Discussion Paper Sample Size Statistical Analysis Essay

Discussion Paper Sample Size Statistical Analysis - Essay Example Certain sampling methods require each member of the population under consideration to be known and identifiable. The structure which supports this identification is called a sampling frame. Some sampling methods require a sampling frame only as a listing of the population; other methods need certain characteristics of each member also to be known. The author underlines that: "Better success is achieved by asking concrete questions and testing out concrete examples" (Lenth, 2001). Also, Lenth underlines that sample size is not important in all studies. "It may be beneficial to ask about relative differences instead of absolute ones" (Lenth, 2001). It is important to avoid "canned" effect to obtain reliable results. The article gives critical overview of the sample size techniques proposed by Cohen (1998) and Hoenig and Heise (2001). Taking into account job satisfaction surveys and present day problems faced by multinational corporations, it is possible to say that tailoring a training program and family support can increases the job satisfaction and enthusiasm of foreign employees and encourages open communication. These problems were discussed by Bruning and Mccaughey (2005) in their article "Enhancing Opportunities for Expatriate Job Satisfaction".

Risk Management In Naval Operations

Risk Management In Naval Operations The concept of risk management has been around the Navy since its inception. During the drawdown of the 1990s, the risk management concept was formalized into the Operational Risk Management (ORM) program. This approach was initiated to mitigate the risks associated with such a massive reorganization. This paper examines the Naval Directive Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction 3500.39C OPNAVINST 3500.39C (02 July, 2010) that explains the ORM process as five basic steps, four principles and a risk management process and measurement that is applied on three levels of operation; in-depth, deliberate, and time critical. As stated in OPNAVINST 3500.39C; risk is expected in all military tasks, training, missions, operations, and personal activities. The most common cause of task degradation or mission failure is human error, specifically the inability to regularly manage risk. ORM reduces the risks by identifying hazards and measuring and controlling the expected risks, allowing decisions to be made that compare risks against the mission benefits. Navy personnel are responsible for managing risk in all tasks while leaders are responsible for ensuring proper procedures are in place and appropriate resources are available for personnel to perform assigned tasks. The Navy vi sion according OPNAVINST 3500.39C is; to develop an environment in which every officer, enlisted, or civilian person is trained and motivated to personally manage risk in everything they do, including on- and off-duty evolutions in peacetime and during conflict, therefore enabling successful completion of any task and mission. Keywords: Operational Risk Management, OPNAVINST 3500.39C I. Statement and significance of the Issue The ORM origins goes back to 1994 when The US Navy team made ORM an integral part of planning, training, and operations. This stemmed from a need to improve operational readiness in peacetime-and to achieve success in combat-during a period of reduced resources and personnel. The Department of the Navy (DON) Safety Objectives for FY 2008 and Beyond (9 Oct 07) stated; Integrate Safety and Risk Management into all on and off-duty evolutions to maximize mission readiness and to establish DON as an organization with world class safety where no mishap is accepted as the cost of doing businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Establish a risk management training continuum to ensure all DON personnel receive targeted [ORM] training and that all formal professional training courses are infused with examples of how effective risk management improves both safety and mission readiness.. Risk is common nature in all military tasks, training, missions, operations, and personal activities. The most common cause of task degradation or mission failure is human error, specifically the inability to regularly manage risk (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). Navys goal is; to develop an environment in which every officer, enlisted, or civilian person is trained and motivated to personally manage risk in everything they do, including on- and off-duty evolutions in peacetime and during conflict, therefore enabling successful completion of any task and mission (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). The ORM process minimizes risks to acceptable levels, commensurate with task or mission accomplishment. Correct application of the ORM process will reduce losses and associated costs resulting in more efficient use of resources. Zero risk is not the intent of ORM. Risk management is a continuous process that is integral from the strategic level of planning through the tactical level and execution. It is a tool to help improve mission readiness and mission accomplishment. The ORM benefits when applying the ORM process ensures mission or task success by providing more effective use of resources, improving on- and off-duty risk decision making, reducing injury and property damage, and improving the readiness of all personnel (FAA System Safety Handbook, Chapter 15, 2000) ORM is a process that assists organizations and individuals in making informed risk decisions in order to reduce or offset risk, thereby increasing operational effectiveness and the probability of mission success. The ORM process is applicable across the spectrum of operations and tasks. It should be used by everyone all the time, whether on- or off-duty in their military or civilian life. II. Review of Relevant Research What is ORM? The term Operational Risk Management (ORM) is defined as a continual cyclic process which includes risk assessment, risk decision making, and implementation of risk controls, which results in acceptance, mitigation, or avoidance of risk, (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). ORM is the oversight of operational risk, including the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes and systems; human factors; or external events. How does it work? The ORM process assists you in making smart and informed decisions. Actually, we apply ORM every day. At times, we may not even be aware of it as you carry out a task or mission. An example of this is as simple as crossing the street; we look both ways because we were taught this at a young age. However, today we dont even look at this as risk management, but something that we know is the right thing to do before crossing the street. Every person has a role to play in managing risk during a commands task or mission, and every person is vital to the success of the Navy team, (ORM Fundamentals, Navy Knowledge Online, 2011). The Five Steps The ORM process is a systematic, continuous, and repeatable process that consists of five basic steps (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). Identify hazards Assess hazards Make risk decisions Implement controls Supervise (and watch for changes) The first two steps comprise the risk assessment portion of ORM and provide enhanced awareness and understanding of a given situation. This awareness builds confidence and allows for timely, efficient, and effective protective measures. The remaining three steps are the essential follow-through actions to either eliminate the hazard or mitigate the risks. The Four Principles. ORM incorporates the following four principles (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010): 1. Accept Risk When Benefits Outweigh the Cost 2. Accept No Unnecessary Risk 3. Anticipate and Manage Risk by Planning 4. Make Risk Decisions at the Right Level 1. Accept Risk When Benefits Outweigh the Cost The process of weighing risks against the benefits and value of the mission or task helps to maximize success. Balancing costs and benefits can be a subjective process. Therefore, personnel with knowledge and experience of the mission or task must be engaged when making risk decisions (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). The goal of ORM is not to eliminate risk but to manage the risk so that the mission or task both on- and off-duty can be successful. The bottom line is, if no benefit can be achieved then do not take the risk. 2. Accept No Unnecessary Risk If all detectable hazards have not been identified, then unnecessary risks are being accepted. Additionally, an unnecessary risk is any that, if taken, will not contribute meaningfully to mission or task accomplishment or will needlessly jeopardize personnel or material. The risk management process identifies hazards that might otherwise go unidentified and provides tools to reduce or offset risk. The acceptance of risk does not equate to the imprudent willingness to gamble. Take only risks that are necessary to accomplish the mission or task (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). 3. Anticipate and Manage Risk by Planning Integrating risk management into planning as early as possible provides the greatest opportunity to make well-informed risk decisions and implement effective risk controls. This enhances the overall effectiveness of ORM and often reduces costs for your organization and yourself when off duty (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). 4. Make Risk Decisions at the Right Level Anyone can make a risk decision. However, the appropriate decision maker is the individual who can eliminate or minimize the hazard, implement controls to reduce the risk, or accept the risk. Leaders at all levels must ensure that their personnel know how much risk they can accept and when to elevate the decision to a higher level. Ensuring that risk decisions are made at the appropriate level will establish clear accountability. Therefore, those accountable for the mission must be included in the risk management process. If the commander, leader, or individual responsible for executing the mission or task determines that the controls available to them will not reduce risk to an acceptable level, they must elevate the risk decisions to the next level in the chain of command (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). Risk Assessment Matrix ORM Matrix Card OPNAVINST 3500.39C, (2010). Risk Assessment Matrix. Retrieved from http://safetycenter.navy.mil/ 1 March, 2011. This Matrix uses Risk as an expression of possible loss, adverse outcome, or negative consequences; such as injury or illness in terms of probability and severity of failure (Salas Maurino, 2010, p. 57). Risk Assessment is a structured process to identify and assess hazards. An expression of potential harm, described in terms of severity, probability, and exposure to hazards. Accomplished in the first two steps of the ORM process. Risk Assessment Code (RAC) is an expression of the risk associated with a hazard that combines its severity and probability into a single Arabic numeral which can be used to help determine hazard abatement priorities. This is typically accomplished through the use of the risk assessment matrix. The basic RACs are: 1-Critical, 2-Serious, 3-Moderate, 4-Minor, and 5-Negligible. Another definition not included in this matrix is, Residual Risk and that will be the Risk remaining after controls have been identified and selected. Bringing back the concept that Zero Risk is not the primary purpose of ORM. Also, for the use of this matrix an Operational Analysis of the task at hand has to be made. This means a chronological or sequential list of the major events or elements in a mission or task. This is the complete picture of what is expected to happen and assures all elements of a mission or task are evaluated for all potential hazards. Very important to define what a Hazard is before assigning it a number in this matrix, because a hazard is any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death to personnel; damage to or loss of equipment or property; degradation of mission capability or impact to mission accomplishment; or damage to the environment, this is also synonymous with the term threat. Last for this chart is the Risk Decision or the ability to make a decision to accept or not accept the risk(s) associated with an action; made by the commander, leader, or individual responsible for performing that action. The Three Levels The risk management process is applied on three levels: in-depth, deliberate, and time critical. The basic factor that differentiates each level is time; that is the amount of time available to dedicate to the preparation and planning of missions or tasks (OPNAVINST 3500.39C, 2010). There is no definitive separating line between the three levels (in-depth, deliberate, and time critical. It is important to know we have resources to tap into. At each level of the planning process, hazards and associated risks are identified and appropriate controls are developed and implemented. These controls become resources upon which we can draw for the next level of planning and ultimately for execution. III. Summary of Major Findings and Conclusions On and Off-duty mishaps are extremely detrimental to the Navys operational capability. Because the Navy works as a team 24/7, the actions one person takes can affect the readiness and operational capability of the commands mission or task, therefore affecting the Navy as a whole. Thus, we must constantly be aware of all risks involved in our everyday off-duty activities. Benefits of using ORM: Reduction of operational loss. Lower compliance/auditing costs. Early detection of unlawful activities. Reduced exposure to future risks. The ORM process minimizes risks to acceptable levels, commensurate with task or mission accomplishment. Correct application of the ORM process will reduce losses and associated costs resulting in more efficient use of resources. IV. Recommendations All Navy military, civilian, and contractors under the direct supervision of government personnel should apply the ORM principles and processes in all activities in order to optimize mission success and maintain readiness. Leadership should be held accountable for the use of ORM processes in their command. An organizations success requires the commitment of leaders to manage risk while meeting the commands mission. Leaders must lead by example and provide thorough policies and goals, with buy-in from all personnel. All personnel must fully trust that they have the support for risk decisions made in the interest of completing the mission, while also recognizing that intentional breaches of regulations will not be tolerated. The responsibilities as a Leader and /or Commanding Officer, or officer-in-charge should include: Establish command policy and expectations for the application of ORM on- and off-duty. Address the ORM process in mission, training, safety, and lessons learned reports. Inform the chain of command of those hazards identified by the ORM process that cannot be controlled or mitigated at the command level. Ensure ORM risk decisions are being made at the appropriate level within the command.

