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Background: Wheelchair tennis, a globally popular sport, features a professional tour spanning 40 countries and over 160 tournaments. Despite its widespread appeal, information about the physical demands of wheelchair tennis is scattered across various studies, necessitating a comprehensive systematic review to synthesise available data., Objective: The aim was to provide a detailed synthesis of the physical demands associated with wheelchair tennis, encompassing diverse factors such as court surfaces, performance levels, sport classes, and sexes., Methods: We conducted comprehensive searches in the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases, covering articles from inception to March 1, 2023. Forward and backward citation tracking from the included articles was carried out using Scopus, and we established eligibility criteria following the Population, Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, and Study design (PECOS) framework. Our study focused on wheelchair tennis players participating at regional, national, or international levels, including both juniors and adults, and open and quad players. We analysed singles and doubles matches and considered sex (male, female), sport class (open, quad), and court surface type (hard, clay, grass) as key comparative points. The outcomes of interest encompassed play duration, on-court movement, stroke performance, and physiological match variables. The selected study designs included observational cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies (baseline data only). We calculated pooled means or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and employed a random-effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation. We assessed heterogeneity using Cochrane Q and 95% prediction intervals., Results: Our literature search retrieved 643 records, with 24 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Most available information focused on international male wheelchair tennis players in the open division, primarily competing in singles on hard courts. Key findings (mean [95% CI]) for these players on hard courts were match duration 65.9 min [55.0-78.8], set duration 35.0 min [28.2-43.5], game duration 4.6 min [0.92-23.3], rally duration 6.1 s [3.7-10.2], effective playing time 19.8% [18.9-20.7], and work-to-rest ratio 1:4.1 [1:3.7-1:4.4]. Insufficient data were available to analyse play duration for female players. However, for the available data on hard court matches, the average set duration was 34.8 min [32.5-37.2]. International male players on hard court covered an average distance per match of 3859 m [1917-7768], with mean and peak average forward speeds of 1.06 m/s [0.85-1.32] and 3.55 m/s [2.92-4.31], respectively. These players executed an average of 365.9 [317.2-422.1] strokes per match, 200.6 [134.7-299.0] per set, 25.4 [16.7-38.7] per game, and 3.4 [2.6-4.6] per rally. Insufficient data were available for a meta-analysis of female players' on-court movement and stroke performance. The average and peak heart rates of international male players on hard court were 134.3 [124.2-145.1] and 166.0 [132.7-207.6] beats per minute, and the average match heart rate expressed as a percentage of peak heart rate was 74.7% [46.4-100]. We found no studies concerning regional players or juniors, and only one study on doubles match play., Conclusions: While we present a comprehensive overview of the physical demands of wheelchair tennis, our understanding predominantly centres around international male players competing on hard courts in the open division. To attain a more comprehensive insight into the sport's physical requirements, future research should prioritise the inclusion of data on female and quad players, juniors, doubles, and matches played on clay and grass court surfaces. Such endeavours will facilitate the development of more tailored and effective training programmes for wheelchair tennis players and coaches. The protocol for this systematic review was registered a priori at the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (Registration https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2023.3.0060 )., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Tennis is a multidirectional high-intensity intermittent sport for male and female individuals played across multiple surfaces. Although several studies have attempted to characterise the physical demands of tennis, a meta-analysis is still lacking., Objective: We aimed to describe and synthesise the physical demands of tennis across the different court surfaces, performance levels and sexes., Methods: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to 19 April, 2022. A backward citation search was conducted for included articles using Scopus. The PECOS framework was used to formulate eligibility criteria., Population: tennis players of regional, national or international playing levels (juniors and adults)., Exposure: singles match play. Comparison: sex (male/female), court surface (hard, clay, grass)., Outcome: duration of play, on-court movement and stroke performance., Study Design: cross-sectional, longitudinal. Pooled means or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A