Research News

High Anxiety - beating fear is the key to extreme sports appeal

Dr Tim Woodman

Sport Psychologists within the School are now recognised world-leaders in establishing the psychological motivations for taking part in extreme sports. Tim Woodman, Prof Lew Hardy and PhD student Matt Barlow have been researching the reasons why people seek extreme sports such as high altitude mountaineering. They have discovered that motivations are far more complex than mountaineer George Mallory's oft repeated quote on why people climb Everest ‘because it’s there’. Their research finds that beating fear is the key to the appeal of extreme sports.

Read the full article.....

Daily Post, 28 December 2011

(Dec 2011)

Arthritis Care and Research (ACR)

SHES staff have provided three out of 18 accepted articles in a special edition of the ACR on 'Muslce and bone in the Rheumatic Diseases'. The three papers are:

Are the Benefits of a High-Intensity Progressive Resistance Training Program Sustained in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patents? by Andy Lemmey, Jeremy Jones, Samuele Marcora, Peter Maddison and Sarah Williams.

Matched-cohort Study of Body Composition, Physical Function and Quality of Life in men with Idiopathic Vertebral Fracture authors include Jamie Macdonald and ex PhD student Sally Wilson.

Adverse Changes in Tendon-Muscle Phsiology and Physical Funtion Cased by an Isolated Acute Reumatoid Knee Effusion by ex PhD student Verena Matschke, Jeanette Thom, Andy Lemmey, Peter Maddison and Jeremy Jones.

Sport Psychology Researchers on BBc Radio Wales

Click here to listen to the clip...

'Love Your Body' to Lose Weight

New research involving SHES senior lecturer Dr David Markland shows that improving body image can enhance the effectiveness of weight loss programmes based on diet and exercise.

Researchers from the Technical University of Lisbon and Bangor University (Dr David Markland) enrolled overweight and obese women on a year-long weight loss programme.

Dr Teixeira (Technical University of Lisbon) who led the research, stated "Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight. Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other peoples' opinions, and positive changes in eating behaviour. From this we believe that learning to relate to your body in healthier ways is an important aspect of maintaining weight loss and should be addressed in every weight control programme."

View the full story (as reported in ScienceDaily on 18 July 2011).

Too many sugary drinks can dull taste buds and enjoyment

New research undertaken by Dr Hans-Peter Kubis and his team, has shown for the first time that overweight and obese people have a dulled sensitivity to soft drinks but enhanced subconscious liking of sweet as a taste. Hans-Peter said it has "serious implications" for health and a failure to address the problem could lead to rising obesity levels and more type 2 diabetes.

The full story can be found at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/full.php.en?nid=4750&tnid=4750 and has been reported on the BBC North West Wales News website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-13697517

Hans-Peter's research is published in Appetite (2011), doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.05.107 : Taste perception and implicit attitude toward sweet related to body mass index and soft drink supplementation.

As seen on TV

The Extremes Research Group are rapidly gaining recognition for their research into how humans face the challenge of extreme environments. Earlier this year, the group held its first open lecture on current research. Members presented on a wide range of research projects ranging from the beneficial effects of nutritional supplementation during the arduous training completed by soldiers at Brecon barracks to ongoing research with Besthesda based business, Blizzard, which aims to provide guidance on how to best protect individuals from cold stress. Other projects include how sleep disruption can alter vascular health and mountain research carried out on an expedition to the Himalayas. The group have also recently been involved in two television programmes, "Bang Goes the Weather" on BBC1 and S4C's "Ras yn Erbyn Amser" which followed the trials and tribulations of presenter Lowri Morgan as she undertook a grueling eight day foot race across the Arctic.

Pictured left to right are: Dr Stewart Laing, Dr Jamie Macdonald, Dr Neil Walsh, Dr Gavin Lawrence, Dr Matthew Fortes, Dr Johnathan Moore, Dr Sam Oliver

SHES Research Trial could help Arthritis sufferers improve

A clinical trail led by Dr Andrew Lemmey and funded by the Arthritis Research UK has been successful in helping rheumatoid arthritis patients substantially improved their physical condition and well-being. The story of one of these patients was highlighted in the national press recently.

Christine Jones from near Bangor, took part in the 24-week trial looking at the effects of resistance training on the muscles of people with rheumatoid arthritis. She said she gained enormous benefit and "felt I was doing something about my condition."

The trail showed that intensive resistance training improved muscle mass and the ability to perform everyday tasks. A report on the trail was included as part of a double page spread about muscles in the Daily Express on 1 March (2.3.11).

ECB and Bangor University embark on Talent Identification and Prediction Research Programme

As part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) strategy to be leaders in world cricket, a research programme aimed at identifying those players who have the talent to become the world’s best has been initiated with the School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences at Bangor University. Key drivers behind the project from the ECB include Dr. Simon Timson, Head of Science and Medicine, and David Graveney, National Performance Manager. The research team at Bangor University is led by Professor Michael Khan, who specialises in perceptual-motor behaviour and skill acquisition. Professor Lew Hardy will supervise the psychological component of the talent testing as well as the statistical analyses. Ed Barney is the Ph.D. funded student on the research project that will take four years in the first instance. Also collaborating on the project is Australian Professor Bruce Abernethy from the University of Hong Kong. Professor Abernethy has pioneered research in the area of anticipation and expertise. Testing has already taken place for Under 13 and 16 cricketers on specific cricket skills, physical fitness and psychological skills while plans are in place for Under 19 players to be tested. Data collected from these tests over the next three years will be analysed in conjunction with scouting reports and performance statistics to develop a cricket talent identification and prediction model. This model will be used to identify and inform coaching practice for those players who could potentially be England and Wales’ stars of the future. (30.11.10)

Further successful collaboration for Dr Neil Walsh

Following on from his successful initial research studies with HydraDX, a US hydration diagnostic company, Dr Walsh and members of the Extremes Research group are now extending their working relationship with the company investigating novel saliva markers of hydration in clinical populations (February 2011).

