Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH

Background

Although the theory/practice dualism seems difficult to deal with in physical education (PE) practice, this paper posits that there are ways in which teachers can enable students to develop holistic competencies that encapsulate elements of both theoretical and practical knowledge. We therefore seek to rethink the relationship between theory and practice in PE practice and present ways in which PE teachers can connect these forms of knowledge with their students. We do so by looking at one of the historically most favoured means of bridging theory and practice: reflection.

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute with knowledge about student reflection in PE practice. First, we discuss the concept of reflection to clarify how student reflection might be understood in the embodied and situated context of PE practice. Then, we reconceptualise reflection in a way that might enable teachers to bridge the gap between theory and practice in new and hopefully fruitful ways with their students.

Theory and methods

We draw on various theoretical traditions on reflection to present a reconceptualisation of reflection that encapsulates the practical, situated and embodied nature of PE.

Theoretical discussion

We present the following four key ideas pertaining to reflection that together create a framework for conceptualising student reflection in the PE context: 1) Why reflection is important: a matter of intelligent practice; 2) Students must learn to reflect – in relation to what?; 3) What should students reflect on?; and 4) The how questions: creating conditions for reflections through indeterminate situations. Drawing on these four key ideas, we present an example of how our theoretical discussions can form the following three intertwined principles for a pedagogy of student reflection in PE practice for PE teachers moving beyond a theory-and-practice divide in PE: 1) a pedagogy of becoming through reflection; 2) a pedagogy of reflecting on the plurality of embodied and situated meaning; and 3) a reflective pedagogy of enquiry and discovery.

Conclusion

Throughout this paper, we argue that students need to learn to reflect, we suggested how reflection could be facilitated and we proposed that the why(s), what(s) and how(s) should be the objects of student reflection in PE. It is necessary to highlight that our suggestions for a pedagogy of student reflection are not complete nor definite but could serve as points of departure for future discussions of student reflection in PE.

OBJECTIVES: The aim included investigation of the associations between sedentary (SED), low-intensity physical activity (LIPA), moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) and the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in both coronaries and carotids and the estimated difference in prevalence by theoretical reallocation of time in different PA behaviours.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

SETTING: Multisite study at university hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 22 670 participants without cardiovascular disease (51% women, 57.4 years, SD 4.3) from the population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage study were included. SED, LIPA and MVPA were assessed by hip-worn accelerometer.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Any and significant subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (CA), Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CACS) and carotid atherosclerosis (CarA) were derived from imaging data from coronary CT angiography and carotid ultrasound.

RESULTS: High daily SED (>70% ≈10.5 hours/day) associated with a higher OR 1.44 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.91), for significant CA, and with lower OR 0.77 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.95), for significant CarA. High LIPA (>55% ≈8 hours/day) associated with lower OR for significant CA 0.70 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.96), and CACS, 0.71 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.97), but with higher OR for CarA 1.41 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.76). MVPA above reference level, >2% ≈20 min/day, associated with lower OR for significant CA (OR range 0.61-0.67), CACS (OR range 0.71-0.75) and CarA (OR range 0.72-0.79). Theoretical replacement of 30 min of SED into an equal amount of MVPA associated with lower OR for significant CA, especially in participants with high SED 0.84 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.96) or low MVPA 0.51 (0.36 to 0.73).

CONCLUSIONS: MVPA was associated with a lower risk for significant atherosclerosis in both coronaries and carotids, while the association varied in strength and direction for SED and LIPA, respectively. If causal, clinical implications include avoiding high levels of daily SED and low levels of MVPA to reduce the risk of developing significant subclinical atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies investigating the association between accelerometer-measured physical activity and health all use absolute measures of physical activity intensity. However, intervention studies suggest that the physical activity intensity required to improve health is relative to individual fitness. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between accelerometer-measured absolute and relative physical activity intensity and cardiometabolic health, and what implications these associations may have on the interpretation of health-associated physical activity.

METHODS: A sample of the cross-sectional Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) consisting of 4,234 men and women aged 55-64 years was studied. Physical activity intensity was measured by accelerometry and expressed as absolute (e.g., metabolic equivalents of task) or relative (percentage of maximal oxygen consumption). Fitness was estimated by the submaximal Ekblom-Bak test. A composite ('metabolic syndrome') score combined measures of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and glycated hemoglobin. Associations of absolute and relative physical activity intensity with the health indicators (i.e., fitness and metabolic syndrome score) were studied by partial least squares regression. Analyses were stratified by fitness level.

RESULTS: Both absolute and relative physical activity intensity associated with the health indicators. However, the strongest associations for absolute intensity varied depending on fitness levels, whereas the associations for relative intensity were more synchronized across fitness groups. The dose-response relationship between moderate-to-vigorous intensity and the health indicators was stronger for relative than for absolute intensity. The absolute and relative moderate-to-vigorous intensity cut-offs intersected at the 5th fitness percentile, indicating that the absolute intensity cut-off is too low for 95% of individuals in this sample. While 99% of individuals fulfilled the general physical activity recommendations based on absolute intensity measures, only 21% fulfilled the recommendations based on relative intensity measures. In relation to a "sufficient" fitness level, 9% fulfilled the recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS: Accelerometer-measured relative physical activity intensity represents the intensity related to health benefits regardless of fitness level. Traditional absolute moderate intensity accelerometer cut-offs are too low for most individuals and should be adapted to the fitness level in the sample studied. Absolute and relative physical activity intensity cannot be used interchangeably.

As part of a longitudinal research project on the transition from physical education teacher education (PETE) to school physical education (PE) in Sweden and exploring whether and how PETE matters, this article uses narrative inquiry to ‘represent’ a PE teacher’s professional journey from PETE to the induction phase of PE teaching. The study focuses on his use of, and reflections on, ‘assessment for learning’ (AfL) at different stages of his teaching experience. The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about how positive experiences of AfL during PETE can enable the use of AfL in school PE for a newly qualified teacher. This is done by analysing one male PETE student’s reflections on AfL in the context of a campus-based course on PE assessment, his use of and reflections on AfL during his practicum, and in school PE as a newly qualified teacher. The data generation consisted of recordings of a PETE seminar, a stimulated recall interview with the participant during his final school placement, and two interviews with him in his role as a newly qualified PE teacher at two different schools. Through the PE teacher’s tale, we show how the campus-based course on PE assessment in PETE and the student teacher’s positive experience of using AfL during his practicum seem to have inspired him in his later positions. The results are discussed in relation to the perspective of occupational socialisation theory. This narrative inquiry suggests that PETE can make a difference for student teachers who are prepared to face the challenges of the induction phase of PE teaching and are able to navigate between the barriers that get in their way. We conclude the paper with some considerations regarding the study’s potential strength (trustworthiness), sharing (transferability) and service (usefulness).

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of a methodological standard to process accelerometer data to measures of physical activity, which impairs data quality and comparability. This study investigated the effect of different combinations of settings of multiple processing components, on the measure of physical activity and the association with measures of cardiometabolic health in an unselected population of middle-aged individuals.

METHODS: Free-living hip accelerometer data, aerobic fitness, body mass index, HDL:total cholesterol ratio, blood glucose, and systolic blood pressure were achieved from 4391 participants 50-64 years old included in The Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) baseline measurement (cross-sectional). Lab data were also included for calibration of accelerometers to provide comparable measure of physical activity intensity and time spent in different intensity categories, as well as to enhance understanding. The accelerometer data processing components were hardware recalibration, frequency filtering, number of accelerometer axes, epoch length, wear time criterium, time composition (min/24 h vs. % of wear time). Partial least regression and ordinary least regression were used for the association analyses.

RESULTS: The setting of frequency filter had the strongest effect on the physical activity intensity measure and time distribution in different intensity categories followed by epoch length and number of accelerometer axes. Wear time criterium and recalibration of accelerometer data were less important. The setting of frequency filter and epoch length also showed consistent important effect on the associations with the different measures of cardiometabolic health, while the effect of recalibration, number of accelerometer axes, wear time criterium and expression of time composition was less consistent and less important. There was a large range in explained variance of the measures of cardiometabolic health depending on the combination of processing settings, for example, 12.1%-20.8% for aerobic fitness and 5.8%-14.0% for body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS: There was a large variation in the physical activity intensity measure and the association with different measures of cardiometabolic health depending on the combination of settings of accelerometer data processing components. The results provide a fundament for a standard to process hip accelerometer data to assess the physical activity in middle-aged populations.

Food security is an enduring sustainability challenge in the Southern African region. Food availability, accessibility and affordability have profound health impacts and affect the quality of life of a substantial proportion of the world’s population. This article aims to explore, together with students in educational settings, questions about the relationships between food and health, including the contextual conditions of food availability, accessibility and affordability. This provides opportunities to re-embody food by contextualising it as part of natural and built environments, thus engaging with how challenges of human health intersect with animal and environmental health. The research centres on co-creating knowledge with youth based on their valued beings and doings about health and considers how their health goals relate to food and the sustainability challenges of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). By considering how youths’ understandings, evaluations and decisions regarding health, including setting health goals, intersect with the determinants of food, we come to consider their health literacy capabilities to achieve nonpredetermined health goals that align with their valued beings and doings. As such, the implementation gap between knowing and doing is bridged through practices of health and well-being contextually grounded in the lives and experiences of the student youth.

The aim of the present article is to analyse and discuss how teachers speak about goals and content of food literacy in teaching about food and health in Home Economics (HE). More specific, what different constructions of food literacy can be identified in teachers' talk about the drive and content of teaching food and health? Six focus group discussions were held in four different cities with a total of 27 HE teachers. Different visions of scientific literacy are used as a framework to analyse and discuss food literacy in education. Three different categories were identified, including different visions regarding students’ opportunities to develop awareness of how food influences health. Food literacy in HE includes disciplinary learning of specific knowledge and skills. Teaching HE is a multidisciplinary task, in which a number of disciplines are involved. The article examines what each vision refers to and what overarching purpose is expected to motivate a student to learn and to develop in a specific direction. Each vision therefore provides altered constructions of educational orientation in terms of meaning-making

Skeletal muscle consists of a mixture of fiber types with different functional and metabolic characteristics. The relative composition of these muscle fiber types has implications for muscle performance, whole-body metabolism, and health. However, analyses of muscle samples in a fiber type-dependent manner are very time consuming. Therefore, these are often neglected in favor of more time-efficient analyses on mixed muscle samples. Methods such as western blot and myosin heavy chain separation by SDS-PAGE have previously been utilized to fiber type-isolated muscle fibers. More recently, the introduction of the dot blot method significantly increased the speed of fiber typing. However, despite recent advancements, none of the current methodologies are feasible for large-scale investigations because of their time requirements. Here, we present the protocol for a new method, which we have named THRIFTY (high-THRoughput Immunofluorescence Fiber TYping), that enables rapid fiber type identification using antibodies towards the different myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. First, a short segment (<1 mm) is cut off from isolated muscle fibers and mounted on a customized gridded microscope slide holding up to 200 fiber segments. Second, the fiber segments attached to the microscope slide are stained with MyHC-specific antibodies and then visualized using a fluorescence microscope. Lastly, the remaining pieces of the fibers can either be collected individually or pooled together with fibers of the same type for subsequent analyses. The THRIFTY protocol is approximately three times as fast as the dot blot method, which enables not only time-sensitive assays to be performed but also increases the feasibility to conduct large-scale investigations into fiber type specific physiology.

This study investigated the impact of performing a closed kinetic chain with the lower limbs on isometric upper-limb pull and push strength. Sixty-two elite handcyclists were assessed with the Manual Muscle Test and allocated to groups with partial to normal (LLF) or no lower-limb (no-LLF) function. Both groups performed upper-limb strength measurements under two kinetic-chain conditions. During the closed-chain condition, the lower limbs were attached to two footrests, providing horizontal and vertical support. During the open-chain condition, the footrests were removed and the limbs were supported vertically by a horizontal plate. Repeated-measures ANOVA were conducted to investigate main effects (open vs. closed chain, LLF vs. no-LLF) and their interaction. During pull, LLF performed better (p < 0.001, +11%) by pushing against the footrests. However, this increase in pulling strength during a closed-chain condition was not observed in the no-LLF. Therefore, findings suggest an advantage for the least impaired athletes by being able to perform lower-limb closed chains during pulling. Handcyclists with LLF can maximise pulling performance by adjusting the footrests. The classification system should consider the implications of these findings on the allocation of athletes with different levels of LLF and/or on the equipment regulation.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment are two leading causes of disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the prevalence of sarcopenia and investigate the association between sarcopenia diagnostic components (muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance) and cognitive impairment in memory clinic patients.

METHODS: 368 patients were included (age 59.0±7.25 years, women: 58.7%), displaying three clinical phenotypes of cognitive impairments, i.e., subjective cognitive impairment (SCI, 57%), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 26%), and Alzheimer's disease (AD, 17%). Sarcopenia was defined according to diagnostic algorithm recommended by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Components of sarcopenia were grip strength, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and gait speed. They were further aggregated into a score (0-3 points) by counting the numbers of limited components. Multi-nominal logistic regression was applied.

