Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (189)
- Postprint (92)
- Review (15)
- Other (9)
- Monograph/Edited Volume (1)
- Conference Proceeding (1)
Keywords
- football (26)
- resistance training (19)
- adolescents (18)
- youth (15)
- athletic performance (14)
- exercise (14)
- balance (13)
- training (12)
- performance (11)
- strength training (11)
- stretch-shortening cycle (11)
- children (10)
- monitoring (10)
- muscle strength (10)
- training load (10)
- postural control (9)
- Exercise (8)
- Gait (8)
- electromyography (8)
- elite athletes (8)
- gait (8)
- injury risk (8)
- power (8)
- strength (8)
- young athletes (8)
- plyometric training (7)
- Stretch-shortening cycle (6)
- aging (6)
- muscle power (6)
- physical fitness (6)
- physiology (6)
- postural stability (6)
- Electromyography (5)
- Ground reaction force (5)
- Resistance training (5)
- force (5)
- injury (5)
- jumping (5)
- movement (5)
- periodization (5)
- plyometric exercise (5)
- recovery (5)
- sport-specific performance (5)
- striking combat sports (5)
- working memory (5)
- youth sports (5)
- Aging (4)
- Balance (4)
- EMG (4)
- Performance (4)
- Team sports (4)
- Youth (4)
- agility (4)
- change of direction (4)
- elderly (4)
- global positioning system (4)
- ground reaction force (4)
- human physical conditioning (4)
- inertial measurement unit (4)
- loading rate (4)
- muscle (4)
- physical performance (4)
- postural sway (4)
- rate of perceived exertion (4)
- rolling averages (4)
- running (4)
- sensitivity (4)
- soccer (4)
- speed (4)
- validity (4)
- weighted moving averages (4)
- Body composition (3)
- COVID-19 (3)
- DXA (3)
- EEG (3)
- Fatigue (3)
- Physical fitness (3)
- Postural stability (3)
- Power (3)
- RPE (3)
- Seniors (3)
- Trunk muscle strength (3)
- Walking (3)
- adolescent (3)
- apoptosis (3)
- attentional demand (3)
- balance training (3)
- biomechanics (3)
- cardiomyopathy (3)
- cardiorespiratory fitness (3)
- child (3)
- cognitive performance (3)
- cognitive-postural dual task (3)
- diabetes (3)
- fatigue (3)
- gait analysis (3)
- ground reaction forces (3)
- high-intensity-interval training (3)
- hospitalization (3)
- matched time (3)
- maturation (3)
- maturity (3)
- miRNAs (3)
- modality compatibility (3)
- motor skills (3)
- musculoskeletal and neural physiological phenomena (3)
- oarsmen (3)
- on-water performance (3)
- overreaching (3)
- overtraining (3)
- peak height velocity (3)
- physical conditioning human (3)
- plyometrics (3)
- range of motion (3)
- rate of torque development (3)
- reliability (3)
- running mechanics (3)
- somatic variables (3)
- talent (3)
- weight loss (3)
- youth athletes (3)
- youth soccer (3)
- ACWR (2)
- Acceleration (2)
- Acute Recovery and Stress Scale (ARSS) (2)
- Children (2)
- Cognitive fatigue (2)
- Cognitive interference (2)
- Cognitive/motor interference (2)
- Computer Software (2)
- Conditioning activity (2)
- Countermovement jump (2)
- Crossover (2)
- Daily life (2)
- Detraining (2)
- EMOTIKON (2)
- Exertion (2)
- Flat feet (2)
- Football (2)
- Footwear (2)
- Ginkgo biloba extract (2)
- Healthy aging (2)
- Injury risk (2)
- Jugendliche (2)
- Jump height (2)
- Kampfsport (2)
- Kinder (2)
- Kinematics (2)
- Linear regression analysis (2)
- Maximalkraft (2)
- Mobility (2)
- Motion (2)
- Muscle (2)
- Muscle mass (2)
- Muscle power (2)
- Muscle strength (2)
- OptoGait (2)
- Overhead athletes (2)
- Postural control (2)
- Principal component analysis (2)
