To enhance understanding of recovery and preparation in rugby union, the aim of this thesis was to examine the impact of competition on key parameters and investigate factors which may influence the recovery process from competition and training. The findings of study one demonstrate that movement patterns and thus the physiological demands of match-play vary considerably between different positional groups. Additionally, study two demonstrates that the movement characteristics which determine the extent of muscle damage post-match are position specific, and that movement characteristics may be used to prospectively tailor individual recovery and manage subsequent training. Recovery patterns may also be influenced by factors not associated with match-play such as sleep, which has important physiological and psychological restorative effects. The findings of study three suggest that sleep patterns may vary considerably within a squad with many players presenting evidence of sleep disruption, particularly post-match which may be detrimental to recovery. Recovery following exercise may also be modulated by the application of post-exercise recovery strategies such as cold water immersion. However, study four demonstrates that cold water immersion may impede adaptation to strength training in rugby union players. When no recovery intervention was administered during a five week pre-season period, isometric mid-thigh pull peak force and relative peak force significantly increased by 5.4 +/- 4.7 and 5.8 +/- 5.4% respectively. However when individuals were immersed in cold water post-training there were no significant changes in strength during the training period. These findings may have great implications for strength training, particularly during periods of physical development. The findings of the thesis have furthered understanding of the characteristics of performance and identified several factors which influence recovery from training and competition. This in turn may be used to inform best practice procedures in attempt to 'optimise' preparation and recovery in rugby union.

Thesis (Masters Diploma (Technology)--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 1986 / Child psychiatrists have become increasingly aware of the existence. of affective disorders in prepubertal and pubertal patients. This has led to the investigation of possible biological factors contributing to the disorders. Due to the lack of availability of human brain material, different parameters have been investigated in the periphery in order to obtain information regarding the aetiology of major depressive disorder. The neurotransmitters, NA, 5-HT and DA have been implicated in depression. Levels of the metabolites of these transmitters have been measured in plasma, urine and CSF of adult depressed patients. Two other peripheral "tools" used in the study of major depressive disorder are blood platelets and lymphocytes. The former contain cr 2 -adrenoceptors and imipramine binding sites (indicative of 5-HT uptake into the platelet) and the latter S-adrenoceptors. Platelets have been widely used as a model for indirectly evaluating changes in central cr2-adrenoceptor and imipramine binding whereas lymphocytes have been used to measure changes in S-adrenoceptor binding and activity in adults with major depressive disorder.

Thesis (MTech (Radiography))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2003 / Brain Compatible Learning (BCL), as its name suggests, is a type of learning which is aligned with how the human brain naturally learns and develops. BCL offers many different options and routes to learning as alternatives to conventional 'chalk and talk' methodologies. A BCL curriculum is planned to define the structure and content of a programme of learning, but it also provides opportunities for students to participate in activities, which encourage and enhance the development of an active and deep approach to learning. Using BCL approaches in the classroom thus creates both a stimulating and a caring environment for student learning. This project researches a BCL intervention in a Radiation Science course. The use of BCL techniques has tended to have been done predominantly in the social sciences; this research fills an important 'gap' in the research literature by examining how BCL might be implemented in a technical and scientific context. The research was conducted using an adapted Participatory Active Research methodology in which classroom interventions were planned (within a constructive framework), rather than implemented and then reflected on by all participants. The PAR method was supplemented with a series of detailed questionnaires and interviews. The broad findings of this study relate to students' experiences of BCL in Radiation Science in terms of 'process' and 'product" issues. In terms of process, or the methodology of BCL, students' responses were largely positive.

