VO2max changes in English futsal players after a 6-week period of specific small-sided games training

Futsal is a high-intensity, intermittent sport where accelerations and short sprints are performed at maximal or sub-maximal intensity. These efforts are interspersed by brief recovery periods, during 2 halves of 20 minutes stopping clock. Aerobic endurance inevitably plays a key role in the players’ performance. The aim of this study was to analyse the VO2 max progression and the agility (with and without ball) of English futsal players during a 6-week period of small-sided games practice. Two teams volunteered to participate in this study; an experimental group (EG), which performed a specialised small-sided training regime and a control group (CG) (normal training regime). VO2max was estimated from the results of the 20-metre Multi-Stage Fitness Test. The VO2max of the futsal players in the EG improved significantly (58.73±2.41 ml/kg/min vs. 60.11 ± 2.99 ml/kg/min, p=0.04). The same player's agility and agility with ball performance did not report any significant changes in either group. The results showed that periodisation, training sessions and methods based on small-sided games, which implied a change in the number of players, the size of the pitch and the task constraints, were adequate to increase aerobic endurance

Review of dohan eherenfest et al. (2009) on “classification of platelet concentrates: from pure platelet-rich plasma (p-prp) to leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (l-prf)”

This classic discusses the original publication of Dohan Eherenfest et al. on "Classification of platelet concentrates: from pure platelet-rich plasma (P-PRP) to leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF)", in which the authors propose four categories of platelet concentrates depending on their leukocyte and fibrin content (P-PRP, leucocyte- and platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP), pure platelet-rich fibrin (P-PRF), and L-PRF) to group a "jungle" of products in which the term platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was used indistinctly. They were able to identify common factors such as: (1) the use of anticoagulant and immediate centrifugation of the blood after its collection, (2) most preparation techniques allowed platelet concentrate preparation within an hour, (3) the centrifugation aimed to separate the blood in layers that would allow the extraction of specific fractions, and (4) the product was activated with thrombin or calcium chloride. The reviewed manuscript has been listed among the most cited PRP articles in regenerative medicine, with more than 800 citations, driving the current scientific research and clinical practice by categorizing L-PRP and P-PRP (now, leukocyte-poor PRP). The classification has also opened the door to understanding intrinsic biological mechanisms between the platelets, leukocytes, fibrin, and growth factors, later considered for studying the proliferation and differentiation of cells in different tissues affected by PRP. Since the initial classification of platelet concentrates, several other classification systems have been proposed and published in the current literature, such as the PAW, Mishra, PLRA, DEPA, MARSPILL, etc. These classifications have identified important aspects of PRP that affect the biological composition and, ultimately, the indications and outcomes. To date, there is still a lack of standardization in sample preparation, cohort heterogeneity, and incomplete reporting of sample preparation utilized, leading to a lack of clarity and challenging researchers and clinicians

Home-Based Rehabilitation: Enabling Frequent and Effective Training

Rehabilitation studies have recently demonstrated that the amount of time spent training is one of the most important factors in one’s ability to regain motor control. The methods employed need to be effective, but individuals need to spend significant amounts of time retraining. One of the most effective ways to enable more training time is for rehabilitation to occur in one’s home so individuals have adequate access to it and there is no cost associated with traveling to the clinic. There are several challenges that need to be overcome to make home rehabilitation more common; for example adapting the methods from the clinical setting to the home setting, ensuring safety, and providing motivation. This chapter outlines existing technologies for upper and lower limb rehabilitation and how they could be adapted for use in one’s home. Although many types of disabilities would benefit from home-based rehabilitation, this discussion will focus on traumatic brain injuries, specifically stroke related. Many of the methods that could be used at home for stroke would also have application for helping in other circumstances