title: Hyperthermic resistance training in semi-professional rugby athletes

authors: Miles, Cory Gene

subjects: environmental chamber

abstract: Resistance training muscle adaptations may be enhanced under increased environmental temperatures (>30 °C). Training in the heat has been widely used to enhance performance adaptations in a range of populations from untrained to elite-athletes. Environmental heat stress is used to provide an additional training stimulus to the individual to potentiate greater physiological adaptations and subsequent athletic performance. Chapter One of this thesis reviews the current literature on different methods of thermal stress and how it could be implemented for preparation of rugby union athletes. Chapter Two of this thesis includes an original investigation whereby 18 elite, semi-professional rugby union athletes (age [mean ± SD], 22.2 ± 3.5 years; body mass 99.6 ± 11.5 kg; height 187.6 ± 6.4cm) performed a three-week resistance training intervention (12 sessions) where they were randomly allocated into two groups: HEAT (n = 8) with all lower-body resistance training sessions performed in environmental conditions maintained at 35 °C and 37% relative humidity (RH), or CON (n = 10) where the same training was performed in temperate conditions (21 °C and 45% RH). Pre and post-training intervention tests included measures of strength, power, endurance, speed, and body mass. When comparing groups, small effect sizes were found in favour of HEAT for the back squat (d = 0.26) and bench press (d = 0.23). All other measures were associated with trivial or unclear effects. A significant group x time interaction for body mass, associated with a trivial effect size (d = 0.19, HEAT +1.5 kg; CON -0.8 kg). Resistance training in the heat may lead to small improvements in lower and upper body strength compared to the identical training programme performed in temperate conditions. Utilization of heat stress during specific strength training sessions may prove to be a beneficial strategy to increase muscle adaptions for rugby union athletes.

text: Hyperthermic resistance training in semi-professional rugby athletes Resistance training muscle adaptations may be enhanced under increased environmental temperatures (>30 °C). Training in the heat has been widely used to enhance performance adaptations in a range of populations from untrained to elite-athletes. Environmental heat stress is used to provide an additional training stimulus to the individual to potentiate greater physiological adaptations and subsequent athletic performance. Chapter One of this thesis reviews the current literature on different methods of thermal stress and how it could be implemented for preparation of rugby union athletes. Chapter Two of this thesis includes an original investigation whereby 18 elite, semi-professional rugby union athletes (age [mean ± SD], 22.2 ± 3.5 years; body mass 99.6 ± 11.5 kg; height 187.6 ± 6.4cm) performed a three-week resistance training intervention (12 sessions) where they were randomly allocated into two groups: HEAT (n = 8) with all lower-body resistance training sessions performed in environmental conditions maintained at 35 °C and 37% relative humidity (RH), or CON (n = 10) where the same training was performed in temperate conditions (21 °C and 45% RH). Pre and post-training intervention tests included measures of strength, power, endurance, speed, and body mass. When comparing groups, small effect sizes were found in favour of HEAT for the back squat (d = 0.26) and bench press (d = 0.23). All other measures were associated with trivial or unclear effects. A significant group x time interaction for body mass, associated with a trivial effect size (d = 0.19, HEAT +1.5 kg; CON -0.8 kg). Resistance training in the heat may lead to small improvements in lower and upper body strength compared to the identical training programme performed in temperate conditions. Utilization of heat stress during specific strength training sessions may prove to be a beneficial strategy to increase muscle adaptions for rugby union athletes.

year: 2018

title: Review: The denaturation and degradation of stable enzymes at high temperatures

authors: Daniel, Roy M.

subjects: enzyme

abstract: Now that enzymes are available that are stable above 100 °C it is possible to investigate conformational stability at this temperature, and also the effect of high-temperature degradative reactions in functioning enzymes and the inter-relationship between degradation and denaturation. The conformational stability of proteins depends upon stabilizing forces arising from a large number of weak interactions, which are opposed by an almost equally large destabilizing force due mostly to conformational entropy. The difference between these, the net free energy of stabilization, is relatively small, equivalent to a few interactions. The enhanced stability of very stable proteins can be achieved by an additional stabilizing force which is again equivalent to only a few stabilizing interactions. There is currently no strong evidence that any particular interaction (e.g. hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions) plays a more important role in proteins that are stable at 100 °C than in those stable at 50 °C, or that the structures of very stable proteins are systematically different from those of less stable proteins. The major degradative mechanisms are deamidation of asparagine and glutamine, and succinamide formation at aspartate and glutamate leading to peptide bond hydrolysis. In addition to being temperature-dependent, these reactions are strongly dependent upon the conformational freedom of the susceptible amino acid residues. Evidence is accumulating which suggests that even at 100 °C deamidation and succinamide formation proceed slowly or not at all in conformationally intact (native) enzymes. Whether this is the case at higher temperatures is not yet clear, so it is not known whether denaturation or degradation will set the upper limit of stability for enzymes.

