Alcohol Use among College Athletes: Do Intercollegiate,Club, or Intramural Student Athletes Drink Differently?

Background: Varsity student athletes are a high-risk drinking group, exhibiting a greater propensity to binge drink than their non-sport peers. Moreover, as intercollegiate athletic involvement increases, so too does alcohol consumption. There is little research, however, which examines drinking behaviors of students who participate in nonvarsity athletics. Objectives: Identify differences in alcohol-related behaviors and associated consequences among U.S. varsity, club, and intramural athletes, and nonathlete college students. Methods: Secondary data analysis of the 2011 National College Health Assessment (n = 29,939). Results: Intramural athletes binge drank more frequently (M = 1.1, SD = 1.7) than club athletes (M = 1.0, SD = 1.6), intercollegiate athletes (M = 0.9, SD = 1.5), and nonathletes (M = 0.6, SD = 1.3) and also experienced greater alcohol-related consequences. Intramural athletes consumed the most during their last drinking episode (M = 4.1, SD = 4.0) and reached the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) (M = 0.062, SD = 0.09).Compared to club and varsity athletes [M = 0.8, SD = 1.4; t (8,131) = ?9.6, p < .001], intramural-only athletes reported binge drinking significantly more frequently (M = 1.2, SD = 1.7) and also reached significantly higher BACs during most recent drinking episode (M = 0.064, SD = 0.08) than organized sport athletes [M = 0.057, SD = 0.08; t (8,050) = ?3.0, p = .003]. Conclusions: Intramural athletes represent a higher-risk drinking group than other athlete and nonathlete college students. Future research should investigate factors contributing to drinking differences among different athlete groups.     

Household illness is the strongest predictor of upper respiratory tract symptom risk in elite rugby union players

ObjectivesTo identify periods of increased risk for upper respiratory tract symptom (URTS) episodes, and examine whether biomarkers and/or self-reported lifestyle and wellness data can predict URTS risk in elite rugby union players.DesignProspective, longitudinal and repeated-measures study.MethodsSalivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), salivary cortisol, URTS, internal training load and self-reported lifestyle and wellness data including household illness, stress, mood, fatigue, muscle soreness and sleep quality were repeatedly measured in elite Southern hemisphere rugby union players (n = 28) throughout a season. Univariate frailty model analysis, which included 495 observations, was used to determine predictors of URTS risk.ResultsSurprisingly, the highest incidence of URTS occurred after rest weeks, namely the Christmas break and bye weeks (i.e., no scheduled trainings or matches); whereas URTS risk was reduced during weeks involving international travel (Hazard ratio (HR): 0.43, p < 0.001)). Household illness was the strongest predictor of URTS risk; players were almost three-fold more at risk for an URTS episode when illness in the household was present (HR: 2.90, p = 0.002). A non-significant, but potentially important trend for an inverse association between SIgA concentration and URTS incidence was also observed (HR: 0.99, p = 0.070).ConclusionsRest weeks were identified as periods of increased risk for URTS; while international travel did not appear to increase players risk for URTS. Incidence of household illness and SIgA concentration independently predicted URTS risk, with household illness being the strongest predictor. These findings can assist practitioners monitoring and management of athletes to potentially reduce URTS risk.     

Immediate functional progression program in adolescent athletes with a spondylolysis

ObjectiveTo assess the preliminary evidence for the efficacy and safety of an immediate functional progression program to treat adolescent athletes with an active spondylolysis.DesignProspective single-arm trial.SettingHospital-based sports medicine and physical therapy clinic.ParticipantsTwelve adolescent athletes (14.2 ± 2 years, 25% female) with an active spondylolysis.Main outcome measuresClinical outcomes included time out of sport, Micheli Functional Scale (Function and Pain) and adverse reactions. Clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline and 3 months to confirm diagnosis and assess healing of lesion.ResultsEleven participants (92%) fully returned to sport in a median time of 2.5 months (75 days; interquartile range 55 days, 85 days). All participants demonstrated marked improvements in pain and function by the end of the program. One participant (8%) had an adverse reaction during care with a significant recurrence of LBP and had not returned to sport by 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated improvement of the spondylolytic lesion in all but one participant.ConclusionThe immediate functional progression program appears a viable method for treating active spondylolysis and warrants future research.     

Is there an athlete’s artery? A comparison of brachial and femoral artery structure and function in male strength,power and endurance athletes

ObjectivesExercise places physiological demands upon the cardiovascular system, subsequently leading to adaptations in structure and function. Different exercise modalities (endurance, strength and power) lead to distinct hemodynamic demands and, possibly, different patterns of adaptation. Our aim was to assess and compare brachial and femoral artery function and structure in elite level athletes engaged in endurance, strength and power sports.Designcross sectional comparison.Methods30 male elite athletes (runners n = 10, powerlifters n = 11, weightlifters n = 9) and 23 healthy controls were recruited. Brachial and femoral arterial diameters were assessed using ultrasound. Arterial function (brachial and femoral arteries) was determined using the flow mediated dilation (FMD) technique and body composition using body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA).ResultsWeightlifters had significantly larger brachial arterial diameters compared to controls (4.39 ± 0.34 vs 3.86 ± 0.42 mm, p < 0.01). As weightlifter and power athletes had significantly higher body mass, BMI and BSA, we adjusted diameter for BSA. BSA-correction ameliorated differences in brachial artery resting diameters between athletes and controls. However, BSA-corrected femoral artery diameter was significantly larger in runners compared to controls (3.51 ± 0.28 vs 3.25 ± 0.34 mm, p < 0.05). There were no differences in brachial FMD between groups. Femoral artery FMD was significantly higher in runners and weightlifters compared to controls (p < 0.05 for both groups).ConclusionsHeterogeneous, limb-specific structural and functional vascular adaptation is evident in athletes, which may be influenced by exercise modality. Further, vascular remodelling relates to differences in body shape, specifically body composition, which should be accounted for when comparing athletes.     

Your fate is in your hands? Handedness,digit ratio (2D:4D), and selection to a national talent development system

Over the past decade a small evidence base has highlighted the potential importance of seemingly innocuous variables related to one's hands, such as hand dominance and the relative length of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D ratio), to success in sport. This study compared 2D:4D digit ratio and handedness among handball players selected to advance in a national talent development system with those not selected. Participants included 480 youth handball players (240 females and 240 males) being considered as part of the talent selection programme for the German Youth National team. Hand dominance and digit ratio were compared to age-matched control data using standard t-tests. There was a greater proportion of left-handers compared to the normal population in males but not in females. There was also a lower digit ratio in both females and males. However, there were no differences between those selected for the next stage of talent development and those not selected on either handedness or digit ratio. These results add support for general effects for both digit ratio and handedness in elite handball; however, these factors seem inadequate to explain talent selection decisions at this level.     

The prevalence of hand and wrist osteoarthritis in elite former cricket and rugby union players

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of hand and wrist osteoarthritis in former elite cricket and rugby union players, by sport and playing position, and to define the prevalence of severe hand injury, and its association with hand osteoarthritis.DesignCross-sectional.MethodsData from cross-sectional studies of former elite male cricket and rugby players were used to determine the prevalence of hand pain, physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, and previous severe injury. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association of previous injury with pain and osteoarthritis.ResultsData from 200 cricketers and 229 rugby players were available. Complete case analysis resulted in 127 cricketers and 140 rugby players. Hand pain was more prevalent amongst cricketers (19.7%) than rugby players (10.0%). The prevalence did not differ between cricket and rugby players for hand osteoarthritis (2.4% and 3.6%), wrist osteoarthritis (1.6% and 2.1%), or previous severe hand injury (36.2% and 31.4%). No significant association between previous hand injury and pain or osteoarthritis was identified in either sport.ConclusionsFormer elite cricketers reported more hand pain than rugby players. No significant association was found between self-reported severe injury and hand osteoarthritis in either cohort, potentially indicating that risk factors aside from injury may be more prominent in the development of hand osteoarthritis.     

Do athletes have a right to access data in their Athlete Biological Passport?

The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) refers to the collection of data related to an individual athlete. The ABP contains the Haematological Module and the Steroidal Module, which are used for the longitudinal monitoring of variables in blood and urine, respectively. Based on changes in these variables, a statistical model detects outliers which indicate doping use and guide further targeted testing of the athlete. Presently, athletes can access their data of the Haematological Module in the Anti‐Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS). However, granting athletes access to this data has been a matter of debate within the anti‐doping community. This article investigates whether an athlete has a right to access the contents of their ABP profile. We approached this discussion by comparing the nature of ABP data with that of forensic and medical data and touched on important concerns with ABP data disclosure to athletes such as potentially allowing for the development of alternative doping techniques to circumvent detection; and making athletes vulnerable to pressure by the media to publicly release their data. Furthermore, given that ABP data may contain medically relevant information that can be used to diagnose disease, athletes may over‐interpret its medical significance and wrongly see it as a free health check. We argue that safeguarding the integrity of the ABP system must be seen as the most essential element and thus a departure from immediate data disclosure is necessary. Two different strategies for delayed data disclosure are proposed which diminish the chances of ABP data being misused to refine doping techniques.