Development of the Basketball Exercise Simulation Test (BEST) based on the activity demands of current open-age Australian male competition

"The present thesis firstly aimed to describe and compare the player activity demands within elite and sub-elite open-age Australian male basketball competitions ; and secondly develop a reliable and valid basketball simulation test based on these demands"--Overview

The anthropometric and performance characteristics of high-performance junior life savers

To date, limited research has reported the physical attributes of adult life savers, and no such data exist for junior life savers. The purpose of the present investigation was to describe the anthropometric and performance characteristics of junior high-performance life savers and identify any gender differences. Thirty-three male ((Mean ± SD) age: 13.8±1.5 yrs; stature: 164.3±9.4 cm; mass: 54.5±11.2 kg) and 30 female (age:13.5±1.6 yrs; stature: 157.7±9.1 cm; mass: 49.5±9.6 kg) high-performance life savers had anthropometric measures taken and completed a battery of performance tests. Anthropometric measurements included stature, mass and arm span, whilst the performance measures taken were vertical jump height, 5 m and 20 m sprint times, maximal velocity, hamstring flexibility, agility, maximal aerobic capacity, and chest, back and leg strength. Unpaired t-tests revealed significant (p<0.05) gender differences for stature, arm span, vertical jump height, 20m sprint time, hamstring flexibility, agility, maximal aerobic capacity and back and leg strength. The present results provide normal values for junior high-performance life savers and indicate that male competitors are physically advanced at this level

Ergogenic aids for older adults

A primary characteristic of aging is a loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. An unfortunate reality is that during the aging process there is a loss of muscle function and thus independence. Resistance exercise is an effective aid to help maintain skeletal muscle function with age; however, few people participate in resistance exercise. Fortunately, there are over-the-counter ergogenic aids that may help older adults maintain skeletal muscle mass and strength with age, particularly when consumed in conjunction with resistance exercise. Results from the current literature suggest the daily consumption of whey protein, leucine, and creatine may help older adults maintain skeletal muscle function in the latter portion of the lifespan and thus each has the potential to be a cost effective mechanism to increase the quality and duration of life in older adults

Improving practice and performance in basketball

Basketball is ranked in the top three team sports for participation in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific nations, making it one of the most popular team sports worldwide [1]. The physical demands and high popularity of basketball present a wide range of potential applications in society. At one end, basketball may offer a vehicle to combat high inactivity rates and reduce economic health burdens for government officials and health administrators in many countries due to the popularity of the game combined with the evidence supporting recreational basketball eliciting intense physical demands with low perceptual demand [2]. At the other end, professional basketball competitions have emerged in over 100 countries with more than 70,000 professional players globally [3], creating a lucrative business that provides legitimate career pathways for players and entertainment for billions of people. Despite the wide range in application, it is surprising how little research has been conducted in basketball relative to other sports. For instance, a rudimentary search on PubMed showed basketball to yield considerably less returns than other sports with a similar global reach and comparable returns to sports governed in less regions of the world (Table 1). Consequently, we sought to edit a Special Issue on “Improving Practice and Performance in Basketball” to provide a collection of studies from basketball researchers across the world and increase available evidence on pertinent topics in the sport. In total, 40 researchers from 16 institutions or professional bodies across nine countries contributed 10 studies in the Special Issue

Passive recovery promotes superior performance and reduced physiological stress across different phases of short-distance repeated sprints

Limited research has examined the influence of recovery modalities on run-based repeated-sprint (RS) performance with no data available relative to the sprint phase. This study compared run-based RS performance across various sprint phases and underlying physiological responses between active and passive recoveries. Nine students (21.8 ± 3.6 years; 171.3 ± 6.4 cm; 72.8 ± 12.2 kg) completed 2 bouts (active and passive recoveries) of 10 × 20 m sprints interspersed with 30 s recoveries in a randomized crossover fashion. Sprint times and decrements were calculated for each split (0-5, 5-15, 15-20, and 0-20 m) across each sprint. Blood lactate concentration ([BLa]), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured at various time-points. Passive recovery promoted improved performance times (p ≤ 0.005) and decrements (p ≤ 0.045) across all splits, and lower post-test [BLa] (p ≤ 0.005), HR (bout 3 onwards) (p ≤ 0.014), and RPE (bout 4 onwards) when compared with active recovery. Performance differences between recoveries were less pronounced across the 0-5 m split. Temporal analyses showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) increases in sprint times and decrements primarily with active recovery. The present data indicate that passive recovery promoted superior performance across run-based RS, with earlier performance deterioration and greater physiological load evident during active recovery. These findings can aid the manipulation of interbout activity across RS drills to promote physiological overload and adaptation during training. Further, coaches may develop tactical strategies to overcome the detrimental effects of active recovery and optimize sprint performance in athletes during game-play

The prevalence and impact of congestion in Australian running events: An analysis from the perspective of race directors

This qualitative study aimed to examine the views of Australian race directors regarding the prevalence of congestion and its impact on runners during running events. Five race directors who organize large running events in Australia were interviewed in a focus group setting. Thirty-five Australian race directors also completed an electronic survey examining their experiences with congestion during running events they organize. Similar themes emerged from findings gathered in the focus group and survey. Race directors in Australia receive negative feedback from runners regarding congestion. Furthermore, race directors indicated congestion impacts runner safety resulting in incidents and injuries to runners during events. Congestion was also reported to reduce runner satisfaction with the event when runners are unable to run at predetermined paces. This study provides foundation evidence identifying congestion as an issue in running events, with congestion subsequently leading to negative consequences from the perspective of race directors

