from controls. Interestingly by using an ROC model the present thesis identified significant polygenic sensitivity in discriminating between elite RU backs and forwards which trended towards the backs. The data generated in the present thesis are the first to show genetic variation in a large cohort of elite RU athletes, with particular emphasis on positional specificity. These data are only the 'tip of the iceberg' in understanding the molecular aspect of elite RU physiological underpinnings and analysis of many more variants are required in addition to replication of the present results. Nonetheless, these data are the first step in this understanding and may have implications in positional selection, position specific training and injury management, in the future. Follow up studies should focus on further recruitment of elite RU athletes and combining genetic data with phenotypic data, specific to elite RU athletes and with particular attention to injury susceptibility.
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Weekes, Karen. "Effective coping mechanisms of elite ultra-endurance athletes." Thesis, Ulster University, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.648025.
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Background: The compulsion to test one's endurance capacity is widespread in modern society, demonstrated for example by the increased participation rates within adventure sports (Jirasek, 2007). Psychologically based evidence within the corpus reveals that effective coping mechanisms, conducive to elite ultra-endurance athletes performance, is limited. Objectives: The aims of the thesis were four-fold. Firstly, clarification of the stressors elite endurance athletes encounter during their sporting disciplines was sought. Secondly, the study aimed to establish specific, effective coping mechanisms which these athletes implement to overcome stressors. A coping framework was then developed from the information gleaned from the gathered data. Finally, the effectiveness of specific coping mechanisms were illuminated, and the coping framework was tested for accuracy. The overall aim of the thesis is to provide performers and sports psychologists with a comprehensive framework for managing and guiding ultra-endurance based athletes. Method: A mixed methods approach was implemented. A qualitative research approach, guided by grounded theory was employed to contextualize the complexities of elite ultra-endurance athletes coping methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an international cohort of elite, information rich specialists, specifically mountaineers (N=lO) and ultra-distance runners (N=8). Participants also completed the Athletic Skills and Coping Inventory for Sport questionnaire (ASCI-28; Smith et al., 1995). In addition, a case study was adopted to investigate the effectiveness of specific coping tools and test the accuracy of the coping model. Findings: Stressors emerged from personal (e.g., fear), organisational (e.g., social support) and competitive (e.g., opponents) sources, supporting past literature (e.g., Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012). Coping emerged from emotion (e.g., self-talk), approach (e.g., imagery), problem (e.g., goal setting) and appraisal (e.g., self-deception) based approaches. Stressors were linked to specific, effective coping mechanisms, and the benefits of contemporary coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness and meditation, were illuminated. The value of the coping framework for endurance athletes was verified. Recommendations for future research include further exploration into mindfulness as an effective coping mechanism for endurance athletes
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Schoeler, Lieselotte Maria. "Personality traits and cognitive performance in elite athletes." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6056.
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Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-58).
Mental performance consists of cognitive components, such as memory capacity, motor function, or decision making, and psychological components, such as personality traits, psychological well-being, or coping strategies. While certain personality traits have been shown to be associated with specific strengths and weaknesses in an individual’s cognitive abilities only few studies have been done to investigate this relationship in athletes. Our study therefore aims to investigate the correlations between certain personality traits and cognitive performance in a sample of elite hockey players. 25 male athletes completed the ‘WebNeuro Sport’ assessment by the Brain Resource Company.
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Frick, Denise. "Habit(us) values and mindfulness among elite athletes." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60359.
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This study aimed at exploring the possible impact that habits, values and mindfulness can
have on an athlete's achievement of success. It provided a thorough understanding of these
three concepts and analysed the interrelationship they might have. By examining their
interconnectedness, the study found that a triadic relationship exists among habits, values
and mindfulness in the sport context.
The fieldwork was conducted with athletes from various performance levels. Elite athletes
were represented by athletes who have continuously performed exceptionally (having won
medals at Olympics, Commonwealth Championships, World Cups or Continental
Championships) on the international stage. These athletes formed part of the first phase of
this study. Athletes performing on club-, provincial- and national level were the participants in
the second phase of the study. The study found that athletes from the four performance
levels experienced habits, values and mindfulness differently. Certain core habits and values
were present among the different athlete populations. Elite athletes identified visualisation,
simplicity, simulation training and pre-performance routines as crucial habits in their
respective sports. The elite athletes indicated the importance of behavioural consistency and
that they tend to behave in a manner that is consistent with their values and to hold
themselves accountable to those values. Although there were similarities, the strength of
similar habits differed among the athletes from the different levels of performance. In
general, the three strongest habits among the four different performance levels, were the
habits of responsiveness, discipline and resilience.
The club-, provincial- and national athletes valued interpersonal relationships such as
loyalty, commitment and respect for others, higher than values that are more inclined to
assist in individual satisfaction and needs. Though the differences were not statistical
significant, it might be interesting to note that the national athletes scored higher on values such as self-direction, universalism and benevolence. Club athletes scored higher on values
such as hedonism and tradition.
The role of mindfulness in the attainment of success received varied emphasis from the
club-, provincial-, national- and elite athletes. The elite athletes identified mindfulness as a
key element in the maintenance of a successful long-term sport career. The elite athletes
linked mindfulness and visualisation with the understanding that the two concepts are
interconnected and that mindfulness might be aided by the practice of visualisation. The
club-, provincial- and national athletes identified a link between the habit of focusing and
mindfulness, indicating that focusing assists them in heightening their awareness levels in
situations. Athletes from the varying performance levels referred to mental skills concepts as
habits. They distinguished between behavioural habits as well as mental skills habits.
Correlation assessments were conducted to assess for links between habits, values and
mindfulness. Twenty eight correlations were found between the assessed habits and values.
Five correlations were found between values and mindfulness variables. Forty two
correlations were found between habits and mindfulness variables.
Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to gather the data. The results
indicated that the development of athletes on all levels of performance can be enhanced by
being attentive to the habits, values and mindfulness levels of athletes. The
recommendations provided by this study will provide options to enhance performance levels
and possibly contribute to the holistic development of athletes in South Africa, Africa and the
broader sport fraternity.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences
DPhil
Unrestricted
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Antero-Jacquemin, Juliana. "Longevity and causes of mortality in elite athletes." Thesis, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015USPCB154/document.
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Cette thèse a démontré que les athlètes élites vivent en moyenne 7 ans de plus que la population générale, notamment en raison d’une réduction de 35 à 45% de la mortalité par maladies cardiovasculaires et par cancers. Ces résultats s’appuient sur l’analyse de l’ensemble des sportifs français (n= 3.600) ayant participé aux Jeux Olympiques depuis 1912 et au Tour de France depuis 1947. Des nouvelles méthodes en analyse de survie ont été mises au point pour investiguer ces cohortes qui ont la particularité de survivre mieux que leurs référents. A ces démonstrations s’ajoute le ralentissement de la progression de la longévité maximale humaine. Ce constat résulte de la comparaison des tendances de durée de vie de tous les olympiens depuis 1896 (n= 19.012) et des doyens de l’humanité (n= 1.205). Ces travaux répondent au besoin de mieux comprendre la relation dose-réponse de l’activité physique, médicament du 21ème siècle, en raison de son impact majeur sur la longévité des populations, ainsi qu’à l’intérêt d’explorer les marges d’augmentation possibles de cette longévitéBackground and objectives: along their careers, elite athletes are subjected to specific constraints that distinguish them from the general population. Such constraints, related to the high intensity of their physical activity, their overexposure to injuries or particular lifestyle, may have long-term consequences on the athletes' health, and ultimately on their longevity. Thus, the main goals of the present study are the following: 1) to describe and analyze elite athletes’ longevity and specific causes of mortality in comparison with the general population and according to the type of effort they performed; and 2) to investigate their lifespan trends in comparison with the longest-lived humans in order to apprehend the current scenario of human longevity trends. Methods: we collected data on the biography and the athletic performances of all the French athletes who participated in the Olympic Games (OG) from 1912 to 2012 (n = 4708), and all the French cyclists who participated in the Tour de France (TDF) from 1947 to 2012 (n=786). Then, we verified their vital statuses through the National Registry of Identification of Physical Persons (RNIPP). For the deceased athletes, we obtained the causes of their deaths through the Centre for epidemiology on medical causes of death (CépiDc). We compared the athletes’ overall and specific mortality (according to the main chapters of the International Classification of Disease) with the French civilian life tables using Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) and the Kaplan-Meier methods. We adapted and applied the life years-lost method under the competing risk model to quantify differences on longevity due to major causes of death according to the athletes’ type of effort. Furthermore, we collected data on worldwide deceased Olympians participating in the OG from 1896 to 2012 (n=19 012) and on worldwide supercentenarians (>110 years) deceased between 1900 and 2013 (n= 1 205) in order to analyze their lifespan trends using a density analysis tool (total number of life durations per birth date). Findings and conclusion: French elite athletes show consistently lower mortality (≈40-50% lower) in comparison with their compatriots, whether female or male Olympians, or professional cyclists, mostly related with a lower cardiovascular (≈ 40-60% lower) and cancer mortality (≈ 45% lower). No excess mortality was observed in elite athletes for any of the specific causes of death we studied. French Olympians’ lower mortality results in an average of seven years of life saved in relation to the general population. This gain partitioned according to specific causes of deaths shows that cardiovascular longevity benefit is associated with the type of sports practiced during the Olympic career, favoring combined type of effort over very short- or very long-duration effort. In relation to cancer mortality, all types of effort studied were associated with better longevity. Despite their survival advantage, no Olympian in the world, up to date, has ever reached the status of a supercentenarian, as the longest-lived was 106 years old. The common lifespan trends between Olympians and supercentenarians indicate similar mortality pressures over both populations that increase with age, a scenario that is better explained by a biological “barrier” limiting further progression. The supercentenarians’ density trends show a current stagnation of the human longevity
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Hayes, Michelle. "Social Media Usage Among Elite Athletes: An exploration of athlete usage during major events." Thesis, Griffith University, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/389666.
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Social media platforms have proliferated the sport industry. Social media is constantly evolving, with platforms being adopted by many sport stakeholders including sport governing bodies, leagues, teams, sporting events, fans, coaches, managers, and athletes. For athletes, social media have provided new avenues to share personal and professional news, manage their personal image and brand, and develop deeper interactions with fans. However, since the rise of social media, sport stakeholders have debated the extent of athlete social media use at major sport events. The purpose of this research was threefold: (1) to investigate why athletes use social media, the gratifications they receive, and the challenges they experience during a major sport event, (2) explore the elements of social media athletes perceive to be distracting, the practices they undertake to address distractions, and the support they receive from sport organisations, and (3) to examine how national sport organisations manage athlete social media use and their perceptions of social media as a distraction.
To better understand athlete social media use during major sport events, three studies were conducted sequentially. Each study gathered qualitative data, allowing the researcher to delve deeper into the perceptions of athletes and sport administrators.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Dept Tourism, Sport & Hot Mgmt
Griffith Business School
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Ely, Jack. "Personality in Elite Athletes: A Review of the Five-Factor Model and Athletic Outcomes." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2018. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1857.
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The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality is the most psychometrically supported taxonomies of personality in psychology. Widely applicable and scalable in its implementation, it is increasingly becoming integrated into the literature regarding sports psychology. This literature review examines the role of the FFM (or “Big 5” model) in profiling elite athletes competing at the national or international level. Studies are scrutinized by design and analytical methods, and comparisons are drawn on that basis and on the basis of their findings. The review argues for further research into specifically the personality of elite athletes as compared to less competent ones, more longitudinal studies, and adoption of the model by elite athletic associations looking to attract and cultivate athletic talent.
