Pregnancy is a time of alternating states of inflammation. The establishment of pregnancy is marked by controlled inflammation and transition toward an anti-inflammatory state for much of the gestational period before returning to an inflammatory state at the onset of labor. Stress and depression trigger the HPA Axis to produce cortisol and levels are maintained in a state of elevation during pregnancy and continue to rise before parturition. The aim of this research was to explore the relationship of gestational age at delivery with mid-pregnancy levels of cytokines, stress and depression. Participant samples (N = 122) were collected between 16 and 26 weeks gestation and analyzed for 14 cytokines using a bead-based multiplex assay. Plasma cortisol was also measured along with demographic variables and measures of perceived stress and dysphoric mood. Results of Pearson's correlations showed that gestational age at delivery was significantly inversely correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-ã and anti-inflammatory IL-13. A significant positive correlation was noted with the number of pregnancies in the obstetric history and pregnancy length. Both cortisol and stress were not correlated with gestational age at delivery.

abstract: The popularization of energy drink use as a supplement to exercise is steadily increasing, especially among young adult males. However, the effects of energy drinks on muscular performance in young adults have yet to be clearly elucidated. Eight male subjects (mean age: 23.3 ± 4.3 yrs, height: 181.0 ± 5.3 cm, fat percent 17.8 ± 5.2%, and weight 85.3 ± 12.6 kg) completed this randomized double-blinded cross over study. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in acute muscular strength and endurance and Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores between three treatments (RockStar, sugar-free RockStar, and sugar-free caffeine-free Placebo). It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in acute peak torque and endurance of the knee extensors and flexors or on fatigue and vigor subscores from the POMS questionnaire. Each man was tested randomly at least 1 week apart. Diet and time of day were held constant across trials. Peak torque of knee extensors and flexors at 60, 180, 240 degress/second and fatigue index and total work were calculated by performing 50 repetitions at 240 degrees/second. There were no significant differences in peak torque, fatigue index, or total work measures or in subjective measures of fatigue or vigor from the POMS between the treatments. This study indicates that RockStar energy drinks have no acute ergogenic effects in young men performing isokinetic strength or endurance testing. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Exercise and Wellness 2012

Sprint kayaking is prominent in Europe with training methods devised and adopted from Eastern bloc training systems. There is a lack of published research on sprint kayaking locally and internationally. Consequently, the aims of this research directly address establishing a relationship between kayak specific training and the Profile of Mood States (POMS); monitoring training duration and intensity and establish a link with the POMS and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE); to monitor the general wellness of the kayakers. Seven elite sprint kayakers (two male, five female) with the following characteristics: age 26.5 (1.4) years, training experience 8.4 (3.7) years were part of the South African national sprint kayaking squad selected to participate in this study, based on their preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (one male athlete did not qualify but continued to train). The females trained for the 500m K1, K2 and K4 events and the male for the 1000m K1. Three training camps (TC1, TC2, TC3) were held from 12 November to 09 December 2007, 25 February to 22 March 2008 and 14 July to 04 August 2008. RPE (Borg Scale) was recorded for each session. The 65-item POMS was completed twice a week, after half a days rest (Wednesday) and after a day and half rest (Sunday). Daily training load was calculated from RPE and session time; and an energy index calculated from the POMS vigour and fatigue scores. The Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey recorded illness and injury. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, Friedman’s rank test for k correlated samples, The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Spearman rank-order correlations were used to analyse the data. Statistical significance was calculated at 5% (p=0.05) and 10% (p=0.1). The results showed higher vigour scores associated with lower RPE and low training load; and high RPE associated with higher anger, confusion, depression, fatigue and total mood disturbance scores. There was a relationship between increasing POMS scores and duration of the training camps. The POMS findings could not completely explain the relationship found between RPE and duration of the training camps. The energy index was higher pre-camp and the extended rest periods during the camps. The findings for the POMS and RPE suggested that a state of overreaching might have occurred during the camps. Monitoring of the kayakers for an extended period after the training camps would have been useful to determine whether any of these individuals became over-trained. In accordance with Kentta et al (2006), regular use of the POMS may help detect under recovery, preventing staleness and unwanted rest for extended periods. Future studies will enable a retrospective view on these results. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study investigates the effects of reversing sleep-wake cycles on mood, sleep, and fatigue of the crewmembers and Air Wing 9 of the USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN-74). It also reviews the research conducted in sleep deprivation, circadian rhythms, shiftwork, fatigue, and mood. The effects of reversing sleep-wake cycle on mood of the crewmembers were analyzed by assessing a repeated administration of the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Mood states were monitored at three time points associated with the current work schedule (night shift vs. day shift) of the crewmembers. The results showed that younger participants were angrier than older participants on night shiftwork. The results also indicated that there was a significant interaction between repeated measures of mood states and gender. In addition, female participants reported significantly higher mood scale scores than the male participants, and topside participants were getting significantly less sleep than belowdecks participants. Given these findings, this area of research warrants further exploration. There is a significant need to educate military personnel of the effects of sleep deprivation and shiftwork on their job performance and individual health and safety. / Ensign, United States Navy

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:07:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tatiana dissertacao.pdf: 550127 bytes, checksum: 4bb22f74a452eb8fcb606d7eda042b10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-11-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The emotional pressures provoked by the requirements of the competitive sport take many athletes to exceed the limits of its physical and psychological capacity. Being thus, tools and methods had been perfected to intervine in such emotional phenomena. The profiles of state of mood in psychology reflect in the capacity of an individual to try a set of emotions. Being thus, the study it has for objective to evaluate the profile of mood in athlete of high-income of the masculine sex of the modalities of volleyball n= 59 with average of age of 19,01, and tennis n=69 with average of age 17,01. Specifically to compare the independent 0 variable: sportive modality (volleyball and tennis); time of practical in the high-income (up to 2 years; more than 2 years) and categories of age (young e adult) with the 0 variable dependent of the mood profile (tension depression, anger, vigor, fatigue and mental confusion). The event of this study, the profiles of mood in high-income athlete, was measured from design inferential statistician, averages, shunting line-standard, test t student and MANOVA. Also used measured elementary the interview half-structure, what it allowed flexibility in the analysis from the method of the speech of the collective citizen. When executing the MANOVA, had been verified differences multivariate between the modalities (F=4,289/p=0,001; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,216) and practical time of (F=5,845/p<0,001; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,295) in the vigor. Moreover, interactive effect of the modality and time of practical had been verified in the independent 0 variable (mood profiles) (F=2,943/p=0,01; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,148). The dependent 0 variable mental confusion in analyzes of variance 2x2 of the modality versus time of practical only presented significance in the interaction of the two 0 variable (F= 9,179/p=0,003) around 7% of the variance. In the evaluation of profiles of mood in athlete of volleyball significant alteration in the changeable tension was proven p=0,05 athlete volleyball x time of practical, in the changeable anger n=0,001 athlete of volleyball x category of age. However in the tennis athletes it resulted in significant differences in the depression p=0,001, 0,04 anger and mental confusion 0,02 with bigger averages in the athletes adult and more experienced tennis s; also in the comparison of modality x category of age the depression p= 0,05. In the analysis of the DSC the athletes of voleibol had more frequently pointed vigor and anger, while the athletes of tennis tension and fatigue, corroborating with respect to the complementation of the previous results. He considered himself in the study that the profile of mood of the athletes of voleibol came close to the considered profile iceberg for literature in comparison to the athletes of tennis, confirmed in the multivaried analysis the alteration resulted a significant difference of p=0,01 suggesting that the modality was responsible for 18% of the alteration in the mood profile. One becomes necessary to apply procedurally instrument BRUMS to discriminate with bigger precision the profiles of mood states, for the oscillation that such emotional states if present, not being able to be considered in only application a fixed psychological characteristic. The necessity also exists to take care of with the variability of the delineation of the curve of the graphical standard leading in account the contextual processes throughout the development of the athletes. / As pressões emocionais provocadas pelas exigências do esporte competitivo levam muitosatletas a excederem os limites de sua capacidade física e psicológica. Sendo