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

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

IMPORTANCE: Impaired exercise capacity is a cardinal manifestation of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The Phase 3 Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Aficamten Compared to Placebo in Adults With Symptomatic Obstructive HCM (SEQUOIA-HCM) is a pivotal study characterizing the treatment effect of aficamten, a next-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, on a comprehensive set of exercise performance and clinical measures. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of aficamten on exercise performance using cardiopulmonary exercise testing with a novel integrated measure of maximal and submaximal exercise performance and evaluate other exercise measures and clinical correlates. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a prespecified analysis from SEQUOIA-HCM, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Patients were recruited from 101 sites in 14 countries (North America, Europe, Israel, and China). Individuals with symptomatic obstructive HCM with objective exertional intolerance (peak oxygen uptake [pVO2] ≤90% predicted) were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from January to March 2024. INTERVENTIONS: Randomized 1:1 to aficamten (5-20 mg daily) or matching placebo for 24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was change from baseline to week 24 in integrated exercise performance, defined as the 2-component z score of pVO2 and ventilatory efficiency throughout exercise (minute ventilation [VE]/carbon dioxide output [VCO2] slope). Response rates for achieving clinically meaningful thresholds for change in pVO2 and correlations with clinical measures of treatment effect (health status, echocardiographic/cardiac biomarkers) were also assessed. RESULTS: Among 282 randomized patients (mean [SD] age, 59.1 [12.9] years; 115 female [40.8%], 167 male [59.2%]), 263 (93.3%) had core laboratory-validated exercise testing at baseline and week 24. Integrated composite exercise performance improved in the aficamten group (mean [SD] z score, 0.17 [0.51]) from baseline to week 24, whereas the placebo group deteriorated (mean [SD] z score, -0.19 [0.45]), yielding a placebo-corrected improvement of 0.35 (95% CI, 0.25-0.46; P <.001). Further, aficamten treatment demonstrated significant improvements in total workload, circulatory power, exercise duration, heart rate reserve, peak heart rate, ventilatory efficiency, ventilatory power, and anaerobic threshold (all P <.001). In the aficamten group, large improvements (≥3.0 mL/kg per minute) in pVO2 were more common than large reductions (32% and 2%, respectively) compared with placebo (16% and 11%, respectively). Improvements in both components of the primary outcome, pVO2 and VE/VCO2 slope throughout exercise, were significantly correlated with improvements in symptom burden and hemodynamics (all P <.05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This prespecified analysis of the SEQUOIA-HCM randomized clinical trial found that aficamten treatment improved a broad range of exercise performance measures. These findings offer valuable insight into the therapeutic effects of aficamten. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05186818.

• MeSH
• Double-Blind Method MeSH
• Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic * physiopathology   drug therapy   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Oxygen Consumption physiology   MeSH
• Cardiac Myosins MeSH
• Exercise Tolerance * physiology   MeSH
• Exercise Test * methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Clinical Trial, Phase III MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH

This study aims to explore: (1) the validity of post-exercise ultra-short-term heart rate variability (HRVust) after two different bouts of repeated sprint ability test (RSA), and (2) the relationship between HRVust measure and RSA performance. Twenty adolescent male futsal players voluntarily participated in this study (age: 17.65 ± 1.81 years, body height: 170.88 ± 4.98 cm, body weight: 61.78 ± 4.67 kg). The participants performed a standard RSA test (RSAstandard) and an RSA test with a 10% decrement of the best sprint time test (RSA10%decrement) on two separate occasions within a week. On both occasions, a 5-min resting electrocardiography was administered pre- and post-RSA exercise protocols. The first 30-s (HRVust30s), 60-s (HRVust60s), and 60-120-s (HRVust1-2min) were extracted and used to compare with the standard of 5-min HRV recording (HRVcriterion). The natural logarithm (ln) of the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive normal-to-normal interval differences (RMSSD) HRV indices were utilised to establish intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), coefficient of variation (%CV), and Pearson product-moment correlation (r). Results revealed the ICC values of HRVust lnSDNN (RSAstandard = 0.77-0.88; RSA10%decrement = 0.41-0.71) and lnRMSSD (RSAstandard = 0.81-0.86; RSA10%decrement = 0.57-0.82). Furthermore, significantly positive correlations between best sprint time and post-exercise HRVust indices were found in lnSDNN (r = 0.47-0.62; p < 0.05) and lnRMSSD (r = 0.45; p < 0.05). Additionally, a large CV of lnSDNN (RSAstandard = 32%-45%; RSA10%decrement = 29%-39%), lnRMSSD (RSAstandard = 50%-66%; RSA10%decrement = 48%-52%), and ratio (RSAstandard = 45%-126%; RSA10%decrement = 27%-45%) was found after the RSA protocols. In conclusion, the number of bouts of RSA exercise potentially influences the agreement of post-exercise time-domain HRVust indices to standard HRV measure.

• MeSH
• Running * physiology   MeSH
• Exercise physiology   MeSH
• Electrocardiography MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Athletic Performance physiology   MeSH
• Heart Rate * physiology   MeSH
• Exercise Test * methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

• MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Heart Diseases MeSH
• Tilt-Table Test methods   MeSH
• Exercise Test * methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH