Issue 35, Spring 2013

BASES Conference 2013 • University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) • 3 – 5 September www.bases.org.uk/BASES-Annual-Conference

The official publication of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

The

High levels of sitting

- key issues for exercise scientists

Anti-doping – What does the sport

and exercise scientist need to know?

Field-testing at high-altitude

Learning from the success of

British Cycling

ISSN

175

4-34

52

Sport andExercise Scientist

World Class Brands – Exclusively Available from a World Class Company

Inspiratory

Muscle Training

Altitude

Training Systems

Strength and

Conditioning

Respiratory

and Lung Function

Blood and Lab

Analysis

C.V. Fitness –

Treadmills & Ergometers&

HaB Direct offers a

one-stop solution

for the planning and

implementation of

facilities, to ensure

workable solutions

involving Best in Class

equipment from

HP Cosmos & other

CV manufacturers.

Delivering innovative technology & software to

help performance assessment, optimise training

& monitor improvements.

From mask systems and infl atable tents

to simulated altitude rooms and hotel

facilities; we help athletes gain the

competitive edge

vering

p performance asse

p pe& monitor improvement

aini g

and inflatable tents

d hotel

ALTITUDE SYSTEMSTM

There’s a lot more to

breathing than you think.

Introducing the

revolutionary

POWERbreathe K5

including Breathe-Link

software, a World 1st

in breathing training

technology.

LTITUDE SYSTEMSTM

Biosen C-Line and S-Line Glucose & Lactate

analysers are core devices in clinics, labs and sports

medicine facilities. Lactate Scout + the compact

lactate monitor is used by medical and

sports clinicians.p

With GANSHORN we

open new horizons for

Gold Standard, easy

to use devices for

respiratory diagnostics,

spirometry, body

plethysmography,

ergospirometry, diffusion

testing and more.

To make your life easier...

www.habdirect.co.uk +44 (0) 1926 816100 sales@habdirect.co.uk

HaB Direct has over the past 23 years sourced Innovative, Best in Class Products from Partners around the World including: HP Cosmos, Ganshorn, EKF, Lactate Pro, Zephyr, Zebris, Noraxon, Brower, Fusion Sport, BodyFlow, Marpo, Monark, VX Sport, Suunto, Sigma, CardioSport, Sensorize, T-Wall & POWERbreathe

Delivering Products and Services that perform.

YEARSYEARS

PRO

DUCTS THAT PERFORM

FROM HaB

HaB International Ltd. is ISO 9001:2008 accredited

Part of the HaB group HaB Direct HaB GmbH HaB Oceania HaB Latin America United Kingdom Germany Australia Brazil

3The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

The Sport and Exercise ScientistThe Sport and Exercise Scientist is published quarterly for the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. The publication is free to BASES members. BASES is a nonprofit professional membership organisation “promoting excellence in sport and exercise sciences.” It is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Cardiff No. 5385834.

Editor Dr Claire Hitchings n chitchings@bases.org.uk

Editorial Advisory Board Dr Kevin Currell n Kelly GoodwinAdam Hawkey n Dr James Morton n Len Parker Simpson

Samantha Parnell n Claire-Marie Roberts n Dr Garry TewDr Ken van Someren FBASES

Editorial AssistantsJane Bairstow n Marsha Stankler

Want to place an advertisement? Visit www.bases.org.uk/SES-Advertisers contact Jane Bairstow 0113 8126162 n jbairstow@bases.org.uk

What do you think of The Sport and Exercise Scientist? We’re keen to know what you want more of, what’s missing and what we should drop. We’re also keen to hear from potential contributors. Contact the editor, Dr Claire Hitchings n chitchings@bases.org.uk

Want to submit a letter to the editor? Letters, which may be edited or shortened for reasons of space or clarity, should be no longer than 300 words, must refer to an article that has appeared in the last issue, and must include the writer’s name.

Publisher Mercer Print, Newark Street, Accrington BB5 0PBTel: 01254395512 n info@mercer-print.co.ukwww.mercer-print.co.uk

Front Cover PhotographyCourtesy Ingram Publishing Limited

DisclaimerThe statements and opinions contained in the articles are solely those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily those of BASES. The appearance of advertisements in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement or approval of products or services. BASES has undertaken all reasonable measures to ensure that the information contained in The Sport and Exercise Scientist is accurate and specifically disclaims any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly of the use and application of any of the contents.

Copyright © BASES, 2013All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in substantial part without permission of BASES is strictly prohibited. Please apply to the editor in writing. Authors may use their own material elsewhere without permission. We ask that the following note be included: “First published in The Sport and Exercise Scientist, date and issue number. Published by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences – www.bases.org.uk”

BASES BoardProf Ian Campbell (Chair) n Dr Claire Hitchings Dr Stephen Ingham n Dr Keith Tolfrey FBASES Prof Richard Tong FBASES

Want to contact BASES?BASES, Leeds Metropolitan University, Fairfax Hall, Headingley Campus, Beckett Park, Leeds, LS63QT n Tel/Fax: 01138126162/63 enquiries@bases.org.uk n www.bases.org.uk

www.twitter.com/basesuk

www.facebook.com/BASESUK

The Sport and Exercise Scientist is printed on paper from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. Please recycle

Check out previous issuesAll copies of The Sport and Exercise Scientist are available in PDF format in the Member Area at www.bases.org.uk. You will need your username (your e-mail address) and password (sent to you via e-mail when you joined BASES).

On the Cover

6 Sedentary behaviour is hot! But what’s exercise science got to do with it?

Key issues concerning sedentary behaviour for exercise scientists

Prof Stuart Biddle FBASES

10 Anti-doping – What does the sport and exercise scientist need to know?

Key elements in doping control, the importance of compliance and incorporating the anti-doping message within our applied practitioner roles

Dr Neil Chester

18 Field-testing at high-altitude Recommendations from Leeds

Metropolitan University’s Himalayan 2011 research expedition team

Lisa Board, Amanda Seims, Max Garrard, Jason King and Dave Bunting MBE

22 Learning from the success of British Cycling

Reflections on the success of British Cycling with recommendations on what sport and exercise science practitioners might learn from such a successful team

Dr Andy Kirkland, Dr James Hopker and Dr Simon Jobson

Regulars

4 News and Letters

5 View from the Chair Prof Ian G. Campbell

5 Diary dates

8 The Whyte answer! The physical activity lobby: The silence is deafening!

Comment on the NHS (aka the NDMS: The National Disease Management Service)

Prof Greg Whyte FBASES

16 CHuTzPAH: CHarlie’s Thoughtz on Physical Activity for Health

Are the UK’s national physical activity recommendations based on evidence or opinion?

Dr Charlie Foster

20 Reviews

27 Final word Dr Roger Ramsbottom FBASES

Also inside

12 The daily challenge of making weight for professional jockeys

A day in the life of a GB jockey George Wilson and Graeme L. Close

14 Research spotlight – a focus on research undertaken by sport and exercise scientists

The impact of turbo trainer cycling on pedalling technique

Marco Arkesteijn with a comment by Paul Barratt

24 Injury and illness epidemiology in Great Britain elite sport: The Injury/Illness Performance Project (IIPP)

An explanation of the medical surveillance work being undertaken by UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport and the University of Nottingham to understand the epidemiology of illness and injury in high performance sport

Dr Debbie Palmer-Green

Contents

4 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

News

Re-Accreditation and Accreditation Laboratory Re-AccreditationThe laboratory at Oxford Brookes University has been BASES re-accredited.

BASES Undergraduate Endorsement SchemeThe following courses have been endorsed by BASES:• Applied Sport Science for Coaching BSc (Honours) –

University College Plymouth St Mark and St John (MARJON)• Sport Science (BSc Single Honours) – University of

Gloucestershire• Sport and Exercise Science (BSc Single Honours) – University

of Gloucestershire.

BASES Certified Exercise Practitioner• John Chisholm, Edinburgh Napier University.

HeadlinesBASES awarded Licensed Body status with the Science Council. Full details on how to become a Chartered Scientist through the BASES Accreditation scheme will follow shortly. n BASES Heads of Department Forum - Thursday 23 May 2013, 10–4pm. We welcome a representative from your institution if the Head of Department cannot attend. n BASES AGM - Wednesday 4 September 2013, 12.15–1.30pm, University of Central Lancashire. n BASES Conference 2013 abstract deadline - Friday 19 April, 5pm. n Five BASES expert statement grants awarded for 2013.

Have your say

E-mail us at chitchings@bases.org.uk. Letters, which may be edited or shortened for reasons of space or clarity, should be no longer than 300 words, must refer to an article that has appeared in the last issue, and must include the writer’s name.

BASES Undergraduate Dissertation of the Year Award

Richard Haines, University of Portsmouth, is the winner of the BASES Undergraduate Dissertation of the Year Award and wins an expenses paid oral presentation at the BASES Annual Student Conference. His dissertation was entitled 'The Validity and Reliability of the Tecumseh Step Test' and was supervised by Gemma Milligan.

New BASES initiative - Resources for Research and PracticeBASES is keen to help members achieve continual evidence-based practice. As such, a new section within the member area of the BASES website has been created to provide an area to host links to useful resources that can assist researchers and practitioners.

Whilst software for scientific analysis can be expensive, cheaper or free alternatives that researchers and practitioners can work with are available. For example, users of MatLab for numerical analysis can download and work with Scilab or Octave; users of Dartfish, Quintic or Silicon Coach for video analysis can work with Kinovea and users of SPSS for statistical analysis can use R or G*Power. Admittedly, the full scope of some software might not match the capabilities of software available via purchase, but many free versions offer a range of tools that can provide a basis for effective research/practice. In many cases there are also user communities willing to offer help via forums or by posting videos with step-by-step examples to introduce novice users to the software. You Tube offers many videos and channels providing a wealth of free resources to promote learning (see www.youtube.com/education).

In addition to software that is available there is another aspect to the initiative; spread sheets. The spread sheets have been developed and compiled by BASES members and posted online, complete with user guides, including details of how to input data, a brief explanation of use and references to where the process is published in an academic resource. The spread sheets offer dual benefits: (1) direct data analysis - for example, users can complete a residual analysis of filtered data signals; and (2) an opportunity to provide a working example of a process, which can be difficult to understand from formulae in text. By following examples in a working spread sheet greater understanding of exactly how scientific processes work can be achieved.

Finally, it should be noted that this resource is not an exhaustive list. BASES encourages its members to contribute to this scheme by providing resources. A template for the user guide can be downloaded from the member area of the BASES website. Members that wish to provide further resources to this page can do so by contacting the relevant Student Advisory Group division representative. – DAN ROBBINS, STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIVISION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR HEALTH

LetterBASES accredited sport and exercise scientists: More preach than practice? I read with interest (or complete lack of from a health perspective) the Winter 2012 Issue of The Sport and Exercise Scientist. From the front to the back cover only one of the 28 pages included an article on physical activity and health (p.16 by Dr Charlie Foster). Quite ironic in light of the only other key health comment made by Dr Joanne Hudson’s Final Word on professionalisation and links with the NHS. She was singing that long running tune of: We need to better prepare them for work in the real world. Currently the only thing we’re training people for is research and lecturing, as highlighted from the profiles (see analyses below) of those registered on the BASES consultant finder. It illustrates that BASES is currently untrained and unfit to truly support professionalisation in health-based practice.

