A COMPARISON OF ANAEROBIC PERFORMANCE OF SUB-ELITE TENNIS AND BADMINTON PLAYERS

This study was carried out to determine the anaerobic properties of the sub-elite badminton and tennis players and to make comparison whether there is a difference between two racket sports in terms of anaerobic performance or not. 13 badminton players (7 male, 6 female) (Age: 20.30 1.65; Height:171.42±7.62; Weight:64.68±10.42) and 10 tennis players (5 male, 5 female) (Age: 19.50 0.84; Height:171.58±6.31; Weight:62.21±9.85) who have been training 2 days a week for averagely 3 years took part in this study voluntarily. Participants' body composition, isokinetic leg strength, isometric handgrip strength, vertical jump, Illinois agility, and Wingate anaerobic test were measured. SPSS 22.0 used for data analysis, being a non-parametric test, Mann-Whitney U test was conducted in comparison of two groups. At the end of performance measurements, right and left handgrip strengths were found 39.91 kg.f and 37.89 kg.f at badminton players; 43.58 kg.f, 41.49 kg.f at tennis players, respectively. At isokinetic extensor and flexor leg muscle strengths were measured 186.83 Nm, 107.93 Nm and 168.61 Nm, 112.43 Nm and as for hamstring/quadriceps (H:Q) ratio: 0.58, 0.66. As for Wingate anaerobic strength test, peak power (PP) values at sub-elite badminton and tennis players were respectively measured as 646.96 W, 694.23 W; relative peak power (RPP) value 10.11 W kg-1, 10.35 W kg-1; average power (AP) value 7.21 W kg-1, 7.39 W kg1. vertical jump was respectively detected as 48.13 cm and 46.03 cm, agility test 17.38 sec and 17.37 sec. The difference between these parameters belonging to two groups was found statistically significant only at H:Q ratio (p=0.22), wasn’t found significant at other parameters. Consequently, statistically significant difference wasn’t found between anaerobic performance values of sub-elite badminton and tennis players except for the H:Q ratio. This result showed us that players at sub-elite level have similar anaerobic performances even if these two racket sports have different court sizes, different durations, different racket weights, different hitting techniques.  Article visualizations

Motor Control and Learning in Childhood and Adolescence

This book represents the articles published in the Special Issue “Motor Control and Learning in Childhood and Adolescence: Interactions with Sports and Exercise”. Among the included articles, two main topics of research can be observed: those focusing on sports training and those focusing on exercise and physical activity for health. Interestingly, different study designs and methodologies were conducted, thus we believe that this book provides interesting reading for those who want to have a quick overview of the current research in motor control and learning

Training Methods to Improve Sports Performance and Health

There are several types of training methods aiming to develop sports performance and improve health indicators. Fundamentally, training methods are the result of manipulating different training variables, and the possibility of combining these variables is vast. Therefore, the search to study the effect of these constraints on sports and health, considering specific contexts and taking into account the magnitude of inter-individual responses, will afford a better understanding of the training interventions.At the same time, over the years, numerous innovations and technological advances have been introduced to assist the development of athletes’ performance and monitor individual lifestyles. These advances have changed how training may be conducted, controlled, and evaluated. For example, in sport settings, using technology to collect many and continuous data of athletes’ activity in their natural environments appears as an innovative and promising step. In health, an enormous diversity of training methods supporting healthy lifestyles and innovative approaches is arising, especially from higher-quality information gathered through technological development.Papers addressing these topics are included in this book, especially those combining a high academic standard with a practical focus on providing knowledge on how training methods improve sports performance and health across people's lifespans. New evidence urges us to track the progress and effects of training methods

Nutrition and Athletic Performance

Exercise necessitates increased energy production to match the elevated demand of physical activity, the magnitude of which varies significantly by activity, sport, and/or athletic position. While long term nutritional habitus is known to impact exercise performance, short term or acute nutritional strategies may also prove beneficial, or detrimental, to athletic performance. Modifications to macro- or micro-nutrient intakes likely influence athletic capacity through the altered metabolic capacity, although cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurocognitive effects are not to be discounted as possibly being influenced by altering the nutritional approach. Similarly, dietary supplementation with factors such as probiotics or antioxidants, either acutely or chronically, is also a likely avenue in which to optimize athletic performance. Supplementation, or the timing of supplementation, diurnally or with activity, may help to bridge gaps between dietary intakes and needs, perhaps as a result of either an inadequate intake and/or high level of athletic demand via high intensity, frequency, volume, or a combination thereof. Altering nutritional strategy for athletic performance is a de facto approach employed by athletes, often occurring seemingly independent of knowledge or evidence for or against a particular strategy. Rigorous studies of nutritional manipulation, supplementation, or those exploring the temporal optimization of nutrition or supplementation are desperately needed in an ever-changing sports nutrition landscape with an increasingly larger audience

Training Methods to Improve Sports Performance and Health

There are several types of training methods aiming to develop sport performance and improve health indicators. Fundamentally, training methods are the result of manipulating different training variables, and the possibility of combining these variables is vast. Therefore, the search to study the effect of these constraints on sports and health, considering specific contexts and taking into account the magnitude of inter-individual responses, will afford a better understanding of the training interventions. At the same time, over the years, numerous innovations and technological advances have been introduced to assist the development of athletes’ performance and monitor individual lifestyles. These advances have changed how the training may be conducted, controlled, and evaluated. For example, in sport settings, using technology to collect intense and continuous data of athletes’ activity in their natural environments appears as an innovative and promising step. In health, the enormous diversity of training methods supporting healthy lifestyles and innovative approaches is arising, especially but not only from improved information gathered through technological development

exercise training patterns and anthropometric characteristics of amateur motorcycle road racers

Exercise is an important component in preparing for competition. Failure to properly train can lead to performance decrements, fatigue and injury. Scientific based sport conditioning programs are available for a variety of sports. However, there is lack of information concerning sport conditioning for motorcycle road racing. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct an initial study of body mass index (BMI), estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) and exercise training patterns of expert and novice amateur motorcycle road racers. A total of 53 Western Eastern Roadracing Association (WERA) racers provided self-reported height, weight, age, gender, resting heart rate (RHR), physical activity habits, aerobic exercise training patterns and resistance exercise training patterns on an on-line survey. Height and weight was used to calculate BMI. Gender, age, RHR and habitual physical activity were used to estimate VO2max. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was employed to assess total physical activity (PA) in minutes per week. A supplemental survey was utilized to assess exercise training participation, frequency, duration, resistance exercise selection, repetitions and sets. An independent sample t-test was used to compare BMI and estimated VO2max between expert and novice racers. A Mann-Whitney u test was performed to compare Total PA. Pearson Chi-Squared tests were used to compare exercise training patterns.Expert racers had a significantly lower mean BMI (p<.05) compared to novice racers, 23.55 and 25.77, respectively . No significant difference was found in estimated VO2max between expert and novices racers, 46.65 ml/kg/min and 44.31 ml/kg/min, respectively. A significant difference (p<.05) was found in Total PA. Expert racers had a mean total PA of 1110 min/wk and novice racers had a mean total PA of 743 min/wk. A significant difference (p< .05) was established in one resistance exercise (i.e. lunges). Novices had a larger participation rate compared to expert racers in the lunge resistance exercise.The findings do not provide sufficient information to conclusively develop a sport-specific exercise program. However, this study provides preliminary data concerning anthropometric and fitness characteristics of motorcycle road racers. Additional research is necessary to fully understand characteristics associated with improved motorcycle road racing performance

Epidemiology of Injury in English Women's Super league Football: A Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiology of injury in male professional football has been well documented (Ekstrand, Hägglund, & Waldén, 2011) and used as a basis to understand injury trends for a number of years. The prevalence and incidence of injuries occurring in womens super league football is unknown. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of injury in an English Super League Women’s Football squad. METHODS: Following ethical approval from Leeds Beckett University, players (n = 25) signed to a Women’s Super League Football club provided written informed consent to complete a self-administered injury survey. Measures of exposure, injury and performance over a 12-month period was gathered. Participants were classified as injured if they reported a football injury that required medical attention or withdrawal from participation for one day or more. Injuries were categorised as either traumatic or overuse and whether the injury was a new injury and/or re-injury of the same anatomical site RESULTS: 43 injuries, including re-injury were reported by the 25 participants providing a clinical incidence of 1.72 injuries per player. Total incidence of injury was 10.8/1000 h (95% CI: 7.5 to 14.03). Participants were at higher risk of injury during a match compared with training (32.4 (95% CI: 15.6 to 48.4) vs 8.0 (95% CI: 5.0 to 10.85)/1000 hours, p 28 days) of which there were three non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The epidemiological incidence proportion was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.95) and the average probability that any player on this team will sustain at least one injury was 80.0% (95% CI: 64.3% to 95.6%) CONCLUSION: This is the first report capturing exposure and injury incidence by anatomical site from a cohort of English players and is comparable to that found in Europe (6.3/1000 h (95% CI 5.4 to 7.36) Larruskain et al 2017). The number of ACL injuries highlights a potential injury burden for a squad of this size. Multi-site prospective investigations into the incidence and prevalence of injury in women’s football are require

Fear of crime and victimization among the elderly participating in the self-defence course

Purpose. Self-defence training could enhance seniors´ defensive skills and fitness. There is lack of evidence about fear and concerns of seniors participating in the self-defence course. Methods. 18 elderly persons (16 female, 1 male; age 66.2, SD=5.86) participated in the self-defence course lasting 8 training units (each unit 60 minutes). Standardized tool for fear of crime and victimization analysis previously used in Euro-Justis project in the Czech Republic (2011) was used in pretest and posttest. Results. We explored the highest fear of crime by participants in their residence area after dark (mean=2,77; median=3; SD=0,80), lower fear at the night in their homes (mean=2,29; median=2; SD=0,75) and in their residence area at the daytime (mean=2,00; median=2; SD=0,77) at the beginning of the course. We noticed certain decrease of fear of crime after the intervention. Participant were less afraid of crime in their residence area after dark (mean=2,38; median=2; SD=0,77), they felt lower fear of crime at the night in their homes (mean=2,00; median=2; SD=0,48) and in their residence area at the daytime (mean=1,82; median=2; SD=0,63). Conclusions. The approach to self-defence teaching for elderly should be focused not just on the motor development, but also on their emotional state, fear of crime, perception of dangerousness of diverse situations and total wellbeing. Fear of crime analysis can contribute to create tailor made structure of the self-defence course for specific groups of citizens

The frequency of falls in children judo training

Purpose: Falling techniques are inseparable part of youth judo training. Falling techniques are related to avoiding injuries exercises (Nauta et al., 2013). There is not good evidence about the ratio of falling during the training in children. Methods: 26 children (age 8.88±1.88) were video recorded on ten training sessions for further indirect observation and performance analysis. Results: Research protocol consisted from recording falls and falling techniques (Reguli et al., 2015) in warming up, combat games, falling techniques, throwing techniques and free fighting (randori) part of the training session. While children were taught almost exclusively forward slapping roll, backward slapping roll and sideward direct slapping fall, in other parts of training also other types of falling, as forward fall on knees, naturally occurred. Conclusions: Judo coaches should stress also on teaching unorthodox falls adding to standard judo curriculum (Koshida et al., 2014). Various falling games to teach children safe falling in different conditions should be incorporated into judo training. Further research to gain more data from groups of different age in various combat and non-combat sports is needed