The purpose of this Masters thesis was to explore risk management issues and strategies from the perspectives of key stakeholders of large-scale sporting events using a comparative case study of two Canadian sporting events---the ISU (International Skating Union) 2006 World Figure Skating Championships and the U-20 FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association ) World Cup Canada 2007. A new definition of risk management was proposed as the proactive process that involves assessing all possible risks to the events and its stakeholders by strategically avoiding, preventing, reducing, diffusing, re-allocating, legalizing, and building/managing relationships to mitigate those identified risks. The following categories of risk issues were identified: environment, financial, human resources, infrastructure, interdependence, legacy, media, operations, organizing, participation, political, relationships, sport, threats and visibility. Stakeholders used a variety of strategies to deal with risk in large-scale sporting events. Strategies that emerged during this research fell within the following categories: avoidance, diffusion, legal, re-allocation, prevention, reduction and relationships.

Objective. The purpose of the study was to examine predictors of change in body weight and composition among freshmen during an academic year. Research methods and procedure. Twenty-nine freshmen, 16 females (58.2+/-10.4 kg; BMI 21.2+/-2.9 kg/m2) and 13 males (74.6+/-11.9 kg; BMI 23.2+/-2.8 kg/m2) completed the study. Body weight and composition (DEXA), waist circumference (WC), energy intake (7-day food diary) and activity-related energy expenditure (accelerometry) were measured in September, December and March. The TFEQ and VO2peak were assessed at baseline. Results. Significant increases in body weight (1.9+/-2.0 kg, P<0.05), BMI (0.6+/-0.7 kg/m2, P<0.05), WC (2.7+/-3.0 cm, P<0.05), % body fat (BF) (3.1+/-2.3%, P<0.01) and fat mass (2.6+/-1.8 kg, P<0.01) were noted in males, especially over the 1 st semester. No significant changes were observed in females. Correlations with females and males pooled together showed that over the academic year, baseline % body fat was associated with changes in weight and %BF ( r=-0.53, P<0.01; r=-0.41, P<0.05, respectively). Baseline %BF predicted 27% (P<0.05) of the change in weight. Baseline alcohol intake was related with changes in WC (r=0.45, P<0.05) and %BF ( r=0.58, P<0.01). It explained 34% (P <0.01) and 17% (P<0.05) of the changes respectively. The change in weight and %BF were also associated with baseline VO2peak (r=0.51, P<0.01; r=0.48, P<0.01; respectively). Dietary restraint also effected the change in % body fat (r=-0.43, P<0.05). Discussion. Males, leaner freshmen, physically fit freshmen experienced greater increases in body weight, adiposity and abdominal fat. The best predictor of change in BF was baseline alcohol intake. Keywords. freshmen, weight gain, body composition, waist circumference, energy balance

Objective. To determine the relationships between the percentage predicted cardiorespiratory fitness (%CRF) and the anthropometric and metabolic cardiovascular disease risk factors in asymptomatic pre-menopausal women. Methods. Data are baseline values obtained in 97 pre-menopausal women (age: 49.9+/-1.9yrs; BMI: 23.2+/-2.2kg/m2) participating in a longitudinal study. Outcome measures: VO2 peak, body mass index (BMI), body composition [%fat, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM)], waist circumference (WC), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ScAT), visceral AT (VAT), resting blood pressure, fasting lipids, glucose and insulin levels. Results. %CRF was significantly associated with BMI, FM, %fat, WC, ScAT, VAT, triglycerides, triglycerides/HDL-C, total cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL-C and fasting insulin levels (-0.59>r<0.31; 0.01>P<0.05). The stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that %CRF was only independently correlated with plasma triglyceride levels. Conclusion. The results suggest that %CRF was not a major predictor of anthropometric and metabolic variables associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Finally, the use of the %CRF over VO2 peak needs further studies. Keywords. cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular disease, body composition, metabolic profile, pre-menopausal women.

The aim of this study was to determine if subclinical hypothyroidism revealed by elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels affects body composition, lipids profil and energy balance in healthy premenopausal women. A cross sectional design of the first year from the MONET (Montreal Ottawa New Emerging Team) cohort was done. The sample consisted of 94 premenopausal women. We measured body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue area by CT-scan, physical activity energy expenditure by omnidirectional accelerometer (Actical), resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry, and food intake by food diary. Plasma lipid profile (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B), TSH, free thyroxin (FT4) levels were also measured. The results indicate that elevated TSH levels within normal range in healthy premenopausal women do not seem to affect body composition, lipid profile and energy balance parameters in healthy premenopausal women.

We compared the effects of different exercise modes on cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength as well as the rate of strength development in individuals with T2DM. 251 participants in the DARE trial were randomly allocated to aerobic training (A), resistance training (R), combined training (A+R) or controls. V˙O2peak, workload and treadmill time were determined following maximal exercise testing at 0 and 6 months. Muscular strength was measured as the 8 RM on the leg press, bench press and seated row. The rate of strength development was measured as monthly workload increments (month 1-6) on 11 strength exercises. V˙O2peak improved by 1.73 and 1.93 mLO2/kg/min with A and A+R respectively compared to C (p<0.05). Strength improvements were significant following A+R and R on the leg press (A+R:48%, R:65%) bench press (A+R:38%, R:57%) and seated row (A+R:33%; R:41%)(p<0.05. There was a clear trend towards slowing in strength development in R and A+R over time. In brief, A+R leads to similar fitness improvements compared to A and R alone. Although strength development had a tendency to level off over time, it is important to consider that reductions in hemoglobin A1C occurred up to 6 months with R and were even greater with A+R.

