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Background Change of direction (COD) ability it is an essential component in modern basketball competition. However, the predictors of COD have not yet been clearly established. Aims The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of COD in highly trained/national level male basketball players using field assessments. Methods Eight professional male basketball players (age: 24.0 ± 5.5 years; body mass index (BMI): 24.05 ± 1.65 kg·m− 2) volunteered for participation in this study. All the evaluations were carried out during 2 sessions as follows: First day_1) body composition, 2) unilateral and bilateral squat jump (SJ) and countermovement (CMJ), and 3) Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1); Second day_1) COD performance, and 2) one repetition maximum (1RM) hang clean (HC) and bench press (BP). A linear regression was performed to evaluate the determinants of COD amongst all other measured variables. Furthermore, we applied Pearson correlation coefficient and in the case of non-normal variables, Spearman's correlation coefficient for the selected variables. Results The linear regression indicated that only SJ height was a significant determinant of COD (R2 = 58.8%, p = 0.016). Significant correlations were identified between COD test with SJ (r= -0.75, p = 0.034; very large), and relative HC 1 RM (r= -0.74, p = 0.038; very large). Conclusions The associations found between COD performance and physical parameters should be considered when developing athletic conditioning programs.

Background Physical fitness status is a key aspect of health and, consequently, it is important to create and adopt appropriate interventions to maintain or improve it, and assess it using valid measures. While in other testing contexts, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are commonly and widely adopted, in physical fitness testing, a variety of unstandardized testing protocols are proposed. Aims The topic of this review was to evaluate the existing literature on SOPs in physical fitness assessment and to provide guidelines on how SOPs could be created and adopted. Method The electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were screened and original, peer-reviewed studies that included SOPs, related to physical fitness, were recorded. Results After the inclusion and exclusion criteria screening, a total of six studies were included and these were critically and narratively analyzed. Conclusions Standard operating procedures are rarely adopted in the field of physical fitness and a step by step guide has been provided in this manuscript. In the future, it is suggested to follow protocols as a routine, because this is the only way to generalize and contextualize findings.

Repeated sprint ability (RSA) with five changes of direction was well admitted to replicate real basketball game situations, but the additional changes of direction may affect some fundamental skills and performances in basketball. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of RSA with one vs. five changes of direction (IRSA5COD) on squat jump (SJ), five jump test (FJT) and three point shot (3PS) performances in male basketball players. Sixteen participants (23.4 ± 2.3 years; 1.86 ± 0.10 m; 77.8 ± 7.7 kg) randomly performed eight testing sessions consisting of either RSA (10 repetitions of (15 m + 15 m)) or IRSA5COD (10 repetitions of (5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m + 5 m)) performed alone or immediately followed by the SJ, FJT or 3PS. The heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were continuously recorded, while blood lactate concentration was measured post-tests. Differences between RSA and IRSA5COD were evaluated by a Student t-test for paired samples, while analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with repeated measures assessed differences in SJ, FJT and 3PS performance between baseline, post-RSA and post-IRSA5COD. A significantly poorer FJT performance post-RSA was shown compared to baseline (7.47 ± 0.47 vs.7.54 ± 0.47 m, p = 0.01) and post-IRSA5COD (7.47 ± 0.47 vs. 7.56 ± 0.49%, p = 0.048). Significantly lower 3PS accuracy was also observed post-IRSA5COD compared to baseline (41.3 ± 3.1 vs.53.1 ± 2.8%, p = 0.003) and post-RSA (41.3 ± 3.1 vs. 48.1 ± 3.7%, p = 0.033). These results suggest that jump performance required for crucial actions such as lay-ups is negatively affected by longer sprints (15-m) with few changes of direction, while 3PS accuracy is impaired by shorter sprints with many changes of direction. These situations should be replicated when training these particular abilities to optimize training adaptations.

Until recently, neural assessments of gross motor coordination could not reliably handle active tasks, particularly in realistic environments, and offered a narrow understanding of motor-cognition. By applying a comprehensive neuroergonomic approach using optical mobile neuroimaging, we probed the neural correlates of motor functioning in young people with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), a motor-learning deficit affecting 5–6% of children with lifelong complications. Neural recordings using fNIRS were collected during active ambulatory behavioral task execution from 37 Typically Developed and 48 DCD Children who performed cognitive and physical tasks in both single and dual conditions. This is the first of its kind study targeting regions of prefrontal cortical dysfunction for identification of neuropathophysiology for DCD during realistic motor tasks and is one of the largest neuroimaging study (across all modalities) involving DCD. We demonstrated that DCD is a motor-cognitive disability, as gross motor /complex tasks revealed neuro-hemodynamic deficits and dysfunction within the right middle and superior frontal gyri of the prefrontal cortex through functional near infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, by incorporating behavioral performance, decreased neural efficiency in these regions were revealed in children with DCD, specifically during motor tasks. Lastly, we provide a framework, evaluating disorder impact in ecologically valid contexts to identify when and for whom interventional approaches are most needed and open the door for precision therapies.

