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Journal of the International Society of... Dec 2023Creatine supplementation is an effective ergogenic aid to augment resistance training and improve intense, short duration, intermittent performance. The effects on... (Review)
Review
Creatine supplementation is an effective ergogenic aid to augment resistance training and improve intense, short duration, intermittent performance. The effects on endurance performance are less known. The purpose of this brief narrative review is to discuss the potential mechanisms of how creatine can affect endurance performance, defined as large muscle mass activities that are cyclical in nature and are >~3 min in duration, and to highlight specific nuances within the literature. Mechanistically, creatine supplementation elevates skeletal muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores facilitating a greater capacity to rapidly resynthesize ATP and buffer hydrogen ion accumulation. When co-ingested with carbohydrates, creatine enhances glycogen resynthesis and content, an important fuel to support high-intensity aerobic exercise. In addition, creatine lowers inflammation and oxidative stress and has the potential to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. In contrast, creatine supplementation increases body mass, which may offset the potential positive effects, particularly in weight-bearing activities. Overall, creatine supplementation increases time to exhaustion during high-intensity endurance activities, likely due to increasing anaerobic work capacity. In terms of time trial performances, results are mixed; however, creatine supplementation appears to be more effective at improving performances that require multiple surges in intensity and/or during end spurts, which are often key race-defining moments. Given creatines ability to enhance anaerobic work capacity and performance through repeated surges in intensity, creatine supplementation may be beneficial for sports, such as cross-country skiing, mountain biking, cycling, triathlon, and for short-duration events where end-spurts are critical for performance, such as rowing, kayaking, and track cycling.
Topics: Humans; Creatine; Physical Endurance; Dietary Supplements; Phosphocreatine; Muscle, Skeletal; Glycogen
PubMed: 37096381
DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2204071 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024The skill-performance relationship is a cornerstone of a meritocratic society. People are selected for schools, colleges and jobs based on the premise that more skillful... (Review)
Review
The skill-performance relationship is a cornerstone of a meritocratic society. People are selected for schools, colleges and jobs based on the premise that more skillful individuals perform better. Scientific understanding of the skill-performance relationship demands that the effect of skill on performance is objectively assessed without subjective, social, and political considerations. One of the best areas for this analysis is sports. In many sports settings, the skill-performance relationship can objectively be examined at the technical, behavioral, psychological, and neurological levels. This examination reveals that skill and performance are inextricably intertwined. While skill affects performance, performance in turn defines and affects skill. To disentangle the previously confusing and interchangeable use of these key constructs, the paper presents a theoretical model specifying that ability and effort have their own direct effects on performance, as well as indirect effects on performance through skill possession and skill execution in cognitive and physical domains of human performance. Thus, ability and skill are not the same. Although skill is a key determinant of performance, recent theory and research suggests that successful performers are successful not just because of their skills per se, but because they take advantage of their skills by creating more occurrences of momentum, making them last longer, and using them to bounce back faster from streaks of unsuccessful performance. Thus, momentum is an important mediator of the effects of skill on performance.
PubMed: 38406307
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1296014 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a natural, emotional, and physiological response to the stress of public performance. Debilitating forms of MPA are severe and... (Review)
Review
Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a natural, emotional, and physiological response to the stress of public performance. Debilitating forms of MPA are severe and persistent reactions that go beyond the normal adaptive response to music evaluation situations and can negatively impact the quality of musical performance and the musician's life in general. Today, it affects numerous professional performers and can result in an inability to practice their profession, posing a significant threat to their professional activity. Despite its scope, studies exploring this issue and contributing to its resolution are scarce. Thus, this review aims to compile the significant advancements made in the last five years (2018-2023) in the treatment of MPA from a scientific perspective. For this purpose, the PRISMA method was used based on the results obtained from the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Reviewed are 10 studies that have made valuable contributions to this matter in this time frame after applying the quality filters using the PRISMA method. It is concluded that, although there are methodological shortcomings and sample limitations in the current research, this field registers advancements that provide valuable information to prevent or solve this problem in professional or aspiring musicians.
PubMed: 37753998
DOI: 10.3390/bs13090720 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is a neurological disorder that is potentially reversible and clinically characterized by a specific triad of symptoms,...
INTRODUCTION
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is a neurological disorder that is potentially reversible and clinically characterized by a specific triad of symptoms, including gait disturbance, cognitive disorders, and urinary incontinence. In INPH assessment, the most commonly used test is the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), but a more comprehensive assessment would be necessary. The first aim of the present study is to verify the sensitivity of a protocol with both clinical and instrumental outcome measures for gait and balance in recognizing INPH patients. The second aim is to verify the most important spatio-temporal parameters in INPH assessment and their possible correlations with clinical outcome measures.
METHODS
Between January 2019 and June 2022, we evaluated 70 INPH subjects. We assessed balance performances with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and TUG, both single (ST) and dual task (DT). We also performed an instrumental gait assessment with the GAITRite electronic walkway system, asking the patients to walk on the carpet for one minute at normal speed, fast speed, and while performing a dual task. We compared the results with those of 20 age-matched healthy subjects (HS).
RESULTS
INPH patients obtained statistically significant lower scores at the BBS, SPPB, and TUG DT but not at the TUG ST, likely because the DT involves cognitive factors altered in these subjects. Concerning instrumental gait evaluation, we found significant differences between HS and INPH patients in almost all spatio-temporal parameters except cadence, which is considered a relevant factor in INPH guidelines. We also found significant correlations between balance outcome measures and gait parameters.
DISCUSSION
Our results confirm the usefulness of BBS and suggest improving the assessment with SPPB. Although the TUG ST is the most commonly used test in the literature to evaluate INPH performances, it does not identify INPH; the TUG DT, instead, might be more useful. The GAITRite system is recognized as a quick and reliable tool to assess walking abilities and spatio-temporal parameters in INPH patients, and the most useful parameters are stride length, stride width, speed, and the percentage of double support. Both clinical and instrumental evaluation may be useful in recognizing subjects at risk for falls.
PubMed: 37609661
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1201932