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Armes, Ann M. "Disordered Eating Habits and Behaviors Among Elite Collegiate Athletes." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/foodsci_etds/16.
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Eating disorders and disordered eating habits and behaviors were measured using the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 Referral Form (EDI-3 RF). The sample consisted of 159 elite, collegiate student athletes, males and females, aged 18 to 22. Five sports were represented, including basketball, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, and volleyball. Overall, findings support the position that athletes, as a distinct population, and specifically female athletes and those that participate in lean sports, are at an increased risk for disordered eating behaviors and diagnosable eating disorders. Of the 159 total athletes that completed the questionnaire, 33% (n=53) of the athletes sampled met one or more referral criteria based on reported behavior in the 3 months prior. A total of 37 athletes were referred to professional healthcare providers for meeting criteria of disordered eating behavior according the the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral Form.
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Ross, Alastair John. "Associations between attribution and performance in elite junior athletes." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.273791.
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Mackenzie, Tanya Anne. "Factors influencing the Acromio-Humeral distance in elite athletes." Thesis, University of Salford, 2016. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/38059/.
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Shoulder Impingement Syndrome is prevalent in sportsmen and can end sporting careers. The Acromio-Humeral distance (AHD) is a measure taken with ultrasound (US) and used to quantify the space in which structures in the shoulder become impinged. This space is normally reduced as the arm elevates. Factors identified in the literature that could further reduce this space, are explored in this thesis. Correlation analysis between factors (Scapula rotation in the coronal plane, Pectoralis Minor length, Thoracic kyphosis, Glenohumeral rotation and load) with the AHD was done to confirm or refute some of these associations. To accomplish the research: a) reliability of tools and stability of the measure was established; b) data was collected in elite sportsmen and controls to verify variance in the independent variables; c) correlation analysis between independent variables and the AHD was carried out to determine association. In summary, the results of this thesis demonstrated that factors influencing the Acromio-Humeral distance are multifactorial, including Pectoralis Minor length, Glenohumeral rotation ranges, and load. The strength of the association between variables is population dependant. Scapula rotation in the coronal plane, and Thoracic kyphosis were not found to influence the AHD when modified in isolation.
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Brittain, Ian Stuart. "Perspectives of elite athletes with disabilities : problems and possibilities." Thesis, Bucks New University, 2002. http://bucks.collections.crest.ac.uk/9590/.
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Disability sport, and especially elite disability sport, has been all but ignored in terms of academic research in this country. This thesis, therefore, is an attempt to begin redressing this situation. It focuses on the Great Britain Paralympic track and field squad, that competed in the Sydney Paralympic Games between 18th and 29th October 2000. Through a series of in-depth interviews, which took a focused life history approach, the researcher attempted to gain a greater understanding of the kinds of factors, both positive and negative, that had an affect upon the lives of these athletes from the time they first took up the sport of athletics to the present day. In line with current research in the field of disability studies it adopts a social construction approach. The results of the analysis are set within the social model of disability in order to try and highlight the impacts of the perceptions of disability, embedded in the dominant medical model discourse, on these athletes' attempts to get involved and progress within the sport of athletics. Key findings highlighted by this research are the major influence that the medical model discourse of disability has on the perceptions of large areas of the able-bodied population with regard to disability in general and disability sport in particular. Able-bodied perceptions of disability greatly influence not only to what extent people with disabilities are able to operate within the society they live in, but also how they view themselves and their own abilities. This research also highlights some of the ways these socially constructed perceptions of disability are recreated and reinforced. In keeping with the emancipatory approach adopted for this research, the athletes were given the opportunity to comment upon an initial draft of the research findings. This was an attempt to be inclusive and keep the participants informed. Also it was an attempt to try and portray as accurate and as authentic account of the sporting life of an athlete with a disability as is possible. Throughout this thesis the researcher attempts to give an open and reflective account of the whole research process in order to make the reader aware of the possible effects of the researcher's own background on the research outcomes. In conjunction with the athletes, suggestions are made about how to better inform policies or strategies for British disability sport in general and disability athletics in particular.
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Venter, Rachel Elizabeth. "A model for psychophysiological regeneration of elite team athletes." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1171.
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Thesis (PhD (Sports Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.There is general consensus that athletes, striving to compete and perform at the highest level, should optimally balance training and competition stress with adequate regeneration. Although a well-planned training programme is of utmost importance, the time between training sessions and competitions is critical for the modern-day athlete. It is suggested that athletes should apply a variety of recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. Although team sport is a popular entity throughout the world, there is limited published research on the regeneration process in team athletes and recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. The aim of this study was to develop a model that could serve as a guideline for the regeneration of team athletes within the South African context. Two phases were involved in the process of developing a model. Phase one involved a research of literature in order to assess which strategies can be implemented for athletic regeneration, and what information team athletes are given for regeneration. The second phase involved an investigation into the recovery strategies that are currently used for regeneration by elite South African team players during the competitive phase of the year. Research questions focused on the recovery methods used by players, the perceived importance of various recovery methods to the players, and the relationship between sport and level of participation in the use of recovery strategies. This study did not attempt to assess the knowledge of the players on recovery methods.
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Marques, Inês Filipa Costa. "Mortality of elite athletes : an application to football players." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/18092.