The purpose of this study was to determine how dual-task (DT) effect on gait differs among adolescents with different fitness and health profiles. The gait performances of 365 adolescents aged 13–14 years were assessed at single and DT walking. The proportional changes in gait parameters from single to dual were regressed against gender, body mass index (BMIz), three components of MABC-2 (balance, aiming &catching and manual dexterity), group (high vs low motor competence), body strength, physical fitness level using multiple regression analyses; and gender and four items of balance subtest of MABC-2 in the secondary analysis. The analyses showed that being female was associated with greater reduction in gait speed and stride length and an increase in double support time and step time; and having lower score in balance was related to greater reduction in gait speed, and cadence, and an increase in step time. Only zig-zag hopping item of the balance subtest was associated with DT effect on gait speed and stride length. No significant relationships were found between DT effect on gait and the rest of the predictors. Females and adolescents with lower level of balance function may be at higher risk of having DT deficit during walking.

Background Pupils in secondary schools do not meet the targets for physical activity levels during physical education (PE) sessions, and there is a lack of data on the vigorous physical activity domain (VPA) in PE known to be positively associated with cardio metabolic health While PE session intensity depends on a variety of factors, the large majority of studies investigating these factors have not taken into account the nested structure of this type of data set. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between various factors (gender, activity type, class location and class composition) and various activity levels during PE classes in secondary schools, using a multi-level statistical approach. Methods Year eight (12–13 years old) adolescents (201 boys and 106 girls) from six schools were fitted with accelerometers during one PE session each, to determine the percentage (%) of the PE session time spent in sedentary (SPA), light (LPA), moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) intensity levels. Two- and three-level (pupils, n = 307; classes, n = 13, schools, n = 6) mixed-effect models were used to assess the relationship between accelerometer-measured physical activity levels (% of class time spent in various activity levels) and gender, activity type, class location and composition. Results Participants engaged in MVPA and VPA for 30.7 ± 1.2% and 11.5 ± 0.8% of PE classes, respectively. Overall, no significant association between gender or class composition and PA was shown. A significant relationship between activity type and PA was observed, with Artistic classes significantly less active than Fitness classes for VPA (5.4 ± 4.5 vs. 12.5 ± 7.1%, p = 0.043, d:1.19). We also found a significant association between class location and PA, with significantly less time spent in SPA (24.8 ± 4.8% vs. 30.0 ± 3.4%, p = 0.042, d:0.77) and significantly more time spent in VPA (12.4 ± 3.7% vs. 7.6 ± 2.0%, p = 0.022, d:1.93) and MVPA (32.3 ± 6.7% vs.24.8 ± 3.8%, p = 0.024, d:1.33) in outdoors vs. indoors classes. Conclusions The results suggest that class location and activity type could be associated with the intensity of PA in PE. It is essential to take into account the clustered nature of this type of data in similar studies if the sample size allows it.

The presentation of unhealthy psychological symptoms are rising sharply in adolescents. Detrimental lifestyle behaviours are proposed as both possible causes and consequences. This study set out to compare selected measures of quality and quantity of movement between adolescents with and without unhealthy psychological symptoms. Using a cross sectional design, 96 participants completed the study from a whole year group of 166, age (13.36 ± 0.48) male 50.6% from a secondary school in Oxfordshire, England as a part of a larger study (EPIC) between January and April 2018. Measures were taken of quality and quantity of movement: reaction/movement time, gait pattern & physical activity, alongside psychological symptoms. Differences in movement behaviour in relation to psychological symptom and emotional problem presentation were determined using ANOVA. In the event of a significant result for the main factor of each parameter, a Bonferroni -corrected post hoc test was conducted to show the difference between categories in each group. Results for both unhealthy psychological symptoms and emotional problems were grouped into four categories (‘Close to average’, ‘slightly raised’, ‘high’ and ‘very high’). Early adolescents with very high unhealthy psychological symptoms had 16.79% slower reaction times (p = 0.003, ηp2 = 0.170), 13.43% smaller walk ratio (p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.152), 7.13% faster cadence (p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.149), 6.95% less step time (p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.153) and 1.4% less vigorous physical activity (p = 0.04, ηp2 = 0.102) than children with close to average psychological symptoms. Early adolescents with very high emotional problems had 12.25% slower reaction times (p = 0.05, ηp2 = 0.081), 10.61% smaller walk ratio (p = 0.02, ηp2 = 0.108), 6.03% faster cadence (p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.134), 6.07% shorter step time (p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.141) and 1.78% less vigorous physical activity (p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.136) than children with close to average emotional problems. Different movement quality and quantity of was present in adolescents with unhealthy psychological symptoms and emotional problems. We propose movement may be used to both monitor symptoms, and as a novel therapeutic behavioural approach. Further studies are required to confirm our findings.

