title: Mental Rehearsal Improves Passing Skill and Stress Resilience in Rugby Players.

authors: Beaven, Christopher Martyn

subjects: cortisol

abstract: PURPOSE: Mental rehearsal is commonly employed, with positive visualization proposed to enhance complex skill performance. Additionally, video stimulus has been associated with enhanced kinesthetic sensations and rapid hormone fluctuations that may contribute to enhancing mental rehearsal and the conscious and unconscious emotional state for skill execution. Here, we assessed the impact of a 15-minute mental rehearsal intervention on rugby-specific tasks and the associated hormone profile. METHODS: Professional rugby players (N = 10) volunteered for a randomized crossover study. They completed three 15-minute preparatory phases (positive or negative video-guided mental rehearsal or self-directed mental rehearsal alone) prior to an exercise stressor and rugby-specific passing task. Salivary testosterone and cortisol were monitored to assess stress responses. RESULTS: Performance during the rugby passing task was improved following the positive video condition (91% [7.4%]) compared to the negative video (79% [6.0%]; ES: 1.22 ± 0.75) and self-visualization (86% [5.8%]; ES: 0.58 ± 0.75), with a significant correlation observed between passing performance and salivary testosterone (r = .47 ± .34, P = .0087). Positive video imagery prior to an exercise stressor also significantly enhanced physiological stress resilience (r = .39 ± .36, P = .0352). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates that mental rehearsal was enhanced by appropriate, context-specific video presentation. We propose that the interaction between sex steroids, the adrenal axis, and subsequent conscious and unconscious behaviors may be relevant to competitive rugby. Specifically, we suggest that relatively elevated free testosterone imparts a degree of stress resilience, which may lead to enhanced expression of competitive behaviors and provide an enhanced state for rugby skill execution.

text: Mental Rehearsal Improves Passing Skill and Stress Resilience in Rugby Players. PURPOSE: Mental rehearsal is commonly employed, with positive visualization proposed to enhance complex skill performance. Additionally, video stimulus has been associated with enhanced kinesthetic sensations and rapid hormone fluctuations that may contribute to enhancing mental rehearsal and the conscious and unconscious emotional state for skill execution. Here, we assessed the impact of a 15-minute mental rehearsal intervention on rugby-specific tasks and the associated hormone profile. METHODS: Professional rugby players (N = 10) volunteered for a randomized crossover study. They completed three 15-minute preparatory phases (positive or negative video-guided mental rehearsal or self-directed mental rehearsal alone) prior to an exercise stressor and rugby-specific passing task. Salivary testosterone and cortisol were monitored to assess stress responses. RESULTS: Performance during the rugby passing task was improved following the positive video condition (91% [7.4%]) compared to the negative video (79% [6.0%]; ES: 1.22 ± 0.75) and self-visualization (86% [5.8%]; ES: 0.58 ± 0.75), with a significant correlation observed between passing performance and salivary testosterone (r = .47 ± .34, P = .0087). Positive video imagery prior to an exercise stressor also significantly enhanced physiological stress resilience (r = .39 ± .36, P = .0352). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates that mental rehearsal was enhanced by appropriate, context-specific video presentation. We propose that the interaction between sex steroids, the adrenal axis, and subsequent conscious and unconscious behaviors may be relevant to competitive rugby. Specifically, we suggest that relatively elevated free testosterone imparts a degree of stress resilience, which may lead to enhanced expression of competitive behaviors and provide an enhanced state for rugby skill execution.

year: 2023-08-01

title: The Effect of a Myostatin Antagonist on the Healing of Burn Wounds in Skin.

authors: Fieten, Daniel John

subjects: skin

abstract: The body's remarkable ability to repair itself from damage is both very useful and extremely complex. The wound healing system is characterised by four overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. It is designed to heal rapidly and efficiently any breach in the protective barrier we call skin, in order to restore normal body function in the quickest possible time. However, pathological conditions such as keloids or hypertrophic scar may arise if events in the wound healing cascade are not coordinated properly, which can lead to loss of skin function and disfigurement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether myostatin plays a role in the healing of burn wounds in skin. Myostatin is best known for its powerful negative regulation of muscle development. Absence of myostatin results in a heavy muscling phenotype, whereas over-expression is associated with muscle wasting conditions. Recently, myostatin has been shown to be involved in muscle wound healing, where knockout of the myostatin gene resulted in improved healing, with decreased fibrotic scar tissue formation. It is noteworthy that the cell surface receptor to which myostatin binds is also present in skin. In consideration of this information the prospect of myostatin involvement in skin biology represents a gap in scientific knowledge. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to ascertain whether the effects of myostatin in muscle regeneration can also be seen in skin wound healing. To this end, a mouse burn wound model was designed to determine the efficacy of antagonising myostatin to bring about improved healing and decreased fibrosis of skin burns. Wounds of mice treated with the myostatin antagonist showed no significant difference compared to saline-treated controls in collagen content at any time point. Gene expression studies on TGF-β1, TGF-β3, decorin and fibromodulin revealed that differences between antagonist-treated and saline-treated groups were possibly masked by the effect of the burn injury but were present in uninjured skin. Similarly, uninjured skin of antagonist-treated animals exhibited a significantly higher fluid content than uninjured skin of saline-treated animals, whereas the effect was not significant in burned skin between treatments. Histological analysis revealed that antagonist-treated wounds showed evidence of decreased wound contraction which may indicate improved scar resolution and decreased risk of fibrosis. Interestingly, the gene expression results in many ways parallel those seen in foetal skin, which after injury, heals without scar. These results warrant further study into the subject area, especially to observe whether further improvements can be made by adjusting the treatment regimen.

text: The Effect of a Myostatin Antagonist on the Healing of Burn Wounds in Skin. The body's remarkable ability to repair itself from damage is both very useful and extremely complex. The wound healing system is characterised by four overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. It is designed to heal rapidly and efficiently any breach in the protective barrier we call skin, in order to restore normal body function in the quickest possible time. However, pathological conditions such as keloids or hypertrophic scar may arise if events in the wound healing cascade are not coordinated properly, which can lead to loss of skin function and disfigurement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether myostatin plays a role in the healing of burn wounds in skin. Myostatin is best known for its powerful negative regulation of muscle development. Absence of myostatin results in a heavy muscling phenotype, whereas over-expression is associated with muscle wasting conditions. Recently, myostatin has been shown to be involved in muscle wound healing, where knockout of the myostatin gene resulted in improved healing, with decreased fibrotic scar tissue formation. It is noteworthy that the cell surface receptor to which myostatin binds is also present in skin. In consideration of this information the prospect of myostatin involvement in skin biology represents a gap in scientific knowledge. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to ascertain whether the effects of myostatin in muscle regeneration can also be seen in skin wound healing. To this end, a mouse burn wound model was designed to determine the efficacy of antagonising myostatin to bring about improved healing and decreased fibrosis of skin burns. Wounds of mice treated with the myostatin antagonist showed no significant difference compared to saline-treated controls in collagen content at any time point. Gene expression studies on TGF-β1, TGF-β3, decorin and fibromodulin revealed that differences between antagonist-treated and saline-treated groups were possibly masked by the effect of the burn injury but were present in uninjured skin. Similarly, uninjured skin of antagonist-treated animals exhibited a significantly higher fluid content than uninjured skin of saline-treated animals, whereas the effect was not significant in burned skin between treatments. Histological analysis revealed that antagonist-treated wounds showed evidence of decreased wound contraction which may indicate improved scar resolution and decreased risk of fibrosis. Interestingly, the gene expression results in many ways parallel those seen in foetal skin, which after injury, heals without scar. These results warrant further study into the subject area, especially to observe whether further improvements can be made by adjusting the treatment regimen.

year: 2009

title: The intergenerational perpetuation of achievement messages in whānau

authors: Southey, Kim Marie

subjects: Maori

abstract: The current research is an open exploration of achievement messages that are carried from generation to generation in whānau, in relation to the mainstream education system of Aotearoa. Participant groups comprised of two to three generations within each whānau. A maximum of eight whānau will be asked to participate. A series of continuous conversations will be held with each member of the whānau, reminiscent of the narrative approach, but most recently described as a methodology that allows for ensuring that data is collected in its fullest form.
Differing views about achievement and how it is negotiated within whānau will be explored; along with issues on what, and who, within whānau are the most predominant indicators of achievement views. Detracting from an ethnocentric view of scholastic ability (a common marker for achievement) is done through abandoning mainstream ideals. This research favours an open exploration approach allowing for differing values about what constitutes achievement, and what context achievement is based in. Outcomes of the research are intended to show patterns within whānau and among Māori on the mainstream school system, and how this system has contributed to achievement messages. The positive or negative nature of the contribution from mainstream education is highly important and relevant to further research goals, including the ability to use outcomes to suggest social change in education provision for Māori.

text: The intergenerational perpetuation of achievement messages in whānau The current research is an open exploration of achievement messages that are carried from generation to generation in whānau, in relation to the mainstream education system of Aotearoa. Participant groups comprised of two to three generations within each whānau. A maximum of eight whānau will be asked to participate. A series of continuous conversations will be held with each member of the whānau, reminiscent of the narrative approach, but most recently described as a methodology that allows for ensuring that data is collected in its fullest form.
Differing views about achievement and how it is negotiated within whānau will be explored; along with issues on what, and who, within whānau are the most predominant indicators of achievement views. Detracting from an ethnocentric view of scholastic ability (a common marker for achievement) is done through abandoning mainstream ideals. This research favours an open exploration approach allowing for differing values about what constitutes achievement, and what context achievement is based in. Outcomes of the research are intended to show patterns within whānau and among Māori on the mainstream school system, and how this system has contributed to achievement messages. The positive or negative nature of the contribution from mainstream education is highly important and relevant to further research goals, including the ability to use outcomes to suggest social change in education provision for Māori.

year: 2003