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Mestrado em Actuarial ScienceOs benefícios para a saúde resultantes da prática regular de exercício físico, de uma forma moderada, estão cientificamente comprovados. Contudo, quando se trata de uma abordagem sobre atletas profissionais, os benefícios deixam de ser uma clara evidência, surgindo por vezes sinais de alerta para os seus possíveis efeitos adversos. Para alimentar esta controvérsia, muito têm contribuído os estudos recentes que evidenciam anomalias e doenças cardiovasculares, bem como as frequentes lesões em atletas de elite. É neste contexto que surge o principal objectivo deste trabalho: investigar se os atletas de elite vivem mais do que a população em geral. Após uma profunda revisão literária inicial relativa à mortalidade dos atletas de elite, procede-se a uma análise de sobrevivência que tem como foco dois grupos de jogadores de futebol profissionais. Recolheram-se dados relativos à data de nascimento e morte dos jogadores portugueses e espanhóis que representaram a sua selecção, bem como de outras variáveis de interesse para o estudo. Cada grupo de jogadores é comparado com a população geral do respectivo país, usando dados disponíveis na Human Mortality Database, através da estimação de standardised mortality ratios e de curvas de sobrevivência. O years-lost method é também aplicado, fornecendo uma medida de longevidade dos referidos atletas de elite. Ainda é averiguado se a posição dos jogadores e o número de jogos na sua carreira afectam diferencialmente a mortalidade dos mesmos, através dos Cox Proportional Hazard Models. Por fim, as populações dos jogadores portugueses e espanhóis são comparadas entre si.
The health benefits of moderate regular physical activity have been clearly demonstrated and are widely consensual. However, there is a growing debate over the potential adverse effects of strenuous physical activity, particularly at a professional level. Recent findings of cardiovascular anomalies in elite athletes coupled with the high frequency of injuries have brought some sports under increased scrutiny. In this context, the main goal of this work is to investigate whether elite athletes live longer than the general population. After an initial review of the literature on elite athletes' mortality, a comprehensive survival analysis is applied to two populations of professional football players. Lifespan data and specific occupational variables of Portuguese and Spanish football players, who have represented their national teams in their career, were collected from recognized publicly available sources. Each cohort is then compared to the respective standard population, using available data in the Human Mortality Database, through the estimation of standardised mortality ratios and survival curves. The years-lost method is applied to provide a time dimension measure for these elite athletes' longevity. Furthermore, the association of position on the field and the number of games with overall mortality is accessed using Cox Proportional Hazard Models. At the end, a comparison between the mortality of Portuguese and Spanish football players is carried out.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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Lalor, Benita Jane. "Assessment of sleep characteristics of elite team sport athletes." Phd thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2021. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/2962d63aa9eb3419d831d5ce2293e05a56171b09c1f4c4bf4c7c6471eb62d941/12775643/Lalor_2021_Assessment_of_sleep_characteristics_of_elite.pdf.
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Despite the known restorative effects of sleep and the important role it may play in minimising fatigue and optimising adaptation from training, it has been suggested that athletes exhibit poorer sleep characteristics when compared to the general population. Whilst there have been investigations of the sleep characteristics exhibited during competition, analysis of the objective sleep characteristics of team sport athletes prior to and during important competition is limited, particularly in elite female athletes. In addition to the competition itself, there are a number of factors that may influence an athlete’s sleep. These include the training and competition schedule, phases of training and competition, internal and external training load, the athlete’s sleep environment, and domestic and international travel. However, the impact of a combination of these factors on objective sleep has rarely been explored in elite team sport athletes. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to investigate the objective sleep characteristics of elite male and female team sport athletes during competition. Three studies were conducted in a high performance sport environments to assess: (1) the impact of match start time and days relative to a match on sleep; (2) the relationships between sleep, training load and well-being; and (3) the impact of the quality and quantity of sleep obtained during a long-haul flight on competition sleep and perceptual measures including well-being and jetlag.
Study 1 assessed the objective sleep characteristics, via wrist worn actigraphy, of 45 elite male Australian Football (AF) players during the pre-season (habitual) and across four home matches during the competitive season. For each match start time, the 22 participants who were selected to play were assigned an activity monitor to be worn the night before (-1), night of (0), one night after (+1), and two nights after (+2) each match. Differences observed in sleep onset latency (ES=0.11 ± 0.16), sleep rating (ES=0.08 ± 0.14) and sleep duration (ES=0.08 ± 0.01) between competition and habitual periods were trivial. Sleep efficiency (%) was almost certainly higher during competition than habitual, however this was not reflected in the subjective rating of sleep quality. In many cases, the differences between match start times were trivial or unclear. The evening match start time, compared to all other start times, resulted in the clearest differences (e.g., evening matches had a likely longer sleep latency and almost certainly lower sleep efficiency). The differences in sleep characteristics based on days relative to the match were primarily trivial, however there were almost certain decreases in sleep duration for the night of the match compared to +1 and +2 nights post-match. The findings of this study indicated that, in general, elite AF competition does not appear to cause substantial disruption to sleep characteristics when compared to habitual sleep. Whilst the match start time had some impact on sleep variables, it appears that any match, regardless of match start time, may cause disruption to players’ sleep characteristics. The clearest disruption to AF players’ sleep occurred in the nights (+1 and +2) immediately following a match, which provides an ideal opportunity for intervention to optimise sleep and recovery. Importantly, the subjective ratings of sleep from shortened well-being questionnaires, used routinely in the high performance environment appear limited in their ability to accurately provide an indication of sleep quality.
It is recognised that numerous factors may influence the sleep characteristics of AF players, including player well-being and training and match day load. Nevertheless, the relationships between load, well-being and sleep prior to and following training and matches are not well understood.1 Study 2 assessed the association between objective sleep characteristics, self-reported measures of well-being and external load of 38 elite male AF players over a 15-day pre-season training period. External load was assessed during main field sessions and self-ratings of well-being were collected daily. Canonical correlations were moderate between pre training sleep and training load (r range = 0.32–0.49), pre training sleep and well-being (r = 0.32), and well-being and post training sleep (r = 0.36). Moderate-to-strong canonical correlations were observed between dimensions representing training load and post training sleep (r range = 0.31 to 0.67). Player Load TM (PL) and Player Load TM 2D (PL2D) showed the greatest association to pre and post training objective sleep characteristics and well-being. External load metrics PL and PL2D showed the greatest association between both objective sleep characteristics and well-being measures in AF players. This association was observed both prior to and following main AF training sessions. Fragmented sleep was associated with players completing the following training session with a higher PL2D, and increased wake bouts were associated with lower mood and higher soreness ratings. Our findings highlight that the relationship between objective sleep characteristics, training load and well-being are not defined by one measure (e.g., sleep duration). Instead, a complex interaction of sleep variables may influence both external load and the well-being of AF players. These findings have implications for practitioners, particularly when choosing variables to monitor AF players’ sleep to assist in the planning and evaluation of training.
