17 research outputs found
The effect of post-lunch napping on mood, reaction time, and antioxidant defense during repeated sprint exercice
To compare the effects of two nap opportunities (20 and 90 min) to countermeasure the transient naturally occurring increased sleepiness and decreased performances during the post-lunch dip (PLD). Fourteen highly trained judokas completed in a counterbalanced and randomized order three test sessions (control (No-nap), 20- (N20) and 90-min (N90) nap opportunities). Test sessions consisted of the running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST), simple and multiple-choice reaction times (MCRT) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). From the RAST, the maximum (Pmax), mean (Pmean) and minimum (Pmin) powers were calculated. Blood samples were taken before and after the RAST to measure the effect of pre-exercise napping on energetic and muscle damage biomarkers and antioxidant defense. N20 increased Pmax and Pmean compared to No-nap (p < 0.001, d = 0.59; d = 0.66) and N90 (p < 0.001, d = 0.98; d = 0.72), respectively. Besides, plasma lactate and creatinine increased only when the exercise was performed after N20. Both N20 (p < 0.001, d = 1.18) and N90 (p < 0.01, d = 0.78) enhanced post-exercise superoxide dismutase activity compared to No-nap. However, only N20 enhanced post-exercise glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.001, d = 1.01) compared to pre-nap. Further, MCRT performance was higher after N20 compared to No-nap and N90 (p < 0.001, d = 1.15; d = 0.81, respectively). Subjective sleepiness was lower after N20 compared to No-nap (p < 0.05, d = 0.92) and N90 (p < 0.01, d = 0.89). The opportunity to nap for 20 min in the PLD enhanced RAST, MCRT performances, and antioxidant defense, and decreased sleepiness. However, the opportunity of 90 min nap was associated with decreased repeated sprint performances and increased sleepiness, probably because of the sleep inertia
Training during the COVID-19 lockdown : knowledge, beliefs, and practices of 12,526 athletes from 142 countries and six continents
OBJECTIVE Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of
lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
METHODS Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational)
completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training
knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session
duration before and during lockdown (MarchâJune 2020).
RESULTS Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to âmaintain training,â and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is âokay to not
train during lockdown,â with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered âcoaching
by correspondence (remote coaching)â to be sufficient (highest amongst world-class athletes). During lockdown, < 40%
were able to maintain sport-specific training (e.g., long endurance [39%], interval training [35%], weightlifting [33%], most (83%) training for âgeneral fitness and health maintenanceâ during lockdown. Athletes trained alone (80%) and focused
on bodyweight (65%) and cardiovascular (59%) exercise/training during lockdown. Compared with before lockdown, most
athletes reported reduced training frequency (from between five and seven sessions per week to four or fewer), shorter training
sessions (from â„ 60 to < 60 min), and lower sport-specific intensity (~ 38% reduction), irrespective of athlete classification.
CONCLUSIONS COVID-19-related lockdowns saw marked reductions in athletic training specificity, intensity, frequency, and
duration, with notable within-sample differences (by athlete classification). Higher classification athletes had the strongest
desire to âmaintainâ training and the greatest opposition to ânot trainingâ during lockdowns. These higher classification
athletes retained training specificity to a greater degree than others, probably because of preferential access to limited training
resources. More higher classification athletes considered âcoaching by correspondenceâ as sufficient than did lower
classification athletes. These lockdown-mediated changes in training were not conducive to maintenance or progression of
athletesâ physical capacities and were also likely detrimental to athletesâ mental health. These data can be used by policy
makers, athletes, and their multidisciplinary teams to modulate their practice, with a degree of individualization, in the
current and continued pandemic-related scenario. Furthermore, the data may drive training-related educational resources
for athletes and their multidisciplinary teams. Such upskilling would provide athletes with evidence to inform their training
modifications in response to germane situations (e.g., COVID related, injury, and illness).A specific funding was provided by the National Sports Institute
of Malaysia for this study.The National Sports Institute of Malaysia.https://www.springer.com/journal/40279am2023Sports Medicin
COVID-19 lockdown : a global study investigating athletesâ sport classification and sex on training practices
PURPOSE : To investigate differences in athletesâ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. METHODS : Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (MayâJuly 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. RESULTS : During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (âŒ50%) than other sports (âŒ35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed cardiorespiratory training (trivial sex differences). Compared to prelockdown, perceived training intensity was reduced by 29% to 41%, depending on sport (largest decline: âŒ38% in team sports, unaffected by sex). Some athletes (range: 7%â49%) maintained their training intensity for strength, endurance, speed, plyometric, change-of-direction, and technical training. Athletes who previously trainedââ„5 sessions per week reduced their volume (range: 18%â28%) during lockdown. The proportion of athletes (81%) trainingââ„60 min/session reduced by 31% to 43% during lockdown. Males and females had comparable moderate levels of training knowledge (56% vs 58%) and beliefs/attitudes (54% vs 56%). CONCLUSIONS : Changes in athletesâ training practices were sport-specific, with few or no sex differences. Team-based sports were generally more susceptible to changes than individual sports. Policy makers should provide athletes with specific training arrangements and educational resources to facilitate remote and/or home-based training during lockdown-type events.https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/ijspp-overview.xmlhj2023Sports Medicin
Appropriate interpretation of aerobic capacity : allometric scaling in adult and young soccer players
Utilisation d'équations allométriques pour déterminer la relation entre le VO2 max, l'économie de la course et la masse corporelle lors de tests d'effort jusqu'à épuisement chez des joueurs de football ùgés de 14 ans ou de 24 ans
Ideology and the family in late medieval York
EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Caffeine use or napping to enhance repeated sprint performance after partial sleep deprivation: Why not both?