The scientific literature about probiotic intake and its effect on sports performance is growing. Therefore, the main aim of this systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression was to review all information about the effects of probiotic supplementation on performance tests with predominance of aerobic metabolism in trained populations (athletes and/or Division I players and/or trained population: ≥8 h/week and/or ≥5 workouts/week). A structured search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA®) statement and PICOS guidelines in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science (WOS), and Scopus international databases from inception to 1 November 2021. Studies involving probiotic supplementation in trained population and execution of performance test with aerobic metabolism predominance (test lasted more than 5 min) were considered for inclusion. Fifteen articles were included in the final systematic review (in total, 388 participants were included). After 3 studies were removed due to a lack of data for the meta-analysis and meta-regression, 12 studies with 232 participants were involved. With the objective of assessing the risk of bias of included studies, Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale were performed. For all included studies the following data was extracted: authors, year of publication, study design, the size of the sample, probiotic administration (dose and time), and characteristics of participants. The random effects model and pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used according to Hedges’ g for the meta-analysis. In order to determine if dose and duration covariates could predict probiotic effects, a meta-regression was also conducted. Results showed a small positive and significant effect on the performance test with aerobic metabolic predominance (SMD = 0.29; CI = 0.08–0.50; p < 0.05). Moreover, the subgroup analysis displayed significant greater benefits when the dose was ≥30 × 109 colony forming units (CFU) (SMD, 0.47; CI, 0.05 to 0.89; p < 0.05), when supplementation duration was ≤4 weeks (SMD, 0.44; CI, 0.05 to 0.84; p < 0.05), when single strain probiotics were used (SMD, 0.33; CI, 0.06 to 0.60; p < 0.05), when participants were males (SMD, 0.30; CI, 0.04 to 0.56; p < 0.05), and when the test was performed to exhaustion (SMD, 0.45; CI, 0.05 to 0.48; p < 0.05). However, with references to the findings of the meta-regression, selected covariates did not predict probiotic effects in highly trained population. In summary, the current systematic review and meta-analysis supported the potential effects of probiotics supplementation to improve performance in a test in which aerobic metabolism is predominant in trained population. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action of this supplement.

The objective of this study was to investigate the construct validity and reliability of a new reactive multidirectional repeated sprinting test (RRSA5COD) in basketball players. Forty male basketball players were divided into two groups: Professional (PRO, n = 20) and Semi-professional (SEMI, n = 20). Participants completed the yo-yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-YoIR1), the squat jump (SJ), the counter movement jump (CMJ), the single leg drop jump (DJ), the 20-m sprint test, the planed multidirectional repeated sprinting test (PRSA5COD), and the RRSA5COD test. Reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT), total time (TT), best time (BT), and fatigue index (FI) were assessed. Heart rate (HR) was continuously recorded, while rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate concentration (LA) were measured post-tests. The reliability of the RRSA5COD test was also assessed between two attempts with one week between them. The RRSA5COD results demonstrated to be reliable with most of the variables showing ICC &gt, 0.80. BA Bonferroni post hoc revealed a significant better TT in favor of RRSA5COD (p &lt, 0.001, ES = 0.15, small), and in favor of PRO (p &lt, ES = 0.006, small). The result showed a significant better performance in favor of PRO in all physical fitness tests. In conclusion, it was found that the RRSA5COD discriminates between professional and semi-professional male basketball players, and the results were demonstrated to be reliable.

Introduction: Among the main challenges faced by coaches of team sports are to create an environment and conditions that will enable players to reach their optimal level of physical performance at the start of the competitive season, and to maintain this level throughout the season. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of six weeks of additional training with 3-against-3 (3v3) small-sided games (SSG) on the physical performance of elite nonstarter basketball players. Methods: Eleven professional basketball players (five starters and six nonstarters) performed the same training program throughout the regular season, with the only difference that after each game, the starters (S) performed low intensity shooting drills while the nonstarters (NS) performed half-court 3v3 SSG. At the start and end of the six-week period, the athletes were assessed for muscle power, speed, agility and aerobic power. Two-way analysis of variance and effect sizes were used. Magnitude-based inferential analyses were used to complement the parametric tests. Results: After the six weeks, the S and NS showed improvement (p

ObjectivesTo establish pupil fitness levels, and the relationship to global norms and physical education (PE) enjoyment. To measure and describe physical activity (PA) levels during secondary school PE lessons, in the context of recommended levels, and how levels vary with activity and lesson type.MethodsA cross-sectional design; 10 697 pupils aged 12.5 (SD 0.30) years; pupils who completed a multistage fitness test and wore accelerometers to measure PA during PE lessons. Multilevel models estimated fitness and PE activity levels, accounting for school and class-level clustering.ResultsCardiorespiratory fitness was higher in boys than girls (ß=−0.48; 95% CI −0.56 to −0.39, pConclusionsPE lessons were inactive compared with current guidelines. We propose that if we are to continue to develop a range of sporting skills in schools at the same time as increasing levels of fitness and PA, there is a need to introduce additional sessions of PE activity focused on increasing physical activity.Trial registration numberNCT03286725.

