SESSION-RPE IS A VALUABLE INTERNAL LOAD EVALUATION METHOD IN BEACH VOLLEYBALL FOR BOTH GENDERS, ELITE AND AMATEUR PLAYERS, CONDITIONING AND TECHNICAL SESSIONS, BUT LIMITED FOR TACTICAL TRAINING AND GAMES

This study aimed to verify the validity of session-RPE method to monitor the internal training load (ITL) in beach volleyball players by considering sessions related to different genders, competition levels (elite or amateur), and types of session (conditioning, technical, or tactical/game). Session-RPE and Edwards’ methods were applied to quantify the ITLs of 12 elite (18 players; 197 individual sessions) and 12 amateur (18 players;189 individual sessions) training sessions. Very large relationships between the two methods emerged for both competition level (Elite: r=.77; Amateur: r=.75) and gender (male: r=.76; female: r=.75) subgroups, and conditioning sessions (r=.75). Large relationships emerged for technical (r=.61) sessions, whereas tactical/game sessions resulted only in moderate relationships (r=.36). Beach volleyball coaches could adequately use session-RPE method to monitor training for players of different genders, competition levels, and types of session, although tactical/game sessions should be considered with some caution

Дивертикулы пищевода. Современный менеджмент

Catedra de chirurgie nr. 4, Facultatea de rezidenfiat și secundariat clinic, Universitatea de Stat de Medicină și Farmacie „Nicolae Testemițanu" din Republica MoldovaAutorii analizează experienţa Secţiei Chirurgie Toracică IMSP SCR în tratamentul a 94 pacienţi cu diverticuli esofagieni de diversă localizare. Sunt prezentate aspectele principale ale tehnicii chirurgicale, complicaţiile (17,88%) şi mortalitatea (3,19%). Experienţa diverticulectomiei videotoracoscopice cuprinde trei cazuri cu evoluţie postoperatorie necomplicată. The authors analyze the Thoracic Surgery Department (Republican Clinical Hospital) experience in the treatment of 94 patients with esophageal diverticula with diverse location. There are presented the main aspects of surgical technique, complications (17,88%) and mortality (3,19%). Videotoracoscopic diverticulectomy experience includes three cases with uncomplicated postoperative evolution. Авторы анализируют опыт Отделения Торакальной Хирургии РКБ в лечении 94 пациентов с дивертикулами пищевода различной локализации. Представленыосновные аспектыхирургической техники, осложнений (17,88%) и смертности (3,19%). Опыт видеоторакоскопической дивертикулэктомии включает три случая с неосложненным послеоперационным течением

Running technique is more effective than soccer-specific training for improving the sprint and agility performances with ball possession of prepubescent soccer players

Soccer-specific training is easily associable to players\u2019 sprint abilities demonstrated during a match. However, no clear evidence has been provided to show whether this approach is more effective than training focused on running techniques for sprints in prepubescent soccer players. Thus, the present study aimed at comparing the effects of these two training approaches on prepubescent soccer players\u2019 sprint performances. Ninety-five players (10\ub12 years) competing in local (Piedmont, Italy) Under-9 (N=21), -10 (N=24), -11 (N=25) and -13 (N=25) championships were recruited for the study. Sixty-three and 32 players were included in the running training group (RTG) and soccer-specific group (SSG), respectively. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the training period (2 weekly sessions for 12 weeks), sprint abilities were evaluated by means of four 20-m sprint tests: linear sprint (20-mL), linear sprint with ball possession (20-mLB), sprint with change of direction (20- mCoD), sprint with change of direction and with ball possession (20-mCoDB). A linear mixed model was applied to evaluate differences (P 640.05) between the RTG and SSG in the four tests and categories, comparing PRE and POST performances. A main effect emerged for the interaction between groups, sessions (p=0.014; Between PRE ES range=0.03, 0.85; Within PRE-POST ES range=-0.45, 0.09), highlighting a POST improvement of RTG for the 20-mLB ( 06=-7.9%; ES=0.85) and 20-mCoDB ( 06=-5.9%; ES=0.33). In contrast, no improvements emerged for the SSG. The present findings indicate that the training approach of the RTG is more able to improve prepubescent soccer players\u2019 sprint performances than that of the SSG, with the emphasis on ball possession executions, which are particularly game-related

“How” is more important than “how much” for game possession in elite northern hemisphere rugby union

The present study aimed to analyse technical and tactical aspects of rugby teams competing in the 2016/17 PRO12 Championship (12 professional club teams from Wales, Scotland, Italy, and Ireland) according to: margin of victory (close and balanced games, 1\u20139 and 10\u201326 points of difference in final score, respectively), ranking position [the four best placed clubs from each nation (the 1 st \u20134 th team) and the three following ranked clubs (the 5 th \u20137 th team)], and game outcome and ranking combined (winning and losing performances in the 1 st \u20134 th and 5 th \u20137 th team subgroups). One hundred and thirty-two games were analyzed according to 20 key performance indicators. A non-parametric approach was applied to evaluate differences (p 640.05) between teams. In close games, winning teams reported less possession (p=0.039), defended more (tackles made, p=0.039), and carried the ball less than losing counterparts (p=0.05), whereas in balanced games, winning teams were found to be much better than losers in \u201ctries for\u201d (p<0.0001) as well as \u201ctries against\u201d (p<0.0001), and \u201cclear breaks\u201d (p=0.0003). The teams of the 1 st \u20134 th subgroups were found to be more oriented to provide a solid defence than the 5 th \u20137 th winning teams, which were more offensive oriented (possession, p=0.01; gain line carries, p=0.001; passes, p<0.0001). Finally, a similar scenario to that of balanced games emerged for winning and losing performances in the 1 st \u20134 th and 5 th \u20137 th team subgroups. Coaches and physical trainers of elite northern hemisphere rugby union teams should be aware that successful performances mainly consist of a strong defence, tackling, scrumming, breaking the defensive line and high occurrences of possessions during the attacking phase

Small relative age effect appears in professional female italian team sports

: The relative age effect (RAE) concerns those (dis)advantages and outcomes resulting from an interaction between the dates of selection and birthdates. Although this phenomenon is well known in a male context, limited data are available in female sports. Thus, the aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence and magnitude of the RAE in a female Italian context at the professional level in basketball, soccer, and volleyball. A total of 1535 birthdates of elite senior players were analyzed overall and separately between early and late career stages. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests were applied to investigate the RAE in each sport. An asymmetry in birthdates was observed in all sports (Crammer's V ranged = 0.10-0.12). Players born close to the beginning of the year were 1.62 and 1.61 times more likely to reach first and second Italian divisions of soccer and volleyball, respectively, than those born in the last part of the year. A small over-representation of female athletes born close to the beginning of the year is evident at the senior professional level in all Italian investigated team sports. In soccer, this trend was more evident in the first stage of a senior career

The relative age effect is larger in Italian soccer top-level youth categories and smaller in Serie A

The relative age effect (RAE; i.e., an asymmetry in the birth distribution) is a bias observed in sport competitions that may favour relatively older athletes in talent identification. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of RAE in elite soccer players competing in the Italian championships, even considering the discriminations of younger and older Serie A players (in relation to the median age of the sample), and different positional roles (i.e., goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward) for each observed category. A total of 2051 players competing into the 2017\u20132018 Italian under-15 (n = 265), under-16 (n = 362), under-17 (n = 403), Primavera (n = 421) and Serie A (n = 600) championships were analysed. The birth-date distributions, grouped in four quartiles (i.e., January-March, Q1; April-June, Q2; July-September, Q3; October-December, Q4), were compared to a uniform distribution using Chi-squared analysis. The week of birth was analysed using Poisson regression. The results showed a large over-representation of players born in Q1 in all soccer player categories. However, the effect size of this trend resulted smaller as age increased. Individuals born in Q1 have about two-folds more chances to become a Serie A player compared to those born in Q4. The Poisson regression analysis showed that RAE was greater for defenders than for forwards among all categories. Therefore, a strongly biased selection emerged among elite soccer players competing in Italian championships, highlighting how young individuals born in the first three months have many more chances to become elite players compared to the others

The beginning of senior career in team sport is affected by relative age effect

Many previous studies in national team sports did not report evidence about relative age effect (RAE) in senior categories. This study aimed for the first time to determine if the RAE may specifically affect the early, but not the late, phase of senior career in elite team sports. A total of 3,319 birthdates (basketball: n = 642; rugby: n = 572; soccer: n = 1318; volleyball: n = 337; water polo: n = 450) of elite senior players were analyzed. Senior players with an age lower or equal to the 25 percentile of age were considered as early phase players while the others as late phase players. Separate Poisson regression models were applied to investigate the RAE in each sport (overall, and for early phase and late phase subgroups). Considering the overall sample, players born close to the beginning of the year were 1.57, 1.34, 2.69, 1.48, and 1.45 times more likely to reach first and second Italian division of basketball, rugby, soccer, volleyball, and water polo respectively, than those born in the last part of the year. RAE was present in all early phase subgroups. Differently, in the late phase subgroups the RAE was present only in soccer. Data highlighted a bias in the selection of senior teams, which may limit the chance to identify talented players born late in the second part of the year. Italian sport federations should promote the talent development of relatively younger players by equally promoting the joining of young players to senior teams

The cut-off value for classifying active Italian children using the corresponding national version of the physical activity questionnaire

The present study aimed to determine a cut-off value following the filling in of a questionnaire (PAQ-C-It) to identify active Italian children. One-hundred-twenty-nine primary school children (5 Piedmont schools; 47.3% female; mean age = 10 ± 1 years) wore an accelerometer (Actigraph wGT3X-BT) to objectively quantify individual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during one week. Afterwards, the PAQ-C-It was filled in by participants. A ROC curve procedure was applied to obtain an active/non-active cut-off point. Spearman's correlation coefficient was also applied to establish the relationship between the two parameters. According to the ROC analysis, the PAQ-C-It cut-off point value is identifiable at >2.75 to indicate active children (area under the curve = 0.62; standard error = 0.05; p = 0.025; coefficient intervals = 0.518-0.716; sensitivity = 0.592, specificity = 0.382), determining that 65 participants (55%) were non-active (mean PAQ-C-It value = 2.3 ± 0.4; active mean PAQ-C-It value = 3.3 ± 0.4). Spearman's correlation coefficient results were significant but with a small effect size (rho = 0.214; p = 0.008). In conclusion, the present results suggest that the PAQ-C-It can be cautiously used as tool to practically classify active Italian children because of a non-solid relationship between respective accelerometer data and MVPA daily data