Gender differences in limb and joint stiffness during the fencing lunge

The aim of the current investigation was to examine gender differences in limb and joint stiffness characteristics during the fencing lunge. Ten male and ten female fencers completed simulated lunge movements. Lower limb kinematics were collected using an eight camera optoelectric motion capture system which operated at 250 Hz. Measures of limb and joint stiffness were calculated as a function of limb length and joint moments divided by the extent of limb and joint excursion. Gender differences in limb joint stiffness parameters were examined statistically using independent samples t-tests. The results showed firstly that both limb (male = 64.22 ±19.12, female = 75.09 ±22.15 N.kg.m) and hip stiffness (male = 10.50 ±6.00, female = 25.89 ±15.01 Nm.kg.rad) were significantly greater in female fencers. In addition it was also demonstrated that knee moment (male = 1.64 ±0.23, female = 2.00 ±0.75 Nm.kg) was significantly larger in females. On the basis of these observations, the findings from the current investigation may provide further insight into the aetiology of the distinct injury patterns observed between genders in relation to fencing

Manuscript Clarification Response

This article has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The final, definitive version of this paper (Bottoms, L., 'Manuscript Clarification Response', Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, first published online August 7, 2015) is available online at doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000921Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

The effects of Montmorency tart cherry juice supplementation and FATMAX exercise on fat oxidation rates and cardio-metabolic markers in healthy humans

Montmorency tart cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) are rich in anthocyanins, compounds capable of augmenting fat oxidation and regulating metabolic dysfunction. The present study examined whether Montmorency tart cherry juice (MTCJ) supplementation could augment fat oxidation rates at rest and during FATMAX exercise, thus improve cardio-metabolic health. Eleven, healthy participants consumed MTCJ or placebo (PLA) twice daily, in a randomised, counterbalanced order for 20 days. Participants cycled at FATMAX for 1-h pre-, mid- (10 days) and post-supplementation whilst substrate oxidation rates were measured. Before exercise anthropometrics and resting metabolic rate were measured. Blood pressure, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, total antioxidant status (TAS) and glucose were measured immediately before and after exercise. No significant differences between conditions or interactions were observed for any functional and blood-based cardio-metabolic markers or fat oxidation during exercise or rest (P > 0.05). Pre-exercise TAS (P = 0.036) and HDL (P = 0.001) were significantly reduced from mid- to post-supplementation with MTCJ only. Twenty days’ MTCJ supplementation had no effect on fat oxidation; therefore, it is unnecessary for individuals in this participant cohort to consume MTCJ with exercise to improve cardio-metabolic biomarkers.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Physiological responses and energy expenditure to simulated epee fencing in elite female fencers

Understanding the physiological and energy expenditure responses required during the unique nature of fencing is important for the development of training/nutritional programmes for athletes involved in fencing. This study therefore examined the physiological responses of four elite female epee fencers during a simulated fencing task. Peak physiological measurements were determined during an incremental exercise test to exhaustion on a treadmill. In addition, oxygen consumption, heart rate and finger tip blood lactate samples were taken throughout a series of simulated fencing fights. The fencing fights consisted of 3 x 3 minutes of fencing, with 1 minute rest between each bout. The results demonstrated peak oxygen uptake (47±5 ml·kg·min-1) to be similar to that of other elite female fencers. High peak energy expenditures were elicited over short exercise durations (range 10.6–11.4 Kcal·min-1). Low blood lactate levels were evident and possibly due to the contribution of phosphocreatine for ATP regeneration

Effects of shoes on kinetics and kinematics of the squash forward lunge in male players

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.Squash is associated with a high incidence of chronic injuries. Currently there is a trend in many sports for players to select minimalist footwear. The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of squashspecific, running shoes and minimalist footwear on the kinetics and 3-D kinematics of the lunge movement in squash players. Twelve male squash players performed lunge movements whilst wearing minimalist, running shoe and squash-specific footwear. 3-D kinematics of the lower extremities were measured using an eightcamera motion analysis system alongside kinetic and tibial acceleration information which were obtained using a force platform and an accelerometer. Differences between footwear were examined using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. The results show firstly that loading rate parameters were significantly greater in the minimalist (average = 85.36B.W/s and instantaneous = 179.09B.W/s) footwear in relation to the squashspecific (average = 38.66 B.W/s and instantaneous = 50.73B.W/s) and running footwear (average = 37.62B.W/s and instantaneous = 48.14B.W/s). In addition, tibial acceleration parameters were also significantly greater in the minimalist (peak tibial acceleration = 8.45 g and tibial acceleration slope = 422.28g/s) footwear in relation to the squash-specific (peak tibial acceleration = 4.33 g and tibial acceleration slope = 182.57g/s) and running footwear (peak tibial acceleration = 4.81 g and tibial acceleration slope = 226.72g/s). The significant increase in impact loading in the minimalist footwear therefore suggests this type of shoe may place squash players at an increased risk of developing impact-related chronic injuries.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Influence of minimalist footwear on knee and ankle loads during the squash lunge

Squash is associated with a high incidence of knee and ankle joint injuries. The aim of this work was to examine the effects of squash specific, running shoes and minimalist footwear on knee and ankle loads during the lunge movement in squash players. Twelve male squash players performed lunge movements whilst wearing squash specific, running shoes and minimalist footwear. The loads experienced by the knee and ankle joints were calculated. Patellofemoral forces were significantly greater in running shoes (5.10 B.W) compared to minimalist footwear (4.29 B.W). Achille tendon forces were significantly larger in the minimalist footwear (3.10 B.W) compared to the running shoes (2.64 B.W) and squash specific footwear (2.88 B.W). This shows that whilst minimalist footwear may reduce the incidence of knee pathologies in squash players corresponding increases in ankle loading may induce an injury risk at this joint

