The aim of this study was to compare selected ankle and knee kinematic and kinetic parameters before and a fter a prolonged exhaustive treadmill run between two groups of non-rearfoot footstrike pattern (NRFP) runners with different training volumes. Twenty-eight habitual NRFP runners were assigned to two groups based on their weekly training volume (Highly-trained (HT)/Moderately-trained (MT)). Participants underwent the VO2max test, and the exhaustive treadmill ran with biomechanical analysis at the beginning and the end. The two-way RMANOVA was used to assess differences between the groups and the phase of the run. A paired t-test was used for post-hoc analysis in case of significant interaction effect. Kinetic results showed significant group effect for ankle plantarflexion moment and hip external rotation moment (end-phase: both greater in MT group). Kinematic results showed significant group×phase interaction for ankle dorsiflexion angle (end-phase: greater in MT group) at initial contact (IC), peak knee flexion angle (end-phase: greater in MT group), and peak ankle eversion angle during the stance phase (end-phase: greater in HT group). Additionally, a group effect was found for knee flexion angle at IC (end-phase: greater in HT group). This study suggests that HT healthy NRFP runners may have less potential for increased biomechanical risk of AT overload during an exhaustive run.
- MeSH
- Running * physiology MeSH
- Biomechanical Phenomena MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Ankle Joint * physiology MeSH
- Kinetics MeSH
- Knee Joint * physiology MeSH
- Knee * physiology MeSH
- Physical Conditioning, Human * methods MeSH
- Ankle * physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Oxygen Consumption MeSH
- Exercise Test MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
OBJECTIVES: This study quantified blood bicarbonate (HCO3-) kinetics and gastrointestinal upset to determine the gender-related ergogenic potential of sodium bicarbonate (0.15-, 0.25- and 0.35 gSB·kgFat-free mass (FFM)-1) in high intensity functional training. DESIGN: Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover. METHODS: Thirty female and male athletes performed two bouts of the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnTPRE-HIFT and WAnTPOST-HIFT) interspaced with two 3-min bouts of Wall Balls and Burpees 120 min after ingestion of three sodium bicarbonate doses. Blood HCO3- was determined pre-ingestion, after supplementation and before/post exercise. Gastrointestinal upset was evaluated 120 min post-ingestion. Control (CTRL) measurements were performed. RESULTS: There were significant gender × treatment interactions for: changes in blood HCO3- at 60 min post-ingestion (p = 0.014; η2p = 0.104; at 0.15 gSB·kgFFM-1 males experienced higher increase than females); peak power (p = 0.015; η2p = 0.103) and average power (p = 0.005; η2p = 0.124) during WAnTPOST-HIFT, and changes in peak power between the Wingate Anaerobic Test bouts (p = 0.049; η2p = 0.081). Sodium bicarbonate compared to PLA had no significant impact on Wall Balls and Burpees performance. The dose of 0.35 gSB·kgFFM-1 resulted in higher less severe gastrointestinal symptoms compared to CTRL and 0.15 gSB·kgFFM-1 (p = 0.001; W = 0.178); and higher total gastrointestinal upset compared to CTRL, PLA and 0.15 gSB·kgFFM-1 (p < 0.001; W = 0.323). CONCLUSIONS: There were dose- and gender-related differences in extracellular buffering capacity and ergogenic potential of sodium bicarbonate. The study suggested a detrimental impact of gastrointestinal upset on performance.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Double-Blind Method MeSH
- Sodium Bicarbonate * administration & dosage pharmacology blood MeSH
- Cross-Over Studies * MeSH
- Performance-Enhancing Substances administration & dosage pharmacology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Exercise Test MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
Majkić, B, Stojanović, N, Lilić, A, and Milanović, Z. The effects of a 6-week resisted small-sided games training program on the power performance of young soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 39(7): e870-e877, 2025-Small-sided games (SSG) with additional load can improve power performance in soccer players. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-week resisted SSG training program on power performance in young soccer players. Twenty-two under-17 top-national youth-level soccer players (age: 16.11 ± 0.41 years; height: 176.31 ± 5.71 cm; body mass: 65.16 ± 8.1 kg) were randomly allocated to a weighted vests group (WV; n = 11), which wore weighted vests of 10% of their body mass or control group (CG; n = 11) with no additional load during sessions. Subjects performed vertical jump test, sprint running test (5, 10, and 30 m), and change of direction tests (COD) (Slalom, t test, and 4 × 5 m). The 6-week experimental program, implemented into regular sessions, included 2 additional SSGs per week and consisted of 3 sets lasting 3 minutes with 3-minute rest intervals. The players were divided into 2 teams of 5 and 2 of 6 players, each consisting of a mix of players from WV and CG, and performed SSG on the field area corresponding to 75 m 2 per player. Results revealed an improvement for WV in jump height by 7.34% (ES = 1.79) and in Peak Power (PP) by 4.40%. Significant interaction effects were observed in the Slalom and 4 × 5 m tests, and there was a distinction for 5 and 30 m sprints but with no statistically significant interaction effects. It is concluded that implementing resisted SSGs during the preparatory period can enhance jump height, PP, COD, and 5 m sprint time in young soccer players.
