RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of Zumba Gold(®) in people with PD, and to investigate the effects of dance styles and number of sessions on activity levels and physiological load. DESIGN: Repeated measure uncontrolled (single group) feasibility study. SETTING: Eleven participants (age: 64.0±8.1years) with mild-to-moderate idiopathic PD (Hoehn & Yahr stage<3.0) took part in a screening session, followed by six Zumba Gold(®) workouts each separated by one week, and a follow-up interview six months later. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main feasibility parameters measured were retention, compliance, and adverse events. Furthermore, during each Zumba Gold(®) session, physical activity levels were measured using tri-axial accelerometers, while physiological load was assessed by average heart rate (HRmean). A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures assessed the effects of dance styles and session number on activity level and HR. RESULTS: 73% retention and 81% compliance were achieved, and no adverse events were recorded. Participants' enjoyment was high and 38% started Zumba Gold(®) classes in the community after intervention. HR values were similar between dance styles and within the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)'s recommendations in 50% of participants. Backwards steps reduced physiological load but improvements in activity levels between the first and last sessions show that steps could be learnt with time. CONCLUSIONS: Zumba Gold(®) is safe and enjoyable for people with PD. The excellent compliance and positive participants' feedback suggest the need for a larger-scale trial.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in breakdancers and investigate the association with training habits. METHODS: Forty-six males and sixteen females completed a questionnaire regarding their training and competition habits (frequency, warm-up and stretching, strength training, protective equipment, move types and supervision) and the musculoskeletal injuries sustained as a result of breakdancing in the previous 12 months. The effects of training habits and sex on injury rates were analyzed by a Mann-Whitney Test and a Kruskal-Wallis Test, while a stepwise linear regression analysis assessed the link between injury rates and quantitative risk factors. RESULTS: The injury rate was 4.02 injuries per 1000 h, with no significant difference between males and females (P>0.05). The main injuries affected were the knee (23.4%) and wrist (15.3%), and females were characterized by a significantly greater number of finger injuries and a lower number of shoulder injuries that males (P<0.05). In addition, of all the factors evaluated, only the amount of time spent performing breakdance training showed a significant association with injury rate (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that interventions should focus on protecting specific body parts and improving training quality and recovery.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 2 training interventions based on small-sided games (SGG) and high-intensity interval training (HIT) on physical and technical performance of male junior basketball players. A secondary objective was to investigate if these effects were similar in starting and bench players. 18 players participated in a pre-testing session, 6-weeks intervention period and a post-testing session. Pre- and post-sessions involved assessments of aerobic fitness, repeated sprint ability (RSA), defensive and offensive agility, upper and lower body power, shooting and passing skills. Mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni corrected pairwise comparisons examined the effects of time and type of intervention on physical and technical performances. The main results showed that both interventions resulted in similar improvements in aerobic capacity (+3.4% vs. +4.1%), with greater improvements in bench players compared to starting players (+7.1% vs. +1.1%, P<0.05). However, RSA was unchanged after both interventions. In addition, compared to HIT, SSG resulted in greater improvements in defensive agility (+4.5% vs. -2.7%, P<0.05), shooting skills (+7.4% vs. -2.4%, P<0.05) and upper body power (+7.9% vs. -2.0%, P<0.05). These results suggest that SSG should be prioritized in physical conditioning of junior basketball players during the season. However, when RSA is targeted, more specific training seems necessary.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of playing an official national-level basketball match on repeated sprint ability (RSA) and stride kinematics. METHODS: Nine male starting basketball players (22.8±2.2 years old, 191.3±5.8 cm, 88±10.3 kg, 12.3±4.6% body fat) volunteered to take part. Six repetitions of maximal 4-s sprints were performed on a non-motorised treadmill, separated by 21-s of passive recovery, before and immediately after playing an official match. Fluid loss, playing time, and the frequencies of the main match activities were recorded. The peak, mean, and performance decrement for average and maximal speed, acceleration, power, vertical and horizontal forces, and stride parameters were calculated over the six sprints. Differences between pre- and post-match were assessed by student t-tests. RESULTS: Significant differences between pre- and post-tests were observed in mean speed (-3.3%), peak and mean horizontal forces (-4.3% and -17.4%), peak and mean vertical forces (-3.4% and -3.7%), contact time (+7.3%), stride duration (+4.6%) and stride frequency (-4.0%), (P<0.05). In addition, the variation in several RSA parameters, such as peak and mean speed, peak and mean acceleration, mean power, and peak and mean vertical force were significantly correlated to fluid loss and sprint, jump and shuffle frequencies (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results highlight that the impairment in repeated sprint ability depends on the specific activities performed, and that replacing fluid loss through sweating during a match is crucial.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a simulated soccer test on the functional hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio (H(ecc) : Q(con)) in female soccer players. Fourteen amateur players (age, 26.1 ± 4.6 years; height, 168 ± 12 cm; body mass, 62.7 ± 5.5 kg; body fat, 23.7 ± 2.2%) performed the modified Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (modified LIST). Isokinetic strength assessments of the hamstrings and quadriceps on the dominant and non-dominant legs at 120°/s were performed before and immediately after the modified LIST. H(ecc) : Q(con) was calculated as the ratio of the peak eccentric torque of the hamstrings to the peak concentric torque of the quadriceps. A two-way univariate analysis of variance was used to assess the effect of time and leg dominance on H(ecc) : Q(con). The main results showed that the modified LIST led to a significant decrease in H(ecc) : Q(con) in the dominant (-14.1%) and non-dominant legs (-8.0%) (P = 0.02). However, this decrease was not significantly different between dominant and non-dominant legs (P = 0.42). These results reflect a greater risk of hamstrings tears and ACL sprains at the end of soccer matches.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a typical in-season week including four practice sessions and one competitive game on strength, jump and sprint performances in national-level female basketball players. METHODS: Nine female basketball players (24.3±4.1 years old, 173.0±7.9 cm, 65.1±10.9 kg, 21.1±3.8% body fat) participated in ten testing sessions, before and immediately after practices and game (five pre- and five post-tests). Each session involved isokinetic peak torque measurements of the quadriceps and hamstrings of the dominant leg at 60º.s-1, countermovement jump (CMJ) and 20-m sprint. Fluid loss and subjective training load were measured during each practice session, while the frequencies of the main movements performed during the game were recorded. A two-way ANOVA was used to asses the effect of each practice/game and the effect of the day of the week on performances, and the relationship between performance variations and variables recorded during practices/game were analyzed by a Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Individual sessions induced significant decreases in lower limb strength (from 4.6 to 10.9%, P<0.05), CMJ (12.6% to 19.6%, P<0.05) and 20-m sprint (1.3% to 7.3%, P<0.05). Performances returned to baseline before the subsequent pre-test session, except on day 3. CONCLUSION: These impairments in performance highlight that coaches should plan conditioning programmes based on repeated sprint and repeated jump ability, and monitor the recovery of their players' strength, sprint and jump capacities following specific sessions.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fatigue induced by a field test representative of soccer specific movements on different hamstrings:quadriceps ratios in the dominant and non-dominant legs at two different velocities. Eight male football players (age: 21.3+/-2.3 years; height: 178+/-8 cm; body mass: 78+/-9 kg; playing level: British University Southern conference-3B) performed a pre-test to assess the concentric and eccentric strength of the hamstrings and the quadriceps at 60 degrees x s(-1) and 180 degrees x s(-1), The Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) to simulate soccer, and a post-test similar to the pre-test. The main findings demonstrated significant decreases in the H(con):Q(con) ratio (calculated as the maximal concentric hamstrings strength divided by the maximal concentric quadriceps strength) in the dominant leg at 180 degrees x s(-1) and in the functional ratio H(ecc):Q(con) (calculated as the maximal eccentric hamstrings strength divided by the maximal concentric quadriceps strength) in the dominant leg at 60 degrees x s(-1) and 180 degrees x s(-1). In addition, significant correlations were observed between physiological parameters measured during the soccer-specific exercise and H(ecc):Q(con) only. These results suggested that the functional H(ecc):Q(con) ratio is more representative of fatigue induced by soccer than the conventional H(con):Q(con) ratio. Eccentric strength training at high velocities may be necessary to reduce injury risk in soccer players.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

AIMS: The aims of this study were to evaluate patterns of handgrip (HG) strength in relation to gender and age in English schoolchildren and to compare this with existing data and produce reference data for this population. METHODS: The HG of 7147 English schoolchildren (3773 boys and 3374 girls) aged 10-15.9 years was measured using a portable Takei handgrip dynamometer (Takei Scientific Instruments Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Centile data were produced using the Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape. Z-scores were generated using existing data for European children. Age and gender interactions were analysed using analysis of covariance. RESULTS: In boys and girls, significant increases in HG were found between every age-group (p < 0.001). Boys were significantly stronger than girls at every age (p < 0.001) and the boys' age-related increase was significantly greater than the girls' (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides reference data for handgrip strength in English schoolchildren. Handgrip strength in English children is broadly similar to existing European data, after adjusting for mass and stature. These data could be used for clinical or athletic screening of low and high strength in this population.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

After the swim to cycle transition of a triathlon, perceived exertion (RPE) during cycling was higher than during a single cycling bout for 8 well-trained triathletes, but swimming in a drafting position led to lower RPE responses and energy cost of cycling than swimming alone.

Asunto(s)