- Proactive/reactive balance (2)
- RGB-D cameras (2)
- Recovery (2)
- Repeated sprint (2)
- Scanning electron microscopy (2)
- Schnellkraft (2)
- Short‐term effect (2)
- Shoulder (2)
- Single/dual tasking (2)
- Speed (2)
- Sport-specific performance (2)
- Steady-state balance (2)
- Stress levels (2)
- Sway (2)
- Swimming performance (2)
- Tiredness (2)
- Velocity (2)
- Widerstandstraining (2)
- Young swimmers (2)
- Zebris (2)
- academy (2)
- acute chronic workload ratio (2)
- aerobic exercise (2)
- aerobic metabolism (2)
- aerobic power (2)
- allometry (2)
- alpha-2 (2)
- ankles (2)
- anterior cruciate ligament (2)
- anthropometry (2)
- anxiety (2)
- balance strategy (2)
- barbell velocity (2)
- biological age (2)
- biological maturation (2)
- blood (2)
- blood sample (2)
- body density (2)
- body limbs (2)
- body shape (2)
- calcaneal eversion (2)
- canoe racing (2)
- change of direction speed (2)
- change-of-direction speed (2)
- cognitive interference (2)
- cognitive/muscular fatigue (2)
- combat sport (2)
- comparison of devices (2)
- concurrent training (2)
- conditioning activity (2)
- conditioning exercise (2)
- core strength (2)
- cross-education (2)
- data pipeline (2)
- depression (2)
- diabetes mellitus (2)
- diabetic (2)
- digital health (2)
- drop jump (2)
- dual task (2)
- dual-task costs (2)
- early sport specialization (2)
- eccentric-plyometric (2)
- endurance performance (2)
- evaluation (2)
- exercise intervention (2)
- exercise test (2)
- exercise training (2)
- external load (2)
- external training load (2)
- eyedness (2)
- fMRI (2)
- feet (2)
- fitness tests (2)
- flat feet (2)
- footedness (2)
- force production (2)
- functional performance (2)
- gait analysis algorithm (2)
- gait speed (2)
- gender differences (2)
- hamstring muscles (2)
- heart rate (2)
- hematocrit (2)
- hip (2)
- hormones (2)
- human motion (2)
- immune system (2)
- internal load (2)
- jump performance (2)
- jump training (2)
- jumps (2)
- kinetics (2)
- knee joint angle (2)
- knee osteoarthritis (2)
- knees (2)
- late childhood (2)
- latency (2)
- laterality (2)
- limb overuse conditions (2)
- linear sprint (2)
- long-term (2)
- low-back-pain (2)
- lower limb mechanics (2)
- lower-extremity kinematics (2)
- martial arts (2)
- material fatigue (2)
- medial longitudinal arch (2)
- mental imagery (2)
- meta-analysis (2)
- methodological quality (2)
- mitochondrial adaptation (2)
- mobility disability (2)
- motion capture (2)
- motor-performance (2)
- muscle activation (2)
- muscle coactivation (2)
- muscle fitness (2)
- muscle metabolism (2)
- muscular endurance (2)
- muscular strength (2)
- of-direction speed (2)
- oxygen consumption (2)
- passive stretching (2)
- peak torque (2)
- pelvic alignment (2)
- pervasive healthcare (2)
- physical fitness expertise (2)
- physiological strain (2)
- postural balance (2)
- power training (2)
- prevention (2)
- public dataset (2)
- race time (2)
- randomized controlled-trial (2)
- responses (2)
- return-to-sport (2)
- rotation (2)
- rugby league players (2)
- schedule (2)
- scholastic demands (2)
- school baseball players (2)
- sensorimotor training (2)
- sex-differences (2)
- skeletal joints (2)
- specific assessment (2)
- specificity (2)
- sportliche Leistung (2)
- sports (2)
- sprint (2)
- sprinting (2)
- sprints (2)
- stability (2)
- standing position (2)
- taekwondo electronic scoring system (2)
- taekwondo-specific testing (2)
- tasks (2)
- team sport (2)
- theta (2)