What Role Should The Government Play in Gun Control? Essay -- Second Am

What Role Should The Government Play in Gun Control? A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gun control is a real issue with Americans today. Many people have different opinions about how to handle our growing dilemma concerning guns. There are those who believe we should ban guns altogether and those who believe we should not ban or restrict the people's right to own guns at all. Both sides have valid arguments, but neither side seems to know how to compromise because of their very different opinions. I personally believe guns should be banned. However, those against gun control have very good arguments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Second Amendment was written because of the colonists' fear of an all-powerful central government taking over, but there are many interpretations of how the Second Amendment reads. The court has never found the Second Amendment to clash with the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process clause which states that, "No state shall...deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" (McClenaghan 522). This gave each state the right to set up their own rules and regulations, which I believe, is one reason why we have the problems that we do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been four major cases heard by the Supreme Court which found that the fire-arm control laws are constitutional; United States v. Cruikshank (1986), Presser v. Illinois (1886), Miller v. Texas (1894), and the United States v. Miller (1939) (Strahinich 41). United States v. Miller was the most important. It supported a section of the National Firearms Act of 1934, basically stating that it is a crime to ship sawed off shotguns, machine guns, or silencers across state lines unless registered with the Treasury Department (McClenaghan 522).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States already has more than twenty thousand gun laws, but they do not seem to be making an impact. The first American gun control laws were written before the Revolutionary War. The most effective and more recent laws have been the Gun Control Act of 1986 and the Brady Law. The Gun Control Act of 1986 has a lot of impact on our rights concerning firearms today. It requires federal licensing and inspection of dealers with new and stricter guidelines. It restricted the sale of ammunition and firearms betwe... ...on of law enforcement officials and military. We might not be able to stop all of this gun violence but at least we can close loopholes that control the sale and distribution of guns in America. Next to automobiles, guns are the second most deadly consumer product on the market. There are over two hundred million guns in circulation today, compared to the mere fifty four million in 1950 (Roleff 142). Works Cited Dolan, Edward, Margaret Scariano. Guns in the United States. New York, New York: Moffa Press, Incorporated, 1994. pp.. 29-30, 55. Lott, J.R. More Guns Less Crime. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1998. pp.. 1-2. McClenaghan, William. American Government. Needham, Massachusetts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prentice Hall, 1993. pp.. 489, 522. Netzley, P.D. Issues in Crime. Sandiego, California: Lucent Books Inc., 2000. pp.. 32 Roleff, T.L. ed. Gun Control, Opposing Viewpoints. Sandiego, California:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greenhaven Press Inc., 1997. pp.. 22-23, 25, 45, 47, 65-67, 76, 85, 117, 142. Strahinich, Helen. Guns in America. United States: Walker Publishing Company,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1992. pp.. 41, 48, 51. http://www.alphadogweb.com/firearms/gun_control_is_a_nice_phrase.htm

The role of the community worker is fraught with tensions and dilemmas

In Britain in the 21st century, community workers are often linked with economic regeneration and consultation, empowerment and capacity building. This is in total contrast with the 1970's when community work was very closely associated with social work. (Twelvetrees, 2003.) Twelvetrees suggests that at its simplest community work is the ‘process of assisting people to improve their communities by undertaking collective action.' (Twelvetrees, 2003.) Community work though is not just carried out by community workers, community leaders, support workers and many others may choose to call themselves community workers. The majority of community work is carried out by paid workers and they undertake a wide range of functions. Community workers are classically seen as a guide or catalyst, enabler or maybe a facilitator. Community workers ‘go' to the place of the group and can advise its members on how they can do what they want to do. They can also cover roles such as secretary or chair, broker or advocate, but most important being clear about the fact that they must be clear about the role which they are playing at a certain particular time. Twelvetrees, (2003) suggests that community workers should be a ‘Jack of all trades' who can take on different roles and approaches and are willing to bring them into play in different situations. Community work therefore has a wide skill base with a great emphasis placed on the ability to make judgements and build relationships with others. Community workers must be able to adapt to each new situation and be able to listen, understand and act in an appropriate way to the situation that they are involved with. Butcher, (in Butcher et al, 1993) suggests that on the most basic principles community stands for the idea that community is a network of people who share a common interest. For many, community is where they can both have a sociological and psychological link to others. Sociologically they can ‘be part' of the community and can ‘identify with' it psychologically. These two factors greatly strengthens the idea that community workers work with groups of people who have a common interest and reason for being together. Summarising the above Community work can therefore be best described as both a set of values and as a set of techniques, skills and approaches which are linked to these values. Twelvetrees (2003) suggests that these values are to do with justices, democracy, love and empowering, and ‘getting a better deal' for those who are in some way disadvantaged. Primarily community workers must be able to establish relationships with others see the world through the community's eyes and find ways to assist them to help themselves. The theory behind most community work is basically about helping people to get a better deal, primarily by making this happen themselves, by being a facilitator and empowering the community groups in which one is working. Derrricourt and Dale, (in Jacobs et al, 1994) suggests that no one can work in community work long before realising that even ‘the simplest thing is difficult'. Community work it's self is a task of working with groups of people who may have different ideas but empowering them to come to a mutual agreement and find common ground in order to make the ‘project' work. In any real life situation within community and youth work there will be pressures and constraints on a worker to operate in some ways rather than others. Whatever the ideology, the worker must select actions which seem most likely to help the members of the particular community to get a better deal for themselves and become more confident and skilled. Twelvetrees (2003) suggests that while the values of community workers will quite legitimately influence their priorities, they also have to be pragmatic about choosing which approach is likely to work best. One of the major sources of tension within community work is that some workers can sometimes go into a new project with the agenda already clear in their head, with no room for changing it. By having this approach community workers produce a great deal of tension simply because they are meant to be helping the community it's self get a better deal through empowerment but by coming in with a fixed agenda it suggests that they have it all worked out. This leaves no room for any sort of consultation or community group meetings and can take away nearly all the interest by the residents. By not using community consultation the residents can very easily loose interest and involvement in a project if they are suspicious of the fact that it is not what they want to see happening. Community workers must be careful to go into a project with an open agenda and the ability to mould the agenda to what the residents want or face tension and the possibility of the lack of support of the community that they are working in. This happened in my local community. A substantial grant was won to improve the town. The council decided to create a community centre that would house a cyber-cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and open access hall for a variety of activities. It seemed like a good idea to the council yet the local community just wanted the money to be spent on tidying up the council estate, a new set of playground equipment and a new layer of paint in the church hall that the community had always used. Unfortunately the community worker and the council did not listen to what the residents wanted, and 5 years down the line the community centre is un-used except by a mothers and toddler group, with the rest of the community groups preferring to use their old hall. This project has tarred the council with a stereotype that they do not listen anyway so the local community has lost any belief in the fact that they are in it for their interests, even 5 years later this still is a lasting view. Community work often involves inter-agency working. Inter-agency work brings together a range of individuals, organisations and interest groups. By working with these agencies it can bring about tensions between the different managers, and can bring about competition and misunderstandings. Working with different agencies can seem like a good idea but there are many issues that can be raised and these can have a big effect on the overall ‘community; formed by the worker. Because each agency comes with its own agenda then their will be differences in the organisational systems. Banks et al (2003) states that different agencies have different systems for allocating work and recording and sharing information, this can cause many internal issues surrounding the smooth running of the project. When trying to work as a community worker to bring about change these issues must be carefully addressed. The tension will always be there because of the different agencies involved with their own interests but the role of the community worker here is to make sure that the project does not suffer and that the issues are dealt with in a open arena. Take for example a youth action project may include the police, youth workers and nurses. All these come with different agendas, youth workers looking at informal education and welfare, nurses on health and police officers on law enforcement and crime prevention. (Banks et all 2003) All of these different agenda have to be carefully managed in order for the project to be successful. Each agency must understand the importance of the project as a whole and be able to communicate any issues that it has with the other agencies. This is where the community worker can get stuck in the middle, between the different agencies and stuck in with inter-agency politics instead of being out in the community. Dilemmas also form part of the daily planning for community workers. Take for example the planning of a new project, does the worker go for a big and high profile project that will involve the whole community but may not be very effective due to the fact that it may never reach its goals. Or does the worker settle for the small project that will enable him/her to achieve the desired outcome and be able to address a certain issue that the community has raises like youth ‘hanging about on the streets'. This causes the community worker to face the fact that he either has to work with all the community, which he is likely to get more funding and support for, or just to focus on an achievable project like talking the youth ‘boredom' that is happening. Dilemmas surrounding confidentiality is always a difficult to decide the ‘right' course of action. Although community workers are not seen as a counselling service, many see workers as a trusted person in the community to talk to. In this situation confidentiality becomes important, but also the rules of breaking confidentiality have to be addressed as well. Confidentiality has its limitations to be enforced and this can cause the dilemma to the worker as to what is ethically right. Should the worker pass the information on or keep the confidentiality that he promised. (Roche, 2004) This issue was brought up when I was working as a youth worker in the local youth club setting. A young woman approached me saying that she needed to talk. Due to the fact that I had time to spare and she seemed distressed I let her talk and told her everything that she said would be confidential. She then told me that she was getting beaten up at home but did not want to it get out as she did to want her and her siblings to be spilt up. I spent a whole supervisory session talking to my supervisor about confidentiality. In the end I had to break it as a way of helping that young person to escape the endless circle but it was not a light hearted decision. My trust had been broken and since then the young girl has not come back to the youth club, but I know that she is now safe and living with a foster family and her siblings. One dilemma that community workers often face is the fact of accountability and who are they actually accountable to. Many workers would suggest that they are accountable to the community groups as they are working for what they need but others may suggest that they are accountable to the state and their employer. Community workers are employed by a wide range of bodies, including local authorities, primary care trusts, regeneration partnerships, charities, housing committees, the list is endless. All of these bodies have their own organisational and departmental aims for the community worker's role, and the worker is accountable to in a legal/employment sense to their employer. (Henderson and Thomas, 1992) In any community work there is the potential for a complex layering system of accountability, as managers may be employed by some agency to mange work funded by their agency. (Banks, 2003) this is where community workers can find them selves pulled in different directions and must always be careful about what they do. In some cases they may have to balance contradictory and compelling demands and attempt to make sense and achieve them in order to carry out the desired aim. This may be where they community project has been given a set of money from the Church of England for a youth project, this project has then started to deal with people from all religions coming to the project. In order to retain the centres success the worker does not want to ban the youth from the centre due to the fact that they are benefiting from it. Yet the worker is going against the aims of the funding application. In this case the worker has to be accountable to both the Church of England and the youth who are attending the project. In order to attempt to solve this situation then the worker must talk to the Church and attempt to re-structure the funding application so that it can be used across the project and not just on the youth of the Church. (Adapted from Brierley, 2002.) Bryants, (1982, cited in Jacobs et al) suggests that a community worker acts as a catalyst and has nine skills: 1. relational 2. communication 3. organisational 4. mediating 5. bargaining 6. entrepreneur 7. researcher 8. political 9. tactical. In order to be all these then at some point there will always be conflicting ideas and dilemmas to be addressed. One can not attempt to fill all theses roles of a community worker and still be able to work on a level ground with others. Although all of these are very important the fact that a community worker can relate to others within the community is essential and the skill of being able to accept differences and be able to address these is a skill which is learnt and will always be important in our world of work. There will always be tensions and dilemmas to address but these must not get us down. We must learn to take everything in our stride and learn from our mistakes, being able to see where we went wrong and be able to apply these lessons learnt to our future practise. Our strategy must be based on a clear awareness of what we as workers are aiming to achieve by our intervention and use negotiation and communication to overcome any difficulties that we encounter.

