Rudi A Meir

The effect of five weeks of Tribulus terrestris supplementation on muscle strength and body composition during preseason training in elite rugby league players.

Tribulus terrestris is an herbal nutritional supplement that is promoted to produce large gains in strength and lean muscle mass in 5–28 days (15, 18). Although some manufacturers claim T. terrestris will not lead to a positive drug test, others have suggested that T. terrestris may increase the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, which may place athletes at risk of a positive drug test. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of T. terrestris on strength, fat free mass, and the urinary T/E ratio during 5 weeks of preseason training in elite rugby league players. Twenty-two Australian elite male rugby league players (mean ± SD; age = 19.8 ± 2.9 years; weight = 88.0 ± 9.5 kg) were match-paired and randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to either a T. terrestris (n = 11) or placebo (n = 11) group. All subjects performed structured heavy resistance training as part of the clubs preseason preparations. A T. terrestris extract (450 mg·d-1) or placebo capsules were consumed once daily for 5 weeks. Muscular strength, body composition, and the urinary T/E ratio were monitored prior to and after supplementation. After 5 weeks of training, strength and fat free mass increased significantly without any between-group differences. No between-group differences were noted in the urinary T/E ratio. It was concluded that T. terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass that many manufacturers claim can be experienced within 5–28 days. Furthermore, T. terrestris did not alter the urinary T/E ratio and would not place an athlete at risk of testing positive based on the World Anti-Doping Agencys urinary T/E ratio limit of 4:1.

The effect of short-term use of testosterone enanthate on muscular strength and power in healthy young men

Use of testosterone enanthate has been shown to significantly increase strength within 6–12 weeks of administration (2, 9), however, it is unclear if the ergogenic benefits are evident in less than 6 weeks. Testosterone enanthate is classified as a prohibited substance by the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA) and its use may be detected by way of the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio (16). The two objectives of this study were to establish (a) if injection of 3.5 mg·kg-1 testosterone enanthate once per week could increase muscular strength and cycle sprint performance in 3–6 weeks; and (b) if the WADA-imposed urinary T/E ratio of 4:1 could identify all subjects being administered 3.5 mg·kg-1 testosterone enanthate. Sixteen healthy young men were match-paired and were assigned randomly in a double-blind manner to either a testosterone enanthate or a placebo group. All subjects performed a structured heavy resistance training program while receiving either testosterone enanthate (3.5 mg·kg-1) or saline injections once weekly for 6 weeks. One repetition maximum (1RM) strength measures and 10-second cycle sprint performance were monitored at the pre (week 0), mid (week 3), and post (week 6) time points. Body mass and the urinary T/E ratio were measured at the pre (week 0) and post (week 6) time points. When compared with baseline (pre), 1RM bench press strength and total work during the cycle sprint increased significantly at week 3 (p < 0.01) and week 6 (p < 0.01) in the testosterone enanthate group, but not in the placebo group. Body mass at week 6 was significantly greater than at baseline in the testosterone enanthate group (p < 0.01), but not in the placebo group. Despite the clear ergogenic effects of testosterone enanthate in as little as 3 weeks, 4 of the 9 subjects in the testosterone enanthate group (−44%) did not test positive to testosterone under current WADA urinary T/E ratio criteria.

Injury consequences from participation in professional rugby league: a preliminary investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if injuries sustained while playing professional rugby league have long term consequences for players after retirement from their playing careers. METHOD: Twenty eight retired players, who had competed in the professional Australian Rugby League competition, responded to a 23 item survey. Respondents were asked to recall all injuries that resulted in them being unable to play for five or more consecutive games. The survey asked players to provide information about age, playing weight, number of games played, position played, number and type of major injuries sustained during their career, and the effects of these injuries both during their career and after retirement. RESULTS: Within the limitations of this studys small sample, it is suggested that players with long term consequences of injury may experience a variety of detrimental effects into retirement, including job limitations, reduced income earning potential, and increased personal medical costs. CONCLUSION: Although research relating to the type and severity of injuries sustained while playing rugby league has been previously undertaken, investigation into the effect injuries sustained during a professional career have on players after retirement has been neglected. This preliminary investigation suggests that retired professional rugby league players may have at least one long term consequence of injuries sustained during their playing career.

Pre- and post-game body mass changes during an international rugby tournament: a practical perspective.