Purpose: To compare the effect of a 20-minute nap opportunity (N20), a moderate dose of caffeine (CAF; 5 mg·kg-1), or a moderate dose of caffeine before N20 (CAF+N) as possible countermeasures to the decreased performance and the partial sleep deprivation-induced muscle damage. Methods: Nine male, highly trained judokas were randomly assigned to either baseline normal sleep night, placebo, N20, CAF, or CAF+N. Test sessions included the running-based anaerobic sprint test, from which the maximum (Pmax), mean (Pmean), and minimum (Pmin) powers were calculated. Biomarkers of muscle, hepatic, and cardiac damage and of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants were measured at rest and after the exercise. Results: N20 increased Pmax compared with placebo (P < .01, d = 0.75). CAF+N increased Pmax (P < .001, d = 1.5; d = 0.94), Pmin (P < .001, d = 2.79; d = 2.6), and Pmean (P < .001, d = 1.93; d = 1.79) compared with placebo and CAF, respectively. Postexercise creatine kinase increased whenever caffeine was added, that is, after CAF (P < .001, d = 1.19) and CAF+N (P < .001, d = 1.36). Postexercise uric acid increased whenever participants napped, that is, after N20 (P < .001, d = 2.19) and CAF+N (P < .001, d = 2.50) and decreased after CAF (P < .001, d = 2.96). Conclusion: Napping improved repeated-sprint performance and antioxidant defense after partial sleep deprivation. Contrarily, caffeine increased muscle damage without improving performance. For sleep-deprived athletes, caffeine before a short nap opportunity would be more beneficial for repeated sprint performance than each treatment alone
The effect of caffeine, nap opportunity and their combination on biomarkers of muscle damage and antioxidant defence during repeated sprint exercise
To investigate the effect of 20 min nap opportunity (N20), 5 mg · kg -1 of caffeine (CAF) and their combination (CAF+N20) on the biochemical response (energetic biomarkers, biomarkers of muscle damage and enzymatic antioxidants) to the running-based anaerobic sprint test. Fourteen highly trained male athletes completed in a double-blind, counterbalanced and randomized order four test sessions: no nap with placebo (PLA), N20, CAF and CAF+N20. Compared to PLA, all treatments enhanced maximum and mean powers. Minimum power was higher [(mean difference) 58.6 (95% confidence interval = 1.31â116) Watts] after CAF and [102 (29.9â175) Watts] after CAF+N20 compared to N20. Also, plasma glucose was higher after CAF [0.81 (0.18â1.45) mmol·l -1 ] and CAF+N20 [1.03 (0.39â1.64) mmol·l -1 ] compared to N20. However, plasma lactate was higher [1.64 (0.23â3.03) mmol ·l -1 ] only after N20 compared to pre-exercise, suggesting a higher anaerobic glycolysis during N20 compared to PLA, CAF and CAF+N20. Caffeine ingestion increased post-exercise creatine kinase with [54.3 (16.7â91.1) IU·l -1 ] or without napping [58.9 (21.3â96.5) IU·l -1 ] compared to PLA. However, superoxide dismutase was higher after napping with [339 (123â554) U·gHB -1 ] or without caffeine [410 (195â625) U·gHB -1] compared to PLA. Probably because of the higher aerobic glycolysis contribution in energy synthesis, caffeine ingestion resulted in better repeated sprint performance during CAF and CAF+N20 sessions compared to N20 and PLA. Caffeine ingestion resulted in higher muscle damage, and the short nap enhanced antioxidant defence with or without caffeine ingestion
Difference Asymmetry between Preferred Dominant and Non-Dominant Legs in Muscular Power and Balance among Sub-Elite Soccer Players in Qatar
The objective of this study was to determine and compare leg asymmetry between preferred dominant and non-dominant legs in muscular power and balance among sub-elite soccer (football) players in Qatar. Thirty-two professional local soccer players from the Qatar Stars League (Second Division) participated in the study (23.1 ïżœ 6.1 years). They were classified according to their preferred dominant leg (preferred leg to kick the ball). Twenty-two players had a right dominant leg, and the remaining ten had a left dominant leg. Countermovement jump (CMJ) was used to measure unilateral and bilateral vertical jump performances. The Y-balance test (YBT) was used to assess dynamic balance. No significant differences were found between the dominant and non-dominant leg for CMJ flight height (p > 0.05; asymmetry index (AI) = 1.83 ïżœ 11.46) or the relative and absolute reach distance derived from the YBT (p > 0.05; AI (relative) = ?0.45 ïżœ 9.68, AI (absolute) = ?0.60 ïżœ 12.3). Bilateral asymmetry in dynamic balance was not significant for any of the anterior, posteromedial, or the posterolateral reaching directions (p > 0.05). The selected football players demonstrated an acceptable level of leg symmetry for power and dynamic balance. These findings may prove helpful for the assessment and evaluation of talents and should help to develop and optimize training regimes. 