- time-efficient exercise (2)
- track and field (2)
- training adaptation (2)
- training intensity (2)
- twitch torque (2)
- unstable walkway (2)
- virus infection (2)
- water sports (2)
- weight lifting (2)
- weight training (2)
- weightlifting (2)
- whole-body vibratoin (2)
- women (2)
- work-rate distribution (2)
- young soccer players (2)
- youth sport (2)
- Accelerometer (1)
- Alpha-2 (1)
- Association (1)
- Athlete testing (1)
- Attention (1)
- Balance Tests (1)
- Biomechanics (1)
- Bow leg (1)
- Cardiorespiratory endurance (1)
- Central activation (1)
- Cognition motor (1)
- Cognitive enhancer (1)
- Cognitive skills (1)
- Cohort study (1)
- Core stability (1)
- Core strength (1)
- Cross-over fatigue (1)
- Crossover fatigue (1)
- Developmental gains (1)
- Dual tasks (1)
- EXERCISE (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Electric stimulation (1)
- Electroencephalography (EEG) (1)
- Electromyography (EMG) (1)
- Elite sports (1)
- Endocrine (1)
- Endurance (1)
- Executive function (1)
- Exercise therapy (1)
- Exhaustion (1)
- Explosive force production (1)
- Fall risk (1)
- Fall risk assessment (1)
- Falls (1)
- Field test (1)
- Flexibility (1)
- Force (1)
- Force production (1)
- Frail elderly (1)
- Free moment (1)
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (1)
- Gait biomechanics (1)
- Gait kinematics (1)
- Gait kinetics (1)
- Gym-based/home-based training (1)
- Health care (1)
- ICA (1)
- Instability (1)
- Intensity Dose -response relationship (1)
- Isokinetic (1)
- Judo-specific pulling movement (1)
- Jumping height (1)
- Keyage children (1)
- Kindergarten (1)
- Knee valgus (1)
- Knee valgus motion (1)
- Lateral jumps (1)
- Linear Mixed Models (1)
- Linear mixed models (1)
- Loading rate (1)
- Lower-extremity muscle power (1)
- MUSCLE (1)
- Maturation (1)
- Maximal isometric force (1)
- Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) (1)
- Mental fatigue (1)
- Metabolism (1)
- Mild cognitive impairment (1)
- Morote-seoi-nage (1)
- Motor function (1)
- Motor performance (1)
- Motor skills (1)
- Movement velocity (1)
- Multiple sclerosis (1)
- Muscle contraction (1)
- Muscle torque (1)
- Neural inhibition (1)
- Oberflächenelektromyografie (1)
- Older-than-keyage children (1)
- Optojump system (1)
- Paediatrics (1)
- Parkinson's disease (1)
- Pediatric gait (1)
- Performance gains (1)
- Physical Fitness (1)
- Physical performance (1)
- Physiology (1)
- Plyometric exercise (1)
- Plyometrics (1)
- Post-activation potentiation (1)
- Postactivation potentiation (1)
- Postural Control (1)
- Postural balance (1)
- Power training (1)
- Preventive therapy (1)
- Primary school (1)
- Primary school children (1)
- Quadriceps muscle (1)
- Quadriceps strength (1)
- Quarantine (1)
- Reactive movement (1)
- Reflex (1)
- Sars-CoV-2 (1)
- Sensorimotor training (1)
- Skill (1)
- Squat jump (1)
- Strength training (1)
- Stress (1)
- Theraband training (1)
- Theta (1)
- Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) (1)
- Vertec device (1)
- WALKING (1)
- Walking speed (1)
- Work ability (1)
- activities (1)
- adolescent athletes (1)
- age (1)
- annual training (1)
- assessment (1)
- athlete testing (1)
- athlete. (1)
- athletes (1)
- athletic (1)
- attention (1)
- ball speed (1)
- ballistic training (1)
- blood lactate (1)
- blood lactate; (1)
- bone (1)
- boys (1)
- causal mediation analysis (1)
- climbing (1)
- cognitive enhancer (1)
- cognitive function (1)
- cognitive skills (1)
