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Physical behavior can be assessed using a range of competing methods. The Free-Living Activity Study for Health (FLASH) is an ongoing study that facilitates the comparison of such methods. The purpose of this report is to describe the FLASH, with a particular emphasis on a subsample of participants who have consented to have their deidentified data released in a shared repository. Participants in the FLASH wear seven physical activity monitors for a 24-hr period and then complete a detailed recall using the Activities Completed Over Time in 24-hr online assessment tool. The participants can optionally agree to be video recorded for 30–60 min, which allows for direct observation as a criterion indicator of their behavior during that period. As of version 0.1.0, the repository includes data from 38 participants, and the sample size will grow as data are collected, processed, and released in future versions. The repository makes it possible to combine sensor data (e.g., from ActiGraph and SenseWear) with minute-by-minute contextual data (from the Activities Completed Over Time in 24-hr recall system), which enables the FLASH to generate benchmark data for a wide range of future research. The repository itself provides an example of how a powerful open-source tool (GitHub) can be used to share data and code in a way that encourages communication and collaboration among a variety of scientists (e.g., algorithm developers and end users). The FLASH data set will provide long-term benefits to researchers interested in advancing the science of physical behavior monitoring.

Lamoureux, NR, Tomkinson, GR, Peterson, BJ, and Fitzgerald, JS. Relationship between skating economy and performance during a repeated-shift test in elite and subelite ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1109-1113, 2018-The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of skating economy to fatigue during repeated high-intensity efforts of a simulated ice hockey shift. Forty-five collegiate and Junior A male ice hockey players (aged 18-24 years) performed a continuous graded exercise test using a skate treadmill. Breath-by-breath data for oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2) and respiratory exchange ratio were collected and used to derive energy expenditure (EE) averaged over the final 10 seconds of each stage. Economy was determined as the slope of the regression line relating V[Combining Dot Above]O2 and EE against skating speed separately. Participants also completed 8 bouts of maximal ice skating through a course designed to simulate typical shift, with timing gates determining first half, second half, and total fatigue decrement, calculated by a percent decrement score. Partial correlation was used to determine the association between economy measures and decrement during the repeated-shift test. Twenty-six participants met inclusion criteria and were included in data analysis. Skating economy measures (both relative V[Combining Dot Above]O2 and EE) were very likely moderate positive correlates of total fatigue decrement (r [95% confidence interval]: V[Combining Dot Above]O2, 0.46 [0.09, 0.72] and EE, 0.44, [0.06, 0.71]) but not with first or second gate decrement. Our results indicate that skating economy plays an important role in fatigue resistance over repeated on-ice sprints designed to simulate a typical shift. This supports the use of technical skating coaching and training techniques to enhance skating economy as a means of improving ice hockey performance.

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