Publications by authors named "Stefano D'Ottavio"
Corrigendum: Position statement and updated international guideline for safe and effective whole-body electromyostimulation training-the need for common sense in WB-EMS application.
Front Physiol
May 2023
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Recent studies indicate that whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) is an effective and time-efficient treatment for chronic lower back pain (CLBP).
- A non-randomized controlled study involved 40 patients divided into two groups: one receiving only WB-EMS and the other receiving WB-EMS along with passive stretching (Well Back System).
- Results showed that both treatments improved pain and disability scores, but the combination of WB-EMS and stretching led to significantly greater improvements in pain levels, disability, and flexibility.
Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) is a training technology that enables simultaneous stimulation of all the main muscle groups with a specific impulse intensity for each electrode. The corresponding time-efficiency and joint-friendliness of WB-EMS may be particularly attractive for people unable or unmotivated to conduct (intense) conventional training protocols. However, due to the enormous metabolic and musculoskeletal impact of WB-EMS, particular attention must be paid to the application of this technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Repeated sprint ability (RSA) in soccer is deemed fundamental to ensure high level of performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of two different Initial Heart Rates (IHR) on fatigue when testing RSA in males and females' soccer players and to compare the respective patterns of fatigue.
Methods: Nineteen female soccer players (age: 22.
Professional football training strategies during home confinement in the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness
November 2022
Background: SARS-CoV-2 emergency forced athletes to train at home on their own and mostly unsupervised, making it difficult to provide training solutions. The aims of the study were 1) to collect data and experiences from a Serie A male football team, a top-level female football team and a male young elite football team; 2) to compare data from lockdown and pre-lockdown period; 3) to report changes in training strategies adopted to overcome logistical constraints and 4) to evaluate their congruence to cardio, strength and stretching recommendation mentioned above; 5) to report compliance through player daily feedback.
Methods: Three different professional football teams were enrolled.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in the regulation of a number of physiological functions. miR-133a and other muscular miRs (myomiRs) play a key role in muscle cell growth and in some type of cancers. Here, we show that miR133a is upregulated in individuals that undertake physical exercise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to examine the fitness profile of the Italian national male Team-Handball players of different competitive level.
Methods: Forty-one male handball players from the senior (N.=21, height 1.
Background: This study aims at describing and comparing each other male and female soccer players kicking instep a stationary ball. The different measures we collected by the 3D motion capture system Movit G1 and the High-Speed Camera (240 fps) were considered as dependent variables, whereas the gender was considered as the independent one.
Methods: Twenty soccer well trained non-professional players: 10 men (age: 25.
Article Synopsis
- This study examined the combined effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) and a hypocaloric diet on features of metabolic syndrome in sedentary middle-aged individuals over 26 weeks.
- Both the WB-EMS group and the diet-only group lost about 10% of body weight, but the WB-EMS group gained lean mass while the diet group lost it.
- Participants using WB-EMS showed significantly better improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and systolic blood pressure, suggesting that this method may be more beneficial for managing metabolic syndrome than diet alone.
Purpose: To profile sprint endurance performance of elite-level female soccer players.
Methods: Twenty-five female national-team soccer players (age 25.1 [2.
Article Synopsis
- This study focuses on how different warm-up intensities (90% vs. 60% HRmax) impact fatigue and repeated sprint ability (RSA) in elite women soccer players.
- The research involved 19 players performing sprint tests after reaching different heart rates, measuring fatigue through performance and blood lactate levels.
- Findings indicate that while higher warm-up intensities resulted in higher lactate levels, they did not significantly affect RSA performance or fatigue among the players, suggesting that initial heart rate may not be as crucial for women as it is for men.
Article Synopsis
- Seventeen soccer players' saliva samples were analyzed pre- and post-match using nuclear magnetic resonance to understand metabolic changes.
- Two normalization methods were explored: total proteins and total metabolite concentrations, to better interpret changes in energy markers, hydration, amino acids, and other compounds.
- The study highlights how saliva reflects systemic exercise responses, the impact of sampling timing, the need for effective normalization due to water content variations, and the implications of metabolic response from exercise heterogeneity among players.
Background: The aim of this study was to quantify power and acceleration metrics in elite soccer matches to gain an insight into positional demands and match-related fatigue patterns.
Methods: Elite players (N.=212, observations =522) were analysed during 50 matches of the Italian Serie A using a semi-automatic tracking system (K-Sport, Montelabbate, Pesaro-Urbino, Italy - Stats, Leeds, UK) during the 2015/16 season.
Purpose: To examine the internal and external load imposed by long sprint ability-oriented small-sided games (SSG) using different ratios of players to pitch area (densities) in soccer players.
Methods: A total of 19 professional soccer players from the same soccer club (age = 17.1 [0.