The sleep characteristics for both Study 1 and 2 were assessed in players’ habitual sleep environments, however it is often a requirement for an elite team sport athlete to travel both domestically and internationally for competition.2-5 In order to investigate the impact of international travel on the sleep characteristics, well-being and performance of elite team sport athletes,6 the participant group for Study 3 was extended to elite female cricket players, as players are required to travel both domestically and internationally for competition. There have been no assessments of the objective in-flight sleep characteristics when athletes have the ability to lie flat whilst travelling in business class, however the difficulties of obtaining good quantity and quantity of sleep during long-haul travel are well documented,4,7 Study 3 assessed the impact of the quality and quantity of sleep during an international flight on subsequent objective sleep characteristics, training and match day load, self-reported well-being, and perceptions of jetlag in 11 elite female cricketers during an International Cricket Council T20 Women’s World Cup. To our knowledge, Study 3 is the first objective assessment of the in-flight sleep of elite team sport athletes seated in business class during an international flight. The results of Study 3 indicate that maximising the opportunity for in-flight sleep quality and quantity by planning the team departure time and business class seat selection appear to benefit elite female cricket players’ recovery and sleep exhibited during competition. The quality of sleep obtained in-flight had an impact on the self-reported measures of fatigue during the tournament. Players with a lower in-flight sleep efficiency reported higher levels of fatigue during the tournament. Study 2 highlighted that fragmented sleep prior to a main training session was associated with lower ratings of mood and increased ratings of soreness. This further supports that the quality and quantity of in-flight sleep may have had a positive impact on an athlete’s overall well-being and readiness to train upon arrival at the international competition destination. The preservation of both the sleep quality and quantity during long-haul travel may also be an important strategy to manage jetlag.3,8 Players that slept for longer during the flight presented with minimal perceptions of jetlag and this was maintained across the monitoring period. In contrast, players with lower in-flight sleep duration reported some perceptions of jetlag, which improved two days after arrival at the destination. It is acknowledged that the financial constraints of travelling business class may be a limitation for elite team sporting organisations, however the investment to achieve sleep quality and quantity similar to habitual values prior to an important international competition may outweigh the costs associated with the alternative approach of an arriving days earlier (e.g., accommodation) to facilitate recovery from travel.
In summary, the three studies in this thesis add to the knowledge of the objective sleep characteristics of elite male and female team sport athletes exhibited during competition. Our findings demonstrate that the sleep characteristics during competition are not compromised when compared to habitual. However, the habitual characteristics were not optimal, providing the greatest opportunity for intervention. The findings provide high performance practitioners and coaches with information to assist with the implementation of individualised and team strategies to optimise the sleep, well-being and performance of elite team sport athletes. Furthermore, preserving the sleep quality and quantity during international travel should be considered when planning travel and training upon arrival at the international competition destination.
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Hegde, Harshad. "Eye Movements in Elite Athletes - An Index for Performance." VCU Scholars Compass, 2010. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2239.
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Introduction: In gymnastics, athletes perform twisting and flipping skills at high angular velocities. These athletes rely heavily on sensory information from the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is responsible for stabilizing the visual field on the retina during head movement. To accomplish this, the eyes are reflexively moved in a direction opposite the head. In a twisting gymnast, this actually reduces the ability of gymnasts to see the landing during airborne skills. Hence it becomes necessary for the gymnasts to cancel or suppress their VOR in order to view the landing. Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between gymnastics skill level and their ability to suppress the VOR. Methods: Ten female gymnasts (mean age 15±2.2) were obtained via a sample of convenience from a local club. The sample included both competitive and recreational gymnasts. Subjects were asked to wear a measurement system that could track head and eye movements as they performed a series of visual tasks. Three experiments were performed: (1) a saccadic experiment – two horizontally fixed LEDs (±10°) were alternately lit in a non-predictable pattern to provide visual cues, (2) a VOR experiment – the subject was asked to perform yawl head movements to an audible metronome beat 11 while visually fixating on an LED target 1m away, and (3) a vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression/cancellation (VORc) experiment – a laser pointer was fixed to the subject‟s helmet close to the cyclopean eye (slaving the target to the head movement) and the subject was again asked to perform head movements to a metronome while visually fixating on the target. In both VOR experiments, the metronome frequency varied from 72 to 196 beats per minute. Eye and head position data were synchronously sampled at 250 and 100Hz respectively. Data were post-processed using MATLAB. Periodic calibrations were performed throughout the experiment to test the continued reliability of the data. Results: Saccadic peak velocities and latencies were calculated for the sample population. Their performance did not differ from the normal population. VOR and VORc gains were also calculated and compared. The higher level (competitive) gymnasts were better at suppressing their VOR. In addition, left/right VOR gain asymmetries correlated highly with twist direction in seven of the competitive gymnasts. Discussion/Conclusions: There is a correlation between VOR performance and gymnastic level. These results do not suggest that VOR differences develop as a result of practice. These differences may simply allow some individuals to become better performers. A longitudinal study on a larger population would be required to test the causal relationship between these variables.
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Wynn, Persephone M. "Physiological and psychological characteristics of elite female adolescent athletes." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2009. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/34163.