Digital, Delextrat, A, Bateman, J, Ross, C, Harman, J, Davis, L, Vanrenterghem, J, and Cohen, DD. Changes in torque-angle profiles of the hamstrings and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio after two hamstring strengthening exercise interventions in female hockey players. J Strength Cond Res 34(2): 396–405, 2020—The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 2 hamstring strengthening interventions (Nordic hamstrings [NHE] vs. eccentric leg curl [ELC]) on the hamstring torque-angle profiles and functional hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio (Hecc:Qcon) in female hockey players. Female university-level players were randomly allocated to an NHE group (n = 9, 19.7 ± 1.4 years; 168.4 ± 4.4 cm; 66.2 ± 7.2 kg, 26.0 ± 4.4%), an ELC group (n = 8, 19.5 ± 1.0 years; 168.1 ± 3.4 cm; 66.7 ± 4.5 kg, 24.8 ± 3.5%), or a control (C) group (n = 8, 19.6 ± 1.4 years; 169.9 ± 7.5 cm; 70.7 ± 13.0 kg, 25.9 ± 5.2%). They performed baseline isokinetic concentric strength tests of the quadriceps (Qcon) and eccentric strength of the hamstrings (Hecc) at 120°·s−1, followed by a 6-week intervention with exercises (NHE or ELC) performed 3 times weekly, before post-tests. Analyses of variance with repeated measures were used to assess the effects of knee position angle (from 90° of knee flexion to 10° close to extension), group, and time on Qcon, Hecc, and Hecc:Qcon. There were no interactions between independent variables. Significant increases in Hecc and Hecc:Qcon were shown after NHE (+29.9 and +27.8%) and ELC (+30.5 and +38.3%) in the nondominant leg only. Furthermore, significant shifts in the hamstring eccentric angle of peak torque toward a longer muscle length were shown in both legs (14.3–28.6%). These findings suggest that NHE and ELC both resulted in significant improvements in peak and muscle-length–specific neuromuscular risk factors in the nondominant (ND) limb, thereby reducing interlimb peak strength asymmetries. Strength and conditioning specialists could therefore use both the NHE and ELC exercises in female hockey players., Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of vibration (Vib versus noVib) during a maximal graded cycling exercise on hormonal response, precisely on cortisol (C) and testosterone (T). Twelve active males (25 ± 5yrs; 181 ± 5cm; 80.7 ± 11.1kg) randomly performed two maximal incremental cycling tests on two separate days and at the same time of the day (09:00). The protocol consisted of incremental steps of 3 min duration performed on a PowerBIKETM that induces vibration cycling. The study was a repeated measures design and participants performed the test with and without vibration. Gas exchange and heart rate (HR) were continuously assessed and blood lactate (Bla) was recorded at the end of each incremental stage. Saliva samples were collected before and immediately after the test, and analysed for (C) and (T). The results show that C and T increased in both cycling conditions; however, the C’s magnitude of change was significantly higher by 83% after Vib cycling in comparison to the no Vib (p = 0.014), whereas the T’s magnitude of change were not statistically different between trials (p = 0.715). Vibration induced a decrease of the T/C ratio (p = 0.046) but no significant changes were observed following noVib (p = 0.476). As a conclusion, the investigation suggests that adding mechanical vibration to cycling may potentiate a catabolic exercise-induced state, which could have potential clinical implications in rehabilitation and injury treatment. Sport experts should take this message home to carefully plan the recovery process and time during training and competitions.