2023 by the authors.This research was funded by Qatar National Research Funds (QNRF UREP24-150-3-044), and Qatar University (QUST-1-CED-2023-869).Scopu
Ramadan intermittent fasting induced poorer training practices during the COVID-19 lockdown: A global cross-sectional study with 5529 athletes from 110 countries
Ramadan intermittent fasting during the COVID-19 lockdown (RIFL) may present unique demands. We investigated training practices (i.e., training load and training times) of athletes, using pre-defined survey criteria/questions, during the âfirstâ COVID-19 lockdown, comparing RIFL to lockdown-alone (LD) in Muslim athletes. Specifically, a within-subject, survey-based study saw athletes (n = 5,529; from 110 countries/territories) training practices (comparing RIFL to LD) explored by comparative variables of: sex; age; continent; athlete classification (e.g., world-class); sport classification (e.g., endurance); athlete status (e.g., professional); and level of training knowledge and beliefs/attitudes (ranked as: good/moderate/poor). During RIFL (compared to LD), athlete perceptions (ranges presented given variety of comparative variables) of their training load decreased (46â62%), were maintained (31â48%) or increased (2â13%). Decreases (â„ 5%, p < 0.05) affected more athletes aged 30â39 years than those 18â29 years (60 vs 55%); more national than international athletes (59 vs 51%); more team sports than precision sports (59 vs 46%); more North American than European athletes (62 vs 53%); more semi-professional than professional athletes (60 vs 54%); more athletes who rated their beliefs/attitudes âgoodâ compared to âpoorâ and âmoderateâ (61 vs 54 and 53%, respectively); and more athletes with âmoderateâ than âpoorâ knowledge (58 vs 53%). During RIFL, athletes had different strategies for training times, with 13â29% training twice a day (i.e., afternoon and night), 12â26% at night only, and 18â36% in the afternoon only, with ranges depending on the comparative variables. Training loads and activities were altered negatively during RIFL compared to LD. It would be prudent for decision-makers responsible for RIFL athletes to develop programs to support athletes during such challenges
Ramadan Observance Exacerbated the Negative Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Sleep and Training Behaviors: A International Survey on 1,681 Muslim Athletes
Methods From an international sample of athletes (n = 3,911), 1,681 Muslim athletes (from 44 countries; 25.1 ± 8.7 years, 38% females, 41% elite, 51% team sport athletes) answered a retrospective, cross-sectional questionnaire relating to their behavioral habits pre- and during- COVID-19 lockdown, including: (i) Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI); (ii) insomnia severity index (ISI); (iii) bespoke questions about training, napping, and eating behaviors, and (iv) questions related to training and sleep behaviors during-lockdown and Ramadan compared to lockdown outside of Ramadan. The lockdown reduced sleep quality and increased insomnia severity (both p 0.05). Muslim athletes reported longer (p < 0.001; d = 0.29) and later (p < 0.001; d = 0.14) daytime naps, and an increase in late-night meals (p < 0.001; d = 0.49) during- compared to pre-lockdown, associated with lower sleep quality (all p < 0.001). Both sleep quality (Ï2 = 222.6; p < 0.001) and training volume (Ï2 = 342.4; p < 0.001) were lower during-lockdown and Ramadan compared to lockdown outside of Ramadan in the Muslims athletes. Conclusion Muslim athletes reported lower sleep quality and higher insomnia severity during- compared to pre-lockdown, and this was exacerbated by Ramadan observance. Therefore, further attention to Muslim athletes is warranted when a circadian disrupter (e.g., lockdown) occurs during Ramadan