Mental fatigue and ball sports: a narrative review focused on physical, technical, and tactical performance

Abstract Aim: This narrative review aimed to explore the effect of mental fatigue on physical, technical, and tactical performance in ball sports. Methods: Three Databases, PUBMED, SCOPUS, and SCIELO, were used to search for a scientific publication. The criterions adopted were: a) published in a peer-reviewed journal; b) adopted at least one manipulation check related to mental fatigue; c) mental fatigue induced by a cognitive task before the outcome task, and d) study participants were ball sports athletes. Result: The quality of this narrative review was rated at 11 (SANRA scale 0-12), and the papers analyzed were published between 2015 and 2022. Twenty-one experimental studies were included in this review. Most studies were in invasion sports (n = 13; 72%), and non-ecological tasks were used to induce mental fatigue (n = 15; 83%). Regarding performance in endurance tests, mentally fatigued athletes had performance impaired. However, when assessed during a small-sided or simulated game, data were inconclusive within the literature. Moreover, athletes presented attenuated perceptual skills (e.g., visual field). Consequently, this worsened motor skills, technical-tactical performances, and tactical behavior. Conclusions: Cognitively demanding tasks should be avoided before training and sports competitions because they can lead the athlete to mental fatigue and impair performance. This impairment is identified in physical performance (endurance tasks) and technical and tactical performance. Finally, it is recommended that athletes do not perform tasks that cause mental fatigue 2 h before the sports event.

Impact of increasing age on high-performance Olympic triathletes in male and female: a case report

Abstract Aim: Increasing age is associated with significant changes in athletes' performance; however, it is not yet known how increasing age could influence the performance of triathletes. In this sense, the present study aimed to investigate how the performance of two elite triathletes (HCK and AD), who participated and finished the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London, could change over the years. Methods: This study reports two cases (male and female) with cross-sectional and retrospective characteristics that describe how the increasing age changes the performance of two elite triathletes who participated in four consecutive Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012). Pearson correlation test was used to verify the correlation between the performance and age of the triathletes. A value of p < 0.05 was assumed to show statistical significance. Results: The results suggest that both triathletes showed impaired performance at the Summer Games in Athens in 2004. When the two athletes were analyzed together, positive correlations were observed between age and transition 1 (T1; swim-to-cycle) and transition 2 (T2; cycle-to-run). Also, a high correlation was found between T2 and age for HCK but not for AD. The results showed a significant correlation between increasing age and a reduction in running performance for HCK. Conclusion: Although the two triathletes improved overall time throughout the Olympic Games, this improvement did not correlate with age. Thus, the increasing age does not seem to impact these two athletes during the four Olympic events.

Acute effects of the intensity in the agonistantagonist paired-set on the neuromuscular performance / Efeito agudo da intensidade no sistema agonista-antagonista pareado por série sobre o desempenho neuromuscular

The intensity employed in the agonist-antagonist paired-set (AAPS) system may influence neuromuscular performance due to increased fatigue and decreased antagonist coactivation. However, it is not yet known whether performing submaximal repetitions at different intensities (i.e., wit h out m uscle failure) negatively affects agonist muscle performance. The aim of this study was to verify the acute effect of the AAPSsystem performed at different intensities with submaximal repetitions. 20 trained m ales in resistance training (RT) (21.8 [3.1] years; 76.9 [9.7] kg; 1.7 [0.0] m; 24.3 [2.6] kg/m2 ) participated of this investigation. All the participants were allocated in a randomized order in one of the two AAPS configurations: high-load (HL) or low-load (LL). In the HL condition, the individuals were submit t ed to one set of eight repetitions at 75% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the knee flexion (i.e., antagonist), followed by 75% 1RM knee extension (i.e., agonist) exercise until momentary concentric failure. In t he LL condition, they performed one set of 12 repetitions at 50% 1RMin the knee flexion, followed by knee extension at 75%1RM also until momentary concentric failure. Both experimental conditions p resented similar values for the number of repetitions, without significant difference (p= 0.66, ES= 0.15). Thus, our data suggest that the adoption of AAPS system without an increase of the antagonist fatigue and consequently no reduction of coactivation, acutely, may not lead to increased p erfo rm an ce o f target musculature during a resistance exercise session...(AU)

A intensidade empregada no sistema agonista-antagonista pareado por série ( AAPS) pode influenciar o desempenho neuromuscular devido ao aumento da fadiga e diminuição da co ativação do antagonista. No entanto, ainda não se sabe se realizar repetições submáximas em diferentes intensidades (i.e., sem falha muscular) afeta negativamente o desempenho muscular. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o efeito agudo do sistema AAPS realizado em diferentes intensidades com repetições submáximas. 20 homens treinados em treinamento resistido (TR) (21.8 ± 3.1 anos; 76.9 ± 9.7 kg; 1.7 ± 0.0 m; 24.3 ± 2.6 kg/m2 ) participaram desta investigação. Todos os participantes foram alocados, de forma aleatória, em uma das duas configurações do sistema AAPS: alta-carga (AC) ou baixa- carga (BC). Na condição AC, os indivíduos foram submetidos a uma série de oito repetições a 75% 1RMno exercício de flexão do joelho (i.e., antagonista), seguido por uma série a 75% 1RM de extensão do joelho até a falha oncêntrica momentânea. Ambas as condições experimentais apresentaram v alores sim ilares para o número de repetições, sem diferença significante (p = 0.66, TE = 0.15). Assim, nossos dados sugerem que a adoção do sistema AAPSsem aumento da fadiga do antagonista e consequentemente sem redução da coativação, agudamente, pode não levar ao aumento do desempenho da musculatura alvo durante uma sessão de exercício resistido...(AU)

The relationship between relative age effects and sex, age categories and playing positions in Brazilian National Handball Teams

Abstract Aims: This study investigated the existence of Relative Age Effect (RAE) in the selection process of male and female athletes in the Brazilian national handball teams according to age categories (U-18, U-21, and senior) and playing position (wings, backs, pivots, and goalkeepers). Methods: In order to determine RAE, athletes were divided based on their months of birth; quarters Q1 (January-March), Q2 (April-June), Q3 (July-September), and Q4 (October-December). Data were collected from the official Brazilian Handball Confederation (CBHb) website and included the athletes that participated in training and/or competitions composing the Brazilian national teams from 2014 to 2018. To determine the RAE on playing positions, age categories of male and female groups were pooled. Chi-squared tests were performed to investigate the RAE. Results: An over-representation of players born in Q1 and Q2 in the U-18, U-20, and senior categories of male teams and the U-20, and senior female teams were found. In the male teams, as the age category increased, RAE decreased, but still existed. Such distribution was reversed in the female athletes, with a higher RAE magnitude in the senior category as compared to U-18 and U-21. Additionally, it seems that RAE is dependent on the playing position only for male athletes (wings and backs) whereas RAE was found for all playing positions in female athletes. Conclusion: Overall, RAE was found in Brazilian national handball teams, but its magnitude and form of manifestation seem to be influenced by sex, category, and playing position.