Department of Sports & Health Scienceshttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/24082024-03-28T12:00:59Z2024-03-28T12:00:59Z"Post or perish"? An early career researcher's guide to using social mediaCowley, Emma S.McNulty, KellyFairman, Ciaran M.Stoner, Leehttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/47602024-03-22T03:00:58Z2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"Post or perish"? An early career researcher's guide to using social media
Cowley, Emma S.; McNulty, Kelly; Fairman, Ciaran M.; Stoner, Lee
Social media usage has soared in the last decade, with the majority of adults having an account on at least one platform. Sites such
as LinkedIn, X, and TikTok allow users to share content using different forms, for example, written or video, long form or short
form. Social media can be used by researchers to forge collaborations, rapidly disseminate new research, and demonstrate societal
impact. This opinion piece aims to highlight the value of social media, in particular for early career researchers, and offer
suggestions on how early career researchers can strategically use social media to build a network and an online presence. We
reflect on our own experiences of social media and include some of the reasons we have been deterred from it in the past, such as
fear of making a mistake, being misunderstood, or painted as being an overconfident “know it all.” As the demonstration of
impact and engagement becomes ever more important in grant applications and job security, social media competency is a
powerful professional skill that will be important for all scientists.
2024-01-01T00:00:00ZResults from Ireland North and South's 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescentsCarlin, AngelaConnolly, SineadRedpath, TamsynBelton, SarajaneCoppinger, TaraCunningham, ConorDonnelly, AlanDowd, KieranHarrington, DeirdreMurtagh, ElaineNg, KwokO'Brien, WesleyRodriguez, LaurenWoods, CatherineMcAvoy, HelenMurphy, Mariehttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/47582024-03-13T03:01:54Z2023-12-09T00:00:00ZResults from Ireland North and South's 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents
Carlin, Angela; Connolly, Sinead; Redpath, Tamsyn; Belton, Sarajane; Coppinger, Tara; Cunningham, Conor; Donnelly, Alan; Dowd, Kieran; Harrington, Deirdre; Murtagh, Elaine; Ng, Kwok; O'Brien, Wesley; Rodriguez, Lauren; Woods, Catherine; McAvoy, Helen; Murphy, Marie
Background: The Ireland North and South Report Card on Physical Activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents
aims to monitor progress in PA participation across a range of internationally established indicators.
Methods: Data were collated for 11 indicators and graded following the harmonised Active Healthy Kids Global
Alliance report card process. Six representative studies (sample size range n = 898 to n = 15,557) were primarily
used in the grading, with many indicators supplemented with additional studies and reports. Data collected since
the implementation of COVID-19 public health measures in March 2020 were excluded.
Results: Grades were awarded as follows: ‘Overall physical activity’, C-; ‘Organised Sport and Physical Activity’,
C; ‘Active Play’, INC; ‘Sedentary Behaviours’, C-; ‘Physical Fitness’, INC; ‘Family and Peers’, D+; ‘School’, C-;
‘Physical Education’, D; ‘Community and Environment’, B+ and ‘Government’, B. Separate grades were awarded
for disability as follows; ‘Overall physical activity’, F; ‘Organised Sport and Physical Activity’, D; ‘Sedentary
Behaviours’, C-; ‘Family and Peers’, C; ‘School’, C- and ‘Government’, B. ‘Active Play’, ‘Physical Fitness’,
‘Physical Education’ and ‘Community and Environment’ were all graded INC for disability. Since the last report
card in 2016, four grades remained the same, three increased (‘Overall physical activity’, ‘School’ and ‘Physical
Education’) and two (‘Family and Peers,’ and ‘Government’) were awarded grades for the first time.
Conclusion: Grades specific to children and adolescents with disability were generally lower for each indicator.
While small improvements have been shown across a few indicators, PA levels remain low across many indicators
for children and adolescents.