random-effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation was performed. The measures of heterogeneity were Cochrane Q and 95% prediction intervals. Subgroup analysis was used for different court surfaces., Results: The literature search generated 7736 references; 64 articles were included for qualitative and 42 for quantitative review. Mean [95% confidence interval] rally duration, strokes per rally and effective playing time on all surfaces were 5.5 s [4.9, 6.3], 4.1 [3.4, 5.0] and 18.6% [15.8, 21.7] for international male players and 6.4 s [5.4, 7.6], 3.9 [2.4, 6.2] and 20% [17.3, 23.3] for international female players. Mean running distances per point, set and match were 9.6 m [7.6, 12.2], 607 m [443, 832] and 2292 m [1767, 2973] (best-of-5) for international male players and 8.2 m [4.4, 15.2], 574 m [373, 883] and 1249 m [767, 2035] for international female players. Mean first- and second-serve speeds were 182 km·h -1 [178, 187] and 149 km·h -1 [135, 164] for international male players and 156 km·h -1 95% confidence interval [151, 161] and 134 km·h -1 [107, 168] for international female players., Conclusions: The findings from this study provide a comprehensive summary of the physical demands of tennis. These results may guide tennis-specific training programmes. We recommend more consistent measuring and reporting of data to enable future meta-analysts to pool meaningful data., Clinical Trial Registration: The protocol for this systematic review was registered a priori at the Open Science Framework (Registration DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MDWFY )., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

This study examined the association and predictive ability of several markers of internal workload on risk of injury in high-performance junior tennis players. Fifteen young, high-level tennis players (9 males, 6 females; age: 17.2 ± 1.1 years; height: 178.5 ± 8.7 cm; mass: 68.1 ± 4.8 kg) participated in this investigation. Data on injury epidemiology and internal workload during training were obtained for one competitive season. The session-rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) was used to calculate internal workload markers in absolute (acute workload and chronic workload for 2-weeks, 3-weeks and 4-weeks) and relative terms (acute:chronic workload ratios [ACWR] for 2-weeks, 3-weeks and 4-weeks). Associations and diagnostic power for predicting tennis injuries were examined through generalised estimating equations and receiver operating characteristics analyses. During the season, a total of 40 injuries were recorded, corresponding to 3.5 injuries per 1000 h of tennis practice. The acute workload was highly associated with injury incidence ( P =0.04), as injury risk increased by 1.62 times (95% CI: 1.01-2.62) for every increase of 1858.7 arbitrary units (AU) of the workload during the most recent training week. However, acute workload was a poor predictor of injury, and associations between injury and internal workload markers were weak (all P >0.05). These findings demonstrate an association between high values of acute workload and the risk of injury in high-level tennis players. However, a high acute workload is only one of the many factors associated with injury, and by itself, has low predictive ability for injury.

The IOC has proposed standard methods for recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport. The IOC consensus statement authors anticipated that sport-specific statements would provide further recommendations. This statement is the tennis-specific extension of the partner IOC statement. The International Tennis Federation Sport Science and Medicine Committee, in collaboration with selected external experts, met in June 2019 to consider athlete health monitoring issues specific to tennis. Once the IOC consensus statement was finalised, the tennis-specific consensus was drafted and agreed on by the members over three iterations. Compared with the IOC consensus statement, the tennis consensus contains tennis-specific information on injury mechanism, mode of onset, injury classification, injury duration, capturing and reporting exposure, reporting risk and study population. Our recommendations apply to able-bodied as well as wheelchair tennis players. Where applicable, specific recommendations are made for wheelchair tennis., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Despite reported injury rates of up to 3 per 1000 hours exposure, there are no evidence-based prevention programmes in tennis., Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an e-health prevention programme for reducing tennis injury prevalence., Study Design: Two-arm, researcher-blinded randomised controlled trial., Methods: Adult tennis players of all playing levels were randomised in an unsupervised programme lasting 12 weeks (TennisReady group or control group). The primary outcome was the overall injury prevalence over a 16-week period, measured at 2 weekly intervals with the Oslo Sports and Trauma Research Centre questionnaire. Estimates for the primary outcome and associated 95% CIs were obtained using generalised estimating equation models. Secondary outcome scores included prevalence of substantial injuries, overall incidence, adherence and time-loss injuries., Results: A total of 579 (83%) (TennisReady n=286, control n=293) participants were included in the primary analysis. The mean injury prevalence was 37% (95% CI 33% to 42%) in the TennisReady vs 38% (95% CI 34% to 42%) in the control group (adjusted p-value 0.93). The prevalence of substantial injuries was 11% (95% CI 9% to 14%) in the TennisReady vs 12% (95% CI 9% to 15%) in the control group (p value of 0.79). Analysis of the secondary outcome scores showed no difference between groups. The mean prevalence rates between high (8%) and low (92%) adherent groups were 32% (95% CI 23% to 44%) and 37% (95% CI 33% to 42%), respectively (p value 0.36)., Conclusion: Providing an unsupervised e-health tennis-specific exercise programme did not reduce the injury rates and should not be implemented., Trial Registration Number: NTR6443., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Talented athletes use metacognitive skills to improve their performance. Also, it is known that these skills are important for managing one's health. The goal of this study was to identify the relationship between metacognitive skills and overuse injuries in talented tennis players. Metacognitive skills were measured in 73 talented tennis players (45 boys and 28 girls, age 11-14) at the start of the season, using the Self-Regulation of Learning Self-Report Scale. Overuse injuries were monitored for one season using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. Ordinal regression indicated that moderate or low selfmonitoring skills (compared to high selfmonitoring) (OR 4.555, CI 1.096-18.927, P = 0.037) and exposure time (OR 1.380, CI 1.106-1.721, P = 0.004) were associated with more time loss overuse injuries. A second analysis showed that this was the case in girls (OR 10.757, CI 1.845-62.714, P = 0.008), but not in boys. Linear regression revealed that higher reflection scores and exposure time predicted overuse severity (F(5,58) = 2.921, P = 0.020, R 2  = 0.201). Possibly, selfmonitoring can help players to prevent themselves from time loss overuse injuries. Coaches should be aware that players can differ in selfmonitoring ability and thus in the ability to prevent overuse injuries. The role of reflection needs more research., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The objective was to systematically review the literature on risk factors and prevention programs for musculoskeletal injuries among tennis players. PubmedMedline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, SportDiscus were searched up to February 2017. Experts in clinical and epidemiological medicine were contacted to obtain additional studies. For risk factors, prospective cohort studies (n > 20) with a statistical analysis for injured and non-injured players were included and studies with a RCT design for prevention programs. Downs&Black checklist was assessed for risk of bias for risk factors. From a total of 4067 articles, five articles met our inclusion criteria for risk factors. No studies on effectiveness of prevention programs were identified. Quality of studies included varied from fair to excellent. Best evidence synthesis revealed moderate evidence for previous injury regardless of body location in general and fewer years of tennis experience for the occurrence of upper extremity injuries. Moderate evidence was found for lower back injuries, a previous back injury, playing >6hours/week and low lateral flexion of the neck for risk factors. Limited evidence was found for male gender as a risk factor. The risk factors identified can assist clinicians in developing prevention-strategies. Further studies should focus on risk factor evaluation in recreational adult tennis players.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the prevalence of tennis injuries between the four most common court surfaces in the Netherlands, including hard court, clay, sand-fill artificial grass and red-sand-fill artificial grass. Natural grass was not included in this study., Methods: This was a repeated cross-sectional study over 6 months, involving members of the Royal Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association (KNLTB). A monthly questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 20 000 KNLTB members, stratified by their club's playing surface. The questionnaire included questions on court surface, tennis exposure and physical complaints, using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre questionnaire on health problems., Results: A total of 3656 (18%) of the 20 000 invited members completed at least one of the monthly questionnaires [mean age 49 years (15)]. A total of 4047 injuries were reported by 1957 respondents. Of these injuries, 3246 (80%) were overuse and 801 (20%) were acute. There were no statistically significant differences in injury prevalence between groups who played primarily on any one of the four court surfaces. However, players who played on multiple surfaces had a higher injury prevalence, particularly of overuse injuries, than those who primarily played on one court surface. Compared with the other court surfaces, there was a higher prevalence of lower limb overuse injuries when playing