Overcoming adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal stability of psychosocial resource profiles of elite athletes and their association with perceived stress

Previous research has demonstrated that psychosocial resources are associated with elite athletes' perceived stress. However, these resources have mainly been studied separately. Using a person-oriented approach, this study aimed to identify meaningful profiles of athletes' psychosocial resources, their stability over time, and their relationship with perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. To identify such patterns, separate latent profile analyses (LPA) at two measurement points T1 (June 2020) and T2 (March 2021) and a subsequent latent transition analysis (LTA) were conducted with athletic identity, resilience, perceived social support, and self-esteem for a sample of 373 Swiss elite athletes. Perceived stress was analyzed at and between T1 and T2 with a mixed-design ANOVA. For LPA, theoretical considerations and statistical criteria led to a solution of four profiles: (1) Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources (nT1 = 235; nT2 = 240), (2) Below-Average Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Resources (nT1 = 84; nT2 = 90), (3) Variable Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Clearly Below-Average External Resources (nT1 = 14; nT2 = 7), and (4) Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Above-Average External Resources (nT1 = 40; nT2 = 36). For LTA, both structural and individual stability was demonstrated. A large and significant main effect of perceived stress was observed for resource profiles, while there was no significant main effect for measurement point nor interaction effect. Direct comparisons revealed that Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources perceived significantly less stress than the other profiles at both time points. In conclusion, regardless of psychosocial resource profile, the perceived stress of elite athletes was stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, but exhibiting a pattern with high psychosocial resources seems to buffer against stress compared to a lack of specific resources. Therefore, sport federations and practitioners should provide tailored support programs to help athletes build all these resources.

Closing a chapter? A protocol for a longitudinal mixed methods study on retirement from elite sport

Retirement from elite sport represents a major life transition for athletes and requires them to redefine their central life projects, identities, and perhaps even sources of meaning in life. Although an extensive body of literature has identified risk and protective factors in career termination, little is known about the more subjective processes and individual pathways of athletes as they establish their new relationship with work-life and sport. The planned longitudinal mixed methods study follows Swiss elite athletes' transition with a focus on understanding (1) the relationship between psychological resources, life situations at the end of the sports career, and the retirement process; (2) how athletes' post-retirement vocational careers interact with their subjective careers and sense of meaningful work; (3) how athletes reconstruct their identities and relationship with sport over time; and (4) how gender shapes athletes' pathways and reorientation of their life design.Using a person-oriented approach combined with narrative inquiry, we expect to identify specific types and stories which demonstrate individual differences in career and personal development throughout the transitional period, an understanding of which can be targeted towards support programmes for retiring elite athletes. As the study centralises dimensions of positive psychological functioning (meaning and purpose in life/sport/work, resilience, life satisfaction), it complements previous studies focused on psychological distress and provides much needed knowledge that can be used to foster well-being in athletic retirement. Collaborating with the Swiss Olympic Association helps to ensure that the research findings will be disseminated to relevant end-users and used towards developing socially sustainable elite sport for the future generations.

The road to excellence in women's football: a retrospective cohort study over the last 30 years with Swiss national players

OBJECTIVES

This study examines the training (age at club entry, hours in club practice, free play, other sports) and environmental characteristics (popularity, media coverage, school and parental support) influencing the development of female Swiss national team players in elite football over a three-decade period.

METHODS

A retrospective questionnaire was completed by 84 participants, who were divided into three cohorts based on their first game with the Swiss national team (C1 = until 2000, n = 24; C2 = 2001-2010, n = 29; C3 = 2011-2022, n = 31). ANOVAs were employed to compare the cohorts regarding training and environmental variables.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrate better perceived environmental conditions, stagnating volume of free play and other sports in childhood, decreasing age at club entry, and increasing club practice and total training volume across cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Practical implications highlight talent development avenues in unstructured settings during free time and in the micro-structure of club practice.

