Showing papers by "Susan H. Backhouse published in 2019"
TL;DR: By applying established behavioural science theories to sports nutrition, the foundations for the development of targeted and multifaceted behavioural interventions addressing athlete dietary adherence in high-performance sport have been laid.
Abstract: Athlete adherence to nutritional guidance is critical for optimal health and performance, yet little is known about the barriers and enablers to athletes’ dietary behaviours within high-performance...
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a sport psychologist based approach to the sport psychology and sport psychology, which is published in sportpsychologist ahead of print available at https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0014
Abstract: Article published in Sport Psychologist ahead of print available at https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0014
22 citations
TL;DR: A narrative review critically appraises recent changes to anti-doping policy and the Code in the context of asthma management, evaluates the impact of asthma medication use on sports performance and employs a theory of behaviour to examine perceived determinants and barriers to athletes adhering to the anti-Doping rules of sport when applied to asthma.
Abstract: Asthma is prevalent in athletes and when untreated can impact both respiratory health and sports performance. Pharmacological inhaler therapy currently forms the mainstay of treatment; however, for elite athletes competing under the constraints of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), a number of established therapies are prohibited both in and/or out of competition and/or have a maximum permitted dose. The recent release of medical information detailing inhaler therapy in high-profile athletes has brought the legitimacy and utilisation of asthma medication in this setting into sharp focus. This narrative review critically appraises recent changes to anti-doping policy and the Code in the context of asthma management, evaluates the impact of asthma medication use on sports performance and employs a theory of behaviour to examine perceived determinants and barriers to athletes adhering to the anti-doping rules of sport when applied to asthma.
21 citations
TL;DR: In this article, three doping whistleblowers were interviewed regarding their lived experiences of whistleblowing on doping and the data has been represented in the form of one composite creative non-fiction story, which narrated the whistleblowing experience as a process whereby individuals must determine what they witnessed and experienced was doping, make the decision and take action to report it, and deal with the myriad of consequences and emotions.
21 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that almost a quarter of the surveyed coaches reported never learning about anti-doping and only a third had engaged with a formal antidoping education program and coaches typically received information on detection-deterrence related topics (e.g., banned substances, testing procedures).
Abstract: Although global policy states that coaches are a key stakeholder group for anti-doping education, very little is known about how performance and participation coaches develop their understanding of anti-doping policy and practice. Therefore, 292 UK-based coaches completed an online survey exploring their experiences of anti-doping education (i.e., topics covered, how and by whom the programmes were delivered and how knowledgeable and well-equipped coaches felt to deal with doping-related matters). The results showed that almost a quarter of the surveyed coaches reported never learning about anti-doping. Only a third had engaged with a formal anti-doping education programme and coaches typically received information on detection-deterrence related topics (e.g., banned substances, testing procedures). Many coaches perceived themselves as only having ‘a little’ knowledge about anti-doping and declared themselves as ‘a little’ equipped to work with their sportspeople on doping-related matters. Nonetheless, 96% of coaches were inclined to learn more about anti-doping in the future. Given the World Anti-Doping Code states that anti-doping education for coaches should be compulsory, it is crucial that insights from coaches are made public to inform the development of evidence- informed anti-doping programmes that are tailored and targeted.
11 citations
TL;DR: It is now widely recognised that EIB should be objectively confirmed via indirect bronchoprovo‐ cation testing before initiating treatment, with eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) often endorsed for this purpose.