- cognitive/motor interference (1)
- combat sports (1)
- conditioning stimulus (1)
- congested calendar (1)
- core (1)
- deconditioning (1)
- detraining (1)
- directed acyclic graphs (1)
- dominant limb (1)
- dose response (1)
- dose-response relation (1)
- dose-response relationship (1)
- electroencephalography (1)
- elite (1)
- elite sport (1)
- endocrine (1)
- endurance (1)
- energetic systems (1)
- executive function (1)
- exercise prescription (1)
- exhaustion (1)
- explosive force production (1)
- fall risk assessment (1)
- field test (1)
- fitness (1)
- flat foot (1)
- flexibility (1)
- footwear (1)
- free moment (1)
- function (1)
- fundamental movement skill (1)
- gender (1)
- girls (1)
- hearing loss (1)
- high effect size (1)
- high-intensity interval training (1)
- impact loading (1)
- infection (1)
- injury prevention (1)
- instability resistance training (1)
- intermittent sport (1)
- intervention (1)
- jump (1)
- jump height (1)
- jump height/power (1)
- jump performances (1)
- jump/sprint exercises (1)
- jumping ability (1)
- kindergarten (1)
- knee (1)
- knee flexion angle (1)
- knee valgus angle (1)
- knee valgus motion (1)
- leg extensors (1)
- load carriage (1)
- load-velocity (1)
- load–velocity relationship (1)
- locomotor skill (1)
- maximal isometric contraction (1)
- maximal isometric torque (1)
- maximum voluntary contraction (1)
- metabolism (1)
- mild cognitive impairment (1)
- motivational climate (1)
- motor performance (1)
- motor skill (1)
- muscle activity (1)
- muscular power (1)
- musculature (1)
- myofascial (1)
- neuromuscular rolling (1)
- non-dominant limb (1)
- of daily living (1)
- optimal load (1)
- patients (1)
- performance gains (1)
- physical activity (1)
- physical activity program (1)
- physical fitness test (1)
- post-activation potentiation (1)
- preactivation (1)
- pressure (1)
- primary school (1)
- proactive/reactive balance (1)
- progression (1)
- proprioception (1)
- race (1)
- rate of force development (1)
- rating of perceived exertion (1)
- reactive movement (1)
- reflex (1)
- region/point elastic gym floor (1)
- relationship (1)
- relationships (1)
- resistance (1)
- running velocity (1)
- sedentary (1)
- self massage (1)
- self-massage therapy (1)
- self-myofascial release (1)
- seniors (1)
- sensory input (1)
- shoe (1)
- short latency response (1)
- shoulder girdle (1)
- shoulder strength (1)
- single/dual tasking (1)
- ski jumping (1)
- skill (1)
- soccer players (1)
- specific strength training (1)
- spezifisches Krafttraining (1)
- sport profile (1)
- static/dynamic postural control (1)
- steady-state balance (1)
- stroke (1)
- structured (1)
- surface electromyography (1)
- task difficulty (1)
- tendon stiffness (1)
- test-retest reliability (1)
- therapy (1)
- time (1)
- torque (1)
- training intervention (1)
- training specificity (1)
- vertical jump height (1)
- vestibular (1)
- virus (1)
- walking (1)
- walking capacity (1)
- walking speed (1)
- work (1)
- young (1)
- young adults (1)
Institute
- Department Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften (139)
- Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften (106)
- Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät (22)
- Extern (16)
- Department Psychologie (9)
- Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH (6)
- Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften (3)
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät (3)