Retirement from elite sport and self-esteem: a longitudinal study over 12 years

This study examined the complex associations between athletic retirement and self-esteem among former elite athletes. With reference to theoretical and empirical work on the quality of the transition out of sport, information was collected from 290 (junior) elite athletes in a retrospective-prospective design: at the first measurement, active athletes assessed satisfaction with their sporting career, athletic identity, and self-esteem. At the second measurement (12  years later), the now former athletes rated transition characteristics of their career ending, sporting career success, emotional reactions to career termination, extent of necessary adjustment required following athletic retirement, duration and quality of adjustment, and self-esteem. Structural equation modelling revealed that neither sporting career success nor sporting career satisfaction had a direct effect on adjustment. However, athletic identity and retirement planning predicted the extent of adjustment, which in turn predicted the duration and quality of adjustment, and ultimately self-esteem. Voluntariness, timeliness, and perceptions of gain predicted emotional reactions towards career termination, which also predicted the duration of adjustment. Extent of adjustment and emotional reactions mediated between preconditions of career termination and transition characteristics and self-esteem. While self-esteem after career termination was predominantly predicted by self-esteem 12  years earlier, perceived quality of adjustment to career termination had a significant effect on self-esteem in the post-athletic career. These results complement existing literature illustrating that athletic retirement is a complex and dynamic process and the quality of this transition has a small, but still noteworthy effect on self-esteem, a central construct for well-being.

More Success With the Optimal Motivational Pattern? A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Young Athletes in Individual Sports

It is widely recognized that motivation is an important determinant for a successful sports career. Specific patterns of motivational constructs have recently demonstrated promising associations with future success in team sports like football and ice hockey. The present study scrutinizes whether those patterns also exist in individual sports and whether they are able to predict future performance levels. A sample of 155 young individual athletes completed questionnaires assessing achievement goal orientations, achievement motives, and self-determination at t₁. The person-oriented method linking of clusters after removal of a residue (LICUR) was used to form clusters based on these motivational constructs in order to analyze the relations between these clusters and the performance level 2.5 years later (t₂). Similar to the studies in team sports, four motivational patterns were observed at t₁. The highly intrinsically achievement-oriented athletes were much more likely to compete internationally [odds ratio (OR) = 2.12], compared to the failure-fearing athletes (OR = 0.29). Although team and individual sports differ in many respects, they nevertheless are characterized by similar and thus generalizable career-promoting motivational profiles: Regardless of the type of sport, the highly intrinsically achievement-oriented athletes consistently have the best potential for success.

Achievement-Motivated Behavior in Individual Sports: Evidence for the Construct and Criterion Validity of the AMBIS-I Coach-Rating Scale

The coach-rating scale for Achievement-Motivated Behavior in Individual Sports (AMBIS-I) was constructed to measure achievement motivation, not from athletes' own views but from coaches' perspectives. The tool was already checked for reliability as well as content, factorial, and concurrent criterion validity (Zuber and Conzelmann, 2019). To further establish construct and criterion validity, two different samples were involved. Sample 1 included 67 experienced coaches rating their 278 athletes on the three AMBIS-I dimensions proactivity, ambition and commitment. In sample 2, 157 athletes completed self-report questionnaires measuring motivational and volitional concepts. Congruent and discriminant construct validity were assessed using the QCV-procedure (Westen and Rosenthal, 2003) by comparing experts' predicted and empirically observed correlations between the coaches' ratings on the AMBIS-I with the self-ratings of validated instruments. Consistent with theoretical expectations, achievement goal orientations, self-determination and self-optimization show significant positive relationships to the AMBIS-I scales, the negatively formulated volitional concepts, negative ones. As indicated by the 0.87 ≤ r_alerting-CV ≤ 0.95, the general patterns of the expert's predictions triangulate consistently with the observed correlations. The findings concerning absolute agreement were mixed. Even though the ICCs suggest sufficient to good consistency, the values of r_contrast-CV are considerably lower. To indicate criterion validity, AMBIS-I display medium to large correlations with the actual performance level estimated by the coaches and small to medium correlations with the assigned potential for subsequent success one year later. In summary, we found solid indications, that AMBIS-I is a valid measure of achievement-motivated behavior in individual sports from coaches' perspective.

Emissions from corrosion protection systems of offshore wind farms: Evaluation of the potential impact on the marine environment

Offshore wind energy is a fast growing sector of renewable energies worldwide. This will change the marine environment and thus, a wide range of environmental impacts of offshore wind farms are subject of current research. Here we present an overview about chemical emissions from corrosion protection systems, discuss their relevance and potential impact to the marine environment, and suggest strategies to reduce their emissions. Corrosion is a general problem for offshore infrastructures and corrosion protection systems are necessary to maintain the structural integrity. These systems are often in direct contact with seawater and have different potentials for emissions, e.g. galvanic anodes emitting substantial amounts of metals. Organic coatings may release organic substances due to weathering and/or leaching. Current assumptions suggesting a low environmental impact, but monitoring data is not sufficient to assess the environmental impact of this new source.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor reduces simvastatin-induced bone morphogenetic protein-2 and bone formation in vivo

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, also stimulates oral bone growth when applied topically, without systemic side-effects. However, the mechanisms involved in vivo are not known. We hypothesized that bone morphogenetic protein-2, nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 are involved, based on prior in vitro evidence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A rat bilateral mandible model, where 0.5 mg of simvastatin in methylcellulose gel was placed on one side and gel alone on the other, was used to quantify nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase-2 and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (via tissue extraction, enzyme activity or immunoassay), and to analyze the bone formation rate (via undecalcified histomorphometry). Cyclooxygenase-2 and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors (NS-398 and L-NAME, respectively) were administered intraperitoneally.

RESULTS

Simvastatin was found to stimulate local bone morphogenetic protein-2, nitric oxide and the regional bone formation rate (p < 0.05), whereas NS-398 inhibited bone morphogenetic protein-2 and reduced the bone formation rate (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest an association between simvastatin-induced bone morphogenetic protein-2 and bone formation in the mandibular microenvironment, and the negative effect of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on bone growth.

Stress potentiation of morphine-induced dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens shell is dependent upon stressor uncontrollability and is mediated by the dorsal raphe nucleus

A single session of uncontrollable (inescapable tailshock, IS), but not controllable (escapable tailshock, ES), stress is known to selectively potentiate subsequent morphine-conditioned place preference in a dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotonin (5-HT) dependent manner. Here, in vivo microdialysis is used to test the hypothesis that prior IS, but not ES, will potentiate morphine-induced dopamine (DA) efflux in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and that this will occur by a pathway involving DRN 5-HT neurons. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to yoked IS, ES, or no stress. Twenty-four hours later, morphine (3 mg/kg s.c.) or saline was administered during microdialysis. As predicted, prior IS selectively potentiated morphine-induced DA, but not 5-HT, efflux in the NAc. This potentiation was due to morphine's action in the DRN because it was blocked by intra-DRN microinjection of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (10 microg). IS potentiation of morphine-induced DA efflux in the NAc was also dependent upon activation of 5-HT neurons in the DRN because it was blocked by intra-DRN microinjection of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-di-n-(propylamino)-tetralin (1 microg). No effect of IS was found on morphine-induced 5-HT or DA efflux in the ventral tegmental area. These results suggest a neural substrate for stress potentiation of morphine reward involving 5-HT neurotransmission in the DRN.