The purpose of this study was to compare the combined effects of creatine monohydrate (Cr) and beta-alanine (BA) with their isolated use on performance and physiological parameters during repeated sprint sequences (RSS). Forty-four male (n=34) and female (n=10) amateur team- and racket sport players (25.1±3.1 years; 175.2±9.8 cm; 76.0±10.3 kg; 15.2±6.8% body fat) performed ten repetitions of 6-s sprints with departure every 30 s, before and after a 28-day supplementation period with either Cr (n=11, 5 g‧day-1), BA (n=10, 6 g‧day-1), combined Cr and BA (n=12, 5 g‧day-1 of Cr plus 6g‧day-1 of BA) or placebo (11 g‧day-1 of rice flour). Peak (PP) and mean power (MP), performance decrement (%Dec), heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration (LA) and perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine the effects of groups (Cr, BA, CrBA, P), sprint number (1 to 10), and time (pre- vs. post-supplementation) on all variables. A significant increase in PP was shown in the post- compared to the pre-supplementation in Cr (+5.2%) and BA (+5.2%) groups only (p

Performance in team sports is the expression of complex, dynamic, interactive, and multidimensional processes. It is now well-established that optimum recovery after practice or match is a key factor of team sport performance. During season and tournaments, improving recovery could offer an advantage for following performance. As a consequence of the professionalization of different roles in staffs, new particular roles have been developed within the team sports physician core in order to improve recovery protocols. Presently, scientific literature presents a big amount of methods used to enhance recovery based on the type of practice, time between session or competitions and equipment and/or staff accessible. These practices, usually used by teams are related to: ergonutritional, water therapy, massages techniques, stretching compression garments, sleep strategies and psychological implements. Besides, travel fatigue has been recognized by athletes and coaches as a challenging problem that could benefit from practical solutions. Nowadays, players have to play a lot of matches without enough time to recover among them, therefore the use of well-managed recovery can lead to a competitive advantage. Although the main purpose of applied sport sciences investigation is to categorize the protocols as well as providing approaches for individual recovery, the stages to recognize the most appropriate recovery plans in the field of team sports come from the analysis of the individual parameters. Sin financiación No data JCR 2018 0.313 SJR (2018) Q3, 107/209 Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation, 171/289 Orthopedics and Sports Medicine No data IDR 2018 UEM

Delextrat, A, Gruet, M, and Bieuzen, F. Effects of small-sided games and high-intensity interval training on aerobic and repeated sprint performance and peripheral muscle oxygenation changes in elite junior basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 1882-1891, 2018-The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of 6 weeks of small-sided game (SSG) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on aerobic fitness and muscle oxygenation during a repeated sprint (RS) sequence in elite male junior basketball players. Twenty participants (14.3 ± 0.5 years; 176.8 ± 12.5 cm; 74.5 ± 9.8 kg) performed pre- and post-tests interspersed by 6 weeks of SSG or HIIT training. Testing sessions consisted of the 30-15 intermittent fitness test and an RS sequence (2 bouts of 15 seconds). During RS, muscle oxygenation parameters (tissue saturation index [TSI, %], postsprint muscle reoxygenation rate) were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that both training interventions similarly improved maximal aerobic speed (VIFT, 3.4 and 4.1%, respectively, for HIIT and SSG, P < 0.05) as well as RS ability (smaller percentage decrement by 62.5 and 21.6%, respectively, for HIIT and SSG, P < 0.05). Both training interventions also resulted in a greater ΔTSI during the second sprint (47.8-114%, P < 0.05) and significant improvements in postsprint reoxygenation after both sprints (+23.0 to +107.7%). Finally, the variation in muscle reoxygenation after sprint 1 was significantly associated with improvements in aerobic (ΔVIFT, r = 0.61, P = 0.008) and anaerobic (Δ% Dec during RS, r = -0.487, P = 0.028) performances. The current study has observed that SSG and HIIT resulted in similar improvements in aerobic and anaerobic variables and a better muscle oxygenation capacity during RS. Coaches should be aware that both trainings are applicable methodologies to improve in-season aerobic and anaerobic fitness capacities in junior basketball players.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of different small-sided and conditioning games (SSCG) with different tactical contents on heart rate responses, technical performance and collective organization of youth basketball players of different performance levels. Twenty male basketball players from U14 (13.7 ± 0.8 years old; 4.2 ± 1.4 years of practice) and U16 (15.3 ± 1.1 years old; 6.4 ± 2.1 years of practice) participated in this research study. The two-way MANOVA revealed that the sports level (p = 0.009; η p 2 $ \eta_\rm p^2 $ = 0.151), format (p = 0.001; η p 2 $ \eta_\rm p^2 $ = 0.246) and task condition (p = 0.023; η p 2 $ \eta_\rm p^2 $ = 0.104; small effect size) had significant main effects on heart rate responses. It was also found that the format (p = 0.001; η p 2 $ \eta_\rm p^2 $ = 0.182) had significant main effects on technical performance. A smaller format significantly increased the heart rate, volume of play, efficiency index and collective density during attacking plays. The SSCG with attacking content statistically increased the heart rate, efficiency index and performance score. Therefore, this study revealed that different SSCGs with tactical content influenced the physiological responses of youth players.

Background: Soccer presents physiological, metabolic, physical and psychological demands which can deteriorate players’ performance due to fatigue. The high variability in physiological, metabolic, physical and psychological responses also influences the magnitude of exercise-induced muscle damage, with symptoms negatively affecting neuromuscular function during recovery or subsequent training sessions or matches. Consequently, more precise and consistent knowledge is required in this area to optimize training and performance. Objective: Therefore, the purpose is to sum-up current evidence on fatigue and recovery in soccer players, to shed light on factors that can affect players’ performance, and to suggest applications for coaches and further research. Method: A comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the field was conducted. Results: Physical performance decrements during matches have traditionally been associated with physiological fatigue, but the magnitude of the symptoms in soccer players is unclear and depends on several factors. Moreover, the decline in physical performance during a soccer match is related to specific demands of each match. These could explain inter-individual variability in acute fatigue or training recovery processes when comparing players from the same team. Recovery counteracts the effects of fatigue, both peripheral and central, but there is a lack of consensus about the usefulness of tests used to monitor fatigue and recovery kinetics. Conclusion: Although fatigue and recovery in soccer has been extensively studied, there are still uncertainties about the underlying mechanisms because they are influenced by physiological and match-related demands.

Clarke, ND, Thomas, JR, Kagka, M, Ramsbottom, R, and Delextrat, A. No dose-response effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse concentration on 5-km running performance in recreational athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 715-720, 2017-Oral carbohydrate rinsing has been demonstrated to provide beneficial effects on exercise performance of durations of up to 1 hour, albeit predominately in a laboratory setting. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of carbohydrate solution mouth rinse on 5-km running performance. Fifteen healthy men (n = 9; mean ± SD age; 42 ± 10 years; height, 177.6 ± 6.1 cm; body mass, 73.9 ± 8.9 kg) and women (n = 6; mean ± SD age, 43 ± 9 years; height, 166.5 ± 4.1 cm; body mass, 65.7 ± 6.8 kg) performed a 5-km running time trial on a track on 4 separate occasions. Immediately before starting the time trial and then after each 1 km, subjects rinsed 25 ml of 0, 3, 6, or 12% maltodextrin for 10 seconds. Mouth rinsing with 0, 3, 6, or 12% maltodextrin did not have a significant effect on the time to complete the time trial (0%, 26:34 ± 4:07 minutes:seconds; 3%, 27:17 ± 4:33 minutes:seconds; 6%, 27:05 ± 3:52 minutes:seconds; 12%, 26:47 ± 4.31 minutes:seconds; p = 0.071; (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.15), heart rate (p = 0.095; (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.16), rating of perceived exertion (p = 0.195; (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.11), blood glucose (p = 0.920; (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.01), and blood lactate concentration (p = 0.831; (Equation is included in full-text article.)= 0.02), with only nonsignificant trivial to small differences between concentrations. Results of this study suggest that carbohydrate mouth rinsing provides no ergogenic advantage over an acaloric placebo (0%) and that there is no dose-response relationship between carbohydrate solution concentration and 5-km track running performance.

Performance at the elite level in running-based team sports requires outlining the cyclical nature in which physiological and biomechanical loads lead to adaptation of the biological system as a whole (Vanrenterghem et al., 2017). Very commonly, there are congested fixture periods that seem to have no effect on physical activity, technical performance, and injury incidence (Dellal et al., 2015) injury rates or patterns (Carling et al., 2016), but do seem to decrease tactical performance, as measured by levels of movement synchronization (Folgado et al., 2015). A very high traveling frequency is required to compete in elite professional sport. For example, the National Basketball Association’s regular season consists of 82 games (41 home, 41 away) played over a 6-month period (Sampaio et al., 2015). This can have consequences for both physiological and psychological status and has the potential to impair performance

This study sought to select the most relevant test items from the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOTMP-2) and from a selection of health-related fitness tests for identifying school teenagers with poor motor coordination. The 241 participants in this study (144 boys, 97 girls aged 13–14 years old) were tested on the short form of the BOTMP-2 and on the following additional fitness tests: (a) seated medicine ball test, (b) broad jump, (c) handgrip strength, (d) alternate hand ball wall toss, (e) 10 × 5-meter agility shuttle run, and (f) Chester step test. We performed a factor analysis of participant scores on these various tasks and BOTMP-2 test items to reduce them to the least number of meaningful and useful items. Four factors explained 45% of the data variance: gross motor skills and power (including broad jump, hand ball toss, shuttle run, and sit-ups tests); fine motor skills (including copying star, following the maze and paper folding); core strength and balance (including push-ups, hopping, and balance beam); and general body strength (including medicine ball throw and handgrip). We conclude that an efficient school-based battery of test items to screen 13-14 year old adolescents for fitness and coordination should assess these four factors and might especially rely upon the broad jump, copying a star shape, hopping handgrip strength, aerobic fitness, and wall ball toss.

