Mr Price recently moved from Western Australia where he completed his Exercise Science Undergraduate and Honours degrees while working with both men’s and women’s teams in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL). Continuing on from Jake Jennings, who is set to submit his PhD thesis in the coming weeks, Lachlan will spend the next three years embedded in the La Trobe University Bendigo Pioneers team conducting research and improving player performance.

“I’m excited to work within the AFL Victoria system and the Coates Talent League. Some of Australia’s best AFL talent is being produced here along with some of the best coaches and medical teams”.

“I’m interested in learning more around how our physical and technical training approaches can influence performance, but also how they can improve development”.

PhD supervisor, Associate Brett Gordon, said La Trobe University in Bendigo is looking forward to strengthening its relationship with the Pioneers throughout the course of this PhD.

“We observed such great benefits for both organisations with the previous industry funded PhD, which saw Jake Jennings embedded with the Bendigo Pioneers for three years. We can only anticipate similar outcomes with Lachlan as we look to extend the work previously started”.

The Coates Talent League is the country’s premiere under-18 Australian rules football competition.

The post WELCOME LACHLAN PRICE appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

Aims and Objectives

The first objective of Hugo’s PhD thesis is to comprehensively review the existing literature on methods and instruments used to identify barriers and facilitators to exercise-based rehabilitation in people with musculoskeletal conditions. By examining the current landscape of research, Hugo hopes to gain insights into the most effective ways to identify these crucial factors.

The second aim of Hugo’s research is to identify the barriers and facilitators that impact individual adherence to exercise-based rehabilitation programs. By analyzing the literature, Hugo will shed light on the multitude of factors that can either hinder or enhance an individual’s ability to commit to a rehabilitation regimen.

To gather first-hand data, Hugo plans to conduct a survey informed by the Theoretical Domain Framework. This survey will investigate the specific barriers and facilitators that individuals with knee or hip osteoarthritis face in adhering to exercise-based rehabilitation. By including participants from both metropolitan and regional/rural areas, Hugo aims to capture a diverse range of experiences and challenges.

With the insights gained from the survey, Hugo will then conduct a feasibility study. This study will explore the practicality of implementing a telehealth intervention based on motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy (MI-CBT) strategies. By integrating these evidence-based techniques into a telehealth framework, he hopes to minimize the identified barriers and enhance the facilitators, thereby improving adherence to exercise-based rehabilitation.

Are you an individual living with hip or knee osteoarthritis?

Your input and experiences are invaluable to Hugo’s research! We invite you to participate in a survey designed to identify barriers and facilitators to exercise-based rehabilitation in people with musculoskeletal conditions.

By completing this survey, you will not only contribute to scientific knowledge but also potentially pave the way for future improvements in the management of hip/knee osteoarthritis. Your insights and experiences could directly impact the development of strategies to overcome barriers and enhance facilitators, ultimately improving adherence to exercise-based rehabilitation.

To participate in the survey, please click on the following link: https://redcap.link/BarriersFacilitatorsSM

Your participation is completely voluntary, and all responses will be kept confidential. The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

The post Spotlight on HRI Research: Osteoarthritis appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

# How does sport participation contribute to total physical activity, health, function and wellbeing in regional Victoria?

# The effect of endurance exercise on cardiovascular function and movement efficiency in community level cycling

# Efficacy of e-Bike use for improving health and function

Efficacy of e-Bike use for improving health and function

The benefits of active travel, and cycling, on health have been well researched with a recent systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrating the lowest risk of CVD mortality with 130 minutes per week of cycling at an average, self-selected pace (Zhao et al., 2021). In terms of e-biking, studies have reported that e-biking enables people to achieve moderate levels of physical activity (Sperlich et al., 2012) in addition to reducing travel time when compared to push bikes (Fishman & Cherry, 2016) however, the impacts on health are less clear.

Led by Dr Rodrigo Bini, the E-biking for Human Health project incorporates three individual studies that aim to assess the efficacy of e-bike use for improving health and function in sedentary people. The project consists of an observational study identifying if current health and functional status impacts e-bike uptake in sedentary people as well as an intervention study that will assess changes in physical fitness following a short, unsupervised e-bike aerobic training program. A final randomised control study will build on these research outcomes by comparing the differences between e-bikes, walking and education in health and fitness outcomes of sedentary people.