Bone turnover markers in serum and periodontal microenvironments

BACKGROUND

Periodontitis is characterized by altered bone turnover, but local measurements are difficult.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to develop a method to measure multiple markers of bone turnover from single samples collected at various bone surfaces of the periodontium, and to test the ratios of these markers against more traditional serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen subjects with untreated periodontitis were recruited for sampling serum, GCF (from sites > or = 5 mm probing depth that bled on probing) and washes of periodontal bone surfaces (adjacent interproximal, vestibular cortical and trabecular bone) with a novel irrigating device. All samples were analyzed for osteocalcin (OC, bone turnover marker; RIA), cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx, bone resorption marker; ELISA) and albumin (Alb, serum protein; ELISA). Results were reported as ratios: OC/NTx to determine relative bone turnover, and OC/Alb or NTx/Alb to determine local OC or NTx production.

RESULTS

The OC/NTx ratio was significantly higher (p < or = 0.05) in serum vs. GCF (OC undetectable), interproximal bone and cortical vestibular bone, but significantly lower than in trabecular vestibular bone. The OC/Alb ratio for serum was also statistically lower than for vestibular trabecular bone. The NTx/Alb ratio for serum was statistically lower than for GCF and all the bone wash test sites. The results indicated considerable local production of both OC and NTx.

CONCLUSIONS

This system demonstrated that multiple markers of bone turnover can be harvested by irrigation from periodontal bone microenvironments. Bone turnover profiles from periodontal bone surfaces and GCF differed from systemic bone turnover profiles (serum) and may be valuable in tracking site-specific responses to disease or treatment.

Effects of locally-delivered human macrophage products and estrogen on murine inflammatory bone resorption

The objective of this study was to use an in vivo model of periodontitis (mouse calvaria) to quantify the effects of local release of secreted human macrophage products, 17beta-estradiol (E2), and proinflammatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on histologic bone resorption. Human THP-1 monocytes (106) were converted to macrophage phenotype by 500 ng/ml phorbol 12-myristate- 13-acetate (PMA) and treated as follows: no stimulation or Escherichia coli LPS (10 microg/ml) alone or in combination with a physiologic dose of E2 (100 pg/ml) for 24 h in RPMI/10% FBS, washed extensively, then incubated for 24 h in serum-free media. Supernatant products were concentrated and incorporated into a 4% (w/v) methylcellulose gel. Separate gels were incorporated with the following: LPS (500 microg/animal) alone, high dose of E2 (10 ng/animal) alone, a combination of LPS + E2, or gel only (controls). Loaded or control gels were placed into a polylactic acid occlusive dome, inserted subcutaneously over the calvaria of mature ovariectomized ICR Swiss mice (8 mice x 7 groups x 2 times [5/14 days] = 112 animals), then calvaria were evaluated histologically. Macrophage stimulation with LPS alone, but not LPS in combination with E2, produced supernatants which upregulated osteoclast numbers in the suture area compared to gel controls at 5 days (p = 0.009). The addition of LPS directly to the local delivery gels significantly upregulated osteoclasts in endosteal surfaces compared to gel controls at 5 days (p = 0.024) and at 14 days (p = 0.025). The addition of E2 to LPS down-regulated resorption to a level not different from gel controls at 14 days. This in vivo model appears effective in studying inflammatory bone resorption, which may be inhibited by E2 directly or through its influence on secreted macrophage products.

Effects of nicotine withdrawal on central dopaminergic systems

The behavioral and neurochemical manifestations in rats 24 h following the cessation of 14-day nicotine administration were investigated. Animals were implanted subcutaneously with osmotic minipumps which continuously released either saline or nicotine (1.5 mg/kg/day or 3.0 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. After the animals were withdrawn from nicotine for 24 h, we observed a significant decrease of locomotor activities and a reduction of dopamine contents in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. Nicotine withdrawal did not affect the body weight, food, or water consumption, and no deficit in the acquisition of a conditioned avoidance task was found in these animals. In addition, nicotine withdrawal did not alter the density or the binding affinity (Kd) of ligands to D1 and D2 receptors in the striatum. Although nicotine withdrawal did not alter the density or binding affinity of ligands to D1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, the maximum number of D2 receptor sites were reduced by nicotine treatment. These results offer possible neurochemical mechanisms for changes of locomotor activity which occurred in rats during nicotine abstinence.