Women in Sport

BACKGROUND: Long-distance runners have a high incidence of stress fractures. However, the content of training which has a negative effect on bone has not been clarified in long-distance runners. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of training quantity (running distance) and training quality (running speed) on bone metabolism markers in long- distance runners who develop multiple stress fractures.METHODS: BAP as bone formation marker, urine-NTX as bone resorption markers were measured. The first measurement was taken after an Off period of one week. The second was taken after a one-week training period (long-distance period: LD period) with a high-quantity training aimed for long training runs. The third was taken after participating in a 10,000-m race (high-speed period: HS period) which was aimed for speed strengthening. The total distance running per week was measured for each period.RESULTS: A weekly running distance was Off period 75.0 km, LD period 242.3 km and period 112.5 km. BAP was lower (P<0.05) in HS period (17.4±6.1 µg/L) than in LD period (19.5±5.9 µg/L). Urine-NTX was higher in HS period (75.9±34.1 nmol BCE/mmol CRE) compared to LD period (65.0±30.7 nmol BCE/mmol CRE; P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: In male long-distance runners, bone metabolism markers did not fluctuate with high training quantity and low training quality (low impact on bone). Conversely, we observed that bone turnover leaned toward bone resorption with low training quantity and high training quality (high impact on bone).

Objective: We aimed to reveal the declining status of autopsy rate in Japanese university hospitals during the last 34-year period, to draw attention to the importance of autopsy.Methods: Autopsy related data from 1979 to 2012 in all Japanese university hospitals were collected and analyzed on annual basis under categories of Juntendo University Hospital, Japanese university hospitals, public university hospitals and private university hospitals separately. Trends of changes in autopsy rate from 1979 to 2012 were plotted and compared between the groups.Results: The autopsy rate in Juntendo University Hospital was maintained at the levels of 50-60% until 1986, then started to decline steadily and reached to 9.7% in 2012. Regression coefficient of the autopsy rate during the 34-year period was -0.0173. The mean autopsy rate of all university hospitals in Japan was maintained at 45% until 1983, then started declining steadily and reached to 6.8% in 2012. Of these hospitals, the mean autopsy rate in public hospitals was still kept at 45% in 1985 but continued declining to 9.3% in 2012, while in private hospitals it reached to 45% in 1983 and kept declining to only 5.6% in 2012.Conclusion: The steady decline of the autopsy rate in university hospitals in Japan began early 1980’; this trend still continues, and the autopsy rate declined to 6.8% in 2012. We should work to prevent the decline of autopsy rate furthermore in Japanese university hospitals.

This study aimed to refine and further develop existing motivation scales (i.e., MSSC by Trail and James, 2001 ; SII by Funk, Mahony, Nakazawa, &amp; Hirakawa, 2001 ) in a cross-national context, and to examine differences of descriptive variables (e.g., demographics, attendance frequency) and spectator motives between South Korean and Japanese professional soccer spectators. We confirmed that the refined motivation scales we developed were valid and that they reliably measured Korean and Japanese soccer spectators’ motives. We also found that there were several differences in demographics, attendance frequency, team identification, and spectator motives. For example, Korean spectators were significantly higher in motivation related to personal benefits (family, player, and drama) than Japanese ones. Whereas, Japanese spectators were significantly higher in motivation related to the sport (physical skill and entertainment) and self-definition (vicarious achievement and team identification) than Korean spectators.

Male coaches from NCAA Division I(n =297), Division III(n= 294), and Japanese universities(n= 254) responded to the Coach Satisfaction Questionnaire measuring satisfaction with supervision, coaching job, autonomy, facilities, media and community support, pay, team performance, amount of work, colleagues, athletes’ academic performance, and job security; and Blau, Paul, and St. John's (1993) General Index of Work Commitment. Japanese coaches expressed significantly lower satisfaction than American coaches with seven facets (supervision, coaching job, autonomy, team performance, colleagues, athletes' academic performance, and job security). American coaches were significantly more committed to their occupation than the Japanese coaches who were significantly more committed to their organizations than American coaches.