Masters Degrees (Sports and Exercise Medicine)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Sports and Exercise Medicine) by Author "Coetzee, F. F."
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Item Open Access A comparison of the mental toughness of players in team and individual sport during periodization(University of the Free State, 2015-02) Janse van Rensburg, Chrisna; Coetzee, F. F.; Schoeman, R.English: The contribution of psychological skills on performance enhancement and mental toughness attributes and development is still limited within the sport context, even though it has numerously been proven to be an important factor that influences the success of sport achievement outcomes. No concise agreement towards the prescription of the development and improvement of mental toughness has been designed in order to improve the athletes’ mental toughness during their annual training programs. The aim of this dissertation was to explore the differences in mental toughness of rugby players during periodization phases, as well as the differences between the rugby forwards’ and backs’ mental toughness. The differences between the mental toughness of golf players and rugby players have also been explored during periodization phases. Data from rugby players and golf players, who participate in sport on a university and regional level, had been obtained by means of the Psychological Performance Inventory that was completed by all players during the preparatory, competition, and transition periodization phases. Differences in mental toughness of rugby players between preparatory, competition and transition periodization phases were analysed using a repeated measures mixed linear model with periodization phase, team and group (forwards versus backs) as fixed effects, and fitting an unstructured covariance matrix to the repeated measures of mental toughness. From this model, mean values for each group and phase, as well as differences between mean values between periodization phases together with associated p-values and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The data on mental toughness were compared between rugby players and golf players through a one-way analysis of variance with group (rugby vs golf) as factor, allowing for different residual variances for the two groups. The results indicated that significant differences had been found amongst rugby players with regards to their attitude control (p=0.00) that revealed significantly higher values during competition phase than during the preparation phase. When the components of mental toughness had been compared for the competition phase and the transition phase, significant differences were found for overall mental toughness (p=0.01), motivation (p=0.04), and attitude control (p=0.05), with the latter phase having scored lower than the competition phase. No significant differences were found between the mental toughness components of the preparation phase compared to the transition phase. The mental toughness of forwards and backs revealed no significant differences, although a tendency occurred where the backs obtained higher mean values for all of the mental toughness components. Significant differences had only been found for negative energy control between the golf players and rugby players. Negative energy control differed significantly (p=0.03) where the golf players portrayed much better values during the transition periodization phase than the rugby players’ negative energy control values. This is the first study designed to explore mental toughness of rugby players and golf players during periodization phases, and could be the foundation for future studies to the further investigate which mental toughness components seems to be dominant during specific periodization phases – and which components still have room for improvement, while comparing the physical performances and parameters of the athletes as well – in order to facilitate with the development of training guidelines that enhances athletes’ performances and help them to achieve their goals.Item Open Access Dehydration in u/19 rubgy players in the hot conditions of the Karoo(University of the Free State, 2013-01) Vermeulen, Petrus Van der Walt; Holtzhausen, L. J.; Coetzee, F. F.English: Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the dehydration status of u/19 School rugby players during a game of rugby in the Hopetown district in high temperatures. Methods: This study was a cohort-analytical study on certain variables associated with hydration levels of u/19 rugby players from Hopetown High School during two matches in 2007 and two matches in 2009. The group of rugby players was subjected to a pre- evaluation (15min before the game) followed by a re-evaluation performed 10min after the game. In this way the dehydration status of the players could be determined. Thirty-one rugby players participated. Readings were taken of Urine-Specific Gravity (SG), blood haematocrit, and body mass of every rugby player before and after every rugby match. The student t-test was used to test for significant differences within the group. A significance level of 0.05 was used throughout the study. Results: The anthropometric characteristics in our study for 2007 and 2009 are very similar as expected, and showed a mean length of 177 ± 7-8 cm, ranging from 165 to 190 cm, a mean body mass of 71.5 ± 13.7kg and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.88 ± 3.98kg/m2. Between 3 (17%) and 10 (67%) of the players were dehydrated post-match according to the decrease in body mass. The pre-exercise urine specific gravity measures were significantly lower (p < 0.05) before all 4 matches than after the matches as expected, and most of the players could have been better hydrated at the beginning of the match. 