About Employment

Although the attraction for foreign employment is increasing everyday, employment is not safe, secured and managed well. Skilled and trained manpower appropriate to the nature and requirement of foreign demand are not available. So, people are going to foreign countries as unskilled or semi-skilled work force. Because of this, foreign countries are getting on one hand cheap labor and on the other Nepalese working abroad are not getting rights and honorable jobs. This has compelled Nepalese people to sell their labour at a throw away price whereas they have to invest a lot of money. Foreign Employment Act 2064 has clearly made a legal provision for sending Nepalese for foreign employment. But, this act is not correctly implemented. Various foreign employment services are in operation without government permission. Brokers are taking advantage of the simple and innocent people and cheating them badly. It is a pity that even those who have gone through resistered agencies and also having required skill, training and knowledge are not getting good jobs and salary. Not only this, there are many instances when such labour forces have returned prematurely not having required qualifications, ability, skills and knowledge suitable for these jobs offered. This is indeed a big and serious challenge. There is a need of legal, technical and professional training for these people so that they can meet the challenges and can take benefit of the advantages of the opportunities available in the market. Technically trained, skilled and competent people can compete with others and secure right jobs, which fetch them good salary. There is also need of providing them accidental and life insurance to make their life more secured. The demand for Nepalese workers is increasing greatly. The Three Year Interim Plan has provision to have labour contract with those countries where there are a large number of Nepalese working. This indicates that the opportunities for employment are increasing day by day. According to the government reports, more than one billion rupees remittances are earned every year from foreign employment. This has largely contributed to national economy. Many factories and industries are established from such money which helps in generating local employment and revenues. However, continuous fleeing of trained and skilled human power would adversely affect in their own economic development. They should gradually bring down the number of out going labour force. The country’s development is own development. It is a fact that one gets due respect only when his own country is developed. Those Nepalese working in other countries as Bahadur and Kanchhas are giving their sweat and blood for the development of other countries. Whereas it is sad to say that Nepal remains always poor, underdeveloped and backward. For this, they (Nepalese) have to get appropriate training, knowledge, skills and contribute to their own economic development. We should love our own country and foster patriotic feeling among us. On this lies our over all welfare and well being

Immigration1 essays

Immigration1 essays For many immigration to the United States would be a new beginning during 19th to early 20th century. There were many acts and laws to limit the number immigrating to the United States. Many of these acts were due to prejudice and misunderstanding of a culture. One such act was the Chinese Exclusion Act. Form this one act many immigration laws and acts were made against foreigners. They hoped to control the number of immigrants arriving on the American shores. The Chinese Exclusion Act of May 6, 1882 was just the beginning. This act was the turning point of the U.S. immigration policies, although it only directly affected a small group of people. Prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act there was no significant number of free immigrants that had been barred from the country. Once the Chinese Exclusion Act had been in acted, further limitations on the immigration of ethnic groups became standard procedure for more than eight decades. Irish catholic, Mexican, and other races were not allowed the same freedoms that others were allowed. Even after a family had been here for generations there were not given the same freedoms. Since the arrival of the first Chinese Immigrants, racist hostility towards the Chinese always existed. They were predominantly male laborers, concentrated in California. They were vital to the development of western mining, transportation, and agriculture. Other races were also discriminated against, the Irish were not allowed to get jobs or live in certain areas of the cities. By 1880, the great fear of German-speaking and Irish-Catholic immigrants was over. Employers, who still sought worker-immigrants, and not just temporary workers, looked increasingly to southern and eastern Europe. When Italians, Greeks, Turks, Russians, Slavs, and Jews arrived in the United States in numbers, however, new anxieties arose about making Americans of so many different kinds of strangers. ...

Cardiac Pacemakers Essays - Cardiac Arrhythmia, Free Essays

Cardiac Pacemakers Essays - Cardiac Arrhythmia, Free Essays Cardiac Pacemakers CARDIAC PACEMAKERS The heart is bestowed with a specialized system that automatically generates rhythmic control via the sinus node, located in the superior lateral wall of the right atrium near the opening of the superior vena cava. The specialized pacemaker cells dictate control of the rest of the heart through regular electrical impulses that propagate from the right atria to the lower ventricles. The rapid conduction of these impulses cause the muscle cells of the atria to contract and squeeze blood into the ventricles, which contract and force blood into the aorta and pulmonary arteries. Abnormalities of the heart rhythm, called arrhythmias, can disrupt this normal cardiac control making it necessary to use some artificial means to regulate the rhythm of the heart. Today, some half a million men and women, most of them over the age of sixty, carry implanted cardiac pacemakers that take over the duties of the natural conduction system. Tens of thousands of these devices are implanted each year in t his country alone. Over the past thirty years cardiac pacemakers have evolved from simple devices only capable of fixed-rate stimulation of a single chamber of the heart to more sophisticated implanted computers that medical personnel can interrogate and reprogram from outside the patient's body. These refinements have allowed for more physiologic pacing with maintenance of atrioventricular synchrony and cardiac output. There are various types of cardiac pacemakers available today that can be surgically implanted to treat specific arrhythmic disorders in the heart. Abnormal rhythms in the heart are one of the most frequent causes of heart malfunction, and in most cases necessitate some type of cardiac pacing unit. Cardiac arrhythmias are common in the elderly, in who age-related physiologic changes often alter the conduction system of the heart. Such changes may remain asymptomatic, or they may progress to syncope, or possibly sudden death. In the event of acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmias are no more frequent in the elderly than in younger subjects; in fact, ventricular premature beats are seen less commonly in patients aged seventy years and older. Age is also not a factor in determining the success of resuscitation from cardiac arrest, although it may be a predictor of six-month survival. In general, there is nothing unique about arrhythmias in the elderly. All of the commonly encountered arrhythmias may be seen in older patients. Arrhythmias may occur in otherwise normal hearts, but with increasing age, associated cardiac disease becomes more likely. A possible exception is atrial flutter; in younger patients, its presence almost always indicates a serious cardiac disorder. There are two indications for antiarrhythmic therapy: relief of symptoms and prevention of more malignant arrhythmias. In elderly patients, pacemakers are the preferred treatment for Brady arrhythmias. Most arrhythmias occur in response to the aging heart. In the sinoatrial node, the number of pacemaker cells decreases, until often less than 10% of the normal complement remains after age 75. Beginning at age 60, there is a detectable loss of fiber from the fascicles of the left bundle branch. Commonly, less than one-half the original number remain, the others having been replaced by fibrous tissue. Micro calcification is often found in this region, and can be related to both age-associated change and pathologic processes. There is also some fibrous tissue replacement of conduction fibers in the distal conduction system, as well as occurrences of fibrosis and hyalinization in the media of the blood vessels supplying the conduction tissue. Any of these age related processes can lead to a disrupted rhythmic and conduction system of the heart. One type of arrhythmia, bradycardia, normally necessitates the surgical implantation of a pacemaker device. Bradycardia is a circulatory condition in which the myocardium contracts steadily but at a rate of less than sixty contractions a minute. This condition may be normal in some physically fit people, where their pulse may be quite slow. This is because an athlete's heart is considerably stronger and is capable of pumping a larger volume of blood per heartbeat than someone who is less physically active. However, in other people, cardiac output is decreased which can cause faintness, dizziness, chest pain, and eventually syncope and cir culatory collapse. The cause of bradycardia can be an increase in the parasympathetic nervous

Writing Descriptive Paragraphs for English Learners

Writing Descriptive Paragraphs for English Learners Writing descriptive paragraphs can be successful as one of the first writing activities for students. Start by helping students understand the difference between simple and complex sentences, and move on to practice writing complex sentences. Students should also be familiar with a wide range of descriptive adjectives. Start by having students answer basic questions below. Next, use the writing exercise to expand the answers into a well-formed descriptive paragraph. Descriptive paragraphs are often used to describe what a person looks and acts like. Read this example descriptive paragraph, notice how descriptive paragraphs are arranged by putting together all the sentences about the same thing. Here is an example of a descriptive paragraph: I am forty years old, rather tall and I have blue eyes and short black hair. I wear casual clothes as I teach students in a relaxed atmosphere. I enjoy my job because I get to meet and help so many different people from all over the world. During my spare time, I like playing tennis which I play at least three times a week. I also love listening to classical music and I must admit that I spend a lot of money on buying new CDs! I live in a pretty seaside town on the Italian coast. I enjoy eating great Italian food and laughing with the likable people who live here. Written Exercise I Answer these questions about yourself on a piece of paper. How old are you?What do you look like?What kind of clothes do you wear? Why?What kind of job do you do? Do you like it?What are your favorite hobbies? Why do you like them?Where do you live?Do you like living there? Why or why not? Written Exercise II Now that you have the information about yourself ready. Fill in the gaps in to complete this descriptive paragraph about yourself. I am _________ years old, I _________________ (your looks). I wear ________________ because ______________. I am a ______________. I like / dont like my job because _____________________. I enjoy ______________. I often _____________ (describe how often you do your hobby). I also like ________________ (write about another hobby) because ________________. I live in ____________. People in ____________ are ________________ . I enjoy / dont enjoy living in ______________ because ____________. Practice Ask your friends the same questions as in Exercise I and write paragraphs about them.

To what extent should companies go with business bluffing in order to Essay

To what extent should companies go with business bluffing in order to maximize profit - Essay Example In the present age, when the people have become very conscious regarding the environmental issues and the health and safety aspects of business, businessmen are exposed to a lot of challenges. The rise in level of social consciousness comes as a potential threat to the profitability of businesses because the two are on the two extremes of the seesaw. The profitability increases when the standards of ethics are not complied with and vice versa. Businessmen frequently make use of bluffing to maximize their profits. Bluffing in business is essentially a strategy of the like which is used in games like poker. The game strategy has no reflection in the bluffer’s morality. When a businessman respects truth, he/she essentially considers it â€Å"the basis of private morality† (Carr). A businessman deserves respect for respecting the truth. Bluffing has become an essential component of many kinds of businesses. For example, in court, when a lawyer fights a case for a client, his/her job is to prove that he/she is not guilty regardless of what the truth is, and this is fully understood by the judge and everyone who is involved in the jury down the line. It is commonly said that the court is blind, which means that a judge can not take a decision if he/she believes one of the parties is right unless that party provides the judge with sufficient evidence against the criminal party. This is perfectly consistent with Henry Taylor’s statement, â€Å"falsehood ceases to be falsehood when it is understood on all sides that the truth is not expected to be spoken† (Carr). This description of bluffing is as valid for business as it is for poker . Corporate executives can not make independent decisions. Their actions are guided by the instructions of the top management. However, in addition to being an employee, a corporate executive is just as human as his/her manager. The corporate executive thinks from his/her own mind and is fully capable of analyzing the quality of decision enforced by the manager. Quite often, a corporate executive may not approve of the decision of the top management, but there is nothing he/she can do about it because if he/she attempts to, he/she will risk the job. Therefore, most corporate executives tend to remain silent rather than giving voice to their conflicting views, and this, for many, is the strategy of survival in the workplace. In this way, business ethics resemble the game ethics both of which are totally different from the ethics of religion. Businessmen generally maintain self constructed standards of ethics and tend to comply with them. As long as they are doing good on certain scal es of ethics that they value the most, they are happy that they are conducting the business ethically and their conscience is fully satisfied. The Democrat, Omar Burleson from Texas expressed his views about his own business practice in these words: I can tell you that we pride ourselves on our ethics. In thirty years not one customer has ever questioned my word or asked to check our figures. We're loyal to our customers and fair to our suppliers. I regard my handshake on a deal as a contract. I've never entered into price-fixing schemes with my competitors. I've never allowed my salesmen to spread injurious rumors about other companies. Our union contract is the best in our industry. And, if I do say so myself, our ethical standards are of the highest! (Burleson cited in Carr). In fact, the difference arises from the disparity of perceptions about the ethical standards of the businessmen and those of the stakeholders. When a businessman says that his ways are ethical, it most often means that he/she complies with the ethics of

The soccer team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The soccer team - Essay Example the chosen group is indeed a discourse community when the characteristics are presented and qualified through the lens being used which is the aforementioned six characteristics. One can never know all the necessary information just by observing the group because there might still be other information that are not observable. Therefore, in addition to observing, this writer also used interview to gather the necessary information used in the analysis. The interview was done with a member of the group, Sharon Simons. Swales says that, â€Å"A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals† (471). The interviewee says that as a team, their goal is to win the Atlantic 10 Season, the Atlantic 10 championship and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Soccer Championship. Obviously, the group does not just exist to perform or play but they have a goal that they are trying to reach. Secondly, â€Å"A discourse community has mechanism of intercommunication among its members† (471). Asked about this, the interviewee says that thee team does not communicate in the field only but the members also talk off field to bridge the gap in their communications. She also claims that they do their planning during practices which often happen two to three times a week. Moreover, they do immediate planning during games and half-time breaks or whenever there are substitutes in the game. They do the talking and planning throughout the game because as it is observ ed in soccer games, there may be changes that might affect what could have been planned before the game or accidents that may cause change in plans. The third characteristic mentioned by Swales is, â€Å"A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback† (472). True enough, the soccer team reflects this. As mentioned earlier, the team meets for practice, two to three times a week which is a fairly good number of times for good communication to

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of Essay

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of vitamins and supplements to ensure the American public is safe - Essay Example Dietary supplements are defined under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) as products that contain the one or a combination of the following dietary ingredients: vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids, hormones, concentrate or metabolites. Supplements usually come in the form of pill, tablet, liquid form or capsule with some being administered intravenously. They differ from pharmaceutical drugs for most of them have unproven therapeutic benefits and is considered more like a food product with the exception that they bear a ‘dietary supplement’ label. With the influx of dietary supplements in the marketplace, claims of medical benefits abound with little scientific proof. The problem is that human society have become so conscious with their health but so lazy to maintain it by exercise and proper food intake that dietary supplements have become so popular and so much in demand. In the face of this dilemma, there is only one possible resolution: for the FDA to strictly monitor and control the production and entry to market of dietary supplements. This paper aims to underscore this choice of action through an analysis of facts and events. A preliminary analysis to serve as a platform for a full scale research is presented in the following passages. Vitamins and minerals have long been recognized by medical science to have beneficial medical effects. For example, Vitamin C more commonly known as ascorbic acid, have been shown to stimulate the production and function of white blood cells thereby boosting the body’s immunity. It has also been found to prevent the formation of carcinogenic compounds such as nitrosamines. Vitamin A, a pale yellow primary alcohol, improves eyesight by aiding in the formation of mucous membranes and tear glands. Almost all vitamins have some

Emerging Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Emerging Technologies - Essay Example Every company and organization has become heavily dependent on the use of technology to run business activities. For example, use of computers networks and internet has become a common thing for every organization. In this report, we will discuss an innovative technology related to the field of computer science. The name of the technology is Cloud Management Information System (Cloud MIS). Cloud MIS service refers to the use of cloud computing services for managing information provided to the system by the companies using the service. Some of the main benefits that a company can get using Cloud MIS service include secure data management, improved efficiency, lower capital expenditure, no need of hiring IT professionals to manage the MIS, greater flexibility and storage, and lower operational expenditure. The concept of this technology was developed a couple of years ago but more and more developments are occurring in this technology making it more useful and reliable for companies an d organizations. Let us first have a look at basic workings of Management Information System and Cloud Computing in order to get a better understanding of the benefits that the merger of these technologies can provide to businesses. 2. Management Information System According to Oz (2009, p. 9) states, â€Å"Information is the lifeblood of any organization†. Without information, a company can never achieve its desired goals and objectives because information serves as the base for business progress. Management information system (MIS) refers to a system that manages the data and information of a company needed to perform different business activities. MIS makes use of information technology tools in processing of information and generation of reports (Earl 1996). It is a part of internal business control system which manages the documents, business strategies and policies, and information stored in it by the company (Martin 2010). According to Stahl (2008, p. 1), management in formation systems increase the efficiency of business processes, as well as improves coordination between people within organization. As Lauderdale (n.d., p. 1) states, â€Å"MIS allows managers to create reports about the company activities†. This statement shows that MIS can be used to generate reports about business activities, such as, financial reports, employee performance reports, and project related reports. According to Lucey (2005, p. 4), the main tasks of a management information system are to process collected data into information, as well as to send accurate and relevant information to the concerned people. As Burke (n.d., p. 1) states, â€Å"MIS, or management information systems, are used to manage the data created within the structure of a particular business†. MIS stores everything related to business which also include project deadlines and employees’ tasks regarding those projects. Using the information for the system, employees carry out the ir activities accordingly. According to Currie and Galliers (1999), MIS also helps employees in processing, analyzing, and disseminating the collected information. Another advantage of using MIS in companies is that it helps in setting and achieving both short-term and long-term strategic goals and objecti

Europes Attitude in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Europes Attitude in the Middle East - Essay Example They want now corruption, nepotism and all the ill wills of the societies to be halted. Importance of connections with the rest of the world and a sense of fell of proud for being citizens to their countries have been recognized by people. This can show a picture of wrong policies that have been pursued based on historic evidences which often neglected the perspectives of modernization and change (Meral 2011). This paper analyses the issues prevailing in the Middle East today and importance of such issues to the United States. It is also argued hereby whether the United States’ policy agenda will address the Middle East issues in favor of the US interests, and what role can Europe play in order to take advantage of social and economic opportunities. All these issues will help to have an idea of future of the Middle East in terms of stability and democracy. The United States’ dominance in the Middle East and North Africa is not a new phenomenon. It has been determined by examining that the United States has been the unrivaled power in the region since the end of the cold War. Today the Arabs are becoming more independent which has caused the situation of power of the United States in the region to change as that was before. The evidence of the changing situation in Middle East can be provided by Egypts decision to establish relations with Iran and Hamas which cannot even be altered by the United States. A new democratic Arab world is soon to be emerged now. The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have been the most peaceful in the Middle East region. There are other examples of this kind also such as an upholding rebellion in Yemen, an insurgence against Muammar Gaddafis dictator rule in Libya and a serial of protestations in Syria. Almost nobody could have foreseen the changes to come.

ENG 315 Presentation Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ENG 315 Presentation Critique - Assignment Example While it can be concluded from the title that the program is a meal-delivery system for the seniors, the presentation could have started with a visual description of how it will be like to have food easily and readily available to people who need it. However, this did not ruin the overall understanding of the audience on the topic. The opening statement is very catchy and able to get the audience interest. The speaker said: â€Å"Meals on wheels is taking action to end senior hunger.† Not only is the opening line catchy, it immediately gives a hint of the problem that the presentation is trying to resolve. The main points, such as what the program is, what the problem is, statistical data proving there is indeed a continuing problem, why the problem needs to be alleviated, and what the program can do were properly emphasized. However, the important detail of how a senior can enroll in the program was left out. The speaker utilized the â€Å"problem solution pattern† of speech, where the presentation informs the audience of the risks of the problem, the importance, the causes, and the solution. This pattern is alerts the audience to the fact that the issue is something to be concerned of. No, there were no transitions carried out, which makes some area of the presentation abruptly stopped. Good transitional phrases would be: â€Å"Why do we need to know this?† Such would also recapture the attention of the audience. The presentation was summarized, but somewhat too briefly. The summary was only about what the program does. It did not reiterate the reality of the problem, and did not restate how the program is a big relief for this problem. Taken on the emotional level, the closing statement is strong. However, it lacked information. The closing statement seems to call for people to take action: â€Å"Every one of us can play a very important role in the life of a senior. I encourage you to make a difference!† How? Can ordinary people call and enroll a

Europes Attitude in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Europes Attitude in the Middle East - Essay Example They want now corruption, nepotism and all the ill wills of the societies to be halted. Importance of connections with the rest of the world and a sense of fell of proud for being citizens to their countries have been recognized by people. This can show a picture of wrong policies that have been pursued based on historic evidences which often neglected the perspectives of modernization and change (Meral 2011). This paper analyses the issues prevailing in the Middle East today and importance of such issues to the United States. It is also argued hereby whether the United States’ policy agenda will address the Middle East issues in favor of the US interests, and what role can Europe play in order to take advantage of social and economic opportunities. All these issues will help to have an idea of future of the Middle East in terms of stability and democracy. The United States’ dominance in the Middle East and North Africa is not a new phenomenon. It has been determined by examining that the United States has been the unrivaled power in the region since the end of the cold War. Today the Arabs are becoming more independent which has caused the situation of power of the United States in the region to change as that was before. The evidence of the changing situation in Middle East can be provided by Egypts decision to establish relations with Iran and Hamas which cannot even be altered by the United States. A new democratic Arab world is soon to be emerged now. The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have been the most peaceful in the Middle East region. There are other examples of this kind also such as an upholding rebellion in Yemen, an insurgence against Muammar Gaddafis dictator rule in Libya and a serial of protestations in Syria. Almost nobody could have foreseen the changes to come.

Identify and define and explain the different aspects to interpersonal Essay

Identify and define and explain the different aspects to interpersonal communication based on a Twilight Zone episode - Essay Example However, this is made clear in the end, as Marilyn, a girl who has her own mind, and who does not want the transformation, is nonetheless forced to transform, and her personality becomes exactly the same as her friend, Val, who had made the transformation earlier. The goal is to make everybody exactly the same. Why is this the reality in this universe? Professor Sig explains it. He states that the world suffered from a great deal of inequality, so the leaders of the world decided to do something about this. What they decided upon doing was that they would make everybody the same, and they would eliminate ugliness. The theory was that ugliness makes men hate, so, if nobody was ugly, then nobody would hate one another anymore. The unfortunate side effect is that the world becomes the same, and there is therefore not a place to dissent. As Marilyn pointed out, Dostoyevsky was an ugly man, yet he wrote about beautiful things. The implication is that Dostoyevsky could not exist in the pre sent world, because he wrote about things that would be abhorrent to the people in this sanitized world. The irony is that Marilyn, herself, appeared to be a girl who might have great ideas – she was intelligent and strong-willed. ... Marilyn had good feelings about her father, and she looked up to him. She told her uncle that she and her father used to talk about things that mattered in life. They used to talk about things that did not have to do with superficiality, which is what everybody is literally interested in after transformation. Their ideas transcended this, and the implication was that this kind of communication was only possible between people who had not transformed. So, this is what Marilyn feared, most of all - that she would lose the ability to coherently communicate after her transformation, because she understood that, after transformation, she would no longer have the ideas that she currently had. Her head would be filled with nothing but positivity and â€Å"liquid smiles,† and she apparently found this abhorrent. Not only was the ability to communicate important to Marilyn, the communication itself was important to her. She felt close to her father because she communicated with him. Sh e wanted to feel the same closeness with her mother, Lana, and her best friend, Val. She tried to communicate, in vain, with them about how she was feeling and why she was feeling the way that she was. However, it was clear that her communication with them, and all the others, including Dr. Rex, Dr. Sig, and Uncle Rick, that her communication with them was falling on deaf ears. None of them heard her – they were only hearing what they wanted to hear, and that was that transformation was good. Therefore, when she tried to communicate the idea that, for her, transformation was bad, they couldn't understand this, and they didn't hear her reasoning. While her need to communicate fulfilled her

