In many communities there is an elite, a relatively small group of participants that is well connected and highly influential. In order to understand the whole community and the underlying mechanisms it is hence very helpful to study the characteristics and the emergence of the elite. In the past it has been shown that various social networks exhibit surprisingly similar properties, like power ...

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate a new set of biomechanical parameters for performance assessment in laboratory sprint cycling. Two groups of seven cyclists, one at elite level, the other at regional level, performed sprint tests in seated and standing positions against 0.8 N/kg resistive loads on the T1670 Basic ergo-trainer (Tacx, Netherlands). A classic racing bicycle was equipped w...

A lacto-ovovegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients required for optimal health. Anecdotal reports suggest that many successful endurance athletes are vegetarians whereas few reports suggest that elite strength athletes follow a vegetarian diet. Strength and power athletes almost invariably include meat in their diets, although it is unclear whether the benefits of meat consumption for str...

We examined the association of R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) in the α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene with "explosive" leg muscle power performance in a group of male and female elite volleyball players (n=66, 31 men, 35 women) and in a group of non-athletic male and female young adults (n=334, 243 men, 91 women). We assessed power performance by means of the vertical squat and counter-movement jump te...

While in a few societies economic institutions are designed to provide property rights protection, a level playing field, and basic public goods necessary for economic growth, in many they are structured to maximize the rents captured by the “elite,” the individuals or social groups monopolizing political power (e.g., Douglass C. North 1981; Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson 2005. ...

Several investigations have demonstrated differences in anthropometry, jump performance, and strength variables between developmental and elite-level volleyball players. However, within the elite level of play, the magnitude of change that can occur with training is unclear. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the anthropometric, vertical jump, and strength quality changes over 2 y...