Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Some performers become so consumed by the demands and pressures of performing that they neglect other priorities in their life. However, some individuals succeed in their performance domain and still have their lives together---they approach their performance with a sense of perspective (Brown, Cairns, & Botterill, 2001). Though the perspectives of adult performers have been outlined in the literature, it is unclear what perspective adolescent participants bring to their performance. The participants were ten young performers (seven athletes and three musicians) selected from a private school in central Canada. They were identified both as top performers and as individuals who had their lives together. In depth interviews revealed the elements that characterize the perspective these participants bring to their performance. Results indicate these adolescents strive to maintain balance in their lives, build relationships with others that assist them in their performance pursuits, approach obstacles with a positive perspective, grow through learning and improving, use a complete focus to absorb themselves in performing, and find passion in their performance pursuits and live this passion everyday.

Elite athletes use mental strategies in a wide variety of sports to enhance performance (Mahoney, Gabriel, & Perkins, 1987; Orlick & Partington, 1999; Schomer, 1987; Tammen, 1996; Ungerleider & Golding, 1991). High-level athletes have been found to use mental strategies before, during, and after competition (Orlick, 2000). Little is known, however, about the psychological strategies that Ironman triathletes use to race successfully. The question of how these triathletes mentally prepare to be their best in competitions has not been addressed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental skills employed by elite Ironman triathletes by exploring the following research question: How do elite Ironman triathletes get themselves mentally ready to be their best during competitions? The present study provides meaningful insight into how elite Ironman triathletes mentally prepare. The main areas addressed include detailed race planning, following personal routines, focusing, controlling discomfort and other distractions, dealing with nutrition, having confidence in one's abilities, using imagery, staying positive, and connecting with one's body.

Objective. To examine the effect of six months of Topiramate (TPM) supplementation use for weight loss on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in abdominally obese males. Methods. Sixty-eight abdominally obese males (Waist circumference >100 cm) with a BMI >27 and < 35 kg/m2 were assigned to the TPM or placebo group using a randomized pretest-posttest control group design with no behavioral modification. This was followed by a 12-week titration period and a 12-week stabilization period with a dosage up to 400 mg/d. Ambulatory blood pressure was monitored at baseline and at six months using the Spacelabs Medical Model 90207-31. Results. Topiramate supplementation group showed a significant decrease in systolic (5.2 +/- 9.79; p=0.006, -4.6 +/- 10.90; p=0.011 and -6.9 +/- 8.31; 0.003 mmHg) and diastolic (-3.7 +/- 6.13; p =0.006, -3.3 +/- 7.08; p=0.033 and -4.3 +/- 7.13; p=0.006 mmHg) 24-hr, daytime and nighttime ABP respectively. However, after performing an ANCOVA to control for the significant weight loss observed in the TPM supplementation group (-3.19 +/- 5.72 kg; p=0.006), systolic/diastolic 24-hr (p=0.233/0.147), daytime, (p=0.313/0.276) and nighttime (p= 0.108/0.187) changes in ABP were similar between the TPM and placebo group. Furthermore, change in systolic 24-hr ABP was significantly correlated to changes in % body fat (r=0.54; p=0.025), body fat mass (r=0.51; p=0.039) and total abdominal adipose tissue (r=0.46; p=0.043), whereas change in diastolic 24-hr ABP was significantly correlated to changes in total abdominal adipose tissue (c=0.51; p=0.043). Change in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was not significantly related to changes in systolic/diastolic ABP (r=0.46/0.41; p=0.075/0.113) respectively. Discussion. These results suggest that the reduction in ABP observed in the TPM is mainly secondary to the reduction in body weight, especially the reduction in fat mass and total abdominal adipose tissue and not by the mechanistic abilities of the drug.

Cette thèse est un comparatif des méthodes de la VO 2 de réserve (VO2R), de la fréquence cardiaque de réserve (FCR) et de la fréquence cardiaque maximale (FC max) pour prescrire une intensité d'exercice cible selon les recommandations émises par l'American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) chez des individus obèses. La première analyse démontre que plus le degré d'obésité est élevé, plus la régression du %FCR et du %VO2R s'éloigne de la norme de l'ACSM et que la régression du %FCmax et du %VO2R est très différente de la norme de l'ACSM. La deuxième analyse suggère que le degré d'obésité n'affecte pas les écarts des FC cibles entre les méthodes et que la méthode de la FCR semble mieux refléter celle de la VO2R. En somme, le degré d'obésité n'a pas l'impact escompté sur l'équivalence des FC cibles entre les méthodes. Par contre, la méthode de la FCR est plus appropriée que celle de la FCmax pour représenter celle de la VO 2R chez cette population.

