L. Perry Koziris

Physiological and performance responses to tournament wrestling.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological and performance responses to a simulated freestyle wrestling tournament after typical weight loss techniques used by amateur wrestlers. METHODS Twelve Division I collegiate wrestlers (mean +/- SD;19.33 +/- 1.16 yr) lost 6% of total body weight during the week before a simulated, 2-d freestyle wrestling tournament. A battery of tests was performed at baseline and before and immediately after each individual match of the tournament. The test battery included assessment for body composition, reaction/movement time, lower and upper body power and isokinetic strength, and a venous blood sample. RESULTS Lower body power and upper body isometric strength were significantly reduced as the tournament progressed (P < or = 0.05). Significant elevations in testosterone, cortisol, and lactate were observed after each match (P < or = 0.05). However, there was a significant reduction (P < or = 0.05) in resting testosterone values in the later matches. Norepinephrine increased significantly (P < or = 0.05) after each match, whereas epinephrine increased significantly (P < or = 0.05) after each match except the last match of each day. Plasma osmolality was consistently higher than normal values at all times including baseline, with significant increases observed after each match (P < or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Tournament wrestling augments the physiological and performance decrements of weight loss and its impact is progressive over 2 d of competition. The combined effects of these stresses may ultimately be reflected in a wrestlers ability to maintain physical performance throughout a tournament.

Influence of Resistance Training Volume and Periodization on Physiological and Performance Adaptations in Collegiate Women Tennis Players

Few data exist on the long-term adaptations to heavy resistance training in women. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of volume of resistance exercise on the development of physical performance abilities in competitive, collegiate women tennis players. Twenty-four tennis players were matched for tennis ability and randomly placed into one of three groups: a no resistance exercise control group, a periodized multiple-set resistance training group, or a single-set circuit resistance training group. No significant changes in body mass were observed in any of the groups throughout the entire training period. However, significant increases in fat-free mass and decreases in percent body fat were observed in the periodized training group after 4, 6, and 9 months of training. A significant increase in power output was observed after 9 months of training in the periodized training group only. One-repetition maximum strength for the bench press, free-weight shoulder press, and leg press increased significantly after 4, 6, and 9 months of training in the periodized training group, whereas the single-set circuit group increased only after 4 months of training. Significant increases in serve velocity were observed after 4 and 9 months of training in the periodized training group, whereas no significant changes were observed in the single-set circuit group. These data demonstrate that sport-specific resistance training using a periodized multiple-set training method is superior to low-volume single-set resistance exercise protocols in the development of physical abilities in competitive, collegiate women tennis players.

Effects of hypnosis on plasma proenkephalin peptide F and perceptual and cardiovascular responses during submaximal exercise

SummaryLittle information is available concerning the influence of subconscious mechanisms on neuroendocrine function, more specifically, proenkephalin peptide F release. Ten men [5 middle distance runners (21.6 (SD 0.54 years) and 5 untrained men (24.0 (SD 4.3 years)] consented to be volunteers in this investigation. Submaximal exercise intensities of 25% and 50& of peak oxygen consumption ({ie573-1}) (8 min stages) were used for both the control and hypnosis treatments. A traditional hypnotic induction was used, with the suggestion of two higher intensities of exercise stress (50% and 75% peak {ie573-2}) previously experienced in familiarization and testing by each subject. Each minute oxygen consumption was measured using open circuit spirometry, heart rate via an ECG, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg scale. Plasma peptide F immunoreactivity (ir) [preproenkephalin-(107–140)] in blood sampled from an indwelling cannula was measured by radioimmunoassay at 7–8 min of each stage of the exercise test. Expected significant increases were observed for all cardiorespiratory and perceptual variables over the increasing exercise intensities and there were no significant differences between trained and untrained groups for peptide F it response patterns. Hypnosis did not significantly affect peptide F it concentrations (P > 0.05) and did not significantly alter exercise heart rate, RPE or minute ventilation (P > 0.05). However, hypnosis did significantly increase oxygen consumption during exercise (P = 0.0095) but not of the magnitude needed for the metabolic demands of the higher exercise intensities. Thus, traditional hypnosis was unable to make functionally significant changes in the cardiorespiratory variables. Training did not alter responses to exercise under hypnosis. The results of this study indicate that when using traditional hypnosis and a suggestion of harder exercise in highly selected groups, it may not be possible functionally to stress adrenal medullary secretion of proenkephalin fragments, RPE or cardiorespiratory variables.

Differential effects of exhaustive cycle ergometry on concentric and eccentric torque production

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential differences in peak isokinetic concentric end eccentric torque following low- and high-intensity cycle exercise fatigue protocols. Ten healthy, recreationally-active men were tested in a balanced, randomized testing sequence for peak eccentric and concentric isokinetic torque (60 degrees/sec) immediately before and after three experimental conditions each separated by 48 hours: 1) a bout of high intensity cycling consisting of a maximal 90-second sprint; 2) a bout of low-intensity cycling at 60 rpm equated for total work with the high-intensity protocol: and 3) no exercise (control bout). Blood was drawn from an antecubital vein and plasma lactate concentrations were determined immediately before and after each experimental bout. Post-exercise plasma lactate concentrations were 15.1 +/- 2.5 and 4.7 +/- 1.9 mmol l(-1), respectively, following the high- and low-intensity protocols. The high intensity exercise bout resulted in the only post-exercise decrease in concentric and eccentric isokinetic peak torque. The percent decline in maximal force production was significantly (P< 0.05) greater for concentric muscle actions compared to eccentric (29 vs 15%, respectively). In conclusion, a 90-second maximal cycling sprint results in a significant decline in maximal torque of both concentric and eccentric muscle actions with the greatest magnitude observed during concentric muscle actions.

Power output and peak blood lactate concentration following intermittent and continuous cycling tests of anerobic capacity

The purpose of this study was to compare the power output and peak blood lactate concentration (peak La) of an intermittent all‐out (IA) 90‐s cycle ergometer test with that of two other 90‐s cycle ergometer tests. Nineteen hockey players and 19 physical education students had similar results performing IA, continuous all‐out (CA), and continuous constant (CC) cycling tests. Eight fingertip blood samples were drawn serially between 1 and 11 minutes into the recovery after each 90‐s test to measure peak LA resulting from the test. Statistical analysis indicated: (1) a greater La for IA (mean ± SD; 14.2 ± 2.1 mmol·L−1) and CA (13.6 ± 1.9 mmol·L−1) than CC (12.4 ± 1.8 mmol·L−1; (2) IA had a higher mean power developed during the 90s (652 ± 65 W) than CA (538 ± 56 W) and CC (547 ± 53 W); and (3) CA had a greater power drop‐off during 90 s (492 ± 93 W) than IA (335 ± 72 W), which in turn had a higher power drop‐off than CC (261 ± 50 W). Contributing mechanisms may have involved both an increased phosphocreatine...