Pre- and post-game body mass changes were recorded throughout an international rugby union tournament to determine changes in body mass when training and competing on consecutive days. A squad of 28 players with a mean (+/-SD) age of 20.0 yrs (+/-0.6), height of 1.85 m (+/-0.1) and body mass of 94.71 kg (+/-10.71) were selected to play for England and to participate in an international championship in Sydney, Australia. From the squad, 22 players played in 1 or more of 4 games over a 10-day period from the day of the first match to the day of the last match. Data were collected for a total of 84 player appearances across the 4 games. Players had their body masses recorded prior to leaving England, upon arrival in Australia, and pre- and post-game during the tournament. Players were allowed to ingest fluid ad libitum throughout each match. The mean (+/-SD) ambient temperature and relative humidity across all games was 18.5 degrees C (+/-1.63) and 39.5% (+/-17.7), respectively. Pre- and post-game comparisons of body masses for all player appearances were significantly different (p < 0.00), representing a mean loss of 0.94 kg (+/-0.94). However, there was no significant difference between games or player position (forwards vs. backs). The results demonstrate that if appropriate hydration practices are implemented, they may reduce the compound effect of fluid loss when playing multiple games in a short period of time. Strategies include daily monitoring of body mass and fluid intake and educating players about the importance of fluid intake to recovery and subsequent performance when playing and training on consecutive days.

Tribalism: definition, identification and relevance to the marketing of professional sports franchises

This paper examines the literature relating to tribalism and considers its existence and its relevance to the marketing of sport. Tribal marketing is not a feature of the philosophy dominating todays sports marketing programmes. It is suggested, however, that more focus be placed on the interactions and relationships of groups of sports spectators as tribal members, and this paper presents factors that should be considered by the sports marketer to encourage and facilitate tribalism.

The triple - 120 meter shuttle test: a sport - specific test for assessing anaerobic endurance fitness in Rugby League Players

The aim of this study was to design a simple field test to measure the anaerobic endurance fitness of rugby league players, which is an important fitness quality in the game of rugby league. Twelve amateur football players with a mean (±SD) age of 21.5 years (±2.2) volunteered to participate in the study. The subjects completed 1 trial of the Wingate 60-second (W60) cycle test and 2 trials of the new Triple-120 meter shuttle (T120S) test. All trials were completed 4 days apart. The validity of the T120S was determined by comparing physiological responses (heart rate and blood lactate) and rating of perceived exertion to the all-out W60 cycle test. The results indicate there is a significant relationship between maximum heart rate (r = 0.63 and 0.71) for the 2 trials of the T120S and the W60 cycle test. There was no significant relationship between the 2 trials and the W60 cycle test for post 3 minute lactate (r = 0.112 and 0.101) and rating of perceived exertion (r = 0.94 and 0.161). However, the T120S test elicited greater mean values for these measures than the W60 cycle test. The results indicate that the T120S is a valid test of anaerobic endurance and represents a sports specific test of this quality that may provide useful information for players and coaches involved in the sport of rugby league.

Committed relationships and enhanced threat levels: Perceptions of coach behavior, the coach–athlete relationship, stress appraisals, and coping among athletes

The purpose of this study was to assess an a priori model that included perceptions of coach behavior, coach–athlete relationship, stress appraisals, and coping. A total of 274 athletes from the United Kingdom, Austalia, and Hong Kong completed relevant measures that assessed each construct. Our results revealed that perceptions of coach behavior were associated with aspects of the coach–athlete relationship and stress appraisals. In particular, closeness was positively associated with challenge appraisals and negatively with threat appraisals. However, commitment was positively associated with threat, indicating that there might be some negative implications of having a highly committed coach–athlete relationship. Further, commitment was also positively associated with disengagement-oriented coping, which has previously been linked to poor performance and lower goal-attainment. Applied practitioners could monitor athlete’s perceptions of the coach–athlete relationship, particularly commitment levels, and provide training in appraising stress and coping to those who also score highly on threat and disengagement-oriented coping, but low on task-oriented coping.

