ObjectiveThe initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be complicated by the use of protective equipment in contact sports, and the rate of success in resuscitating the patient depends on the time from incident to start of CPR. The aim of our study was to see if (1) previous training, (2) the presence of audiovisual feedback and (3) the presence of football shoulder pads (FSP) affected the quality of chest compressions.MethodsSix basic life support certified athletic training students (BLS-ATS), six basic life support certified emergency medical service personnel (BLS-EMS) and six advanced cardiac life support certified emergency medical service personnel (ACLS-EMS) participated in a crossover manikin study. A quasi-experimental repeated measures design was used to measure the chest compression depth (cm), rate (cpm), depth accuracy (%) and rate accuracy (%) on four different conditions by using feedback and/or FSP. Real CPR Help manufactured by ZOLL (Chelmsford, Massachusetts, USA) was used for the audiovisual feedback. Three participants from each group performed 2 min of chest compressions at baseline first, followed by compressions with FSP, with feedback and with both FSP and feedback (FSP+feedback). The other three participants from each group performed compressions at baseline first, followed by compressions with FSP+feedback, feedback and FSP.ResultsCPR performance did not differ between the groups at baseline (median (IQR), BLS-ATS: 5.0 (4.4–6.1) cm, 114(96–131) cpm; BLS-EMS: 5.4 (4.1–6.4) cm, 112(99–131) cpm; ACLS-EMS: 6.4 (5.7–6.7) cm, 138(113–140) cpm; depth p=0.10, rate p=0.37). A statistically significant difference in the percentage of depth accuracy was found with feedback (median (IQR), 13.8 (0.9–49.2)% vs 69.6 (32.3–85.8)%; p=0.0002). The rate accuracy was changed from 17.1 (0–80.7)% without feedback to 59.2 (17.3–74.3)% with feedback (p=0.50). The use of feedback was effective for depth accuracy, especially in the BLS-ATS group, regardless of the presence of FSP (median (IQR), 22.0 (7.3–36.2)% vs 71.3 (35.4–86.5)%; p=0.0002).ConclusionsThe use of audiovisual feedback positively affects the quality of the depth of CPR. Both feedback and FSP do not alter the rate measurements. Medically trained personnel are able to deliver the desired depth regardless of the presence of FSP even though shallower chest compressions depth can be seen in CPR with FSP. A feedback device must be introduced into the athletic training settings.

Betalains are bioactive pigments that have been shown to reduce muscle damage and enhance recovery from exercise. However, to date, studies have examined the effects of betalains on aerobic exercise alone, and thus, their possible benefits for muscle damage recovery following eccentric exercise is unknown. We, therefore, aimed to examine the effects of a betalain-rich concentrate (BRC) on indices of muscle damage following eccentric exercise. Eleven healthy, recreationally active males were randomly assigned into a treatment group (50 mg of BRC, containing 12.5 mg of betalains, 3 times per day for 3 days) or a control group and performed 30 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), arm circumference (AC), muscle soreness (MS), and range of motion (ROM) were measured before, immediately after, and 24, 48, and 72 hr following eccentric exercise. Creatine kinase (CK) was measured before, 24, 48, and 72 hr following the eccentric exercise. No significant differences or interactions were observed for any of the variables (p = > .05); however, a non-significant trend with a large effect size (p = .07, ηp 2 = 0.28) was found for the main effect for MVC. Although we failed to identify any statistically significant differences in any of the variables measured, the large effect size observed for MVC may have practical benefits in the enhancement of skeletal muscle recovery following eccentric exercise.

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