BRP Proposal: Smoking Impact on Athletes' Fitness and Health

This Business Research Project proposal investigates the impact of smoking on the fitness and health conditions of athletes, focusing on a case study in the United Kingdom. The proposal includes a detailed introduction providing rationale, research aim, and objectives. It reviews the concept of health and fitness consciousness, its importance for athletes, and the detrimental effects of smoking on athletic performance, including decreased benefits of physical activity, minimized strength, sleep pattern disruption, and shortness of breath. The methodology section outlines the research approach, including qualitative and quantitative methods, random sampling, questionnaires for data collection, Microsoft Excel for data analysis, ethical considerations, and research limitations. The proposal also includes a list of resources and references. The ethical review form and company consent form are also included in the assignment.

BRP Proposal Template
Business Research Project
LSBM300
2020-21

Index
Instructions 2
1. The Research Proposal Structure Template 3
2. Ethical Review Form 6
2.1 Ethical Review Form: Part 1 8
2.2 Ethical Review Form: Part 2 9
2.3 Ethical Review Form: Part 3 10
3. Company consent 11
Appendix 1: Participant information sheet 12
Appendix 2: Participant consent form 13
Appendix 3: Company consent form 14

Instructions
This document has three sections:
 Section 1: The Research Proposal Template
 Section 2: The Ethical Review Form (Parts A, B and C)
 Section 3: Company Consent Form
All students are required to complete Sections 1 and 2, and together these form the Business
Research Project Proposal.
Only students who are conducting research directly with a company need to complete Section 3.
If your research involves the use of human participants, you will need to complete the Ethics
Approval Form. Failure to complete the Ethics Approval Form, when required to do so, will
result in your work being returned unmarked. No research with human participants can be
undertaken without receiving Ethics Approval and achieving a pass grade on the proposal.
Before you submit this Proposal form, please make sure that you have:
 Read the Business Research Project Handbook
 Read the lecture and seminar materials in the Business Research Project module
area in Canvas
 Discussed your ideas with a Business Research Project tutor. You can do this face
to face in the seminars or learning sets, or you can do this by email or through the
discussion board in Canvas
 Discussed with a Business Research Project tutor any questions you have about
Part 3 of the Ethics Approval Form (if required).

 Gained consent from the company if you are conducting research on a company.

1. The Research Proposal Structure Template
Cover page details
Student name:
Student ID number:
Name of Tutor/Supervisor:
Discussed research proposal with tutor/supervisor through the following ways:
Face to face
E-mail
Online platforms (e.g Canvas Virtual sessions, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype etc)
Title and Cover page
To analyse the impact of smoking on fitness and health conditions of athletes.
Cover page details
 Cover page should include details such as student name, ID number, title, name of
tutor/supervisor etc
Title (maximum 20 words)

 A title should be brief and clearly presenting the main idea and focus of the research
proposal. If necessary, you may use a colon to separate the main idea and a further
explanation/elaboration of the main idea (e.g. ‘CSR: Does it influence consumers in the
banking sector?)
 You may formulate your topic as a question. The research question is important because
it will guide your research. You should have one research question for a project of this
size.
 Choosing a title for your Research Project may be more difficult than you expect. As you
read around your preferred topic area you will find your ideas developing and possibly
changing as you get more information from further research.
 You will need to come up with a provisional title as soon as possible and prepare to
discuss and agree with your tutor/supervisor.
Table of contents
 The contents page should list the different chapters and/or headings together with the
page numbers.
 Your contents page should be presented in such a way that the reader can quickly scan
the list of headings and locate any chapter and sections covered in the project.
 You should number your chapters, sections, headings and subheadings in addition to
providing page references. Whatever numbering system you use, be sure that it is clear
and consistent throughout.
Chapter 1: Background to the study – Introduction

(Terms of Reference)
The introduction sets the context for the main body of the research project.
 Provide a rationale for your research
The basic reason behind considering this particular topic is that most of the athletes are
looking forward to improve their existing health conditions. However, smoking is
considered as a habit, which impacts on health of individuals in different ways. It has
also been analysed that, tragically, practicing smoking doesn't switch huge numbers of
the other medical issues brought about by smoking. Notwithstanding aspiratory issues,
smoking likewise influences heart wellbeing. Resting heartbeat will be up to 30%
higher on the off chance that smoke cigarettes. This can make issues for competitors. It
could be placing the wellbeing in peril if pulse rate excessively raised. Since the two
cigarettes and exercise add to higher pulses, the danger of competitors going into heart
failure or other genuine heart issues will be higher in the event that they smoke. Pulse
will be raised for 12 hours subsequent to smoking, so there is little that should be
possible to lessen this danger in the event that smoke on numerous occasions a day.
The danger increments with the quantity of cigarettes that smoke. Competitors should
be discerning of these issues in the event that they smoke routinely. Exercise may help
alleviate a portion of the danger factors, however it doesn't verge on switching them.
 State your research aim
 To analyse the impact of smoking on fitness and health conditions of athletes. A case
study on United Kingdom
 State your research objectives
 To understand the concept of health and fitness consciousness.
 To analyse the importance of fitness and health consciousness of athletes.
 To identify the impact of smoking on fitness and health conditions of athletes.

Chapter 2: Preliminary Literature Review
Concept of health and fitness consciousness
It is the most important topic for the athletes who took part in Olympics games. For athletes it is
very important that they are aware about their health because it directly influence the game.
Many of the athletes who take steroids for their body building, in which they are forget to know
their health. Athletes are the person who play games with their mid and physical activities, for
that they should be get aware about their health and fitness. Poor health destroys their games that
give negative impact on their past record. So that's why it is very important for athletes that they
should get aware for their health and fitness.
Importance of fitness and health consciousness of athletes
It is very clear that athletes should be aware for their health and fitness from the above
mentioned data. It is identified that those people who are conscious for their health and fitness
get very big benefits. Some of the benefits are mentioned below:
 Healthy mind: When the athletes are health conscious they they do not perform those
activities that gives negative impact on their health. Their health consciousness helps to
make their mind healthy and calm that helps to take right decision.
 Positive attitude- With the help of fitness and health consciousness athlete has the
benefits to make their attitude positive because they always feel good. When the person
gets healthy then they have positive attitude that made their surroundings positive. It
really helps to play games very efficiently.
 Win situation: Healthy mind give the positive feelings that improve their games which
become the source of their win situation. Sometimes if there is lost situation but their
athletes are healthy then they have a possibility to convert them into win situation.
Passionate: If the athlete is health conscious then they are fit and giving their best efforts to the
games. It really helps to being passionate on their games. Because the bad health impact on their
mood wings that means they are not being in a situation for play games passionately. So the
healthy mind gives the athletes positive attitude that helps to play their games in Olympics
passionately.
Impact of smoking on fitness and health conditions of athletes
Smoking is habit which is difficult to break for an individual and it is more difficult for an athlete
as they have to work on their physical exercise a lot. Smoking affects the body which cannot be

judged through their quantity. It does not matter up to what quantity an individual is smoking but
it adversely affects their body. Smoking can attract a lot of complication in the body of an
athlete. The impact of smoking on the athlete can be explained as follows:
 Decrease in benefits of the physical activity: Smoking will affect the bones of an
athlete due to which they can suffer from lower back pain and regular body pain. As this
will result in less benefits obtained from their physical activity.
 Minimise their strength: This habit can minimise the strength of the athlete and they
will suffer from stress and anxiety. This will also result in mood simulation which will
impact their daily routine exercise. Moreover, this will impact their flexibility which will
show an impact on their muscular strength.
 Sleep Patterns: Smoking will impact the sleep patterns of the athlete which will increase
their lack of concentration in their physical activity. Due to which athlete will require
more time to heal from small injuries.
 Shortness of Breath: Due to regular smoking an athlete can suffer from shortness of
breath as compared to non-smokers it will be almost three times. This will reduce their
life expectancy rate.
Chapter 3: Methodology
 Research methodology: Qualitative and quantitative are said to be the two crucial
research methodologies, which are specifically being considered by most of the
researchers. In present context, quantitative research methodology is considered in order
to analyse the topic in rightful manner.
 Sampling: Random sampling method is considered in this particular research
investigation, where the researchers will be focusing on 50 athletes from a number of
athletes.
 Data collection methods: Primary data collection tools like questionnaire, interview,
focus groups are the one that helps the researcher in collecting right data in relation with

the chosen topic in a short span. In present investigation, the particular research
methodology that is being taken into consideration is questionnaire.
 Data analysis methods: Microsoft Excel will be considered to develop graphs based on
the answers given by respondents. This will help researcher in analysing the data in much
effective and in efficient ways.
 Ethical considerations - Ethics are played an important role in completing of each and
every activity of the study in ethical and systematic way. There are various research
ethics that must be taken by researcher in this consideration. These are informed consent,
justice, respect for person, minimise the despite practice, provide right to the participants
withdraw, confidentiality and data protection and many more (May and et. al., 2018). All
are important and useful principles of research ethics that will be essential and important
for investigator in doing of entire activity of the dissertation in ethical and successful
manner. This will be beneficial for researcher in accomplishment of objectives of the
dissertation in effective manner.
 Research Limitations: There are different limitations of the current project such as lack
of time period, insufficient amount of capital, un-ethical behaviour of the respondents,
secondary data not accurate and out of data etc. These are major limitations that have
negative effect over performance of researcher while carrying out present investigation.
Apart from this, there are different methods that will be used for overcoming all
limitations in systemic manner. For example: Gantt chart will be applied for reducing the
issue of time, following all principles of research ethics etc. These ways or sources helps
investigator in reducing the all limitations in systematic manners.
Resources (approx. 100 words)
 Internet is the most crucial resource, which is helpful for the researcher in collecting the
data in much effective and in efficient manner.

References
Bramantoro, T., Hariyani, N., Setyowati, D., Purwanto, B., Zulfiana, A.A. and Irmalia, W.R.,
2020. The impact of oral health on physical fitness: A systematic review. Heliyon, 6(4),
p.e03774.
Podrihalo, O., Savina, S., Podrigalo, L., Iermakov, S., Jagiełło, W., Rydzik, Ł. and Błach, W.,
2020. Influence of Health Related Fitness on the Morphofunctional Condition of Second Mature
Aged Women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22),
p.8465.
Jones, M.E., Davies, M.A., Leyland, K.M., Delmestri, A., Porter, A., Ratcliffe, J., Peirce, N.,
Newton, J.L. and Arden, N.K., 2018. Osteoarthritis and other long-term health conditions in
former elite cricketers. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 21(6), pp.558-563.
Paryab, N., Taheri, M., Irandoust, K. and Mirmoezzi, M., 2020. Effects of Melatonin on
Neurological Function and Maintenance of Physical and Motor Fitness in Collegiate Student-
Athletes Following Sleep Deprivation. International Journal of Sport Studies for Health, 3(2).
Đorđević Šaranović, S., Vićić, J., Pešić, I., Tomović, M., Batinić, Đ., Antić, M., Tadic, M. and
Mazić, S., 2019. The influence of tobacco use on pulmonary function in elite
athletes. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(19), p.3515.
Mündel, T., 2017. Nicotine: sporting friend or foe? A review of athlete use, performance
consequences and other considerations. Sports Medicine, 47(12), pp.2497-2506.
2. Ethical Review Form
This form is designed to ensure that the Bloomsbury Institute London operates an ethical review
process that falls within the University of Northampton Research Ethics Procedure and the
Guidance on Ethics for Researchers.
All students need to fill in this form; however, you may only need to complete Part 1 (see
explanation below).

The Ethical Review Form consists of 3 parts:
 Part 1 is an initial assessment of your project. The question is asking you whether
you will be conducting empirical research for your Business Research Project.
Your methodology may involve the collection of primary data through
questionnaires, interviews and observations etc. or you may be conducting ‘desk
based research’ i.e. only using secondary research data.
 If you are only using secondary research data, you will not need to complete Parts
2 or 3 of the form.
 If your research involves human participants, i.e. you are collecting primary data,
you have to complete Part 2 of the form.
 If your answer is no to all the questions in Part 2, ethics approval is automatic and
provided you receive a pass grade for your proposal you may continue with your
research project.
 If your answer is yes to any of the questions in Part 2, you need to fill in Part 3 of
this form. You should discuss this with a tutor/supervisor prior to submission of
your proposal.
 Upon submission, your proposal will be graded and then reviewed by the Head of
Research/Ethics Committee. You will be informed of the decision, together with
any comments, as soon as possible. You may be asked to provide a more detailed
report and a meet with the Ethics Committee.
 If the committee finds it difficult to make a decision, we may pass this on to the
University of Northampton Research Ethics Committee. However, in the vast
majority of cases, we hope to resolve any such ethical issues.