text: Review: The denaturation and degradation of stable enzymes at high temperatures Now that enzymes are available that are stable above 100 °C it is possible to investigate conformational stability at this temperature, and also the effect of high-temperature degradative reactions in functioning enzymes and the inter-relationship between degradation and denaturation. The conformational stability of proteins depends upon stabilizing forces arising from a large number of weak interactions, which are opposed by an almost equally large destabilizing force due mostly to conformational entropy. The difference between these, the net free energy of stabilization, is relatively small, equivalent to a few interactions. The enhanced stability of very stable proteins can be achieved by an additional stabilizing force which is again equivalent to only a few stabilizing interactions. There is currently no strong evidence that any particular interaction (e.g. hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions) plays a more important role in proteins that are stable at 100 °C than in those stable at 50 °C, or that the structures of very stable proteins are systematically different from those of less stable proteins. The major degradative mechanisms are deamidation of asparagine and glutamine, and succinamide formation at aspartate and glutamate leading to peptide bond hydrolysis. In addition to being temperature-dependent, these reactions are strongly dependent upon the conformational freedom of the susceptible amino acid residues. Evidence is accumulating which suggests that even at 100 °C deamidation and succinamide formation proceed slowly or not at all in conformationally intact (native) enzymes. Whether this is the case at higher temperatures is not yet clear, so it is not known whether denaturation or degradation will set the upper limit of stability for enzymes.

year: 1996

title: Intellectual Property, Mātauranga Māori

authors: Sterling, Rogena

abstract: This literature review has been conducted to consider the various national legislation and international agreements that comprise New Zealand’s Intellectual Property Rights (IP) regime. It will evaluate if and how such legislation and agreements protect and enable Māori IP rights and interests with respect to Māori data, genomic data and mātauranga Māori. The review also identifies some mechanisms that might also enhance Māori control of these types of data. The Westminster approach of legislation in New Zealand and its approach to IP protection based on Copyrights, Patents and Trade Marks are juxtaposed against traditional Maori approaches of communally held ancestral knowledge (mātauranga) passed down through generations (whanaungatanga) based on guardianship and protection (kaitiakitanga) and the self-determination of use of such knowledge (rangatiratanga). Attempting to align tikanga concepts to the Westmionster model of law is challenging as the two share completely different notions of ownership and responsibility. Expectations of protection, to prevent misappropriation and commercialisation by non- Māori of mātauranga Māori and Māori data, extend beyond the parameters of existing IP law, creates a similar disjunct. Genomic Research generates data, some of which can be protected by IP, however researchers working with genetic/genomic data from taonga species have often failed to acknowledge the non-IP interests of Maori. As a result, Maori have taken it upon themselves to advocate for their rights to data through Māori data sovereignty discourse as well as create guidelines for culturally appropriate genomic research with explicit references to data security and management (e.g. Te Mata Ira, Te Nohonga Kaitiaki). Other extra-legal options, such as Biocultural Labelling to alert users where particular data has Māori rights and/or interests, are emerging to maintain create durable provenance data and connect next users of data with the responsible Indigenous communities. Though the intellectual property regime in New Zealand may provide some protections, there are still significant areas where the legal system does not provide sufficient protections for Māori data, taonga species and mātauranga. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a framework of international support for Indigenous rights, but local government and other home-grown mechanisms are important to enable Māori governance of data. Local approaches Māori Data Sovereignty and Māori Data Governance afford Maori the opportunity to be directly involved as kaitiaki of their mātauranga and assert rangatiratanga over data and its use.

text: Intellectual Property, Mātauranga Māori This literature review has been conducted to consider the various national legislation and international agreements that comprise New Zealand’s Intellectual Property Rights (IP) regime. It will evaluate if and how such legislation and agreements protect and enable Māori IP rights and interests with respect to Māori data, genomic data and mātauranga Māori. The review also identifies some mechanisms that might also enhance Māori control of these types of data. The Westminster approach of legislation in New Zealand and its approach to IP protection based on Copyrights, Patents and Trade Marks are juxtaposed against traditional Maori approaches of communally held ancestral knowledge (mātauranga) passed down through generations (whanaungatanga) based on guardianship and protection (kaitiakitanga) and the self-determination of use of such knowledge (rangatiratanga). Attempting to align tikanga concepts to the Westmionster model of law is challenging as the two share completely different notions of ownership and responsibility. Expectations of protection, to prevent misappropriation and commercialisation by non- Māori of mātauranga Māori and Māori data, extend beyond the parameters of existing IP law, creates a similar disjunct. Genomic Research generates data, some of which can be protected by IP, however researchers working with genetic/genomic data from taonga species have often failed to acknowledge the non-IP interests of Maori. As a result, Maori have taken it upon themselves to advocate for their rights to data through Māori data sovereignty discourse as well as create guidelines for culturally appropriate genomic research with explicit references to data security and management (e.g. Te Mata Ira, Te Nohonga Kaitiaki). Other extra-legal options, such as Biocultural Labelling to alert users where particular data has Māori rights and/or interests, are emerging to maintain create durable provenance data and connect next users of data with the responsible Indigenous communities. Though the intellectual property regime in New Zealand may provide some protections, there are still significant areas where the legal system does not provide sufficient protections for Māori data, taonga species and mātauranga. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a framework of international support for Indigenous rights, but local government and other home-grown mechanisms are important to enable Māori governance of data. Local approaches Māori Data Sovereignty and Māori Data Governance afford Maori the opportunity to be directly involved as kaitiaki of their mātauranga and assert rangatiratanga over data and its use.

year: 2021