20% - 94% of the players were dehydrated pre-match and almost all the players (93% and 100%) were dehydrated after the match. The pre-match mean haematocrit (HCT) and the post-match mean HCT was in the range of 0.46 - 0.47. However, in two of the matches significant differences (p < 0.05) in HCT were recorded. Conclusions: It was alarming to find that a large number of the players were dehydrated before the match, but more important, almost all of them after the match. Recommendations for fluid and electrolyte replacement must be carefully considered and monitored in rugby players to promote safe hydration and avoid hyponatremia.Item Open Access The effects of weight training on pain relief and fatique in patients with fibromyalgia(University of the Free State, 2014-01) Coetzer, Gerhardus; Coetzee, F. F.; Holtzhausen, L.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of weight training on pain relief and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Methods: This study was a randomized control study on patients diagnosed with FM. The group of FM patients was subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Randomization was done on the patients who have met the inclusion criteria by the Department of Biostatistics at the University of The Free State. The experimental group was subjected to a training programme under supervision while the control group received verbal instructions to follow a training programme and the benefits thereof (Glombiewski et al., 2010), but did not undergo supervised training. The training period was 12 weeks. The subjects maintained their ordinary daily chores and physical activity. The experimental group started a supervised strength training period. Training was carried out 3 times a week and. During the first 3 weeks patients started with 8 - 12 repetitions for each set, with loads of 40 – 60% of the one repetition maximum (1 RM) and continued during the next 4 weeks with 10 – 12 repetitions with loads of 60 – 70% of 1 RM. Subsequently, during week 8 – 12 the number of repetitions was 10 for each set with loads of 60 – 80% of 1 RM. In addition to the muscle strengthening exercises each session ended with 5 – 10 minutes of core strengthening. All training sessions included warm up and cool down exercises using either a treadmill or bicycle ergometer and muscle stretching. Moreover, the subjects continued their ordinary chores and physical activities. The patients did a 15 minute warm up consisting of 10 minutes light aerobic work followed by 30 – 40 minutes weight training followed by 10 – 15 minutes of cool down. The programme differed from a Monday, to a Wednesday, to a Friday, where different muscle groups were targeted by the weight training. Results: The anthropometric characteristics in the current study for the exercise and control group are very similar. The Student T-Test was used to test for significant differences between the control and experimental group Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores over the 12 weeks. A 95% confidence interval was used to determine the difference between the two groups. The confidence interval shows that there is no statistical difference between the FM experimental (FMT) and FM control group (FMC). The following variable, V = FIQ: W4-W1 is where the FIQ score of week 4 were subtracted from week 1. No statistical difference (p<0.05) was observed between the control and the exersice group between week 1 and 4. The exercise group’s progress was statistically better (p<0.05) than control group in week 4 - 8. At week 8 the FMT group’s fibromyalgia impact questionnaire score median was 39 compared to the FMC group’s median of 63. Unfortunately, the exercise group deteriorated statistically significant (p<0.05) in the FIQ scores compared to control group improvement from week 8 – 12. Lastly, there was no statistical difference (p<0.05) between week 1 and week 12 between the FM control group and the exersise group regarding improvement of symptoms as reported in the FM impact questionnaire. Conclusions: It is still unclear what combination of type, intensity and duration of exercise treatment works best in the treatment of FM. It is important to recognize that in the case of a chronic pain disorder like FM, treatment must be focused not just on immediate symptom relief but also on maintaining long term lifestyle behaviour. As long as FM aetiology remains unclear, there is a need to explore mediating variables that can be used to intervene in order to ameliorate symptoms. Research efforts must continue to explore methods to relieve symptoms short term and support ongoing long term behaviour change to improve functioning and enhance the quality of life for patients with FM.Item Open Access Die epidemiologie van beserings by Suid-Afrikaanse netbalspelers(University of the Free State, 2010-09) Langeveld, Emile; Coetzee, F. F.; Holtzhausen, L. J.English: Netball is a sport that places high physical demands on players. Quick acceleration, changing of direction, high jumps to receive a ball or to intercept an opponent’s pass is some of the tasks that players are required to perform. These requirements leave the players vulnerable to