assim,aperfeiçoaram-se ferramentas e métodos para intervir em tais fenômenos emocionais. Os perfis de estado de humor em psicologia refletem na capacidade de um indivíduo experimentar um conjunto de emoções. Sendo assim, o estudo tem por objetivo avaliar o perfil de humor em atletas de alto-rendimento do sexo masculino das modalidades de voleibol n= 59 com média de idade de 19,01, e tênis n=69 com média de idade 17,01. Especificamente comparar as variáveis independentes: modalidade esportiva (voleibol e tênis); tempo de prática no alto-rendimento (até 2 anos; mais de 2 anos) e categorias de idade (jovens e adultos) com as variáveis dependente do perfil de humor (tensão depressão, raiva, vigor, fadiga e confusão mental). O evento deste estudo, os perfis de humor em atletas de altorendimento, foi mensurado a partir do design estatístico inferencial, médias, desvio-padrão, teste t student e MANOVA. Também utilizadas medidas elementares a entrevista semiestrutura, o que permitiu flexibilidade na análise a partir do método do discurso do sujeito coletivo. Ao executar a MANOVA, foram verificadas diferenças multivariadas entre as modalidades (F=4,289/ p=0,001; Hotellings s Trace = 0,216) e tempo de prática (F=5,845/ p<0,001; Hotelling s Trace = 0,295) no vigor. Além disto, foram verificados efeitos interativos da modalidade e tempo de prática na variável independente (perfis de humor) (F=2,943/ p=0,01; Hotelling s Trace = 0,148). A variável dependente confusão mental na analise de variância 2x2 da modalidade versus tempo de prática apresentou significância somente na interação das duas variáveis (F= 9,179/ p=0,003) em torno de 7% da variância. Na avaliação de perfis de humor em atletas de voleibol evidenciou-se alteração significativa na variável tensão p=0,05 atletas voleibol x tempo de prática, na variável raiva n=0,001 atletas de voleibol x categoria de idade. Contudo nos atletas de tênis resultou em diferenças significativas na depressão p=0,001, raiva 0,04 e confusão mental 0,02 com médias maiores nos atletas tênis adultos e mais experientes; também na comparação da modalidade x categoria de idade a depressão p= 0,05. Na análise do DSC os atletas de voleibol apontaram com maior freqüência vigor e raiva, enquanto os atletas de tênis tensão e fadiga, corroborando para a complementação dos resultados anteriores. Considerou-se no estudo que o perfil de humor dos atletas de voleibol aproximou-se do perfil considerado iceberg pela literatura em comparação aos atletas de tênis, confirmado na análise multivariada a alteração resultou uma diferença significativa de p=0,01 sugerindo que a modalidade foi responsável por 18% da alteração no perfil de humor. Faz-se necessário aplicar processualmente o instrumento BRUMS para discriminar com maior precisão os perfis de estados de humor, pela oscilação que tais estados emocionais se apresentam, não podendo ser considerados em única aplicação uma característica psicológica fixa. Existe também a necessidade de cuidar com a variabilidade do delineamento da curva do gráfico padrão levando em conta os processos contextuais ao longo do desenvolvimento dos atletas.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an endogenously occurring phospholipid that has been shown to have cognition and mood enhancing properties in humans, possibly through its role as an enzyme co-factor in cellular signal transduction. Specifically, PS has been identified as activator of classical isoforms of protein kinase C, an enzyme known to be involved in the growth and differentiation of neural cells, and is therefore thought to play a role in the protection of neurons. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supplementation with PS and caffeine on measures of cognition, reaction time and mood prior to and following an exercise stress. Twenty, healthy, resistance trained males (17) and females (3) (mean ± SD; age: 22.75 ± 3.27 yrs; height: 177.03 ± 8.44cm; weight: 78.98 ± 11.24kg; body fat%: 14.28 ± 6.6), volunteered to participate in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Participants were assigned to a PS group (400mg/day PS; 100mg/day caffeine, N=9) or PL (16g/day Carbs, N=11) delivered in the form of 4 candy chews identical in size, shape and color. Subjects performed an acute bout of full body resistance exercise, prior to (T1) and following 14 days of supplementation (T2). Measures of reaction time (Dynavision® D2 Visuomotor Training Device), cognition (Serial Subtraction Test, SST), and mood (Profile of Mood States, POMS) were assessed immediately before and following resistance exercise in both T1 and T2. Data was analyzed using two-way ANCOVA and repeated measures ANOVA. Supplementation with 400mg PS and 100mg caffeine did not have a significant impact upon measures of reaction time or cognition between groups at baseline or following acute resistance exercise. However, there was a non-significant trend to the attenuation of fatigue iv between groups, following acute resistance exercise (p = 0.071). Interestingly, our data suggests that acute resistance exercise alone may improve cognitive function. Although more research is necessary regarding optimal dosage and supplementation duration, the current findings suggest that supplementation 400mg/day PS with 100mg/day caffeine may attenuate fatigue following acute resistance exercise. It is possible that the lack of significance may be the result of both an inhibition of the PS activated pathway and a withdrawal effect from caffeine.