Caroline Dário Capitani

Ecological Validity of Session RPE Method for Quantifying Internal Training Load in Tennis

This study aimed to verify the ecological validity of the session rating of perceived exertion (session RPE) method for quantifying internal training load (ITL) in competitive tennis players. Twelve professional tennis players (18.5 ± 0.4 years; 178.0 ± 4.0 cm; 72.4 ± 6.0 kg) participated in this study. In total, 384 on-court tennis training sessions, 23 simulated matches and 13 official matches were monitored. ITL was then calculated for each session using session RPE and HR-based methods. All individual correlations between the session RPE method and the HR-based method were significant (r = 0.58 – 0.89: p < 0.01). The correlation coefficients between methods during on court tennis training sessions, simulated and official matches were r = 0.74, r = 0.57 and r = 0.99, respectively. The results support the validity of session RPE as a practical method for quantifying ITL in professional tennis players.

Effects of optimized mixtures containing phenolic compounds on the oxidative stability of sausages

Phenolic compounds were applied in a sausage formulation as a substitute for artificial sodium erythorbate used as antioxidant. Five assays were prepared in which sodium erythorbate control at 0.05 g/100 g was replaced with a hydrosoluble mixture containing caffeic acid + carnosic acid (47% + 53%) and a liposoluble mixture containing quercetin + rutin (67% + 33%) in two final concentrations (0.05 g/100 g and 0.08 g/100 g). Physico-chemical, color, texture, and sensory parameters were measured on the first day and after 45 days of storage at 4 °C. All phenolic compound mixtures were able to maintain oxidative stability in the sausages when measured by the malondialdehyde concentration, which was expressed as TBARS. The mixture containing quercetin + rutin at 0.05 g/100 g showed lower malondialdehyde formation after 45 days of storage, and no sensory differences from the sausage adopted as control.

Effect of carbohydrate supplementation on the physiological and perceptual responses to prolonged tennis match play.

Abstract Gomes, RV, Moreira, A, Coutts, AJ, Capitani, CD, and Aoki, MS. Effect of carbohydrate supplementation on the physiological and perceptual responses to prolonged tennis match play. J Strength Cond Res 28(3): 735–741, 2014—Carbohydrate supplementation is a popular nutritional practice used in tennis to enhance physical capacities, motor-skill performance, and delay fatigue. However, the effects of carbohydrate supplementation on physiological and perceptual responses during tennis match play are not established. This double blind, randomized, placebo (PLA)-controlled crossover study was designed to determine the influence of carbohydrate supplementation (0.5 g·kg−1·h−1) on glycemia, salivary hormones (cortisol and testosterone) concentration, salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during 3 hours of tennis match play in 12 well-trained tennis players. The only significant difference between the 2 conditions was a lower salivary cortisol concentration postmatch in the carbohydrate trial (p < 0.05); however, there was a trend for higher glucose concentration (p = 0.06) and lower session-RPE (p = 0.08) after tennis match play in the carbohydrate condition, which may have some practical implications. There was no change in salivary testosterone, salivary IgA, and RPE responses during tennis match play between conditions (p > 0.05). These data indicate that carbohydrate ingestion during 3 hours of competitive tennis match play helps to maintain glycemia and attenuates the increase in salivary cortisol concentration compared with PLA.

Does carbohydrate supplementation enhance tennis match play performance

BackgroundCarbohydrate (CHO) ingestion may be an interesting approach to avoid significant decrement to the tennis match performance. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the effects of CHO supplementation on tennis match play performance.MethodsTwelve young tennis players (18.0 ± 1.0 years; 176 ± 3.4 cm; 68.0 ± 2.3 kg; body fat: 13.7 ± 2.4%) with national rankings among the top 50 in Brazil agreed to participate in this study, which utilized a randomized, crossover, double blind research design. The experiment was conducted over a 5-day period in which each player completed two simulated tennis matches of a 3-hour duration. The players received either a CHO or a placebo (PLA) drinking solution during simulated tennis matches. Athlete’s performance parameters were determined by filming each match with two video cameras. Each player was individually tracked for the entire duration of the match to measure the following variables: (1) games won; (2) rally duration; (3) strokes per rally; (4) effective playing time (%); (5) aces; (6) double faults; (7) first service in; (8) second service in; (9) first return in and (10) second return in.ResultsThere were no differences between trials in any of the variables analyzed.ConclusionsCHO supplementation did not improve tennis match play performance under the present experimental conditions.