Sartor et al quoted in Diabetes in Control magazine

In an article entitled "To Increase Insulin Action Best, Do You Need Fewer Carbohydrates, Low-GI Ones, or More Exercise?", Sheri Colbert, PhD, draws on a paper published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology by three SHES PhDs (Francesco Sartor, Helma da Moree, Verena Matschke) and lecturers (Drs Hans-Peter Kubis, Sam Marcora and Jeanette Thom). This paper examined whether a carbohydrate-reduced diet combined with high-intensity interval training enhances the beneficial effects of the diet alone on insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation in obese individuals. (August 2010)

The article can be found at:

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9759

Improving the Standards of Elite Coaching in Welsh Sport

For the past year, members of the Institute for Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP), have been developing and running an innovative project to improve the quality of elite coaching within Welsh sport. Dr Nicky Callow, Dr Ross Roberts and PhD student, Rosie Poyner, are currently in partnership with the Sport Wales (previously the Sport Council for Wales) investigating the practices of elite Welsh coaches in relation to their understanding and use of psychological skills.

The research involves designing and delivering coach mentorship programmes which are tailored to meet coaches' individual needs regarding the application of psychological skills with their athletes. The project is currently being carried out with coaches based in North Wales who coach potential and elite athletes across a range of Commonwealth and Olympic sports including athletics, ice-skating, Para Olympic dressage, canoe slalom and weightlifting.

Psychological skills, such as goal setting and imagery, can help improve the quality of athletic performance. However, to be effective, these skills need to be practiced and learned. Coaches are becoming increasingly knowledgeable regarding the application of sport psychology principles within their coaching, however a lack of confidence and practical experience of teaching psychological skills can reduce the extent to which coaches promote the use of these skills with their athletes.

The current programme aims to provide coaches with the knowledge, practical experience and confidence to integrate the teaching of psychological skills into their coaching. Coach education in a one-on-one mentoring programme such as this aims to support and empower coaches in their professional development. This transfer of expertise and knowledge from sport psychology researchers and practitioners to coaches is designed to improve the quality of coaching in North Wales, and, ultimately, the performance of Welsh sportsmen and women. (August 2010)

Latest Research Projects - Dr Neil Walsh

Dr Walsh and Dr Fortes are conducting research studies with US company HydraDx to develop novel markers of hydration in saliva (£115K).

Dr Walsh is leading a £90K contract funded by the MOD investigating the influence of nutritional supplementation on the health of soldiers during arduous physical training. (July 2010)

Perception of effort, not muscle fatigue, limits endurance performance

The physiological theory that underpins all endurance training and coaching for the last 100 years has just been disproved.

As recently as 2008, scientific research papers were citing the theory that endurance performance is limited by the capacity of the skeletal muscles, heart and lungs and that exhaustion occurs when the active muscles are unable to produce the force or power required by prolonged exercise.

Dr Sam Marcora, has now disproved this for the first time and proposed an alternative – that it is your perception of effort that limits your endurance performance, not the actual capability of your muscles. He showed that the muscles were still able to achieve the power output required by endurance exercise even when the point of perceived exhaustion had been reached.

To read the full article click here.

To read the editorial in Competitor Running magazine, click on the following link:

http://running.competitor.com/2010/03/features/sports-science-update-perception-is-everything_9067 (March 2010)

Another related article can be found at:

http://competitor.com/2010/08/sports/triathlon/building-mental-toughness-in-triathlon_6310

Sam Marcora tackles Welsh Rugby over new gum shields

In an article in the Western Mail and WalesOnline, Dr Sam Marcora contradicts the reasoning behind a recent change in equipment by the Welsh Rugby squad. The team have adopted a new style of gum shield after experts claimed the old guards were damaging their on-field performance. The new guards work by preventing teeth-clenching and the related release of performance-sapping hormones. However, SHES senior lecturer Sam Marcora feels that the opposite is true and that recent studies show that clenching the jaw increases muscle strength and power. Sam comments "Several experimental studies show that cortisol has a positive effect on endurance performance...... If it is true that these new gum shields reduce cortisol levels, their effect may be to reduce the stamina of the Welsh rugby squad.” For the full story go to WalesOnline (8.3.10)

Tougher training to improve mental toughness of young athletes

SSHES Prof, Lew Hardy, has designed a programme to help some of England and Wales' most promising young cricketers learn some 'mental toughness' skills and improve their ability to perform under pressure. Prof Hardy is working with a multi-disciplinary ECB Team and young cricketers on the ECB's U18 Scholarships programme. (March 2010) Learn more...