This study evaluated a multi-factorial, portable method of assessing dynamic-stability for unilateral transtibial prosthesis users. Twenty unilateral transtibial prosthesis users completed walking trials over various conditions (level and uneven ground, stairs, and a ramp). Plantar pressure data were collected using the F-Scan Mobile system. Six dynamic-stability parameters (relating to center of pressure motion, foot perturbations, and gait timing) were extracted from this data and dynamic-stability index values were calculated. Results showed that the parameters and index values differed between the intact and prosthetic limbs, between walking conditions, and between prosthesis users able-bodied subjects. Parameter and index values correlated poorly with stability criteria measures (Community Balance and Mobility Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Prosthetics Evaluation Questionnaire). Parameter and index calculations should be optimized for unilateral transtibial prosthesis users. Improved validation of the parameters and index is recommended, using an established, quantitative, dynamic-stability assessment method.

Coaching is a challenging and complex profession, and those who assume the role of a coach take on numerous responsibilities. The profession consists of "endless dilemmas and decision-making, requiring constant planning, observation, evaluation, and reaction" (Bowes & Jones, 2006, p. 235). Burnout in coaching has been studied from a number of different perspectives, including interpersonal and situational predictors of burnout, gender differences and burnout, stress and burnout, and coach commitment and burnout, but to date, "there have been no entirely qualitative studies" (Goodger, Gorely, Lavallee, & Harwood, 2007, p. 142). The purpose of the present study was to explore the phenomenon of burnout from coaches' perspectives, using a qualitative approach. Twelve coaches at the varsity and national level were interviewed. Research findings indicate that issues such as the performance demands of coaching, difficulties with athletes, athletic directors, or members of board of directors, and lack of financial and human resources, contributed to feelings of exhaustion, frustration, and a loss of passion for coaching, which led to burnout and inevitably, leaving the world of coaching.

Exercise in the heat is associated with cardiovascular and thermoregulatory disturbances that can persist postexercise. The effect of orthostasis on autonomic nervous system function following exercise-induced hyperthermia (EIH) remains to date unclear. Insight into the mechanisms of control is beneficial to those encountering orthostatic challenges after activity-induced hyperthermia. We evaluated the short-term postexercise cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses to repeated orthostatic challenges performed in a hyperthermic state and the effects of EIH on autonomic nervous system function during repeated orthostatic challenges in the early and late-stages of recovery. We conclude that following EIH, the cardiovascular system maintained arterial pressure and cardiac output during repeated 70° head-up tilts. Nonthermal baroreceptor control predominates over thermal control of cutaneous vascular conductance during postural challenges following EIH, but no effect was observed in local sweat rate. The short-term reductions in baroreceptor sensitivity and heart rate variability following EIH were re-established following a 24-h recovery period.

The purpose of this study was to identify if and how athletes experience resonance and how they feel it affects their performance and overall well-being. Four middle distance track athletes (M = 16.5 years old) in their specializing years of participation (Cote & Hay, 2002) participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews using the Resonance Performance Model (RPM, Newburg 2001) as a structural framework. Over a period of 10 weeks, each athlete was interviewed once every three weeks and completed a daily journal to follow their personal process of resonance and its affect on training, competition, and well-being. Results showed that athletes experienced resonance in their sport but were often unaware of their dream feeling. Over time, athletes became more aware about how they felt during training, performance, and daily living. Resonance was also positively regarded as affecting well-being and overall quality of track performance. Implications for future research and future application of the RPM are discussed.

Dans cette recherche, j'ai cherche a savoir quel est l'interet pour les industries impliquees dans le sport professionnel, de developper des controles paralleles et meme plus importants que ceux deployes par le systeme judiciaire en matiere de drogues illicites. Repondant a cette valeur dominante, l'industrie sportive s'implique dans le rationnel de cette guerre a la drogue en developpant un controle "para-judiciaire", c'est-a-dire des politiques et des sanctions internes au milieu sportif en matiere de drogues illicites. Pour mieux comprendre le fondement de ces controles dans l'industrie sportive, a la suite de ma revue de litterature, j'ai fait une recension journalistique de tout les cas mediatises de joueurs professionnels, qui ont avoue ou ont ete pris a consommer des drogues illicites, depuis 1986 a 1991. L'analyse de ces cas nous a permis de constater que non seulement les industries impliquees dans le sport professionnel avaient interet a repondre a la valeur dominante du "drug-free nation" pour proteger la rentabilite du sport-spectacle, mais que cela leur permet de mettre en place des mecanismes de controle sur leurs employe-e-s qui vont bien au-dela de la question des drogues et ce, plus particulierement par l'implantation des tests de depistage des drogues illicites. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)