The use of negative pressure wave treatment in athlete recovery

Background: Athletes need to recover fully to maximise performance in competitive sport. Athletes who replenish more quickly and more efficiently are able to train harder and more intensely. Elite athletes subjectively report positive results using lower body negative pressure (LBNP) treatment as an alternate method for rapid recovery, restoring and improving their impaired physical state. Objective data on the efficacy are lacking.Objectives: To investigate the effect of intermittent vacuum therapy on accelerating acute recovery following an athlete's normal daily training schedule of strenuous exercise. Objective measurements of biological markers of muscular fatigue were used to assess recovery.Methods: Twenty-two male cricket players in a randomised cross-over study were divided into a treatment and control group respectively. Following a one-hour high-intensity gym session, the treatment group received three 30-minute LBNP exposure sessions over three consecutive days (0, 24 and 48 hours). Blood lactate and creatine kinase biomarkers were collected to measure the recovery process. After 14 days groups were crossed over and the trial repeated.Results: Heart rate and blood pressure decreased noticeably during treatment, reverting to baseline levels after treatment. Lactate concentrations decreased in both groups after exercise termination; significantly more in the treatment (0.57±0.23 mmol/l) than control group (0.78±0.22 mmol/l), p<0.001). Creatine kinase (CK) was similar in both groups. Athletes' subjective assessments of recovery rated moderately high.Conclusion: LBNP therapy applied as treatment during routine schedule may have a systemic effect in lowering serum lactate levels, but not CK levels. Enhanced recovery of athletes is still unconfirmed

The Relationship of Overweight and Obesity to the Motor Performance of Children Living in South Africa

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between overweight and obesity and the motor performance of nine- to 13-year-old South African children.Design: The study used a one-way cross-sectional design based on baseline measurements.Settings and subjects: The research group comprised 280 Grade 4; 5 and 6 learners (128 boys and 152 girls) from two schools that represented a distribution of socio-economic status; race and gender.Outcome measures: Anthropometric [(body mass index (BMI) and fat percentage] and motor performance measurements (fine manual control; manual coordination; body coordination and strength and agility) were obtained by means of the Fitnessgram and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-II. International age-specific cut-off points were used to classify the children's body composition as normal weight; overweight or obese. Data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics; correlation matrices and analysis of variance; followed by a Tukey post hoc analysis.Results: The results showed that running speed and agility decreased significantly with an increase in BMI. Muscular strength also decreased significantly with a smaller practical significance; while fine manual control; manual coordination; and body coordination showed the weakest relationship to BMI. Analysis of variance showed significant relationships between BMI and running speed and agility (p-value 0.05). These relationships were influenced differently by gender and ethnicity. Conclusion: The motor performance of young South African children was negatively influenced by overweight and obesity. Intervention strategies are recommended to reduce the consequences of overweight and obesity in the overall development of such children

Valeurs érythrocytaires de jeunes footballeurs en périodes de compétition et de treve au Benin / Erythrocyte values during competition and transition periods in young football players of Benin

Les valeurs érythrocytaires et le statut martial varient en fonction des périodes de la saison chez le sportif de haut niveau. Ces variations chez les pratiquants béninois n'ont jamais été évaluées. La présente étude a pour objectif de comparer le niveau des paramètres érythrocytaires entre de jeunes footballeurs et des non sportifs, en période de compétition et à la fin d'une trêve de 2 semaines. Il s'agit d'une étude prospective et analytique, réalisée sur 20 jeunes footballeurs de troisième division (FB), engagés dans deux compétitions différentes (scolaire et civile) et 25 jeunes non sportifs (NS). Les paramètres érythrocytaires ont été mesurés en simple aveugle, suite à 14 semaines d'entraînement et de compétition (1er prélèvement), puis après une trêve de 2 semaines succédant à 7 autres semaines de compétition (2ème prélèvement). Après les 14 semaines d'entraînement et de compétition, les paramètres étudiés étaient plus élevés chez les footballeurs que chez les non sportifs (p < 0,05). Après les 2 semaines de trêve, les variations entre test et retest ont été non significatives dans le groupe FB, de même que les différences entre les groupes FB et NS (p > 0,05). Les valeurs érythrocytaires des joueurs de football étudiés diffèrent de celles des non sportifs en période de compétition, mais pas en fin de trêve.

Seasonal Incidence and Nature of Cricket Injuries among Elite South African Schoolboy Cricketers

Objective. To identify the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by elite South African schoolboy cricketers. Design. Data were collected retrospectively using a questionnaire. Cricketers recalled all injuries from June 2003 to May 2004. Setting. The population consisted of 196 cricketers representing all provincial teams in the 2004 under-19 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola cricket week. Results. Sixty-seven injuries were sustained by 196 cricketers; with an incidence of 34.2during the period under review. Injuries occurred during matches (71.6); throughout the season due to repetitive stresses sustained during matches and practices (14.9); during practice (11.9) and during other forms of training (1.5). Bowling accounted for 50.7of the injuries; fielding 32.8; batting 14.9and the remaining 1.5occurred while warming up or training. The primary mechanism of injury occurred during the delivery stride and follow through of the fast bowler (34.3). Eighty seven per cent of the injuries were first-time injuries while 13were recurrent. Most injuries (40.6) reported were severe and took the cricketers more than 21 days to recover. Cricketers were more prone to injury during December and January. Conclusion. The incidence and nature of injuries have been recorded and potential risk factors for injury have been identified. It is suggested that coaches and cricketers partake in continuous educational processes that focus on all the physical; mental and technical components necessary for success in cricket; with a national database