The aim of this study was to determine which skills and factors better predicted the outcomes of regular season volleyball matches in the Spanish "Superliga" and were significant for obtaining positive results in the game. The study sample consisted of 125 matches played during the 2010-11 Spanish men's first division volleyball championship. Matches were played by 12 teams composed of 148 players from 17 different nations from October 2010 to March 2011. The variables analyzed were the result of the game, team category, home/away court factors, points obtained in the break point phase, number of service errors, number of service aces, number of reception errors, percentage of positive receptions, percentage of perfect receptions, reception efficiency, number of attack errors, number of blocked attacks, attack points, percentage of attack points, attack efficiency, and number of blocks performed by both teams participating in the match. The results showed that the variables of team category, points obtained in the break point phase, number of reception errors, and number of blocked attacks by the opponent were significant predictors of winning or losing the matches. Odds ratios indicated that the odds of winning a volleyball match were 6.7 times greater for the teams belonging to higher rankings and that every additional point in Complex II increased the odds of winning a match by 1.5 times. Every reception and blocked ball error decreased the possibility of winning by 0.6 and 0.7 times, respectively.

Objectives: different active and passive post-exercise recovery techniques such as massage, foam rolling, stretching or ice baths among others, are used by elite athletes to promote effective physiological, physical, and mental restoration. However, limited research is available investigating the use of recovery strategies in professional soccer. As such, we aimed to explore and describe the use of strategies by professional teams throughout the season, describing competitive and preparatory phases. Methods: the present study collected data from all professional Spanish soccer teams who played in 'LaLiga' (The Spanish first division), during the season 2018-2019 (n = 20) and the ones promoted for the season 2019-2020 (n = 3). A six-section online survey was responded once. Results: teams used different recovery protocols and combinations, although natural and physical strategies such as sleep/nap, food/fluid replacement, cold/ice bath/shower/immersion, and massage were always present. However, there is no agreement in the protocols and timings employed. Three physical strategies showed a higher presence in the recovery protocols after competition: cold/ice bath/ shower/immersion, massage and foam rolling; always used by seventeen teams (74%), sixteen (70%) and thirteen (57%) respectively. The design and supervision of recovery are multidisciplinary tasks in 87% of the teams. Our findings also demonstrate that although there is a body of scientific evidence on recovery, a gap between theory and practice exists with 13% of the teams acknowledging that insufficient logistics and economic resources limit the use of some strategies, and two teams (9%) not periodizing or individualizing recovery. Conclusion: the investigation provided insight into the current use of recovery strategies by 'LaLiga' teams, highlighting that all clubs used them to one extent or another, but also that significant variability responding to individualized perceptions exists. Moreover, this study provides relevant contextual information that may be useful for professional soccer staff concerning the use of recovery strategies.

Background/ObjectiveBasketball players commonly use mouthguards for protecting their mouths from collisions with other players. Besides, literature reports that specific types of mouthguards may become an ergogenic device that facilitates a powerful jaw clenching, and a subsequent concurrent activation potentiation through this remote voluntary contraction of the mandible muscles.MethodsA randomized within-subjects design was used to study the effects of this mechanism on muscular performance (vertical jump, agility, bench press power and leg press power) into two different conditions (mouthguard and no mouthguard) in high-standard basketball players (n = 13). A mean differences analysis and a responder analysis were conducted.ResultsSignificant improvements were found (p < 0.05) in all vertical jump protocols using the mouthguard when compared to the no mouthguard conditions. However, no significant differences were found between the two conditions in agility and power (except in one load of bench press). Nevertheless, p-values were closer to statistical significance when analyzing the total time for the agility T-Test than when the first split time was under consideration (p = 0.111 and p = 0.944, respectively).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the use of custom-made, bite-aligning mouthguard had an ergogenic effect on jump outcomes and inconclusive results in agility T-Test in professional basketball players. From the results obtained in the present study, the use of this type of mouthguards seems to be more justified in power actions on the court than in the strength and conditioning sessions at the gym in well-trained players.

The main aim of the present review was to update the available evidence on the value interest of post-competition recovery strategies in male professional or semi-professional soccer players to determine its effect on post-game performance outcomes, physiological markers, and wellness indicators. Methods A structured search was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines using six online databases: Pubmed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The risk of bias was completed following the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were conducted to determine the between and within-group effects of different recovery strategies on performance, physiological markers and wellness data. Final meta-analyses were performed using the random-effects model and pooled standardized mean differences (SMD). Results Five randomized controlled trials that used Compression Garments (n = 3), Cold Water Immersion (n = 1), and acute Sleep Hygiene Strategy (n = 1) were included. Greater CMJ values at 48h for the intervention group (SMD = 0.70; 95% CI 0.14 to 1.25; p = 0.001; I 2 = 10.4%) were found. For the 20-m sprint and MVC, the results showed no difference either at 24h or 48h. For physiological markers (CK and CRP) and wellness data (DOMS), small to large SMD were present in favor of the intervention group both at 24h (-0.12 to-1.86) and

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