Progress

Three e-bikes were purchased by the Holsworth Research Initiative for the project in mid-2022. This enabled pilot trials to commence followed by participant recruitment and subsequent data collection. Participants were required to attend La Trobe University Bendigo campus for physical fitness and health assessments as well as a series of familiarity trials before being provided with an e-bike for use for a period of four weeks. Data collection is almost complete with the remaining three participants currently completing their four-week block of unsupervised aerobic training. Following this, analysis of the data will take place and a draft manuscript will be prepared. The expected project completion date for both study one and two is January 2024. The final study in the E-biking for Human Health project is contingent on external funding with a projected start date of January 2024.

We are so pleased to be contributing to the literature on e-biking for human health and can’t wait to report on the findings of these studies in 2024.

Zhao, Y., Hu, F., Feng, Y., Yang, X., Li, Y., Guo, C., … & Hu, D. (2021). Association of Cycling with Risk of All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Sports Medicine, 51, 1439-1448.

Fishman, E., and C. Cherry. 2016. E-bikes in the Mainstream: Reviewing a Decade of Research. Transport Reviews 36: 72–91.

Sperlich, B., C. Zinner, K. Hebert-Losier, D.P. Born, and H.C. Holmberg. 2012. Biomechanical, Cardiorespiratory, Metabolic and Perceived Responses to Electrically Assisted Cycling. European Journal of Applied Physiology 112: 4015–4025.

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The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

Part 3: Dr Emma Macdonald, Allied Health Education & Research Manager, Goulburn Valley Health

Part Three of our Where Are They Now blog series features Dr Emma Macdonald, a former PhD student of the HRI and the current Allied Health Education & Research Manager at Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.

Dr Macdonald is one of our most recent graduates, with her PhD conferred in 2022. Supervised by HRI Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and La Trobe University Senior Lecturer, Dr Byron Perrin, Dr Macdonald completed her PhD part time while working full time across a number of roles and raising a young family. To add to what would have been an already challenging task, Dr Macdonald also completed her studies remotely, engaging with her supervisory team predominantly via video conferencing. Dr Macdonald credits her supervisory team with providing the support and structure that enabled her to meet her obligations to her employers and family while also being successful in her research journey.

Mobile health foot monitoring technology

Dr Macdonald and her team investigated the adoption of mobile health foot monitoring technology in people with diabetes-related foot disease. The submitted thesis consisted of a series of four studies.

Enablers and barriers to using two-way information technology to manage diabetes in adults: a descriptive systematic review.

Factors influencing behavioural intention to use a smart shoe insole in regionally based adults with diabetes: a mixed methods study.

Factors influencing Australian podiatrists’ behavioural intentions to adopt a smart insole into clinical practice: a mixed methods study

Podiatrist-delivered health coaching to facilitate the use of a smart insole to support foot health monitoring in people with diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy: a feasibility study

An initial systematic review helped Dr Macdonald and her team to identify the barriers that people face in using technology to support the management of diabetes-related foot disease. Numerous barriers were identified leading Dr Macdonald to conclude that any technology presented as a management option should be automated, streamlined, mobile and low cost. Prior to designing a follow-up intervention study, Dr Macdonald investigated the behavioural intention of both adults with diabetes-related foot disease and podiatrists in the Goulburn Valley area to adopting smart insole technology as an option to support the management of diabetes. Using a mixed-methods design, Dr Macdonald found that several psychosocial factors influenced the behaviour intention of adults with diabetes including attitude, self-efficacy, performance expectancy and effort expectancy. In terms of adopting the smart insole into clinical practice, the most important psychosocial factor that predicted behavioural intention of regional podiatrists was device efficacy. Using this knowledge, Dr Macdonald designed a podiatrist-led intervention study to support the adoption of smart insole technology for regionally based adults living with diabetes-related foot disease.

In what demonstrates the impact and reach of Dr Macdonald’s research, the systematic review that identified barriers to using technology in diabetes-related foot disease management has been cited in the 2022 National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support. These standards are revised every five years by an expert panel and provide guidance and an evidence base for all diabetes self-management education and support services.

Maintaining a rural focus

Dr Macdonald completed her PhD in the Goulburn Valley, recruiting participants for her research from this same region. She has opted to remain here, retaining the rural focus of her studies, and allowing the Goulburn Valley to benefit from her research knowledge and expertise.

