BACKGROUND Genetic polymorphism is suggested to be associated with human physical performance. The angiotensin I-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism and the α-actinin-3 gene (ACTN3) R577X polymorphism have been most widely studied for such association analysis. However, the findings are frequently heterogeneous. We aim to summarize the associations of ACE I/D and ACTN3 R...

Recent research suggests that appropriately-tailored interventions can assist adolescents enhance their coping skills (Frydenberg and Lewis, 2004). The present paper reflects upon the delivery of a longitudinal coping intervention utilized by junior national netball players. Reflection is focused on issues such as the rationale for the intervention, operational issues surrounding the delivery a...

BACKGROUND Many factors influence participation in sport and Physical Activity (PA). It is well established that socio-economic status (SES) is a critical factor. There is also growing evidence that there are differences in participation patterns according to residential location. However, little is known more specifically about the relationship of PA participation and frequency of participatio...

Agility is important for sport performance and potentially injury risk; however, factors affecting this motor skill remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the extent to which lower extremity dexterity (LED) and muscle performance were associated with agility. Fourteen male and 14 female soccer athletes participated. Agility was evaluated using a hopping sequence separately with both limbs and with ...

BACKGROUND/AIM Consequences of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury include worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and a decrease in activity level. Muscle function can be improved by targeted exercise. Our aims were to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among lower extremity muscle function and PROs after ACL injury. METHODS Fifty-four participants (15 women, mea...

The objective of this cross-sectional questionnaire study was to assess associations of a self-report index of sun protection habit strength with sunscreen use in sporting environments and outdoor physical activity. Participants (n = 234) in field hockey, soccer, tennis and surf sports in Queensland, Australia, completed a self-administered survey on sun protection during organized sport, and d...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the contribution of individual and area level measures of socioeconomic status (SES) to the occurrence of various injury types among Canadian adolescents. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross sectional Canadian data were used from two sources: (1) the 2001/02 health behaviour in school aged children survey (individual level SES measures, injury measures), and (2) the 2001 Can...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to examine the associations between different domains of physical activity and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. METHODS Participants (n=17,663, aged 16-92 years) of two general population health studies conducted between 1977 and 1993 in Switzerland were included. Physical activity was assessed at baseline in the domains of commu...

BACKGROUND Over the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity and hypertension in the United States. The prevalence of these diagnoses among individuals participating in school-sanctioned sports has not been clearly defined. PURPOSE To identify the prevalence of obesity and elevated blood pressure (BP) among student athletes and investigate assoc...