2023-12-09T00:00:00ZHealth promoting sports federations: theoretical foundations and guidelinesVan Hoye, AurélieGeidne, SusannaVuillemin, AnneDowd, KieranGilbo, IvaHeck, SandraIbsen, BjarneJohnson, StaceyKingsland, MelanieKokko, SamiLane, AoifeOoms, LindaOverbye, MarieWoods, CatherineZeimers, GeraldineWhiting, StephenWinand, Mathieuhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/47552024-03-06T03:01:03Z2023-07-11T00:00:00ZHealth promoting sports federations: theoretical foundations and guidelines
Van Hoye, Aurélie; Geidne, Susanna; Vuillemin, Anne; Dowd, Kieran; Gilbo, Iva; Heck, Sandra; Ibsen, Bjarne; Johnson, Stacey; Kingsland, Melanie; Kokko, Sami; Lane, Aoife; Ooms, Linda; Overbye, Marie; Woods, Catherine; Zeimers, Geraldine; Whiting, Stephen; Winand, Mathieu
Background: Researchers and policy-makers have highlighted that the potential
for organized sports to promote health has been underexploited. Sports clubs
have limited capacity to promote health due to their voluntary nature and have
called for support from their national sports federations. The present article
provides guidelines, based on the theoretical principles of health promoting
sports clubs and an analysis of practical tools and proven strategies, to support
national sports federations to invest in health promotion (HP).
Methods: A qualitative iterative study was undertaken, based on five 2-h meetings
of a group of 15 international researchers in HP in sports clubs. Notes and minutes
from meetings, as well as shared outputs were analyzed based on the health
promoting sports club framework.
Results: Guidelines developed for national sports federations to promote health
includes a definition of a health promoting sports federation (HPSF), a description
of how the settings-based approach to HP adapts to national sports federations,
as well as practical applications of health promoting sports club’s intervention
strategies. The analysis of existing tools also demonstrated that most tools are
centered on a single dimension of health (social, mental, physical, spiritual or
community), and often on a specific health topic. Furthermore, they do not
cover HP as a continuous long-lasting process, but are generally short-term
programs. The HPSF clarifies theoretical concepts, their practical implementation
via case studies and outlines intervention components and tools useful for sports
federations in their implementation of HP.
Conclusion: The guidelines developed in this study are intended to facilitate
national sports federations to acknowledge/understand, reinforce/underpin and
foster current and further investment in HP.
2023-07-11T00:00:00ZThe effect of hormonal contraceptive use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and strength adaptations to resistance exercise training: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.Nolan, DavidMcNulty, Kelly L.Manninen, MikaEgan, Brendanhttps://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/47542024-03-06T03:02:07Z2023-09-27T00:00:00ZThe effect of hormonal contraceptive use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and strength adaptations to resistance exercise training: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.
Nolan, David; McNulty, Kelly L.; Manninen, Mika; Egan, Brendan
Background Resistance exercise training is widely used by general and athletic populations to increase skeletal muscle
hypertrophy, power and strength. Endogenous sex hormones influence various bodily functions, including possibly exercise
performance, and may influence adaptive changes in response to exercise training. Hormonal contraceptive (HC) use modulates
the profile of endogenous sex hormones, and therefore, there is increasing interest in the impact, if any, of HC use on
adaptive responses to resistance exercise training.
Objective Our aim is to provide a quantitative synthesis of the effect of HC use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and
strength adaptations in response to resistance exercise training.
Methods A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted on experimental studies which directly compared skeletal
muscle hypertrophy, power and strength adaptations following resistance exercise training in hormonal contraceptive users
and non-users conducted before July 2023. The search using the online databases PUBMED, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science,
Embase and other supplementary search strategies yielded 4669 articles, with 8 articles (54 effects and 325 participants)
meeting the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the “Tool for the
assessment of study quality and reporting in exercise”.
Results All included studies investigated the influence of oral contraceptive pills (OCP), with no study including participants
using other forms of HC. The articles were analysed using a meta-analytic multilevel maximum likelihood estimator
model. The results indicate that OCP use does not have a significant effect on hypertrophy [0.01, 95% confidence interval
(CI) [− 0.11, 0.13], t = 0.14, p = 0.90), power (− 0.04, 95% CI [− 0.93, 0.84], t = − 0.29, p = 0.80) or strength (0.10, 95% CI
[− 0.08, 0.28], t = 1.48, p = 0.20).
Discussion Based on the present analysis, there is no evidence-based rationale to advocate for or against the use of OCPs in
females partaking in resistance exercise training to increase hypertrophy, power and/or strength. Rather, an individualised approach
considering an individual’s response to OCPs, their reasons for use and menstrual cycle history may be more appropriate.
Registration The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (ID number and hyperlink: CRD42022365677).
2023-09-27T00:00:00Z