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The elite female adolescent athletes in this study were late maturers and had a later onset of menarche than the non-elite female adolescent athletes. They had less adipose tissue and more muscle than the non-elite athletes, though they were similar in height and body mass. The elite athletes had higher VO2 peak (l.min-1) and lower maximum heart rates (beat.min-1) when analysed by age and maturation status. VO2 peak (ml.kg-1min-1) was higher in the elite athletes but there was no effect of age or maturation. The elite athletes were less economical than the non-elite athletes during submaximal running, yet had lower blood lactate concentrations (mmol.l-1), lower heart rates (beats.min-1), worked at a lower percentage of their maximum heart rates, reported lower rates of perceived exertion and had lower R values. During the 30 s cycle maximal sprint the groups were similar for peak power (W) but there were independent effects of age and maturation. The elite girls had higher mean power output (W and W.kg-1). Blood lactate concentrations were similar for both groups though there was an independent effect of age and maturation. The elite athletes had higher combined leg press, higher left leg press and higher arm press than the non-elite athletes. There was an independent effect of age and maturation power and strength. The elite athletes were more skilled at using psychological strategies in training and competition and perceived that the significant others around them were both task- and ego-oriented with regards to their sporting success.
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Lonsdale, Christopher Sean, and n/a. "Burning out or burning desire? : investigating athlete burnout and engagement in elite New Zealand athletes." University of Otago. School of Physical Education, 2006. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070220.144258.
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This thesis examined the utility of Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2002) as a framework for understanding athlete burnout and its hypothesized opposite - athlete engagement. Athlete burnout was defined as "a psychological syndrome of emotional/physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation" (Raedeke, 1997, p.398). Athlete engagement was defined as a persistent, positive, cognitive-affective experience in sport that is characterized by vigour, dedication, and confidence. Based on the predictions of Vallerand�s (1997; Vallerand & Losier, 1999) motivational model, it was hypothesized that elite New Zealand athletes with higher perceptions of competence, autonomy, and relatedness (i.e., basic psychological needs) would also report more self-determined motives to participate in sport and that individuals with higher self-determined motivation would experience lower athlete burnout and higher athlete engagement. Before testing these hypotheses four preliminary studies were necessary. First, because of the nomadic lifestyles of many elite athletes, it was decided that an online survey delivered via the Internet would be the most appropriate and effective method for collecting data to test the central hypotheses. However, a literature search revealed that no studies in sport psychology had compared online and traditional paper and pencil survey methods and therefore a preliminary study was needed to investigate potential survey format effects. Results of measurement invariance and latent mean structures analyses indicated that there were no differences on the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire for randomly assigned online (n=117) and paper and pencil (n=97) groups. Second, recent research (e.g., Martens & Webber, 2002; Riemer, Fink, & Fitzgerald, 2002) has indicated that the only published measure of behavioural regulations (i.e., motives) in sport (Pelletier, Fortier, Vallerand, Tuson, & Blais, 1995) has psychometric problems. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a reliable and valid measure of behavioural regulations in sport. Following rigorous scale development procedures that included expert review and pilot testing, results from two studies (n=382 and n=343) supported the reliability and validity of this new measure - the Behavioural Regulations in Sport Questionnaire.
Third, while researchers in organizational and educational psychology have examined engagement experiences, no research has investigated athlete engagement. Results of a qualitative inquiry with elite New Zealand athletes (n=15) indicated that vigour, dedication, and confidence were core athlete engagement dimensions. Fourth, items for a quantitative athlete engagement questionnaire were created using operational definitions from the qualitative study and then reviewed by athlete burnout and positive psychology experts. Analysis of data from two samples (n=382 and n=343) supported the reliability and validity of the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire. Results from the final study (n=343) investigating the relationships amongst basic needs, behavioural regulations, burnout, and engagement generally supported the main hypotheses of the thesis. Indeed, athletes with higher perceptions of autonomy and competence reported more self-determined regulations; however, relatedness was not a significant predictor. Athletes� levels of self-determined motivation accounted for substantial portions of variance in athlete burnout symptoms: emotional/physical exhaustion (R�=.13), sport devaluation (R�=.43) and reduced accomplishment (R�=.42). Behavioural regulations were also strong predictors of athlete engagement, accounting for 49% of the variance in vigour, 42% of the variance in dedication, and 30% of the variance in confidence. Implications of these results for researchers and practitioners are discussed. Directions for research concerning SDT, athlete burnout, and athlete engagement are also highlighted.
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Hartline, Kenneth D. "Development of the athlete| A resource manual for clinicians working with elite adolescent male athletes." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3721128.
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Over recent decades, adolescent athletic participation has grown in the United States. The rise in participation means that mental health clinicians who work with adolescents are likely increasingly coming in contact with young athletes facing issues directly related to sports. The issues facing adolescent athletes create additional challenges that should be addressed in treatment to improve overall psychological well-being and to promote healthy development. In order to best meet the general mental health needs of these clients, clinicians need to be aware of the unique stressors and issues they frequently face. A resource manual was created to guide clinicians working with elite male athletes between the ages of 12 and 18 years in order to help them realize the benefits and avoid the adverse consequences that may be associated with elite-level sports participation. The manual was developed to be a resource for mental health clinicians seeking help in understanding the challenges faced by elite-level adolescent male athletes, guidance in identifying therapeutic interventions likely to be effective in addressing those challenges, and clarification of the mental skills training typically conducted by sport psychologists. The manual’s content was informed by both a review of the relevant scholarly literature and by interviews conducted with a former elite adolescent athlete, a sports psychologist, and a mental health clinician who has worked with male adolescent athletes. Following a discussion of some strengths, limitations, and potential modifications to the current manual, plans for evaluating and disseminating it are described.
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Boettger, Jeff K. "Elite athletes' motivations to volunteer and interpersonal communication motives identifying volunteers' interaction position /." Lynchburg, Va. : Liberty University, 2007. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu.
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Hörberg, Hampus, and Lina Saedén. "Ett liv i idrottens tjänst - vad händer sen? : En studie om elitidrottares idrottsavslut och positionering efter idrottskarriären." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-60930.