Training for and competing in sevens rugby: practical considerations from experience in the International Rugby Board World Series

SUMMARY THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VOTED TO INCLUDE “RUGBY SEVENS” IN THE SUMMER OLYMPICS IN 2016. USA RUGBY WAS RECENTLY ACCEPTED AS A FULL OLYMPIC SPORT MEMBER OF THE US OLYMPIC COMMITTEE. RUGBY IS BEING TAUGHT AS AN “OLYMPIC SPORT” IN SCHOOLS IN CHINA, THE USA AND RUSSIA. NUMEROUS RUGBY NATIONS ARE INVESTING HEAVILY IN THE IDENTIFICATION AND PREPARATION OF PLAYERS WHO WILL BECOME FUTURE OLYMPIANS IN THIS SPORT. HOWEVER, RUGBY SEVENS IS A VASTLY DIFFERENT GAME TO THE TRADITIONAL 15-A-SIDE VERSION. AS A RESULT EFFECTIVE PREPARATION AND COMPETITION MANAGEMENT OF PLAYERS RAISES MANY ISSUES FOR THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH.

Influence of footwear type on barbell back squat using 50, 70 and 90% of one repetition maximum: a biomechanical analysis

Abstract Whitting, JW, Meir, RA, Crowley-McHattan, ZJ, and Holding, RC. Influence of footwear type on barbell back squat using 50, 70, and 90% of one repetition maximum: a biomechanical analysis. J Strength Cond Res 30(4): 1085–1092, 2016—The effect of footwear type was investigated during the barbell back squat using three-dimensional motion analysis and ground reaction force data. Nine male participants (mean age = 26.4 ± 5.4 years, height = 1.79 ± 0.08 m, and mass = 84.7 ± 16.1 kg) completed 2 experimental testing sessions wearing 2 different forms of training footwear: (a) standard sports trainers (running shoes [RS]) and (b) specialized weightlifting shoes (WS). On each test day, participants completed a sequence of 5, 3, and 1 repetitions of a barbell back squat using 50, 70, and 90%, respectively, of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) load in each of the shoe conditions. Shoe order, which was initially randomly assigned for test day 1, was reversed on test day 2. Significant main effects were found for peak dorsiflexion of both left (p < 0.001) and right (p < 0.001) ankles. Pairwise post hoc comparisons showed that the RS condition exhibited significantly more dorsiflexion compared with the WS condition in both left and right ankles. There was also a significant main effect of load (%1RM) within the left ankle (p < 0.01) with post hoc comparisons showing that there was a significant increase in peak dorsiflexion angle from 50 to 90% (p ⩽ 0.05) and 70–90% of 1RM (p ⩽ 0.05) but no difference between 50 and 70% of 1RM (p = 1.000). These findings indicate that further investigation is necessary to substantiate claims regarding the benefits of wearing WS during resistance training exercises targeting the squat movement.

What do changes in prematch vs. postmatch, 1, 2, and 3 days postmatch body weight tell us about fluid status in English premiership rugby union players?

Meir, RA, Brooks, LO, and Rogerson, S. What do changes in prematch vs. postmatch, 1, 2, and 3 days postmatch body weight tell us about fluid status in English Premiership rugby union players? J Strength Cond Res 25(8): 2337-2343, 2011—This study investigated changes in body weight pre and postmatch and 1, 2, and 3 days postmatch. Thirty-six players contracted to an English Premiership rugby union club had their pre and postmatch body weight and 1, 2, and 3 day postmatch body weight recorded across 14 matches played (10 at home and 4 away) during the official 2003-2004 professional rugby union season, representing a total of 262 player appearances. Body weight was recorded using a set of calibrated Seca digital scales with players wearing underwear only and toweled dry of all sweat (postmatch). Players were allowed to ingest fluid ad libitum throughout each match. A number of players recorded pre to postmatch reductions of body weight of >2% with some as high as 4.9%. Significant position-specific mean reductions in prematch to postmatch body weight (±SD) were found for both forwards (1.94 ± 0.14 kg) and backs (1.04 ± 0.17 kg). The mean gain in postmatch to 1-day postmatch body weight was significant for forwards (1.40 ± 0.27 kg) but not for backs (0.76 ± 0.30 kg). There were no significant mean differences between prematch and 2 or 3 days postmatch body weight for either forwards or backs. Forwards on average lost a significantly greater proportion of their weight pre to postmatch than backs (p = 0.005). Forwards were on average 99.5% of the prematch weight at 1 day postmatch, whereas backs were 99.7% (p = 0.598). Forwards were 99.6% of their prematch weight at 3 days postmatch, whereas backs were 100.4% (p = 0.035). Changes in fluid status can be effectively monitored by recording changes in body weight and is useful where players are undertaking training sessions within 1, 2, or 3 days after their last match as a measure of rehydration status.