Validity and reliability of a light-based electronic target for testing response time in fencers

Response time is a fencing fundamental sensorimotor skill. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of a light-based electronic target in fencers, designed to measure and train this entity. Ninety-five fencers (M=53; F=42) were tested in regard to their response time, using a light-based electronic target, for three different attack types: simple attack, the lunge, and an attack following a 1.5-m thrust. All participants were divided into elite vs. novice fencers. Elite fencers had national and international rankings, and were again divided with regard to used weapon: épéeists (n=32; M=19; F=13) and foilists (n=30; M=13; F=17). Measurement was evaluated for validity/reliability, sensitivity/specificity, and correlation. Reliability was high for all attack types (ICC 0.94-0.96). Lower response times were found in males for two attack types with good sensitivity (81-93%)/specificity (50-91%) for all attack types. Elite fencers responded faster than novice fencers for all attack types (P<0.001), whereas elite males were faster than females for two attack types (P<0.01). Lower response times in females correlated with level for one attack type (r=0.797, P<0.05). In conclusion, the light-based electronic target system was found to be highly reliable and therefore could be used by fencing athletes as a further measure of performance

Isokinetic moment curve abnormalities are associated with articular knee lesions

The aim of this study was to test whether lesions of the medial meniscus (MM) and of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are associated with specific abnormalities of isokinetic moment curves (IMCs). Fifty-four young adults (20 active healthy people, and 34 patients with unilateral knee injuries) were assessed through knee extensor and flexor isokinetic tests at 60\ub0/s. Qualitative IMC analysis was performed using a novel classification system which identified three distinct abnormal shapes. The chi-squared (\u3c72) test was used to determine the inter-individual and intra-individual differences between the groups. Quantitative IMC inter-group comparisons were performed by a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Knees with MM and ACL lesions were consistently associated with IMC shape irregularities (p&lt;0.001) and with abnormal quantitative scores (p&lt;0.001). More specifically, knees with isolated ACL lesions and knees with combined ACL and MM lesions presented similar distribution of knee extensor and flexor IMC irregularities, which was not present in knees with isolated MM lesions. A possible association between specific knee pathologies and IMC irregularities was identified (all p&lt;0.05). In conclusion, different knee pathologies may be associated with different qualitative IMCs, which could be used as an additional presentation tool in clinical settings

Effect of beetroot juice supplementation on aerobic response during swimming

The beneficial effects of beetroot juice supplementation (BJS) have been tested during cycling, walking, and running. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether BJS can also improve performance in swimmers. Fourteen moderately trained male master swimmers were recruited and underwent two incremental swimming tests randomly assigned in a pool during which workload, oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), and aerobic energy cost (AEC) of swimming were measured. One was a control swimming test (CSW) and the other a swimming test after six days of BJS (0.5l/day organic beetroot juice containing about 5.5 mmol of NO3 -). Results show that workload at anaerobic threshold was significantly increased by BJS as compared to the CSW test (6.3 ± 1 and 6.7 ± 1.1 kg during the CSW and the BJS test respectively). Moreover, AEC was significantly reduced during the BJS test (1.9 ± 0.5 during the SW test vs. 1.7 ± 0.3 kcal·kg-1·h-1 during the BJS test). The other variables lacked a statistically significant effect with BJS. The present investigation provides evidence that BJS positively affects performance of swimmers as it reduces the AEC and increases the workload at anaerobic threshold

The validity of an updated metabolic power algorithm based upon Di Prampero’s theoretical model in Elite soccer players

The aim of this study was to update the metabolic power (MP) algorithm (P.VO2, W·kg−1) related to the kinematics data (PGPS, W·kg−1) in a soccer-specific performance model. For this aim, seventeen professional (Serie A) male soccer players (.VO2max 55.7 ± 3.4 mL·min−1·kg−1) performed a 6 min run at 10.29 km·h−1 to determine linear-running energy cost (Cr). On a separate day, thirteen also performed an 8 min soccer-specific intermittent exercise protocol. For both procedures, a portable Cosmed K4b2 gas-analyzer and GPS (10 Hz) was used to assess the energy cost above resting (C). From this aim, the MP was estimated through a newly derived C equation (PGPSn) and compared with both the commonly used (PGPSo) equation and direct measurement (P.VO2). Both PGPSn and PGPSo correlated with P.VO2 (r = 0.66, p < 0.05). Estimates of fixed bias were negligible (PGPSn = −0.80 W·kg−1 and PGPSo = −1.59 W·kg−1), and the bounds of the 95% CIs show that they were not statistically significant from 0. Proportional bias estimates were negligible (absolute differences from one being 0.03 W·kg−1 for PGPSn and 0.01 W·kg−1 for PGPSo) and not statistically significant as both 95% CIs span 1. All variables were distributed around the line of unity and resulted in an under-or overestimation of PGPSn, while PGPSo routinely underestimated MP across ranges. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed differences over MP conditions (F1,38 = 16.929 and p < 0.001). Following Bonferroni post hoc test significant differences regarding the MP between PGPSo and P.VO2 /PGPSn (p < 0.001) were established, while no differences were found between P.VO2 and PGPSn (p = 0.853). The new approach showed it can help the coaches and the soccer trainers to better monitor external training load during the training seasons.© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The Human Affectome

Over the last decades, the interdisciplinary field of the affective sciences has seen proliferation rather than integration of theoretical perspectives. This is due to differences in metaphysical and mechanistic assumptions about human affective phenomena (what they are and how they work) which, shaped by academic motivations and values, have determined the affective constructs and operationalizations. An assumption on the purpose of affective phenomena can be used as a teleological principle to guide the construction of a common set of metaphysical and mechanistic assumptions—a framework for human affective research. In this capstone paper for the special issue “Towards an Integrated Understanding of the Human Affectome”, we gather the tiered purpose of human affective phenomena to synthesize assumptions that account for human affective phenomena collectively. This teleologically-grounded framework offers a principled agenda and launchpad for both organizing existing perspectives and generating new ones. Ultimately, we hope Human Affectome brings us a step closer to not only an integrated understanding of human affective phenomena, but an integrated field for affective research

What Performance Analysts Need to Know About Research Trends in Association Football (2012–2016): A Systematic Review

Evolving patterns of match analysis research need to be systematically reviewed regularly since this area of work is burgeoning rapidly and studies can offer new insights to performance analysts if theoretically and coherently organized