RESULTS: Probable sarcopenia (i.e., reduced grip strength) was observed in 9.6% of the patients, and 3.5% were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Patients with faster gait speed showed less likelihood of MCI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06-0.90) and AD (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03-0.60). One or more limited sarcopenia components was associated with worse cognitive function. After adjusting for potential confounders, the association remained significant only for AD (OR 4.29, 95% CI 1.45-11.92).

CONCLUSION: The results indicate a connection between the sarcopenia components and cognitive impairments. Limitations in the sarcopenia measures, especially slow walking speed, were related to poorer cognitive outcomes. More investigationsare required to further verify the causal relationship between sarcopenia and cognitive outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined BMI in young men and incident site-specific cancer to estimate population attributable fractions due to BMI based on projected obesity prevalence.

METHODS: A population-based cohort study with measured height and weight at age 18. Cox regression models assessed linear associations for BMI and included age, year, and site of conscription as well as parental level of education as covariates.

RESULTS: Primary analyses were performed in 1,489,115 men, of whom 78,217 subsequently developed cancer during a mean follow-up of 31 years. BMI was linearly associated with risk of developing all 18 site-specific cancers assessed (malignant melanoma; leukemia; myeloma; Hodgkin lymphoma; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and cancer in the lungs, head and neck, central nervous system, thyroid, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver and gallbladder, colon, rectum, kidney, and bladder), in some instances evident at BMI levels usually defined as normal (20-25 kg/m² ). Higher BMI was associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. The highest hazard ratios and population attributable fractions were seen for some gastrointestinal cancers.

CONCLUSIONS: This study reports linear associations between BMI at age 18 and subsequent site-specific cancers, calling for rapid action to stem the obesity epidemic and to prepare the health care system for steep increases in cancer cases.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate how physiotherapists in Sweden rehabilitate patients who has undergone an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Further, the purpose was to investigate whether there are differences in the practical implementation of rehabilitation depending on clinical characteristics among the physiotherapists.

Method: The study was a descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study with a qualitative component, where open-response questions were analyzed by using a qualitative content analysis. A survey was developed together with an expert group and was then sent to physiotherapists in Sweden with experience of anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation. In order to find out possible differences in the practice of the rehabilitation depending clinical characteristics among the physiotherapists, the Chi-square test was used.

Results: The survey was answered by 146 physiotherapists. The practice mainly differs in terms of recommendations regarding gym-based training during the initial phase of rehabilitation, and regarding when balance-, coordination- and sport-specific training should be implemented. There are also different opinions concerning how, and when, exercises in open kinetic chain should be initiated. Physiotherapists treating higher volumes of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions per year, and physiotherapists with specialist certification, appears to have more frequent visits from patients and use reliable and valid objective strength measures in a greater extent compared to physiotherapists treating lower volumes of patients and physiotherapists without specialist certification. 

Conclusion: The results of the present study show that physiotherapists in Sweden to a great extent practice rehabilitation after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a similar way. Although certain parts of the practical implementation differ among physiotherapists. These results indicate that the rehabilitation after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is complex, and therefore varies among individuals. 

The relationship between perfectionism – perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns – and athletic performance is contested and inconsistent. The present study explored the possibility that one explanation for this inconsistency is the assumption that the relationship is linear. In two samples, we tested alternative non-linear relationships between perfectionism and real-world competitive athletic performance. Sample one comprised 165 Swedish track and field athletes (57 % competing in female category, 42 % in male category; Mage = 16.93 years) and sample two comprised 157 British track and field athletes (55 % competing in female category, 43 % in male category; Mage = 18.42 years). Testing for linear and non-linear relationships, we found a quadratic effect whereby higher perfectionistic strivings had both positive increasing (i.e., U-shape; sample 1) and positive decreasing (i.e., inverted U-shape; sample 2) relationships with performance. We conclude that there may be circumstances when perfectionistic strivings contribute to better and worse sport performance, and that this relationship can be curvilinear.

Det kan inte vara acceptabelt att tusentals svenskar ska bli sjuka varje år på grund av luften de andas. Nu finns ett guldläge för regeringen att agera, skriver en bred koalition av folkhälsoaktörer.

I årtionden har begreppen folkhälsa, hälsa och hälsofrämjande använts i relation till idrott på många sätt i såväl praktik, forskning som i policy. Att idrotten har någon slags betydelse för och koppling till folkhälsan torde vara helt klarlagt. Men hur kan vi förstå relationen eller kanske snarare relationerna mellan idrott och folkhälsa? Ett forskningsområde som tar tag i relationen idrott och folkhälsa och som också breddar vad relationen kan bestå av är forskningsfältet idrotten som hälsofrämjande arena (Health promoting sports clubs). I artikeln kommer vi därför att med utgångspunkt i forskning om idrotten som hälsofrämjande arena teoretisera relationen idrott - folkhälsa. Vi kommer därigenom diskutera och illustrera hur vi på fler än ett sätt kan öka förståelsen för idrotten som hälsofrämjande för så många som möjligt så länge som möjligt.

There is an absence in the literature on sports of a conceptualization of what in French are labeled sports de glisse: sports that imply gliding on water, through air, and on snow and ice, such as surfing, paragliding, skiing, and skating. Inspired by Ingold's (1993) concept of the taskscape, we introduce the idea of the glidescape: a perceptual field in which gliding sports practitioners inhabit, create, and transform their environment while at the same time being recreated and transformed themselves. Using an applied phenomenological approach, we describe the main experiential qualities and structure of the glidescape. In the quest for extended phases of effortless movement, gliders engage in a clearly accentuated rhythm with sharp contrasts between forceful effort and smooth effortlessness based on a fine-tuned proprioceptive sense for material and ecological resonance, which opens fleeting and emplaced moments of freedom and authenticity.

Red blood cells (RBCs) mediate cardioprotection via nitric oxide-like bioactivity, but the signaling and the identity of any mediator released by the RBCs remains unknown. We investigated whether RBCs exposed to hypoxia release a cardioprotective mediator and explored the nature of this mediator. Perfusion of isolated hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion with extracellular supernatant from mouse RBCs exposed to hypoxia resulted in improved postischemic cardiac function and reduced infarct size. Hypoxia increased extracellular export of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) from mouse RBCs, and exogenous cGMP mimicked the cardioprotection induced by the supernatant. The protection induced by hypoxic RBCs was dependent on RBC-soluble guanylate cyclase and cGMP transport and was sensitive to phosphodiesterase 5 and activated cardiomyocyte protein kinase G. Oral administration of nitrate to mice to increase nitric oxide bioactivity further enhanced the cardioprotective effect of hypoxic RBCs. In a placebo-controlled clinical trial, a clear cardioprotective, soluble guanylate cyclase-dependent effect was induced by RBCs collected from patients randomized to 5 weeks nitrate-rich diet. It is concluded that RBCs generate and export cGMP as a response to hypoxia, mediating cardioprotection via a paracrine effect. This effect can be further augmented by a simple dietary intervention, suggesting preventive and therapeutic opportunities in ischemic heart disease.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate acute effects of physical exercise of different intensities on working memory.