- Fachgruppe Soziologie (1)
Cross-sectional studies revealed that inclusion of unstable elements in core-strengthening exercises produced increases in trunk muscle activity and thus potential extra stimuli to induce more pronounced performance enhancements in youth athletes. Thus, the purpose of the study was to investigate changes in neuromuscular and athletic performance following core strength training performed on unstable (CSTU) compared with stable surfaces (CSTS) in youth soccer players. Thirty-nine male elite soccer players (age: 17 +/- 1 years) were assigned to two groups performing a progressive core strength-training program for 9 weeks (2-3 times/week) in addition to regular in-season soccer training. CSTS group conducted core exercises on stable (i.e., floor, bench) and CSTU group on unstable (e.g., Thera-Band (R) Stability Trainer, Togu (c) Swiss ball) surfaces. Measurements included tests for assessing trunk muscle strength/activation, countermovement jump height, sprint time, agility time, and kicking performance. Statistical analysis revealed significant main effects of test (pre vs post) for trunk extensor strength (5%, P<0.05, d=0.86), 10-20-m sprint time (3%, P<0.05, d=2.56), and kicking performance (1%, P<0.01, d=1.28). No significant Groupxtest interactions were observed for any variable. In conclusion, trunk muscle strength, sprint, and kicking performance improved following CSTU and CSTS when conducted in combination with regular soccer training.
Hintergrund: Kraft und Schnelligkeit stellen bedeutsame leistungsdeterminierende Faktoren im Fußball dar. Durch Komplextraining (Kombination aus Kraft- und plyometrischen Übungen in einer Trainingseinheit) lassen sich Kraft- und Schnelligkeitswerte von Athleten steigern. Unklar ist jedoch, ob ein Komplextraining (KT) gegenüber einem herkömmlichen blockweisen Krafttraining (BT) zu größeren sportmotorischen Leistungssteigerungen führt. Das Ziel der Studie war es, die Effekte von KT versus BT auf Variablen der Kraft, Schnelligkeit und Gewandtheit von Nachwuchsleistungsfußballern zu untersuchen.
Methode: Zusätzlich zum regulären Fußballtraining (ca. 6 × pro Woche, je 60 – 90 min.) führten 18 männliche Nachwuchsleistungsfußballer über sechs Wochen (2 × pro Woche, je 30 min.) entweder ein progressives KT (n = 10, Alter: 18,5 ± 2,2 Jahre) oder BT (n = 8, Alter: 18,1 ± 1,6 Jahre) durch. Vor und nach dem Training wurden Tests zur Erfassung der Kraft (Einer-Wiederholungs-Maximum [EWM] Kniebeuge), der Sprungkraft (Hockstrecksprung [HSS]), der Schnelligkeit (30-m-Sprint) und der Gewandtheit (T-Test) durchgeführt. Es wurden parameterfreie Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Unterschieden innerhalb (Wilcoxon-Test) und zwischen (Mann-Whitney-U-Test) den beiden Gruppen gerechnet.
Ergebnisse: Sowohl KT als auch BT sind sichere (keine trainings- aber sechs spielbedingte Verletzungen) und geeignete (Trainingsteilnahme in KT und BT: ≥ 80 %) Trainingsmaßnahmen in Ergänzung zum regulären Fußballtraining. Die statistische Analyse ergab signifikante Verbesserungen vom Prä- zum Posttest für die KT-Gruppe im EWM (p = 0,043) und im HSS (p = 0,046) sowie für die BT-Gruppe in der Sprintzeit über 5 m (p = 0,039) und 10 m (p = 0,026). Zudem zeigten sich für beide Gruppen signifikante Verbesserungen im T-Test (KT: p = 0,046; BT: p = 0,027). Der Gruppenvergleich (KT vs. BT) über die Zeit (Post- minus Prätest) offenbarte keine bedeutsamen Unterschiede.