• 265 accredited sport and exercise scientists registered, for whom 80% work at Universities in lecturing or research positions; their practice is mainly in sport appeared as a “side-line”

• Only 26 (10%) on the list were working in the area of physical activity/exercise for health, for whom the majority (16) were involved in practice-based work, the other 10 being university lecturers or researchers.

It appears that most of the ‘qualified’ members of BASES are more preach than practice and mainly in sport. There are thus only a handful of people to whom aspiring health-based sport and exercise science practitioners can hold up as role models. This demonstrates the continued healthy disregard for the value of the unifying BASES qualification known as Accreditation. Will Chartered Status help with this? Only if it achieves recognition as a profession that has something to offer the wider public.

We therefore need a full re-think in the area of professionalisation in physical activity and health or else we may as well take out the words exercise and health from our name and from our constitution, as we are overtly not practising what we preach. – DR JOHN BUCKLEY FBASES

Social Media

You can now follow BASES on Twitter @basesuk Like us on Facebook /basesuk

Keep up-to-date with all the latest information, job vacancies, access to articles and reminders of those all important deadlines!

5The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

In the last issue you may remember we were celebrating the success of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes and the part played by sport and exercise scientists. It seems the importance we play in helping optimise the performance of athletes is well recognised and there is little doubt that our profession will continue to play a key role in supporting athletes from many National

Governing Bodies (NGBs), in the lead up to Brazil 2016. While this is the case I recently read a summary of NGB funding and their priorities for community sport and wondered how, from a sport and exercise science perspective, we may be able to have a similar positive impact on their ‘participation’ or ‘talent’ agenda, going forward.

This then led me to thinking about physical activity, and while almost everyone would recognise its importance to health, I am less certain that, along the corridors of power, the contribution made by sport and exercise scientists is fully understood. You may feel differently and I would be happy to be challenged on this. Whatever the case, I believe that BASES has a crucial role to play, and is in a position to influence key stakeholders in a more effective way than it does at the moment and is something for us to work on.

BASES recently did a call out to members for assistance with writing a BASES Position Stand on Graduate Internships. Graduate internships are becoming increasingly sought after by graduates. They have also become more acceptable and thus offered more widely in sport and exercise sciences. One of the reasons for this has been the increasing number of university graduates and the ever-decreasing job opportunities due to the current economic climate. It is clear that some employers are taking advantage of this situation by making graduates work long hours for no pay and/or very little training. As such, BASES has decided to write a position stand on this matter – outlining what the law says and what good practice is.

Finally, I am delighted to inform you that BASES has become a Licensed Body of the Science Council (enabling us to offer Chartered Scientists (CSci) status to BASES members meeting the criteria). This is clearly good news and a major achievement for the Association. We will provide all relevant information in the next issue of The Sport and Exercise Scientist including how to become a Chartered Scientist.

View from the ChairProf Ian G. Campbell

www.tandfonline.com/rjsp

1.870

16 Mar. BACPR: Physical Activity and Exercise in Heart Failure: Assessment, Prescription and Delivery, Manchester

25 Mar. Arsenal FC SEMS Conference 2013 – Current Hot Topics in Elite Sports Medicine, Emirates Stadium

4 Apr. BASES BiomechanicsInterest Group Conference, University of Wolverhampton (Walsall Campus)

20-22 Apr. Football MedicineStrategies for Muscle and Tendon Injuries annual Conference, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Wembley Stadium, London

27-28 Apr. BACPR: Physical Activity and Exercise in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease Part 2: Advanced Applications, Paisley, Scotland

6 May. BASES Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme submission deadline

7-10 May. Physical Activity and Exercise in CVD Prevention, Imperial College London

10 May. BACPR Exercise Professionals Spring Group Study Day; Heart Failure: Meeting the Challenges in Physical Activity and Exercise, Aston University, Birmingham

8-11 May. 10th European Association for Sociology of Sports Conference, Cordova, Alaska

14-16 May. Advanced Course in Dietary Assessment Methods, University of Aberdeen

18-19 May. BACPR: Physical Activity and Exercise in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease Part 2: Advanced Applications, Manchester

18-19 May. FEPSAC 2013 Conference: The Development of Expertise and Excellence in Applied Sport Psychology, Paris

23 May. BASES Heads of Department Forum, Leeds

Diary dates

Further information: www.bases.org.ukEvents n Awards n Grants

6 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

I often find that great ideas come from my students, more than from me! Andy Smith (now Professor at York St John University) raised the issue sometime around 1998 of attitudinal factors being different for sedentary behaviour than physical activity. We didn’t pursue it too much but it did get a mention in one of our papers (Smith & Biddle, 1999). Then Simon Marshall (now Associate Professor at UC San Diego) wrote an excellent research proposal in the first year of his PhD around the measurement and correlates of sedentary behaviour in young people. I was so impressed that we worked it up into a successful grant application to the BHF. This led to Project STIL (‘Sedentary Lifestyles and Inactive Teenagers’, available: www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ssehs/research/behavioural-medicine/physical-activity-public-health/stil/). Even this great acronym came from MSc student Andy Maudsley! This means that I have been working on ‘sedentary behaviour’ for well over a decade now and it has certainly grabbed my attention and that of others too. If you go to a ‘physical activity and health’ conference, the single symposium on sedentary behaviour 8-10 years ago has mushroomed into a dominant theme of many symposia, papers and posters. So what is this thing called ‘sedentary behaviour’ and does exercise science have anything to do with it?

Operationally, sedentary behaviour is sitting during waking hours. This means low energy expenditure sitting, thereby excluding seated exercise (Sedentary Behaviour Research Network, 2012). It is important to differentiate it from ‘inactivity’, which refers to low levels of physical activity. Sadly, many researchers refer to ‘sedentary’ participants when they really mean inactive ones. We are all sedentary in so far as we all sit down, but it’s just a matter of how much. I would argue that sedentary behaviour is a hugely important topic because it is part of daily living, everyone sits, and emerging evidence suggests that high levels are detrimental to health. This means that the ‘population attributable risk’ of sedentary behaviour is likely to be high.

The key issues concerning sedentary behaviour for exercise scientists and those in the broader field of behavioural medicine are as follows:1. How do we measure sedentary behaviour? 2. What are the health outcomes of high levels of sitting?3. What factors are associated with high levels of sitting?4. Can we reduce sedentary behaviour through interventions?5. Can we devise and implement policies and practices on

sedentary behaviour?

MeasurementThe assessment of movement is fundamental to exercise science. The increasing use of objective monitors, such as accelerometers, is an obvious trend and these have been used to estimate sedentary behaviour. However, while these devices are advancing the field, measures of ‘low movement’ are not the same as objective measures of ‘sitting’. This has led to other devices being developed whereby limb angles can be assessed, such as in the Activpal. Behavioural scientists, in addition to wanting good estimates of overall sitting time, also require measures of specific sedentary behaviours, such as TV viewing, use of computers, time in a car,

sitting at work, etc. This is important for intervention development. Often these behaviours can only be assessed using self-reported methods, with all of the usual difficulties of validity and reliability (Atkin et al., 2012). Alongside measures of sedentary behaviour, we also need to be assessing light, moderate and vigorous physical activity so we can at least test health outcomes of sedentary behaviour independent of physical activity.

Health outcomesA great deal of effort is currently going into the study of health outcomes of sedentary behaviour. Starting from simple associations between TV viewing and markers of obesity, this area has expanded significantly. There is now evidence showing that high levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with greater risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and mortality, and cardiometabolic outcomes (including diabetes and metabolic syndrome) (Edwardson et al., 2012; Owen et al., 2010; Wilmot et al., 2012). Surprisingly, obesity-related outcomes have been shown to be quite complex with mixed or limited evidence for an association in both childhood

Sedentary behaviour is hot! But what’s exercise science got to do with it?Prof Stuart Biddle FBASES provides his views on the key issues concerning sedentary behaviour for exercise scientists.

Above: High levels of sitting are detrimental to health

Courtesy Ingram Publishing Limited

and adulthood, but some evidence of prospective associations from childhood into adulthood (Thorp et al., 2011).

CorrelatesIf we want to reduce sedentary behaviours we need to understand what factors are at least associated with such behaviours, preferably those causally influential. This requires multiple perspectives covering potential socio-demographic, biological, psychological, social and cultural, behavioural, and environmental influences.

Behaviour changeUsing correlates as a foundation, it might be possible to reduce sedentary behaviours. The area of health behaviour change is growing rapidly and exercise scientists need to be aware of this wider field and guidelines, such as those produced by the MRC (Craig et al., 2008). Interventions have mainly been conducted on children, and effects tend to be small (Maniccia et al., 2011). Adult interventions are now emerging using educational, environmental and prompting strategies (Pronk et al., 2012).

Policies and practicesWe now have guidelines encouraging reduction of sedentary behaviour embedded in the UK physical activity guidelines (Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2011). At the time of development, it was felt best to keep these quite general (e.g., ‘minimise the amount of time spent sitting’) as precision of evidence concerning time periods was lacking. No doubt these guidelines will develop over time. There is clearly a role for policy experts in this process and these should stand (not sit!)

alongside those with expertise in implementation or translation science (Michie et al., 2011).

ConclusionsSedentary behaviour has clearly captured the imagination of exercise scientists and others, and the field of ‘exercise science’ has much to offer, as I have tried to illustrate. Nevertheless, the evidence is still emerging and we have much to do, particularly on measurement, health outcomes and behaviour change. I encourage more content on sedentary behaviour to be included in exercise science programmes. Moreover, we could start by being good role models – encourage students and colleagues to stand more. I have a ’15 minute rule’ in my office: the first 15 minutes of meetings are conducted standing up. Often we stand for longer. Have walk and talk tutorials (less sitting time); have mid-class standing breaks; modify your office that allows for standing work. The list could go on. We are not trying to ‘ban sitting’; that’s crazy. But we do sit too much and we should seek ways to reduce this. As Ernest Hemingway said “writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind... I like to write standing up.” Maybe this area is not so new after all.

7The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

"We could start by being good role models – encourage students and colleagues to stand more. I have a ’15 minute rule’ in my office: the first 15 minutes of meetings are conducted standing up. Often we stand for longer."

words: Prof Stuart Biddle FBASES

Stuart works in the School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, The NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit at Loughborough University.

References

Atkin, A.J. et al. (2012). Methods of measurement in epidemiology: sedentary behaviour. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41, 1460-1471.

Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. (2011). Start active, stay active: a report on physical activity from the four home countries' Chief Medical Officers. London: Department of Health. Available: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_128209

Craig, P. et al. (2008). Developing and evaluating complex interventions: The new Medical Research Council guidance. British Medical Journal, 337(sep29_1), a1655-.

Edwardson, C.L. et al. (2012). Association of sedentary behaviour with metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 7(4), e34916.

Maniccia, D.M. et al. (2011). A meta-analysis of interventions that target children's screen time for reduction. Pediatrics, 128(1), e193-e210.

Michie, S., van Stralen, M. & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6(1), 42.

Owen, N., Healy, G.N., Matthews, C.E. & Dunstan, D.W. (2010). Too much sitting: The population health science of sedentary behavior. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 38(3), 105-113.

Pronk, N.P., Katz, A.S., Lowry, M. & Payfer, J.R. (2012). Reducing occupational sitting time and improving worker health: The Take-a-Stand Project, 2011. Preventing Chronic Disease, 9, 110323. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/110310.115888.pcd110329.110323.

Sedentary Behaviour Research Network. (2012). Letter to the Editor: Standardized use of the terms “sedentary” and “sedentary behaviours”. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 37, 540–542.