Method: Twelve young adults, 20-40 years, 8 males and 4 females passed the screening and participated in a randomized experimental crossover within-subject design study with three experimental conditions. Working memory was measured with n-back consisting of three difficulty levels. 

Results: No significant interaction effect within subjects between the three different exercise intensity conditions for accuracy or response time was found. A significant main effect of time was detected for n-back response time, F(1,11)=40.2, p=<.001, reflecting an overall shorter response time after exercise compared to before, independent of exercise intensity condition. A two-way interaction effect on accuracy was found between n-back session 1 and 2 in the low fitness group. 

Conclusions: The exercise intensity does not seem to matter for the improvement of working memory performance. However, participants response time was shown to be faster following any given exercise intensity. 

Aim

The purpose of the study was to investigate which exercise intensity was most favorable forchanging mood acutely in a positive direction and which factors that could moderate this effect.The study’s hypothesis was that intensity close to the ventilatory threshold leads to the greatestchange in mood in a positive direction for Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)positive scale, which corresponded to medium and high intensity in this study. The hypothesiswas that medium and high intensity leads to a greater change in mood in a positive directionthan low intensity exercise.

Method

The study used an experimental within-individual design where positive and negative moodwas measured before and after exercise with the PANAS scale. Participants performed cyclingexercise based on their estimated maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max) for 20 minutesat one of the following intensity levels per session: low-intensity (approx 40% of VO2max),medium-intensity (approx 60% of VO2max), high-intensity (approx 80% of VO2max).

Results

12 healthy young adult participants completed the study. There was no significant interactionbetween exercise intensity (low, medium, high) and time (pre-exercise, post-exercise) onpositive mood, thus no support for the hypothesis was found. In contrast, the variable timeshowed a significant main effect, where positive mood increased after exercise, independent ofexercise intensity. The fitness level of the participants had a significant moderating effect.Neither stress, anxiety nor gender had a significant moderating effect.

Conclusion

There was no support for the study’s hypothesis that mood would change most in a positivedirection at medium and high intensity. However, we found that mood change significantly andin a positive direction after exercise, regardless of exercise intensity. Future research shouldinclude a physical passive control group to ascertain whether positive mood is indeed equallybenefited by low, medium and high exercise intensity.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate if IMTP together with CMJ can be considered as suitable methods to measure performance in jumping ability in PK/FR. We investigated this by measuring maximal strength and explosive strength of the lower extremities of traceurs and comparing the results with physically active college student athletes. We investigated also if IMTP and CMJ correlate with each other. Recruitment: 23 people, 11 traceurs and 12 psychical active collegial sport athletes were recruited for this study. Method: We measured maximal strength: PF IMTP (N) on force plate and maximal vertical jump height: CMJ (cm) on IR mat. Statistical analysis: Shapiro Wilks was used for normal distribution; an independent two-way Mann-Whitney U t-test was used to examine differences between groups. Linear regression tests with two Spearman's and one Pearson's correlation coefficient tests were used to examine relationships between IMTP and CMJ. R² values were calculated. Results: The PK group was normally distributed in IMTP (N) and CMJ (cm). The KTRL group was not normally distributed in CMJ (cm) and flagged an indication for IMTP (N). The PK group achieved a IMTP (N) median of 2269.9N SD ± 661.72N. And CMJ median of 36.2cm SD ± 7.48cm. The KTRL group achieved a IMTP (N) median of 1626.9N SD ± 501.95N. And a CMJ median of 31.8cm SD ± 5.91cm. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. But the traceurs showed a trend for a higher IMTP (N) value. A statistically significant relationship was found between IMTP and CMJ for the entire population. R value = 0.404. R² value was rounded to 23%. P-value = 0.031. No statistically significant relationships were found for the PK- or the KTRL groups individually. Conclusion: The traceurs and the physically active college students were similar in maximal- and explosive strength in this study. The results were classified as low performance in comparison to previous studies of traditional sports on IMTP and on traceurs on CMJ. The maximal strength from the IMTP appears to account for 23% of the jumping ability in CMJ which may be an indication of importance for traceurs performance. Future researchers are encouraged to use IMTP and CMJ on larger populations to map force-velocity curves and/or establish injury prevention programs for PK/FR. Concepts: Traceur (FRE) = tracer (ENG), tracker (SWE). Traceur = male Parkour practitioner. Traceuse = female Parkour practitioner. PK/FR = Parkour/Freerunning. PK = The study's Parkour group. KTRL = Study control group. Countermovement jump (CMJ), Isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP). 1 RM = a 100% maximum effort repetition.

Background The majority of patients survive the acute phase of myocardial infarction (MI) but have an increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. To be regularly physically active or change activity level is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. The objective was to explore to what extent physical activity (PA) levels or change in PA levels during the first year post-MI was associated with any recurrent nonfatal CVD events and specific CVD events (eg, MI, ischemic stroke, and vascular dementia). Methods and Results This cohort study among MI survivors was based on Swedish national registries between 2005 and 2020. PA levels were self-rated at 2 and 12 months post-MI, and patients were classified into remaining physically inactive, increasing, decreasing, or remaining active. A total of 6534 nonfatal CVD events occurred during 6 years of follow-up among the 47 153 included patients. In fully adjusted analyses, the risk of any nonfatal CVD event was lower (P<0.05) among patients remaining active (37%), increasing (22%), or decreasing (18%) PA level compared with remaining inactive. Compared with remaining inactive, the risk of recurring MI and stroke was lower (P>0.05) among remaining active (41% versus 52%, respectively), increasing (20% versus 35%, respectively), or decreasing PA level (24% versus 34%, respectively). For vascular dementia, patients remaining physically active had an 80% lower risk compared with remaining inactive (P<0.05). Conclusions Remaining physically active or change in PA levels during the first year post-MI was associated with a lower risk of recurrent nonfatal CVD events. This emphasizes the importance of supporting patients to continue to be or become physically active.

The impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on the central nervous system (CNS) in autoimmune neuroinflammation is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the direct effects of HIIT on the CNS and development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Healthy mice were subjected to HIIT by treadmill running and the proteolipid protein (PLP) transfer EAE model was utilized. To examine neuroprotection, PLP-reactive lymph-node cells (LNCs) were transferred to HIIT and sedentary (SED) mice. To examine immunomodulation, PLP-reactive LNCs from HIIT and SED donor mice were transferred to naïve recipients and analyzed in vitro. HIIT in recipient mice did not affect the development of EAE following exposure to PLP-reactive LNCs. HIIT mice exhibited enhanced migration of systemic autoimmune cells into the CNS and increased demyelination. In contrast, EAE severity in recipient mice injected with PLP-reactive LNCs from HIIT donor mice was significantly diminished. The latter positive effect was associated with decreased migration of autoimmune cells into the CNS and inhibition of very late antigen (VLA)-4 expression in LNCs. Thus, the beneficial effect of HIIT on EAE development is attributed solely to systemic immunomodulatory effects, likely because of systemic inhibition of autoreactive cell migration and reduced VLA-4 integrin expression.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the techniques utilized by Swedish teamgym gymnasts to support their intrinsic motivation, focusing on the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. What techniques are used before, during, and after training and competition? 

Method: Four Swedish teamgym gymnasts, aged 20 - 23 years, with more than 5 years of experience at the highest national level each, were interviewed twice using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. 

Results: The gymnasts used various strategies to support their intrinsic motivation. They reinforced all of the psychological needs but especially the need of competence. Prior to training, the gymnasts engaged in goal-setting, created favorable conditions for training, and utilized media such as videos and music. During training, they used goal-setting techniques and strategies to manage setbacks, posed questions, worked with video analysis, selected exercises, worked with self-talk and visualization, and actively integrated with teammates. After training, they reflected, talked, wrote down received tips, or reviewed training videos. Before competitions, gymnasts sought out like-minded individuals, lowered expectations, and used teammates to support motivation. During competitions, gymnasts followed routines, absorbed impressions, sought out support from their coaches or sought out or gave support to their teammates to stay motivated. To motivate themselves post-competition, gymnasts reflected, noted lessons, watched videos, accepted setbacks, and engaged in further goal-setting. In addition to these strategies, gymnasts sought out knowledge, created community, and utilized self-talk to motivate themselves outside of training and competition. 

Conclusion: The study show that gymnasts use a variety of strategies to motivate themselves or strengthen psychological needs before, during, and after training and competition. The knowledge that this study provides is important for the further support of the thoughts and behaviors of gymnasts and other athletes, that in the long and short term can contribute to stronger intrinsic motivation. These strategies can be considered examples, and gymnasts and other athletes likely use more. Further research into what gymnasts and athletes do to self-motivate would be desirable.

Despite the intense and long-standing interest surrounding early sport specialisation, scholars still debate its nature and implications. Previous researchers have also identified the need for further research relating to the psychological aspects of early specialisation such as lower quality motivation, dropout and burnout. To help guide future research it is important to build upon the quantitative literature concerning such psychological aspects of early specialisation. The specific aims of this paper are to provide an overview of research results of quantitative studies that set out to explore relationships between early specialisation and psychological aspects, and to critically examine the designs of such studies. As such, study design characteristics including participant demographics, the psychological aspects represented, and the research questions and results are explored. Data searches were conducted in PubMed, SportDiscus, and PsychINFO using search terms such as "early sport speciali*". Twenty-one relevant papers met the inclusion criteria. The results highlight that the published papers in this area are broad in some respects (variety of sports, performance levels, and gender), but narrow in others (North American dominance, few psychological aspects explored, and few papers per psychological aspect). Many of the studies are based on cross-sectional and retrospective self-reports. Overall, this paper serves as a foundation on which to design future research studies in this area.

Elite sports contexts are highly pressurised and frequently enforce a win-at-all-costs approach. This narrow focus on performance outcomes can potentially contribute in negative ways to the mental health of those within these environments. In this Current Opinion paper, we propose a model that outlines how key elements contributing to psychologically safe or unsafe environments may contribute to better or worse mental health outcomes, respectively. In an environment in which individuals feel safe to show their authentic selves rather than 'wear a mask', different experiences of mental health are likely to be normalised, help-seeking behaviour increased, and thus, mental health outcomes enhanced. We outline how sports teams and organisations can contribute to this through the creation of appropriate policies and procedures, in addition to leaders modelling and reinforcing positive cultural norms. It is intended that the theoretical model can inform stakeholders in elite sport as well as future research directions.

Peer assessment has been proven to improve learning for both the observer and the observed. One dimension of peer assessment that has been given little attention in the context of physical education teacher education (PETE) is the tension that exists when peers give feedback on each other's work. In this paper, we report on Swedish preservice teachers' (PST) views on peer assessment used in PETE school placements. Our findings reveal four mechanisms of peer assessment assigned value in PETE: (i) building social relations, (ii) making 'what to learn' visible, (iii) giving correct feedback, and (iv) handling sensitive and gendered comments. Inspired by Bourdieu, we discuss learning potentials and complex challenges with peer assessment, where the combination of social capital and physical capital decides what is possible to say and to whom when peer assessment is used in the PETE school placement and in school physical education (PE).

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to assess associations between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body mass index (BMI) in youth and 5-year mortality after site-specific cancer diagnoses in men.

METHODS: Men with cancer from a population who underwent military conscription at ages 16-25 during 1968-2005 in Sweden were included. CRF was assessed as maximal aerobic workload on a cycle ergometer test and was classified as low, moderate, or high. BMI (kg/m² ) was classified as underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), or obesity (>30). Conscription data were linked with register data on cancer diagnosis and mortality. Analyses included CRF, BMI, date of diagnosis, and age, year, and center for conscription.

RESULTS: A total of 84,621 cancer cases were included. Mean age at diagnosis was 52 years. Follow-up data were available during a mean of 6.5 years. There were linear protective associations between CRF and mortality after any cancer diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] for high vs. low CRF 0.70), malignant skin cancer (HR 0.80), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HR 0.78), and cancer in the lungs (HR 0.80), head and neck (HR 0.68), pancreas (HR 0.83), stomach (HR 0.78), liver (HR 0.84), rectum (HR 0.79), and bladder (HR 0.71). Overweight and/or obesity were associated with increased mortality after any cancer (HR for obesity vs. normal weight 1.89), malignant skin cancer (HR 2.03), Hodgkin lymphoma (HR 2.86) and cancer in the head and neck (HR 1.38), thyroid (HR 3.04), rectum (HR 1.53), kidney (HR 1.90), bladder (HR 2.10), and prostate (HR 2.44).

CONCLUSION: We report dose-dependent associations between CRF and BMI in youth and mortality after site-specific cancer diagnoses in men. The associations with mortality could be due to both cancer inhibition and an improved tolerance to withstand cancer treatment. These results strengthen the incentive for public health efforts aimed at establishing a high CRF and normal weight in youth.