Schlussfolgerung: Sowohl sechswöchiges KT als auch BT führten zu signifikanten Verbesserungen sportmotorischer Leistungen bei Nachwuchsleistungsfußballern. Allerdings konnten keine zusätzlich leistungssteigernden Effekte von KT im Vergleich zu BT ermittelt werden. In zukünftigen Studien sollte geprüft werden, ob die beobachteten testspezifischen Veränderungen, d. h. Verbesserung der Kraft/Sprungkraft in der KT-Gruppe und Verbesserung der Schnelligkeit in der BT-Gruppe der gewählten Übungsanordnung geschuldet sind oder einen generellen Effekt darstellen.
Background: Muscle strength and speed are important determinants of soccer performance. It has previously been shown that complex training (CT, combination of strength and plyometric exercises within a single training session) is effective to enhance strength and speed performance in athletes. However, it is unresolved whether CT is more effective than conventional strength training that is delivered in one single block (BT) to increase proxies of athletic performance. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of CT versus BT on measures of muscle strength/power, speed, and agility in elite youth soccer players. Methods: Eighteen male elite youth soccer players conducted six weeks (2 sessions/week, 30 min, each) of progressive CT (n = 10, age: 18,5 +/- 2.2 years) or BT (n=8, age: 18.1 +/- 1.6 years) in addition to their regular soccer training (approx. 6 sessions/week, 60-90 min, each). Before and after training, tests were conducted for the assessment of strength (one -repetition maximum [1RM] squat), power (countermovement jump [CMJ]), speed (30-m linear sprint), and agility (T test). Non-parametric analyses were used to calculate differences within (Wilcoxon test) and between (Mann-Whitney-U test) groups. Results: Both CT and BT proved to be safe (i.e. no training-related, but six match -related injuries reported) and feasible (i.e. attendance rate of 80% in both groups) training regimens when implemented in addition to regular soccer training. The statistical analysis revealed significant improvements from pre-training to post-training tests for the CT group in 1 RM squat (p =0.043) and CMJ height (p =0,046). For the BT -group, significantly enhanced sprint times were observed over 5 m (p = 0.039) and 10 m (p = 0.026), Furthermore, both groups significantly improved their t test time (CT: p =0.046; BT: p =0.027). However, group comparisons (CT vs. BT) over time (post-training minus pre-training test) did not show any significant differences. Conclusion: Six weeks of CT and BT resulted in significant improvements in proxies of athletic performance. Yet CT did not produce any additional effects compared to BT. Future research is needed to examine whether the observed test-specific changes, i.e. improvements in strength/power for the CT-group and improvements in speed for the BT-group, are due to the applied configuration of strength, plyometric, and sprint exercises or if they rather indicate a general training response.
Background The importance of trunk muscle strength (TMS) for physical fitness and athletic performance has been demonstrated by studies reporting significant correlations between those capacities. However, evidence-based knowledge regarding the magnitude of correlations between TMS and proxies of physical fitness and athletic performance as well as potential effects of core strength training (CST) on TMS, physical fitness and athletic performance variables is currently lacking for trained individuals. Objective The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to quantify associations between variables of TMS, physical fitness and athletic performance and effects of CST on these measures in healthy trained individuals. Data Sources PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus were systematically screened from January 1984 to March 2015. Study Eligibility Criteria Studies were included that investigated healthy trained individuals aged 16-44 years and tested at least one measure of TMS, muscle strength, muscle power, balance, and/or athletic performance. Results Small-sized relationships of TMS with physical performance measures (-0.05 <= r <= 0.18) were found in 15 correlation studies. Sixteen intervention studies revealed large effects of CST on measures of TMS (SMD = 1.07) but small-to-medium-sized effects on proxies of physical performance (0 <= SMD <= 0.71) compared with no training or regular training only. The methodological quality of CST studies was low (median PEDro score = 4). Conclusions Our findings indicate that TMS plays only a minor role for physical fitness and athletic performance in trained individuals. In fact, CST appears to be an effective means to increase TMS and was associated with only limited gains in physical fitness and athletic performance measures when compared with no or only regular training.