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The main purpose of this study is to deepen the knowledge of elite athletes termination of their sport careers. The study also tries to understand the reasons behind where the former elite athletes position themselves in the labor market. The empirical data consists of interviews with 8 former elite atheltes, who all ended their careers within the last five years. The data was analyzed in light of Pierre Bourdieus theory, cultural capital and the related field concept. Based on Bourdieu's concept of capital, we understand elite athletes careers as a capital accumulation by something we call the elite sports capital. The results of this study indicates that the termination of´a sports career is a complex process, where it proved important to have the decision to terminate into their own hands. We have also been able to show differences in capital compositions between those who experienced anxiety about life after their sporting careers and those who did not. In cases where the termination of career was associated with feeling anxious, we could show that the level of concern was dependent on informants' equity compositions, in which the resource-poor tended to experience more anxiety than them with strong resources. Common to those who stayed in the clear sports related careers after own sporting careers, was their capital composition. Their assets are mainly in elite sports capital, which refers to the exact position in the sports field. For those who positioned themselves outside the sports field, made up of their resources above all a cultural capital along with elite sports capital.
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Chan, Oi-lan, and 陳凱蘭. "Factors influencing talent development of elite athletes in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B50177606.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was to investigate how intrapersonal and environmental factors shape the beliefs and experiences of talented athletes in Hong Kong, using a case study approach. The four participants involved in the study were elite athletes recognised for their outstanding sporting achievements. A literature review of previous studies suggested that genetic and environmental factors influence talent development in the sporting domain, with four key themes worthy of further investigation: self-perceptions of natural abilities in sport (talent), self-motivation, coach, and family and school. To achieve a deeper understanding of these variables, a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews was used to examine the nature and complexity of the process of talent development. The results indicated that the participants did not tend to perceive themselves as significantly talented or “very special”. However, there was evidence that the four factors identified above critically influenced the development of their talent, both positively and negatively. Based on the participants’ stories, a conceptual framework was constructed to represent the interplay among the major influences on talent development. The findings have implications for improving or modifying the strategies commonly used to maximise talent development in elite athletes in Hong Kong. However, the limitations of this small-scale research study are acknowledged.published_or_final_version
Education
Master
Master of Education
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Fawcett, Thomas. "An investigation into the perceptions of mental toughness of adventurers/explorers, elite athletes and elite coaches." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428862.
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Jacko, Maria J. "Succes Strategies of Elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Athletes." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/31063.
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The purpose of this study was to interview elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes to gain an in-depth understanding of their personal journeys to excellence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and a narrative analysis was used to analyze the research findings. The three objectives were to find success strategies, obstacles and advice the elite athletes would provide to Aboriginal youth. The main success strategies were found to be Aboriginal elements, focus, mental preparation for competition, parental support, passion, and positive self-talk. Multiple obstacles were faced by the athletes in this study, with racism and leaving home being the commonalities. The advice they provided for young First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes was rich and inspiring. The findings of this study provide useful information for aspiring Aboriginal athletes, and for future ongoing meaningful research, that may lead to reducing the gaps in the literature.
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Appleton, Paul Richard. "Examining perfectionism in elite junior athletes : measurement and development issues." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133570.
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The major theme of the current thesis was the definition, measurement, and development of perfectionism in elite junior sport. The first purpose was to examine the psychometric properties associated with Hewitt and Flett’s (1991) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS-HF) when complete by a sample of elite junior athletes. In study one, a confirmatory factor analysis failed to support the original structure of 45-item MPS-HF. Subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a more parsimonious 15-item factor structure representing self-oriented (SOP), socially prescribed (SPP), and other-oriented perfectionism (OOP). Having established a reconstituted version of the MPS-HF, a second purpose of the research programme was to consider the origins of perfectionism in elite junior athletes using a cross-sectional design. Initially, in study two a social learning model was supported, with 18%-26% of variance in athletes’ perfectionism predicted by parents’ perfectionism. Building upon this finding in study three, a structural equation model revealed that parenting styles, including empathy and psychological control, mediated the parent-athletic child SPP relationship. In study four, a significant pathway emerged between parents’ achievement goals and athletes’ dispositional perfectionism, offering support for a social expectations model of perfectionism development. Specifically, parents’ task and ego orientations were positively associated with athletes’ SOP. In contrast, athletes’ SPP was predicted by parents’ ego orientation. Study four also demonstrated the nature and form of motivational regulation associated with athletes’ SOP and SPP. That is, a pathway emerged between athletes’ SPP and controlled forms of regulation, while athletes’ SOP was correlated with self-determined and controlled motivation. Finally, in study five, the coach-created motivational climate accounted for approximately 19% of variance in athletes’ perfectionistic cognitions, highlighting the role of additional social agents in the development of athletes’ perfectionism. The results of this research programme contribute to existing knowledge of perfectionism by forwarding reliable measures of SOP and SPP for employment in sport, and revealing a complex array of pathways that underpin the development of perfectionism in elite junior athletes. Ultimately, by preventing the occurrence of such pathways, athletic children may be protected from the perils of perfectionism.
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Ferreira, Suzane. "The preparation of athletes with cerebral palsy for elite competition." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1459.
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Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2006.Sport performance management has emerged as a specialization in sport science that is focused on providing the athlete and coach with optimal information about training programmes and the support services needed in order to pursue excellence. As a more professional approach to disability sport has grown with the international status of the Paralympics, sport performance management dealing specifically with athletes with disabilities requires development. The purpose of this study was to focus on documenting the delivery of sport science support for three cyclists with cerebral palsy training for the Athens Paralympics. A case study approach was taken in this research that provided sport science support to three cyclists. Documentation of the training experience of each cyclist over 18 months of training leading up to the Games, was accomplished by quantification of daily training as well as periodic laboratory testing. A comprehensive picture was drawn of training intensities, modalities and frequencies for each cyclist during each macro-cycle, with special attention to the following three variables. Power output and lactate Power output and VO2 max Peak and mean sprint power output (Wingate test) Two of the three cyclists perceived the support they received to have been critical to the success of their preparation. The investigator concluded that sport management has an important role to play in the development of disability sport at the elite level, and that a lot more hard training is possible for cyclists with cerebral palsy, than some coaches may have previously believed, especially in terms of intensity and duration.