Special populations that suffer from Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD) display poorer performance in movement and bimanual coordination tasks. Both PD and HD are basal ganglia disorders with neuropathology distinct from one another. The production of internally guided movements is disrupted in PD and HD, therefore utilization of the external pathway may be able to stabilize movements for these groups. The current study examines the effect of auditory cueing for these two populations in timing performance. A total of 10 PD patients, 10 healthy controls (matched for age and gender) and 2 HD patients were examined on a repetitive bimanual finger tapping task. PD patients and healthy controls were asked to perform finger tapping at two different frequencies (1.0 Hz, 2.0 Hz) and two movement types (in-phase, anti-phase). Additionally half of the trials were performed with an external cue (metronome beat), while the other half were not (cue was turned off after 10 metronome heats). Results showed that PD patients were able to effectively use the cue to facilitate bimanual coordination as it was shown that absolute mean timing errors were decreased during the cue trials. PD patients were able to perform both movement types although the more complex mirror asymmetrical anti-phase trials were more difficult to perform. HD patients were not able to achieve the designated fast and slow frequencies that PD and healthy controls performed. The HD patients' movement was highly variable due to tremors and involuntary tics experienced by the patients. Through the examination of raw trajectories and polar plots of phase differences it was concluded that the external cue did not seem to stabilize bimanual coordination for the HD patients.

Head injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, many resulting from sporting activities. Currently, there is a need in the head protection industry for improved technology capable of reducing the risk of mild and severe head injuries. Contemporary head protection devices are comprised mainly of foam and have several inherent disadvantages, including a limited ability to provide effective energy absorption under both low and high impact velocities. New thin-walled collapsible chamber energy absorption systems may resolve this problem. The chambers consist of four engineering elements which alter their performance - geometry, air volume, material, and venting system. This research analyzed the contribution of air flow through an orifice to the chamber's management of impact energy. The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of the chamber's vent diameter on peak force and venting rate during an impact. Two material stiffnesses and five vent diameters were tested at three inbound velocities. Each chamber was impacted ten times using a monorail drop system. Significant main effects were found for material stiffness, vent diameter, and inbound velocity on peak force and venting rate (p<0.0001). Under low inbound velocities the largest vent diameters transmitted less force than the smallest, while this relationship reversed at high inbound velocities. Under low velocities air flow rate was negatively, and flow duration was positively correlated to peak force. Under high velocities, air flow rate was positively, and duration was negatively correlated to peak force. This suggested that under low velocities chambers performed optimally when air was dissipated fast, for a short duration; however, as the chamber approached a critical failure region, the increased duration and decreased velocity of air released prevented larger peak forces. Overall, this research confirmed that engineered thin-walled collapsible chambers use air as a mechanism to absorb impacting force.

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients experience postural instability as a primary motor symptom (Parkinson, 1817). The majority of PD patients use L-dopa to treat motor symptoms associated with the disease; however, extended use of L-dopa can cause involuntary movement production termed L-dopa induced dyskinesia (LID) (Bezard et al., 2001). Recently, researchers have speculated that postural sway variability (CoP variability) is associated with clinically unapparent LID (Rocchi et al., 2004). This experiment sought to determine the relationship between CoP variability and LID in PD patients. Eight PD patients on L-dopa medication and eight age matched neurologically healthy control subjects performed a precision aiming task where we manipulated the orientation, size and distance of the target. We recorded CoP fluctuations using two force plates and kinematics of the head, torso, arm and leg segments using the VICON 3-D motion capture system. The results indicate that decreased joint coordination of the head, arm and torso segments contribute to greater CoP variability in PD patients, particularly in the ML direction. Our results also reveal that increased task difficulty by manipulation of target distance increases movement amplitude, and consequently CoP variability. These findings suggest a causal relationship between LID and CoP variability in PD patients.