injury. From international studies it is clear that netball players have an increased risk to sustain injuries to the lower limbs. The ankle is the joint most likely to be effected. Injuries to the ankle can account for more than 80% of all netball injuries. The ligaments are the most commonly injured structures. Due to a lack of literature on injuries in South-African netball players, injury patterns in South-Africa cannot be compared to international trends. Epidemiological studies provide the proof on which risks for specific sporting codes are assessed as well as the success of therapeutic intervention programs. The aim of the study was therefore to assess the incidence and severity of injuries in a cohort of elite South-African netball players. The subjects were all the players (n = 1280) that participated in three elite netball tournaments during the 2009 season. The medical staff of each team completed a questionnaire for each player that sustained an injury during the three tournaments. The completed questionnaires were collected at the adjournment of each days play. For those players whose teams did not have their own medical officer, completed questionnaires were collected from the First Aid station where the players received medical attention. Most injuries occurred to the ankle joint (36%) followed by the knee (18%) and injuries to the fingers, hand and wrist (15%). There was a high total injury rate of 500.7 injuries per 1000 playing hours, but the severity of injuries were low, with the majority of the participants being able to continue play or being available for the next match. In order to reduce the amount of injuries to the lower extremities it is recommended that netball players follow a structured program aimed to enhance proprioception and optimize biomechanical execution of functional movement patterns. These exercises should not only be done as part of the pre-season program but continued throughout the remainder of the season.Item Open Access Physiological demands and time-motion analysis of simulated elite karate kumite matches(University of the Free State, 2015-01) Le Roux, Elsabé; Coetzee, F. F.; Jansen van Rensburg, C. J.English: Introduction: Since competition has become the focal point of athletic training and the development of more tournament competitions on both national and international levels, the popularity of karate is ever increasing. No single performance characteristic dominates in combat sports and success requires a mixture of technique, strength, aerobic fitness, power and speed. Thus it has come to light that without proper investigation of the physiological demands imposed on an athlete during a competition situation, it would be unlikely that the athlete will develop to his or her full potential. Objectives: The objectives of this study were: - to identify the various physiological demands placed on the athlete during a simulated karate kumite competition situation; - to conduct a time-motion analysis to determine the characteristics of the karate kumite matches; - to determine the physiological demands imposed on the athlete during simulated competition with regards to the body’s energy systems, heart rate response to the fight situation, breathing rates and core temperature. Methods: For this study, twelve (n=12) elite male karate athletes were recruited from the Free State Karate High Performance Squad. Selected tests were performed, including, anthropometry, a graded maximal effort test (VO2max) and a simulated kumite competition. The competition consisted of six rounds with progressively decreasing set recovery periods in between. During the simulated competition, the heart rate, breathing rate and estimated body core temperature were recorded by the Zephyr BioHarnessTM 3 System. All of the kumite matches were video recorded and a time-motion analysis was conducted with the use of Dartfish Software 6, to determine the match characteristics. All physiological and time-motion data were then analysed separately, using a repeated measurements analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with “round” as fixed effect. This analysis excluded the data regarding the techniques scored, which was analysed by a generalized linear model with a Poisson error distribution and logarithmic link function. Results: Athletes achieved a higher HRmax during the simulated kumite matches than during the graded maximal effort test (187.5 < 190.8 bpm). There was a 55.45% aerobic and 44.55% anaerobic energy system contribution during the respective kumite matches, with an effort-to-rest ratio of ~1.5:1. A statistical significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between rounds regarding the means calculated for the mean HR during the fight (F= 7.05; P= 0.03). Fifty-two percent (52%) of all the techniques scored were attributed to upper limb techniques and 48% to the lower limbs. The same values were recorded with regard to the scoring of offensive versus defensive techniques. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between rounds with respect to the mean counts of techniques used. Conclusion: A karate kumite match can be characterized as a high-intensity activity with regards to physiological variables, where athletes are subjected to maximal cardiovascular responses. It is thus advisable that coaches remain focussed on the technical and tactical aspects of training and that conditioning specialists focus more on improving the athletes’ ability to sustain high-intensity activities during conditioning sessions.Item Open Access Screening tools for developmental coordination disorder in grade 1 learners(University of the Free State, 2015-08-07) Buys, Aletta Margaretha; De Milander, M.; Coetzee, F. F.English: Background: One of the challenges associated with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is finding the appropriate method of identifying motor difficulties. Motor proficiency tests are used to identify children with motor difficulties; however, it seems that questionnaire-based assessments may be more practical for screening purposes. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist (MABC-Checklist) has been used as a screening tool to identify motor difficulties in children especially when completed by parents and teachers. Although parents and teachers can identify children with motor difficulties using screening tools, it is still not clear which screening test is the best to use. The original MABC-Checklist (1992) was revised in 2007 and research available on the revised edition (MABC-Checklist-2) is limited indicating that more studies on the MABC-Checklist-2 when completed by parents and teachers are needed. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the agreement between identifying motor difficulties with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children second edition Performance Test (MABC-2) and the identifying of motor difficulties with the MABC-Checklist-2 when completed by (i) their parents as well as (ii) their teachers. Methods: This study was done using sampling data and a quantitative research method (i.e. questionnaire). Three-hundred and twenty three learners in Grade 1 between the ages of 5 and 8 years participated in this study. The study consists of n=140 boys (43%) and n=183 girls (57%) of various ethnic groups, which consisted of n=193 Caucasian (59.75%, 6.5 years, SD=0.55), n=120 Black (37.15%, 6.2 years, SD=0.4), n=9 Mixed race (2.79%, 6.4 years, SD=0.5) and n=1 Hispanic (0.31%). A total of three hundred and twenty three parents (n=323) and twenty three teachers (n=23) also took part in the study. The MABC-2 Performance Test was used to determine motor difficulties and DCD in the children. The MABC-Checklist-2 was used by the parents and teachers to identify children with and without motor difficulties. The total test score results of the MABC-2 Performance Test were compared with the total test score results of the MABC-Checklist-2 completed by the parents and teachers. Data from the questionnaires were captured electronically by the researcher on a data form using Microsoft Excel. Further analysis was done by a statistician using SAS Version 9.2. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical data. Medians and percentiles were calculated for numerical data. The measure of agreement with help from the Kappa (k)-coefficient were used to explore the aim. The coefficient is known as the Cohen’s Kappa and it measures inter-judge agreement. Results: The results indicated that out of the 47 children identified with motor difficulties (moderate motor difficulties, n=21, and severe motor difficulties, n=26) by the MABC-2 Performance Test, 15 of these children were also identified with motor difficulties (moderate motor difficulties, n=2; and severe motor difficulties, n=13) by the parent completed MABC-Checklist-2 indicating a sensitivity of 31.9% (15/47). With regard to specificity there were 276 children identified with no motor difficulties with the MABC-2 Performance Test, whereas 197 (71.4%) of these children were also identified without motor difficulties with the MABC-Checklist-2 completed by the parents. Therefore, the specificity between the MABC-2 Performance Test and the parent completed MABC-Checklist-2 was 71.4% (197/276). The (k)-coefficient of 0.143 indicated that only 14.3% agreement between the two assessments were present after correcting for chance and show that the agreement of the two assessments is not high when completed by parents. Results with regard to the teachers indicated that out of the 47 children identified by the MABC-2 Performance Test with motor difficulties (moderate motor difficulties, n=21; and severe motor difficulties, n=24), 16 of these children were also identified with motor difficulties (moderate motor difficulties, n=4; and severe motor difficulties, n=12) by the teacher that completed the MABC-Checklist-2 indicating a sensitivity of 35.6% (16/45). When analysing the specificity there was 276 children identified with no motor difficulties using the MABC-2 Performance Test whereas 193 (72.6%) of these children were also identified with no motor difficulties by the MABC-Checklist-2 completed by teachers. Therefore the specificity between the MABC-2 Performance Test and the teacher completed MABC-Checklist-2 is 72.6% (193/266). The (k)-coefficient of 0.161 reveal that only 16.1% agreement between the two assessments were present after correcting for chance and reveal that the agreement between the two assessments is low when completed by teachers. Conclusion: Several screening tests and questionnaires have been developed to gather information with regard to motor performance of children specifically from parents and teachers. However, studies using parents’ and teachers’ reports as well as the results in this study have produced conflicting results, thus it is still not clear which screening test is the best to use and whether parents and teachers both need to be used to screen a child.