Digital, BACKGROUND: There is evidence that children with high cardiorespiratory fitness and normal body mass index (BMI) have less risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), however limited research was undertaken in Omani children. Therefore the aims of the present study were to describe body composition and physical fitness of a large cohort of Omani school children of both genders, and to investigate the effects of weight status on physical fitness. METHODS: Three hundred and fourteen Omani school children aged 9 to 10 years old took part in anthropometric assessments, body composition and fitness tests, including handgrip strength, the basketball chest pass, broad jump, 20-m sprint, four 10-m shuttle agility, 30-s sit-up, and multistage fitness test (MSFT). RESULTS: Obese boys and girls performed worse than normal-weight children in sprint, agility and endurance. In addition, fitness measures in the overweight group and underweight groups were not significantly different from other groups, except a better handgrip strength and poorer MSFT in overweight compared to normal weight girls, and poorer agility performance in underweight girls compared to the three other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Most fitness measures are lower in obese Omani children, which suggests that they will be more at risk of developing NCDs later in life., Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud

OBJECTIVES: The XXI Century Academy was a 6- year state-initiated intervention program that served as an alternative to basketball clubs for players in the u-14 and u-18 age groups in Spain, under guidelines established by the Spanish Basketball Federation. It was an important and unique project on talent development in basketball. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no evidence has been reported on long-term athlete development programs in basketball worldwide. The main aim of this report is to describe the design and evaluation methods used for the XXI Century Academy as a long-term intervention program in the elite Spanish Basketball Academy, aiming to prepare basketball players to compete at the elite level. METHODS: The monitoring time lasted from 1996 to 2001. A total of 55 players were assigned to the intervention groups based on age, position, maturation level, and country of origin. During this process, participants competed in up to two categories in addition to playing competitive official matches worldwide in international tournaments in their categories and with the national team in the European and World Championships (u-14 - u-18). Participants included 1 NBA player, 3 national A Team players, 10 ACB (First Spanish League) players, 5 LEB (second League) players and 39 LEB-2 EBA (third League) players. Assessments took place in a High-Performance Sports Center (CPT FADURA-GETXO- Basque Government, Getxo, Vizcaya, Spain) and consisted of health questionnaires, anthropometric measures, blood parameters, maturation level, birth age, fitness tests, training volume and intensity, physical activity, technical and tactical training, dietary intake, supplementation and injuries. Each player was assessed 4 times per year (September, December, April, June) for 4 years (16 data points). RESULTS: This is a purely methodological paper describing the design and evaluation methods used in the XXI Century Project, which will be used as a basis for future reporting of results. Therefore, the results of the project will be reported in subsequent publications. CONCLUSION: The viability of the Century XXI Project protocols has been described. This national project of training in basketball closely replicates the physical and technical match-play conditions for professionals and may constitute a useful training tool.

In the last June 2017, Dr. Martin Buchheit alerted the Sport's community with an editorial entitled “Houston, we still have a problem, ” (Buchheit, 2017) published in one of the most impact scientific journal the field of sports sciences. In that document, he explained that some of the most used methods in elite sports with a high level of evidence (1a) are not linking of athletes. However, other methods, without any evidence yet, are usually used among them. Although these used strategies present a high placebo effect among elite athletes, the implementation is a controversial topic in sports competition. Besides the physician staff have the control about its use, it is their responsibility to show leadership to create a satisfying and productive working environment for the future colleagues (Kimura, 2016), but these practices have not been studied yet.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of a 5-week, basketball-specific high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on aerobic performance in youth female basketball players. METHODS Twenty-four athletes (age 15.1 ± 1.1 years; height: 170 ± 5.2 cm; body mass: 60.9 ± 6.0 kg) took part in the investigation. The training group (TG, n = 11) integrated 10 basketball-specific HIIT sessions in their normal team training, the other group (n = 13) continued their team training routine and served as controls (CG). All HIIT sessions contained different basketball-specific drills. Before (pre-) and after the training period (post-) physical fitness was tested. RESULTS The Yo-yo intermittent recovery test (Yo-yo IR) performance was very likely increased in the TG (26,5 %). No improvements in the Yo-Yo IR performance were found in the CG (-6,8%). Likely positive effects in the TG were evident for the sprint and agility tests with (1.2 ± 2.4%, ES: 0.25, p = 0.29) and without ball (1.5 ± 4.6%, ES: 0.34, p = 0.20). The sprint and agility performance with ball significantly decreased in the CG by -2.8 ± 4.7% (ES: 0.49, p