Smith, R.A. & Biddle, S.J.H. (1999). Attitudes and exercise adherence: Tests of the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 269-281.

Thorp, A.A., Owen, N., Neuhaus, M. & Dunstan, D.W. (2011). Sedentary behaviors and subsequent health outcomes in adults: a systematic review of longitudinal studies, 1996-2011. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 41(2), 207-215.

Wilmot, E.G. et al. (2012). Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 55(11), 2895-2905.

After a series of conversations with the country’s most influential health advisors I have decided to rename the NHS, the NDMS: The National Disease Management Service. As I survey the NDMS landscape it is becoming increasingly clear that it operates in a vacuum of reactivity with limited evidence of proactive health delivery. The baron wasteland that is physical activity provision (there is a palpable physical activity public health promotion; unfortunately adverts using little plasticine people have little resonance or impact, unless you are Morph and Tony Hart!) is not unsurprising given the fact that the NDMS is designed, controlled and operated by the pharmaceutical, devices and diagnostics industry with the sole purpose of increasing the dividends for their shareholders.

Unless you can ingest, inject, inhale or implant then the NDMS industry is unlikely to make a serious effort to adopt the intervention. Herein lies the first major obstacle to the establishment of a palpable ‘physical activity’ intervention service in the NDMS; unfortunately you cannot copyright, patent or licence physical activity so the controllers of public health; pharma, devices and diagnostics, are unable to buffer their shareholders’ wallets. Indeed, the real cynic (no I’m not a ‘real’ cynic!) may suggest that the more diseased the population the greater the profit for the NDMS controllers! I am not questioning the integrity of those working at the coal face of the pharma, devices and diagnostics industries whose aim is to improve the health of the nation. In particular, the scientists working on product development and the medics working directly with patients have a single aim; improved healthcare. Rather, it is the industry itself which, ruled by profit, has the greatest lobbying voice in government and as a result decides on the direction of travel of the NDMS.

This brings me to the second major obstacle facing physical activity as a serious player in the health of the nation; the absence of a voice in the corridors of power. Of the four major modifiable risk factors to health, the physical activity lobby is virtually silent. Tobacco, alcohol and the food industries have a formidable lobbying power whose influence permeates all corners of government. The financial strength

of these three modifiable risk factors is so strong that government is reticent, nee afraid, to implement any real changes that would impact on the profit of these hugely influential multi-nationals.

On the rare occasion that government makes a significant change in legislation the change in public health is palpable, e.g., stopping smoking in public places. Again, the real cynic would suggest that a government serious about improving public health would go further, i.e., ban smoking altogether! The economy can’t afford for smoking to be banned; that’s the usual defence of such a seemingly draconian approach. The old chestnut of the NHS being funded by tobacco revenue is unlikely to be the primary reason why government doesn’t ban smoking; after all, ban smoking and the NHS bill drops significantly! In reality, it is likely to be the resultant pension burden of people living longer that the economy simply cannot support; this is the primary reason why smoking is not banned and alcohol is cheaper than soft drinks! It is clear that physical activity is the poor cousin of the modifiable risk factors due, primarily, to the lack of financial clout. Even when there is a golden opportunity for physical activity to rise up the government’s agenda in the guise of the obesity pandemic it is the food industry that takes centre stage.

That said; it is too easy to sit on the side lines and bleat about the poor, underprivileged physical activity class. It is our job as exercise professionals to develop a voice, to create a credible and powerful lobby, and to change the attitude of those that seek to silence the importance of physical activity in the health of the nation. Have you ever met anybody that didn’t believe that being physically active was good for health? The answer is a resounding, No. To that end, we have the foundations from which to build; what we need now are the visionary architects to design an approach to influence those in power, and enough high-quality builders to develop and deliver a working model of physical activity intervention across the population. At present the silence is deafening along the corridors of power; we need to break the silence, and help redefine the NDMS to deliver on its primary role: improved health of the nation.

8 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

The Whyte answer!The physical activity lobby: The silence is deafening!

words: Prof Greg Whyte FBASES Greg is Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University. His main area of research interest is focused around cardiac structure and function in health and disease. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM) and is the Chair of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

"Have you ever met anybody that didn’t believe that being physically active was good for health? The answer is a resounding, No. To that end, we have the foundations from which to build."

Postgraduate opportunities in Sport and Exercise Sciences

www.birmingham.ac.uk/sportex-pg

Enhance your skills and career prospects with a postgraduate qualifi cation in sport, coaching, exercise, policy, management or physical education.

MSc/MRes Exercise and Sport Sciences MSc/PgDip Sport Coaching MSc Sport Policy and Management* MSc Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy* Advanced Certifi cate in Golf Coaching PhD opportunities

*Subject to approval for 2013 entry

Learn more

Tel: +44 (0)121 414 5922Email: sportexpgtadmissions@lists.bham.ac.uk

7886 PG Sportex ad AW.indd 1 11/01/2013 16:17

STUDY THE SCIENCE BEHIND SPORTS NUTRITION AND ITS APPLICATION TO ELITE PERFORMANCE

MSc Sports and Exercise Nutrition

New for September 2013 the course is available full-time (one-year) or part-time (two-years), taught at our Cavendish Campus in central London.

For more details, talk to the course leader Dr Sally Parsonage, email s.parsonage@westminster.ac.uk

Visit one of our Postgraduate Information Evenings, meet the staff and see the state-of-the-art facilities in the Human Performance Laboratories – Wednesday 6 March or 12 June, 5.30 - 7pm.

westminster.ac.uk/nutrition

Few things in sport command as much attention as a doping scandal. Whilst we enjoyed the success of the London Olympics and Paralympics and the many other sporting successes of 2012, the doping scandal surrounding Lance Armstrong was arguably the biggest sporting news story to hit the headlines.

Whilst doping is such a major issue in sport there is much hearsay and misinformation surrounding it. The prevalence of doping has long been a contentious issue. It is extremely difficult to quantify, yet evidence from anti-doping laboratories confirm that it is a significant problem in elite sport. Doping undermines the characteristics of fair play and the fundamental ethics of sport. Although it will never be eradicated it is essential that doping is controlled to preserve athletes’ welfare and ensure that they may compete without the obligation of using performance enhancing drugs.

Ethics and professional practice is a fundamental element of the anti-doping movement. Doping should not sit in isolation nor should it be viewed as the domain of others. The sport and exercise scientist has a role to play in terms of demonstrating good professional practice. Whilst the sport and exercise scientist may be judged by his/her impact on performance, ethical standards and professionalism must be maintained. Such a potential conflict of interests can clearly pose problems; it is vital that the practitioner is armed with a good understanding of ethical practice together with anti-doping rules and procedures.

Whilst the principles of anti-doping have remained the same, the regulations and procedures change on a regular basis. The sport and exercise scientist must keep abreast of current regulations and procedures and maintain a clear understanding of changes in policy. This can be achieved by reference to the resources of recognised anti-doping organisations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and UK Anti-Doping via their respective websites. Good knowledge and understanding encourages compliance in terms of anti-doping procedure.

Due to its covert nature, doping control and specifically drug testing is often unfamiliar and misunderstood. Other than elite athletes, who are tested regularly, few individuals have a good awareness of doping control procedures. Key stages involved in a routine drugs test are outlined in Box 1. UK Anti-Doping, as the national anti-doping organisation, assigns either random or target tests and as doping control becomes more intelligence-led the proportion of target tests will increase.

10 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Anti-doping – What does the sport and exercise scientist need to know?Dr Neil Chester highlights the key elements in doping control, the importance of compliance and incorporating the anti-doping message within our applied practitioner roles.

Box 1. Procedures employed during a routine in-competition drugs test (UK Anti-Doping, 2012; WADA, 2012a)

Selection: Random or target testing may be performed. During a random test the lead doping control officer (DCO) will perform a draw or selection accompanied by a national governing body representative or additional doping control staff member.

Notification: A doping control staff member notifies an athlete that s/he has been selected for a drugs test as soon as possible after the competition. At this stage athletes will be informed of their rights and responsibilities, which include amongst others, the right to have a representative present.

Chaperoning: From the point of notification athletes must be chaperoned at all times – this means the athlete must be observed and in full view of a member of the doping control team (chaperone or DCO) until sample collection procedures are completed.

Reporting to the doping control station: Athletes must report immediately to the designated doping control station (which may be a changing room or physiotherapy/treatment room) following notification. Delayed reporting may be acceptable to complete a cool down, receive medical treatment, collect identification documents (e.g., passport), compete in further competitions, locate an interpreter or representative, attend an awards ceremony and undertake media commitments. Delayed reporting for other reasons must be approved by the lead DCO. Reasons typically considered unacceptable include showering and meeting family and friends.

Sample collection: On arrival at the doping control station athletes will be asked whether they are able to provide a sample. If at this stage this is not possible they will be asked to reside in a waiting area under supervision for as long as is necessary. There is no time limit, however athletes who might be dehydrated may be encouraged to drink fluids (in moderation) to promote urine production. When an athlete is ready s/he must remove sufficient clothing to ensure sample provision occurs under direct observation by a DCO. A volume of 90 ml is required and subsequently divided into A and B samples. If less than 90 ml is collected additional samples are necessary and added to the previous sample(s) until the required volume is reached. Specific gravity is then assessed using a digital refractometer. In the event that specific gravity of the sample is less than 1.005 a further sample is required within the specified range (i.e., ≥1.005). Athletes will be encouraged not to consume further fluids in an attempt to increase urine concentration and will typically be asked to provide as many samples as necessary until an acceptable specific gravity reading is reached.

Following sample collection athletes will be asked to declare any medication and supplements that they have taken over the previous seven days, any therapeutic use exemptions that they may currently hold and any blood transfusions that they may have had within the previous six months. This information may be useful in the event of an adverse analytical finding. Finally, the doping control form will be checked and signed by the athlete and DCO to confirm that procedure has been followed and all necessary information is present and correct. Athletes receive a duplicate copy of the form for their records and an anonymised version is stored with the samples for shipment to the WADA-accredited laboratory.

Shipment of sample: Samples are stored in two identical glass bottles (labelled A and B) with tamper-proof lids. They are subsequently transported in a single polystyrene box and despatched by courier in a timely manner, ensuring a secure chain of custody from collection to analysis at the laboratory.

Sample analysis: On receipt of the samples the laboratory will endeavour to analyse sample A within 10 working days.

11The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Current anti-doping measures are coordinated by WADA and outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code and allied International Standards documents. All signatories of the code must abide by the rules and regulations set out in these documents. Not only are sports organisations bound to comply with the Prohibited List they must also promote preventative anti-doping measures through education and research.

A system that allows athletes to take otherwise prohibited substances for therapeutic purposes is known as Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) and is outlined in Box 2. This process has long been dominated by the therapeutic use of short-acting

2-agonists for the treatment of asthma; however salbutamol, a common drug prescribed to treat asthma, is no longer prohibited when used up to the maximal therapeutic dose.

Whilst WADA withholds the principle of strict liability, the Code offers some flexibility for those that suffer from inadvertent doping. Those who intentionally dope endure the full force of anti-doping sanctions, but those who prove a doping offence was a consequence of unknowingly taking a substance present in a supplement or medication with no intention to enhance performance, may receive a lesser penalty. Education is critical in combating episodes of unintentional doping and being able to identify a good source of information is invaluable. Global Drug Reference Online (GlobalDRO.com) is a website that allows athletes or support personnel to determine the status of a particular ingredient contained in a medicinal product.

Informed sport is a scheme that has developed as a consequence of the concern over supplement contamination and involves the independent monitoring of supplements for the presence of prohibited substances. All products that are batch tested and free from prohibited substances are marked with the informed sport logo. Whilst this does not offer a full guarantee (since not all prohibited substances are tested for) it goes some way towards safeguarding athletes against a positive test.

How might BASES ensure that its members and indeed the new generation of sport and exercise scientists have the skills and knowledge to uphold the principles of drug free sport?

• Anti-doping education should be a fundamental element of the accreditation training scheme

• Ethics and professional practice including anti-doping education should be an important aspect of our undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in sport and exercise sciences and incorporated into the BUES criteria.

• UK Anti-Doping is currently championing an initiative to encourage ‘Clean Sport’ in our Universities – a recognised partnership could be a significant step forward.

• Development of an anti-doping interest group would support research and education and encourage collaboration between like-minded individuals.

References

UK Anti-Doping (2012). Athlete Testing Procedures. Available: www.ukad.org.uk

WADA (2012a). WADA International Standards for Laboratories. Available: www.wada-ama.org

WADA (2012b). Question and Answers on Therapeutic Use Exemptions. Available: www.wada-ama.org

Box 2. An outline of the principles of the Therapeutic Use Exemption scheme (WADA, 2012b)

Athletes who may require a prohibited substance or method to treat a medical condition may apply for permission without fear of committing an anti-doping rule violation. An application must be completed by the athlete’s physician with supporting documentation and submitted to UK Anti-Doping. The application will be reviewed by a panel of experts (TUE committee) and will be approved or declined.

To be considered for a TUE an athlete must fulfil the following criteria:1. A significant impairment in health would be

experienced if the prohibited substance or method was withheld

2. The use of the prohibited substance or method would provide no further performance enhancement over and above a return to normal health

3. No reasonable therapeutic alternative is available that is not prohibited.

words: Dr Neil Chester

Neil is from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University. He is a researcher in many aspects of drug use in sport and has a keen interest in the ethics of sport and professional practice.

Above: An athlete and Doping Control Officer undertake routine urine sample collection

Courtesy UK Anti-Doping

Weight regulations for GB jockeysProfessional jockeys face the unique challenge of having to make riding weight on a daily basis, which often involves rapid weight loss techniques. It has been suggested that such practices are potentially harmful to the athletes’ health, although research in the sport is still somewhat limited. Jockeys in Great Britain (GB) are required to compete at a given riding weight (the minimum weight is 50.8 kg for Flat jockeys and 63.5 kg for Jump jockeys). In GB there is no off-season for horse-racing and many jockeys commonly make-weight all-year round (Wilson et al., 2012a). Notably, the minimum Flat racing weight is lower in GB than the all other major racing countries (apart from the USA), yet GB Flat racing jockeys are reported to be significantly taller than other nations (Wilson et al., 2012b). Jockeys often resort to unhealthy practices to make-weight, including dehydration and food deprivation that has been implicated in markers of poor physical and mental health (Wilson et al., 2012a, b). Additionally, jockeys employ rapid weight loss methods, losing as much as 4.5 kg in < 24-hours (Wilson et al., 2012a). It appears that jockeys have a poor understanding of basic nutritional knowledge and eat sporadically with an over-reliance on convenience foods (Wilson et al., 2012a, b). A day in the life of a professional jockey• From around 7 am jockeys will exercise racehorses (known as ‘lots’) for their racehorse trainer. Each ‘lot’ is typically ~1 hour.

• Breakfast break is generally around 9.15 am, although jockeys commonly skip breakfast and/or only consume a small snack (e.g., biscuits) and a cup of tea (Wilson et al., 2012a, b).

• Professional jockeys who race-ride will typically ride ‘lots’ until 10.30 am and then drive to the afternoon race-meeting.

• On arrival at the racecourse, if weight loss is required jockeys will run in a sweat suit or use the racecourse sauna until the required weight has been met. Typically, this will be from 30-45 minutes. During sweating sessions, jockeys will usually refrain from fluids.

• Jockeys will then be officially weighed and this must include their boots, silks and saddle.

• Once weighed, jockeys may consume some fluid. However, post-race jockeys may be required to ‘weigh-in’ and weight cannot be >1 kg from pre-weight.

• Between races jockeys may consume some food (e.g., a small sandwich).

• Following race-riding, jockeys usually consume a meal that is often convenience foods that may be their only substantial meal of the day (Wilson et al., 2012a, b).

Is this the only way to make-weight?We recently employed a 9-week diet and exercise intervention with a professional Jump jockey and demonstrated that minimum weight could be made without resorting to dehydration techniques (Wilson et al., 2012a). By introducing structured exercise, increasing the consumption of low glycemic index

(GI) carbohydrates and protein, reducing high GI and processed fatty foods as well as increasing the food frequency the jockey reduced weight by ~8 kg and remained euhydrated throughout. This case study suggests that the somewhat archaic practices of rapid dehydration in elite jockeys may not be essential and may be largely cultural.

12 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

The daily challenge of making weight for professional jockeys George Wilson and Graeme L. Close describe a day in the life of a GB jockey.

References

Wilson, G. et al. (2012). An alternate dietary strategy to make weight improves mood, decreases body fat and removes the necessity for dehydration: A case-study from a professional jockey. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 22, 225-31.

Wilson, G. et al. (2012). Markers of bone health, renal function, liver function, anthropometry and perception of mood: a comparison between Flat & National Hunt jockeys. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2012, In Press.

Note. As of 2013 the British Horse racing Authority (BHA) announced a rise in the minimum Flat racing weight from 49.9 kg to 50.8 kg as a result of research into the weight-making practices of professional jockeys in Britain and Ireland.

words: Dr Graeme L. Close and George Wilson

Graeme is a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. He is a BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist and is currently Head of Sports Nutrition at Munster Rugby.

George is a postgraduate research student at Liverpool John Moores University investigating the effects of weight-making on the physical and mental health of GB-based jockeys.

Above: George Wilson assessing the energy expenditure of an elite jump jockey during a simulated race-ride

Courtesy LJMU press

BASES Student Conference 201326th - 27th March 2013Cardiff School of SportCardiff Metropolitan University

Pathways to Practice: Accreditation, Applicationand Advancement

The conference focuses on the BASES Accreditation pathwaysto practice, the Application of knowledge developed throughthis process, and the Advancement of health and performanceas a result of scientific support

Key features of the conference include:

• Keynote lectures on the accreditation pathways to, and outcomes of, applied practice in sport and exercise science.

• Opportunities to present research findings and/or any applied experiences within sport and exercise.

• A range of applied workshops within different disciplines, delivered by experts in the respective field.

• A Careers Fair to discuss vocational opportunities during and beyond academic study.

Bases 2012/13_A4 Advert 02/04/2012 13:31 Page 1

Assessing cycling techniqueImproving pedalling technique to improve cycling performance has traditionally generated substantial interest from coaches, athletes and scientists. One way to assess cycling technique is by measuring the forces exerted on the pedal. These pedal force systems can measure the ‘effective force’ exerted tangential to the crank, which is the force that actually drives the pedal through the pedal revolution. In contrast, a radial pedal force produced by the cyclist does not move the crank and is thus ‘ineffective’. Unfortunately, to date, the measurement of pedal forces has remained constrained to a laboratory environment, potentially limiting the translation to actual road cycling.

Pedalling technique during treadmill and turbo trainer cyclingIn a recent study, we compared pedalling technique during treadmill cycling and turbo trainer cycling at intensities regularly encountered during endurance cycling (150-250 Watts). The former was assumed to be closer to actual road cycling compared with turbo trainer cycling, while allowing the use of advanced pedal force measurements. In addition, the turbo trainer is a common method of training for cyclists if outdoor training is not practical, for example due to adverse weather conditions or when a highly structured work out is required. The same bicycle and power meter were used for both turbo trainer and treadmill cycling, and the pedals were equipped with a force system that measured effective and ineffective forces during the pedal revolution. Alongside this, muscle activity patterns of eight of the major leg muscles involved in cycling were recorded using electromyography.

FindingsOur results show that treadmill cycling induced a larger portion of the power being produced during the bottom and top dead centres of the pedal revolution compared with turbo trainer cycling. Treadmill cycling thus resulted in a more even power production during the pedal revolution compared with turbo trainer cycling. This was induced by increased activity of the Gastrocnemius Lateralis and Biceps Femoris during treadmill cycling, which are active during the bottom dead centre. In addition, the less even distribution of power during turbo trainer cycling

was reflected in higher activity of the knee extensor muscles (Vastus Lateralis and Rectus Femoris) compared with treadmill cycling. These muscles are mainly active during the down stroke, explaining the increased power production required to compensate for the lower power produced during the bottom dead centre.

ImplicationsThe implications of these findings are that training on a turbo trainer might produce a sub-optimal training stimulus. Specific muscles which could be important for an optimal pedalling technique, such as the Biceps Femoris and Gastrocnemius Lateralis, are possibly exercised less than they would during road cycling. This could potentially result in a sub-optimal technique during road cycling, with less power being produced during the dead centres. In addition, the less trained muscles could potentially experience a larger rate of fatigue, and could thus negatively impact on performance during longer events. Another implication of these findings is that the translation of research on pedalling technique and laboratory cycling performance might have limited validity for road cycling performance.

Advancements in mobile power metersInterestingly, recent advancements in mobile power meters offer an exciting development for the future. Although mobile power meters have been around since the 1990s, these only provide an indication of the amount of power produced and mainly quantify training intensity. Feedback on pedalling technique is currently limited to stationary ergometers used during an indoor training session, for example with Wattbike’s Polar View and CompuTrainer’s SpinScan. The next generation of mobile power meters, such as the Zone, Garmin’s Vector, and from Polar, will be located there where the force is actually produced: at the pedal. These have the potential to provide detailed feedback to the cyclist about force production during the whole pedal revolution, and for both legs individually. These advancements will allow for a cyclist’s pedalling technique to be analysed during outdoor cycling, while providing real-time feedback on the road. Given that pedalling technique can vary between cycle ergo meters, the most valid environment to study the impact of pedalling technique on cycling performance is obviously outdoors, on the road!

Reference

Arkesteijn, M. et al. (2012). The effect of turbo trainer cycling on pedalling technique and cycling efficiency. International Journal of Sports Medicine, doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1327658

The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

words: Marco Arkesteijn

Marco is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics at the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Aberystwyth University, maa36@aber.ac.uk

Research spotlight - a focus on research undertaken by sport and exercise scientistsThe impact of turbo trainer cycling on pedalling technique by Marco Arkesteijn with a comment by Paul Barratt.

14

Want to contribute to this feature?

Contact Kelly Goodwin, kgoodwin@bournemouth.ac.uk

Postgraduate opportunities in Health Sciences, Human Performance and SportJoin one of the world’s leading universities.• MSc Physical Activity for Health*

• MSc Dance Science & Education

• MSc Performance Psychology

• MSc Sport Policy, Management & International Development*

• MSc Strength & Conditioning

Full time and part time options available.

Learn more and apply at www.ed.ac.uk/education/sport

*Due to commence September 2013, subject to final validation.

The

Uni

vers

ity o

f Edi

nbur

gh is

a c

harit

able

bod

y, re

gist

ered

in S

cotla

nd, w

ith re

gist

ratio

n nu

mbe

r SC

0053

36.