Effect of CR Supplementation on Athletic Performance

Effect of CR Supplementation on Athletic Performance Introduction To succeed in a given sport at any level of competition, athletes must possess specific physiologic, psychologic, and biomechanic traits critical to success in that sport, but they must also receive optimal physical, mental, and biomechanical training to maximise this genetic potential (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999). However many athletes believe that the combination of genetic traits and optimal training alone are not sufficient to achieve maximum performance, therefore the use of ergogenic aids has become common to improve sports performance beyond the effect of training (Sundgot-Borgen, Berglund Torstveit, 2003). The use of ergogenic aids will allow athletes to gain that competitive advantage over opponents therefore leading to potential success. According to Williams, Kreider Branch, (1999) ergogenic aids are substances or treatments that are theoretically designed to enhance physical power, mental strength or mechanical edge therefore potentially improving athletic performa nce. Given the various demands of team sports such as Soccer, Rugby and Hockey, which require short intermittent bouts of high intensity exercise which are interspersed by low level exercise, it seems feasible the use of ergogenic aids in such sports may enhance and benefit performance to gain that competitive edge over opponents. One ergogenic aid which has become popular among amateur, professional and recreational athletes over recent years is Creatine Monohydrate (Cr). Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative which is found in skeletal muscle, but is also a normal dietary constituent with a daily requirement of approximately 2 to 3 grams depending on body size (Ostojic, 2001). The majority of creatine in muscles is stored in the form of phosphocreatine (PCr) which serves as an important contributor to energy metabolism during high intensity exercise (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999). PCr provides the high energy phosphate for adenine diphosphate (ADP) to restore adenine triphosphate (ATP) concentration rapidly via the Cr kinase (CK) reaction (Clarkson, 1996). Hultman, Bergstrom and McLennan-Anderson, (1967) demonstrated that depletion of PCr stores within the muscles can lead to a decline in athletic performance during high intensity exercise, so theoretically increasing PCr stores through Cr supplementation would enhance the ability to maintain high intensity exercise over a prolonged period of time, leading to increases in sporting performance. Ahmun (2005) and Hultman, Soderlund, Timmons, Cederblad, Greenhaff, (1996) demonstrated that the average Cr concentration in human muscle can be increased through Cr supplementation over a 7 day period from 20% pre Cr to 50% post Cr. Since PCr is a substrate for the ATP-PCr energy system which is essential for high intensity exercise of 30 seconds or less it seems logical that the supplementation of Cr would be beneficial to exercise tasks of this duration. Therefore the majority of previous research has focused on bouts of anaerobic performance of To date the effect of Cr supplementation on athletic performance has been widely researched. This includes include positive effects of Cr supplementation over a prolonged period of over 4 weeks which is otherwise known as the maintenance phase (Knehans, Bemben, Bemben and Loftiss, 1998; Larson, Hunter, Trowbridge, Turk, Harbin and Torman, 1998). Also demonstrated have been positive effects of Cr supplementation on exercise performance using a shorter ingestion period known as the loading phase (Stout, Echerson, Noonan, Moore, and Cullen, 1999; Volek, Boetes, Bush, Putukian, Sebastianelli and Kraemer, 1997a). This includes improvements in performance variables such as strength, speed and delaying the onset of fatigue (Okudan and Gokbel, 2004; Volek, Kraemer, Bush, Boetes, Incledon, Clark and Lynch 1997b; Kocak Karli , 2003) Team sports consist of repeated bouts of intermittent high intensity exercise therefore consistently relying on the ATP-PCr energy system which if depleted can have a major factor on performance and the outcome of a game (Ostojic, 2004). One such sport which consists of repeated bouts of high intensity exercise is soccer. Soccer players are required to produce high power outputs and maintain or repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery, (Reilly and Williams, 2003). Such high intensity instances could be the deciding factor of a game, for example sprinting back to make a game saving tackle or sprinting past a defender to the ball to make a shot. One high intensity exercise instance which occurs in a soccer match are bouts of sprinting, which are estimated to consist of 8.1% of a 90 minute match and occur approximately every 90 seconds lasting between two to four seconds in duration (Bangsbo, Norregard Thorso, 1991). Given the fact that there is considerable support for Cr as an ergogenic aid it would be reasonable to suggest that a soccer players sprint performance would benefit from Cr supplementation. However there is minimal research which has looked into the effects of Cr on sprint performance and variables of soccer match play such as agility running, lateral stepping and running backwards( Cox, Mujika, Tumilty and Burke 2002; Ostojic, 2004; Mujika, Padilla, Ibanez, Izquierdo and Gorostiaga, 2000). The aforementioned studies have determined the effects of Cr on elite soccer players, female soccer players and youth soccer players (Ostojic, 2004; Mujika et al., 2000; Smart et al 1998; Cox et al., 2002). However there is no present research that looks into the effects of acute ( Another aspect to consider upon testing the effects of Cr on sprint performance on amateur soccer players is the protocol to be used. Although there have been many protocols which have been designed to measure and simulate soccer performance, plenty of these have failed to adequately simulate the different movement patterns (sprinting, walking, running backwards, lateral stepping) which are involved in a game of soccer (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Abt, Reaburn, Holmes and Gear, 2003; Thatcher and Batterham, 2004). It seems rational that when assessing components of soccer performance that the protocol that is utilised replicates the different activity patterns and demands of soccer match. If this is not taken into consideration it becomes difficult to determine whether Cr supplementation will have any benefit on soccer performance. Therefore the utilised protocol needs to concisely replicate movement patterns in soccer so that a valid assumption can be made to determine the erogen eity of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance in amateur soccer players. Thus the purpose of this study is to conduct an investigation that will determine the effect of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance in Caucasian male amateur soccer players, using a soccer simulation protocol in an accurate, valid and reliable manner with two trials consisting over a 7 day period. Concluding whether or not acute Cr supplementation can be used as an ergogenic aid to improve a footballers sprint performance, therefore recommending to athletes and coaches alike. Literature Review Creatine Monohydrate: Background Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular sporting supplements in the world today and is used by high school athletes, the elderly, professional and recreational athletes in the hope of improving physical performance (Bemben and Lamont, 2005). It is the most commonly available Cr supplement and the form primarily used in most research studies. Cr monohydrate comes in a number of forms including powder, tablets, gel, liquid, chewing gum and candy (Williams, Kreider and Branch, 1999, p.43). Greenhaff (1997) indicated powdered Cr, ingested with solution to have a quicker absorption rate at raising muscle Cr concentration than using Cr supplementation of a tablet form. Conversely Vuckovich and Michaelis (1999) reported no significant difference in absorption rate between the two different forms. Dosage methods The supplementation dosages of Cr can be broken down into two different phases, otherwise known as the loading phase and maintenance phase. The loading phase that is commonly used in research consists of ingesting daily, 20-30g of Cr in four equal doses of 5-7g dissolved in around 250ml of fluid interspersed throughout the course of the day (preferably morning, noon, afternoon and evening) for a period of 5 to 7 days (Greenhaff, 1997; Kreider, 1997). Hultman et al (1996) utilised a less intense loading method of 3g/day for 28 days and proposed it to be just as effective as the aforementioned loading protocol. However this method places a longer dependency on subjects to comply with the supplementation program, therefore placing more variables into the reliability of results. Following the loading phase, maintenance dosages are considerably lower. Most research investigating the effects of Cr using the maintenance phase, have utilised dosages of 3 to 15g over a 4 to 10 week period (Bemben et al., 2001; Kreider et al., 1998; Stone et al., 1999; Vandenberghe et al., 1997). It is recommended to consume Cr with warm water, as it facilitates the dissolving of the solution and also aid absorption (Harris et al., 1992). It should also be noted that the ingestion of caffeine during Cr supplementation eradicates its potential ergogenic effect (Vandenberghe et al., 1996; Van Leemputte, Vanstapel Hespel, 1997). Vandenberghe et al (1996) demonstrated that a control group that ingested Cr combined with caffeine to have a lessened ergogenic potential compared to a group that ingested Cr without caffein e during repeated bouts of high intensity exercise. Side effects There is no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that Cr ingestion has any negative side effects utilising the proposed dosage methods ( Larson et al., 1998; Schroder, Terrados Tramullas, 2005). There is further evidence to support this as Kreider et al (1999) found no negative side effects in athletes who had been ingesting Cr for up to 3 years. Poortmans and Francaux (1999) demonstrated similar findings for athletes for taking Cr for up to 5 years. Only undocumented anecdotal reports have reported any adverse negative side effects through Cr supplementation, this includes gastrointestinal distress, muscle cramping and dehydration (Associated press 1997, 1998). Taking dehydration into consideration such anecdotal research can be scrutinised. Oopik, Timpmann and Medijainen, (1995) demonstrated that Cr supplementation increased body mass, while also reporting increases in total body water. Such findings signify that Cr supplementation may prevent dehydration rather than be a cause, due to the fact it can promote water retention. Cr supplementation has been demonstrated to increase body mass by up to 2kg over an acute period of time (Balsom et al., 1995; Becque et al., 1997). This could be recognised as a negative side effect for athletes that compete in weight control sports, as Cr ingestion may impede their ability to make regulated weight in a forthcoming event. This gives a consensus that athletes in such activities need to be made aware that although Cr can promote gains in strength and power, it can increase body mass. Physiology of Soccer Soccer players are frequently required to produce high power outputs and maintain of repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery (Reilly and Thomas, 2003). This includes intermittent bouts of kicking, tackling, turning, sprinting, changing pace and maintaining balance and control of the ball whilst under pressure from an opponent (Wisloff, Helgerud Hoff, 1998). To gain a scientific perspective of the different physiological demands of soccer performance, match and time motion analysis have been utilised (Bangsbo, 1994). This analysis has allowed researchers to determine the overall workload of players during a 90 minute match by calculating total distance covered, and the pattern of activities performed during a game (e.g. sprinting, cruising, walking etc). Movement patterns of Soccer It is estimated that the total distance covered during a 90 minute soccer match varies from 8.7km to 11.5km ( Bangsbo Lindquist, 1992; Ekblom, 1986; Ohashi et al., (1988); Reilly and Thomas, 1976; 1988; Rampini et al., 2007; Wade, 1962). The large variance in distances covered are due in part to the differing styles of play, levels of competition and skill level of the teams that were utilised (Luxbacher, 1997). Reilly (1994) documented the different activity patterns of elite outfield players from the English top division and other major national leagues in Europe and Japan using different methods of match analysis. Results found that a 90 minute match consists of 24% walking, 36% jogging, 20% cruising sub maximally (striding), 11% sprinting, 7% moving backwards and 2% moving in possession of the ball. The categories of sprinting and cruising are defined as high intensity exercise. In terms of distances covered the ratio of low intensity exercise to high intensity exercise during a soccer match is 7 to 1 denoting that the outlay of energy for soccer is predominately aerobic ( Reilly and Thomas, 1976). However the importance for high intensity bouts during soccer match play should not be underestimated. The timing of such a bout could be the defining factor of a game whether in possession of the ball or without the ball. Although work-rate profiles are relatively consistent for players from game to game it is the high intensity exercise which is the most constant feature (Bangsbo, 1994). The number of sprints reported in a soccer game varies greatly from 17 to 62 (Bangsbo et al., 1991; Mohr, Krustrup Bangsbo, 2003). This variance is largely determined by the positional role of the player. Findings by Reilly (1996) demonstrated that midfielders and strikers completed more sprinting bouts than centre backs or full backs therefore relying more on the anaerobic energy system. However if there is not a prolonged recovery period or an individual is not properly conditioned they will not subsequently recovery from high intensity bouts of exercise and fatigue will occur (Reilly, 1996). This is evident as Reilly (1996, p.72) documented that the majority of goals conceded during a soccer match occurred in the final ten minutes of play. A popular theory for this occurrence has been found to be mental fatigue or lapses in concentration from defenders (Reilly, 1996, p.72). However this can theory can be scrutinised as research found that the onset of fatigue in intermittent exercise such as soccer is caused by low muscle glycogen stores (Balsom et al., 1999). Acute Cr supplementation and sprint performance in team sports Athletes in team sports such as soccer, rugby, hockey and American football are required to repeatedly reproduce intermittent bouts of high intensity exercise with minimal recovery. Being able to consistently reproduce such bouts at maximal ability (e.g. sprinting, jumping, running