Objective: To describe the characteristics of badminton in order to determine the energy requirements, temporal structure, and movements in the game that indicate performance level. To use the findings to plan training with greater precision. Methods: Eleven badminton players (mean (SD) age 21.8 (3.26) years) with international experience from four different countries (France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal) were studied. Two of the Spanish players were monitored in several matches, giving a total of 14 samples, all during the 1999 Spanish International Tournament. Blood lactate concentration was measured with a reflective photometer. Maximum and average heart rates were recorded with a heart rate monitor. Temporal structure and actions during the matches were determined from video recordings. All variables were measured during and after the game and later analysed using a descriptive study. Results:The results confirmed the high demands of the sport, with a maximum heart rate of 190.5 beats/min and an average of 173.5 beats/min during matches over 28 minutes long and performance intervals of 6.4 seconds and rest time of 12.9 seconds between exchanges. Conclusions:The results suggest that badminton is characterised by repetitive efforts of alactic nature and great intensity which are continuously performed throughout the match. An awareness of these characteristics, together with data on the correlations between certain actions such as unforced errors and winning shots and the final result of the match, will aid in more appropriate planning and monitoring of specific training. P revious research has analysed the characteristics of effort in training and competition in racket sports such as tennis 1 2 and squash. 3 This has made it possible to create a profile of the energetic and physiological demands involved, which has enabled the physical capacity necessary to practise these sports to be established. However, there are not sufficient data on badminton to allow a more realistic assessment of energy expenditure in competitive matches.It is not known which are the most important aspects of performance in badminton, what should be improved to increase playing level, and what factors lead to favourable results when competitors are of a similar level. This is compounded by ignorance of certain parameters of play that can be related to performance in competition and their effect on the final result.Research 4-7 has shown the importance of studying physiological variables such as lactate concentration and heart rate to determine the energy requirements of physical activity and sport.Although badminton has increased in popularity since its inclusion as an official sport in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, research on performance capacity (the optimum performance level players can reach, which should be used as a point of reference for coaches of top players) is still scarce. However, we should point out the studies of Carlson et al 8 and Alvero 9 on heart rates obtained for young sportsmen during competition. Minimum,...

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The aim of the present study was to determine statistical differences in a set of badminton competition matches in five different modalities with regard to competition level (Group Phase vs. Eliminatory Phase). Data from 453 sets (125 in men’s singles; 108 sets in women’s singles; 77 sets in men’s doubles; 73 in women’s doubles and 70 in mixed doubles) from the RIO 2016 Olympics Games were recorded and classified in two groups of variables to analyze variables related to match (5) and set (15). A descriptive analysis and univariate test (Mann–Whitney U) for non-parametric data were conducted. The results show in men’s and women’s singles all the variables related to match were higher in the Elimination Phase than in the Group Phase ( p < 0.01). In Sets 1 and 3, the longest set duration, rally and average rally were found in the Elimination Phase than Group Stage ( p < 0.05). In women’s singles, these differences were also recorded in Set 2. For doubles, the results are more stable among groups. Men’s doubles had a longer duration of the match and set (sets 1 and set 2) ( p < 0.01), and also scored highest for average rally strokes (sets 1 3) ( p < 0.05) and shuttles used in the Elimination Phase vs. the Group Phase along the match ( p < 0.01). In women’s doubles, more shuttles were used in a match in the Elimination than in the Group Phase. Moreover, the same results are established for Set 2, including for average rally. Mixed doubles saw no match going to three sets. However, the greatest differences showed a longer rally and average rally being registered in the Elimination than in the Group Phase. In conclusion, the timing factors of the badminton singles and doubles games were different in the Elimination and Group Phases. This information may help players and coaches prepare and administer different types of workouts or, more specifically, competition schedules adapted to the characteristics of modern badminton.

The competitive performance in tennis practice is determined by the effectiveness of technical tactical action. The main objective of the present study was to design and validate an observational instrument with the aim of analysing the technical-tactical in singles tennis. The instrument uses the stroke as a unit of measure, so that each time a player hits a ball, a total of 23 variables are analyzed. The variables collect information about: (a) matching context; (b) result; and (c) technical-tactical information of the stroke (five variables: sequences of the stroke of the point, kind of technical and tactical stroke, bounce area, hitting, and effectiveness area). The design and validation of the instrument consisted on five different stages: (a) review of the scientific literature and variables definition by experts, (b) pilot observation study, (c) qualitative and quantitative assessment of the instrument by experts, (d) review and confirmation of the instrument by experts (content validity), and (e) observation training and reliability evaluation. From 23 expert judges, divided into three panels, and four observers the instrument went from being composed of 38 variables (eight contextual, seven related to the result and 23 related to the game) to 23 (eight contextual variables, 10 of result and five of game), with minimum Aikens's V values of 0.94 and reliability of 0.81. The results show that the designed instrument allows obtaining valid and objective information about the technical-tactical actions of the players and their performance in singles tennis

The main aims of this study were, firstly, to investigate the frequency, location, and severity of injuries in amateur badminton players, and then to determine risk factors that may be associated with a higher incidence of injuries. A cross-sectional study, composed of 150 players drawn from the 2018 BWF European Senior Championships, was analyzed. The definitions and types of injury included in the study are based on those published in previous epidemiology studies. Among the 150 players analyzed, 221 injuries were observed, of which the highest proportion (40.3%, n = 89) affected the lower limb. Of these 22.44% were to the knee and 18.3% to the leg. In the upper limb, the shoulder was most frequently affected (11.8%). The mean rate of injuries per 1000 hours of play was 0.134 (standard deviation [SD]: 0.1), with 0.138 (SD: 0.1) among the male players and 0.131 (SD: 0.08) among the female players ( P = .981: F = 0.001). The average duration of the injuries suffered exceeded 28 days in 34.5% of the cases. The incidence of injury varied according to sex and age. Most injuries affected the muscles, especially those of the knee (in the lower limbs) and the shoulder (in the upper limbs).

The aim of this study was to evaluate possible gender differences in match play activity pattern [rally duration, rest time between rallies, effective playing time, and strokes performed during a rally] and exercise intensity (heart rate [HR], blood lactate [La], and subjective ratings of perceived exertion [RPE]) during 9 simulated badminton matches in male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) elite junior (16.0 ± 1.4 years) players. Results showed significant differences (all p < 0.05; effect size (ES) = 0.80-1.56) between male and female players in the activity pattern of match play, with male players engaged in longer rallies (6.8 ± 4.8 vs. 5.7 ± 3.1 seconds), executing more strokes per rally (6.4 ± 4.8 vs. 4.7 ± 2.8) and resting more between rallies (10.5 ± 8.8 vs. 8.8 ± 7.2 seconds) than female players. No clear differences (all p > 0.05; ES = -0.33 to 0.08) were observed between female or male players in average HR (174 ± 7 vs. 170 ± 9 b·min(-1)), %HRmax (89.2 ± 4.0% vs. 85.9 ± 4.3%), La (2.5 ± 1.3 vs. 3.2 ± 1.8 mmol·L(-1)), and RPE values (14.2 ± 1.9 vs. 14.6 ± 1.8) during match play, although male players spent more time (moderate effect sizes) at intensities between 81 and 90% HRmax (35.3 ± 17.9 vs. 25.3 ± 13.6; p < 0.05; ES = 0.64) in the second game. There seemed to be a trend toward an increased playing intensity (i.e., higher HR, La, and RPE) from the first to the second game, highlighting the higher exercise intensity experienced during the last part of the match. The clear between-gender differences in activity patterns induced only slightly different physiological responses.

The aim of this study was to analyse the temporal structure of individual tennis play on hard courts in adolescence. Thirtytwo national-level tennis players (16 females, 16 males) participated in the study (age 15.690.9 years, weight 61.791.4 kg, height 1.7090.14 m). All participants played an official competition on hard courts and with the same type of balls. Games were recorded for later analysis of total play time, real play time, and resting time, both in absolute values and as a percentage of total time. The average duration of a point and the number of strokes per rally were also determined. Results showed no differences based on gender, with a total play time of 105.00920.00 min, real play time of 31.5095.83 min, and resting time of 73.598.50 min. The ratio of work to resting time was 1:2.7, the number of strokes per rally was 5.1290.17, and a point lasted an average of 9.0890.60 s. Our results show the importance of keeping in mind the technical evolution of players at this age, with the goal of reaching maximum athletic performance. The adolescent players showed approximately the same number of strokes per rally, but with a greater average duration compared with adult elite athletes.

Abstract:The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-machine reliability attained from devices used to measure the common variables in sports performance.