The quantification of athlete pre-competitive sleep behaviour is of interest owing to the possibility that sleep loss may have a negative effect on health and performance. The purpose of this study was to monitor and quantify the sleep/wake patterns of South African cyclists prior to competitive races. A total of 336 cyclists, male and female and of differing competition levels, cycling in either the 2015 Tsogo Sun Amashova or the 2016 Telkom 94.7 Cycle Challenge completed an altered version of the Competitive Sports and Sleep Questionnaire. The questionnaire asked cyclists to report on precompetitive sleep over the past year. A subset of 92 cyclists also recorded a Core Consensus Sleep Diary for the three nights leading up to the races. The questionnaire showed that 67% of the cyclists reported worsened sleep at least once prior to competition within the past 12 months. The sleep diary found that the cyclists’ average sleep duration the night before the races was 6h19min (±1h38min), which was significantly less than two and three nights prior to the races. Sleep quality was also shown to deteriorate significantly the night before the races. The contributing factors leading to worsened pre-competitive sleep were the time the cyclists had to wake-up as well as perceived increases in sleep latency and awakenings after sleep onset. Anxiety was found to be the major cause of sleep disturbances. While females were found to be significantly more likely to report having experienced poorer sleep before competition in the past year, the sleep diary showed no difference in sleep the night before the races between the sexes. Females were significantly more likely to report instances of unpleasant dreams and waking up during the night. Again, the sleep diary data did not corroborate these findings. Females were also found to report significantly more accounts of nervousness or thoughts about competition as being the cause of sleep problems. There was no difference in sleep loss the night before competition when comparing competition-level groups. The only significant difference was that recreational cyclists were more likely to report sleeping in foreign environments as a cause of sleep disturbances. Despite a large percentage of cyclists experiencing pre-competitive sleep loss, over half (55%) perceived sleep loss to have no impact on their performance. Analysis of pre-sleep behaviour also revealed that the cyclists engaged in several practices that may have a negative effect on subsequent sleep. The vast majority of the cyclists (61%) indicated having no specific strategy to help them sleep the night before competition. Fifteen percent of cyclists reporting using media devices to help them fall asleep, a practice that has been shown to disrupt sleep. In conclusion, most cyclists, regardless of sex and level of competition experience precompetitive sleep loss attributed largely to anxiety but with the perception that this loss in sleep does not negatively impact their performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of event order on a cycling(C)/running(R) or R/C biathlon. Eight experienced male biathlete/triathletes with a mean age of 24.9 + 4.6 yr formed the sample of the study. Results show no significant interaction effects on oxygen consumption peak, oxygen consumption during steady-state, ventilation, and heart rate when C/R or R/C are performed at 70% oxygen consumption peak for subsequent R and C respectively. These results seem to indicate that the biathlete/triathlete is efficient in both C and R to the extent that event order does not significantly interact with metabolic response in submaximal cycling and running.

M.Tech. / This study was conducted to determine whether Chiropractic treatment was beneficial in improving a male tennis player’s serve speed. Thirty participants were recruited and placed into a single group. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 40 years and selected based on the inclusion criteria being met. Participants had to be injury-free at the time of the research study and fall within a specified skill level (Provincial colours must have been attained at some stage in the participants tennis career). The participants were treated six times over a 3-week period and fifteen serve speed measurements were taken before the first consultation, and following the third and six consultations. A full case history, full physical examination, cervical spine regional examination and shoulder regional examination were conducted at the first consultation to locate joint restrictions and myofascial trigger points in the associated musculature of these areas. Diversified Chiropractic techniques were employed in the treatment of any restrictions found and trigger points were treated using either dry needling or ischaemic compression techniques. The results were interpreted by an outsourced statistician and the data was analysed using the ANOVA model and a Box Cox transformation was applied to transform the scale to normality. This yielded data onto which a parametric approach could be applied. According to the analysis, the treatment applied to the participants produced significant increases in their serve speed over the three sessions, although some increases were more prominent than others. This study concluded that Chiropractic treatment was effective in increasing the serve speed of a male tennis player and the study provides evidence that the effects of Chiropractic treatment could enhance performance in a sporting environment, perhaps even on a sustainable timeline with maintenance treatment.

The key aim of this thesis was to explore the range of emotions in the spa industry in Thailand and how emotions impact spa employees and customer service. This was achieved by identifying how emotions were performed and managed during service encounters within the spa industry. The thesis confirmed that the performance of emotion management influenced customer service delivery. To help understanding this, the thesis developed a conceptual framework based on three theoretical perspectives: Goffman’s theoretical concept, Hochschild’s acting strategy, and Bolton’s four typology of workplace emotion. Each perspective focused on different viewpoints which provided a more comprehensive and holistic view of emotion management. This research followed an interpretivist perspective to study the performance of emotion management and customer service delivery. The researcher adopted a phenomenological research strategy to understand in-depth information on emotion management. The main empirical element of the research was in-depth interviews with 48 spa employees in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Interviews were undertaken with multiple key informants with various job roles: managers, receptionists, and therapists. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Empirical findings indicated that emotional expressions from the spa employees influenced customer service behaviour. The spa employees performed ‘pecuniary’ emotion management category the most, followed by ‘prescriptive’ category, ‘presentational’ category and ‘philanthropic’ category. The characteristics of the spa industry in performing ‘pecuniary’ emotion management is ‘monetary servitude’, in performing ‘prescriptive’ emotion management is ‘showing a therapeutic professional face’, in ‘presentational’ emotion management is ‘Thai social reality’, and in ‘philanthropic’ emotion management is ‘emotion as a gift’.

No description available.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, is on the increase worldwide. Medicinal plants played an important role in the treatment of hypertension for centuries. Very few scientific studies have, however, been done to validate the use of these phytotherapies. O africana is on of the many phytotherapies that has been use indigenously for years to treat hypertension. The objectives of this study were to determine the most effective does of O africana aqueous extract which will reduce blood pressure; to determine whether chronic administration of O africana can be used to prevent and treat hypertension; to determine whether O africana exert its effects by modulation of the renin-angiotensin system. / South Africa

Background: Literature has associated repeated eccentric muscle actions with increased muscle damage of the muscles involved. Eccentric actions are typical in sports which are ‘stop-start’ in nature requiring rapid acceleration and deceleration, typical of a batting activity in cricket. Ultra-structural damage of the skeletal muscle as a consequence of repeated decelerating activities is associated with performance decrements, particularly muscle strength and sprinting speeds. This suggests that eccentric strength decrements may provide an indication for the development of muscle strain injuries during these activities. Despite these findings, limited research has identified the specific musculoskeletal demands placed on cricket batsmen, particularly with reference to various match intensities. Objective: The present study, therefore, sought to determine the specific musculoskeletal, physiological and perceptual demands placed on specialised batsmen during two work bouts of different intensities; one representing a highintensity work bout and the other a moderate-intensity work bout. The dependent variables of interest were muscle activation, isokinetic strength changes, heart rate, ‘central’ and ‘local’ ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), body discomfort and performance. Methods: The two experimental conditions, representative of a high- (HVR) and moderate-volume running (MVR) batting protocol, required players to perform a simulated batting work bout of either twelve or six runs an over, within a laboratory setting. Selected physiological, perceptual and performance measures were collected at specific time intervals throughout the work bout while the biophysical measures were collected prior to, and following both protocols. Results: Of the variables measured, heart rate, ‘central’ and ‘local’ RPE values were observed to increase significantly (p<0.05) over time. This increase was greater as a consequence of the HVR in comparison to the MVR. No change in sprint times was documented during the MVR, in contrast, significant (p<0.05) increases over time were observed during the HVR, further highlighting the elevated demands associated with this condition. In addition, an ‘end spurt’ was observed particularly following the HVR condition, suggesting athletes were conserving themselves through the adoption of a pacing strategy. Reductions in biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscle activation levels were observed following the HVR. This was further supported by the significantly greater levels of semitendinosus activation following the MVR when compared to the HVR. Peak concentric and eccentric knee extensor (EXT) (-17.17% and -16.07% respectively) and eccentric flexor (FLEX) (- 17.49%) values decreased significantly (p<0.05) following the HVR at 60°.s-1. In addition, concentric and eccentric total work produced by the flexors and eccentric extensors resulted in significantly (p<0.05) lower values due to the HVR. Conclusion: The intermittent high-volume batting work bout elicited elevated mean heart rates, perceived ratings of cardiovascular and muscular effort and sprint times. Furthermore, hamstring activation levels and muscle strength, particularly concentric strength of the dominant lower limb were negatively affected by the HVR condition. These results suggest elevated demands were placed on the hamstring musculature as a consequence of the HVR condition, indicating a greater degree of musculoskeletal strain and increased injury risk associated with running between the wickets at this intensity, representative of an aggressive batting scenario.