backwards) could be the deciding factor in competition to gain that extra edge of an opponent. During high intensity exercise of an intermittent nature the main contributor of energy is PCr (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999, p29). Depletion of PCr stores during high intensity exercise has been found to be a factor which has lead to a decline in athletic performance (Hultman, Bergstrom and McLennan-Anderson, 1967). Through the supplementation of Cr, it hypothesised that PCr stores are replenished at a faster rate therefore improving an athletes ability to recover and perform intermittent high intensity bouts of exercise, leading to improved athletic performance (Greenhaff et al, 1993). There have been various studies that have tested this hypothesis by investigating the ergogenic effect of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance of athletes in team sports (Ahmun et al., 2005; Cornish, Chilibeck Burke, 2006; Izquierdo et al., 2001; Kocak Karli, 2003; Romer et al., 2001; Vandebuerie et al., 1998). However the aforementioned studies have contrasting findings with a quantity of studies finding a significant improvement in sprint performance through Cr supplementation (Izquierdo et al., 2001; Romer et al., 2001; Vandebuerie et al., 1998). On the contrary other studies have found no significant improvements in sprint performance through acute Cr ingestion (Ahmun et al., 2005; Cornish, Chilibeck Burke, 2006; Kocak Karli, 2003). Ahmun et al., (2005) investigated the ergogenic effect of Cr on sprint performance in male rugby players. For this study a Wingate test protocol was utilised prior and post Cr supplementation. Findings of this study were that there was no significant improvement in maximal cycle sprints through Cr ingestion. However in contrast Izquierdo et al., (2001) found that acute Cr supplementation improved sprint times in male hand ball players. For this study subjects were either assigned Cr or placebo over a 5 day period. The protocol that was utilised consisted of repeated sprint runs that were consistent with sprint distances achieved during handball match play. One issue that could have had a determining factor of the non significant results found by Ahmun et al (2005) is the protocol that was utilised. A Wingate test was utilised to test the sprint performance in rugby players, however the relevance of a Wingate test to measure rugby performance is not sports specific there scrutinising the validity of the results. In contrast Izquierdo et al (2001) utilised a protocol which successfully replicated distances found in handball match play therefore maintaining validity. Ahmun et al (2005) also failed to incorporate a dietary analysis into the experimental design of the protocol, therefore whether or not Cr stores within the subjects utilised were full cannot be determined, which gives rationale for results showing no significant improvement. In contrast Izquierdo et al (2001) implemented a dietary examination of subjects that were utilised; this was initiated to determine whether any subjects had ingested Cr or any ergogenic aids prior to baseline testing. This assisted with maintaining validity during research. This can be supported by Romer et al (2001) and Vandebuerie et al (1998) who utilised a protocol containing a dietary analysis and concluded a significant improvement in sprint times within subjects. Cr supplementation and Soccer performance Given the intermittent physical demands of soccer, which requires players to produce high power outputs and maintain or repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery, (Reilly and Williams, 2003) it seems feasible that soccer players would benefit from the supplementation of Cr as an ergogenic aid to improve their overall performance. However research that has investigated the effect on acute Cr supplementation on different variables of soccer performance and predominately sprint performance utilising a soccer simulation protocol is limited (Ostojic, 2004; Mujika et al 2000; Cox et al 2002). The Aforementioned studies have primarily focused on the effects of Cr supplementation on highly trained athletes that are competing at a high standard of competition. However no previous research has looked into the effects of acute Cr supplementation on amateur soccer players. Being as though Cr monohydrate is an immensely popular ergogenic aid not only among professional athletes but also amateur and recreational athletes, the benefit to amateur athletes needs to recognised. Previous research that has looked into the effects of acute Cr supplementation on soccer players using a soccer simulation protocol is discussed below. Ostojic (2004) examined the effects of acute Cr supplementation (3 x 10g doses for 7 days) on 20 young male soccer players (16.6 Â ± 1.9 years). For the testing procedure a double blind method was used and where subjects were either administered either Cr or placebo. Subjects completed two separate trials prior and post to Cr or placebo. The testing procedure consisted of a number of soccer specific skill tests which included a dribble test, sprint-power test, endurance test and a vertical jump test. Results found that there was a significant improvement in a number of the soccer specific tests; this includes superior improvements in sprint times, vertical jump scores and the dribble test. However no significant improvements were made on endurance performance after the two trials. Although a significant improvement was found in vertical jump performance, it is of concern to future researchers to whether the vertical jump test that was utilised during the design is a soccer specific test. During the test subjects were instructed to keep their trunk as straight as possible whilst keeping their hands on their hips to avoid contribution from the arms which doesnt successfully replicate jumping movements in soccer therefore questioning the validity of the vertical jump test as to whether or not it is a measure of soccer specific performance. The age of the subjects in this research can also be scrutinised. Eichner, King, Myhal, Prentice and Ziegenfuss (1999) confirmed that there was insufficient research to determine the acute and chronic side effects of Cr consumption in athletes under the age of 18 therefore places the subjects which were used in the mentioned study under possible risk. Eichner et al (1999) also highlighted that Cr supplementation in young athletes could have a possible degradation of ethics, by where a win at all costs mentality is fostered and an attitude by where ergogenic aids are necessary to win, which is the wrong message to be installing in young athletes. Likewise Mujika, Padilla, Ibanez, Izquerido and Gorostiaga (2000) concluded acute Cr supplementation (20g a day x 6 days) significantly improved sprint performance and found no significant improvement in endurance performance using a soccer simulation protocol. Mujika et al (2000) also documented no increase in vertical jump performance using a similar protocol to Ostojic (2004) which has minimal significance in a soccer simulation study. Mujika et al (2000) tested 19 elite male soccer players who at the time of investigation were highly trained, however only 17 fully completed the testing due to illness or injury. The protocol for this investigation consisted of a circuit of different exercises which consisted of a repeated sprint test (5 and 15m), vertical jump test and an intermittent endurance test. Findings in this study concluded that mean sprint times improved significantly (p This de-training effect is evident for the vertical jump test as no significant improvement between the two trials was found. However if there was a significant de training effect it would have had negative consequences on other testing variables such as sprint performance, this however is not the case as sprint performance significantly improved. Mujika et al (2000) should have took into consideration a possible detraining effect when devising the experimental design as this could have negatively affect the validity of the results. Cox, Mujika, Tumilty and Burke (2002) devised a study which tested Cr supplementation (20g a day) or placebo (20g glucose a day) on 14 elite female soccer players from the Australian institute of sport (AIS) using a soccer simulated protocol. The experimental design consisted of two trials before and after Cr or placebo over a 6 day period. The protocol consisted of fifty five 20m sprints, ten agility runs and a precision ball kicking drill which are separated by recovery walks, jogs and runs. The main findings in this study were that the average 20m sprint time in the Cr group decreased from 3.75 Â ± 0.19 to 3.69 Â ± 0.18s however this decrease in sprint time failed to reach the statistical significance level (p Cox et al (2002) also incorporated a standardised training regime and a controlled diet for the intervention week and also scheduled testing so that it would occur at the same time of day before and after supplementation. In contrast Mujika et al (2000) failed to utilise effective standardised procedures during their experimental design. As previously mentioned Mujika et al (2000) testing procedures took place 3 days after the subjects season had finished therefore training was not standardised due to the fact that subjects had no organised training sessions during the intervention week. Mujika et al (2000) also lacked a familiarisation trial, subjects were only familiarised with the testing procedures prior to arriving for the 1st trial which could substantially affect the results. However although Cox et al (2000) standardised procedures by included a controlled diet for the subjects, it is interesting to note that one of the subjects was a vegetarian, whos Cr content is virtually zero (Greenhaff, 1997). Research has found that vegetarians respond quicker and more effectively to Cr supplementation than those who follow a normal sedentary diet and have natural muscle creatine content (Burke, Chilibeck, Parise, Candow, Mahoney Tamopolsky., 2003; Watt, Garnham Snow, 2004) therefore scrutinising the validity of the results. It may be of future reference to eradicate vegetarians in a experimental design which utilises Cr supplementation due to the diet implications that vegetarians have. Soccer Simulation performance tests To date there has been a number of soccer simulation performance tests which have been utilised to assess and measure different physiological aspects of the game (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992; Cox, 2002; Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Nicholas, Nuttall and Williams, 2000). These protocols have been implemented so that they take into consideration different aspects of soccer performance and try to replicate the exercise patterns that are observed during match play, however due to the spontaneity of the soccer it is difficult to assess every physical or metabolic demand (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000). Researchers have used different protocols when investigating the metabolic and physical demands of soccer, these can documented into laboratory based protocols (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Thatcher and Batterham, 2004) and field based protocols (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992; Cox, 2002; Nicholas et al 2000). Laboratory based soccer performance protocols Drust, Reilly and Cable (2000) devised a laboratory based protocol on a motorised treadmill what represented the work rates that are observed during soccer match play. For the experimental design 7 male university soccer players (24 Â ± 2 years) were used and the testing consisted of three separate testing blocks which were separated by 6 days. The protocol consisted of the different exercise intensities that are utilised during soccer match play; this consisted of walking, jogging, cruising and sprinting. The speeds at which these exercises were performed on the treadmill were consistent with speeds observed by Van Gool, Van Gervan and Boutmans (1988) during a match analysis. Each testing block consisted of two 22.5 minute cycles which consisted of 23 bouts which were followed by a recovery period of 71 seconds. During each bout the duration of each activity was as follows: walking 35 seconds (s), jogging 50.3s, cruising 51.4s and sprinting 10.5s. However in relevance to this research project it should be noted that the duration covered during the sprint bouts of the protocol of Drust, Reilly and Cable (2000) which is 10.5s does not successfully coincide with match analysis from several soccer studies that have documented the duration of sprint bouts during soccer match play. Research has found that the average sprint time during soccer match play lasts between on average two to four seconds in duration (Bangsbo, Norregard Thorso,1991; Mayhew and Wenger, 1985) therefore concluding in some instances Drust, Reilly and Cables (2000) laboratory based soccer specific protocol can be deemed as in valid as it fails to accurately replicate different soccer performance variables that take place in match play. Another lab based test that was utilised to measure specific variables in soccer performance was devised by Thatcher and Batterham (2004). For this protocol six male professional soccer players were used and the testing consisted of 29 minute exercise bouts on a non motorised treadmill that focused on replicating different speeds, durations, distances and heart rates that occur during soccer match play. Findings from this study suggest that the protocol that was utilised induced a similar physiological load to soccer match play and can be determined as a valid measure of soccer performance. Although lab based soccer specific protocols have been found to replicate some instances of soccer performance it is of consideration of this research project that the limitations and positives of such protocols be noted. The aforementioned lab based failed to perform a re-test procedure to conclude whether their protocols maintained reliability therefore the amount of error in each protocol cannot be determined. Another limitation of lab based testing is that due to tests being performed on treadmills, this limits the subjects to straight-line running only, therefore does not take into consideration lateral movements and agility patterns, which have found to be major characteristics of soccer performance (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992). These unorthodox movement patterns need to be taken into consideration when assessing soccer performance as they increase energy expenditure significantly (Nicholas et al., 2000). One positive aspect of lab based protocols are that procedures such as a ir temperature, equipment utilised and humidity can be easily standardised to remain constant throughout performance testing. Field Tests Nicholas et al (2000) devised the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle test (LIST) to simulate the activity patterns during a game of soccer. The LIST consisted of two separate stages which were known as part A and part B. Part A lasted 70 minutes and consisted of five 15 minute exercise pe Effect of CR Supplementation on Athletic Performance Effect of CR Supplementation on Athletic Performance Introduction To succeed in a given sport at any level of competition, athletes must possess specific physiologic, psychologic, and biomechanic traits critical to success in that sport, but they must also receive optimal physical, mental, and biomechanical training to maximise this genetic potential (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999). However many athletes believe that the combination of genetic traits and optimal training alone are not sufficient to achieve maximum performance, therefore the use of ergogenic aids has become common to improve sports performance beyond the effect of training (Sundgot-Borgen, Berglund Torstveit, 2003). The use of ergogenic aids will allow athletes to gain that competitive advantage over opponents therefore leading to potential success. According to Williams, Kreider Branch, (1999) ergogenic aids are substances or treatments that are theoretically designed to enhance physical power, mental strength or mechanical edge therefore potentially improving athletic performa nce. Given the various demands of team sports such as Soccer, Rugby and Hockey, which require short intermittent bouts of high intensity exercise which are interspersed by low level exercise, it seems feasible the use of ergogenic aids in such sports may enhance and benefit performance to gain that competitive edge over opponents. One ergogenic aid which has become popular among amateur, professional and recreational athletes over recent years is Creatine Monohydrate (Cr). Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative which is found in skeletal muscle, but is also a normal dietary constituent with a daily requirement of approximately 2 to 3 grams depending on body size (Ostojic, 2001). The majority of creatine in muscles is stored in the form of phosphocreatine (PCr) which serves as an important contributor to energy metabolism during high intensity exercise (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999). PCr provides the high energy phosphate for adenine diphosphate (ADP) to restore adenine triphosphate (ATP) concentration rapidly via the Cr kinase (CK) reaction (Clarkson, 1996). Hultman, Bergstrom and McLennan-Anderson, (1967) demonstrated that depletion of PCr stores within the muscles can lead to a decline in athletic performance during high intensity exercise, so theoretically increasing PCr stores through Cr supplementation would enhance the ability to maintain high intensity exercise over a prolonged period of time, leading to increases in sporting performance. Ahmun (2005) and Hultman, Soderlund, Timmons, Cederblad, Greenhaff, (1996) demonstrated that the average Cr concentration in human muscle can be increased through Cr supplementation over a 7 day period from 20% pre Cr to 50% post Cr. Since PCr is a substrate for the ATP-PCr energy system which is essential for high intensity exercise of 30 seconds or less it seems logical that the supplementation of Cr would be beneficial to exercise tasks of this duration. Therefore the majority of previous research has focused on bouts of anaerobic performance of To date the effect of Cr supplementation on athletic performance has been widely researched. This includes include positive effects of Cr supplementation over a prolonged period of over 4 weeks which is otherwise known as the maintenance phase (Knehans, Bemben, Bemben and Loftiss, 1998; Larson, Hunter, Trowbridge, Turk, Harbin and Torman, 1998). Also demonstrated have been positive effects of Cr supplementation on exercise performance using a shorter ingestion period known as the loading phase (Stout, Echerson, Noonan, Moore, and Cullen, 1999; Volek, Boetes, Bush, Putukian, Sebastianelli and Kraemer, 1997a). This includes improvements in performance variables such as strength, speed and delaying the onset of fatigue (Okudan and Gokbel, 2004; Volek, Kraemer, Bush, Boetes, Incledon, Clark and Lynch 1997b; Kocak Karli , 2003) Team sports consist of repeated bouts of intermittent high intensity exercise therefore consistently relying on the ATP-PCr energy system which if depleted can have a major factor on performance and the outcome of a game (Ostojic, 2004). One such sport which consists of repeated bouts of high intensity exercise is soccer. Soccer players are required to produce high power outputs and maintain or repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery, (Reilly and Williams, 2003). Such high intensity instances could be the deciding factor of a game, for example sprinting back to make a game saving tackle or sprinting past a defender to the ball to make a shot. One high intensity exercise instance which occurs in a soccer match are bouts of sprinting, which are estimated to consist of 8.1% of a 90 minute match and occur approximately every 90 seconds lasting between two to four seconds in duration (Bangsbo, Norregard Thorso, 1991). Given the fact that there is considerable support for Cr as an ergogenic aid it would be reasonable to suggest that a soccer players sprint performance would benefit from Cr supplementation. However there is minimal research which has looked into the effects of Cr on sprint performance and variables of soccer match play such as agility running, lateral stepping and running backwards( Cox, Mujika, Tumilty and Burke 2002; Ostojic, 2004; Mujika, Padilla, Ibanez, Izquierdo and Gorostiaga, 2000). The aforementioned studies have determined the effects of Cr on elite soccer players, female soccer players and youth soccer players (Ostojic, 2004; Mujika et al., 2000; Smart et al 1998; Cox et al., 2002). However there is no present research that looks into the effects of acute ( Another aspect to consider upon testing the effects of Cr on sprint performance on amateur soccer players is the protocol to be used. Although there have been many protocols which have been designed to measure and simulate soccer performance, plenty of these have failed to adequately simulate the different movement patterns (sprinting, walking, running backwards, lateral stepping) which are involved in a game of soccer (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Abt, Reaburn, Holmes and Gear, 2003; Thatcher and Batterham, 2004). It seems rational that when assessing components of soccer performance that the protocol that is utilised replicates the different activity patterns and demands of soccer match. If this is not taken into consideration it becomes difficult to determine whether Cr supplementation will have any benefit on soccer performance. Therefore the utilised protocol needs to concisely replicate movement patterns in soccer so that a valid assumption can be made to determine the erogen eity of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance in amateur soccer players. Thus the purpose of this study is to conduct an investigation that will determine the effect of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance in Caucasian male amateur soccer players, using a soccer simulation protocol in an accurate, valid and reliable manner with two trials consisting over a 7 day period. Concluding whether or not acute Cr supplementation can be used as an ergogenic aid to improve a footballers sprint performance, therefore recommending to athletes and coaches alike. Literature Review Creatine Monohydrate: Background Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular sporting supplements in the world today and is used by high school athletes, the elderly, professional and recreational athletes in the hope of improving physical performance (Bemben and Lamont, 2005). It is the most commonly available Cr supplement and the form primarily used in most research studies. Cr monohydrate comes in a number of forms including powder, tablets, gel, liquid, chewing gum and candy (Williams, Kreider and Branch, 1999, p.43). Greenhaff (1997) indicated powdered Cr, ingested with solution to have a quicker absorption rate at raising muscle Cr concentration than using Cr supplementation of a tablet form. Conversely Vuckovich and Michaelis (1999) reported no significant difference in absorption rate between the two different forms. Dosage methods The supplementation dosages of Cr can be broken down into two different phases, otherwise known as the loading phase and maintenance phase. The loading phase that is commonly used in research consists of ingesting daily, 20-30g of Cr in four equal doses of 5-7g dissolved in around 250ml of fluid interspersed throughout the course of the day (preferably morning, noon, afternoon and evening) for a period of 5 to 7 days (Greenhaff, 1997; Kreider, 1997). Hultman et al (1996) utilised a less intense loading method of 3g/day for 28 days and proposed it to be just as effective as the aforementioned loading protocol. However this method places a longer dependency on subjects to comply with the supplementation program, therefore placing more variables into the reliability of results. Following the loading phase, maintenance dosages are considerably lower. Most research investigating the effects of Cr using the maintenance phase, have utilised dosages of 3 to 15g over a 4 to 10 week period (Bemben et al., 2001; Kreider et al., 1998; Stone et al., 1999; Vandenberghe et al., 1997). It is recommended to consume Cr with warm water, as it facilitates the dissolving of the solution and also aid absorption (Harris et al., 1992). It should also be noted that the ingestion of caffeine during Cr supplementation eradicates its potential ergogenic effect (Vandenberghe et al., 1996; Van Leemputte, Vanstapel Hespel, 1997). Vandenberghe et al (1996) demonstrated that a control group that ingested Cr combined with caffeine to have a lessened ergogenic potential compared to a group that ingested Cr without caffein e during repeated bouts of high intensity exercise. Side effects There is no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that Cr ingestion has any negative side effects utilising the proposed dosage methods ( Larson et al., 1998; Schroder, Terrados Tramullas, 2005). There is further evidence to support this as Kreider et al (1999) found no negative side effects in athletes who had been ingesting Cr for up to 3 years. Poortmans and Francaux (1999) demonstrated similar findings for athletes for taking Cr for up to 5 years. Only undocumented anecdotal reports have reported any adverse negative side effects through Cr supplementation, this includes gastrointestinal distress, muscle cramping and dehydration (Associated press 1997, 1998). Taking dehydration into consideration such anecdotal research can be scrutinised. Oopik, Timpmann and Medijainen, (1995) demonstrated that Cr supplementation increased body mass, while also reporting increases in total body water. Such findings signify that Cr supplementation may prevent dehydration rather than be a cause, due to the fact it can promote water retention. Cr supplementation has been demonstrated to increase body mass by up to 2kg over an acute period of time (Balsom et al., 1995; Becque et al., 1997). This could be recognised as a negative side effect for athletes that compete in weight control sports, as Cr ingestion may impede their ability to make regulated weight in a forthcoming event. This gives a consensus that athletes in such activities need to be made aware that although Cr can promote gains in strength and power, it can increase body mass. Physiology of Soccer Soccer players are frequently required to produce high power outputs and maintain of repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery (Reilly and Thomas, 2003). This includes intermittent bouts of kicking, tackling, turning, sprinting, changing pace and maintaining balance and control of the ball whilst under pressure from an opponent (Wisloff, Helgerud Hoff, 1998). To gain a scientific perspective of the different physiological demands of soccer performance, match and time motion analysis have been utilised (Bangsbo, 1994). This analysis has allowed researchers to determine the overall workload of players during a 90 minute match by calculating total distance covered, and the pattern of activities performed during a game (e.g. sprinting, cruising, walking etc). Movement patterns of Soccer It is estimated that the total distance covered during a 90 minute soccer match varies from 8.7km to 11.5km ( Bangsbo Lindquist, 1992; Ekblom, 1986; Ohashi et al., (1988); Reilly and Thomas, 1976; 1988; Rampini et al., 2007; Wade, 1962). The large variance in distances covered are due in part to the differing styles of play, levels of competition and skill level of the teams that were utilised (Luxbacher, 1997). Reilly (1994) documented the different activity patterns of elite outfield players from the English top division and other major national leagues in Europe and Japan using different methods of match analysis. Results found that a 90 minute match consists of 24% walking, 36% jogging, 20% cruising sub maximally (striding), 11% sprinting, 7% moving backwards and 2% moving in possession of the ball. The categories of sprinting and cruising are defined as high intensity exercise. In terms of distances covered the ratio of low intensity exercise to high intensity exercise during a soccer match is 7 to 1 denoting that the outlay of energy for soccer is predominately aerobic ( Reilly and Thomas, 1976). However the importance for high intensity bouts during soccer match play should not be underestimated. The timing of such a bout could be the defining factor of a game whether in possession of the ball or without the ball. Although work-rate profiles are relatively consistent for players from game to game it is the high intensity exercise which is the most constant feature (Bangsbo, 1994). The number of sprints reported in a soccer game varies greatly from 17 to 62 (Bangsbo et al., 1991; Mohr, Krustrup Bangsbo, 2003). This variance is largely determined by the positional role of the player. Findings by Reilly (1996) demonstrated that midfielders and strikers completed more sprinting bouts than centre backs or full backs therefore relying more on the anaerobic energy system. However if there is not a prolonged recovery period or an individual is not properly conditioned they will not subsequently recovery from high intensity bouts of exercise and fatigue will occur (Reilly, 1996). This is evident as Reilly (1996, p.72) documented that the majority of goals conceded during a soccer match occurred in the final ten minutes of play. A popular theory for this occurrence has been found to be mental fatigue or lapses in concentration from defenders (Reilly, 1996, p.72). However this can theory can be scrutinised as research found that the onset of fatigue in intermittent exercise such as soccer is caused by low muscle glycogen stores (Balsom et al., 1999). Acute Cr supplementation and sprint performance in team sports Athletes in team sports such as soccer, rugby, hockey and American football are required to repeatedly reproduce intermittent bouts of high intensity exercise with minimal recovery. Being able to consistently reproduce such bouts at maximal ability (e.g. sprinting, jumping, running backwards) could be the deciding factor in competition to gain that extra edge of an opponent. During high intensity exercise of an intermittent nature the main contributor of energy is PCr (Williams, Kreider Branch, 1999, p29). Depletion of PCr stores during high intensity exercise has been found to be a factor which has lead to a decline in athletic performance (Hultman, Bergstrom and McLennan-Anderson, 1967). Through the supplementation of Cr, it hypothesised that PCr stores are replenished at a faster rate therefore improving an athletes ability to recover and perform intermittent high intensity bouts of exercise, leading to improved athletic performance (Greenhaff et al, 1993). There have been various studies that have tested this hypothesis by investigating the ergogenic effect of acute Cr supplementation on sprint performance of athletes in team sports (Ahmun et al., 2005; Cornish, Chilibeck Burke, 2006; Izquierdo et al., 2001; Kocak Karli, 2003; Romer et al., 2001; Vandebuerie et al., 1998). However the aforementioned studies have contrasting findings with a quantity of studies finding a significant improvement in sprint performance through Cr supplementation (Izquierdo et al., 2001; Romer et al., 2001; Vandebuerie et al., 1998). On the contrary other studies have found no significant improvements in sprint performance through acute Cr ingestion (Ahmun et al., 2005; Cornish, Chilibeck Burke, 2006; Kocak Karli, 2003). Ahmun et al., (2005) investigated the ergogenic effect of Cr on sprint performance in male rugby players. For this study a Wingate test protocol was utilised prior and post Cr supplementation. Findings of this study were that there was no significant improvement in maximal cycle sprints through Cr ingestion. However in contrast Izquierdo et al., (2001) found that acute Cr supplementation improved sprint times in male hand ball players. For this study subjects were either assigned Cr or placebo over a 5 day period. The protocol that was utilised consisted of repeated sprint runs that were consistent with sprint distances achieved during handball match play. One issue that could have had a determining factor of the non significant results found by Ahmun et al (2005) is the protocol that was utilised. A Wingate test was utilised to test the sprint performance in rugby players, however the relevance of a Wingate test to measure rugby performance is not sports specific there scrutinising the validity of the results. In contrast Izquierdo et al (2001) utilised a protocol which successfully replicated distances found in handball match play therefore maintaining validity. Ahmun et al (2005) also failed to incorporate a dietary analysis into the experimental design of the protocol, therefore whether or not Cr stores within the subjects utilised were full cannot be determined, which gives rationale for results showing no significant improvement. In contrast Izquierdo et al (2001) implemented a dietary examination of subjects that were utilised; this was initiated to determine whether any subjects had ingested Cr or any ergogenic aids prior to baseline testing. This assisted with maintaining validity during research. This can be supported by Romer et al (2001) and Vandebuerie et al (1998) who utilised a protocol containing a dietary analysis and concluded a significant improvement in sprint times within subjects. Cr supplementation and Soccer performance Given the intermittent physical demands of soccer, which requires players to produce high power outputs and maintain or repeat them with only a few seconds of recovery, (Reilly and Williams, 2003) it seems feasible that soccer players would benefit from the supplementation of Cr as an ergogenic aid to improve their overall performance. However research that has investigated the effect on acute Cr supplementation on different variables of soccer performance and predominately sprint performance utilising a soccer simulation protocol is limited (Ostojic, 2004; Mujika et al 2000; Cox et al 2002). The Aforementioned studies have primarily focused on the effects of Cr supplementation on highly trained athletes that are competing at a high standard of competition. However no previous research has looked into the effects of acute Cr supplementation on amateur soccer players. Being as though Cr monohydrate is an immensely popular ergogenic aid not only among professional athletes but also amateur and recreational athletes, the benefit to amateur athletes needs to recognised. Previous research that has looked into the effects of acute Cr supplementation on soccer players using a soccer simulation protocol is discussed below. Ostojic (2004) examined the effects of acute Cr supplementation (3 x 10g doses for 7 days) on 20 young male soccer players (16.6 Â ± 1.9 years). For the testing procedure a double blind method was used and where subjects were either administered either Cr or placebo. Subjects completed two separate trials prior and post to Cr or placebo. The testing procedure consisted of a number of soccer specific skill tests which included a dribble test, sprint-power test, endurance test and a vertical jump test. Results found that there was a significant improvement in a number of the soccer specific tests; this includes superior improvements in sprint times, vertical jump scores and the dribble test. However no significant improvements were made on endurance performance after the two trials. Although a significant improvement was found in vertical jump performance, it is of concern to future researchers to whether the vertical jump test that was utilised during the design is a soccer specific test. During the test subjects were instructed to keep their trunk as straight as possible whilst keeping their hands on their hips to avoid contribution from the arms which doesnt successfully replicate jumping movements in soccer therefore questioning the validity of the vertical jump test as to whether or not it is a measure of soccer specific performance. The age of the subjects in this research can also be scrutinised. Eichner, King, Myhal, Prentice and Ziegenfuss (1999) confirmed that there was insufficient research to determine the acute and chronic side effects of Cr consumption in athletes under the age of 18 therefore places the subjects which were used in the mentioned study under possible risk. Eichner et al (1999) also highlighted that Cr supplementation in young athletes could have a possible degradation of ethics, by where a win at all costs mentality is fostered and an attitude by where ergogenic aids are necessary to win, which is the wrong message to be installing in young athletes. Likewise Mujika, Padilla, Ibanez, Izquerido and Gorostiaga (2000) concluded acute Cr supplementation (20g a day x 6 days) significantly improved sprint performance and found no significant improvement in endurance performance using a soccer simulation protocol. Mujika et al (2000) also documented no increase in vertical jump performance using a similar protocol to Ostojic (2004) which has minimal significance in a soccer simulation study. Mujika et al (2000) tested 19 elite male soccer players who at the time of investigation were highly trained, however only 17 fully completed the testing due to illness or injury. The protocol for this investigation consisted of a circuit of different exercises which consisted of a repeated sprint test (5 and 15m), vertical jump test and an intermittent endurance test. Findings in this study concluded that mean sprint times improved significantly (p This de-training effect is evident for the vertical jump test as no significant improvement between the two trials was found. However if there was a significant de training effect it would have had negative consequences on other testing variables such as sprint performance, this however is not the case as sprint performance significantly improved. Mujika et al (2000) should have took into consideration a possible detraining effect when devising the experimental design as this could have negatively affect the validity of the results. Cox, Mujika, Tumilty and Burke (2002) devised a study which tested Cr supplementation (20g a day) or placebo (20g glucose a day) on 14 elite female soccer players from the Australian institute of sport (AIS) using a soccer simulated protocol. The experimental design consisted of two trials before and after Cr or placebo over a 6 day period. The protocol consisted of fifty five 20m sprints, ten agility runs and a precision ball kicking drill which are separated by recovery walks, jogs and runs. The main findings in this study were that the average 20m sprint time in the Cr group decreased from 3.75 Â ± 0.19 to 3.69 Â ± 0.18s however this decrease in sprint time failed to reach the statistical significance level (p Cox et al (2002) also incorporated a standardised training regime and a controlled diet for the intervention week and also scheduled testing so that it would occur at the same time of day before and after supplementation. In contrast Mujika et al (2000) failed to utilise effective standardised procedures during their experimental design. As previously mentioned Mujika et al (2000) testing procedures took place 3 days after the subjects season had finished therefore training was not standardised due to the fact that subjects had no organised training sessions during the intervention week. Mujika et al (2000) also lacked a familiarisation trial, subjects were only familiarised with the testing procedures prior to arriving for the 1st trial which could substantially affect the results. However although Cox et al (2000) standardised procedures by included a controlled diet for the subjects, it is interesting to note that one of the subjects was a vegetarian, whos Cr content is virtually zero (Greenhaff, 1997). Research has found that vegetarians respond quicker and more effectively to Cr supplementation than those who follow a normal sedentary diet and have natural muscle creatine content (Burke, Chilibeck, Parise, Candow, Mahoney Tamopolsky., 2003; Watt, Garnham Snow, 2004) therefore scrutinising the validity of the results. It may be of future reference to eradicate vegetarians in a experimental design which utilises Cr supplementation due to the diet implications that vegetarians have. Soccer Simulation performance tests To date there has been a number of soccer simulation performance tests which have been utilised to assess and measure different physiological aspects of the game (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992; Cox, 2002; Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Nicholas, Nuttall and Williams, 2000). These protocols have been implemented so that they take into consideration different aspects of soccer performance and try to replicate the exercise patterns that are observed during match play, however due to the spontaneity of the soccer it is difficult to assess every physical or metabolic demand (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000). Researchers have used different protocols when investigating the metabolic and physical demands of soccer, these can documented into laboratory based protocols (Drust, Reilly and Cable, 2000; Thatcher and Batterham, 2004) and field based protocols (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992; Cox, 2002; Nicholas et al 2000). Laboratory based soccer performance protocols Drust, Reilly and Cable (2000) devised a laboratory based protocol on a motorised treadmill what represented the work rates that are observed during soccer match play. For the experimental design 7 male university soccer players (24 Â ± 2 years) were used and the testing consisted of three separate testing blocks which were separated by 6 days. The protocol consisted of the different exercise intensities that are utilised during soccer match play; this consisted of walking, jogging, cruising and sprinting. The speeds at which these exercises were performed on the treadmill were consistent with speeds observed by Van Gool, Van Gervan and Boutmans (1988) during a match analysis. Each testing block consisted of two 22.5 minute cycles which consisted of 23 bouts which were followed by a recovery period of 71 seconds. During each bout the duration of each activity was as follows: walking 35 seconds (s), jogging 50.3s, cruising 51.4s and sprinting 10.5s. However in relevance to this research project it should be noted that the duration covered during the sprint bouts of the protocol of Drust, Reilly and Cable (2000) which is 10.5s does not successfully coincide with match analysis from several soccer studies that have documented the duration of sprint bouts during soccer match play. Research has found that the average sprint time during soccer match play lasts between on average two to four seconds in duration (Bangsbo, Norregard Thorso,1991; Mayhew and Wenger, 1985) therefore concluding in some instances Drust, Reilly and Cables (2000) laboratory based soccer specific protocol can be deemed as in valid as it fails to accurately replicate different soccer performance variables that take place in match play. Another lab based test that was utilised to measure specific variables in soccer performance was devised by Thatcher and Batterham (2004). For this protocol six male professional soccer players were used and the testing consisted of 29 minute exercise bouts on a non motorised treadmill that focused on replicating different speeds, durations, distances and heart rates that occur during soccer match play. Findings from this study suggest that the protocol that was utilised induced a similar physiological load to soccer match play and can be determined as a valid measure of soccer performance. Although lab based soccer specific protocols have been found to replicate some instances of soccer performance it is of consideration of this research project that the limitations and positives of such protocols be noted. The aforementioned lab based failed to perform a re-test procedure to conclude whether their protocols maintained reliability therefore the amount of error in each protocol cannot be determined. Another limitation of lab based testing is that due to tests being performed on treadmills, this limits the subjects to straight-line running only, therefore does not take into consideration lateral movements and agility patterns, which have found to be major characteristics of soccer performance (Bangsbo and Lindquist, 1992). These unorthodox movement patterns need to be taken into consideration when assessing soccer performance as they increase energy expenditure significantly (Nicholas et al., 2000). One positive aspect of lab based protocols are that procedures such as a ir temperature, equipment utilised and humidity can be easily standardised to remain constant throughout performance testing. Field Tests Nicholas et al (2000) devised the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle test (LIST) to simulate the activity patterns during a game of soccer. The LIST consisted of two separate stages which were known as part A and part B. Part A lasted 70 minutes and consisted of five 15 minute exercise pe