ECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP14
INTRODUCTION: Due to the risks inherent to their profession, police officers serving in tactical response unit (TRU) are expected to possess the minimum physical capacities required to meet the job’s physical demands. Identifying the physical fitness components associated with performance of job‑related tasks as well as employment‑related physical employment standards (PES) can therefore provide valuable information to guide the physical preparation of these tactical athletes. Consequently, this study’s objective was to assess the association between selected physical fitness components and performance on the ESAP‑TRU, the new PES used for the recruitment of TRU members in Quebec. METHODS: A total of 64 TRU members as well as 15 police cadets aged 20–54 years were recruited. First, participants completed the ESAP‑TRU, which includes a loaded cardiorespiratory fitness assessment and a timed obstacle course. They then completed a battery of physical tests including a shuttle run, handgrip strength assessment, standing long jump, medicine ball throw, 5‑10‑5 agility test, as well as loaded squat and loaded push‑up tests. Spearman correlations were calculated to examine relationships between the eight physical test results and ESAP‑TRU performance. Additionally, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the extent to which the physical test battery could predict ESAP‑TRU performance. RESULTS: On average, participants completed the ESAP‑TRU course in 166 seconds and reached 9.7 levels on the shuttle run test. Significant moderate correlations were found between ESAP‑TRU performance and the shuttle run test (r = −0.472, p < 0.001), loaded squats (r = −0.430, p < 0.001), 5‑10‑5 agility test (r = 0.404, p < 0.001), loaded push‑ups (r = −0.390, p < 0.001), handgrip strength (r = −0.361, p < 0.001), and medicine ball put (r = −0.300, p = 0.007). A small but significant correlation was observed between the standing long jump and ESAP‑TRU performance (r = −0.248, p = 0.027). Furthermore, multiple regression analyses indicated that ESAP‑GTI performance can be predicted from the shuttle run test, handgrip strength, medicine ball put, and loaded squats (R² = 0.428, F(4,77) = 13.66, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Data analysis demonstrated the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness and lower‑body muscular endurance under loaded conditions in meeting the physical job standards required of TRU members. These physical qualities should, therefore, be prioritized in the physical preparation of current TRU officers as well as candidates aspiring to join these units.
Read CV Meghan GarceauECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP14
INTRODUCTION: Although self-talk has been widely used as a psychological skill to facilitate motor performance, it remains unclear whether the effectiveness of different types of self-talk depends on task difficulty, particularly in precision sport tasks (e.g., golf). In addition, limited evidence has examined whether instructional self-talk and motivational self-talk have differential benefits when movement accuracy demands are increased. Therefore, this pilot study aimed to examine whether task difficulty moderates the effects of instructional and motivational self-talk on golf putting performance. METHODS: Twelve skilled golfers were recruited and randomly assigned to a control group, an instructional self-talk group, or a motivational self-talk group. All participants met standard neurological and behavioral inclusion criteria and the study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (REC: 202411HM042). Participants performed a golf putting task under two levels of task difficulty, defined as an easy condition (target success rate of approximately 90–100%) and a difficult condition (target success rate of approximately 40–50%), following a counterbalanced order. In each condition, participants executed 30 putts. Instructional self-talk group focused on movement-related cues (e.g., aiming at the target, focusing on ball trajectory and clubface, and relaxed movement), whereas motivational self-talk group consisted of general motivational phrases (e.g., “I can do it”, “come on”). Putting accuracy was indexed by mean radial error (MRE). Performance was analyzed using a 3 (Group: control, instructional, motivational) × 2 (Task difficulty: easy, difficult) mixed-model ANOVA. RESULTS: Preliminary results indicated that instructional self-talk was associated with lower MRE during the difficult putting condition, whereas motivational self-talk showed only modest improvement and the control group exhibited a tendency toward performance decline. In contrast, MRE values were no significant difference across groups in the easy condition. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that instructional self-talk may be more beneficial than motivational self-talk when task demands are high in fine-motor performance. These preliminary findings are consistent with attention-control and psychomotor efficiency accounts, indicating that task-relevant movement cues may help performers allocate cognitive resources more efficiently and maintain execution accuracy under increased difficulty. Ongoing data collection with a larger sample will further clarify the robustness of this moderating effect of task difficulty.
Read CV Kuo-Pin WangECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP14
INTRODUCTION: Training volume (TV) and frequency (TF) among female bodybuilders increased over recent decades, requiring more individualized and category-specific approaches to hypertrophy (1). Despite the growing visibility of female bodybuilding, scientific evidences how TV differs across competitive categories and preparation phases, particularly off-season and pre-contest, remains limited. Aesthetic criteria, muscular symmetry and regional development vary among divisions, directly influencing TV and TF. PURPOSE: Compare weekly strength TV by muscle group among female bodybuilding athletes from off-season to pre-contest phases. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study was conducted with thirty-five female athletes from different federations (IFBB-SP, SPFF, NPC, and others) competing in Wellness (WL), Bikini (BK), Women’s Physique (WP), and Figure (FG) categories. Participants completed a questionnaire with: (a) competitive category; (b) training session structure; (c) types and number of exercises; (d) number of sets; (e) TV per exercise and per muscle group (MG); (f) weekly TF per MG; and (g) frequency and duration of cardiorespiratory training. Data were analyzed (mean ± SD and median); Normality was assessed (Shapiro–Wilk test). Groups comparisons (Wilcoxon and Kruskal–Wallis tests), and post hoc Nemenyi analysis when applicable (α = 0.05). Effect size and statistical power (80%, df = 4) were calculated (R software;v. 3.6.0). RESULTS: Gluteal and quadriceps MG were the most TF across categories. WL athletes, gluteal TV remained unchanged between phases (Δ0%), whereas WP showed increase during pre-contest (Δ63.64%); BK showed substantial reduction (Δ−51.61%); WP demonstrated increases in TV (gluteal;Δ63.64%), quadriceps (Δ76.47%), and abdominal (Δ300%) MG. BK showed stability (<Δ7%) in upper-body TV, except deltoids (Δ100%), paravertebral muscles (Δ60%), and abdominals (Δ25%). WL exhibited the greatest stability across phases for lower limbs, abdominals, paravertebral muscles, with the highest variation in the triceps surae (Δ8.33%). BK and WL presented the lowest TV (biceps; triceps), with reductions across both phases. Cardiorespiratory training, BK increased TF (Δ75%) and session duration (Δ50%) (p=0.04). WL maintained high TF with individual increases in duration, while WP doubled session duration during pre-contest (Δ100%). CONCLUSION: WP exhibited the most pronounced increases in resistance-TV, reflecting greater muscular and aesthetic demands. WL demonstrated more balanced and consistent training patterns. Category-specific differences in TV were observed according to preparation period and MG. Most categories increased resistance-TV and cardiovascular workload during pre-contest, with weekly TF generally consistent with literature (1–2 sessions per muscle group per week). These findings highlight the importance of longitudinal monitoring to optimize performance and support evidence-based periodization in female bodybuilding.
Read CV THIAGO SILVEIRAECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP14