Optimising technical skills and physical loading in small-sided basketball games.

Differences in physiological, physical, and technical demands of small-sided basketball games related to the number of players, court size, and work-to-rest ratios are not well characterised. A controlled trial was conducted to compare the influence of number of players (2v2/4v4), court size (half/full court) and work-to-rest ratios (4x2.5 min/2x5 min) on the demands of small-sided games.

Physiological, anthropometric, and performance characteristics of rugby sevens players.

Unlabelled: Although the characteristics of 15-a-side rugby union players have been well defined, there is little information on rugby sevens players.

Purpose: The authors profiled the anthropometric, physiological, and performance qualities of elite-level rugby sevens players and quantified relationships between these characteristics.

Methods: Eighteen male international rugby sevens players undertook anthropometric (body mass, height, sum of 7 skinfolds, lean-mass index), acceleration and speed (40-m sprint), muscle-power (vertical jump), repeated-sprint-ability (6 × 30-m sprint), and endurance (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery test and treadmill VO2max) testing.

A competition-based design to assess performance of a squad of elite athletes.

Unlabelled: There is need for valid and powerful research designs to assess performance effects of interventions in squads of elite athletes.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop a design for investigating effects on competition performance using performance of athletes in other squads as a control.

Methods: We used competition swim times downloaded from USAswimming.

Warm-up intensity and duration's effect on traditional rowing time-trial performance.

Unlabelled: The warm-up procedure in traditional rowing usually involves continuous low-intensity rowing and short bouts of intense exercise, lasting about 60 min.

Purpose: To compare the effects of a traditional and an experimental 30-min warm-up of lower intensity on indoor rowing time-trial performance.

Methods: Fourteen highly trained male rowers (age 25.

Gut Balance, a synbiotic supplement, increases fecal Lactobacillus paracasei but has little effect on immunity in healthy physically active individuals.

Synbiotic supplements, which contain multiple functional ingredients, may enhance the immune system more than the use of individual ingredients alone. A double blind active controlled parallel trial over a 21 d exercise training period was conducted to evaluate the effect of Gut Balance™, which contains Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei (L.

Influence of altitude training modality on performance and total haemoglobin mass in elite swimmers.

We compared changes in performance and total haemoglobin mass (tHb) of elite swimmers in the weeks following either Classic or Live High:Train Low (LHTL) altitude training. Twenty-six elite swimmers (15 male, 11 female, 21.4 ± 2.

Movement patterns in rugby sevens: effects of tournament level, fatigue and substitute players.

Objectives: Understanding of the physical demands and the effects of fatigue and substitute players in rugby sevens is limited. This study quantified the differences in movement patterns between domestic and international rugby sevens tournaments, the effects of fatigue within and between matches during tournaments, and movement patterns of second half substitute players.

Design: Movement patterns of 19 international-level male rugby sevens players were recorded using a Global Positioning System (GPS) device during 11 international and 16 domestic matches (n = 174 files).

Online video-based resistance training improves the physical capacity of junior basketball athletes.

Junior basketball athletes require a well-designed resistance training program to improve their physical development. Lack of expert supervision and resistance training in junior development pathways may be overcome by implementing an online video-based program. The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude of improvement (change) in physical performance and strength and functional movement patterns of junior basketball athletes using either a fully supervised or an online video-based resistance training program.

Validity and reliability of agility tests in junior Australian football players.

Young, W, Farrow, D, Pyne, D, McGregor, W, and Handke, T. Validity and reliability of agility tests in junior Australian football players. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3399-3403, 2011-The importance of sport-specific stimuli in reactive agility tests (RATs) compared to other agility tests is not known.

Effects of high-dose large neutral amino acid supplementation on exercise, motor skill, and mental performance in Australian Rules Football players.

This study investigated the effects of high-dose large neutral amino acid (LNAA) supplementation on attenuating fatigue-induced decrements in exercise and motor skill performance in Australian Rules Football (ARF) players. Fifteen subelite ARF players participated in 3 testing sessions separated by 7 days. Players completed an initial control trial involving a reactive motor skills test (RMST) and a reactive agility test (RAT) carried out before and after fatiguing exercise.

Fitness determinants of repeated-sprint ability in highly trained youth football players.

Unlabelled: Variations in rates of growth and development in young football players can influence relationships among various fitness qualities.

Purpose: To investigate the relationships between repeated-sprint ability and other fundamental fitness qualities of acceleration, agility, explosive leg power, and aerobic conditioning through the age groups of U11 to U18 in highly trained junior football players.

Methods: Male players (n = 119) across the age groups completed a fitness assessment battery over two testing sessions.

Lactobacillus fermentum (PCC®) supplementation and gastrointestinal and respiratory-tract illness symptoms: a randomised control trial in athletes.

Background: Probiotics purportedly reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal and upper respiratory-tract illness by modulating commensal microflora. Preventing and reducing symptoms of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness are the primary reason that dietary supplementation with probiotics are becoming increasingly popular with healthy active individuals. There is a paucity of data regarding the effectiveness of probiotics in this cohort.

Position statement. Part two: Maintaining immune health.

The physical training undertaken by athletes is one of a set of lifestyle or behavioural factors that can influence immune function, health and ultimately exercise performance. Others factors including potential exposure to pathogens, health status, lifestyle behaviours, sleep and recovery, nutrition and psychosocial issues, need to be considered alongside the physical demands of an athlete's training programme. The general consensus on managing training to maintain immune health is to start with a programme of low to moderate volume and intensity; employ a gradual and periodised increase in training volumes and loads; add variety to limit training monotony and stress; avoid excessively heavy training loads that could lead to exhaustion, illness or injury; include non-specific cross-training to offset staleness; ensure sufficient rest and recovery; and instigate a testing programme for identifying signs of performance deterioration and manifestations of physical stress.

Comparison of training and game demands of national level cricketers.

Although the physiological demands of cricket match play are emerging, the demands of contemporary training practices have not been reported. The aim of this study was to quantify the physiological demands of selected cricket training activities and compare these to known match demands. Twenty-eight different training activities were monitored in national academy level cricketers (n = 42) using global positioning system units during a 14-week residential training program.

Comparison of player movement patterns between 1-day and test cricket.

Physical demands of cricket presumably vary by both game format and performance level. Differences in player movement patterns between 2 game formats (1 day and multiday) and 2 levels of elite performance (state and international) were quantified with global positioning system technology. Five movement categories were established, and 15 movement pattern variables were reported.

Partial heat acclimation in cricketers using a 4-day high intensity cycling protocol.

Unlabelled: Cricketers are often required to play in hot/humid environments with little time for heat adaptation.

Purpose: We examined the effect of a short 4-d hot/humid acclimation program on classical physiological indicators of heat acclimation.

Methods: Male club cricketers were randomly assigned into heat acclimation (ACC, n = 6) or control (CON, n = 6) groups, and 30 min treadmill trials (10 km/h, approx.