Seasonal Accumulated Workloads in Collegiate Women’s Soccer: A Comparison of Starters and Reserves

Research quantifying the unique workload demands of starters and reserves in training and match settings throughout a season in collegiate soccer is limited. Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to compare accumulated workloads between starters and reserves in collegiate soccer. Methods: Twenty-two NCAA Division III female soccer athletes (height: 1.67 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 65.42 ± 6.33 kg; fat-free mass: 48.99 ± 3.81 kg; body fat %: 25.22 ± 4.78%) were equipped with wearable global positioning systems with on-board inertial sensors, which assessed a proprietary training load metric and distance covered for each practice and 22 matches throughout an entire season. Nine players were classified as starters (S), defined as those playing >50% of playing time throughout the entire season. The remaining 17 were reserves (R). Goalkeepers were excluded. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine the extent of differences in accumulated training load throughout the season by player status. Results: Accumulated training load and total distance covered for starters were greater than reserves ((S: 9431 ± 1471 vs. R: 6310 ± 2263 AU; p < 0.001) and (S: 401.7 ± 31.9 vs. R: 272.9 ± 51.4 km; p < 0.001), respectively) throughout the season. Conclusions: Starters covered a much greater distance throughout the season, resulting in almost double the training load compared to reserves. It is unknown if the high workloads experienced by starters or the low workloads of the reserves is more problematic. Managing player workloads in soccer may require attention to address potential imbalances that emerge between starters and reserves throughout a season.

Nine-Axis Sensor for Athlete Physical Training Load Characteristics

In order to understand the characteristic data of athletes’ training load, a method based on nine-axis sensor was proposed. Twenty-seven male college athletes were tested twice with a time interval of more than 48 hours. In part 1, participants take the 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) test. The results show that maximum strength is one of the basic factors to develop the output power of athletes. In the process of skeletal muscle contraction, the curve of speed, force, and power is closely related. When the external load is 10%∼70%, the average power increases with the increase in the average force, it increases with the decrease in the average speed, and at 70%1RM, the average power reaches the peak and then decreases at an inflection point. It is proved that the accurate weight ratio of strength training is the basis of winning athletes, the focus of high level physical coach, and the premise of scientific sports training.

Biological Markers of Training Level among Qualified Greco-Roman Wrestlers

BACKGROUND: The article presents the dynamics of biochemical indicators showing the tension of body functional systems in qualified Greco-Roman wrestlers at the pre-competition stage. Biochemical indicators can be regarded as the markers of training level, as a reflection of adaptive changes during performing training loads. AIM: The study aims to examine the adaptive reactions of body internal systems in wrestlers to the load performed at the stage of pre-competition training. METHODS: The methodological basis of the study is the examination of the reaction of body functional systems in wrestlers (n = 24) in response to the load performed at the stage of pre-competition training. The basis of the studied indicators of wrestlers’ organisms is the dynamics of the enzymatic activity (ALT and AST), the activity of creatine phosphokinase, and the balance of anabolic and catabolic processes in the course of a 2-week macrocycle of the pre-competition training. RESULTS: A high level of enzymatic activity (ALT and AST) was noted as the response to shock training load in the first and the second training macrocycles against the background of a negative trend during the entire sports event, which indicates a directed decrease in the heart’s tension muscle, being an indicator of adaptive changes occurring in wrestlers’ body energy. The high variability of AST indicators on the first day and creatine phosphokinase throughout the entire pre-competition training pointed out an individual level of adaptive reactions of the athletes’ bodies in response to the training load taken. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study have shown notable dynamics in the indicators of the enzymatic activity of AST, creatine phosphokinase, and the hormone cortisol in a series of shock training loads, as the response to adaptive changes in body energy systems, the value of which should be considered during the pre-competition training.

Training habits and lower limb injury prevention in parkour practitioners

Parkour consists of overcoming obstacles mostly in an urban landscape. Little is known regarding usual training habits and injury risks of traceurs, i.e., parkour practitioners. In this study, a 20-min survey have been fulfilled by a population of traceurs regarding training load, habits (type of warm up, physical conditioning, stretching), type of footwear, and number and type of ankle- and knee-injuries during their career. A total of 180 responses were analyzed (24.4 ± 5.9 years old, 21.7% female, 6.0 ± 3.9 years of experience). Participants reported to train 1 to 7 times per week for a mean duration of 2.2 h. 76% practiced stretching exercises. 75.6% practiced physical conditioning in addition to their parkour training (weightlifting, functional exercises). Injury rate was 1.7 per 1000 h of training, mostly ankle sprains and knee contusions. Number of injury and training load were positively correlated. The lack of physical conditioning was also a factor of injury. Knee injuries have been more frequent on participants wearing minimalist shoes. Although training appears well auto-organized and the injury rate quite low some pitfalls require attention, notably in training planning, warm-up, stretching and conditioning. Building training and coaching methods specific to parkour appears essential.

Conditioning Program Prescribed from the External Training Load Corresponding to the Lactate Threshold Improved Cardiac Function in Healthy Dogs

This research focuses on the adjustments in systolic and diastolic functions that are not fully understood in dogs submitted to athletic training. Beagle dogs carried out an endurance training program (ETP) prescribed from the external training load, corresponding to 70–80% of the lactate threshold (VLT) velocity. Eighteen dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: control (C, n = 8), active dogs that did not perform any forced exercise, and trained (T, n = 10), submitted to the ETP during eight weeks. All dogs were evaluated before and after the ETP period using two-dimensional echocardiography, M-mode, Doppler, and two-dimensional speckle tracking. A principal component analysis (PCA) of the echocardiographic variables was performed. The ETP improved the left ventricular internal dimension at the end of diastole (LVDd), the left ventricular internal dimension at the end of diastole to aorta ratio (LVDd: Ao), and the strain rate indices. PCA was able to capture the dimensionality and qualitative echocardiography changes produced by the ETP. These findings indicated that the training prescribed based on the lactate threshold improved the diastolic and systolic functions. This response may be applied to improve myocardial function, promote health, and mitigate any injuries produced during heart failure.