Jean F. Fournier

Effects of Whole-Body Cryotherapy vs. Far-Infrared vs. Passive Modalities on Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Highly-Trained Runners

Enhanced recovery following physical activity and exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) has become a priority for athletes. Consequently, a number of post-exercise recovery strategies are used, often without scientific evidence of their benefits. Within this framework, the purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of whole body cryotherapy (WBC), far infrared (FIR) or passive (PAS) modalities in hastening muscular recovery within the 48 hours after a simulated trail running race. In 3 non-adjoining weeks, 9 well-trained runners performed 3 repetitions of a simulated trail run on a motorized treadmill, designed to induce muscle damage. Immediately (post), post 24 h, and post 48 h after exercise, all participants tested three different recovery modalities (WBC, FIR, PAS) in a random order over the three separate weeks. Markers of muscle damage (maximal isometric muscle strength, plasma creatine kinase [CK] activity and perceived sensations [i.e. pain, tiredness, well-being]) were recorded before, immediately after (post), post 1 h, post 24 h, and post 48 h after exercise. In all testing sessions, the simulated 48 min trail run induced a similar, significant amount of muscle damage. Maximal muscle strength and perceived sensations were recovered after the first WBC session (post 1 h), while recovery took 24 h with FIR, and was not attained through the PAS recovery modality. No differences in plasma CK activity were recorded between conditions. Three WBC sessions performed within the 48 hours after a damaging running exercise accelerate recovery from EIMD to a greater extent than FIR or PAS modalities.

Effects of a season-long PST program on gymnastic performance and on psychological skill development

Abstract Findings are reported of an evaluation of the effects of a 10‐month PST program on performance and psychological indicators. Ten nationally ranked female gymnasts (M = 12 years old) followed a psychological skills training (PST) program for half an hour per week. The five‐step intervention consisted of relaxation, self‐talk, goal setting, focusing, and visualization. Performance scores were obtained using scores and rankings during two consecutive competitive seasons. The OMSAT‐3

Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences

Abstract The purposes of this qualitative study were, (a) to compare the competitive strategies developed by national and international female gymnasts through natural learning experiences, (b) to compare the competitive strategies used by national gymnasts who benefited from a psychological skills training (PST) program to those developed by international gymnasts via natural learning experiences, and (c) to investigate the functions these strategies served in the two aforementioned cases. Individual in‐depth interviews were conducted with three international and six national gymnasts. Three of the six national gymnasts followed a PST, whereas the other three did not. The international gymnasts never benefited from PST neither before nor during the study. The results indicated that the strategies developed through natural experiences over time by the international gymnasts were wider and more elaborate than those of their national counterparts, but akin to those used by the national gymnasts who had benefited from a PST. The specific consequences of the characteristics of the international context and psychological skills training on the strategies gymnasts elaborated were also highlighted. Results are discussed relative to research on deliberate practice and sport talent development (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch‐Romer, 1993).

The Attentional Focus of Expert Golfers in Training and Competition: A Naturalistic Investigation

This study explored the attentional focus of expert golfers using a naturalistic approach. Eight male professional golfers were filmed in two contexts (training and competition). Self-confrontation interviews based on the video were conducted immediately afterwards. Qualitative data analyses showed that golfers used various attentional foci. Foci were classified according to their content and their characteristics. Golfers adapted their attentional foci to the context. They used sequences of attentional foci and moved from one attentional focus to another when they prepared, executed, or evaluated their shot. Future research on attentional focus of expert athletes should study the phenomenon over time.

Do karate fighters use situational probability information to improve decision-making performance during on-mat tasks?

ABSTRACT This study examined the contribution of situational probability information to the perceptual and cognitive processes underlying decision-making behaviour during in situ Karate performance. Experts and novices were required to make decisions about various attacks in different fight scenarios. The order in which the fight situations were presented was modified in order to provide advanced probability information and identify whether fighters were able to use the latter information to make better decisions. Specifically, one of the attacks was repeated every four actions. Results revealed that experts were more accurate and faster than their less skilled counterparts to block and counterattack the opponent. The experts picked up the occurrence of the attack pattern after the fifth repetition whereas novices did not. This enabled experts to improve decision time and decision accuracy. Findings suggest that such superiority could stem from the perceptual and cognitive skills possessed by the experts, thus giving them the opportunity to recognise a situation more easily. This was reinforced by gaze behaviour which demonstrated that experts used a more efficient search strategy involving fewer fixations of longer duration on a lesser number of areas relative to the novices. Moreover, experts generated more refined karate-specific knowledge structures compared with the novices.

IMAGIX: MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE FOR EVALUATING THE VIVIDNESS OF MOVEMENT-IMAGERY

This article presents a new software, Imagix, designed for the evaluation of the vividness of movement-imagery. This multimedia test is comprised of 18 movements in six different psychomotor categories whose vividness of imagery is to be appraised. Imagix has the advantage of offering an evaluation of the vividness of imagery in a normative way. The participant chooses among four films displaying a vividness gradient, which includes contrast and luminosity. The participant is first asked to visualize a movement verbally suggested. The participant is then asked to evaluate the vividness of this mental image by choosing on a computer screen the movie that best corresponds to the vividness of the movement-imagery. The first versions of this freeware (in English and French) are currently being validated.

Effect of implicit perceptual-motor training on decision-making skills and underpinning gaze behavior in combat athletes

This study investigated the effect of a 12-session, implicit perceptual-motor training program on decision-making skills and visual search behavior of highly skilled junior female karate fighters (M age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.2). Eighteen participants were required to make (physical or verbal) reaction decisions to various attacks within different fighting scenarios. Fighters’ performance and eye movements were assessed before and after the intervention, and during acquisition through the use of video-based and on-mat decision-making tests. The video-based test revealed that following training, only the implicit perceptual-motor group (n = 6) improved their decision-making accuracy significantly compared to a matched motor training (placebo, n = 6) group and a control group (n = 6). Further, the implicit training group significantly changed their visual search behavior by focusing on fewer locations for longer durations. In addition, the session-by-session analysis showed no significant improvement in decision accuracy between training session 1 and all the other sessions, except the last one. Coaches should devote more practice time to implicit learning approaches during perceptual-motor training program to achieve significant decision-making improvements and more efficient visual search strategy with elite athletes.

Randomized controlled trial of a 12-month computerized mindfulness-based intervention for obese patients with binge eating disorder: The MindOb study protocol

BACKGROUND Mindfulness-based interventions for healthy behaviors such as exercise and dietary modifications have aroused growing interest. This study aims to test the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for the reduction of impulsive eating and the improvement of motivation to exercise among obese individuals. METHODS One-hundred and twenty obese outpatients, aged 18 to 65years, diagnosed with a binge eating disorder, will be randomly assigned to one of the three following groups: mindfulness practice, sham meditation, or treatment as usual control. The tested intervention consists of a 1-year computerized mindfulness-based program. Mindfulness sessions are audio recordings that the patients are asked to listen to, 10min every day. Self-reported questionnaires measuring impulsive eating, motivation to exercise, physical activity level, mood, and mindfulness skills are filled in at baseline, 1, 6, and 12months. Physical activity, calories consumption, and biomarkers are measured with more objective measurement tools at baseline, 6months and 12months. CONCLUSION Mindfulness, as both a de-automation element and as a moderator of motivation to exercise, can lead to the reduction of impulsive eating and also to an increase in levels of physical activity. These effects could cause weight loss in obese patients suffering from binge eating disorder. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02571387.