- MeSH
- Running physiology MeSH
- Soccer * physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Resistance Training * methods MeSH
- Athletic Performance * physiology MeSH
- Muscle Strength * physiology MeSH
- Exercise Test MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
BACKGROUND: Respiratory muscle training may improve ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO2 slope), a strong predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications. We hypothesised that multimodal prehabilitation, incorporating high-intensity respiratory muscle training, before lung resection would reduce postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicentre, randomised controlled trial (NCT04826575) to examine the effect of prehabilitation in individuals undergoing lung resection. Participants were defined as high-risk for postoperative pulmonary complications if they achieved VE/VCO2 slope ≥33, as determined by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Participants were then randomised to either usual care or multimodal prehabilitation, which consisted of a 14-day programme of high-intensity respiratory muscle training, smoking cessation, nutritional support, and psychological support. The primary outcome were postoperative pulmonary and cardiovascular complications (pneumonia, atelectasis, respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation, adult respiratory distress syndrome, prolonged air leak). RESULTS: A total of 122 patients (46% female; age range: 64-75 yr) completed the study. Postoperative pulmonary complications occurred in 20/58 (34%) of patients randomised to multimodal prehabilitation, compared with 35/64 (55%) patients receiving usual care (odds ratio 2.29 [95% confidence interval 1.10-4.77]; P=0.029). Hospital length of stay was shorter after multimodal rehabilitation compared with patients randomised to receive usual care (from 9 [7-11] days to 7 [6-9] days; P=0.038). After prehabilitation, mean (sd) VE/VCO2 slope decreased from 39 (8) to 36 (9); P=0.01. Prehabilitation also improved patient-reported quality of life measures. CONCLUSIONS: In high-risk patients undergoing elective lung resection surgery, multimodal prehabilitation, including high-intensity respiratory muscle training to target VE/VCO2, reduced postoperative pulmonary complications and hospital length of stay.
