Muscular strength profile in Tunisian male national judo team

Background: it is well established that muscle strength is a determinant factor in judo. However, little data are available for African athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide reference data of the muscular strength profile (MSP) for an African team, Tunisian judo team. Methods: the study was conducted among ten international judo athletes from Tunisia. To determine their MSP, we used an isokinetic dynamometer to assess Hamstrings, Quadriceps of both knees and external, internal rotators of both shoulders. The angular velocities of the assessments were; 90, 180, 240°/s for the knees and 60, 120°/s for the shoulders. Results: MSP was determined based on two parameters; the maximum peak torque (PT) of each muscle and the ratio agonistic/antagonistic muscles (R). The knee extensors and flexors in the “supporting leg” had higher PT than in the “attacking leg”; respectively, 245N.m versus 237 (p0.05). R was normal for both legs. Furthermore, both rotators of the dominant shoulder had higher PT; 84 N.m versus 71 for the internal rotators (p<0.05) and 34,7 N.m versus 29,0 for the lateral rotators (p<0.05). Inversely, R was higher in the non-dominant side; 45% versus 35, p<0.05). Conclusion: the MSP of the selected elites Tunisian judo athletes was characterized by 3 major features; a strength of the quadriceps in the standing leg significantly higher than in the attacking leg, a normal muscular balance Hamstrings/quadriceps in both legs and a strength of the shoulder’ rotators higher in the dominant side

ISOKINETIC STRENGTH AND RATIO OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN UAE

Numerous research studies examined muscles strength among professional football players worldwide. However, little or no research studies exist on this issue with relation to Arabian Gulf players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to provide reference data for peak isokinetic muscle strength and ratio of hamstring and quadriceps in professional Emirati footballers. The study was conducted within Alshabab Football Club (AFC) of Dubai, one of twelve clubs evolving then in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) professional football league. As part of AFC\u27s 2011–2012 preseason program, 36 professional footballers underwent an isokinetic assessment. Peak Torque and Ratio of left and right thigh muscles, i.e. quadriceps and hamstrings, were assessed using a Cybex Norm machine following a standardized protocol at 3 different speeds, namely 60, 180, and 240°/s. The results for the right thigh showed that the maximum peak torque at the speed of 60°/sec was 195.77 N.m. for the quadriceps and 173.2 N.m for the Hamstring. For the left thigh, the values were 193.3 N.m for the quadriceps and 171.6 N.m for the hamstrings. As our main focus was to assess the balance of the thigh muscles, the recorded average ratio hamstrings/quadriceps was 95.6 for the right thigh and 94.4 for the left one. In comparison with the available literature in other professional football leagues, the obtained values indicate that the Emirati player is characterized with a lack of strength and thigh muscles imbalance. Data obtained in this study was used to educate players and football technicians on the need to rigorously strength train to reach the ideal muscle profile as observed in reputed professional football leagues. The obtained values were also used as a reference for the prevention and rehabilitation of muscle injuries

Role of pan-national associations such as the European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians (ECOSEP) in advancing the specialty of sports and exercise medicine in the 21st century

No abstract availabl

Return to play prediction accuracy of the MLG-R classification system for hamstring injuries in football players: a machine learning approach

Background and objective: muscle injuries are one of the main daily problems in sports medicine, football in particular. However, we do not have a reliable means to predict the outcome, i.e. return to play from severe injury. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the capability of the MLG-R classification system to grade hamstring muscle injuries by severity, offer a prognosis for the return to play, and identify injuries with a higher risk of re-injury. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the consistency of our proposed system by investigating its intra-observer and inter-observer reliability. Methods: all male professional football players from FC Barcelona, senior A and B and the two U-19 teams, with injuries that occurred between February 2010 and February 2020 were reviewed. Only players with a clinical presentation of a hamstring muscle injury, with complete clinic information and magnetic resonance images, were included. Three different statistical and machine learning approaches (linear regression, random forest, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting) were used to assess the importance of each factor of the MLG-R classification system in determining the return to play, as well as to offer a prediction of the expected return to play. We used the Cohen's kappa and the intra-class correlation coefficient to assess the intra-observer and inter-observer reliability. Results: between 2010 and 2020, 76 hamstring injuries corresponding to 42 different players were identified, of which 50 (65.8%) were grade 3r, 54 (71.1%) affected the biceps femoris long head, and 33 of the 76 (43.4%) were located at the proximal myotendinous junction. The mean return to play for grades 2, 3, and 3r injuries were 14.3, 12.4, and 37 days, respectively. Injuries affecting the proximal myotendinous junction had a mean return to play of 31.7 days while those affecting the distal part of the myotendinous junction had a mean return to play of 23.9 days. The analysis of the grade 3r biceps femoris long head injuries located at the free tendon showed a median return to play time of 56 days while the injuries located at the central tendon had a shorter return to play of 24 days (p = 0.038). The statistical analysis showed an excellent predictive power of the MLG-R classification system with a mean absolute error of 9.8 days and an R-squared of 0.48. The most important factors to determine the return to play were if the injury was at the free tendon of the biceps femoris long head or if it was a grade 3r injury. For all the items of the MLG-R classification, the intra-observer and inter-observer reliability was excellent (k > 0.93) except for fibres blurring (κ = 0.68). Conclusions: the main determinant for a long return to play after a hamstring injury is the injury affecting the connective tissue structures of the hamstring. We developed a reliable hamstring muscle injury classification system based on magnetic resonance imaging that showed excellent results in terms of reliability, prognosis capability and objectivity. It is easy to use in clinical daily practice, and can be further adapted to future knowledge. The adoption of this system by the medical community would allow a uniform diagnosis leading to better injury management

The european association for sports dentistry, academy for sports dentistry, european college of sports and exercise physicians consensus statement on sports dentistry integration in sports medicine

Sports medicine has a multidisciplinary character which allows different medical specialties to investigate the prevention, etiology and treatment of athletes’ diseases. This leads to a decreased risk of injury and a faster return‐to‐play as well as an improvement in the overall health and wellbeing of athletes of any level and in all sports around the world. The oral health of athletes is now the subject of great attention internationally because of the increased prevalence and incidence of health issues such as dental caries and erosion, periodontal disease, defective occlusion, temporomandibular joint disorders and orofacial injuries. Scientific evidence and research on these issues have also intensified over recent years. The best way to maintain player’s health and performance is to include oral health in sports medicine with physicians and dentists working closely together at the individual level as well as with the cooperation between local and international sports medicine and dentistry associations. The European Association for Sports Dentistry, the Academy for Sports Dentistry and the European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians are leading the way and have worked together to develop a consensus statement describing the main pillars of oral health integration into sports medicine based on the most common oral diseases found in athletes and linked to exercise, sports and performance