12 p., Hamstring strains are the most common injury in multiple sprint sports, with inadequate eccentric hamstring strength and fatigue identified as important risk factors. Resistance training interventions aimed at reducing injury risk typically focus on the development of maximum strength, while little is known about the impact of training on hamstring fatigue resistance. The present study compared the effects of strength endurance (SE) with a strength intervention (S) on the eccentric hamstring strength decline induced by a simulated soccer match. Twenty-one female soccer players were randomly assigned to a S group (n = 10) or a SE group (n = 11). Hamstrings and quadriceps isokinetic concentric and eccentric peak torque (PT) were assessed at 120°.s-1 and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio (HEcc:QCon) calculated, pre- and immediately post a 90-min simulated match (BEAST90). This was repeated following a 7-week intervention of either three to five sets of 6RM leg curl and stiff-leg deadlift with 3-min inter-set rest (S), or the same exercises performed using three sets of 12–20 RM with 45–90 s inter-set rest (SE). At baseline, the simulated match led to significant declines in hamstrings eccentric peak torque (EccPT) in both groups in both dominant (D) and non-dominant (ND) legs [SE: (D: -15.5, ND: -15.6%), P = 0.001 to 0.016; S: (D: -12.3%, ND: -15.5%), P = 0.001 to 0.018]. After the 7-week intervention, we observed a group∗intervention∗match interaction such that there was no significant decline in EccPT in the SE group following the simulated match (D: 5.3%, ND: 2.0%), but there remained significant declines in the S group (D: -14.2%, ND: -15.5%, P = 0.018–0.001). Similarly, in the SE group, there was a significant decrease in the HEcc:QCon in D before (-14.2%, P = 0.007), but not after the training intervention, whereas declines were observed in the S group both at baseline, and following the intervention (D: -13.9%, ND: -15.6%, P = 0.045). These results demonstrate that SE training can reduce the magnitude of the EccPT decline observed during soccer competition. As inadequate eccentric strength and fatigue are both risk factors for hamstring injury, SE training should be considered along with the development of peak eccentric strength, as a component of programs aimed at reducing injury risk in multiple-sprint sports.

Basketball tests assessing dribbling speed predicated on total performance times are influenced by sprinting speed. This study examines an approach termed Dribble Deficit to counter this limitation by examining the relationships between sprinting and dribbling speed during linear and change-of-direction (COD) tasks measured using total performance time and Dribble Deficit. Ten semi-professional basketball players completed linear sprints and COD sprints with and without dribbling. Dribble Deficit was calculated as the difference between the best time for each dribbling trial and corresponding non-dribbling trial for linear and COD sprints. Large to very large significant relationships (P 0.05) were evident between linear sprint and dribble times (R = 0.64-0.77, R

To a proper recovery, is absolutely necessary to know that athletes with enhanced recovery after maximal exercise are likely to perform better in sports. Recovery strategies are commonly used in team sports despite limited scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in facilitating optimal recovery and the players spend a much greater proportion of their time recovering than they do in training. According to authors, some studies investigated the effect of recovery strategies on physical performance in team sports, lack of experimental studies about the real origin of the fatigue, certify the need for further study this phenomenon. Thus, developing effective methods for helping athletes to recover is deemed essential. Therefore, the aim of this review is provide information for his practical application, based on scientific evidence about recovery in team sports.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 3-day serial sodium bicarbonate ingestion on repeated sprint and jump performance. Fifteen female university basketball players (23.3 ± 3.4 years; 173.1 ± 5.8 cm; 65.8 ± 6.3 kg; 23.6 ± 4.9% body fat) ingested 0.4 g/kg body mass of sodium bicarbonate or placebo for 3 days (split in three equal daily doses), before completing a simulated basketball exercise. Sprint and circuit times, jump heights, performance decrements, and gastrointestinal side effects were recorded during the test, and blood lactate concentration was measured pre- and posttest. Sodium bicarbonate supplementation led to significant decreases in mean sprint times (1.34 ± 0.23 vs. 1.70 ± 0.41 s, p = .008, 95% confidence intervals [−0.54, −0.10 s]) and mean circuit times (30.6 ± 2.0 vs. 31.3 ± 2.0 s, p = .044) and significantly greater mean jump height (26.8 [range 25.2–34.2] vs. 26.0 [range 25.6–33.6] cm, p = .013) compared with placebo. Performance decrement was significantly less for sprints with sodium bicarbonate compared with placebo (9.9 [range 3.4–37.0]% vs. 24.7 [range 4.1–61.3]%, p = .013), but not different for jumps (13.1 ± 4.5% vs. 12.5 ± 3.1%, p = .321) between conditions. No differences in gastrointestinal side effects were noted between conditions. Significantly greater postexercise blood lactate concentrations were measured in the sodium bicarbonate condition compared with the placebo condition (8.2 ± 2.8 vs. 6.6 ± 2.4 mmol/L, p = .010). This study is the first to show that serial loading of sodium bicarbonate is effective for basketball players to improve repeated sprint and jump performance during competition, or withstand greater training load during practice sessions without any gastrointestinal side effects.