Sports Health & Fitness – Page 3

Effects of a Token Economy on Exercise Intensity and Intrinsic Motivation

Author: Andrew E. Alstot, Ph.D.

Department of Kinesiology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA
Orcid.org/0000-0003-0247-5600

Correspondence:
Andrew E. Alstot, Ph.D.
Department of Kinesiology
Azusa Pacific University
Physical Address: 701 E. Foothill Blvd.
Mailing Address: PO Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702-7000
(P) 626-815-6075
aalstot@apu.edu

Andrew Alstot is an associate professor in the department of Kinesiology at Azusa Pacific University, primarily teaching in the Graduate Physical Education program. His research focus is on the use of the principles of applied behavior analysis in physical activity settings to improve exercise, skill, motivation, and social behavior. His teaching goals are to help to develop quality teachers, coaches, administrators, and other physical activity professionals to deliver research-based physical activity instruction and administration.

Effects of a Token Economy on Exercise Intensity and Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract

Purpose – Token economies, systems that use a variety of rewards to target behavior, have been shown useful in improving several physical activity-related behaviors. Yet, there is conflicting research on rewards-based systems’ impact on intrinsic motivation. When using rewards to improve behavior, it is recommended they be systematically withdrawn as time progresses. However, the effects of systems that withdraw rewards on exercise behavior and intrinsic motivation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the use of a token economy targeting exercise behavior and its impact on intrinsic motivation.

Methods – Participants rode a stationary bike for several baseline sessions where no rewards were administered; mean revolutions per minute (RPM) were calculated for each session. Then, participants were provided performance-based rewards on one of two schedules of reinforcement: (1) rewards were provided consistently across all token sessions or (2) rewards were systematically withdrawn with each subsequent token session. Intrinsic motivation was measured before the study and at the end of the last token session.

Results – Both rewards systems were effective in improving exercise intensity, with both groups showing distinct improvement in mean RPM during token sessions. Further, the system that withdrew rewards indicated no detriment to intrinsic motivation and for some, an improvement.

Conclusions and Applications in Sport – Fitness professionals, coaches, and educators may be able to use extrinsic rewards to improve exercise behavior and, if implemented properly, have no negative impact on their clients’, athletes’, and students’ intrinsic motivation for engaging in exercise.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-08-23T11:24:59-05:00September 2nd, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

The Impact of the Number of Student Athletes on Burnout and Work-Family Conflict of High School Athletic Trainers

Authors: Christianne M Eason, Alexandrya H Cairns, and Stephanie M. Singe

Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, CT, USA

Corresponding Author:
Christianne M Eason, PhD, ATC
President of Sport Safety
Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut
2095 Hillside Road U-1110, Storrs, CT 06269
Cell: 617-548-8283
Twitter: CM_Eason
Fax: 860-486-1123
Website: ksi.uconn.edu
Email: christianne.eason@uconn.edu

Christianne M. Eason is the President of Sport Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute which is housed in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. Her research interests include the work-life interface of athletic trainers, specifically organizational factors and sports safety advocacy.

Alexandrva H Cairns is a second year PhD student in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. Her research interests include work-life balance among athletic trainers, and more specifically perceptions of patient care and clinician well-being.

Stephanie M. Singe is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. Her research focus is on work-life balance and other factors that influence the job satisfaction and quality of life of an athletic trainer. She is lead author of the position statement on Facilitating Work-Life Balance in Athletic Training Practice Settings.

The Impact of the Number of Student Athletes on Burnout and Work-Family Conflict of High School Athletic Trainers

ABSTRACT

Context: The relationship between clinician’s perceptions of patient care and burnout and work-family conflict (WFC) has not been examined as closely. In the high school setting, where athletic trainers often work as the only clinician and/or have a high volume of patients it is important to determine if experiences of burnout and WFC impacts perceptions of patient care.

Objective: Determine if any relationship exists between burnout and WFC and athletic trainer’s perceptions of patient care.

Design: Cross-sectional study

Setting: Online web-based survey

Patients or Other Participants: Athletic trainers were emailed through the Athletic Training Location and Services (ATLAS) database and invited to participate. Data from 573 (n = 373 (65.1%) women, n = 195 (34.2%) men, n = 1 (0.2%) transgender woman, n = 1 (0.02%) not listed, and n = 2 (0.3%) Prefer Not to Answer) were included in data analysis.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Data analyzed for this study included basic demographic information, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, a Work-Family Conflict Scale, and 5 questions specific to patient care (open-ended and ranking).

Results: Overall, participants reported low levels of burnout and WFC. The majority (55.7%) were satisfied with the time they had to deliver patient care and (65.7%) the care they were able to deliver. Stress was most often selected as a factor that negatively impacted patient care, while exercise was most commonly selected as the factor that positively impacted patient care. Participants who were satisfied with patient-care had lower strain-based conflict (U = 32441.0, p = .030) and participants who were satisfied with time for patient care had lower total WFC (U = 29174.5, p < .001).

Conclusions: Student athlete number and interactions do not appear to be a source of burnout or WFC among high school athletic trainers. Work-related factors and personal well-being and mental-health appear to impact clinicians’ perceptions of care delivered to patients.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-08-23T10:50:59-05:00August 26th, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Differences in psychological skills in ultraendurance athletes and endurance athletes

Authors: Megan Meckfessel and Lindsay Ross-Stewart

Department of Applied Health, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA

Corresponding Author:
Lindsay Ross-Stewart
Department of Applied Health
Campus Box 1126
Edwardsville, Illinois 62026-1126
(618) 650-2410

Megan Meckfessel, MS, is a Cross Country Coach, trainer, and Community Health Coach in O’Fallon Il. She is a marathon and ultra-distance runner.

Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Health and the Director of Mental Performance for the Intercollegiate Athletics Department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her research focuses on the role of self-efficacy in athletic performance.

Differences in psychological skills in ultraendurance athletes and endurance athletes

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in self-efficacy, self-motivation, and mood between ultraendurance athletes and endurance athletes. Forty-six endurance athletes and fifty-six ultraendurance athletes completed the Profile of Mood States, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Self-Motivation Inventory. The results of a MANOVA with sport type (endurance versus ultraendurance) as the independent variable and the total scores on all psychological variables and the subscales for self-motivation, mood, and self-efficacy as the dependent variables revealed a significant difference between endurance and ultraendurance athletes. The results indicated that ultraendurance athletes had higher overall motivation compared to endurance athletes. They also had higher scores for both drive and persistence. There were no differences between the groups for self- efficacy or mood. The results indicate that motivation may be the primary psychological factor differentiating between ultraendurance and endurance athletes. From an applied perspective it may be that athletes looking to make the leap from endurance sports to ultraendurance sports should focus on applied techniques for increasing motivation.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-05-03T13:16:43-05:00May 6th, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

The Salivary Alpha-Amylase Response to Moderate Intensity Trap Bar Deadlift

Authors: Asher L. Flynn¹, Jeremy Gentles²,Tyler Langford¹

¹Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN, USA
²Department of Sport, Exercise, Recreation, and Kinesiology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA

Corresponding Author:
Asher L. Flynn, PhD, CSCS
117 Leopard Ln
Cumberland Gap, TN
AsherLFlynn@gmail.com
4178278827

Asher L Flynn, PhD, CSCS is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Lincoln Memorial University, TN. His research interests focus on fatigue and athlete monitoring in colligate athletes, and aspects of women’s soccer performance.

Jeremy Gentles, PhD, CSCS is currently faculty member at East Tennessee State University, TN. Jeremy’s areas of research interest include the biochemical response to exercise and sport technology.

Tyler Langford, PhD, is currently faculty member at Lincoln Memorial University, TN. Tyler’s areas of research interest include exercise testing and prescription for special populations (incomplete spinal cord injury and older adults) as well as the use of effort perception for exercise prescription.

The Salivary Alpha-Amylase Response to Moderate Intensity Trap Bar Deadlift

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the salivary alpha-amylase response to a moderate intensity, moderate volume resistance training protocol. In order to investigate this response, pre-exercise and post-exercise saliva samples were collected from 16 female collegiate soccer players during a team resistance training session with the strength and condition staff. Results: The saliva analysis revealed a significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase concentrations from pre- to post-exercise; 54.7 ± 34.7 U/mL, 100.6 ± 55.1; p = 0.002; d = 0.908; 95% CI: 0.31 – 1.48. These results indicated that a moderate intensity, moderate volume training protocol will elicit an increase in salivary alpha-amylase. Sport scientists and coaches are continually improving their ability to monitor the stress, and the athlete’s response to these stressors. Salivary alpha-amylase is a promising candidate as a rapid, non-invasive method of indicating the magnitude of stress associated with resistance training.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-04-20T10:13:07-05:00April 22nd, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off

Stressors Associated with Professional Australian Rules Football Athletes Across a Competitive Season

Authors: Billymo Rist¹, Anthea C Clarke¹, Tony Glynn², Alan J. Pearce¹
¹School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
² Fit Mind Consulting, Spencer Street, West Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Corresponding Author:
Billymo Rist
School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Email: brist@latrobe.edu.au
Ph: +61 400392964

Billymo Rist is a PhD Candidate at La Trobe University in Melbourne Australia. His Research interests include biomarkers, stress, psychology of performance and neuroscience of sport and injury

Anthea Clarke, PhD, is a lecturer in sport and exercise science in the Department of Dietetics, Human Nutrition, and Sport at La Trobe University, Australia. Her research interests include applied sport science and application to team sports, and female athlete physiology.

Tony Glynn MPsych is a Performance and Clinical Psychologist with 20 years’ experience. Tony is currently performance psychologist for the Melbourne Vixens Netball Team, Victorian Sailing Team, and Tennis Australia and clinical psychologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.

Alan J Pearce PhD is an adjunct associate professor at La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia and Director of NeuroSports Labs, Melbourne. Alan has an interest in the neuroscience of exercise and sport and injury, with over 200 publications across neurophysiology, exercise physiology and psychology of exercise.

Stressors Associated with Professional Australian Rules Football Athletes Across a Competitive Season

Abstract

Objective: This study explored psychophysiological stress in professional Australian Rules football athletes across the course of one competitive season.

Methods: A sample of eight players listed with one professional Australian football club participated in this study. Each week during the competitive season (22 weeks), players self-reported their general fatigue and sleep using a paper-based scale, as well as providing a salivary cortisol measure. Testing occurred 48-hours after competition. Participants’ weekly performance rating scores based on a points system metric of players’ data obtained during competitive matches were also recorded by the club each week.

Results: A significant inverse relationship was observed between cortisol and performance ratings, sleep and fatigue, and sleep and performance ratings. There was a significant predictive relationship observed, with cortisol levels and performance rankings (R² = .35, F (6,74) = 7.06, p<.001). There was no significant relationship between performance and fatigue or performance and sleep.

Conclusions: This study shows a significant relationship between performance outcomes and psychophysiological stress in professional Australian football players. Professional clubs should look towards objective assessment protocols to measure athlete psychological stress to enhance current practice of self-report stress measures.

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U.S. Sports Academy2022-04-07T09:52:49-05:00April 15th, 2022|Research, Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off