Upon completion of her PhD, Dr Macdonald worked in clinical practice as a senior podiatrist before moving across to Goulburn Valley Health where she took on the task of Allied Health Research Knowledge Translation Lead. Dr Macdonald now manages this department as the Allied Health Education & Research Manager where she is the intermediary between clinical practice and research. In addition to this, Dr Macdonald is also undertaking further study with a Graduate Diploma in Health Management. When asked about her future career aspirations, Dr Macdonald stated that she plans on continuing to engage in research that leads to the prevention of lower limb ulceration and amputation in people living with diabetes as well as continuing to use her research skills to support allied health staff to engage in research.

Keep an eye on your inbox next Monday for Part four of our 8-part blog series. We will be following up with Dr Stephen Barrett, Allied Health Research & Knowledge Translation Lead at Bendigo Health.

Missed our previous posts in this series? Read them at the HRI blog using the links below and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest HRI news.

Bendigo local GP Dr Stephen Bovalino

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Mid-Sweden University Dr Craig Staunton

The post Dr Emma Macdonald appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

Recent research published by HRI affiliated researcher, Miss Jodie Palmer, has found that maintaining high levels of exercise intensity in professional and semi-professional basketball matches assists in reducing the chance that an opposing team will engage in a scoring streak (when a team scores three times in a row). To maximise the probability of a scoring streak themselves, the findings suggest that a team should aim to shoot more 2-point shots, at a 3:1 2-point to 3-point ratio.

Partnership with the Bendigo Basketball Association

This research formed part of Miss Palmer’s PhD which was supervised by HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley and HRI Stream Leads Dr Rodrigo Bini and Dr Daniel Wundersitz. The research was made possible due to the collaborative partnership between the Bendigo Basketball Association and La Trobe University, whereby Miss Palmer was embedded within the Bendigo Braves and Bendigo Spirit teams as the High Performance Manager throughout her studies. This enabled Miss Palmer to both offer High Performance services to the Bendigo Braves and Bendigo Spirit teams and collect the data required to fulfil the requirements of her degree.

Using novel methods to identify activity intensity

Miss Palmers research was unique in that it utilised a novel method of identifying activity intensity during basketball game-play. The method known as accelerometry-derived net force or AvFNet was previously validated by Dr Craig Staunton, a former PhD Candidate for the HRI. Additionally, although previous research has investigated individual-based scoring streaks or so called ‘hot hand’, Miss Palmers research was the first to determine the technical and physical activity factors that contribute to team-based scoring streaks in semi-professional and professional basketball.

You can access the full article here. If you find Miss Palmers research particularly interesting, be sure to subscribe to the HRI newsletter to receive the new 8-part blog series celebrating the success of our past HRI graduates, including Miss Palmer.

The post Maximising the probability of scoring streaks in professional basketball appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The HRI Director and Stream Leaders have had the privilege of supervising a number of higher degree by research students since the Holsworth Research Initiative began in 2019. These students now work across a broad range of industries including academia, applied sports science and clinical practice.

In this new series, we will update our subscribers on where our past HDR students are now and how their research degree with the La Trobe Health School and the Holsworth Research Initiative helped shape their career.

The Holsworth Research Initiative are incredibly proud of the students we supervise to completion and look forward to highlighting their success in this 8-part blog series.

Part 1: Dr Stephen Bovalino, General Practitioner, Bendigo Primary Care Centre

Part 2: Dr Craig Staunton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mid Sweden University

Part 3: Dr Emma Macdonald, Allied Health Education & Research Manager, Goulburn Valley Health

Part 4: Dr Stephen Barrett, Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead, Bendigo Health

Part 5: Miss Jodie Palmer, High Performance Manager, Old Scotch Football Club

The post New HRI blog series ‘Where Are They Now?’ appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

This study was made possible as a result of funding received from the Holsworth Research Initiative Small Grant Scheme. Holsworth Research Initiative Stream Leaders Associate Professor Brett Gordon and Dr Daniel Wundersitz co-authored the paper with Associate Professor Gordon recently highlighting the importance of such research to regional and rural areas.

It is important to identify potential treatments for obesity as we know that regional and rural areas have greater rates of obesity and more commonly poorer health outcomes. 

Dr Van Schaik is quick to understate the findings in terms of weight loss and caffeine and capsicum annuum fruit powder supplementation as a potential treatment for obesity but does suggest that the results provide a basis for pharmacologically targeting the receptors on adipose tissue that caffeine and capsicum annuum fruit powder act upon.

