Changes of Selected Haematological Parameters in a Female Team during the 25th African Handball Winners’ Cup Played at Cotonou (Benin)

Abstract

<span style="font-size:8.5pt;">The performance in team sports partly depends on the oxygen transport capacity that is also associated with the erythrocyte values, which should be regularly assessed throughout the sports season. This controlled observational study aims at measuring the haematologic modifications induced by the physical load associated with a series of matches in a Benin Division 1 female handball team. It was carried out at Cotonou during the 25th African Handball Winners’ Cup, with 22 female handball players of the Beninese champion team, divided into an experimental group (EG: n = 16) and a control one (CG: n = 6). The red blood cell count (RBC), the rates of Hb (Hb) and haematocrit (Ht), the Wintrobe’s constants and four iron parameters were assessed prior to and after a series of four matches played in six days. At the end of the competition, RBC increased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05), but the increases in Hb and Ht were non-significant (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Serum iron, serum transferrin and total iron binding capacity decreased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The results suggest an improvement in the players’ diet by highly protein enriched foods and erythropoiesis raw materials. They also suggest that the girls may adopt adequate hydric practices, in order to compensate for water losses during matches and training sessions.</span><span style="font-size:8.5pt;"></span> <p> <br /> </p

Anthropometric and Hematological Profile of some selected Ethiopian Premier League Male Soccer Players in the Final Competitive Season

“…In most research studies, soccer players are classified into four groups: forwards or attackers, midfielders, defenders, and goalkeepers. Players of different positions have a very different workload during a game: midfielders run the longest distances (up to 11-11.5 km) compared to forwards or defenders whereas goalkeepers run around 4 km (10). Previous studies have reported that each specific playing position may have unique physical and physiological requirements (29).…”

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“…In spite of the repetitive character of this situation, neither the direct actors nor the leaders at different levels do very much to control the factors causing this absence of constant satisfactory results. Most reflections and scientific publications on the question in Beninese athletes were limited to the purely physiological aspects during team sports competitions (Bio Nigan et al, 2013;Messan et al, 2012;Tonon et al, 2012;Gouthon et al, 2011;Gouthon et al, 2009;Tonon et al, 2009). The rare scientific publications relating to the organizational analysis of sport in Benin were interested in the evolution of sports policy (Gouda, 2010;Dakpo, 2007;Chifflet and Gouda, 1992), with that of the performances and the institutions in charge of its management since 1960 (Gouda and Kpazaï, 2012).…”