The Role of Aerobic Capacity and Strength Levels on Wingate Performance and Lactate Concentrations

Background: Blood lactate (La-) is commonly assessed in tests of sport performance. Sports that utilize intermittent high intensity effort, monitoring of La- from previous exercise can be useful to document intensity of effort. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role La- played during successive Wingate (Win) tests and subsequent anaerobic exercise performance. Method: Well-trained, national team athletes from Jordan (n = 31) volunteered to participate. A quasi-experimental design was utilized to test Win performance and La- concentration. All participants engage in two Win tests with one minute rest between sets. La- was collected at four time points (prior to Win test 1, immediately after Win 1, after Win 2 and after a 10 minute recovery period). Results: Findings from a multiple linear regression model (p = 0.032) showed increased levels of La- accumulation as a predictor to higher power and strength (p = 0.046). Conversely, peak aerobic capacity was a predictor for decreasing La- accumulation over time (p = 0.039), which may suggest faster recovery. Conclusion: Anaerobic athletes who participate in short, high intense bouts of exercise may require high intensity training programs to increase aerobic fitness, power output, and optimal performance. Practical applications include optimizing training programs to reflect competition

Validity of Measured vs. Self-Reported Weight and Height and Practical Considerations for Enhancing Reliability in Clinical and Epidemiological Studies: A Systematic Review

Self-reported measures of height and weight are often used in large epidemiological studies. However, concerns remain regarding the validity and reliability of these self-reported measures. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise and evaluate the comparative validity of measured and self-reported weight and height data and to recommend strategies to improve the reliability of self-reported-data collection across studies. This systematic review adopted the PRISMA guidelines. Four online sources, including PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, were utilised. A total of 17,800 articles were screened, and 10 studies were eligible to be included in the SLR based on the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings from the studies revealed good agreement between measured and self-reported weight and height based on intra-class correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman plots. Overall, measured weight and height had higher validity and reliability (ICC > 0.9; LOA < 1 SD). However, due to biases such as social pressure and self-esteem issues, women underreported their weight, while men overreported their height. In essence, self-reported measures remain valuable indicators to supplement the restricted direct anthropometric data, particularly in large-scale surveys. However, it is essential to address potential sources of bias