Volume 7, Issue 1

Hydration Status during a Routine Practice Session in a Hot Humid Environment amongst Professional Football Players in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Original Research
Hydration status is a major concern as it affects the health and performance of athletes. This study was aimed at evaluating the hydration status of professional football players in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State of Nigeria. 30 male and 30 female professional football players and 30 male and 30 female physically active persons aged 18 to 35years were randomly selected for the study. Pre-training urine specific gravity, percentage change in body weight post-training and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated using reagent strips and standard protocol respectively. Results obtained showed that: 90% each of male and female professional football players were found to be minimally to significantly dehydrated prior training; similarly, 60% of physically active males and 53.3% of physically active females were found to be minimally to significantly dehydrated prior training. Percentage change in body weight post training was 3.18± 0.21% for male professional football players and 3.27±0.14% for female professional football players; 2.37±0.10% for physically active males and 2.06±0.11% for physically active females. Percentage change in body weight post training was significantly higher in professional football players compared to physically active persons: male professional football players versus male physically active persons (t= 3.50, p=0.001); female professional football players versus female physically active persons (t=7.67, p=0.001). Our findings are a cause for concern on account of the potential to impair athletic performance and endanger the health of athletes and non-athletes.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019, 7(1), 23-27. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-7-1-5
Pub. Date: March 06, 2019
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Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health
Review Article
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is a term used generally as a whole that denotes pain arising from the musculoskeletal system. An estimated 23 million or 10% of the general American population have this type of chronic disorder of musculoskeletal origin. MPS is the leading cause of disability among the working population as it is an overuse or repetitive stress syndrome. MPS is a common debilitating condition which is characterized by the presence of myofascial trigger points, defined as palpable and hyperirritable nodule located in the vicinity of taut bands of muscle fibers. Studies have found an association between sedentary lifestyle (physical inactivity and obesity) and nutritional deficiencies (water soluble vitamins and minerals) with chronic myofascial pain syndrome. Correcting the perpetuating factors is the key to maintaining optimal health and wellness.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019, 7(1), 20-22. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-7-1-4
Pub. Date: February 22, 2019
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Elbow, Wrist and Hand Tendinopathies in Badminton Players
Original Research
Badminton is one of the most popular sports worldwide. Pathophysiology of badminton injuries is reported to be dominated by overuse injuries and upper limb accounts for approximately one third of overuse injuries mainly to tendons, which are known as tendinopathies. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted including 25 badminton players, to investigate occurrence and associated factors of elbow, wrist and hand tendinopathies in badminton players. A interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain descriptive data (age, sex, level of the player, standards of warm up and cool down, components of training schedule (ex. strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises), intensity of practice (Duration, frequency), duration of playing of the racquet sport and previous injuries to upper limb) from the players. Player’s height, weight, pain response, palm length, finger length, thumb length, palm width, grip strength, active/passive and painful/ pain free Range of motions of elbow, wrist, hand movements, racquet weight, racquet grip size were measured. An overall occurence of 28% of elbow, wrist and hand tendinopathies was recorded. Among them 20% were elbow tendinopathies, 4% were wrist tendinopathies and 4% were hand tendinopathies. Among all, most commonly reportedtendinopathy was lateral epicondylitis (45.9%). There was no significant association observed between occurence of elbow, wrist and hand tendinopathies with intrinsic factors as age, gender, body mass index and hand anthropometries.Out of extrinsic factors, level of player (competitive/recreational), duration of play, history of previous upper limb injuries, training hours per week, strenghening exercises to upper limb, racket characteristics warm up and cool down exercises practices did not show any significant association with elbow, wrist and hand tendinopathies. Performing upper limb flexibility exercises showed a significant association (p < 0.05) with elbow, wrist and hand tendinopathies.The occurrence of elbow, wrist or hand tendinopathy was higher in players who did not perform routine upper limb flexibility exercises.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019, 7(1), 16-19. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-7-1-3
Pub. Date: February 05, 2019
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Concussion: A Growing Concern in the Rugby Fraternity
Review Article
Rugby is a team contact sport that is popular in many countries. Concussion remains one of the inherent risks of participation in rugby union with Certain facets of play, as well as specific tactics and strategies in contact and collision predispose athletes to a greater chance of sustaining a concussion. While other injuries incurred by rugby players have been well studied, less focus and attention has been directed towards concussion. The Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport defined concussion as a complex pathophysiologic process induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. World Rugby (previously known as the International Rugby Board or IRB) has acknowledged that there is a significant risk associated with concussions, and have subsequently implemented a risk management strategy [1]. This systematic review aims to evaluate the available evidence on concussion in Rugby Union (here- after referred to as ‘rugby’) and to conduct an analysis of findings regarding the incidence of concussion and players knowledge on concussion. Data was collected through Library Research on Masinde Muliro university of science and technology, Kenya rugby union, Kenya rugby football clubs, internets and Hospitals and clinics affiliated to Rugby. A desk review was also conducted and a search done PsycINFO®, MEDLINE™, Embase, SPORTDiscus™, Crossref, British Journal of Medicine (BMJ) Genamics Journal Seek, Global impact factor.com, Google Scholar, Academic keys, Open Academic Journals Index, Sherpa/RoMEO (University of Nottingham), Chemical Abstracts (CAS) and Open-j-Gate. Precisely the pathophysiology of concussion is not well known but recent research show that moderate to severe brain injury causes intricate torrent of neurochemical changes in the brain. The assumption is that similar changes occur in concussion. Paucity of literature exists on player knowledge of concussion or the rate of reporting of this injury despite there now being over 20, 000 adult rugby players in Ireland only but other studies showed that participants displayed a relatively high level of knowledge with regard to what constitutes a concussion, the risk that a history of concussion holds with regard to future concussion, and the authority that should rest with medical doctors in clearing players to Return To Play following concussion. In future Biomechanical research should be done with other clinical based research to improve on sideline concussion recognition and treatment modalities. In conclusion more research on concussion education, sensitization and awareness on concussion to help reduce incidences of concussion.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019, 7(1), 10-15. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-7-1-2
Pub. Date: January 24, 2019
7213 Views1839 Downloads1 Likes
Reliability and Validity of the Revised Successive-Choice Step Reaction Test in Elderly Women
Original Research
Falls occur unexpectedly in elderly individuals. Even when they pay close attention, they have difficulty avoiding falls. Therefore, these individuals must make fall-avoidance movements instantly-namely, quick one-step forward reactions (compensatory steps) when falls occur. This study examined the reliability and validity of a newly developed step reaction test for elderly women. The subjects included 22 young elderly women (65-74 years old) and 28 older elderly women (75-90 years old) with exercise habits, 22 young elderly women and 20 older elderly women without exercise habits, and 23 young women. Subjects stood in the middle of eight test sheets and then stepped rapidly onto the sheet indicated at random on the computer screen. A sum of the time from stimulus presentation to step landing on each sheet was used as an evaluation variable (movement time). The reliability of the test was high (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.84-0.97). The results of one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparison tests showed that mean movement time increased in the order young subjects, young elderly subjects, older elderly subjects with exercise habits, and older elderly subjects without exercise habits. In addition, a significant decrease in movement time with age was found in elderly subjects without exercise habits (r = 0.65) but not in elderly subjects with exercise habits. In conclusion, the new step reaction test showed high reliability and validity.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019, 7(1), 1-9. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-7-1-1
Pub. Date: January 11, 2019
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