Chandler, PT, Pinder, SJ, Curran, JD, and Gabbett, TJ. Physical demands of training and competition in collegiate netball players. J Strength Cond Res 28(10): 2732-2737, 2014-We investigated the physical demands of netball match play and different training activities. Eight collegiate netball players participated in the study. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and accelerometer player load (PL) data were collected in 4 matches and 15 training sessions. Training sessions were classified as skills, game-based, traditional conditioning, or repeated high-intensity effort training. Accelerometer data were collected in 3 planes and were normalized to match play/training time (PL per minute, forward per minute, sideward per minute, and vertical per minute). Centers had a higher PL per minute than all other positions (effect size; ES = 0.67-0.91), including higher accelerations in the forward (ES = 0.82-0.92), sideward (ES = 0.61-0.93), and vertical (ES = 0.74-0.93) planes. No significant differences (p . 0.05) were found between positions for RPE and peak HR. Skills training had a similar PL to match play. However, the mean HR of skills training was significantly lower than match play and all other modes of training (ES = 0.77-0.88). Peak HR for skills training (186 6 10 b$min 21 ) and traditional conditioning (196 6 8 b$min 21 ) was similar to match play (193 6 9 b$min 21 ). There were no meaningful differences in RPE between match play and all modes of training. The center position produces greater physical demands during match play. The movement demands of netball match play are best replicated by skills training, whereas traditional conditioning best replicates the HR demands of match play. Other training modes may require modification to meet the physical demands of match play.

Our findings suggest, to our knowledge for the first time, that both the presence of a functioning arteriovenous fistula and immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine are associated with an increased aortic augmentation index in renal transplant recipients and could, therefore, be potential reversible contributors to the high cardiovascular risk profile in these patients.

Arterial stiffness potently predicts mortality in dialysis patients. Pulse-wave analysis permits the non-invasive assessment of indices of arterial stiffness and the central pressure waveform by applanation tonometry. The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of pulse-wave analysis in patients with chronic renal failure. A total of 188 subjects (23 healthy controls, along with 71 pre-dialysis, 67 dialysis and 27 transplant patients) took part. Duplicate measurements were recorded of brachial blood pressure using the semi-automated Omron 705 device and of the radial artery pressure waveform using applanation tonometry. The central pressure aortic waveform was then obtained by application of a transfer function incorporated into the SphygmoCor software. Central aortic mean blood pressure (MBP), indices of arterial stiffness [augmentation index (AIx) and time to reflection (TR)] and the subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) were analysed for intra-observer, inter-observer and long-term reproducibility using Bland-Altman plots. The mean (+/-S.D.) intra-observer difference was 0+/-4% for AIx, 0+/-20 ms for TR, 0+/-3 mmHg for aortic MBP and 0+/-18% for the SEVR. Inter-observer mean differences were 0+/-3% for AIx, 1+/-7 ms for TR, 1+/-4 mmHg for aortic MBP and 1+/-9% for the SEVR. For the long-term study, the mean differences were -1+/-9% for AIx, -2+/-13 mmHg for aortic MBP, -2+/-12 ms for TR and 1+/-29% for the SEVR. Pulse-wave analysis showed excellent reproducibility in all the studies, and is therefore suitable for use in all patients with chronic renal failure. Further prospective and interventional studies are now required to assess whether AIx and TR are important prognostic indices of cardiovascular events, and therefore relevant surrogate indices of arterial stiffness in this susceptible population.