Dr Van Schaik isn’t trying to minimise his findings, he is acknowledging the preliminary nature of the investigation and that although supplementation in the present study resulted in a large effect on glucose metabolism, it is still unknown what drives this response. He suggests that the reduction in blood glucose levels due to caffeine and capsicum annuum fruit powder supplementation could be due to changes in insulin signalling and that this is a logical direction for future research. Dr Van Schaik also proposes that the study should be replicated in different cohorts including women, overweight individuals and those experiencing metabolic dysfunction to determine if caffeine and capsicum annuum fruit powder supplementation has the same outcomes on energy metabolism, fat oxidation and glucose homeostasis.

Congratulations to Dr Lachlan Van Schaik and his research team on contributing to the literature on such an important topic! You can read the full article published in Frontiers in Physiology here.

The post The results are in: caffeine and capsicum annum fruit powder increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

World-leading expert in cardiac rehabilitation and disease prevention, Dr Carl “Chip” Lavie, presented a seminar titled Exercise is Medicine to La Trobe staff, students and alumni and members of our industry partner organisations on Tuesday August 16. Dr Lavie presented his body of research supporting the use of exercise as medicine including specific information around the efficacy, dosing, adverse effects and toxicity.

Dr Lavie has been involved with the HRI since 2020, contributing as a co-author on two papers alongside the Initiative’s Director, Professor Michael Kingsley and Stream Leads Associate Professor Brett Gordon and Dr Daniel Wundersitz. An initial systematic review reporting on heart health and endurance exercise was published in 2020 with a follow up intervention study completed earlier this year.

We at the Holsworth Research Initiative are very grateful to Dr Lavie for his time and look forward to continuing to work alongside him in future research endeavors.

If you missed the seminar or would like to watch it again, please use the links below.

The post Dr Carl “Chip” Lavie presents to record number of seminar attendees appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

The Holsworth Research Initiative is excited to announce that Dr Carl “Chip” Lavie will be presenting at the La Trobe Rural Health School online seminar in August. Join us on Tuesday August 16 at 9 am for Dr Lavie’s presentation titled “Exercise is Medicine-Emphasis on Efficacy, Dosing, Adverse Effects/Toxicity”. The author of over 1500 medical publications including two cardiology textbooks, and nearly 60 book chapters, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to see Dr Carl Lavie present.

Register here

The post World leading expert in cardiac rehabilitation and disease prevention to present at upcoming seminar appeared first on Holsworth Research Initiative.

Miss Palmer and her supervisory team including HRI Director Professor Michael Kingsley and Human Performance Stream Leaders Dr Rodrigo Bini and Dr Daniel Wundersitz, investigated the relationship between residual neuromuscular fatigue and subsequent match and training activity in professional women’s basketball. The PhD was made possible through a partnership between La Trobe University and the Bendigo Basketball Association.

The results are in

The findings indicated that neuromuscular fatigue does influence both training and on-court activity in professional women’s basketball. More specifically,

# Players displayed neuromuscular fatigue before a 1/3 of all training sessions

# Supramaximal activity was 5.7% less during matches when players were fatigued prior to matches

# Moderate-vigorous activity was 3.7% less during matches when players were fatigued prior to matches

# When fatigued prior to training, players displayed reduced average intensity, maximal and supramaximal activity

Practical implications

Residual neuromuscular fatigue reduces the amount of supramaximal activity that professional women basketball players perform in subsequent training sessions and matches. To address this, practices should be implemented to minimize residual neuromuscular fatigue while ensuring a sufficient amount of training is undertaken to maximize physiological adaptation. Read the full paper here.

Still want more? You can read more of Jodie’s research below or follow her on Twitter @jodiepalmer08 to keep updated on future research.

# Palmer, J. A., Bini, R., Wundersitz, D., & Kingsley, M. (2022). On-Court Activity and Game-Related Statistics during Scoring Streaks in Basketball: Applied Use of Accelerometers. Sensors, 22(11), 4059.

# Palmer, J., Bini, R., Wundersitz, D., & Kingsley, M. (2021). Criterion validity of an automated method of detecting live play periods in basketball. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3.

# Palmer, J., Wundersitz, D., Bini, R., & Kingsley, M. (2021). Effect of player role and competition level on player demands in basketball. Sports, 9(3), 38.

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