Comment: By Paul Barratt, English Institute of Sport; GB Cycling Team

While it is interesting to observe differences in pedalling technique between cycling conditions, using these observations to address cycling performance questions remains difficult. Ultimately, despite a number of studies, there is very little evidence linking the various measures of pedalling technique to cycling performance, and

further when cyclists improve their pedalling technique through training there is at best no change, or at worst a reduction in their efficiency. The efficiency data from this study supports that notion, demonstrating that despite the changes in pedalling technique between treadmill and turbo-trainer, there was no change in efficiency between conditions. In this context it would appear questionable whether we should ask riders to spend time trying to develop an 'optimal' pedalling technique.

The question of how different training modalities may change loading on different muscle groups appears more relevant to cycling performance; clearly a more specific training environment is desirable. We know that muscle coordination and muscle activity depend somewhat on the cycling conditions, and in this study these differences are highlighted between two training modalities; treadmill cycling and turbo trainer. One topic for discussion is the extent to which these differences represent a relevant and worthwhile difference in loading of the major power producing muscles, versus a more subtle change in coordination simply in response to a variation in the external load. If the former were the case, then it certainly would become a performance issue, although the next step then required would be to make comparisons against real-life cycling.

15The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Are the UK’s national physical activity recommendations based on evidence or opinion?The transition of 2012 to 2013 saw the TV and newspapers giving a deserved focus on the sporting achievements and successes of our sportsmen and women, coaches and volunteers. It felt to me that the spotlight was firmly on sport, exercise and finally even physical activity. The media also ran their usual collection of Christmas health-related stories. For example, one BBC radio programme, You and Yours, presented by their science reporter Dr Michael Mosley, chose to report on the apparent ‘confusion' over how active we should be. It suggested the Government’s physical activity recommendations were confusing to the public; were the recommendations evidence-based and did the public know or understand the behavioural message of such nuanced epidemiological-based recommendations?

It also raised the perils of sedentary behaviour, featuring a workplace, and exposed the public’s lack of knowledge of Government guidelines. The programme featured a number of academics who offered their views on guidelines, the nature and quality of evidence underpinning recommendations, the differential effects of high-intensity training on aerobic fitness and the science of messaging. We are less than 18 months from the release of the CMO report and there appears to be little reflection of physical activity guidelines in the real world. Why? Was there some fault in the process of constructing these recommendations?

I have to declare an interest at this point that I was a member of the working group that produced the adult recommendations and also the overall Physical Activity Guidelines Editorial Group.

The 2011 Four CMO report Start Active, Stay Active updated the existing guidelines for children, young people and adults. It included new guidelines for early years and older people for the first time in the UK. From my perspective the process of updating older recommendations was very thorough, detailed and extremely inclusive (See page 52 in Start Active, Stay Active for details). For example, the potential changes and wording of recommendations were all exposed to a national web consultation phase. As the technical report describes, the purpose of these recommendations was to state what changes should or could be made to the current guidelines, and not present draft physical activity guidelines themselves. The web consultation did seek comments on what should be suggested to the final drafting team and how the existing guidelines might be changed based on the most recent scientific evidence. For example, the adult consultation did not achieve consensus, particularly for the recommendations for strength training (recommendation #5), flexibility (recommendation #6) and dose-response (recommendation #10).

The evidence used for these recommendations varied from epidemiological cohort studies to randomised controlled trials, reflecting the nature of the question posed by studies. For example, the assessment of the long-term exposure of different levels of physical activity upon morbidity and mortality drew typically on cohort studies, while the exposure to different exercise training regimes of varying intensity used experimental designs. Data from these studies were gathered by other academic bodies in previous years so did not merit another round of reviewing. Sources would be familiar to readers and included, the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report (2008) from the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee formed by the US Department of

Health and Human Services; scientific reviews undertaken as part of the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines review process; and review papers undertaken as part of the BASES consensus process.

The use of different types of evidence in creating cross population recommendations is critical as the development of chronic disease will vary between different population groups. This is very clearly illustrated in the principle adopted in the CMO report to a life course approach. Despite the problems with this type of data, e.g., self report of physical activity, the evidence still supported the 150 min/week threshold physical activity recommendation. This type of evidence would not be possible to generate in an experimental design as life does not mimic a laboratory. Remember the evidence that clearly supports the harm of tobacco smoking on health was created with the same type of evidence and not through experiments.

Were the differing views of consultation participants incorrectly ignored?

There was plenty of agreement with the range of views expressed by the participants to the consultation and the equivocal nature of our epidemiological (cohort and experimental studies) evidence-base. But it was clear to me that saying we don’t have enough evidence to make recommendations was not an option nor in the public interest. Construction of population-based physical activity recommendations is not merely a sausage machine of pour in evidence, turn handle and squeeze out an evidence-based recommendation. They are products of evidence + debate + politics. As researchers we could always seek evidence to support or protect our particular view on an issue, but a dogmatic view on evidence helps no one progress. As BASES professionals I believe we should be prepared to support our national bodies to try to create evidence-based policy, keep debating fiercely between ourselves on the emerging nature of our evidence-base, and take every opportunity to fight opportunities for public and professional confusion on how to be active.

Sowing confusion in the minds of the public only serves the interests of those bodies who may not see public interest before their own (food, alcohol, tobacco industries?). Perhaps the traction of our current national physical activity guidelines into the public’s consciousness (and behaviour!) has failed as we all have failed to take our opportunities to support their promotion and dissemination: time for another New Year’s resolution?

16 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

CHuTzPAH: CHarlie’s Thoughtz on Physical Activity for Health Dr Charlie Foster is The Sport and Exercise Scientist’s physical activity for health columnist.

References

Department of Health PA, Health Improvement and Protection: Start Active, Stay Active: A report on physical activity from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers. London, 2011. Available:www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_128209

Hear the programme at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01phhyh

words: Dr Charlie Foster

Charlie is a Senior Lecturer/Researcher at the University of Oxford. He runs a research programme, funded by the BHF, to improve the evidence base for physical activity promotion. He was a co-author on the current UK physical activity guidelines, published in 2011 (Start Active, Stay Active: A report on physical activity from the four home countries). Chutzpah is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad.

Masters’ Degrees in Clinical Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

For further details contact: the Clinical Sciences TeamTelephone: 01244 513431, Email: clinicalsciences@chester.ac.ukAddress: Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ

MSc Cardiovascular Rehabilitation• Risk factors and treatments• Anatomy and exercise physiology• Physical activity, exercise testing and prescription• Nutrition and cardiovascular health• Public health policy and programme management• Psychology, education and health behaviour• Research methods

MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science• Exercise and health• Nutrition in health and disease• Sports nutrition• Physiology and physical performance• Performance enhancement• Science of weight control• Biochemistry of metabolism• Research methods

MSc Human Nutrition• Principles of nutrition• Nutritional assessment • Nutritional anthropometry• Nutrition in health and disease• Human metabolism• Sports nutrition• Food and nutrition policy• Research methods

MSc Weight Management• Obesity epidemic – a public health issue• Dietary approaches to weight management• Causes and assessment of obesity• Pharmacotherapy, surgery and alternative methods• Exercise and weight management• Behaviour modi cation• Childhood obesity• Research methods

www.chester.ac.uk/cens/2013

Study Postgraduate Sport at Winchester

MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Science*

Study a mixture of approaches to sport and exercise science which draws on physiology, psychology and biomechanics. Experience a blend of theoretical, practical, experiential and professional approaches to sports performance and exercise health. Learn the skills required to work in an applied sport and/or exercise science setting.

Specialist modules include:Applied Sport and Exercise ScienceApplied Sport and Exercise PhysiologyApplied Sport and Exercise BiomechanicsApplied Sport PsychologyApplied Exercise Psychology

MA Sport and Society*

Study the main issues impacting sport and society from a multidisciplinary social scientific approach drawing on sociology, history, management and law.

Specialist modules include:Sport and Society: Theoretical PerspectivesSport, Gender and SexualitySport and the NationCommercial Influences in Global Sport

For further informationplease visit www.winchester.ac.uk/courses or contact course enquiries and applications on: +44 (0)1962 827234 or email: course.enquiries@winchester.ac.uk

* Both courses start in September. Entry requirements are a relevant degree (2:2 or above).www.derby.ac.uk/sport-and-exercise-mres

PG Cert / PgDip / MRes in Sport and Exercise

Tailor your research in line with your career aspirations andget to the top of your game.

For more information contact the Programme Leader Dr Peter Brown: p.brown@derby.ac.uk, 01332 594276

bases magazine advert_Layout 1 14/01/2013 13:48 Page 1

Extreme environments (e.g., heat, cold and altitude) are hostile and dangerous, challenging human physiological and psychological adaptive responses. With inadequate acclimatisation, extreme environments exert considerable stress on the body. The focus of this article is on high-altitude (>3,500 to 5,500 m), where environmental stressors include reduced availability of oxygen (hypoxia), low temperatures and humidity, and ultraviolet radiation, which may manifest as altitude-related illnesses.

Considerable individual variation in the physiological response to altitude make it difficult to predict who will develop altitude-related illness. With the rise in adventure tourism, it is now common for novice trekkers to travel to some of the world’s highest regions (5,000 – 8,000 m). Reaching such heights requires a slow ascent to augment the physiological acclimatisation processes that enable the body to cope with the hypoxic environment. Field research offers the opportunity to monitor physiological and psychological changes, and gain a greater understanding of those changes, in the natural setting.

As sport and exercise scientists we are ideally placed to offer expert advice and scientific support to athletes travelling to altitude and to the novice/experienced high-altitude traveller. Our primary goals should focus on performance optimisation and health. The use of daily altitude exposure in a laboratory (normobaric or hypobaric intermittent hypoxia) has been shown to reduce the severity of acute mountain sickness (AMS) (Beidleman et al., 2004) and improve the body’s physiological responses to exercise and exercise performance at moderate altitude (Beidleman et al., 2008). However, its potential to enhance exercise performance and well-being during a high-altitude expedition is controversial (Beidleman et al., 2009). The Himalayan Research Expedition 2011 further explored this strategy in the high-altitude, field setting.

Himalayan Research Expedition 2011Thirty-seven individuals (22 males and 15 females, aged 20-62 years) participated in the expedition. The management team included four mountain leaders (including authors DB and JK) and three doctors experienced in wilderness medicine. Three physiologists (authors AS, MG and LB) and two undergraduate students made up the research team. The expedition was led and managed by Dave Bunting MBE, who had successfully led several expeditions in Nepal, including an attempt of Everest via the West Ridge.

Planning, management and delivery tipsWhere to go and when?Expeditions are costly. The key to maximising success for both the participant and researcher depends on the time taken in the planning. When deciding the expedition location, consult your participants. With a consensus for climbing a peak, we chose Mera Peak (6,476 m) in the Everest Region of Nepal, for two reasons: • It was relatively non-technical to cater for a range of

mountaineering abilities• It offered a slow ascent profile with an alternative

(contingency) faster route.

Local knowledgeLocal agents are an asset. They have contacts, knowledge of what can be purchased in country, the topography of the region and

accessibility to testing sites. It is important to consider issues with language and the speed in which things happen in the developing world.

Timing and preparation for the new environmentWe selected the autumn trekking season for the expedition; a period when the weather in Nepal is typically settled and clear, albeit cold. As people adapt differently to new environments, we scheduled a series of seminars to discuss health, hygiene, fitness, nutrition, hydration, equipment, local culture and physiological responses to altitude.

CostsThe cost of the expedition is only one part of the total cost for each individual. Ensure costs are fully transparent from the start, including:• Specialist equipment and clothing• Medical/travel insurance (extreme sports and appropriate

altitude cover with helicopter evacuation is essential)• Travel and accommodation• Immunisations• Expenses associated to research participation.

Consider the cost of transporting research, medical and specialist mountain equipment. Use participants' baggage allowances where feasible. Consider the purchase of equipment at destination (e.g., in Nepal a bespoke research tent was cheaper, reducing international freight costs). Hiring a generator proved invaluable. Budget for unexpected costs.

Health and hygiene Health on the research expedition is the difference between success and failure. One sick person may jeopardise months of planning. To minimise health issues, team members should actively take responsibility for their health prior to and during the expedition, specifically:• Immunisations• GP visit for pre-existing medical conditions • Hygiene (regular hand washing, anti-bacterial gel)• Drink and eat regularly• Personal first aid kit• Protection from weather and environment• Adequate rest• Jetlag.

High-altitude regions are remote, isolated from medical resources and decision-making may be impaired.

ResearchA close working relationship between the expedition leaders and the research team is imperative for a successful expedition and research outcome. Ensure leaders fully understand the research goals and the time required to achieve these goals. Leaders need to balance the safety and success of the expedition with the expectations of the participants as well as the research team. Schedule research testing on non-trekking days.

Ensure research assistants and participants understand the field-based research demands and are familiarised with testing protocols and equipment. For us, this included daily monitoring (pulse rate, oxygen saturation, fatigue, sleep quality and AMS

18 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Field-testing at high-altitude Recommendations from Leeds Metropolitan University’s Himalayan 2011 research expedition team.

score) plus three exercise testing sessions at 2,800 m, 4,200 m and 5,350 m. Research equipment needs to be robust, portable and easy to use. Carry spare equipment. Most scientific equipment is not rigorously tested outside of laboratory controlled conditions, which may compromise validity and reliability. Take the opportunity pre-expedition to validate or test equipment in a similar environment. Plan for times when equipment breaks or fails to function. Batteries rapidly lose charge in cold conditions so buy those better suited e.g., lithium, and wrap them in your sleeping bag/clothing when not in use.

Do not underestimate the fatigue factor at high-altitude. Testing achievable in one day in a laboratory may be unrealistic in the field at altitude. Double the time you estimate each test will take, factor in additional rest time, and plan a contingency should colleagues fall ill.

Take home messageResearch at high altitude is physically and psychologically challenging. It is also immensely rewarding. With good planning and expedition management all team members successfully reached 5,300 m. This expedition proved it is possible to conduct good quality, high-altitude field research on a limited budget. However, the research would not have been possible without extensive goodwill and support from all expedition members and those who supported this endeavour. We recommend students and graduates embrace opportunities to participate in field research. And finally, when in the field “Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.” (anon)

References

Beidleman, B.A. et al. (2004). Intermittent altitude exposures reduce acute mountain sickness at 4300m. Clinical Science (London), 106, 321-328.

Beidleman, B.A. et al. (2008). Seven intermittent exposures improve exercise performance at 4300 m. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40, 141-148.

Beidleman, B.A. et al. (2009). Intermittent hypoxic exposure does not improve endurance performance at altitude. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 41, 1317-1325.

19The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

words:

Lisa Board is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise, University of Sunderland, a BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist and a PhD student at Leeds Metropolitan University. She was invited to submit this article as a winner of a BASES International Conference Grant.

The following contributors are all fromLeeds Metropolitan UniversityAmanda Seims is a part-time lecturer and PhD student.Max Garrard is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise.Jason King is the Deputy Expedition Leader, Carnegie Great Outdoors.Dave Bunting MBE is the Expedition Leader, Carnegie Great Outdoors.

Above: Step testing at Tangnag, 4,200 m

Courtesy Richard Walker

Postgraduate opportunities in sport and exercise

MSc courses:• Applied Exercise Physiology • Sport and Exercise Science

We are a leading UK centrefor education and research inphysiological profiling, exercisetolerance and fatigue. Exampleresearch interests are exercisein hypoxia and heat or neuromuscular responses to exercise in both healthy and clinical populations.

Study with us and become one of our successful postgraduates who have gone on to work as UK Sport talent scientists, cardiac physiologists, health professionals or have completed PhDs.

Find out more01273 643645sasm@brighton.ac.ukwww.brighton.ac.uk/sasm

Chelsea Advert July 2012.indd 1 21/12/2012 09:39

Physical Activity Epidemiology (2nd Edition)Dishman, R.D., Heath, G.W. & Lee, I-Min. (2013)Human KineticsCost: £52.24 (hardcover) and £31.74 (kindle version from www.amazon.co.uk)This is a definitive academic resource for undergraduate, postgraduate students and academic

staff. It is organised into six distinct parts: 1) Introduces physical activity epidemiology from its origins to the measurement and surveillance of physical activity fitness, 2) looks at physical activity and disease, 3) examines the evidence that physical activity and exercise play a role in the primary and secondary prevention of hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity, 4) deals with physical activity and chronic diseases, 5) describes the evidence that physical activity is associated with reduced risks of certain cancers and its effect on the immune system, 6) this section looks at physical activity and special concerns. Focus boxes are used to highlight and summarise key information. The main points are summarised at the end of each chapter. The writing style is clear, with easy to follow layout, tables/figures. Use of studies from across the globe give a practical perspective to the academic writing. The only downside is the statistical references are predominantly from the USA. However, there are UK studies and plenty of the information is not country-specific and is relevant to the developed world. I would recommend this book to students as a ‘must have’ text for physical activity modules. – SAMANTHA PARNELL, UNIVERSITY OF EXETERRating 9/10

Achieving Excellence in High Performance Sport. The Experiences and Skills Behind the MedalsKyndt, T. & Rowell, S. (2012)Bloomsbury Sport: LondonCost: £17.81 (paperback from www.amazon.co.uk)This book does itself a disservice. It describes itself as a manual; to help understand and develop

interpersonal skills to be able to deliver technical skills with distinction. It is however, more than a book of instruction. It is far more useful and is all the more readable for that. The content and structure of the book allows for its repeated use. Specifically, the personal insights shared within will be of use to those starting out in their careers and those some way on, as well as to both the applied and academic world of sports science, medicine and coaching. The personal reflections are an insightful series of candid accounts from sports scientists, medics and coaches involved in high performance sport. The apparent honesty of the accounts allows for key learning to be shared with the reader. The reflections are usefully balanced with opportunities to explore and apply theoretical models, exercises and techniques that have been tried and tested within this specialist domain. The book’s key strength is that it reminds us that to achieve excellence, those providing support services in high performance sport need to constantly and deliberately rehearse and refine all their necessary skills. A highly recommended read. – DAVID TILLOTSON. REGIONAL DIRECTOR (CENTRAL). ENGLISH INSTITUTE OF SPORTRating 9/10

Looking at the Science Behind SportViggars, M. (2012)Retrieved 20 December 2012 from www.michaelviggars.comMichaelViggars.com is a website that aims to make the latest sports science research accessible and enhance public understanding. In some respects, the site has multiple personalities – switching

from science-based articles to anecdotal reports and back again. Despite this apparent split personality, it remains an interesting site, containing original, engaging articles that the general public and sports scientists alike will find interesting. These articles cover a broad cross-section of sport-related issues from doping to goal-line technology, asthma to ageing. For the general public, this range provides a glimpse of the world of sports science, with clever use of graphics; relevant to the topic and the style of article. References to original research articles are provided occasionally, although it’s worth noting that not all articles are based on peer-reviewed journals, and many items are extensions of anecdotal reports originating in the press. When the articles have a focus on science, the key points are well explained, placing a research topic in a relevant and practical context. MichaelViggars.com writes clearly on sports science, and presents anecdotal reports fluently. However, the website must decide what it is. Future articles would be best placed to reflect the website’s tagline ‘Looking at the science behind sport’. – SCOTT EWAN, UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICHRating 7/10

Epidemiology of Injury in Adventure and

Extreme SportsHeggie, T.W. & Caine, D.J. (2012)Karger: Switzerland Cost: £112.16 (hardback from www.bookdepository.co.uk)This text was an edited volume from the Medicine and Sport Science journal series. The selected papers were divided into three sub-headings addressing

country and mountain sports, ocean and freshwater sports and terrain-based sports. The focus of the text was a data-based comparison of injury incidence with an analytical and descriptive account of injury epidemiology within the three broadly defined areas. The sports ranged from rock and ice climbing, through to scuba diving and watercrafts, to the extreme sports of B.A.S.E. jumping and activities involving all-terrain vehicles. The epidemiology discussed factors such as economic cost relating to safety equipment, the immediate environment and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with the participant. There was excellent coverage and presentation of the injury data in both a descriptive and inferential manner including the use of logistical regression (odds ratios) to quantify the risk of the various factors associated with the injuries across the sports. The collection of papers addresses a niche sporting environment and adds to the database of injury epidemiology previously published by Caine and colleagues. This is a recommended reference text for students or practitioners studying injury in sport who are looking to broaden their knowledge of injury epidemiology in these adventurous and extreme activities. – LANCE DOGGART, HEAD OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERISTY COLLEGE MARJON, PLYMOUTHRating 8/10

20 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Reviews - books, websites and policy documents

Send books for potential review to Claire-Marie Roberts, 3 Royal York Mews, Royal York Crescent, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4LF

Want to be a book reviewer? Email c.roberts@worc.ac.uk Reviewers get to keep the book in return for a 200 word review

Additional online book reviews are available at www.bases.org.uk/SES-Book-Reviews

MSc Courses at the Ulster Sports Academy The Ulster Sports Academy is currently recruiting students for 2013 entry onto a number of exciting, innovative, student-centred postgraduate courses. Each course is industry relevant and will enhance employment prospects in increasingly competitive fields. Full-time, part-time and blended learning modes are available for some of these courses. General entry requirements are typically at least a second class honours degree in a sports related or cognate area. In exceptional circumstances accredited prior learning will be considered.

MSc Physical Activity and Public Health (Course Director – Dr Conor McClean: T. 028 9036 8435, E. cm.mcclean@ulster.ac.uk)

MSc Sports Development and Coaching (Course Director – Dr Paul Darby: T. 028 9036 6416, E. p.darby@ulster.ac.uk)

MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology (Course Director – Dr Gavin Breslin: T. 028 9036 8478, E. g.breslin1@ulster.ac.uk)

MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition (Course Director – Dr Andrea McNeilly: T. 028 9036 6675, E. a.mcneilly@ulster.ac.uk)

If you wish to receive further information on these courses, please contact the relevant Course Director.www.science.ulster.ac.uk/sports

Untitled-9 1 11/12/2012 15:08

Masters in sport coaching

www.hartpury.ac.uk

I have always coached and I chose Hartpury

because of the quality of the rugby and the outstanding sports facilities. Where better to learn about coaching than with the best?

Ryszard Chadwick | MSc Coaching Science and Graduate Assistant

UWE Hartpury is an associate faculty of the University of the West of England.

Masters in Sport Coaching Professional Development | Developed to reflect the content and learning outcomes associated with UKCC Level 4 awards, this innovative work-based programme shares the core taught modules of the MSc in Sport Coaching Science. The programme asks practitioners to develop personal reflective portfolios that test ‘theories in practice’ in collaboration with a community of coaches from across the world. As such the programme experience focuses on coaches learning ‘in, from and at’ work whilst being supported by a personal tutor from Hartpury’s MSc programme staff. In particular this mode of study provides a flexible format allowing coaches to collect portfolio evidence and devise personal learning projects that combine fully with their current coaching demands and / or professional responsibilities.

Masters Sport Coaching Science | Designed to support professional development in a range of sports education contexts, the MSc Sport Coaching Science programme places coaching ‘craft’ at its heart. Building on core modules investigating coaching philosophies and interpersonal skills, the programme continues with elective modules in Teaching and Learning, Coach Education, and High Performing Environments to allow coaches to relate course content to their own distinct interests and needs. Alongside the completion of a dissertation, a Personal Development Portfolio module also allows coaches to reflect upon their practice in partnership with course colleagues and programme teaching staff.

Full and part-time options available. For full time students, there is also the opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’ and apply for one of Hartpury’s ten paid graduate assistant posts.

For more information please contact the programme leader Dean Clark on dean.clark@hartpury.ac.uk

Book for the postgraduate careers event on 27 March or 8 May at www.hartpury.ac.uk

Aim of the articleWhat lessons can sports science practitioners learn from the success of British Cycling? Even though most of us look from the outside at the success of British Cycling and are not privy to their ‘secrets of success’, much information is available in the public domain. Here we pick out some key aspects of their approach and consider what can be used to enhance work in applied sports science.

Achievements of British Cycling in 2012What a marvellous year 2012 was for British Cycling; eight gold medals at London 2012, matching the Beijing tally of 4 years earlier. This is despite a number of key events being dropped from the London schedule with only one rider being allowed per event. The Paralympics squad medalled in all 15 events they entered, winning five gold, seven silver and three bronze. British Cycling staff also contributed to the success of the professional outfit Team Sky. In the world’s biggest annual sporting event, The Tour de France, team members Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome finished first and second overall, whilst the World Champion Mark Cavendish won three stages. Wiggins was the first British winner in the event’s 109-year history and went on to be named 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Success for British Cycling did not occur overnight. Rather the catalyst for success came in 1996 with the development of the World Class Performance Programme by Performance Director Peter Keen. Implementation of the programme required a clear vision and strategic planning from Keen, importantly supported by the newly available National Lottery funding. Building on Keen’s early success, Dave Brailsford took over the programme in 2004, leading British Cycling from mediocrity to become one of the most feared but well-respected cycling nations in the world. Having a centralised programme at the National Cycling Centre and strong leadership from Brailsford, team psychologist Dr Steve Peters and Head Coach, Shane Sutton, certainly contributed to the team’s success.

Getting the basics right and the ‘aggregation of marginal gains’Brailsford’s implementation of the lauded ‘aggregation of marginal gains’ philosophy has been instrumental to the success of the Great Britain Cycling Team. Simply, every factor likely to make a difference to performance is considered and then improved upon, even if only by a fraction of a percent. Attention is given to every detail from the development of clothing to reduce the forces acting to slow the rider down to the development of ultra-low friction wheel bearings. However, in contrast to the ‘magic wheels’ headlines, what is very clear is that Brailsford and his team at British Cycling have an incredible ability to get the basics right: training, nutrition,

psychology, pre-race preparation, etc. It is not until the basics of cycling performance are addressed that the ‘marginal gains’ will have their effect. For example, there is no point spending thousands of pounds developing an extra stiff carbon bike frame that might save tenths of a second if the cyclist has a suboptimal pre-race preparation routine, or if they are not in prime physiological condition. ‘Marginal gains’ might make the difference between winning and losing, but the cyclist has to be in the right position to make use of such gains. There is an important message here for the sport science support domain. High cost technologies (BodPod body composition analysis, etc.) might provide information that facilitates athlete development, but getting the basics right (e.g., race day logisitics, sleep quality) should always be the first priority.

Developing a culture of excellence: Long term rider developmentBefore Lottery funding, only a few British riders every decade progressed to the top level and even then success was uncommon. However, new riders capable of winning on the world stage are now emerging every year. As is common in sport, only those at the top end tend to receive the plaudits. However, this continuity of

22 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Learning from the success of British Cycling – perspectives on developing excellence in practice Dr Andy Kirkland, a Coaching and Education Officer at British Cycling, and Drs James Hopker and Simon Jobson, the editors of Performance Cycling: The Science of Success, reflect on the success of British Cycling and provide recommendations on what sport and exercise science practitioners might learn from such a successful team.

Above: Bradley Wiggins in the Olympic Time Trial

Courtesy © Rkaphotography | Dreamstime.com

excellence requires effective coaching structures from grass-roots level up.

Excellence in coach education is part of the foundations to this success. Identifying and promoting good practice in coaching requires consultation with coaches and riders at every level, sports coach UK and academics from sports coaching, sport pedagogy and the sports sciences. Therefore, working within the British Cycling Coaching and Education team gives broad perspective and insight into the success of the sport.

The British Cycling Olympic Talent Programme is also an important foundation as it acts as a conduit between clubs and the Olympic Development Programme. Good practice,

consistent with long-term athlete development models, is used to support young rider development to give them the best chance of success.

Tim Buckle, a coach on the Olympic Talent Programme, describes how riders are developed using an analogy of a Snickers Bar. Skill (nuts), speed/neuro-muscular activation (nougat), technical and tactical knowledge (chocolate), bravery (caramel) and work-ethic (wrapper) are recognised as the constituent components that a rider needs to develop prior to them reaching the junior category at age 16. Whilst competition is not neglected, learning is the main focus of the programmes, with coaches, riders and parents encouraged to focus on the learning process rather than the outcome of competition. Physical development and winning come later. The Snickers Bar analogy works for the riders because it is easy to understand and it makes clear what they need to consistently work on in training. An important message that could be transferred into the sport science support domain

is that methods must be simple, practical, relevant and effective. This is because grass-roots coaches must be able to implement them with riders (or, in the case of sport science support, the client(s)).

Delivering valued supportUsing a particular method related to our own discipline or area of expertise is appealing when delivering support. Our own biases, perceptions and beliefs may help us justify its use. However, are we really being client-centred? In some instances, if the client does not have a complete ‘Snicker Bar’, is intervention required? Strong foundations are required before a marginal gains approach is justifiable.

Practitioners must also clearly understand how a test or intervention is likely to impact on performance/behaviour and be able to communicate findings or suggested interventions to the client. Coaches must lead on, have a clear understanding of and value the support being delivered. Of course, it is essential for practitioners to have an excellent underpinning knowledge of their area. However, they must be able to apply that in the delivery context and have sufficiently developed soft-skills to provide a worthwhile and valued service. Less experienced practitioners can have a tendency to intervene and expect results immediately. However, many practices and behaviours in sport are ingrained in the culture of a sport or the beliefs of an individual. Trying to influence behavioural change, as in the work of Dr Steve Peters, often takes many months or years. Therefore, promising results in the short-term should be resisted unless there is clear rationale and justification for doing so.

Finally, when looking for solutions to problems, a recognition that the sports sciences are still in their infancy is required. Some of our questions have been answered by others and looking beyond the sports science domain may offer more immediate solutions.

23The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Reflections by Dr Andy Kirkland Although my role does not involve working directly with the Great Britain Cycling Team, I feel part of their success. The contact I have with coaches and riders at every level of the sport helps me to understand how each contributes to the overall success of the sport. Using this understanding assists me in developing coach education resources that not only support grass roots cycling but that also promotes the development of the type of riders that coach Shane Sutton wants on the Excellence programmes. This has taught me that it is essential to not only understand a client’s needs, but also to understand where the client and my own role fits into the ‘big-picture’. Whilst, the cutting-edge of sport or research is exciting, I rarely focus on it. Rather, I concentrate on developing strong foundations, getting the basics right, not overcomplicating things and avoiding practices that do not contribute to the goals of a project.

words: Dr Andy Kirkland

Andy is a Coach and Education Officer at British Cycling. He is a BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist and a British Cycling Level 3 coach.

Dr James Hopker

James is a Lecturer at The University of Kent and co-editor of Performance Cycling: The Science of Success.

Dr Simon Jobson

Simon is a Reader at The University of Winchester and co-editor of Performance Cycling: The Science of Success. He is a BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist.

In the world of ‘marginal gains’ and the context of elite sports performance, the occurrence of injury and illness can negatively impact on athletes’ preparation time and performance, and in some cases stop them from competing altogether. Athletes and support staff work tirelessly to gain a performance edge, and this can be decimated in an instant if the athlete suffers an injury or illness, particularly at the wrong time. As ‘performance threats’, UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport have introduced a novel research approach to the occurrence of injury and illness in Great Britain elite sport with the Injury/Illness Performance Project (IIPP).

Injury/illness epidemiologyRecognition of the importance of injury and illness epidemiology research has grown in the last 10 years with international governing bodies of sport and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regularly conducting surveillance studies at major sporting events (Dvorak et al., 2011; Engebretsen et al., 2011). The prevention of injuries and illnesses and the long-term protection of athlete health are key factors influencing this growing interest. Detailed and accurate information about the incidence, severity and nature of sports injuries and illnesses are important, as together they quantify the overall risk of injury and illness to athletes, and thus provide information that allows prevention initiatives to be correctly prioritised.

From a performance perspective, if it is possible to prevent injuries and illnesses, or at least decrease their severity when they do occur, the number of athlete training days lost can be decreased, with therefore the potential for positive sports performance gains. However, before any prevention initiatives can be introduced, and in order for them to be accurately directed, it is important to understand the aetiology of injury and illness in a given population.

Figure 1. van Mechelen Sports injury prevention model.

A four stage sequence of prevention sport injury model proposed by van Mechelen et al. is most well-known and is still in use in current sports injury epidemiology research (see Figure 1). The first two stages provide the main outputs for the Injury/Illness Performance Project, establishing detailed sport-specific information around the extent and causes of the injury/illness problem. The Injury/Illness Performance Project (IIPP)The IIPP is a prospective longitudinal sports injury/illness surveillance study. Eleven Great Britain National Governing Body (NGB) Olympic sports have taken part in the study to date, starting September 2009. In total, 428 athletes at ‘podium’ level UK Sport funding were included in the study, with individual consent obtained to collect medical and exposure data.

Medical data were collected by NGB medical personnel, on athlete injuries and illnesses that caused complete time loss from or partial restriction to training and/or competition. The primary injury/illness definition used in the study was ‘any physical complaint that prevents an athlete from taking a FULL part in training and/or competition on the day following the date that the injury/illness was sustained’. Injury severity was defined by the number of days an athlete took to return to full and normal training/competition.

Competition and training exposure hours were recorded by coaching support staff at the same time to provide exposure related injury/illness information and allow injury incidence (injuries per 1,000 hours) and illness prevalence (%) rates to be determined. Training exposure was additionally broken down in to time spent in each discreet training activity (sport specific training, weight training etc.). The inclusion of exposure information is crucial for the interpretation of injury/illness surveillance data and also for the interpretation of the mechanisms of injury/illness risk. For example, it is well known that increasing training volume has been linked to an increase in both upper respiratory tract infection episodes and also injury, while in contrast, certain types of training (weight training) and intensity of activities (mild to moderate) are reported to have a protective effect against injury and illness.

Magnitude of the problem…what problem?What is the magnitude of the injury/illness problem in a given cohort (sport), what types of injuries/illnesses are there, when do they occur…is there a problem at all? The aim of the IIPP is to provide:

1. New knowledge and information to feedback to NGBs and their medical, physiotherapy, coaching and strength and conditioning practitioners.

2. For the first time objective, accurate and reliable sport-specific injury and illness data, identifying existing and newly emerging injury and illness trends within and between sports.

