RELATIVE ERROR ANALYSIS DURING REPRODUCTION OF ISOMETRIC FORCE OF KNEE EXTENSORS IN YOUNG ADULTS

This study compared the force reproduction of isometric knee extension at 60°, between the target forces at 30%, 50% and 70% of the maximum voluntary isometric force (MVIF) in young adults. Twenty young males took part in the study. The trials were performed on an instrumented chair developed for the study. Feedback was given to the participants during three trials prior the beginning of data collection in each analyzed target force. Participants performed 10 trials without any feedback for the target force at 30% and 50% of the MVIF and 3 trials for the target force at 70% of MVIF. The relative error decreased as the target force increased. The differences were significant between 30% and 70% (p=0.01) and between 50% and 70% (p=0.03). The reproduction of higher forces during isometric extension of the knee will produce lower relative errors for this specific task

Imagética motora no tratamento da entorse lateral de tornozelo em atletas de futebol de campo: um estudo piloto

A entorse de tornozelo é uma lesão comum em atletas de futebol e apresenta um alto índice de recidivas. A imagética motora (IM) pode ser uma alternativa no tratamento para diminuir as consequências neuromusculares apresentadas pós-lesão. Dessa forma, este estudo teve como objetivo verificar os resultados preliminares da efetividade da IM na reabilitação de atletas de futebol com entorse aguda de tornozelo. Participaram 20 jovens atletas do sexo masculino, que foram divididos de forma aleatória em dois grupos: intervenção (GI) e controle (GC). Os participantes passaram por um processo de reabilitação convencional (crioterapia, eletroterapia e cinesioterapia) para entorse de tornozelo, porém apenas o GI realizava exercício de imagética ao tentar reconhecer as figuras do tornozelo-pé, projetados em um computador, em várias perspectivas e ângulos de orientação. Foram mensurados as amplitudes de movimento (ADM) de flexão dorsal e plantar, controle postural, edema e estabilidade funcional. Após o tratamento não foi observada nenhuma diferença entre os grupos quanto à ADM de flexão dorsal (p=0,23), ADM de flexão plantar (p=0,50), Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) na direção anterior (p=0,70), SEBT na direção póstero-lateral (p=0,29), SEBT na direção póstero-medial (p=0,79), perimetria em "8" (p=0,50) e questionário CAIT-P para instabilidade funcional (p=0,70). A IM não foi um método eficaz no tratamento de entorse de tornozelo em atletas de futebol de campo para melhora de ADM, equilíbrio dinâmico, edema e estabilidade funcional. Entretanto, este é um estudo piloto e maiores investigações são necessárias.El esguince de tobillo es una lesión común en los atletas de fútbol y presenta una alta tasa de recaídas. La imagética motora (IM) puede ser un tratamiento alternativo para disminuir las consecuencias neuromusculares presentadas post-lesión. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue verificar los resultados preliminares de la efectividad de la IM en la rehabilitación de atletas de fútbol con esguince agudo de tobillo. Participaron 20 atletas jóvenes del sexo masculino, divididos de manera aleatoria en dos grupos: intervención (GI) y control (GC). Los participantes experimentaron un proceso de rehabilitación convencional (crioterapia, electroterapia y cinesioterapia) para esguince de tobillo, sin embargo sólo el GI realizaba ejercicio de imagética al tratar de reconocer las figuras del tobillo-pie, proyectados en una computadora, en diferentes perspectivas y ángulos de orientación. Se midió las amplitudes de movimiento (ADM) de flexión dorsal y plantar, control postural, edema y estabilidad funcional. Después del tratamiento no se observó ninguna diferencia entre los grupos en relación a la ADM de flexión dorsal (p=0,23), ADM de flexión plantar (p=0,50), Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) en dirección anterior (p=0,70), SEBT en la dirección posterolateral (p=0,29), SEBT en la dirección posteromedial (p=0,79), perimetría en "8" (p=0,50) y cuestionario CAIT-P a la inestabilidad funcional (p=0,70). La IM no fue un método eficaz en el tratamiento de esguinces de tobillo en atletas de fútbol de campo para la mejora de ADM, equilibrio dinámico, edema y estabilidad funcional. Sin embargo este es un estudio piloto y mayores investigaciones son necesarias.Ankle sprain is a common injury in soccer athletes and has a high relapse rate. Motor imagery (MI) may be an alternative treatment to diminish the neuromuscular consequences after the injury. Thus, this study aimed to verify the preliminary results of the effectiveness of MI in the rehabilitation of soccer athletes with acute ankle sprain. Twenty young athletes of the male sex participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups: intervention (IG) and control (CG). Participants underwent conventional rehabilitation (cryotherapy, electrotherapy and kinesiotherapy) for ankle sprain, but only the IG performed imagery exercises to try to recognize the ankle-foot figures, projected by a computer, from various perspectives and angles. The ranges of motion (ROM) were measured for dorsiflexion and plantar postural control, edema and functional stability. After treatment, no difference between groups were observed regarding dorsiflexion ROM (p=0.23), plantar flexion ROM (p=0.50), Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) in the anterior direction (p=0.70), SEBT in the posterolateral direction (p=0.29), SEBT in the posteromedial direction (p=0.79), perimetry in "8" (p=0.50) and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) questionnaire for functional instability (p = 0.70). The MI was not an effective method for ankle sprains treatment in field soccer athletes to improve ROM, dynamic balance, edema and functional stability. However, this is a pilot study and further investigations are required

Effect of pre-weaning diet on the ruminal archaeal, bacterial, and fungal communities of dairy calves.

At birth, calves display an underdeveloped rumen that eventually matures into a fully functional rumen as a result of solid food intake and microbial activity. However, little is known regarding the gradual impact of pre-weaning diet on the establishment of the rumen microbiota. Here, we employed next-generation sequencing to investigate the effects of the inclusion of starter concentrate (M: milk-fed vs. MC: milk plus starter concentrate fed) on archaeal, bacterial and anaerobic fungal communities in the rumens of 45 crossbred dairy calves across pre-weaning development (7, 28, 49, and 63 days). Our results show that archaeal, bacterial, and fungal taxa commonly found in the mature rumen were already established in the rumens of calves at 7 days old, regardless of diet. This confirms that microbiota colonization occurs in the absence of solid substrate. However, diet did significantly impact some microbial taxa. In the bacterial community, feeding starter concentrate promoted greater diversity of bacterial taxa known to degrade readily fermentable carbohydrates in the rumen (e.g., Megasphaera, Sharpea, and Succinivribrio). Shifts in the ruminal bacterial community also correlated to changes in fermentation patterns that favored the colonization of Methanosphaera sp. A4 in the rumen of MC calves. In contrast, M calves displayed a bacterial community dominated by taxa able to utilize milk nutrients (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, and Parabacteroides). In both diet groups, the dominance of these milk-associated taxa decreased with age, suggesting that diet and age simultaneously drive changes in the structure and abundance of bacterial communities in the developing rumen. Changes in the composition and abundance of archaeal communities were attributed exclusively to diet, with more highly abundant Methanosphaera and less abundant Methanobrevibacter in MC calves. Finally, the fungal community was dominated by members of the genus SK3 and Caecomyces. Relative anaerobic fungal abundances did not change significantly in response to diet or age, likely due to high inter-animal variation and the low fiber content of starter concentrate. This study provides new insights into the colonization of archaea, bacteria, and anaerobic fungi communities in pre-ruminant calves that may be useful in designing strategies to promote colonization of target communities to improve functional development