Ethnomycology is the study of the bio-cultural aspects of human-fungal interactions. This article discusses the involvement of the bracket fungus Fomitopsis betulina within the material culture of traditional games. With a particular focus on the Nordic countries, the aim is to review and analyze the use of simple balls made of bracket fungi. We argue that the fungi ball can be considered the precursor of the rubber (and the gutta-percha) ball. Moreover, the replacement of fungi balls with rubber balls marks, to a certain extent, a temporal transition from traditional folk games with roots in pre-industrial society to modern sports in which balls and other equipment received a more standardized shape.

It is widely agreed that sport and national identity are two interwoven phenomena. Recently, researchers have taken an interest in how sport has been used for nation-building purposes among groups not defined in terms of nation-states. These include the Sámi, an Indigenous people living in an area that extends over the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Sámi championships and a Sámi national football team have been important elements in shaping a Sámi national identity across the state borders. Against this background, the historical development that led to the formation in 1990 of a Sámi National Sports Federation was highly complicated. The period from 1970 to 1990 was fraught by the dilemma of how sport was to be organized – based on the division of the Sámi by state borders or through a transnational Sámi sports organization. The outcome was a compromise in that the Sámi National Sports Federation was founded as an umbrella organization under which Sámi in Norway, Sámi in Finland, and Sámi in Sweden established separate and autonomous Sámi ‘district associations’.

Cross-country skiing in Sweden has long been a sport with connotations of nationalism. When skiing became a popular sport in the 1920s, an image emerged of the elite male cross-country skier as a ”folk hero” embodying certain characteristics: he was a silent, willful and hard-working lumberjack. The present study contributes to the discussion of identity formation within Swedish cross-country skiing by adding an ethnic perspective. Although skiing had an important function in early twentieth-century national identity formation, skiing was also strongly associated with the Sami people, the indigenous population of the Nordic countries who resides in a region that stretches across the national borders of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. The study analyzes and sheds light on the contrast between ”Swedishness” and ”Saminess” in descriptions of individual elite cross-country skiers in press material and skiing literature of the early twentieth century. Two ideal types of cross-country skiers, both with connotations of nationalism and ethnicity, emerge from the sources. First, the ”rational ascetic,” representing the characteristics of the ”folk hero.” His industriousness, silence, restraint and unpretentiousness embody a protestant ethic, which combines the pursuit of success with an asceticism that prevents the skier from being satisfied with his achievements. Athletic skills were thereby explained as the result of intentions put into practice through rational goals and methods. The ”noble savage”, the second ideal type, on the other hand, represents neither rationality nor asceticism. Instead, his skills were understood to be an innate ability. Since the ”noble savage” belongs to the state of nature, where harmony and balance prevails, no aspirations of any kind are needed. Therefore, neither discipline, rational training or time perception are the bases for the success of a ”noble savage.” He is a ”natural talent” possessing biological properties suitable for skiing. Whereas the success of ”Swedish” skiers (rational athletes) were explained as the result of individual capacities, a victory for a Sami skier was perceived to be due to external circumstances – for example the ”lappföre”, a particular snow condition, or certain weather, trail and track conditions which were difficult to master – because their abilities were natural and not acquired. The heroization of Swedish elite skiers was thus a process reinforced by the construction of ethnic contrasts between the ”rational (Swedish) ascetic”, depicted as an active subject, and the ”noble (Sami) savage”, depicted as a passive object.

This article sheds light on the history of Sámi sport and focuses on the emergence of the Sámi Ski Championships in Sweden, a winter sport event founded in 1948 in which the Sámi, an indigenous people living in the north of Europe, compete against each other in cross-country skiing and other sports with roots in Sámi culture. The championships have had an important function in shaping a Sámi identity through sporting activities. Although competition and performance were prominent elements of the Sámi Ski Championships in the early years, a superior aim was to create a space where Sámi could meet and socialize, and where the Sámi cohesion could be strengthened. However, in this study it becomes apparent that the event was not only an arena for inclusion but also for exclusion. During the first decades, only Sámi residing in Sweden had the right to participate in the championships, although the Sámi live in an area that stretches across the state borders of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union). However, the exclusion went even further. In fact, only those (the Sámi) who had the right to carry out reindeer husbandry were allowed to compete, thereby excluding a major part of the Sámi population in Sweden. The article therefore provides an analysis of how a Sámi identity was constructed at the Sámi Ski Championships from 1948 to 1959 – a construction entangled with cultural markers related to state borders as well as ethnic boundaries.

Sport, Swedishness and Diaspora The Estonian-Swedish sports movement 1936−1944 This article sheds light on the function that organized sports had among the Swedish-speaking minority in Estonia the years before and during the Second World War. In the late 1930s, the Estonian-Swedes were subjected to an Estonian nationalistic policy of assimilation. After the outbreak of the war, one year of Soviet rule, followed by three years of German occupation, led to the evacuation of approximately 7 000 Estonian-Swedes, the absolute majority, to Sweden. The assumption of the article is that ethnic identity is defined through the boundaries constructed between groups. The Estonian-Swedish minority is in the article treated as a diaspora, existing in a triangular relationship with the “motherland” (Sweden) and the host society (Estonia). The article shows how the “Swedishness”, as a minority identity, was constructed in relation to several surrounding majority groups and regimes. Sports had a large impact on this identity formation. It affected the identity through the construction of boundaries that separated the minority from both the surrounding society in Estonia, and from the Swedish motherland. First, the identity was strengthened through the transnational interaction between Sweden and the minority in Estonia. The emergence of an Estonian- Swedish sports movement was realized by funds from Swedish associations and organizations that wanted to preserve and promote Swedish culture in Estonia. Second, national identification – “Swedishness” – was strengthened by the contacts that sports events established between isolated Estonian- Swedish villages. The Estonian-Swedish newspaper Kustbon’s sports articles were used in order to homogenize the Swedish speaking minority to one unified tribe. Third, the Swedish identity was defined through the ethnic boundaries and the rivalry that competitions in athletics between Swedes and Estonians gave rise to. Fourth, the Estonian Swedish sports movement generated a rhetoric of pride and decisiveness, which can be interpreted as a reaction against the in Sweden common opinion that Estonian- Swedes were a degenerated and paralyzed remnant of people, whose survival depended on the motherland’s interventions. Keywords: history of sports, ethnicity, identity, diaspora, Estonian-Swedes

When art becomes ski races: Swedish painter Anders Zorn as sports rebel in the early 1900s This paper deals with a conflict that arose between the organized sports movement in Sweden and the well-known Swedish artist Anders Zorn in the early 1900s. At this time, the Swedish sports movement expanded very fast, and it was strongly influenced by the English amateur ideal. The reason behind the conflict was the “church race” (kyrklopp), a ski event that Zorn organized annually from 1907 to 1909. In opposition to the amateur rules, the top skiers were awarded great amounts of money from Zorn’s private funds. Therefore, the Swedish Ski Association (Svenska Skidförbundet), as well as local sports associations, banned the event. The conflict is in its historical context understood as a battle between competing ideals of masculinity. The sports movement (Swedish Ski Association) represented a modern and sportified form of cross-country skiing, with standardized courses and detailed rules as characteristics. As a reaction against this “disciplined” culture of sports, Zorn created through his event a more challenging cross-country skiing in trackless terrain, with wilderness, traditionalism and an unbound ideal of masculinity in focus. Through the church races, Anders Zorn wanted to recreate the nature romanticism in his art in real life.