Methods of Determining Hip Joint Centre: Their Influence on the 3-D Kinematics of the Hip and Knee During the Fencing Lunge

Purpose. The lunge is a fundamental offensive fencing technique, common to all contemporary fencing styles. Therefore, when using 3-D kinematic analysis to quantify lower extremity rotations during the fencing lunge, it is important for researchers to correctly interpret this movement. Locating the centre of the hip is required to accurately quantify hip and knee joint rotations, with three non-invasive techniques using anatomical, functional and projection methods currently available for the estimation of hip joint centre. This study investigated the influence of these three techniques on hip and knee joint kinematics during the fencing lunge. Methods. Three-dimensional kinematics of the lunge were collected from 13 experienced epee fencers using an eight-camera motion capture system. The 3-D kinematics of the lunge were quantified using the three hip joint centre estimation techniques. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to compare the discrete 3-D kinematic parameters, and intra-class correlations were employed to identify similarity across the 3-D kinematic waveforms from the three techniques. Results. The results indicate that whilst the kinematic waveforms were similar (R2 ≥0.96); significant differences in discrete parameters were also evident at both the hip and knee joint in the coronal and transverse planes. Conclusions. It appears based on these observations that different hip joint centre locations can significantly influence the resultant kinematic parameters and cannot be used interchangeably

Influence of surface on impact shock experienced during a fencing lunge

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sports surface on the magnitude of impact shock experienced during a lunge movement. Thirteen experienced, competitive fencers (age 32.4 +/- 4.6 years; Height 178.4 +/- 7.2 cm; Mass 74.4 +/- 9.1 kg) performed ten lunges on four different surfaces: concrete with an overlaid vinyl layer (COVL); wooden sprung court surface (WSCS); metallic carpet fencing piste overlaid on the WSCS and: aluminium fencing piste overlaid on the WSCS. An accelerometer measured accelerations along the longitudinal axis of the tibia at 1000Hz. The results identified a significantly (P < 0.05) larger impact shock magnitude was experienced during a lunge on the COVL (14.88 +/- 8.45g) compared to the WSCS (11.61 +/- 7.30g), WSCS with metallic carpet piste (11.14 +/- 6.38g) and WSCS with aluminium piste (11.95 +/- 7.21g). Furthermore, the two types of piste used had no significant effect the impact shock magnitude measured when overlaid on the WSCS compared to the WSCS on its own. The results of this investigation suggest that occurrences of injuries related to increased levels of impact shock, may be reduced through the utilization of a WSCS as opposed to a COVL surface, during fencing participation

Temporal demands of elite fencing

© 2023 Tarrago´ et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/There is no published study that analyses the temporal demands of fencing, in its six Olympic modalities in the same high-level competition. The only existing publications date back decades, with already obsolete regulations, or focus on a specific modality. The aim of this study is to carry out a chronometric analysis of elite fencing at the 2014 Fencing World Championships to determine the existence of differences between its weapons (épée, foil and sabre) and between genders. A total of 96 elite fencers (48 women) of 24 different nationalities were analysed in the final rounds (direct elimination). We undertook observational methodology based on an open and systematic process with ideographic, point and multi-dimensional design. We analysed the work time, rest time, total time, number of stops and work-to-rest ratio. The Lince software was used to record and analyse video data. The coding and recording process of the 83 fights analysed generated a matrix of 5900 records. The quality of the data was verified by checking the validity of the observation instrument and the intraobserver reliability. The mean work time (between Allez and Halte) was 17.9 ± 3.1 s for épée, 5.8 ± 2.5 s for foil and 1 .7 ± 0.4 s for sabre. The fight work-to-rest ratios recorded were 1:0.9, 1:2.6 and 1:9.2 for épée, foil and sabre respectively. The results showed significant differences (p < .05) in the work and rest times between the three fencing weapons. However, there were no differences between fencers of the same weapon according to gender.Peer reviewe

Sex differences on the acute effects of caffeine on maximal strength and muscular endurance

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version. The original publication is available at https://doi.org/10.3920/CEP150010.The aim of this study was to look at the effects of caffeine on strength performance and to examine any differences between sexes. Sixteen moderately active, resistance-trained individuals (10 males and 8 females) performed 2 trials (excluding a familiarisation trial). The effect of 5 mg/kg body mass (BM) caffeine or a placebo on bench press (BP) one repetition maximum (1RM), squat 1RM, the number of BP reps to failure at 40% 1RM (total weight lifted; TWL), pain rating (0-10) were recorded after each final successful lift. BP 1RM was significantly greater (P=0.016), with an increase of 5.91% for males and an increase of 10.69% for females. However, there was no sex difference in squat 1RM with males producing 130.3±27.8 and 134.0±28.9 kg and females producing 66.9±6.2 and 65.3±7.0 kg for placebo and caffeine, respectively. TWL tended to increase with caffeine for males from 1,246.8±704.9 to 1,545.5±920.3 kg; with females having no effect of caffeine (397.8±245.1 to 398.8±182.7kg; P=0.06). Caffeine had no effect on pain perception. This study found that 5 mg/kg BM caffeine improved BP 1RM in resistance-trained males and females. However, for TWL there was a tendency towards improvement in males only, suggesting a sex difference to caffeine ingestion for TWL.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio