The effect of green tea ingestion and interval sprinting exercise on the body composition of overweight males: A randomized trial

© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The combined effect of green tea ingestion and interval sprinting exercise on body and abdominal fat of overweight males was investigated. Participants were randomly assigned into control (C), green tea (GT), interval sprinting exercise (ISE), and green tea and ISE (GT + ISE) groups. The GT, GT + ISE, and C groups consumed three GT capsules daily. The ISE and GT + ISE groups completed 36 ISE sessions over 12 weeks. Forty eight overweight males with a mean BMI of 28.5 ± 0.92 kg/m2 and age of 26 ± 0.7 years acted as participants. There was a significant reduction in total and abdominal fat mass for the ISE and GT + ISE groups, p < 0.05, however, total and abdominal fat mass did not significantly change in the GT and C groups. There was a significant increase in total lean mass, p < 0.05, after the intervention for the ISE and GT + ISE groups only. There was a significant increase in fat oxidation during submaximal aerobic exercise, p < 0.05, after the intervention for the ISE, GT + ISE, and GT groups with no change for the C group. Following the 12-week intervention the ISE and GT + ISE groups, compared to C, recorded a significantly greater decrease in body and abdominal fat, and a significant increase in total lean mass. Ingestion of green tea by itself, however, did not result in a significant decrease in body or abdominal fat, but increased fat utilization during submaximal exercise. The combination of 12 weeks of GT ingestion and ISE did not result in greater total and abdominal fat reduction compared to 12 weeks of ISE alone

Determinant physiological factors of simulated BMX race

© 2021 European College of Sport Science. Evaluating the physiological demands of BMX cycling on a track provides coaches with the information required to prescribe more effective training programmes. To determine the relative importance of physiological factors during simulated BMX race, 12 male riders (age 19.2 ± 3.5 years, height 1.76 ± 0.06 m, mass 68.5 ± 4.3 kg) completed a maximum aerobic capacity ((Figure presented.)) test in a laboratory, and a week later, completed six laps on a BMX track interspersed by 15 min passive recovery. Peak power, immediate post-lap (Figure presented.), blood lactate, and heart rate were measured in each lap. Peak power to weight ratio was significantly correlated with lap time, however, the strength of this association decreased in each subsequent lap. Mean (Figure presented.) was greater than 80% of laboratory-measured (Figure presented.) in every lap, indicating a strong contribution of the aerobic energy system during BMX racing. This study also identified that mean blood lactate was significantly associated with lap time, which showed the importance of the anaerobic energy system contribution to BMX race. Despite the short period of pedalling during BMX racing, both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are important contributors to lap performance. Coaches should consider maximising both anaerobic power and aerobic capacity to improve riders’ overall performance in multiple laps

Power Analysis of Field-Based Bicycle Motor Cross (BMX)

Introduction: Power meter is a useful tool for monitoring cyclists’ training and race performance. However, limited data are available regarding BMX racing power output. The aim of this study was to characterise the power production of BMX riders and investigate its potential role on race performance. Methods: Fourteen male riders (age: 20.3 ± 1.5 years, height: 1.75 ± 0.05 m, mass: 70.2 ± 6.4 kg) participated in this study. The tests consist of performing two races apart from 15-min recovery. SRM power meter was used to record power and cadence. Cyclists’ fastest race was used for the data analysis. Heart rate was recorded at 1-s intervals using a Garmin HR chest strap. Lap time was recorded using four pairs of photocells positioned at the start gate, bottom of the start ramp, end of first corner (time cornering), and on the finish line. Results: There was a large correlation between race time and relative peak power (r = −0.68, p < 0.01) as well as average power with zero value excluded (r = −0.52, p < 0.01). Race time was also significantly associated with time cornering (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). Peak power (1288.7 ± 62.6 W) was reached in the first 2.34 second of the race. With zero values included, the average power was 355.8 ± 25.4 W, which was about 28% of the peak power, compared to 62% when zero values were excluded (795.6 ± 63.5 W). Conclusion: The post-race analysis of the power data might help the cyclists recognizing the need to apply certain strategies on pedalling rates and power production in certain portions of the BMX track, specially, at the start and around the first corner. BMX coaches must consider designing training programs based on the race intensity and power output zones

On The Basics of Training for Muscle Size and Strength

We read the article of Buckner et al. (1), hoping to find new insights on resistance training. Unfortunately, the article is a restatement of information contained in previously published reviews from this group. Here are our major concerns