on hard court., Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the overall prevalence of injury on clay, hard court, sand-fill artificial grass and red-sand-fill artificial grass., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Objectives: We compared the utility of four cooling interventions for reducing heat strain during simulated tennis match-play in an environment representative of the peak conditions possible at the Australian Open (45°C, <10% RH, 475W/m 2 solar radiation)., Design: Nine trained males undertook four trials in a climate chamber, each time completing 4 sets of simulated match-play., Methods: During ITF-mandated breaks (90-s between odd-numbered games; 120-s between sets), either iced towels (ICE), an electric fan (FAN dry ), a fan with moisture applied to the skin (FAN wet ), or ad libitum 10°C water ingestion only (CON) was administered. Rectal temperature (T re ), mean skin temperature (T sk ), heart rate (HR), thermal sensation (TS), perceived exertion (RPE) and whole body sweating (WBSR) were measured., Results: After set 3, T re was lower in ICE (38.2±0.3°C) compared to FAN dry (38.7±0.5°C; p=0.02) and CON (38.5±0.5°C; p=0.05), while T re in FAN wet (38.2±0.3°C) was lower than FAN dry (p=0.05). End-exercise T re was lower in ICE (38.1±0.3°C) and FAN wet (38.2±0.4°C) than FAN dry (38.9±0.7°C; p<0.04) and CON (38.8±0.5°C; p<0.04).T sk for ICE (35.3±0.8°C) was lower than all conditions, and T sk for FAN wet (36.6±1.1°C) was lower than FAN dry (38.1±1.3°C; p<0.05). TS for ICE and FAN wet were lower than CON and FAN dry (p<0.05). HR was suppressed in ICE and FAN wet relative to CON and FAN dry (p<0.05). WBSR was greater in FAN dry compared to FAN wet (p<0.01) and ICE (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Fan use must be used with skin wetting to be effective in hot/dry conditions. This strategy and the currently recommended ICE intervention both reduced T re by ∼0.5-0.6°C and T sk by ∼1.0-1.5°C while mitigating rises in HR and TS., (Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of different in-play cooling strategies for mitigating heat strain during simulated tennis match-play activity in a hot/humid environment representing the most extreme conditions during the US Open (36°C, 50% relative humidity)., Methods: On three occasions, nine males completed an intermittent treadmill protocol with an exercise intensity and activity profile simulating a four-set tennis match, with 90-s breaks between odd-numbered games and 120-s breaks between sets, according to International Tennis Federation rules. During breaks, 1) the currently used cooling strategy-an ice-filled damp towel around the neck and a cold-damp towel on the head and thighs (ICE); 2) wetting of arms, neck, face, and lower legs with a sponge in front of an electric fan (FANwet); or 3) no cooling (CON) were applied. Rectal (Tre) and mean skin (Tsk) temperature and HR were measured throughout. Thermal sensation and RPE were assessed during breaks. Trials were terminated upon reaching a Tre ≥ 39.5°C or volitional exhaustion., Results: Seven, five, and one participant completed FANwet, ICE, and CON, respectively. By end set 1, ΔTre was lower in FANwet (0.92°C ± 0.15°C) compared with CON (1.09°C ± 0.09°C, P = 0.01), and by end set 2, ΔTre was lower (P < 0.001) in FANwet (1.55°C ± 0.23°C) and ICE (1.59°C ± 0.17°C) compared with CON (1.99°C ± 0.19°C). Mean RPE (FANwet = 13.9 ± 2.2, ICE = 13.6 ± 1.8, CON = 16.6 ± 1.8), HR (FANwet = 163 ± 21, ICE 164 ± 22, CON = 175 ± 19 bpm), Tsk (FANwet = 36.56°C ± 0.69°C, ICE 36.12°C ± 0.44°C, CON = 37.21°C ± 0.42°C), and thermal sensation were lower in FANwet and ICE (P < 0.05) compared with CON by end set 2., Conclusions: The currently recommended ICE strategy successfully mitigates thermal strain during simulated tennis match play in hot/humid conditions. The FANwet intervention is an equally effective alternative that may be more practical in limited resource settings.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between outcomes of the shuttle wheel test (SWT) and peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 peak) during that test and whether SWT and VO 2 peak can discriminate between different skill levels of wheelchair tennis players., Methods: Fifteen wheelchair tennis players performed an SWT on a tennis court while VO 2 was measured continuously. Outcome measures were VO 2 peak and achieved stage. Relations between outcomes and Dutch wheelchair tennis ranking were calculated with Spearman correlation. Independent t tests were used to test for differences between national and international players., Results: Moderate correlations were found between VO2peak and SWT outcome (r = .40-.47). The tennis ranking correlated weakly with VO 2 peak (r = -.35) and strongly with SWT outcome (r = -.80). A significant difference was found between national and international players for achieved stage (P = .027) and VO 2 peak (P = .027)., Conclusions: The SWT outcome only explained a small part of the variance in VO 2 peak among players, so it cannot be considered a valid test for aerobic capacity. However, SWT outcomes are related to the skill level of the player and give a good indication of the overall peak wheelchair performance.