BACKGROUND: The Swedish Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP-S) is a method for healthcare to promote physical activity for prevention and treatment of health disorders. Despite scientific support and education campaigns, the use has been low. The aim of this study was to perform a process evaluation of an implementation intervention targeting the use of the PAP-S method in primary healthcare (PHC). Specifically, we wanted to evaluate feasibility of the implementation intervention, and its effect on the implementation process and the outcome (number of PAP-S prescriptions).

METHODS: This was a longitudinal study using the Medical Research Council guidance for process evaluation of a 9-month implementation intervention among healthcare staff at three PHC centres in Sweden. Data was collected by: participatory observations of the implementation process; questionnaires to the staff before, after and 6 months after the implementation intervention; interviews after the implementation intervention; and number of PAP-S prescriptions.

RESULTS: During the implementation intervention, the workplaces' readiness-to-change and the healthcare staff's confidence in using the PAP-S method were favourably influenced, as was the number of PAP-S prescriptions. After the implementation intervention, the number of PAP-S prescriptions decreased to about the same number as before the implementation intervention, at two out of three PHC centres. Four of the six implementation strategies appeared to impact on the implementation process: external facilitation; leadership engagement by a committed workplace management; local PAP-S coordinator taking a leading role and acting as local champion; educational outreach concerning how to use the PAP-S method.

CONCLUSION: The implementation intervention was not sufficient to produce sustained change of the healthcare staff's behaviour, nor did it achieve favourable long-term outcome on the number of PAP-S prescriptions. The healthcare staffs' sparse knowledge of the PAP-S method prior to the implementation intervention hampered the implementation. More hands-on education in how to use the PAP-S method introduced early in the implementation process is imperative for successful implementation of the PAP-S method. The findings also suggest that committed workplace management and local PAP-S coordinators, taking leading roles and acting as local champions, need to be firmly established at the PHC centres before the external facilitator withdraws.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered in the ISRCTN registry with study registration number: ISRCTN15551042 (Registration date: 12/01/2016).

INTRODUCTION: Rock climbing is a rapidly growing sport in which performance may be affected by participant's weight and leanness, and there may be pressure on athletes with respect to their eating behaviour and body weight. However, there is sparse research performed on climbers, constituting a knowledge gap which the present study aims to fill. The primary outcomes of the study are to examine disordered eating and overuse injuries in rock climbers. Secondary variables are body image, indicators of relative energy deficiency, mental health problems, compulsive training, perfectionism, sleep quality and bone density.

METHOD AND ANALYSIS: This prospective longitudinal study aims to recruit Swedish competitive rock climbers (>13 years) via the Swedish Climbing Federation. A non-athlete control group will be recruited via social media (n=equal of the climbing group). Data will be collected using streamlined validated web-based questionnaires with three follow-ups over 2 years. Inclusion criteria for rock climbers will be a minimum advanced level according to International Rock-Climbing Research Association. The non-athlete control group is matched for age and gender. Exclusion criteria are having competed at an elite level in any sport as well as training more often than twice per week. Statistical analyses will include multinominal logistic regression, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). We will assess effect measure modification when relevant and conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of lost to follow-up.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Rock-Climbers' Longitudinal attitudes towards Injuries, Mental health and Body image study, CLIMB, was approved by the Swedish ethics authority (2021-05557-01). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed research papers, reports, research conferences, student theses and stakeholder communications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05587270.

Dual-task paradigms can provide insights on the structures and mechanisms underlying information processing and hold diagnostic, prognostic, and rehabilitative value for populations with cognitive deficits such as in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). In this paradigm, two tasks are performed separately (single-task context) and concurrently (dual-task context). The change in performance from single- to dual-task context represents dual-task interference. Findings from dual-task studies have been largely inconsistent on whether individuals with ID present with dual-task-specific deficits. The current review aimed to map the published literature on dual-task methods and pattern of dual-task interference in individuals with ID. A scoping review based on Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework was performed. Seventeen electronic databases and registries were searched to identify relevant studies, including gray literature. Charted data from included studies were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. PRISMA guidelines informed the reporting of this review. Twenty-two studies involving 1,102 participants (656 with ID and 446 without ID) met the review's inclusion criteria. Participants in the included studies were heterogeneous in sex, age (range 3-59 years), etiology and ID severity. Included studies characterized their ID-sample in different ways, most commonly using intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Other measures of intellectual function (e.g., mental age, ID severity, verbal and/or visuospatial ability scores) were also used, either solely or in combination with IQ. Methods of dual-task testing varied across studies, particularly in relation to dual-task combinations, equation of single-task performance between groups, measurement and reporting of dual-task performance for each single-task, and task priority instructions. Thematic content of the included studies were: (1) structural interference to dual-tasking; (2) etiology-based differences in dual-tasking; (3) gait and balance dual-task performance; (4) testing executive function using dual-task paradigms; and (5) training effect on dual-task performance. Although the evidence consistently supported the intact dual-tasking ability of individuals with ID, the pattern of dual-task interference was inconsistent. Likewise, the evidence was inconclusive regarding dual-task deficit specific to individuals with ID because of heterogeneity in dual-task study designs among included studies.

Purpose and Research Questions

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were factors that could predict individuals' cognitive resilience in a military context. The following research questions were used to address the purpose:

• Can the physiological parameter VO2max predict cognitive resilience?

• Can military ability predict cognitive resilience?

Method

The method used was an observational study, where data collection took place before, during, and after a 4.5-day basic winter training exercise. The sample group consisted of 76 cadets from the Swedish Armed Forces school for NCO-cadets. The cadets' maximal oxygen uptake was estimated using the Ekblom-Bak cycle test, and Pearson D-KEFS Trail Making Test was used to measure their cognitive resilience. Military capability was assessed using a subjective rating tool. Jamovi was used for the analysis. T-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests were used to examine relationships between different groups, and linear regression analysis was used to investigate factors that could predict cognitive resilience.ResultsThe results showed correlations between fitness level and cognitive resilience. The main  finding was that for men, fitness level predicted their performance in the cognitive tests. Better fitness was associated with better cognitive resilience. In contrast, for women, the results were the opposite: Higher fitness level was associated with poorer result concerning the cognitive resilience. An additional finding was that military ratings predicted the number of correct responses on the cognitive tests for both pre- and post-tests among men.