- MeSH
- Breathing Exercises * methods MeSH
- Length of Stay statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Preoperative Exercise * MeSH
- Combined Modality Therapy MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Smoking Cessation MeSH
- Lung Diseases * prevention & control MeSH
- Pneumonectomy * MeSH
- Postoperative Complications * prevention & control MeSH
- Preoperative Care * methods MeSH
- Prospective Studies MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
INTRODUCTION: Ventilatory efficiency (V'E/V'CO2 ) has been shown to predict postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in lung resection candidates. V'E/V'CO2 is determined by arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2 ) and by dead space to tidal volume ratio (VD/VT). We hypothesised PaCO2 and VD/VT contribute equally to the increase in V'E/V'CO2 in lung resection patients. METHODS: Consecutive lung resection candidates from two prior prospective studies were included in this post hoc analysis. All subjects underwent preoperative spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and arterial blood gas analysis at rest and peak exercise. PPCs were prospectively assessed during the first 30 postoperative days, or hospital stay. A t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and two-tailed Fisher's exact test were used to compare patients with and without PPCs. p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of 398 patients, PPC developed in 64 (16%). Patients with PPCs more frequently underwent lobectomy by open thoracotomy, had longer hospital and ICU length of stay and higher 30- and 90-day mortality. Moreover, patients with PPCs exhibited a higher V'E/V'CO2 ratio both at rest and peak exercise. Both ratios were independently associated with PPCs. At rest, the contribution of PaCO2 and VD/VT to the increase in V'E/V'CO2 ratio in patients with PPCs was 45% and 55%, respectively. At peak exercise, the contribution of PaCO2 and VD/VT to the increase in V'E/V'CO2 ratio was 16% and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: VD/VT (V'/Q' mismatch and/or rapid shallow breathing pattern) is the dominant contributor to the increase in V'E/V'CO2 in lung resection candidates who develop PPCs.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
AIMS: The concept of prehabilitation, defined as interventions aimed at enhancing a patient's functional capacity prior to an impending physiological stressor, may contribute to reduced postoperative morbidity and mortality. The study's goal is to verify or refute the feasibility of a prehabilitation programme for two diagnostic patient groups during neoadjuvant chemo(radio)therapy, which is prescribed before the scheduled surgical procedure. This is a single group study design, with all patients enrolled receiving the intervention. METHODS: This is an interventional feasibility study of a prehabilitation programme in the form of physical training conducted at home. The training consists of progressively dosed walking and strength exercises for selected muscle groups. Data will be monitored telemetrically and also through telephone contact with participants. Primary outcomes include: the percentage of patients interested in participating in the study out of all patients indicated for neoadjuvant therapy at University Hospital Ostrava during the observed period, the percentage of patients who complete the prehabilitation programme until the date of surgery and individual patient compliance. Secondary outcomes include physical fitness parameters obtained from cardiopulmonary exercise testing, grip strength measured by a dynamometer, changes in body composition, EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life questionnaire, and a questionnaire on the subjective perception of the exercise programme. Both primary and secondary outcomes will be compared between study arms (two diagnostic groups). The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05646043. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can serve as a foundation for larger, multicentre, controlled studies in the future.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence, long-term mortality, and clinical characteristics in total cavopulmonary connection patients with excellent functional outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective study of cardiopulmonary exercise test results in 288 patients after total cavopulmonary connection from a single-centre nationwide database. A subgroup of 88 (30.6%) patients (45 women; 51.1%), at a median age 13.0 [interquartile range 11.0; 18.0] years achieved ≥80% of predicted VO2peak value (Super-Fontan phenotype). Survival free from death or heart transplantation 20 years after surgery was 100.0% in the Super-Fontan group versus 94.0% in the rest of the cohort (p = 0.04). Super-Fontan patients were younger, had lower body mass index, lower regurgitant fraction on atrioventricular valve, and larger preoperative McGoon ratio than the rest of the cohort (p = 0.002, p < 0.0001, p = 0.004, and p = 0.04, respectively). Females and tricuspid atresia patients were significantly more prevalent in the Super-Fontan group than in the rest of the cohort (p = 0.02 for both). There was no difference regarding systemic ventricle morphology, fenestration presence, or ejection fraction of systemic ventricle between the Super-Fontan group and the rest of the total cavopulmonary connection cohort (p = 0.06, p = 0.09, and p = 0.64, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The subgroup of Super-Fontan patients has unique clinical characteristics when compared to the rest of the total cavopulmonary connection nationwide cohort. Besides superior VO2peak results, Super-Fontan patients tend to have lower long-term mortality, body mass index, and atrioventricular valve, greater preoperative pulmonary dimensions, and a higher prevalence of females and tricuspid atresia patients. There was no variance in morphology of the systemic ventricle, or presence of fenestration.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Fontan Procedure * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Survival Rate trends MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Risk Factors MeSH
