Pacing and Decision Making in Sport and Exercise: The Roles of Perception and Action in the Regulation of Exercise Intensity

In pursuit of optimal performance, athletes and physical exercisers alike have to make decisions about how and when to invest their energy. The process of pacing has been associated with the goal-directed regulation of exercise intensity across an exercise bout. The current review explores divergent views on understanding underlying mechanisms of decision making in pacing. Current pacing literature provides a wide range of aspects that might be involved in the determination of an athlete's pacing strategy, but lacks in explaining how perception and action are coupled in establishing behaviour. In contrast, decision-making literature rooted in the understanding that perception and action are coupled provides refreshing perspectives on explaining the mechanisms that underlie natural interactive behaviour. Contrary to the assumption of behaviour that is managed by a higher-order governor that passively constructs internal representations of the world, an ecological approach is considered. According to this approach, knowledge is rooted in the direct experience of meaningful environmental objects and events in individual environmental processes. To assist a neuropsychological explanation of decision making in exercise regulation, the relevance of the affordance competition hypothesis is explored. By considering pacing as a behavioural expression of continuous decision making, new insights on underlying mechanisms in pacing and optimal performance can be developed. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Machine learning(s) in gaming disorder through the user-avatar bond: a step towards conceptual and methodological clarity. Reply to: User-avatar bond as diagnostic indicator for gaming disorder: a word on the side of caution (2024)

In response to our study, the commentary by Infanti et al. (2024) raised critical points regarding (i) the conceptualization and utility of the user-avatar bond in addressing gaming disorder (GD) risk, and (ii) the optimization of supervised machine learning techniques applied to assess GD risk. To advance the scientific dialogue and progress in these areas, the present paper aims to: (i) enhance the clarity and understanding of the concepts of the avatar, the user-avatar bond, and the digital phenotype concerning gaming disorder (GD) within the broader field of behavioral addictions, and (ii) comparatively assess how the user-avatar bond (UAB) may predict GD risk, by both removing data augmentation before the data split and by implementing alternative data imbalance treatment approaches in programming

The influence of an esports-adapted coping effectiveness training (E-CET) on resilience, mental health, and subjective performance among elite league of Legends players: A pilot study

Objective: This study aimed to develop, and pilot esports-adapted coping effectiveness training (E-CET) and measure its influence on coping effectiveness (global and specific), subjective performance, mental health (psychological distress and wellbeing), and resilience. Design: Five elite male League of Legends players competing in the League of Legends Circuit Oceania participated in a mixed methods research design. The effects of E-CET were measured using a within-subjects quasi-experimental design (i.e., pre-to-post, no control group). To measure the effects of E-CET on specific stressors, a longitudinal diary design was used. Method: Players participated in a 2-h session of E-CET and a 45-min follow-up workshop. The 2-h workshop delivered content on two conceptual areas: (1) developing awareness of the stress and coping process; and (2) how to cope with stress. Players completed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up measures and twice-weekly stress journals. Results: E-CET led to increases in players' perceived coping effectiveness and subjective performance, but there were no changes in psychological distress, psychological wellbeing, and resilience. However, the results indicate some positive signs for future coping interventions with League of Legends players and iterations of E-CET. Conclusion: The E-CET program appears to provide an opportunity to improve performance and mental health for esports players.</p

An exploration of high-performance environments in esports: A preliminary model

The professionalisation of esports has led to increased investment in high-performance environments. However, disparities in resources and infrastructure between major and minor regions remain a challenge to achieving competitive parity. We explored key success factors in elite esports environments and developed a preliminary conceptual model to capture the core elements identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with elite players ( n  = 10), coaches ( n  = 9), and support staff ( n  = 7) from major and minor regions. Three categories were developed to represent the key success factors: training environment, interpersonal dynamics, and intrapersonal development. Players from major regions benefited from structured support, including dedicated training facilities, psychological services, and in-person cohesion-building strategies. In contrast, minor region players faced resource limitations, restricted access to support services, and appeared at high risk of burnout. From these findings, we proposed the Esports High-Performance Model (EHPM), a multi-layered, context-specific preliminary model illustrating the interplay between training conditions, social dynamics, and individual development in high-performance esports settings. This model offers a foundation for future research and can inform policies to support healthy, sustainable esports environments. The EHPM also provides a promising platform of evidence upon which to develop policies and practices that address disparities between regions. </p

Diagnostic performance of radiographers as compared to radiologists in magnetic resonance colonography

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiographers compared to radiologists in the detection of colorectal lesions in MR colonography. 159 patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer were included. Four different experienced observers, one MR radiologist, one radiologist in training and two radiographers evaluated all MR colonography examinations. The protocol included T1-weighted and T2-weighted sequences in prone and supine position. Colonoscopy was used as reference standard. Mean sensitivity rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined on a per-patient and per-polyp basis, segmented by size (>or= 6mm and >or= 10mm). Specificity was calculated on a per-patient basis. The McNemar and chi-square (chi(2)) test was used to determine significant differences. At colonoscopy 74 patients (47%) had normal findings; 23 patients had 40 polyps with a size > or = 6mm. In 10 patients at least 1 polyp >or= 10mm was found (20 polyps in total). Similar sensitivities for patients with lesions >or= 10mm were found for radiologists and radiographers (65% (95%CI: 44-86%) vs. 50% (95%CI: 28-72%)) (p=n.s.). For lesions >or=10mm combined per-patient specificity for radiologists and radiographers was 96% (95%CI: 94-98%) and 73% (95%CI: 68-79%) (p or=6mm differed significantly between both groups of observers (57% (95%CI: 42-71%) vs. 33% (95%CI: 19-46%)) (p=0.03). Radiographers have comparable sensitivity but lower specificity relative to radiologists in the detection of colorectal lesions >or= 10mm at MR colonography. Adequate training in evaluating MR colonography is necessary, especially for readers with no prior experience with colonograph