Pattern of Weight Loss of Young Female and Male Wrestlers

Abstract Viveiros, L, Moreira, A, Zourdos, MC, Aoki, MS, and Capitani, CD. Pattern of weight loss of young female and male wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 29(11): 3149–3155, 2015—The aim of this study was to investigate the magnitude of rapid weight loss (RWL) of female and male young wrestlers at the Brazilian high-school games. High-school wrestlers (females: n = 16, 13 ± 2 years; males: n = 15, 13 ± 2 years) participated in this study. The official weigh-in was conducted 24 hours before competition. Immediately after the official weigh-in, wrestlers completed a hydration habits and a standardized weight loss questionnaires. Twenty-four hours later, wrestlers took part in an unofficial prematch weigh-in. Sodium, potassium, chloride, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were measured immediately before the first competitive match by iSTAT Blood Gas Analyzer. A significant body mass increase was observed from the official weigh-in to the prematch weigh-in (females: 2.7 ± 1.4 kg and males: 1.5 ± 0.9 kg; p ⩽ 0.05) with significantly greater body mass increase in females (6.3%) vs. males (3.1%) (p ⩽ 0.05). Rapid weight loss practices were exercised by 42.0% of the wrestlers. Furthermore, 46.2% of those who performed RWL practices reported side effects, which they perceived negatively altered past performance. Despite RWL and subsequent body mass increase, all biomarkers (sodium, potassium, chloride, hematocrit, and hemoglobin) were in the normal range at the prematch weigh-in. The majority (82.0%) of the athletes agreed that hydration habits are important to health and performance. It seems that although wrestlers acknowledge negative performance effects due to RWL, the practice is still exercised among both female and male wrestlers. Therefore, educational programs should be implemented in high-school athletes to discourage RWL and provide information for exercise and nutritional strategies to maintain a healthy body mass and avoid chronic health issues.

Physiological Responses of Young Tennis Players to Training Drills and Simulated Match Play.

Abstract Gomes, RV, Cunha, VCR, Zourdos, MC, Aoki, MS, Moreira, A, Fernandez-Fernandez, J, and Capitani, CD. Physiological responses of young tennis players to training drills and simulated match play. J Strength Cond Res 30(3): 851–858, 2016—The aim of this study was to investigate the responses of young tennis players during 5 different training drills and to compare the responses between drills. Ten (17.0 ± 1.2 years) male tennis players participated in this study. Each athlete completed 5 total training drills. Drills 1–4 consisted of each player returning balls from a ball-serving machine and were stroke/time-controlled over 6 points. The fifth drill was a simulated match (SM) play, between 2 opposing players, and also lasted 6 points. The 4 stroke/time-controlled drills had the following strokes/time for each point: drill 1: 2 strokes/∼4 seconds, drill 2: 4 strokes/∼8 seconds, drill 3: 7 strokes/∼14 seconds, drill 4: 10 strokes/∼20 seconds. Peak heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration (LA), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured after the first, third, and sixth point of each drill. Drills were performed in a randomized crossover design; a 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used with significance set at p ⩽ 0.05. All dependent variables (HR, LA, and RPE) significantly increased (p ⩽ 0.05) as strokes, and time per rally increased in each drill. Furthermore, all variables were elevated to a greater magnitude (p ⩽ 0.05) during the 7 and 10 stroke drills after the first, third, and sixth points when compared with the SM and the 2 and 4 stroke drills at the corresponding time points. These results suggest that the physiological responses to tennis training drills were stroke/time-dependent. Therefore, because of the intense intermittent nature of tennis, stroke/time-controlled drills, which require significant physiological demands, should be incorporated along with technically focused shorter drills to fully mimic the conditions of competitive match play.

Physical, chemical and sensory properties of gluten-free kibbeh formulated with millet flour (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.)

Pearl millet flour was utilized in kibbeh formulations instead of whole-wheat flour. Physicochemical properties, oxidation stability and sensorial characteristics of control kibbeh made with whole-wheat flour (CT) were compared with kibbehs prepared with millet flour (roasted or wet) and stored for 90 days (–18 °C). Kibbeh prepared with millet flour presented good oxidation stability (TBARS concentration). Baked kibbehs (with roasted millet flour) presented good acceptability and kibbeh samples did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from the whole-wheat flour sample, when global appearance, texture and flavor were evaluated. Millet flour could be a suitable ingredient for kibbeh formulations, maintaining their nutritional value and sensorial quality in addition to being a gluten-free product.

Training intensity distribution in young tennis players

The aim of this study was to describe the training intensity distribution of elite young tennis players, based on the session rating of perceived exertion and heart rate methods. Twelve professional tennis players participated in this study. Heart rate and session rating of perceived exertion were collected in 384 tennis training sessions, 23 simulated matches, and 17 official matches. The total training time spent in the heart rate zone-1 (52.00%) and zone-2 (37.10%) was greater than the time spent in zone-3 (10.90%) during the 5-week training period (p < 0.05). Similarly, the total training time spent in the session rating of perceived exertion zone-1 (42.00%) and zone-2 (47.50%) was also greater than the time in zone-3 (10.50%) (p < 0.05). The data of the present study suggest that the majority of the training sessions of these young tennis players were performed at low-to-moderate intensity zone and, therefore, under the intensity performed during actual tennis match play.

Brazilian dietary supplements: consumer profile evaluation and chemical composition analysis

Rodrigo Ramos da Silva Chaves (IC), Ana Paula Badan Ribeiro (PQ), Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco (PQ), Caroline Dário Capitani (PQ). Abstract Dietary supplements have been used by a big variety of people. However, differences between the nutritional values suggested by the labelling of these supplements and their true nutritional values have been shown both by the media and in published scientific papers. In addition, the exact profile of those who consume supplements may vary among places. Thus, this article aims to describe the consumer profile of a certain region and it analyzed Brazilian supplements and compared the nutrients described on labels with those evidenced through laboratorial analysis.