Walking while concurrently performing cognitive and/or motor interference tasks is the norm rather than the exception during everyday life and there is evidence from behavioral studies that it negatively affects human locomotion. However, there is hardly any information available regarding the underlying neural correlates of single-and dual-task walking. We had 12 young adults (23.8 +/- 2.8 years) walk while concurrently performing a cognitive interference (CI) or a motor interference (MI) task. Simultaneously, neural activation in frontal, central, and parietal brain areas was registered using a mobile EEG system. Results showed that the MI task but not the CI task affected walking performance in terms of significantly decreased gait velocity and stride length and significantly increased stride time and tempo-spatial variability. Average activity in alpha and beta frequencies was significantly modulated during both CI and MI walking conditions in frontal and central brain regions, indicating an increased cognitive load during dual-task walking. Our results suggest that impaired motor performance during dual-task walking is mirrored in neural activation patterns of the brain. This finding is in line with established cognitive theories arguing that dual-task situations overstrain cognitive capabilities resulting in motor performance decrements.
Background: Walking speed decreases in old age. Even though old adults regularly participate in exercise interventions, we do not know how the intervention-induced changes in physical abilities produce faster walking. The Potsdam Gait Study (POGS) will examine the effects of 10 weeks of power training and detraining on leg muscle power and, for the first time, on complete gait biomechanics, including joint kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation in old adults with moderate mobility disability. Methods/Design: POGS is a randomized controlled trial with two arms, each crossed over, without blinding. Arm 1 starts with a 10-week control period to assess the reliability of the tests and is then crossed over to complete 25-30 training sessions over 10 weeks. Arm 2 completes 25-30 exercise sessions over 10 weeks, followed by a 10-week follow-up (detraining) period. The exercise program is designed to improve lower extremity muscle power. Main outcome measures are: muscle power, gait speed, and gait biomechanics measured at baseline and after 10 weeks of training and 10 weeks of detraining. Discussion: It is expected that power training will increase leg muscle power measured by the weight lifted and by dynamometry, and these increased abilities become expressed in joint powers measured during gait. Such favorably modified powers will underlie the increase in step length, leading ultimately to a faster walking speed. POGS will increase our basic understanding of the biomechanical mechanisms of how power training improves gait speed in old adults with moderate levels of mobility disabilities. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 12-week in-season low-to-moderate load high-velocity resistance training (HVRT) in addition to soccer training as compared with soccer training only on proxies of athletic performance in prepubertal soccer players. Twenty-four male soccer players performed 2 different protocols: (a) regular soccer training with 5 sessions per week (n = 11; age = 12.7 +/- 0.3 years) and (b) regular soccer training with 3 sessions per week and HVRT with 2 sessions per week (n = 13; age = 12.8 +/- 0.2 years). The outcome measures included tests for the assessment of muscle strength (e.g., 1 repetition maximum [1RM] half-squat tests), jump ability (e.g., countermovement jump, squat jump [SJ], standing long jump [SLJ], and multiple 5-bound tests [MB5s]), linear speed (e.g., 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-m sprint tests), and change of direction (e.g., T-test and Illinois change of direction test). Results revealed significant group 3 test interactions for the SJ test (p <= 0.05, d = 0.59) and the SLJ test (p < 0.01, d = 0.83). Post hoc tests illustrated significant pre-post changes in the HVRT group (SJ: Delta 22%, p < 0.001, d = 1.26; SLJ: Delta 15%, p < 0.001, d = 1.30) but not in the control group. In addition, tendencies toward significant interaction effects were found for the 1RM half-squat (p = 0.08, d = 0.54) and the 10-m sprint test (p = 0.06, d = 0.57). Significant pre-post changes were found for both parameters in the HVRT group only (1RM: Delta 25%, p < 0.001, d = 1.23; 10-m sprint: Delta 7%, p < 0.0001, d = 1.47). In summary, in-season low-to-moderate load HVRT conducted in combination with regular soccer training is a safe and feasible intervention that has positive effects on maximal strength, vertical and horizontal jump and sprint performance as compared with soccer training only.