Abstract: To the Editor, Exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) refers to a condition characterised by expiratory airflow limitation during physical activ‐ ity and is one of the most common causes of exertional breathing difficulty in young athletic individuals.1 Due to the limited value of a symptom‐based approach to diagnosis,2 it is now widely recognised that EIB should be objectively confirmed via indirect bronchoprovo‐ cation testing before initiating treatment, with eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) often endorsed for this purpose.3 Although the feasibility of EVH testing is well established, the practicalities and associated cost of assessment is substantial and therefore not widely available as part of routine diagnostic work‐up across primary and secondary care. The development of simple yet robust clinical tools to aid the assessment of airway health in athletic individuals is therefore required. The Allergy Questionnaire for Athletes (AQUA) was originally de‐ veloped and validated as a reliable means to quantify the severity of allergic disease in athletes (specificity: 97.1% and sensitivity: 58.3%).4 Over the past decade, the relevant respiratory symptom components
8 citations
TL;DR: For instance, this article found that a higher proportion of women than men reported they would report to someone else (e.g., coach, sport governing body) if they witnessed peers taking substances.
Abstract: Objectives Substance use among university student-athlete populations is a growing concern but research addressing this issue is primarily confined to the US. Also, the exposure of witnessing other student-athletes using substances and how student-athletes may respond when witnessing other athletes taking substances across countries and gender is unknown. This research aimed to address these issues. Design A cross-sectional design was employed. Method Student-athletes from the US (N = 208), UK (N = 201) and Canada (N = 159) completed measures of reported substance use, witnessing substance use, and (anticipated) responses to addressing peers’ substance use. Results Chi-square and logistic regression analyses revealed that country and gender were associated with various outcomes. Key findings include that differences in substance use as a function of country was largely substance-specific, and a higher proportion of men than women reported using most supplements apart from vitamins and minerals, and dietary based supplements. A higher proportion of athletes in Canada and USA reported they would “confront the individual” if they witnessed a peer taking dietary supplements, prescription medication and banned appearance and performance enhancing substances than in UK. Also, a higher proportion of women than men reported they would “report to someone else” (e.g., coach, sport governing body) if they witnessed peers taking substances. Conclusion Although a convenience sample from nine universities across the three countries participated in this research, our findings provide initial evidence for the role of gender and country in relation to athletes’ substance use behaviors and anticipated responses to addressing substance use. These findings underline the importance of conducting context-specific and cross-national research to help facilitate tailored substance use education for student-athletes.
6 citations
08 Aug 2019
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the predictive value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) to confirm or refute EIB in athletes presenting with exertional dyspnoea.
Abstract: Background: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common cause of breathing difficulty in athletes. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is an indirect marker of airway inflammation, recommended for the assessment and management of asthma; however, the role of FeNO in detecting and monitoring EIB has yet to be fully established. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the predictive value of FeNO to confirm or refute EIB in athletes presenting with exertional dyspnoea. Method: Seventy athletes (male: n = 45) (age: 35 ± 11 years) reporting respiratory symptoms (i.e. wheeze, cough and dyspnoea) during exercise attended the laboratory on a single occasion. All athletes performed resting FeNO and spirometry pre-and-post a eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea challenge (EVH) in accordance with international guidelines. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for established FeNO thresholds: (intermediate [≥25ppb] and high [>50ppb]) and evaluated against objective evidence of EIB: (EVH diagnostic cut-off [-10% ΔFEV1 at two consecutive time-points] and [-15% ΔFEV1 at one time-point]). The diagnostic accuracy of FeNO was calculated using receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (ROC-AUC). Results: All had normal resting lung function (>80% FEV1 pred). The prevalence of EIB was 33% (-10% ΔFEV1) and 23% (-15% ΔFEV1) (median (IQR) ΔFEV1 = -7% (10.02)). FeNO values ≥25ppb and >50ppb were observed in 49% and 23% of the cohort, respectively. ROC-AUC for FeNO was 75% (-10% ΔFEV1) and 86% (-15% ΔFEV1). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV are presented in Table 1. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that FeNO >50ppb provides good specificity for a positive EVH test; however, should not replace indirect bronchoprovocation for diagnostic purposes. The high proportion of athletes reporting breathing difficulty in the absence of EIB highlights the requirement to consider alternative causes of exertional dyspnoea during clinical work-up.
5 citations