The popularity of female soccer is increasing as well as the number of females playing soccer. Similarly, over the last twenty or so years, research in soccer has increased significantly, but a large disparity exists in the volume of studies involving male and female players. As a consequence of this, female players remain less well understood compared to males. The purpose of the present narrative review was to describe morphological characteristics, physiological demands, physical abilities and injuries in female soccer players. Physiological demands are similar between men’s and women’s soccer, but competitive women’s matches were characterized by nearly 33% less distance covered, although at higher intensity levels (maximum speeds greater than 15 km/h) than typically found in the men’s game. Sub-elite female players also tended to run less at higher intensity levels at the end of both halves in comparison with elite female players. High intensity running is an important factor of success in soccer since many critical moments of the game occur under this condition. The ability to rapidly change direction also determined elite, sub-elite and amateur levels. The implementation of functional training, which focused on soccer-specific drills and plyometric exercises, to improve explosive power, may improve conditioning in female soccer players as well as decrease the risk of injuries which was 3-8 times higher in females compared to males. This review presents an in-depth overview of the most influential factors for determining success in female soccer.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of medicine ball training on the strength and power in young female handball athletes. Twenty-one young female handball players (age, 16.9 ± 1.2 years) were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Experimental group (n = 11) participated in a 12-week medicine ball training program incorporated into the regular training session, whereas controls (n = 10) participated only in the regular training. Performance in the medicine ball throws in standing and sitting positions, 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench and shoulder press, and power test at 2 different loads (30 and 50% of 1RM) on bench and shoulder press were assessed at pre- and posttraining testing. The athletes participating in the medicine ball training program made significantly greater gains in all medicine ball throw tests compared with the controls (p < 0.01). Also, the experimental group made significantly greater gains in bench and shoulder press power than control group (p < 0.05). Both training groups (E) and (C) significantly (p < 0.05) increased 1RM bench and shoulder strength, with no differences observed between the groups. Additionally, medicine ball throw tests showed stronger correlation with power tests, than with 1RM tests. These data suggest that 12-week medicine ball training, when incorporated into a regular training session, can provide greater sport-specific training improvements in the upper body for young female handball players.
Summary The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of an adapted basketball training program on the cardiorespiratory fitness and sport skills performance of adolescents with mental retardation (MR). Fifty adolescents with mild MR who participated in this study were divided in two groups. Experimental group (n = 25; mean ± SD age: 15.7 ± 0.9 years) performed the adapted training program, four times per week during eight weeks. A control group (n = 25; mean ± SD age: 15.9 ± 0.8 years) followed ordinary physical education classes and continued with their normal lifestyle. Exercise testing included the six-minute walk test (6MWT), monitoring of heart rate frequency and sport skills performance test battery. Results showed a significant difference between groups pre- and post-treatment in 6MWT distance. The experimental group experienced a 10% increase in covered distance pre- to post-testing (p < 0.05), whereas controls had no significant changes in the same period. Conducted adapted training also resulted in significant improvement in examined sport skills performance. However, this kind and duration of experimental procedure did not result in significant differences in anthropometric variables and heart rate frequency. This study demonstrated that adapted basketball training is an adequate stimulus for improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness and sport skills performance of adolescents with mild MR. The advantage of this type of adaptive training program is that it does not require a large financial input, but only the engagement of a qualified and dedicated physical education professor.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of additional resistance training on cardiorespiratory endurance in young (15.8 ± 0.8 yrs) male basketball players. Experimental group subjects (n=23) trained twice per week for 12 weeks using a variety of general free-weight and machine exercises designed for strength acquisition, beside ongoing regular basketball training program. Control group subject (n=23) participated only in basketball training program. Oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) and related gas exchange measures were determined continuously during maximal exercise test using an automated cardiopulmonary exercise system. Muscle power of the extensors and flexors was measured by a specific computerized tensiometer. Results from the experimental group (VO(2max) 51.6 ± 5.7 ml.min(-1).kg(-1) pre vs. 50.9 ± 5.4 ml.min(-1).kg(-1) post resistance training) showed no change (p>0.05) in cardiorespiratory endurance, while muscle strength and power of main muscle groups increased significantly. These data demonstrate no negative cardiorespiratory performance effects on adding resistance training to ongoing regular training program in young athletes.
In this era of inten se study of free radical s and antioxidants, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is arguably the best-suited technique for suc h research, particularly when considering bioc hemical and bio logical systems. No attempt was made to cover all the topics of EPR application but instead attention was restricted to two areas that are both novel and received less attention in pre vious reviews. In the first section, the application of EPR in assessing the oxi dative status of var ious biological systems, using endogenous stabile paramagnetic species, such as the a scorbyl radical, semiquinone, melanin, and oxidized pigments, is addressed. The second section covers the use of EPR in the emerging field of antioxidant development, using EPR spin-trapping and spin-probing techniques. In both section s, in addition to giving an overview of the available literature, examples (mostly from the authors' recent work) ar e also presented in sufficient detail to illustrate how to explore the full potential of EPR. This review ai ms at encouraging biologists, chemists and pharmacologists interested in the redox metabolism of living systems, free radical chemistry or antioxidative properties of new drugs and natural products to take advantage of this technique for their investigations.
Toskić, LD, Dopsaj, MJ, Marković, MR, Toskić, DR, Ignjatović, AM. Mechanical and contractile properties of knee joint muscles measured by the method of tensiomyography in differently trained men and women. J Strength Cond Res 36(6): 1532–1539, 2022—The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in mechanical and contractile properties of knee joint flexor and extensor muscles between differently trained men and women, using tensiomyography (TMG). The sample consisted of 159 subjects (84 men and 75 women), who were assigned to one of 5 groups according to the following levels and types of their physical activity: physically inactive, physically active nonathletes, strength and power athletes, endurance athletes, and team sports athletes. Measurements were performed on the following knee flexor and extensor muscles of the dominant leg: rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus. The results showed significant differences in contraction time—Tc (F = 1.911, p = 0.010) and delay time—Td (F = 1.989, p = 0.007) parameters between differently trained men and women, whereas in other TMG parameters, there were no differences between groups. It is indicated that physical activities characteristic of strength and power sports (combat sports and sprint disciplines) could lead to an increased speed of twitch force generation and fast twitch muscle fibers, and that almost any regular, systematic, and planned physical activity leads to increased muscle responsiveness. Obtained results also indicated that TMG parameters do not have enough specific discriminatory power for detecting differences between differently trained young adults.
Race walking is the technical and athletic expression of fast walking and it can be considered as a type of endurance performance. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 12 weeks of a specially designed training program results in the further training enhancement of endurance performance and the related physiological parameters in already well-trained race walkers competing at the national and international level. The investigation protocol consisted of determining the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and related gas exchange values using an automated cardiopulmonary exercise system and of determining blood lactate variables (aerobic threshold - LTAer and the maximal lactate steady state - MLSS) during walking with proper technique at 8, 10, 12 and 14 km·h-1 for 4 minutes without rest in between. Thereafter, the speed on the treadmill was increased by 0.5 km·h-1 every two minutes until exhaustion to determine VO2peak. After 12 weeks of a specially designed endurance training, statistically significant increases in VO2peak (61.8±8.5 mL·kg-1·min-1 pre vs. 66.9±9.5 mL·kg-1·min-1 post training; p<0.05) and blood lactate variables (VO2-LTAer and VO2-MLSS; p<0.05) were noted. The obtained results suggest that the applied training program can improve endurance and race performance in previously well trained race walkers.
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