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Two-weeks of intensified training significantly increased training volume, load and strain eliciting a state of overreaching in trained male cyclists.Intensified training caused deteriorations in physical performance but did not influence cognitive measures.Mood and recovery-stress balance were negatively affected by intensified training but recovered back to baseline following a two-week taper at a reduced training volume.A two-week taper period following two-weeks of intensified training did not result in improved physiological measures, physical performance parameters or mood above initial baseline values highlighting the need for careful consideration over the purpose, desired outcomes and necessity of intensified training on an individualised basis.

Intensified periods of competition are common in many team sports, potentially leading to increased fatigue and reduced performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of repeated high-intensity sprint interval exercise on cognitive function, mood and perceptions of energy and fatigue. Twenty-four trained rugby players completed multiple bouts of repeated sprints across two consecutive days. Prior to and following each set of maximal effort sprints or equivalent control duration, a battery of cognitive tasks assessing simple and choice reaction time, visuo-spatial working memory and inhibition were completed as well as visual analogue scales that assessed mood, energy, and fatigue. Accuracy of incongruent Stroop responses was significantly lower across day 2 compared to day 1 and the control condition. Four-choice reaction time was slower across day 2 whilst feelings of alertness, contentedness, and physical and mental energy were reduced while ratings of physical and mental fatigue increased. These findings suggest that intensified periods of high-intensity sprint interval exercise have detrimental effects on executive function, mood and perceptions of physical and mental energy, and fatigue. These deleterious effects have the potential to impact performance and may increase the propensity for injury/accidents in certain sporting and non-sporting contexts.

While the research base is limited, studies have consistently reported poor oral health in elite athletes since the first report from the 1968 Olympic Games. The finding is consistent both across selected samples attending dental clinics at major competitions and more representative sampling of teams and has led to calls from the International Olympic Committee for more accurate data on oral health. Poor oral health is an important issue directly as it can cause pain, negative effects on appearance and psychosocial effects on confidence and quality of life and may have long-term consequences for treatment burden. Self-reported evidence also suggests an impact on training and performance of athletes. There are many potential challenges to the oral health of athletes including nutritional, oral dehydration, exercise-induced immune suppression, lack of awareness, negative health behaviours and lack of prioritisation. However, in theory, oral diseases are preventable by simple interventions with good evidence of efficacy. The consensus statement aims to raise awareness of the issues of oral health in elite sport and recommends strategies for prevention and health promotion in addition to future research strategies.

Organized physical training in the pursuit of sporting excellence is not a recent phenomenon. Reports of structured athletic training programmes date back to the ancient Greeks, when they were used for both military and Olympic preparation. Despite an extensive history, it was not until the mid to late twentieth century that what is now considered a scientific approach to training theory developed. The description of the General Adaptation Syndrome by Dr Hans Selye in 1956, which examined the relationship between training stress and adaptation, and the work of Metveyev, Harre, and others in the 1970s and 1980s developed the foundation of training theory and its application to athletic training programmes....

This study evaluated the effects of protocol variation on the time spent exercising at ≥95% V̇O2max during cycle ergometer trials performed at the exercise intensity associated with V̇O2max (iV̇O2max).Nine male triathletes (age: 32±10 years; body mass: 73.3±6.1 kg; stature: 1.79±0.07 m; V̇O2max: 3.58±0.45 L.min(-1)) performed four exercise tests. During tests 1 and 2, participants performed a maximal incremental cycle ergometer test using different stage durations (1 min and 3 min) for the determination of iV̇O2max (1 min) and iV̇O2max (3 min). During tests 3 and 4, participants performed a continuous bout of exhaustive cycling at iV̇O2max (1 min) (CONT1) and iV̇O2max (3 min) (CONT3).iV̇O2max (1 min) was significantly greater (P0.001) than iV̇O2max (3 min) (340±31 W vs. 299±44 W). Time to exhaustion (TTE) measured during CONT3 was significantly longer (P0.001) than CONT1 (529±140 s vs. 214±65 s). Time spent at V̇O2max was significantly longer (P=0.036) during CONT3 than CONT1 (146±158 s vs. 11±20 s), and time spent at ≥95% V̇O2max was significantly longer (P=0.005) during CONT3 than CONT1 (326±211 s vs. 57±51 s).These results show that when exercising continuously at iV̇O2max, time spent at ≥95% V̇O2max is influenced by the initial measurement of iV̇O2max.