24 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

Injury and illness epidemiology in Great Britain elite sport: The Injury/Illness Performance Project (IIPP)Effective management and prevention of athlete injury and illness were key to Team GB’s success in London 2012. Here, Dr Debbie Palmer-Green explains the medical surveillance work being undertaken by UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport and the University of Nottingham to understand the epidemiology of illness and injury in high performance sport.

1) Establish extent of injury/illness problem:

- incidence - severity

4) Assess effectiveness by repeating step 1

3) Introduce preventative measures

2) Establish aetiology and mechanism of injury/illness

25The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

3. Identification of those injuries and illnesses causing the greatest burden (burden = injury/illness rate x severity; also known as risk), and their specific causal mechanisms.

Figure 2 presents the percentage of impactful injury/illness issues for 10 out of the 11 sports (all anonymised; one sport declined data use). On average 67 % of time loss or restriction issues were injury-related, meaning the remaining were a consequence of illness. Within some sports injury was less prevalent than illness (range 45 % to 90 %). Until recently surveillance studies only focused on the recording of injury, but the current data suggests it is equally important to record the occurrence of illness, as clearly this will have an immediate impact within some sports on the direction of their prevention initiatives.

Figure 2. Percentage of impactful issues injury/illness related by (anonymised) sport.

Across all sports, on average each illness resulted in six days lost training, and each injury 15 days lost and one competition missed, with injuries occurring during competition more severe than those in training (competition: 28 days; training 12 days). Overall injuries to the knee (14 % of all injuries), shoulder (12 %) and lumbar spine (11 %) were most common. Injuries to the knee and shoulder were also most severe (Knee: 28 days; shoulder 20 days), meaning these caused the greatest burden in terms of total days lost.

Injuries and illnesses were additionally classified by consequence, causing either: 1) complete time-loss; or 2) restriction to training/competition, where athletes were still able to undertake some level of their normal activities. Squad injury/illness status is provided, to highlight the number (or percentage) of athletes available at any one time is the season. On average for this cohort 9% of the squad were unavailable at any one time to full training as a consequence of injury or illness, with February to March (the transition from pre-season to in-season) and May and June periods of particular issue.

How is the information used…what next?Bi-annual feedback results reports provided to NGB practitioners and coaches give information on their sport specific injury/illness aetiology. In addition, ad-hoc feedback and more detailed analysis around areas of concern or interest are also provided to practitioners regularly on request. Provision of incidence/prevalence rates, severity and particularly burden (where the rate and severity of injury/illness are multiplied to calculate total days lost) have helped

sports to prioritise their own prevention initiatives more accurately i.e., should the focus be on those most common but not very severe injuries/illnesses, or those that are not common but are very severe?

Feedback of detailed objective information to sports medical, physiotherapy and coaching staff has already started to help inform sports’ directions for their injury and illness prevention initiatives.

Example 1. ‘IIPP data clearly identified that injuries occurred more frequently in gym training for one of our athlete groups. This evidence was used in discussion with the coaching team to influence the implementation of specialised stability pre-habilitation training to complement the original gym programme. Continued collection of data provided support that this had been beneficial in reducing those injuries.’ (Senior Physiotherapist).

Example 2. ‘It has been about basics. With infection we have tried to reduce spread with simple hygiene measures and raising awareness as to athletes' vulnerability to infection when they travel and after they train. Giving them the stats on time loss from illness is more powerful in terms of their adherence to advice than anything I can deliver.’ (Sports Physician).

Through continued injury/illness surveillance the effectiveness and impact of targeted injury/illness prevention strategies can be objectively quantified (see Figure 1; stage 4). For example - is the intervention working, and is it a good use of sport resources and athlete time? And then the study returns to phase one again, quantifying the magnitude of the problem, and if/how it has changed in the given population over time.

Summary1. The IIPP aims to present, for the first time, methods for objective quantification, and new knowledge around the magnitude of the injury/illness problem in GB elite sport.

2. It is hoped through its implementation and those subsequent prevention initiatives that athlete training days lost due to injury/illness can be reduced over time, with a positive performance benefit for our athletes in Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016.

words: Dr Debbie Palmer-Green

Debbie is a University of Nottingham research fellow, leading the Injury/Illness Performance Project (IIPP). During London 2012 she worked on the International Olympic Committee injury/illness surveillance project. Debbie is also a three times Winter Olympian and dual international athlete.

References

Dvorak, J. et al. (2011). Injuries and illnesses of football players during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45, 626-630.

Engebretsen, L. et al. (2011). Sports injuries and illnesses during the Winter Olympic Games 2010. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44, 772-780.

van Mechelen, W. Hlobil, H. & Kemper, H. (1992). Incidence, severity, aetiology and prevention of sports injuries: a review of concepts. Sports Medicine, 14, 82-99.

Enhance Your Career ProspectsAt Coventry University Sport & Exercise Science courses focus on the application of scientific principles to the promotion, maintenance and enhancement of sport and exercise related behaviours.

Whether you are interested in how elite athletes perform, how to undertake exercise effectively for health and fitness or rehabilitation, or the prevention, treatment and management of injuries, we have several courses to prepare you for a wide variety of careers in this rapidly expanding area. Our courses have a practical component and to support this we have a suite of sport science laboratories, along with a specialist strength and conditioning suite, therapy rooms and on site sports therapy clinic, as well as using track and sports centre facilities.

Courses include:

• Sports Therapy BSc• Sport and Exercise Science BSc• Exercise Nutrition and Health BSc

For more information contact on these undergraduate courses contact:

Admissions

024 7679 5959 genenq.hls@coventry.ac.uk

• Strength and Conditioning MSc

For more information on postgraduate courses contact:

The Graduate Centre

024 7765 4321 Postgraduate@coventry.ac.uk

Or for all courses see our website www.coventry.ac.uk

Final Word withDr Roger Ramsbottom FBASESOne person who inspired me Forgive me if I cheat here a little and say ‘Williams’. One being Professor Clyde Williams who passed on his dedication, interest and high standards in sports science research and Dr David Williams who reminded me of the integral role our students play in advancing teaching and research.

One memorable publicationAlthough I have written better papers since, I suppose this has to be a paper written with Clyde Williams and John Brewer entitled ‘A progressive shuttle run test to estimate maximal oxygen uptake’ British Journal of Sports Medicine (1988) 22,141-144. Although the paper had its genesis in experiments conducted in a relatively modestly equipped laboratory at Loughborough University, it not only spawned imitations but also went on to generate, and continues to generate, much world-wide research interest.

One embarrassing momentThis happened at a BASES Annual Conference some years ago when a colleague introduced me to someone who I had met some time previously. Thus the lady in question asked me if I remembered our earlier conversation and, of course being honest and a man I immediately replied ‘no’. Which, of course, was completely the wrong thing to do - as the lady in question was completely nonplussed and stormed off – and probably still has not forgiven me!

One hero from the past that has influenced meReading the early experiments of A V Hill (Nobel Laureate in Physiology, 1922). Hill and his co-workers were responsible for many of the seminal experiments in exercise physiology that still have meaning and generate research interest, e.g., looking at the ‘on’ and ‘off ’ set for oxygen during exercise, the fate of lactic acid and the calculation of mechanical efficiency.

One proud momentBeing present at the birth of my daughter, who has just celebrated her third birthday.

One thing that I like to do on my days offA great bonus about living in the United Kingdom is having such a varied landscape to escape into either on foot or by bicycle. So anywhere that offers space to pitch a tent and has access to mountain, moor, meadow, forest or coastal footpath would get my vote.

One quote that I really likeNot so much a quote, more an analogy I suppose. I cannot remember now where I first came across this but when the occasion warrants it I may share it with my students (usually project students). The analogy contrasts ‘being committed’ versus ‘being involved’ and the comparison is drawn with a traditional English breakfast of bacon and eggs. It goes like this: ‘The chicken is involved but the pig is committed!’

One piece of advice for up and coming sport and exercise scientistsTry not to be focused on monetary reward or the ‘what’s in it for me?’ approach. Remain passionate about what took you into this fascinating subject area in the first place and be true to that. Be committed and adaptable, stay interested, and the reward will be a fascinating journey/career path.

One problem that sport and exercise science should deal withIt seems that ingenuity is alive and well in the sport and exercise sciences. We can keep abreast of the latest developments in technology and harness them to improve sports performance; similarly remaining adaptable in terms of enhancing the training response for the elite competitor. What we do less well is funneling our interest and commitment in health-related sport and exercise science research down to the man and woman on the high street. Government needs to open up greater career opportunities for committed graduates to make a difference to the health of the nation and its economy.

One person I would like to have dinner withThe physicist and author George Gamow. When I was a teenager I was fascinated by modern advances in biology, relativity and quantum physics. Gamow’s invented character Mr Tomkins was a real inspiration for me. In the book Mr Tomkins inside himself: Adventures in the new biology Mr Tomkins dreams he is of microscopic size and at one point finds himself hurtling through the blood stream on a raft (a red blood corpuscle) before being propelled into other adventures/organ systems within the human body. Years later this was made into a film called Fantastic Voyage starring Raquel Welch.

27The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 35 n Spring 2013 n www.bases.org.uk

About to change your home address? Update your details in the Member Area at www.bases.org.uk, e-mail enquiries@bases.org.uk or call 0113 812 6162

words: Dr Roger Ramsbottom, FBASES

Roger is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. The photo shows Roger on the Western Highlands (Glen Shiel Ridge).

Compiled by: Len Parker Simpson

Sports Physiology Research Scholar, University of Exeter

"Try not to be focused on monetary reward or the ‘what’s in it for me?’ approach. Remain passionate about what took you into this fascinating subject area in the first place and be true to that. Be committed and adaptable, stay interested, and the reward will be a fascinating journey/career path."

CRANLEA

Exciting new productsfrom Cranlea

Leading the field with products and service

Cranlea & Company, The Sandpits, Acacia Road, Bournville, Birmingham B30 2AH, United KingdomTel: 0121 472 0361 Fax: 0121 472 6262 Email: info@cranlea.co.uk www.cranlea.co.uk

Metasoft STUDIO softwareAvailable with all new systems and also as an upgrade to existing users, the STUDIO software manages and monitors all processes of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing and controls all peripheral systems such as heart rate and blood pressure meters. With a whole range of new features, the STUDIO software can offer unrivalled analysis and support to your every testing need. l One software for all processesl Perfect ECG integrationl Easy handlingl MSS training guidancel MSS exercise scheduler

UpgradeNOW!

Mega EMG 15% discount on all ME6000/WBA/eMotion systems

Polar HRM

Call for the best pricesApproved UK distributor

Brower Timing10% discount on all systems

The CorTemp® Ingestible Core Body Temperature Sensor wirelessly transmits core body temperature signals to the CorTemp® Data Recorder as it travels through the digestive tract.

Recognise Elevated Core Body Temperature

CorTemp®

£1000

£1000

Upgrade to the new softwareNOW ONLY

CRANLEA SOLE UK AGENTS

CRANLEA SOLE UK AGENTS

+ VATincluding full training

All prices plus VAT

Cortemp system with 10 pills was £2776.00 NOW £2160.00Add the Heart rate option

FOR ONLY £100.00Existing Users Cortemp pills

was £45.00 NOW £36.00

Outer Silicone Coat

Inner Epoxy Shell

Communication Coils

Printed Circuitsand ElectronicComponentson Ceramic Substrates

Battery

TemperatureSensing Crystal

cranlea full page advert April 2011.indd 1 05/11/2012 19:44