The objective was to analyze body composition in children and adolescents of Southern Europe to identify prevalence of overweight and obesity. This investigation involved 512 girls and 488 boys between 7-to 19-years. Variables evaluated were Body Mass Index (BMI) and Fat Mass (FM; electrical bioimpedance).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndividuals have to reweight the respective contribution of the different sources of sensorial information for regulating posture and balance, especially during fine task execution. Given the evidences indicating strategy during swing performance as associated with prioritization of task-relevant visuospatial information for skill execution, the aim of the present work is to assess differences in visual dependency (VD) and postural control in a population of expert (EXP) and non-expert (NEXP) golfers when compared with healthy subjects (HC) and to discover possible relationships between these outcomes and swing performance. Thus, 15 golfers (EXP = 7; NEXP = 8) and 32 matched HC underwent otoneurological testing including video Head Impulse Test, posturography and Rod and Disk Test (RDT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExercise-to-rest ratios in repeated sprint ability training in women's soccer.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness
December 2018
Article Synopsis
- The study examined how different exercise-to-rest ratios impact repeated sprint ability (RSA) training in female soccer players, comparing three types of sprints: straight, shuttle, and those with directional changes.
- Fifteen trained female soccer players participated, with their fatigue levels measured using an index of fatigue (IF%) and blood lactate concentrations analyzed post-exercise.
- Results showed a 5% decrease in performance over time but no significant differences in fatigue levels across the sprinting types with the ratios tested; however, blood lactate levels varied significantly, suggesting the ratios could be effective for RSA training in women.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the impact of aerobic interval training (AIT) versus usual care on arterial stiffness (AS) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in sedentary individuals with early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D).
- AIT improved arterial stiffness significantly more than the usual care approach, with notable enhancements in Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) and Augmentation Index (AIxHR75), while both groups improved their walking distance and BRS.
- The results suggest AIT is more effective for reducing arterial stiffness, although both training methods improved exercise capacity, glycemic control, and body weight in the participants.
The performance of a soccer team depends on many factors such as decision-making, cognitive and physical skills, and dynamic ever-changing space-time interactions between teammate and opponents in relation to the ball. Seventy ( n = 70) matches of the Italian SERIE A season 2013-2014 were investigated to analyze the mean performance of 360 players in terms of physical (physical efficiency index; PEI) and technical-tactical (technical efficiency index; TEI) standpoints. Using a semiautomatic video analysis system that has incorporated new parameters able to measure technical-tactical and physical efficiency (Patent IB2010/002593, 2011-ISA), the correlation between these new variables and how much it relates to the likelihood of winning were verified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-Sprint Abilities in Soccer: Ball Versus Running Drills.
Int J Sports Physiol Perform
October 2017
Purpose: To examine the acute effects of generic drills (running drills [RDs]) and specific (small-sided-games [SSGs]) long-sprint-ability (LSA) drills on internal and external load of male soccer players.
Methods: Fourteen academy-level soccer players (mean ± SD age 17.6 ± 0.
Timing Effect on Training-Session Rating of Perceived Exertion in Top-Class Soccer Referees.
Int J Sports Physiol Perform
October 2017
Purpose: To examine the effect of recall timing on training-session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) in a population of athletes well familiarized with the method and procedures during a 5-d training microcycle.
Methods: Fifty-one top-class field referees (FRs) (age 38.4 ± 3.
Evaluation of the Match External Load in Soccer: Methods Comparison.
Int J Sports Physiol Perform
April 2017
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how effectively two methods of match analysis for external-load detection align, looking at various speeds and metabolic power thresholds in elite male soccer players.
- Data were analyzed from 60 matches involving 1200 players across top European leagues, utilizing a validated multicamera system.
- Results indicated a strong correlation between the two methods, but significant biases in distance measures suggest that while they can be used separately, choosing one method consistently is crucial to avoid discrepancies in assessing external load during matches.
Performance analysis in field hockey goalkeeping during penalty corners: a case study.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness
November 2016
Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the kinematics of field hockey goalkeeping during penalty corners, in order to provide the first model of performance from a physical standpoint during this particular and important phase of goalkeeping that goes from the injection of the ball (the push‑in) up to the shot on goal during a penalty corner. In particular, the focus was on the preparation phase before the actual saves.
Methods: Four goalkeepers playing at the international level (age: 22±2.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted on 33 octogenarians to evaluate their cardiovascular and autonomic responses to adapted physical exercise using noninvasive methods.
- Results showed that exercise significantly increased mean arterial pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output, while reducing systemic vascular resistance, with changes settling during early recovery.
- Findings indicate that adapted physical activity can effectively activate the cardiovascular system in very old individuals, producing similar responses as seen in younger adults, though care is needed in the recovery phase post-exercise.
Physical and physiological demands in women pole dance: a single case study.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness
April 2017
Aim: to investigate the physical and physiological demands of a pole dancer's performance studied during a simulated competition, lasting 3 min 30 sec.
Methods: one single woman pole dancer, (age: 22 years; height: 1.56m; body weight: 52kg; BMI: 21.