The objective of the present study is to evaluate and compare the effect of a nutritional intervention between adolescent and adult. In a before and after quasi-experimental clinical study, 32 athletes (21 adults, age range 20–32 years; 11 adolescents, age range: 12–19 years) participated in a nutritional counselling consisting of four consultations separated by an interval of 45 to 60 days. The athlete’s eating behaviour, body composition and nutrition knowledge were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the protocol. Both groups increased lean body mass and nutritional knowledge. Adolescents increased their mid-arm muscle circumference and improved meal frequency, and daily water intake. Athletes of both groups improved their ingestion of vegetables and fruits and decreased the ingestion of sweets and oils. Adolescents showed a higher prevalence of individuals that remained within or approached to the recommendations of sweets. This is the first study to evaluate and compare the effect of a nutritional intervention between adolescent and adult athletes body composition, eating behaviour and nutritional knowledge. The nutritional counselling has been effective in promoting beneficial changes on the athlete’s eating behaviour, nutritional knowledge and body composition, however, some healthy changes were only experienced by adolescents, especially in the frequency of meals and the intake of sweets.

Regular physical exercise is an important factor to reduce the indexes of cardiovascular and all causes morbimortality. However, there is, apparently, additional and independent benefits of the regular practice of physical exercise and the improvement of the level of aerobic condition. Heart rate (HR) is mediated primarily by the direct activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically through the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches activities over the sinus node autorhythmicity, with predominance of the vagal activity (parasympathetic) at rest, that is progressively inhibited since the onset of the exercise. The HR behavior has been widely studied during different conditions and protocols associated to the exercise. A reduction of the cardiac vagal tone (parasympathetic function) and consequently a diminished HR variability in rest, independently of the protocol of measurement used, is related to an autonomic dysfunction, chronic-degenerative diseases and increased mortality risk. Individuals with high levels of aerobic condition have a lower resting HR, along with a larger parasympathetic activity or smaller sympathetic activity, but it is not necessarily a direct consequence of the exercise training, as long as other inherent adaptations to the aerobic conditioning can influence the resting HR. The HR response in the onset of the exercise represents the integrity of the vagus nerve, and the HR recovery on the post-exercise transient also denotes important prognostic information; by the way, individuals that have a slow HR recovery in the first minute post-exercise have increased mortality risk. In conclusion, the physiological mechanisms modulating HR during or after an exercise program are not totally clear, and further studies are needed

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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has numerous external load control variables. The management of these variables makes the physiological responses and performance presented by athletes also modify. The present study aimed to assess the activity of CK and LDH enzymes, performance and metabolic responses caused by two HIIT protocols above the maximum in male recreational runners. Fifteen recreational male runners performed two HIIT protocols in randomized order with multiple conditions: 1) H15 ( n = 15), with a HIIT protocol of 15:15 work-recovery duration, and 2) H30 ( n = 15) with a HIIT protocol of 30:30 work-recovery duration. Both protocols were performed at similar intensity (130% vV̇O 2 max ), one set until voluntary exhaustion. Blood samples were collected and used to capture the levels and activities of blood lactate (BLac: mmol⋅L –1 ), glucose (GLU: mg⋅dL –1 ), creatine kinase (CK: U⋅L –1 ), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH: U⋅L –1 ). BLac and GLU were collected at pre, five, and ten minutes after the H15 and H30 protocols were performed. Blood samples were used to measure the activities of CK and LDH enzymes, which were verified 24 h before and 48 h after the protocols. The distance traveled (m), total time (s), and bouts performed (rep) were also registered. Significant differences between conditions H15 and H30 were observed in the bouts performed ( p = 0.001; ES = 1.19). Several statistical differences were found over time for BLac [pre vs. post 5 (both conditions: p = 0.001), pre vs. post 10 (both conditions: p = 0.001), and post 5 vs. post 10 (H30: p = 0.004)], CK [pre vs. post 24 (H15: p < 0.001; ES = 0.97 and H30: p = 0.001; ES = 0.74) post 24 vs. post 48 (H30: p = 0.03; ES = 0.56)], and LDH [pre vs. post24 (H15: p = 0.008; ES = 1.07 and H30: p = 0.022; ES = 0.85). No statistical differences between conditions were observed for any blood parameter. Thus, the volunteers exhibited equal performance in both protocols, which resulted in a similar physiological response. Despite this similarity, in comparison to H15, the H30 protocol presented lower CK activity post 48 and lactate levels after 10 min post protocol.