- Tricuspid Atresia surgery mortality MeSH
- Heart Defects, Congenital * surgery mortality MeSH
- Exercise Test * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Recent reviews have highlighted conflicting findings regarding the validity of finger flexor strength and endurance tests in sport climbers, often due to small sample sizes and low ecological validity of the tests used. To address these gaps, 185 male and 122 female climbers underwent maximal finger flexor strength, intermittent and continuous finger flexor endurance, and the finger hang tests in a sport-specific setting to determine the predictive and concurrent validity of these tests. The finger hang test showed the strongest relationship to climbing ability for both sexes (R ≈ 0.75). However, despite its widespread use as an endurance test, the finger hang was found to be primarily determined by finger strength, explaining 65% and 80% of the variance in males and females, respectively. Finger strength emerged as the dominant factor, explaining the majority of variance in climbing ability (males 68%; females 64%), followed by intermittent endurance (males 28%; females 34%). These findings emphasize finger strength as the primary predictor of climbing ability and highlight the importance of intermittent endurance testing for assessing climbing-specific endurance of the finger flexors. No significant differences were found between male and female climbers in finger flexor strength and endurance when normalized to body mass.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Physical Endurance * physiology MeSH
- Mountaineering * physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Fingers * physiology MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Hand Strength physiology MeSH
- Muscle Strength physiology MeSH
- Exercise Test methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Validation Study MeSH
Hlavným cieľom realizovaného výskumu bolo odhaliť vplyv rôznych foriem hypoxie (akútnej a inter mitentnej) na výkon výkonnostných plavcov. Realizovali sme vstupné a výstupné testovanie v rýchlosti preplávania 50 metrov kraulom (T1), zisťovali počet nádychov pri plávaní 50 metrovej vzdialenosti kraulom (T2) a maximálnej preplávanej vzdialenosti pod vodou na jeden nádych T3. Výskum bol realizovaný na n = 12 výkonnostných plavcoch (4 ženy a 8 mužov), ktorých priemerný vek bol 15,75 roka, priemerná telesná hmotnosť bola 56,2 kg a priemerná telesná výška bola 172,5 cm. Testova nie bolo realizované po 10 minútovom spoločnom rozcvičení a rozplávanie 400 metrovej vzdialenosti ľubovoľným spôsobom a 2 x (15 metrov šprint + 35 metrov vyplávanie). Aplikácie a využívanie hypoxických podmienok prebiehalo v mesiacov február– marec 2024, 3 týždne / 21 dní. Sledovaný probandi boli náhodne rozdelený do 3 súborov, kde VS1 absolvoval plavecký hypoxický kontrolovaný tréning, VS2 absolvoval prerušovaný simulovaný hypoxický tréning pomocou hypoxického generátora „AltitudeTechPortable 2020“ a VS3 absolvoval klasický podnet bez aplikácie experimentálneho pod netu. Výsledky poukazujú na zistenia, že v teste T1 dosiahol najvýraznejšie priemerné zlepšenia VS2 (+ 5,3 %), v teste T2 dosiahol najvýraznejšie zlepšenia VS1 (+ 35,7 %) a v teste T3 sa najviac zlepšil VS1(+14,3 %). Nazáklade výsledkov môžeme konštatovať, že pre plavcov výkonnostnej úrovne sa javí ako najefektívnejšie využívať akútnu hypoxiu v normoxických podmienkach zaraďovaný do plavecke prípravy v jednotlivých obdobiach v dĺžke 3 týždňov a rozsahu 10-15 minút v tréningovej jednotke po rozcvičení a rozplávaní, ideálne v kombinácii s intermitentnou formou hypoxie podľa realizovanej schémy v tomto výskume najmä pre zlepšenie času v najkratších 50 metrových disciplínach.
The main objective of the research was to determine the impact of different forms of hypoxia (acute and intermittent) on the performance of performance swimmers. We realised pre and post-tests in 50-meter freestyle swimming speed (T1), counted the number of breaths taken during 50-meter freestyle swimming (T2), and measured the maximum underwater distance covered in one breath (T3). The study was conducted on a sample of n = 12 performance swimmers (4 females and 8 males), with the average age of 15.75 years, average body weight of 56.2 kg, and average body height of 172.5 cm. The testing was preceded by a 10-minute warm-up and a 400-meter swim using any stroke, followed by two repetitions of a 15-meter sprint and a 35-meter easy swim. The experiment involving hypoxic conditions was carried out over a 3-week period / 21 days in February and March 2024. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: RG1 underwent hypoxic controlled swimming training, RG2 underwent intermittent simulated hypoxic training using the 'AltitudeTechPortable 2020' hypoxic generator, and RG3 served as a control group without any experimental intervention. The results indicate that the most significant average improvement in T1 was achieved by RG2 (+5.3%), in T2 by RG1 (+35.7%), and in T3 by RG1 (+14.3%). Based on the results, we may conclude that for performance swimmers, acute hypoxia in normoxic conditions, incorporated into swimming training in individual periods of 3 weeks and lasting 10-15 minutes per training session after warm-ups, appears to be most effective, especially when combined with intermittent hypoxia as implemented in this study, particularly for improving performance in the shortest 50-meter disciplines.
