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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a multi-directional soccer-specific fatigue protocol on sprinting kinematics in relation to hamstring injury risk. Nine semi-professional soccer players (Mean +/- SD: Age: 21.3 +/- 2.9 year; Height 185.0 +/- 8.7 cm; Body Mass 81.6 +/- 6.7 kg) completed the SAFT(90); a multi-directional, intermittent 90 min exercise protocol representative of soccer match-play. The 10m sprint times and three-dimensional kinematic data were recorded using a high-speed motion capture system (Qualisys Track Manager) every 15 min during the SAFT(90). A significant time dependent increase was observed in sprint time during the SAFT(90) (P<0.01) with a corresponding significant decrease in stride length (P<0.01). Analysis of the kinematic sprint data revealed significantly reduced combined maximal hip flexion and knee extension angle, indicating reduced hamstring length, between pre-exercise and half-time (P<0.01) and pre-exercise and full-time (P<0.05). These findings revealed that the SAFT(90) produced time dependent impairments in sprinting performance and kinematics of technique which may result from shorter hamstring muscle length. Alterations in sprinting technique may have implications for the increased predisposition to hamstring strain injury during the latter stages of soccer match-play.

This study compared the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) and a field-based re-warm-up during half-time (HT) on subsequent physical performance measures during a simulated soccer game. Ten semi-professional male soccer players performed 90-min fixed-intensity soccer simulations (SAFT(90)), using a multi-directional course. During the HT period players either remained seated (CON), or performed intermittent agility exercise (IAE), or WBV. At regular intervals during SAFT(90), vastus lateralis temperature (T(m)) was recorded, and players also performed maximal counter-movement jumps (CMJ), 10-m sprints, and knee flexion and extension contractions. At the start of the second half, sprint and CMJ performance and eccentric hamstring peak torque were significantly reduced compared with the end of the first half in CON (P≤0.05). There was no significant change in these parameters over the HT period in the WBV and IAE interventions (P>0.05). The decrease in T(m) over the HT period was significantly greater for CON and WBV compared with IAE (P≤0.01). A passive HT interval reduced sprint, jump and dynamic strength performance. Alternatively, IAE and WBV at HT attenuated these performance decrements, with limited performance differences between interventions.

The increasing popularity of festivals and events, coupled with their positive and negative impacts on host communities, has led to a growing body of research on the social impacts of festivals and events. To date, work by several authors represents research in impact scale development specifically related to the social impacts of festivals and events. This article reports on the scale developed by Small and Edwards in 2003, now known as the Social Impact Perception (SIP) scale, which measures residents' perceptions of the social impacts resulting from community festivals. The aim of this study was to test the SIP scale using a larger sample, allowing for further refinement of the scale using exploratory factor analysis. This research represents development of the SIP scale, and is in line with the refinement of other event impact scales, to which factor analysis has also been applied. This represents the most recent stage of this research, which has the aim of refining the SIP scale and identifying the underlying dimensions of the social impacts of community festivals. Factor analysis identified six underlying dimensions of the social impacts of community festivals: inconvenience, community identity and cohesion, personal frustration, entertainment and socialization opportunities, community growth and development, and behavioral consequences.

A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to assess the efficacy of static stretching as part of the warm-up for the prevention of exercise-related injuries. Computer-aided literature search for articles post-1990 and pre-January 2008 related to static stretching and injury prevention using MEDLINE, SPORT Discus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. All relevant randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) satisfying inclusion/exclusion criteria were evaluated by methodological assessment to score the studies using accredited criteria. Seven out of 364 studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. All four RCTs concluded that static stretching was ineffective in reducing the incidence of exercise-related injury, and only one of the three CCTs concluded that static stretching did reduce the incidence of exercise-related injury. Three out of the seven studies noted significant reductions in musculotendinous and ligament injuries following a static stretching protocol despite nonsignificant reductions in the all-injury risk. All RCTs scored over 50 points (maximum possible score = 100), whereas all CCTs scored under 45 points. There is moderate to strong evidence that routine application of static stretching does not reduce overall injury rates. There is preliminary evidence, however, that static stretching may reduce musculotendinous injuries.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a field-based injury prevention exercise on eccentric hamstring strength during simulated soccer match play. Sixteen semiprofessional soccer players (age 21.3 +/- 2.9 years; height 185.0 +/- 8.7 cm; body mass 81.6 +/- 6.7 kg) completed the Soccer-specific Aerobic Field Test (SAFT90), a multidirectional 90-minute exercise protocol representative of soccer match play. Subjects performed 3 maximal dominant-limb isokinetic contractions at 120 degrees x s(-1) for concentric knee extensors (conQ) and flexors (conH), and eccentric knee flexors (eccH) before SAFT90 (t0), at half-time (t45), and immediately after the SAFT90 (t105). After baseline testing, subjects were divided into 2 groups, either performing Nordic hamstring eccentric strengthening exercises during the cool-down (CD) or warm-up (WU) of twice-weekly training sessions. After an 8-week intervention program, the baseline testing was repeated. The WU group displayed a significant increase postintervention in eccH gravity-corrected peak torque (PT) and the functional eccH:conQ ratio at t0 (p < 0.01), a significantly greater improvement compared with CD group (p < 0.05). Conversely, the CD group displayed a significant increase in both eccH PT and the functional eccH:conQ ratio postintervention at t45 (p < 0.05) and at t105 (p < 0.05), which were significantly greater increases compared with the WU group (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the training intervention had a time-dependent beneficial effect on eccentric hamstring strength and that strength training conducted posttraining significantly reduced the negative influence of fatigue.

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