Not all about the effort? A comparison of playing intensities during winning and losing game quarters in basketball

PURPOSE: To compare peak and average intensities encountered during winning and losing game quarters in basketball players. METHODS: Eight semiprofessional male basketball players (age = 23.1 [3.8] y) were monitored during all games (N = 18) over 1 competitive season. The average intensities attained in each quarter were determined using microsensors and heart-rate monitors to derive relative values (per minute) for the following variables: PlayerLoad, frequency of high-intensity and total accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, jumps, and total inertial movement analysis events combined, as well as modified summated-heart-rate-zones workload. The peak intensities reached in each quarter were determined using microsensors and reported as PlayerLoad per minute over 15-second, 30-second, 1-minute, 2-minute, 3-minute, 4-minute, and 5-minute sample durations. Linear mixed models and effect sizes were used to compare intensity variables between winning and losing game quarters. RESULTS: Nonsignificant (P > .05), unclear-small differences were evident between winning and losing game quarters in all variables. CONCLUSIONS: During winning and losing game quarters, peak and average intensities were similar. Consequently, factors other than the intensity of effort applied during games may underpin team success in individual game quarters and therefore warrant further investigation

Chronic kidney disease influences multiple systems: Describing the relationship between oxidative stress, inflammation, kidney damage, and concomitant disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress and inflammation promote renal injury via damage to molecular components of the kidney. Unfortunately, relationships between inflammation and oxidative stress are cyclical in that the inflammatory processes that exist to repair radical-mediated damage may be a source of additional free radicals, resulting in further damage to renal tissue. Oxidative stress and inflammation also have the ability to become systemic, serving to injure tissues distal to the site of original insult. This review describes select mediators in the exacerbatory relationship between oxidative stress, inflammation, and CKD. This review also discusses oxidative stress, inflammation, and CKD as they pertain to the development and progression of common CKD-associated comorbidities. Lastly,the utility of several widely accessible and cost-effective lifestyle interventions and their ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided

A comparison of training and competition demands in semiprofessional male basketball players

© 2018 SHAPE America Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare training and competition demands in basketball. Methods: Fifteen semiprofessional male basketball players wore microsensors during physical conditioning training (PCT), games-based training (GBT), and competition to measure absolute and relative (·min −1 ) PlayerLoad TM (PL) and estimated equivalent distance (EED). Internal responses were calculated using absolute and relative session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and summated heart rate zones (SHRZ). Integrated measures were calculated as sRPE:PL and SHRZ:PL ratios. Results: PlayerLoad (arbitrary units [AU]) and EED (m) were statistically significantly (p  <  .05) higher during PCT (632 ± 139 AU, d = 1.36; 5,964 ± 1,312 m, d = 1.36; 6.50 ± 0.81 AU·min −1 , d = 2.44; 61.88 ± 7.22 m·min −1 , d = 2.60) and GBT (624 ± 113 AU, d = 1.54; 5,892 ± 1,080 m, d = 1.53; 6.10 ± 0.77 AU·min −1 , d = 2.14; 56.76 ± 6.49 m·min −1 , d = 2.22) than they were during competition (449 ± 118 AU; 3,722 ± 1474 m; 4.35 ± 1.09 AU·min −1 ; 41.01 ± 10.29 m·min −1 ). Summated heart rate zones were statistically significantly (p  <  .05) higher during PCT (314 ± 86 AU, d = 1.05; 3.22 ± 0.50 AU·min −1 , d = 1.94) and GBT (334 ± 79 AU, d = 1.38; 3.19 ± 0.54 AU·min −1 , d = 1.83) than they were during competition (225 ± 77 AU; 2.17 ± 0.69 AU·min −1 ). The ratio of sRPE:PL was statistically significantly (p  <  .05) higher during competition (1.58 ± 0.85) than during PCT (0.98 ± 0.22, d = 1.44) and GBT (0.91 ± 0.24, d = 1.90). Conclusion: Training demands exceeded competition demands

The relationships between external and internal workloads during basketball training and games

Purpose: To investigate the relationships between external and internal workloads using a comprehensive selection of variables during basketball training and games. Methods: Eight semiprofessional, male basketball players were monitored during training and games for an entire season. External workload was determined as PlayerLoad™: total and high-intensity accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, and jumps and total low-intensity, medium-intensity, high-intensity, and overall inertial movement analysis events. Internal workload was determined using the summated-heart-rate zones and session rating of perceived exertion models. The relationships between external and internal workload variables were separately calculated for training and games using repeated-measures correlations with 95% confidence intervals. Results: PlayerLoad was more strongly related to summated-heart-rate zones (r = .88 ± .03, very large [training]; r = .69 ± .09, large [games]) and session rating of perceived exertion (r = .74 ± .06, very large [training]; r = .53 ± .12, large [games]) than other external workload variables (P < .05). Correlations between total and high-intensity accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, and jumps and total low-intensity, medium-intensity, high-intensity, and overall inertial movement analysis events and internal workloads were stronger during training (r = .44–.88) than during games (r = .15–.69). Conclusions: PlayerLoad and summated-heart-rate zones possess the strongest dose–response relationship among a comprehensive selection of external and internal workload variables in basketball, particularly during training sessions compared with games. Basketball practitioners may therefore be able to best anticipate player responses when prescribing training drills using these variables for optimal workloadmanagement across the season