elite endurance performance training

This study compared external training load (ETL) and its temporal changes across repetitions during a speed endurance production (SEP) training comprised of 1 × 1 short-bout, small-sided games (SSGs) in elite youth soccer players. Twenty U18 players were divided into two groups (SEP1 and SEP2) performing six 30 s and 45 s bouts of SSG (work-to-rest ratio 1:4) on a 10 by 15 m field. ETL was characterized by the total distance covered, Player Load, the total number of accelerations/decelerations, and their relative values (per minute)...

This study aims to identify stroke regulation profiles and tipping-points in stroke regulation timing during international open water races according to performance level. Twelve elite or world-class swimmers were analysed during 18 international races. Stroke rate and jerk cost were computed cycle-to-cycle using an Inertial Measurement Unit and regulations profiles fitted using polynomials. We performed two-ways mixed-ANOVA to compare stroke kinematics among race segments and performance groups (G1 -fastest- to G3 -slowest-)...

Detraining refers to a loss of training adaptations resulting from reductions in training stimulus due to illness, injury, or active recovery breaks in a training cycle and is associated with a reduction in left ventricular mass (LVM). The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the influence of detraining on LVM in endurance-trained, healthy individuals. Using electronic databases (e.g., EMBASE & MEDLINE), a literature search was performed looking for prospective detraining studies in humans...

BACKGROUND: Breakdancing or breaking will enter the Olympics in 2024, however, there is a paucity of literature exploring the epidemiology, demands, and performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe injury and training profiles, along with the results of a short performance test battery, in a group of elite breakers. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study (retrospective). METHODS: Fourteen breakdancers (breakers) (4 Bgirls, 10 Bboys) participated in an interview regarding their injury and training history, endurance test (cycle VO2max testing), counter movement jump, squat jump, drop jump, isometric hip abduction, adduction, shoulder external and internal rotation strength testing on a fixed-frame dynamometer...

Athletic performance is a multifactorial trait influenced by a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors. Over the last decades, understanding and improving elite athletes' endurance and performance has become a real challenge for scientists. Significant tools include but are not limited to the development of molecular methods for talent identification, personalized exercise training, dietary requirements, prevention of exercise-related diseases, as well as the recognition of the structure and function of the genome in elite athletes...

BACKGROUND: Current research on athletic performance focuses on genetic variants that contribute significantly to individuals' performance. ACTN3 rs1815739 and PPARA-α rs4253778 gene polymorphisms are variants frequently associated with athletic performance among different populations. However, there is limited research examining the pre-and post-test results of some variants of athletic performance in soccer players. Therefore, the presented research is to examine the relationships between the ACTN3 rs1815739 and PPARA-α rs4253778 gene polymorphisms and athletic performance improvement rates in adaptations to six weeks of training in elite soccer players using some athletic performance tests...

BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate loading is an established sports nutrition strategy for endur- 16 ance exercise performance. We tested if carbohydrate loading could improve the performance of 17 elite soccer players under ecologically valid circumstances using Global Positioning System (GPS) data. METHODS: Twenty-two adult Iran Premier league soccer players were divided into a carbohydrate-loading group (CLG) and Control group (CG). The carbohydrate loading group restricted carbohydrate intake for three days to 1...

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of menstrual-cycle (MC) phase on measures of recovery status, that is, resting heart rate, perceived sleep quality, and physical and mental readiness to train, among female endurance athletes. METHODS: Daily data were recorded during 1 to 4 MCs (ie, duration ≥21 and ≤35 d, ovulatory, luteal phase ≥10 d) of 41 trained-to-elite-level female endurance athletes (mean [SD]: age 27 [8] y, weekly training: 9 [3] h)...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe individual training characteristics, racing strategies, and periodization in preparation for the Tour de France in 2 world-class road cyclists finishing in the top 5 of the general classification. METHODS: Week-by-week power meter training and racing data of 2 (A and B) road cyclists (age: 29 and 23 y; maximum oxygen consumption: 83 and 81 mL·min-1·kg-1; and relative 20-min record power output: 6...

PURPOSE: Total hemoglobin mass (tHbmass) and blood volume (BV) are important determinants of maximal oxygen uptake and endurance capacity. Higher-caliber endurance athletes usually possess higher tHbmass and BV values. This study aimed to compare tHbmass and BV among swimmers of diverse competitive calibers and distances. METHODS: Thirty swimmers (16 female and 14 male) participated in the study: 3 were tier 5, world class (869 [59] FINA points); 15 were tier 4, elite/international (853 [38] points); and 12 were tier 3, highly trained/national (808 [35] points)...

OBJECTIVE: The sports-science literature lacks data on training and performance characteristics of international elite athletes over multiple seasons. The present case study provided general training characteristics and performance data of two male short-distance triathletes in the Junior, U23, and international Elite categories. METHODS: General training and performance data of two male elite triathletes were described in swimming, cycling, and running segments from the 2015 to 2022 season...

Sporting events were cancelled, and sports training was banned to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the physical activity levels, increased sedentary time, and also impaired the mental health of elite and sub-elite athletes. The impact on body composition and physical performance is not clear, however, especially considering a systematic review with meta-analysis. Thus, our objective was to conduct a review in accordance with the PRISMA Statement studies published in scientific journals (PubMed, Web of Science, or Scopus databases) that investigated the effect that social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic had on the physical performance (muscle power, cardiorespiratory capacity, and sprint) or body composition (body weight, percentage of fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass) of athletes...

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a training camp with heat and/or hypoxia sessions on hematological and thermoregulatory adaptations. METHODS: Fifty-six elite male rugby players completed a 2-week training camp with 5 endurance and 5 repeated-sprint sessions, rugby practice, and resistance training. Players were separated into 4 groups: CAMP trained in temperate conditions at sea level, HEAT performed the endurance sessions in the heat, ALTI slept and performed the repeated sprints at altitude, and H + A was a combination of the heat and altitude groups...

BACKGROUND: Among ultra-endurance runners (UER), the mental, behavioral, and physical demands of training/competition can result in maladaptive outcomes. Mental health issues are common in athletes and can impact psychology, physical health, and performance. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize information regarding the incidence/prevalence and factors associated with mental health issues among UER. METHODS: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Cochrane databases, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Medline Ovid using key terms related to UER (e...

The study modelled the influence of anthropometric components, climbing-specific power, strength and endurance parameters, flexibility, coordination, and motor planning skills on competitive climbing performance in speed, bouldering, and lead climbing. Sixty-one competitive climbers (26 women [18.1 ± 1.9y], 35 men [21.4 ± 6.1y]) participated. PCA and MRA were used for statistical analyses. Significant predictors for speed climbing performance (R2  = 44% and 35%) were lower (ß = ...

Current trends in attacking strategies and increases in external workload have led to a need for fast and well-conditioned athletes in modern soccer. More recently, progressions in speed, coordination, power and endurance were found over a decade in elite Austrian youth players. However, possible confounders such as relative age, maturation, learning effects, and academy philosophy may have influenced these changes. The present study aimed to determine the decade effect on fitness under statistical control of players' exact age, height, body mass, test location as well as total number of pretests and time interval between test and pretest...

BACKGROUND: Elite sport is continuously evolving. World records keep falling and athletes from a longer list of countries are involved. PURPOSE: This commentary was designed to provide insights into present and future trends associated with world-class endurance training based on the perspectives, experience, and knowledge of an expert panel of 25 applied sport scientists. RESULTS: The key drivers of development observed in the past 10-15 years were related to (1) more accessible scientific knowledge for coaches and athletes combined with (2) better integration of practical and scientific exchange across multidisciplinary perspectives within professionalized elite athlete support structures, as well as (3) utilization of new technological advances...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of brain endurance training (BET) on endurance and cognitive performance in road cyclists. DESIGN: Two independent randomized controlled pretest-posttest training studies. METHODS: In both studies cyclists trained five times/week for six weeks and completed either cognitive response inhibition tasks (Post-BET group) or listened to neutral sounds (control group) after each training session. In Study-1, 26 cyclists performed a time to exhaustion (TTE) test at 80 % peak power output (PPO), followed by a 30-min Stroop task, and a TTE test at 65 % PPO...

Participation and performance trends of male and female athletes have been thoroughly analyzed in various endurance sports. Knowing these trends can help coaches and athletes prepare for competitions and may influence their training strategy and career planning. However, duathlon events-consisted of two splits of running (Run1 and Run2) interspersed by a split of cycling (Bike)-have not been thoroughly studied, unlike other endurance sports. The present study aimed to compare participation and performance trends in duathletes who competed in duathlon races hosted by World Triathlon or affiliated National Federations between 1990 and 2021...

PURPOSE: To assess elite racewalkers' preparation strategies, knowledge, and general practices for competition in the heat and their health status during the World Athletics Race Walking Teams Championships (WRW) Muscat 2022. METHODS: Sixty-six elite racewalkers (male: n = 42; mean age = 25.8 y) completed an online survey prior to WRW Muscat 2022. Athletes were grouped by sex (males vs females) and climate (self-reported) they live/trained in (hot vs temperate/cold), with differences/relationships between groups assessed...