There is a paucity of studies describing the physical match demands of elite international women’s rugby union, which limits coaches’ ability to effectively prepare players for the physical demands required to compete at the elite level. Global positioning system technologies were used to measure the physical match demands of 53 international female rugby union players during three consecutive Women’s Six Nations Championships (2020–2022), resulting in 260 individual match performances. Mixed-linear modelling was used to investigate differences in physical match demands between positions. Significant effects (p < 0.05) of the position were observed for all variables, with the exception of relative distances (m.min⁻¹) at velocities of 1.01–3.00 m·s⁻¹ (p = 0.094) and 3.01–5.00 m·s⁻¹ (p = 0.216). This study provides valuable data on the physical match demands of elite international women’s rugby union match play that may aid practitioners in the physical preparation of players to compete at this level. Training methodologies for elite-level female rugby union players should consider the unique demands across positional groups with specific considerations of high-velocity running and collision frequency.

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate effects of time of day on glucose management in individuals with type 2 diabetes undertaking high-intensity interval exercise. Additionally, the association between regular eating behaviour and mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions was examined. Specifically, the primary outcome was to determine the effect of the intervention on 24 h glucose levels. Methods: A crossover trial was conducted, comprising 12 men and 12 women with type 2 diabetes and 12 men and 12 women without diabetes. Participants performed high-intensity interval exercise sessions in the morning (09:00 hours) or afternoon (16:00 hours) on separate days at least 7 days apart. Standardised meals were provided the day before exercise, on the day of exercise and on the day after exercise. Continuous glucose monitoring was used to estimate blood glucose levels. Results: The 24 h glucose profile did not differ between morning and afternoon exercise across cohorts. However, morning exercise increased blood glucose during the 2 h post-exercise period in men (p<0.05) and women (p<0.01) with type 2 diabetes, but blood glucose was unaltered following afternoon exercise. Glycaemic variability (assessed using the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions) was reduced during the 3 day meal intervention in men (p<0.001) and women (p<0.05) with type 2 diabetes, but not in individuals without diabetes. Participants exhibited higher morning cortisol levels (p<0.001) compared with afternoon cortisol levels, independently of diagnosis. Individuals with type 2 diabetes exhibited higher levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (p<0.001) and the heart failure marker NT-proBNP (p<0.001) in the morning than in the afternoon. Conclusions/interpretation: In type 2 diabetes, afternoon high-intensity interval exercise appears to be more effective than morning high-intensity interval exercise for maintaining glucose management. Further research is needed to explore how elevated morning cortisol levels and inflammatory markers influence the exercise response and affect glucose regulation. Additionally, consistent meal timing and controlled energy intake are recommended for reducing the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05115682. Graphical

The purpose of this study was to generate movement category velocity thresholds for elite Gaelic football (GF) and hurling referees using a two-stage unsupervised clustering technique. Activity data from 41 GF and 38 hurling referees was collected using global positioning system technology during 338 and 221 competitive games, respectively. The elbow method was used in stage one to identify the number of movement categories in the datasets. In stage two, the respective velocity thresholds for each category were identified using spectral clustering. The efficacy of these thresholds was examined using a regression analysis performed between the median of each of the velocity thresholds and the raw velocity data. Five velocity thresholds were identified for both GF and hurling referees (mean ± standard deviation: GF referees; 0.70±0.09, 1.66±0.19, 3.28±0.41, 4.87±0.61, 6.49±0.50 m·s⁻¹; hurling referees; 0.69±0.11, 1.60±0.25, 3.09±0.52, 4.63±0.58, 6.35±0.43 m·s⁻¹). With the exception of the lowest velocity threshold, all other thresholds were significantly higher for GF referees. The newly generated velocity thresholds were more strongly associated with the raw velocity data than traditional generic categories. The provision of unique velocity thresholds will allow applied practitioners to better quantify the activity profile of elite GF and hurling referees during training and competition.

This study investigated the test–retest reliability of running economy (RE) and metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters related to endurance running performance using a multistage incremental treadmill test. On two occasions separated by 21–28 days, 12 male middle- and long-distance runners ran at 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 km/hr for 8 min each stage, immediately followed by a ramp test to volitional exhaustion. Carbohydrate (10% maltodextrin solution) was consumed before and during the test to provide ∼1 g/min of exercise. RE, minute ventilation (), oxygen consumption (), carbon dioxide production (), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and blood glucose and lactate concentrations were recorded for each stage and at volitional exhaustion. Time-to-exhaustion (TTE) and peak oxygen consumption () during the ramp test were also recorded. Absolute reliability, calculated as the coefficient of variation (CV) between repeated measures, ranged from 2.3% to 3.1% for RE, whereas relative reliability, calculated as the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), ranged from .42 to .79. , , , , RER, and HR had a CV of 1.1%–4.3% across all stages. TTE and RPE had a CV of 7.2% and 2.3%–10.8%, respectively, while glucose and lactate had a CV of 4.0%–17.8%. All other parameters, except for blood glucose, were demonstrated to have good-to-excellent relative reliability assessed by ICC. Measures of RE, , and TTE were reliable during this two-phase multistage incremental treadmill test in a cohort of trained and highly trained male middle- and long-distance runners.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of skeletal muscle physiology, with altered expression noted in several human diseases including type 2 diabetes. We report that TMEM9B-AS1, a previously uncharacterized lncRNA, is down-regulated in skeletal muscle of men with type 2 diabetes and skeletal muscle from individuals with sarcopenia. Silencing of TMEM9B-AS1 in primary human myotubes attenuated protein synthesis, concomitant with reduced phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6. Moreover, we show that TMEM9B-AS1 plays a pivotal role in regulation of ribosomal biogenesis by facilitating messenger RNA stabilization of the transcription factor MYC through direct physical interaction with the RNA binding protein, insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1). Disrupted ribosomal biogenesis resulting from TMEM9B-AS1 silencing leads to decreased expression of muscle contractile and structural proteins important for maintenance of skeletal muscle mass and function. Collectively, our data reveal a role of TMEM9B-AS1 in skeletal muscle loss associated with metabolic disorders.

The purpose of this study was to examine the activity profile of elite Gaelic football referees (GFR) and to examine temporal changes between the first and second half and across the four quarters. Global positioning systems technology (10-Hz) was used to collect activity data during 202 competitive games from 23 elite GFR. Relative distance, peak running speed and relative distance covered in six movement categories [very low-speed movement (VLSM) (<0.70 m·s⁻¹), walking (≥0.70–1.65 m·s⁻¹), low-speed running (LSR) (≥1.66–3.27 m·s⁻¹), moderate-speed running (MSR) (≥3.28–4.86 m·s⁻¹), high-speed running (HSR) (≥4.87–6.48 m·s⁻¹), very high-speed running (VHSR) (≥6.49 m·s⁻¹)] were examined during the full game, first and second half, and across the four quarters. The relative distance covered was 122.6 ± 8.4 m·min⁻¹, with 13.1 ± 4.9 m·min⁻¹ of HSR and VHSR. The peak running speed was 6.75 ± 0.49 m·s⁻¹. The relative (ES=0.60), MSR (ES=0.50) and HSR (ES=0.14) distance was higher in the first half than the second half. A higher relative (ES=0.62–0.91) and HSR (ES=0.51–0.61) distance was found in the first quarter than any other period. No differences in HSR distance were found between the second, third and fourth quarters (ES=0.04–0.10). This study provides, for the first time, a detailed insight into the activity profile of elite GFR during competitive games and demonstrates the demanding, intermittent nature of elite refereeing in Gaelic football. This information may be used as a framework for coaches to design training programmes specific to GFR.