- MeSH
- Respiration MeSH
- Physical Endurance physiology MeSH
- Hypoxia * classification MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Swimming * physiology MeSH
- Athletic Performance physiology MeSH
- Endurance Training methods MeSH
- Exercise Test classification methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Clinical Study MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Svalová zdatnost představuje klíčovou složku zdraví, jejíž přesné hodnocení je zásadní. Vzhledem k vývoji v oblasti fitness narůstá potřeba zkoumat nové testovací metody, přizpůsobené specifickým podmínkám a demografickým skupinám. Tato pilotní studie se zaměřuje na korelaci mezi tradičními a inovativními testy svalové zdatnosti, s důrazem na jejich zastupitelnost u zdravé dospělé populace. Studie srovnává zavedené testy, jako jsou síla stisku ruky, kliky, leh-sedy a skok do dálky z místa, s inovativními testy, konkrétně dynamometrií pro hodnocení zad a nohou, dřepy a hodem medicinbalem. Výzkumný vzorek zahrnoval zdravé muže a ženy (n = 36) s průměrným věkem 21,3 let. Korelační analýza pomocí Pearsonova korelačního koeficientu ukázala významnou pozitivní korelaci mezi stiskem ruky a dynamometrií zad a nohou (r = 0,842, p < 0,01), což naznačuje, že tyto testy hodnotí komplementární aspekty svalové síly. Podobně hod medicinbalem vykazoval silnou korelaci se silou stisku ruky (r = 0,805, p < 0,01), což poukazuje na jeho efektivitu při hodnocení explozivní síly. Na- opak dřepy vykázaly slabou korelaci s tradičními vytrvalostními testy, jako jsou sedy-lehy (r = 0,125, p > 0,05), což naznačuje zapojení odlišných svalových skupin a aspektů vytrvalosti. Zjištěné korelace podtrhují komplexní povahu svalové zdatnosti, kde inovativní testy mohou tradiční metody jen částečně nahradit. Pro potvrzení těchto předběžných zjištění je však zapotřebí dalšího výzkumu na větších a rozmanitějších vzorcích.
Muscular fitness is a key component of health, and its accurate assessment is crucial. Due to developments in the field of fitness, there is an increasing need to explore new testing methods tailored to specific conditions and demographic groups. This pilot study focuses on the correlation between traditional and innovative muscular fitness tests, emphasizing their substitutability in a healthy adult population. The study compares established tests such as handgrip strength, push-ups, sit-ups, and standing long jump with innovative tests, specifically dynamometry for assessing the back and legs, squats, and medicine ball throws. The research sample included healthy males and females (n = 36) with an average age of 21.3 years. Correlational analysis using Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant positive correlation between handgrip strength and dynamometry of the back and legs (r = 0.842, p < 0.01), suggesting that these tests assess complementary aspects of muscular strength. Similarly, the medicine ball throw showed a strong correlation with handgrip strength (r = 0.805, p < 0.01), indicating its effectiveness in assessing explosive strength. In contrast, squats showed a weak correlation with traditional endurance tests, such as sit-ups (r = 0.125, p > 0.05), indicating the involvement of different muscle groups and aspects of endurance. The identified correlations highlight the complex nature of muscular fitness, where innovative tests may only partially replace traditional methods. However, further research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
- MeSH
- Correlation of Data MeSH
- Muscle, Skeletal physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Muscle Strength * physiology MeSH
- Physical Fitness physiology MeSH
- Exercise Test * classification methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Clinical Study MeSH