Background: This study describes the epidemiology of men's and women's tennis injuries reported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program (ISP) during the 2009/2010-2014/2015 academic years., Methods: Injuries and athlete-exposure (AE) data originated from 19 varsity men's programmes (38 team-seasons); women's tennis data originated from 25 varsity programmes (52 team-seasons). Injury rates, injury rate ratios (IRRs) and injury proportions ratios (IPRs) were reported with 95% CIs., Results: The ISP captured 181 and 227 injuries for men's and women's tennis, respectively, for injury rates of 4.89 and 4.88/1000 AE for men and women, respectively. There were 32.2% and 63.9% reductions in men's and women's tennis practice injury rates between 2009/2010-2011/2012 and 2012/2013-2014/2015, but no reductions in competition injury rates. Competition injury rates were higher than practice injury rates in men's (IRR=2.32; 95% CI 1.72 to 3.13) and women's tennis (IRR=1.77; 95% CI 1.35 to 2.33). Most injuries in men's and women's tennis occurred to the lower extremities (47.0% and 52.4%, respectively), compared with the trunk (16.6% and 17.6%, respectively) and upper extremities (23.8 and 23.8, respectively)., Conclusions: Injury rates in NCAA men's and women's tennis were similar overall. Practice injury rates in men's and women's tennis have declined, although competition rates have not changed. These findings may help inform injury prevention programmes in the future., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/)

Objectives: To explore the factors that facilitate or hinder the development of healthy tennis clubs in the Netherlands and to identify suitable interventions that would help clubs to reach 'healthy club' status., Methods: A maximum variation, purposive sampling strategy was used to identify and recruit board members (n=16) from 10 Dutch tennis clubs. Data were collected using in-depth interviews based on an interview guide. The interviews explored what steps the clubs had taken to create a healthy tennis club, and what the respondents perceived to be the barriers to reaching healthy club status. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. An ecological model was used to frame the interpretation of the themes and guide the development of the interventions., Results: Four emerging themes were identified: provision of healthy foods, injury prevention and health services, social health and safety around the club. The main facilitators were found to be support from club management, having appropriate policies in place and having appointed officers. The main barriers were identified as a lack of policy templates, inadequate knowledge of coaches on injury prevention and injury management and fragmented access to relevant information., Conclusions: Guided by an ecological model, this study demonstrates the many factors that influence tennis clubs and the individual members of a healthy tennis club. Using this model, a multilevel intervention framework has been created that could be used by the Royal Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association to increase the number of healthy tennis clubs in the Netherlands.

Background: The reported incidence, severity and nature of injuries sustained in tennis vary considerably between studies. While some of these variations can be explained by differences in sample populations and conditions, the main reasons are related to differences in definitions and methodologies employed in the studies., Objective: This statement aims to review existing consensus statements for injury surveillance in other sports in order to establish definitions, methods and reporting procedures that are applicable to the specific requirements of tennis., Design: The International Tennis Federation facilitated a meeting of 11 experts from 7 countries representing a range of tennis stakeholders. Using a mixed methods consensus approach, key issues related to definitions, methodology and implementation were discussed and voted on by the group during a structured one-day meeting. Following this meeting, 2 members of the group collaborated to produce a draft statement, based on the group discussions and voting outcomes. Three revisions were prepared and circulated for comment before the final consensus statement was produced., Results: A definition of medical conditions (injuries and illnesses) that should be recorded in tennis epidemiological studies and criteria for recording the severity and nature of these conditions are proposed. Suggestions are made for recording players' baseline information together with recommendations on how medical conditions sustained during match play and training should be reported., Conclusions: The definitions and methodology proposed for recording injuries and illnesses sustained during tennis activities will lead to more consistent and comparable data being collected. The surveillance procedures presented here may also be applicable to other racket sports.

The aim of the study was to examine whether differences in playing level influence the activity profile and physiological demands of advanced and recreational veteran men's tennis players during an hour of tennis match play. Ten advanced (International Tennis Number [ITN] 3-5, 45.3 +/- 5.1 years) and 10 recreational (ITN 7-9, 44.8 +/- 4.7 years) veteran men's tennis players participated in 4 experimental sessions: (1) an ITN on-court assessment, (2) a laboratory incremental treadmill test, (3) an hour of simulated tennis match play, and (4) 30 minutes of tennis match play using a portable gas analyzer. Subjects' VO2 and heart rate (HR) were recorded by portable analyzers. Moreover, energy expenditure was evaluated by indirect calorimetry. Temporal structure and distance covered were determined from video recordings. Subjects' VO2 (24.5 +/- 4.1 vs. 23.3 +/- 3 ml x kg x min), HR (148.3 +/- 11.5 vs. 149.8 +/- 8.4 bpm), duration of rallies (DR) (6.3 +/- 4.1 vs. 7.6 +/- 5.5 seconds), and effective playing time (EPT) (21.7 +/- 5.0 vs. 23.6 +/- 5.4%), HR (148.3 +/- 11.5 vs. 149.8 +/- 8.4 bpm), and energy expenditure (263.1 +/- 49.4 and 281.3 +/- 61.8 kcal x min) during play did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between advanced and recreational players. The advanced players covered significantly more meters than the recreational players during their 1-hour tennis matches (mean +/- SD: 3568.8 +/- 532.2 vs. 3173.8 +/- 226 m, p < 0.01) at lower running speeds. The results indicate that, independently of ability, tennis match play satisfies the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for quantity and quality of exercise for the development and maintenance of cardiovascular fitness in healthy adults and seems to be a viable and highly popular mode of healthy activity.

The aim of the study was to explore the role of tennis in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. The focus was on risk factors and diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle, including low fitness levels, obesity, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. A literature search was undertaken to retrieve relevant articles. Structured computer searches of PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL were undertaken, along with hand searching of key journals and reference lists to locate relevant studies published up to March 2007. These had to be cohort studies (of either cross sectional or longitudinal design), case-control studies, or experimental studies. Twenty four studies were identified that dealt with physical fitness of tennis players, including 17 on intensity of play and 16 on maximum oxygen uptake; 17 investigated the relation between tennis and (risk factors for) cardiovascular disease; and 22 examined the effect of tennis on bone health. People who choose to play tennis appear to have significant health benefits, including improved aerobic fitness, a lower body fat percentage, a more favourable lipid profile, reduced risk for developing cardiovascular disease, and improved bone health.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between outcomes of the shuttle wheel test (SWT) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) during that test and whether SWT and VO2peak can discriminate between different skill levels of wheelchair tennis players. Methods: Fifteen wheelchair tennis players performed an SWT on a tennis court while VO2 was measured continuously. Outcome measures were VO2peak and achieved stage. Relations between outcomes and Dutch wheelchair tennis ranking were calculated with Spearman correlation. Independent t tests were used to test for differences between national and international players. Results: Moderate correlations were found between VO2peak and SWT outcome (r = .40-.47). The tennis ranking correlated weakly with VO2peak (r = -.35) and strongly with SWT outcome (r = -.80). A significant difference was found between national and international players for achieved stage (P = .027) and VO2peak (P = .027). Conclusions: The SWT outcome only explained a small part of the variance in VO2peak among players, so it cannot be considered a valid test for aerobic capacity. However, SWT outcomes are related to the skill level of the player and give a good indication of the overall peak wheelchair performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite reported injury rates of up to 3 per 1000 hours exposure, there are no evidence-based prevention programmes in tennis.Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an e-health prevention programme for reducing tennis injury prevalence.Study Design: Two-arm, researcher-blinded randomised controlled trial.Methods: Adult tennis players of all playing levels were randomised in an unsupervised programme lasting 12 weeks (TennisReady group or control group). The primary outcome was the overall injury prevalence over a 16-week period, measured at 2 weekly intervals with the Oslo Sports and Trauma Research Centre questionnaire. Estimates for the primary outcome and associated 95% CIs were obtained using generalised estimating equation models. Secondary outcome scores included prevalence of substantial injuries, overall incidence, adherence and time-loss injuries.Results: A total of 579 (83%) (TennisReady n=286, control n=293) participants were included in the primary analysis. The mean injury prevalence was 37% (95% CI 33% to 42%) in the TennisReady vs 38% (95% CI 34% to 42%) in the control group (adjusted p-value 0.93). The prevalence of substantial injuries was 11% (95% CI 9% to 14%) in the TennisReady vs 12% (95% CI 9% to 15%) in the control group (p value of 0.79). Analysis of the secondary outcome scores showed no difference between groups. The mean prevalence rates between high (8%) and low (92%) adherent groups were 32% (95% CI 23% to 44%) and 37% (95% CI 33% to 42%), respectively (p value 0.36).Conclusion: Providing an unsupervised e-health tennis-specific exercise programme did not reduce the injury rates and should not be implemented.Trial Registration Number: NTR6443. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to compare selected physiological responses during singles tennis match play and continuous running at a similar mean oxygen uptake (V02). The study consisted of two main parts, which were separated by 1 week. In the first part, 12 nationally ranked senior tennis players [six females and six males; 47.2 (6.6) years old and 47.0 (5.4) years old, respectively] each completed a 2-h singles tennis match (TE). Mean V02 during TE [23.1(3.1) ml.kg-1 min-1 for the women and 25.6 (2.8) ml.kg-1min-1 for the men] was measured by a portable spirometry-telemetry system and corresponded to 56% (women) or 54% (men) of their respective maximum V02. In the second part, the relative V02 data measured during TE were used to set a similar workload during a 2-h treadmill run at a constant level (RU). At the measured time points, heart rate [140.1 (15.5) beats.min-1 vs 126.4 (15.1) beats min-1], lactate concentration [1.53 (0.65) mmol.l,-1 vs 1.01 (0.38) mmol.l-1] and glucose concentration [5.45 (0.84) mmol.l-1 vs 4.34 (0.56) mmol.l-1] in capillary blood, as well as the respiratory exchange ratio [0.93 (0.03) vs 0.88 (0.03)], were higher (P<0.05) in TE compared to RU. Serum concentrations of free fatty acids increased (P < 0.05) during both work loads [from 0.25 (0.15) mmol.l-1 to 1.31 (0.44) mmol.l-1 in TE and from 0.22 (0.17) mmol.l-1 to 1.24 (0.35) mmol.l-1 in RU]. Post-exercise urine concentrations of epinephrine [0.17 (0.14) μmol.l-1 vs 0.08 (0.04) μmol.l-1] and nor- epinephrine [1.27 (0.59)μmol.l-1' vs. 0.55 (0.33)μmol.l-1 were higher in TE (P<0.05). These results indicate a stronger metabolic emphasis on glycolysis and glycogenolysis and an overall enhanced sympathoadrenal activity during tennis match play compared to continuous running exercise at a similar mean V02. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the recovery duration in intermittent training drills on metabolism and coordination in sport games. Ten nationally ranked male tennis players (age 25.3 ± 3.7 years, height 1.83 ± 0.8 m, body mass 77.8 ± 7.7 kg; mean ±[sub sx]) participated in a passing-shot drill (baseline sprint with subsequent passing shot) that aimed to improve both starting speed and stroke quality (speed and precision). Time pressure for stroke preparation was individually adjusted by a ball-machine and corresponded to 80% of maximum running speed. In two trials (T[sub 10], T[sub 15]) separated by 2 weeks, the players completed 30 strokes and sprints subdivided into 6 × 5 repetitions with a 1 min rest between series. The rest between each stroke-and-sprint lasted either 10 s (T[sub 10]) or 15 s (T[sub 15]). The sequence of both conditions was randomized between participants. Post-exercise blood lactate concentration was significantly elevated in T10 (9.04 ± 3.06 vs 5.01 ± 1.35 mmol· l[sup -1], P< 0.01). Running time for stroke preparation (1.405 ± 0.044 vs 1.376 ± 0.045 s, P< 0.05) and stroke speed (106 ± 12 vs 114 ± 8 km· h[sup -1], P< 0.05) were significantly decreased in T[sub 10], while stroke precision - that is, more target hits (P< 0.1) and fewer errors (P< 0.05) - tended to be higher. We conclude that running speed and stroke quality during intermittent tennis drills are highly dependent on the duration of recovery time. Optimization of training efficacy in sport games (e.g. combined improvement of conditional and technical skills) requires skilful fine-tuning of monitoring guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]