ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess objective strain and subjective muscle soreness in "Bigs" (offensive and defensive line), "Combos" (tight ends, quarterbacks, line backers, and running backs), and "Skills" (wide receivers and defensive backs) in American college football players during off-season, fall camp, and in-season phases. METHODS: Twenty-three male players were assessed once weekly (3-wk off-season, 4-wk fall camp, and 3-wk in-season) for hydroperoxides (free oxygen radical test [FORT]), antioxidant capacity (free oxygen radical defense test [FORD]), oxidative stress index (OSI), countermovement-jump flight time, Reactive Strength Index (RSI) modified, and subjective soreness. Linear mixed models analyzed the effect of a 2-within-subject-SD change between predictor and dependent variables. RESULTS: Compared to fall camp and in-season phases, off-season FORT (P ≤ .001 and <.001), FORD (P ≤ .001 and <.001), OSI (P ≤ .001 and <.001), flight time (P ≤ .001 and <.001), RSI modified (P ≤ .001 and <.001), and soreness (P ≤ .001 and <.001) were higher for "Bigs," whereas FORT (P ≤ .001 and <.001) and OSI (P = .02 and <.001) were lower for "Combos." FORT was higher for "Bigs" compared to "Combos" in all phases (P ≤ .001, .02, and .01). FORD was higher for "Skills" compared with "Bigs" in off-season (P = .02) and "Combos" in-season (P = .01). OSI was higher for "Bigs" compared with "Combos" (P ≤ .001) and "Skills" (P = .01) during off-season and to "Combos" in-season (P ≤ .001). Flight time was higher for "Skills" in fall camp compared with "Bigs" (P = .04) and to "Combos" in-season (P = .01). RSI modified was higher for "Skills" during off-season compared with "Bigs" (P = .02) and "Combos" during fall camp (P = .03), and in-season (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Off-season American college football training resulted in higher objective strain and subjective muscle soreness in "Bigs" compared with fall camp and during in-season compared with "Combos" and "Skills" players.
Subject(s)
Football , Myalgia , Humans , Male , United States , Football/physiology , Seasons , Reactive Oxygen Species , UniversitiesABSTRACT
Despite almost 25 y of fish oil supplementation (FS) research in athletes and widespread use by the athletic community, no systematic reviews of FS in athletes have been conducted. The objectives of this systematic review are to: 1) provide a summary of the effect of FS on the athlete's physiology, health, and performance; 2) report on the quality of the evidence; 3) document any side effects as reported in the athlete research; 4) discuss any risks associated with FS use; and 5) provide guidance for FS use and highlight gaps for future research. Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched up until April 2019. Only randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) in athletes, assessing the effect of FS on a health, physiological/biochemical, or performance variable were included. Of the 137 papers identified through searches, 32 met inclusion criteria for final analysis. Athletes varied in classification from recreational to elite, and from Olympic to professional sports. Mean age for participants was 24.9 ± 4.5 y, with 70% of RCTs in males. We report consistent effects for FS on reaction time, mood, cardiovascular dynamics in cyclists, skeletal muscle recovery, the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α, and postexercise NO responses. No clear effects on endurance performance, lung function, muscle force, or training adaptation were evident. Methodological quality, applying the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, ranged from 6 to a maximum of 11, with only 4 RCTs reporting effect sizes. Few negative outcomes were reported. We report various effects for FS on the athlete's physiology; the most consistent findings were on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, proinflammatory cytokines, and skeletal muscle. We provide recommendations for future research and discuss the potential risks with FS use.
