Bachelor of Science (Sport Science and Management)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between antisocial behaviour on team performance in youth sports, the potential implication of its relationship (or lack thereof), and any other potential relationship between moral behaviour and team successes in youth sports. Methods: Data was collected from 200 participants (aged 13 to 19) of youth sports team through a questionnaire consisting of the Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour in Sport Scale (PABSS), and their team record. Results: Bivariate analyses indicated a negative relationship between antisocial behaviour towards teammates (r = - 0.39, p < 0.01) and performance with medium effect size, and a negative relationship between Antisocial Behaviour towards opponents (r = - 0.32, p < 0.01) and performance with medium effect size. However, no relationship were found with prosocial behaviour towards teammates (r = - 0.01, p > 0.05) and performance, and between prosocial behaviour towards opponents (r = - 0.01, p > 0.05) and performance. Conclusion: Coaches should not associate team performance with antisocial behaviour, nor emphasize performance climates which promotes antisocial behaviour, but promote mastery orientation climates for better team performances.

Background: Though mechanisms, risk factors and intervention programmes of non-contact ACL injury have been identified, elite netballers still find themselves highly susceptible to this injury. The footwork rule in netball that could potentially alter or restrict certain movements that may increase risk of non-contact ACL injury, is possibly understudied. Purpose: The purpose this study is to use kinematic analysis to determine if footwork rule in netball increases knee valgus and the risk of non-contact ACL injury in competitive netballers. Methods: A randomised crossover study design was adopted to obtain results from sixteen female competitive netball players aged 21-35 years old. Each participant performed two different one-foot landing conditions (legal and illegal) on their dominant leg. The data of knee valgus angles in participants was collected using a high-speed video camera at 240Hz and analysed using Kinovea software. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics and one-way repeated measures ANOVA, to determine any differences in knee valgus angles between the different landing conditions. Results: 1 set of participant data was excluded from the study due to incomplete collection. Findings from fifteen competitive netballers showed no significant differences (P > .05) in knee valgus angles between the legal netball landing and illegal netball landing. The legal landing scenario generally displayed lower mean knee valgus angles than in the illegal landing scenario. Conclusions: The data clearly showed no significant advantage in allowing extra steps (illegal landing) to be taken during landing. The footwork rule in netball does not increase knee valgus and risk of ACL injury in competitive netballers. Keywords: ACL, Injury, Sports, Netball, Footwork, Knee Valgus, Kinematics.

Background: Research has shown that lower functional Hamstring-to-Quadriceps (Hecc:Qcon) increases the risk of hamstring and knee related injuries. Long-term methods such as plyometric training can increase hamstring strength. However, short-term measures are needed for immediate improvements. Kinesiotape (KT) can provide that option, as research has shown its effects on muscle strength. Aim: To investigate effects of KT on effect of Hecc:Qcon ratio and on functional muscle performance. Methods: 11 female soccer players underwent 1 pre-test and 2 post test, 2 hours and 48 hours after KT application on their non-dominant leg, in a within-subject repeated measures study design. They had to be free from injuries in the past 6 months and have a Hecc:Qcon ratio at 180°/s less than 0.96 on the non-dominant leg. 4 dependent variables were measured, Hecc:Qcon ratio at 180°/s and 240°/s, the maximum distance for the single-leg triple hop jump (THJ) and the maximum height for the double-leg countermovement jump. Results: Significance was only observed in the Hecc:Qcon ratio at 240°/s, with an initial increase in the leg with KT and a drop in the leg without KT (p=0.010). It decreased further in the leg without KT after 48 hours. Conclusion: It may be possible that KT assists in acute recovery, allowing continued optimal performance. It also helps with recovery after eccentric workload, reducing the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness. KT seems to be able stimulate the muscles and increase activity, resulting in slight increase in performance. Keywords: Kinesiotape, Hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio, strength, recovery

PURPOSE: This study examined 1-large or 2-smaller isocaloric meals, with and without exercise on postprandial lipaemia (PPL), a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. These findings can contribute to public health recommendations. METHODS: Nine young, healthy, sedentary Asian males underwent four 2-day trials: walking with 1-large meal (EX-1); Rest with 1-large meal (CON-1); Walking with 2-smaller meals (EX-2); Rest with 2-smaller meals (CON-2), in a randomized repeated measures design. Day-1 evenings consisted of the exercise or rest. On day-2 mornings, venous blood triacylglycerol concentrations were measured fasting and 7-hours postprandially, after consuming 1-large or 2-smaller high-fat meals (1.21 g fat, 0.62 g carbohydrate, 0.29 g protein and 14.5 kcal/kg/bodymass). We hypothesised PPL will be lowest with EX-2 < EX-1 < CON-2 < CON-1. RESULTS: Although there were no significant differences among trials (p = .119), the Incremental area under the TAG concentration-against-time curve for CON-2 (6.62 ± 4.96 mmol.7h.L-1), EX-1 (6.60 ± 4.04 mmol/7h.L) and EX-2 (6.14 ± 3.42 mmol/7h.L) were 26.9%, 27.1% and 32.1% lower respectively, than the CON-1 trial (9.05 ± 7.91 mmol/7h.L). (Data are mean ±SD). There were no significant differences in TAG response pattern among trials (trial × time interaction, p = .092). CONCLUSION: Overall data trends suggest that, with higher statistical power, increased meal frequency alone may lower PPL to a meaningful extent. There was negligible synergistic effect of exercise with meal frequency. Future laboratory efficacy and effectiveness studies using various meal compositions are required in different populations with different activity patterns. KEYWORDS: cardiovascular disease, postprandial lipaemia, triacylglycerol, exercise, meal frequency, diet

The block/sprint start is an important component of sprint race performance in athletics. Improving sprint start biomechanics (SSB) and thus performance would result in faster race timings. Athletes tend to be overwhelmed when coaches do not communicate effectively and tell them to make many corrections. Simply changing an athlete’s visual gaze location (VGL) could be an alternative method to improve SSB. This study explored how changing an athlete’s VGL would affect his SSB. It was hypothesized that changing an athlete’s VGL would change his SSB. 5 male competitive sprinters were recruited to perform randomly sequenced block start (BS) trials looking at different locations in the set position. Three-dimensional (3D) motion analyses coupled with force platforms captured data modelled using the University of Western Australia (UWA) lower limb model and marker set to identify BS kinematics and kinetics of the push-off and first step. An eye-tracker quantitatively measured participants’ VGL. A change in VGL, when looking further, resulted in large effect decreases in participants’ pelvis heights from the ground in the set position, increases in pelvis horizontal velocities in the first step landing contact position and decreases in horizontal and vertical braking forces in the first step landing phase. There were also decreases in horizontal propulsion force and increases in vertical propulsion force in the first step push-off phase. The findings suggest that a change in VGL resulted in some SSB changes. Put together, changing an athlete’s VGL could be an alternative method to effecting change in BS technique.