O teste de exercício de quatro segundos (T4s) é validado farmacologicamente para a avaliação da função vagal cardíaca e consiste em pedalar, o mais rápido possível, um cicloergômetro sem carga do quarto ao oitavo segundo de uma apnéia inspiratória máxima de 12 segundos. Um índice vagal cardíaco (IVC) adimensional é obtido pelo quociente entre a duração dos ciclos cardíacos (intervalos RR no eletrocardiograma) imediatamente antes e o mais curto do exercício. Objetivou-se determinar a fidedignidade inter e intradia do T4s e a necessidade de realizar duas tentativas, conforme descrito no protocolo original. No estudo 1, analisou-se prospectivamente a fidedignidade interdias dos resultados de 15 indivíduos assintomáticos (28 ± 6 anos) submetidos ao T4s por cinco dias seguidos, sendo realizadas duas tentativas a cada dia. Para determinar a fidedignidade intradia do IVC, foram realizadas, randomicamente em um dos dias, nove tentativas consecutivas do T4s. No estudo 2, calculou-se, retrospectivamente, a fidedignidade intradia do IVC de 1.699 indivíduos (47 ± 17 anos) em duas tentativas. O IVC apresentou elevada fidedignidade intradia e interdias (r i = 0,92; IC 95% = 0,84 a 0,97 e r i = 0,77; IC 95% = 0,49 a 0,92, respectivamente) no estudo 1, assim como, no estudo 2 (r i = 0,89; IC 95% = 0,88 a 0,90). Apesar da elevada fidedignidade, havia mínimas diferenças entre as médias (média ± EPM = 1,32 ± 0,01 vs. 1,37 ± 0,01; p < 0,001), sendo que em apenas 15% dos casos essa diferença foi maior do que 0,20, não representando, assim, maior relevância clínica. Verificou-se, ainda, que, em 65% das observações, a segunda tentativa foi considerada a melhor e que a realização de apenas uma induziria a erros de interpretação clínica em 27% dos dados. Em síntese, este estudo demonstrou a elevada fidedignidade do IVC avaliado pelo T4s, além de justificar a necessidade de realizar duas tentativas consecutivas em seu protocolo.

Purpose. To compare the performance in the execution of specific motor skills among novice futsal players in 3 competitive categories (U-7, U-9, and U-11) and to compare their performance in specific motor skills during the offensive and defensive phases of the game. Methods. Ten specific motor skills were investigated, including 6 offensive actions and 4 defensive actions, in 49 futsal players aged 6-11 years. Technical performance was analysed in terms of the number of actions, the effectiveness of the action (successful or unsuccessful), and where the action occurred (offensive or defensive midfield). One-way ANOVA was used with the Tukey test, when appropriate, or Student's t-test, with a significance level of 5%. Results. Players in the older categories were more effective defensively than those in the younger categories (F 2,46 = 6.04, p < 0.01, partial 2 = 0.21). The two older groups had an approximately two-and three-fold greater chance, respectively, of executing successful defensive technical actions (OR = 1.82, p < 0.05; OR = 2.83, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the players were more technically effective in the offensive phase of the game than in the defensive phase (M = 41.35, SD = 21.53 and M = 16.47, SD = 7.90, respectively; t 96 = 7.60, p < 0.01, d = 1.69). Conclusions. Players in older competitive categories were more effective, and players were more effective offensively than defensively.

-Aims:This study aimed to verify the relationship between of anthropometric and physical performance variables with game-related statistics in professional elite basketball players during a competition. Methods: Eleven male basketball players were evaluated during 10 weeks in two distinct moments (regular season and playoffs). Overall, 11 variables of physical fitness and 13 variables of game-related statistics were analysed. Results: The following significant Pearson's correlations were found in regular season: percentage of fat mass with assists (r = -0.62) and steals (r = -0.63); height (r = 0.68), lean mass (r = 0.64), and maximum strength (r = 0.67) with blocks; squat jump with steals (r = 0.63); and time in the T-test with successful two-point field-goals (r = -0.65), successful free-throws (r = -0.61), and steals (r = -0.62). However, in playoffs, only stature and lean mass maintained these correlations (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The anthropometric and physical characteristics of the players showed few correlations with the game-related statistics in regular season, and these correlations are even lower in the playoff games of a professional elite championship, wherefore, not being good predictors of technical performance.

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