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This study aimed to classify male athletes based on their performance levels derived from running critical power (CP) using the 9/3-minute Stryd CP test, enabling customized training strategies and goal setting. Twenty-four trained athletes underwent the 9/3-minute running CP test on a certified 400-m athletics track. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's method categorized athletes based on CP into distinct performance tiers. Three clusters were identified with centroids of 3.87±0.12, 4.45±0.17, and 5.14±0.29 W/kg. Five performance tiers were defined through ordinary least square linear regression based on power (W/kg): Tier 1: Fair (2.9 to 3.6 W/kg), Tier 2: Tourist (3.6 to 4.2 W/kg), Tier 3: Regional (4.2 to 4.8 W/kg), Tier 4: National (4.8 to 5.5 W/kg), Tier 5: International (5.5 to 6.1 W/kg). Low semi-partial R-squared (Sp R2) values (0.02 to 0.05) indicated minimal homogeneity loss when merging clusters. R-squared (R2) explained 89% to 96% of CP variance, emphasizing cluster analysis effectiveness. The linear regression model demonstrated a strong fit (r2 +=+0.997) with a significant intercept (3.22 W/kg), slope (0.63 W/kg/tier), and a low standard error of estimate (0.045 W/kg). This classification offers insights into male athlete performance levels based on CP, facilitating targeted training programs for varying performance levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in "Traineras", a traditional competitive rowing modality prevalent in Northern Spain, underscores the need for a comprehensive analysis of the injury incidence associated with this sporting practice. Despite rowing's significance in the international sports arena and its inclusion since the beginnings of the modern Olympic Games, research into injuries in this sport, especially in traditional modalities such as Traineras, has been limited. This study aimed to identify and describe the predominant injuries among Traineras rowers, analyzing their epidemiology, characteristics, affected body regions, and diagnoses, further differentiated by competitive level and gender. A retrospective survey completed by 773 rowers (24% women, 76% men) participating in various leagues (ACT, ARC1, ARC2, LGT1, LGT2, ETE, and LGT-F) during the season revealed that 68.2% suffered from at least one injury, predominantly due to overuse (91.1% in men, 83.1% in women). The most affected regions were the lower back and shoulders, with the main diagnoses being muscle cramps and tendinitis, showing statistically significant differences between sexes. The findings of this study not only provide a deeper understanding of the etiology and origin of injuries in this sport but also lay the groundwork for developing specific injury prevention plans, thereby contributing to the safety and optimal performance of athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the heart rate responses of experienced traditional rowers during short- and longdistance competitions and to quantify and compare the workload associated with each modality during the competition. Thirteen highly trained traditional rowers participated in this study divided into two groups based on the competition modality: seven short-distance rowers (height 182.8 ± 6.5 cm, body mass 78.7 ± 4.4 kg,BMI 23.5 ± 1.2 kg/m²) competing in the 1400 m race, and six long-distance rowers (height 178.5±4.8 cm, body mass 75.0 ± 6.4 kg, BMI 23.5 ± 1.4 kg/m²) competing in the 5556 m race. To assess the heart rate workloads of the rowers, a 7×4-minute incremental step test was conducted on a rowing ergometer, and internal load data were collected during the respective competitions for each modality. The z-test was used to calculate the comparison of proportions based on the quotient resulting from dividing effect errors. Findings indicate that both shortdistance and long-distance rowers spent significantly more competition time (p<0.001) in zone 6 (301.1 ± 48.2 s; 77.2 ± 12.4% and 1124.2 ± 127.5 s; 87.3 ± 9.9%, respectively) and in zone 5 (63.7 ± 49.6 s, 16.3 ± 12.7% and 113.8 ± 95.2 s, 8.8 ± 7.4%, respectively). Furthermore, significantly more competition time (p<0.001) at high intensity during their respective competitions was spent by both groups (short-distance group 349 ± 18.1 s, 89.5 ± 4.6% and long-distance group 1213.3 ± 64 s, 94.2 ± 5%). Conversely, a higher percentage of time in both low zones and low intensity was spent by the short-distance group (p<0.05). However, a higher percentage in zone 6 and at high intensity was spent by the long-distance group (p<0.001). Finally, a significantly higher workload was exhibited by the long-distance competition compared to the short-distance competition (p<0.001). These findings hold significant value for coaches and athletes as they provide essential information regarding the percentage of time spent in each work zone, enabling the design of individualized training programs based on the type of competition being prepared for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in power meters and gestures between cycling and running can have an impact on determining Critical Power (CP) intensity in each sport. CP is a concept that has been extensively researched in cycling, but with the advent of power measurement in running, it can now be examined in that discipline as well. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether power output at CP intensity is interchangeable between cycling and running segments measured with their respective discipline-specific power meters. A group of 18 trained triathletes (age 33.0 ± 11.1 years, height 1.75 ± 0.06 m, body mass 71.2 ± 7.1 kg) performed a CP test in cycling (3-min All-Out Test) and running (9/3-min Stryd CP Test). The main results of the present study showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between CP in cycling and running. The running CP (301.8 W ± 41.5 W) was 20.2% overestimated compared with the cycling CP (251.1 W ± 37.0 W). Cycling power only explained 26.7% of the running power (R2 = 0.267; p = 0.284). Therefore, power would not be interchangeable between the cycling and running disciplines at CP intensity. In conclusion, it would be necessary to carry out a specific test for each discipline to be able to make a correct determination of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased fatigue may be observed during a soccer match, with a reduction of the high intensity activities owing to physical demands. These actions lead to a decline in players' performance. The aim of the study was to analyze the acute effects of induced fatigue on passing ability in elite U-19 soccer players. Twenty-three elite U-19 soccer players (17.9 ± 0.7 years; weight 69.7 ± 8.1 kg; height 177.2 ± 7.6 cm) performed the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) to evaluate passing ability: control, dribbling, accuracy and decision making. Repeated sprint ability (RSA) was used to induce fatigue, 12 x 30 m sprints followed by 30 s recovery time. Heart rate (HR), Borg's rating of perceived exertion (RPE), time in 5 m and 30 m, sprint decrement (Sdec) and the fatigue index (FI) was collected. Student's t test was applied to compare the difference between pre-test and post-test. Differences were interpreted using Cohen's d effect size. Fatigue led to a significant increase in the number of penalties in the LSPT (p < 0.001; d = 0.54) and in total time to perform the test (p = 0.001; d = 0.37). Of the different types of error, passing accuracy was the ability that declined most (p = 0.010 d = 0.72). Ball control was also affected, but to a lesser extent (p = 0.030; d = 0.39). The results shown that passing ability was affected by fatigue in elite U-19 soccer players. This study provides detailed information for football coaches and physical trainers on the effects of fatigue on passing ability, describing the decline in performance of this specific ability in soccer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Vertical jump tests are used to assess lower-limb power of athletes in sport sciences. Flight time measurement with jump-mat systems is the most common procedure for this purpose. The aim of this study was to analyze the concurrent validity and reliability of two proprietary systems (Globus and Axon) and an open-source system (Chronojump). Methods: A conditioning electric circuit governed by a controlled wave generator is designed to substitute athletes jumping on a physical mat. In order to look for possible differences associated to timekeeping by each microcontroller device, all three systems are fed by the circuit simultaneously. Results: Concurrent validity was high for the three systems. Standarized typical error of estimate (TEE) was trivial, according to MBI interpretation as well as perfect Pearson correlation coefficient. Reliability was assessed based on the coefficient of variation of flight time measure, resulting in 0.17-0.63% (0.05-0.12 cm) for Globus, 0.01% (0.09 cm) for Chronojump and 5.65-9.38% (2.15-3.53 cm) for Axon. These results show that all jump-mat system produced nearly identical measures of flight time so they can be considered valid and reliable for practical purposes. In comparison, Chronojump showed the best performance whereas Axon showed enough variability and disagreement to pose a problem in testing elite athletes. Conclusions: These experiments show that open-source jump mats are as valid and reliable as their proprietary counterparts at a lower cost. Therefore, practitioners can be confident in using Globus or Chronojump systems to test athletes' jump height because of their negligible errors and Axon system to monitor general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smartphone apps have been very popular among researchers, coaches and clinicians. The aim of this study was to analyze the inter-rater reliability of trained and untrained raters of the iOs app MyJump. Eighteen participants completed eight counter-movement jumps (CMJ) each (n=144) which were recorded using the app. In order to examine inter-rater reliability derived from raters' experience, independent assessments were obtained by an untrained rater and two trained raters of the same recordings. Results showed very high agreement between trained raters (ICC=0.982, a=0.991) and between trained and untrained raters (ICC=0.984, a=0.992). Bland-Altman plots depicted negligible bias between both types of raters. Finally, very good internal consistency was found, regardless of experience (a from 0.995 to 0.997 and CV from 1.1 to 1.4%). This study have shown no significant difference in performance of trained and untrained raters of MyJump, and therefore no special training must be observed for an accurate use of the app. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a study of digger activity among university beach volleyball players. A total of 929 digger actions carried out by 24 European University teams at the 9th European Beach Volleyball Championship EUSA GAMES were analyzed. The video was analyzed using Longomatch v.0.27 software. Statistical significance of the comparison between systems was calculated using the Z test to compare proportions. Results showed that 63.8% were passive actions and 36.2% were active actions (p<0.001) while 51% of digger actions were in static position and 49% in dynamic position (p=0.178). Furthermore, 23.1% of digger actions ended in counter attack and 76.9% ended without counter attack (p<0.001). As a result, the most effective defence can be considered to be static actives. This study leads to specific training of defensive actions and lays the foundation for specialized training for diggers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Rowing is considered one of the most complete sports in relation to physical and physiological demands, therefore training is one of its main research line. However, there is no scientific evidence of studies that relate training characteristics and experience with performance in competition. The aim of this study was to relate high and low performance rowers' experience and training characteristics of non-Olympic rowing modalities. A group of 115 male rowers from the Spanish National Championships volunteered to participate in the study. Age, experience, training days per week and training hours per day were obtained for each rower. For high performance group, inrigger is characterized by rowers who train significantly more days per week (6.93±0.26 days) and more hours per day (4.13±1.33 hours) than low performance rowers (5.96±0.87 days and 2.12±0.67 hours). On the other hand, high performance fixed seat rowers are significantly more experienced (11.65±5.11 years) than low performance rowers (7.56±7.04 years). Furthermore, they train significantly more days per week (6.43±0.66 days) than low performance fixed seat rowers (4.80±1.40 days). Therefore, this research concludes that there is a direct relationship of these variables with performance in different modalities, which highlights the usefulness of the results for coaches for the implementation of training programs and selection of rowers for best results competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to review the available literature published on injuries and pathology in beach volleyball. The databases consulted were the Web of Sciende and Pubmed. After establishing the criteria for selection and filtering, a total of 32 articles were selected. All items found can be classified into four research lines. First are the studies focused on specific injuries such as shoulder, shoveling, knee and foot. The second line of research focuses on the study of the incidence, prevalence and frequency of injuries of beach volleyball players, whereas the third line deals on infections reported in the literature produced by nematodes or fungi. Finally, the last line of research includes articles addressing different objectives related to health such as the effects of training programs related to injuries, influence of weather conditions on the players, as well as publications for validation of assessment instruments or develop of guidelines and protocols for the evaluation and diagnosis of injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beach handball is a spectacular new team sport; however, scientific knowledge about the demands in beach handball is very low. Consequently, the aim of this study was to analyze the physical demands of elite beach handball players by means of time-motion analysis with GPS technology and physiological response with Heart Rate (HR). Both male (n = 12) and female (n = 12) players from the Spanish Beach Handball National Team were recruited for this study. The sample consisted in four matches of two 10-min periods each. Time-motion analysis was performed through GPS devices (SPI Pro X, 15 Hz, GPSports) with synchronized HR monitoring (Polar Electro, Finland). All parameters were recorded for matches and halves to express overall and time-dependent physical and physiological responses. Total match distance covered by male and female players were 1234.7 ± 192 m and 1118.2 ± 221.8 m, respectively. Female players covered more total distance (p = 0.049, ES = 0.79) and distance walking (p < 0.001, ES = 2.04) in the first half, whereas they covered more distance standing (p = 0.008, ES = 1.05) in the second half at a higher average speed (p < 0.001, ES = 2.28). The number of accelerations distributed over low-, moderate- and high-intensity categories were 43.2 ± 11.6, 9.4 ± 4.9; 0.8 ± 0.9 m/s² for male players, and 40.3 ± 12.7, 4.3 ± 3.0; 0.1 ± 0.3 m/s² for female players; equivalent to one body acceleration every 23 s and 27 s, respectively. Finally, male and female players obtained a maximum/mean HR of 173 ± 13 / 137 ± 12 bpm, and 177 ± 13 / 138 ± 18 bpm, with 20.3% and 29.2% of the total time in the anaerobic zone (81 - 90% HRmax), respectively. These results demonstrated that beach handball is a demanding sport, with numerous moderate-to-high intensity displacements, distributed intermittently throughout the game: long periods of low intensity activity interspersed by short bursts of high intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]