Balance training may have a preconditioning effect on subsequent power training with youth. There are no studies examining whether the sequencing of balance and plyometric training has additional training benefits. The objective was to examine the effect of sequencing balance and plyometric training on the performance of 12- to 13-year-old athletes. Twenty-four young elite soccer players trained twice per week for 8 weeks either with an initial 4 weeks of balance training followed by 4 weeks of plyometric training (BPT) or 4 weeks of plyometric training proceeded by 4 weeks of balance training (PBT). Testing was conducted pre- and posttraining and included medicine ball throw; horizontal and vertical jumps; reactive strength; leg stiffness; agility; 10-, 20-, and 30-m sprints; Standing Stork balance test; and Y-Balance test. Results indicated that BPT provided significantly greater improvements with reactive strength index, absolute and relative leg stiffness, triple hop test, and a trend for the Y-Balance test (p = 0.054) compared with PBT. Although all other measures had similar changes for both groups, the average relative improvement for the BPT was 22.4% (d = 1.5) vs. 15.0% (d = 1.1) for the PBT. BPT effect sizes were greater with 8 of 13 measures. In conclusion, although either sequence of BPT or PBT improved jumping, hopping, sprint acceleration, and Standing Stork and Y-Balance, BPT initiated greater training improvements in reactive strength index, absolute and relative leg stiffness, triple hop test, and the Y-Balance test. BPT may provide either similar or superior performance enhancements compared with PBT.
It has previously been shown that fatigue and unstable surfaces affect jump performance. However, the combination thereof is unresolved. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fatigue and surface instability on jump performance and leg muscle activity. Twenty elite volleyball players (18 +/- 2 years) performed repetitive vertical double-leg box jumps until failure. Before and after a fatigue protocol, jump performance (i.e., jump height) and electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles were recorded during drop jumps (DJs) and countermovement jumps (CMJs) on a force plate on stable and unstable surfaces (i.e., balance pad on top of force plate). Jump performance (3-7%; P < 0.05; 1.14 <= d <= 2.82), and muscle activity (2-27%; P < 0.05; 0.59 <= d <= 3.13) were lower following fatigue during DJs and CMJs, and on unstable compared with stable surfaces during DJs only (jump performance: 8%; P < 0.01; d = 1.90; muscle activity: 9-25%; P < 0.05; 1.08 <= d <= 2.54). No statistically significant interactions of fatigue by surface condition were observed. Our findings revealed that fatigue impairs neuromuscular performance during DJs and CMJs in elite volleyball players, whereas surface instability affects neuromuscular DJ performance only. Absent fatigue x surface interactions indicate that fatigue-induced changes in jump performance are similar on stable and unstable surfaces in jump-trained athletes.
Walking while concurrently performing cognitive and/or motor interference tasks is the norm rather than the exception during everyday life and there is evidence from behavioral studies that it negatively affects human locomotion. However, there is hardly any information available regarding the underlying neural correlates of single- and dual-task walking. We had 12 young adults (23.8 ± 2.8 years) walk while concurrently performing a cognitive interference (CI) or a motor interference (MI) task. Simultaneously, neural activation in frontal, central, and parietal brain areas was registered using a mobile EEG system. Results showed that the MI task but not the CI task affected walking performance in terms of significantly decreased gait velocity and stride length and significantly increased stride time and tempo-spatial variability. Average activity in alpha and beta frequencies was significantly modulated during both CI and MI walking conditions in frontal and central brain regions, indicating an increased cognitive load during dual-task walking. Our results suggest that impaired motor performance during dual-task walking is mirrored in neural activation patterns of the brain. This finding is in line with established cognitive theories arguing that dual-task situations overstrain cognitive capabilities resulting in motor performance decrements.