Conclusion

Fitness level is an important factor for military personnel and can be a tool to predict cognitive resilience. Further research is needed to explore the relation regarding gender differences and the impact of other factors on cognitive resilience.

Oxidative stress plays a vital role for the adaptive responses to physical training. However, excessive oxidative stress can precipitate cellular damage, necessitating protective mechanisms to mitigate this effect. Glucosinolates, found predominantly in cruciferous vegetables, can be converted into isothiocyanates, known for their antioxidative properties. These compounds activate crucial antioxidant defence pathways and support mitochondrial function and protein integrity under oxidative stress, in both Nrf2-dependent and independent manners. We here administered glucosinolate-rich broccoli sprouts (GRS), in a randomized double-blinded cross-over fashion to 9 healthy subjects in combination with daily intense exercise training for 7 days. We found that exercise in combination with GRS significantly decreased the levels of carbonylated proteins in skeletal muscle and the release of myeloperoxidase into blood. Moreover, it lowered lactate accumulation during submaximal exercise, and attenuated the severe nocturnal hypoglycaemic episodes seen during the placebo condition. Furthermore, GRS in combination with exercise improved physical performance, which was unchanged in the placebo condition.

Blood glucose regulation has been studied for well over a century as it is intimately related to metabolic health. Research in glucose transport and uptake has also been substantial within the field of exercise physiology as glucose delivery to the working muscles affects exercise capacity and athletic achievements. However, although exceptions exist, less focus has been on blood glucose as a parameter to optimize training and competition outcomes in athletes with normal glucose control. During the last years, measuring glucose has gained popularity within the sports community and successful endurance athletes have been seen with skin-mounted sensors for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The technique offers real-time recording of glucose concentrations in the interstitium, which is assumed to be equivalent to concentrations in the blood. Although continuous measurements of a parameter that is intimately connected to metabolism and health can seem appealing, there is no current consensus on how to interpret measurements within this context. Well-defined approaches to use glucose monitoring to improve endurance athletes' performance and health are lacking. In several studies, blood glucose regulation in endurance athletes has been shown to differ from that in healthy controls. Furthermore, endurance athletes regularly perform demanding training sessions and can be exposed to high or low energy and/or carbohydrate availability, which can affect blood glucose levels and regulation. In this current opinion, we aim to discuss blood glucose regulation in endurance athletes and highlight the existing research on glucose monitoring for performance and health in this population.

Walking Football (WF) is one type of recreational football increasing in popularity, targeting older adults. Further knowledge on the intensity and physical workload of WF, characteristics of the players, the social context, and reasons for playing WF is needed. Thus, the aim of the study was to characterize the individuals that regularly play WF and their experience of WF, and the physiological characteristics of the sport. Sixty-three players from three clubs taking part in organised WF in Sweden were included. The players participated in up to four WF-games and underwent performance tests and answered a questionnaire. The participants mean age was 70.9 years, ranging from 63 to 85 years with 71% (n = 27) of the men and 68% (n = 13) of the women having a BMI > 25. Fifty-one percent (n = 27) of the players had hypertension, and 73% (n = 39) regularly used prescription drugs due to illness. During WF, the players covered on average 2,409 m (2,509 m for men and 2,205 m for women, p = .001). Expressed in percentage of their age-estimated maximal heart rate, mean heart rate represented 80 ± 9 and 80 ± 8% of max for men, and 78 ± 9 and 79 ± 9% of max for women in the first and second halves, respectively, hence WF can be considered a moderate intensity activity for older adults. The main reason for WF participation was to socialize. WF includes a considerable number of accelerations and decelerations, making it more energetically and mechanically demanding than walking.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a transition period in which positive experiences of physical activity have the potential to last into later adulthood. These experiences are influenced by socioeconomic determinants, leading to health inequalities. This study aims to explore adolescents' experiences and participation in a multi-component school-based intervention in schools located in socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged areas in Sweden.

METHODS: A qualitative design was used to evaluate how participants experienced the intervention. The intervention was a multi-component school-based intervention. It was conducted in six schools (four control and two intervention schools) with a total of 193 students and lasted one school year. It was teacher-led and consisted of three 60-minute group sessions per week: varied physical activities, homework support with activity breaks, and walks while listening to audiobooks. In total, 23 participant observations were conducted over eight months and 27 students participated in focus groups. A content analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: The results describe a main category 'Engaging in activities depending on socioeconomic status' and three generic categories: 1. Variations in participation in PA together with classmates and teachers; 2. Variations in engagement in PA after school; and 3. Differences in time and place allocated to do homework and listen to audiobooks. These categories illustrate how participants looked forward to the physical activities but used the time spent during the walks and homework support differently depending on how busy they were after school. Frequently, those who were busiest after school were also those from the advantaged area, and those who had little to do after school were from the disadvantaged area.

CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic factors influence participants' possibilities to engage in the intervention activities as well as how they use their time in the activities. This study showed that it is crucial to support adolescents' participation in physical activities by providing structure and engaging well-known teachers in the activities, especially in schools located in disadvantaged areas.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in young men and the incidence of site-specific cancer.

METHODS: A Swedish population-based cohort study with register linkage of men who underwent military conscription in 1968-2005 was undertaken. CRF was assessed by maximal aerobic workload cycle test at conscription. Cox regression models assessed linear associations and included CRF, age, year and site of conscription, body mass index and parental level of education. CRF was also categorised into low, moderate and high for facilitated interpretation and results comparing high and low CRF are reported.

RESULTS: Primary analyses were performed in 1 078 000 men, of whom 84 117 subsequently developed cancer in at least one site during a mean follow-up of 33 years. Higher CRF was linearly associated with a lower hazard ratio (HR) of developing cancer in the head and neck (n=2738, HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.90), oesophagus (n=689, HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.74), stomach (n=902, HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.94), pancreas (n=1280, HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.01), liver (n=1111, HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.71), colon (n=3222, HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.90), rectum (n=2337, HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.05), kidney (n=1753, HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.90) and lung (n=1635, HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.66). However, higher CRF predicted a higher hazard of being diagnosed with prostate cancer (n=14 232, HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.12) and malignant skin cancer (n=23 064, HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.36).

CONCLUSION: We report a number of protective associations between higher CRF in healthy young men and the subsequent hazard of site-specific cancers. These results have implications for public health policymaking, strengthening the incentive to promote health through improving CRF in youth.