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Goodbrand, Sara 1961. "A comparison of the psychological mood profiles of elite cerebral palsied athletes and cerebral palsied non-athletes /." Thesis, McGill University, 1987. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=66149.
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Meeuwisse, Willem H. "The effect of salbutamol on performance in elite non-asthmatic athletes." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28769.
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The effect of salbutamol on performance was studied in 7 male non-asthmatic elite (VO₂max ≥ 60 ml/kg/min) athletes. The subjects entered the study just prior to their competitive season. Salbutamol (2 puffs=200 µg) or placebo was administered by metered-dose inhaler, through a spacer device, 20 minutes prior to testing in a double-blind, randomized crossover
design. Pulmonary functions including maximum flow volume curves were performed on the first two visits, at 5 intervals (pre-medication, 20 minutes post-medication, and 5, 10, and 20 minutes post-exercise). The first two sessions combined these pulmonary function measures with an exercise bout consisting of a continuously ramped cycle ergometer ride to exhaustion to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), peak power, and maximal heart rate. Pulse oximetry was used to measure the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The next sessions involved performing a 45 minute ride at 70% of VO₂max, followed by a timed sprint to exhaustion. Lastly, a Wingate anaerobic test was used to measure total work and peak power.
There was a non-significant decrease in VO₂max from a mean of 63.5 ml/kg/min (± 3.2) for the placebo (P) trial, to a mean of 62.6 (± 3.3) with salbutamol (S). No difference was found in peak power (P= 438 Watts ±26.3, S= 438 ±27.9) or maximum heart rate (P=191 beats/min ±5.4, S=191 ±6.0). The performance related variables of endurance sprint time (P=104 seconds ±22.8, S= 97 ±31.4), and Wingate peak power (P= 10.12 Watts/kg ±0.57, S= 9.97 ±0.60) showed a non-significant decrease, while the total work performed on the Wingate test (P= 19.30 kJ ±2.09, S= 19.61 ±1.54) displayed a non-significant increase. The data failed to show significance despite using statistical analysis with a level of significance of p<0.20 to maximize the power of the tests.
There was a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in post medication (pre-exercise) forced expiratory volume (FEV₁) of 4.5% with salbutamol. This baseline increase persisted post-exercise, but there was no interaction effect of salbutamol and placebo over time. This represents an expected effect in non-asthmatic individuals, and although statistical significance was achieved, the magnitude of difference is not considered to be clinically significant.
It was concluded that a therapeutic dose of aerosol salbutamol does not have an ergogenic effect in elite non-asthmatic athletes and it is therefore recommended that inhaled salbutamol continue to be permitted in international competition for individuals with exercise induced asthma.Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate
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Werthner-Bales, Penny C. "Retirement experiences of Canada's successful elite amateur athletes an exploratory study." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/4585.
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Kreiner-Phillips, Katharine. "The effect of success on elite athletes' performance: An exploratory study." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/6005.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of success on elite athletes who reached the top in their sport. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 world champion athletes, representing 7 different sports from 4 different countries. All athletes, 11 male and 6 female subjects had won major international competitions (i.e. World Cup, World Championships or Olympic Games) between the years 1964 and 1988. The number of individual wins ranged from 1 to 86. The results indicate that athletes who won at this level, subsequently experienced many additional demands. Most had little or no assistance in dealing with these demands. Approximately one third of these athletes handled the additional demands well and continued to win. Many of the remaining two thirds did not handle the additional demands well and either never repeated their winning performance or took a significant amount of time to do so. Strategies to help prepare future champions to handle these demands are suggested.
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Krempien, Jennifer Luella. "Nutrient intakes of elite Canadian athletes with a spinal cord injury." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27053.
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Energy intakes of adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) have been reported to be relatively low with many micronutrients below recommended amounts but very little is known about the diets of athletes with SCI. This cross-sectional, observational study assessed energy intakes and estimated the prevalence of dietary inadequacy in a sample of elite Canadian athletes with SCI (n=32). Three-day self-reported food diaries completed at home and training camp were analyzed for energy (kcal), macronutrients, vitamins and elements and compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Energy intakes were 2156 ± 431 kcal for men and 1991 ± 510 kcal for women and the macronutrient intakes as a percentage of energy were within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges for both men (55.6% carbohydrate, 17.9% protein, 28.1% fat) and women (53.3% carbohydrate, 17.9% protein, 28.9% fat). While at training camp, greater than 25% of men had mean intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for magnesium, zinc, riboflavin, folate and vitamin B12. At home, prevalence of inadequacy decreased for magnesium, zinc and riboflavin but not for folate. At home, men had greater intakes of vitamin D (160.1 ± 133.4 IU vs. 38.5 ± 78.3 IU, p<0.05) and calcium (856 ± 330 mg vs. 693 ± 204 mg, p<0.05). The proportion of women with intakes below the EAR was greater while at training camp for magnesium, niacin and folate. No significant differences in the mean intake of any nutrients were detected between home or training camp for women. Cognitive dietary restraint scores were higher than expected for men with relatively low scores for disinhibition and hunger.
These results demonstrate that athletes with SCI are at risk of several nutrient inadequacies relative to the DRIs, despite a diet with an appropriate macronutrient balance. A higher prevalence of nutrient inadequacy was observed in men especially while at training camp. Women were able to better maintain nutrient adequacy in both situations. This highlights an opportunity for coaches, administrators, sport scientists and dietitians working with these athletes to improve the access to better food choices and to educate athletes in making more balanced food choices.