Leonardo Lamas

Short-term effects on lower-body functional power development: weightlifting vs. vertical jump training programs.

Among sport conditioning coaches, there is considerable discussion regarding the efficiency of training methods that improve lower-body power. Heavy resistance training combined with vertical jump (VJ) training is a well-established training method; however, there is a lack of information about its combination with Olympic weightlifting (WL) exercises. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the short-term effects of heavy resistance training combined with either the VJ or WL program. Thirty-two young men were assigned to 3 groups: WL = 12, VJ = 12, and control = 8. These 32 men participated in an 8-week training study. The WL training program consisted of 3 × 6RM high pull, 4 × 4RM power clean, and 4 3 4RM clean and jerk. The VJ training program consisted of 6 × 4 double-leg hurdle hops, 4 × 4 alternated single-leg hurdle hops, 4 × 4 single-leg hurdle hops, and 4 × 4 40-cm drop jumps. Additionally, both groups performed 4 × 6RM half-squat exercises. Training volume was increased after 4 weeks. Pretesting and posttesting consisted of squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) tests, 10- and 30-m sprint speeds, an agility test, a half-squat 1RM, and a clean-and-jerk 1RM (only for WL). The WL program significantly increased the 10-m sprint speed (p < 0.05). Both groups, WL and VJ, increased CMJ (p < 0.05), but groups using the WL program increased more than those using the VJ program. On the other hand, the group using the VJ program increased its 1RM half-squat strength more than the WL group (47.8 and 43.7%, respectively). Only the WL group improved in the SJ (9.5%). There were no significant changes in the control group. In conclusion, Olympic WL exercises seemed to produce broader performance improvements than VJ exercises in physically active subjects.

Expression of genes related to muscle plasticity after strength and power training regimens

The purpose of our study was to compare the effects of 8‐week progressive strength and power training regimens on strength gains and muscle plasticity [muscle fiber hypertrophy and phenotype shift, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), regulatory‐associated protein of mTOR (RAPTOR), rapamycin‐insensitive companion of m‐TOR (RICTOR), calcineurin and calcipressin gene expression]. Twenty‐nine physically active subjects were divided into three groups: strength training (ST), power training (PT) and control (C). Squat 1 RM and muscle biopsies were obtained before and after the training period. Strength increased similarly for both ST and PT groups (P<0.001). Fiber types I, IIa and IIb presented hypertrophy main time effect (P<0.05). Only type IIb percentage decreased from pre‐ to post‐test (main time effect, P<0.05). mTOR and RICTOR mRNA expression increased similarly from pre‐ to post‐test (P<0.01). RAPTOR increased after training for both groups (P<0.0001), but to a greater extent in the ST (P<0.001) than in the PT group. 4EBP‐1 decreased after training when the ST and PT groups were pooled (P<0.05). Calcineurin levels did not change after training, while calcipressin increased similarly from pre‐ to post‐test (P<0.01). In conclusion, our data indicate that these training regimens produce similar performance improvements; however, there was a trend toward greater hypertrophy‐related gene expression and muscle fiber hypertrophy in the ST group.

Effects of Strength and Power Training on Neuromuscular Adaptations and Jumping Movement Pattern and Performance

Abstract Lamas, L, Ugrinowitsch, C, Rodacki, A, Pereira, G, Mattos, ECT, Kohn, AF, and Tricoli, V. Effects of strength and power training on neuromuscular adaptations and jumping movement pattern and performance. J Strength Cond Res 26(12): 3335–3344, 2012—This study aimed at comparing the effects of strength and power training (ST and PT) regimens on neuromuscular adaptations and changes on vertical jump performance, kinetics, and kinematics parameters. Forty physically active men (178.2 ± 7.0 cm; 75.1 ± 8.6 kg; 23.6 ± 3.5 years) with at least 2 years of ST experience were assigned to an ST (n = 14), a PT (n = 14), or a control group (C; n = 12). The training programs were performed during 8 weeks, 3 times per week. Dynamic and isometric maximum strength, cross-sectional area, and muscle activation were assessed before and after the experimental period. Squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, kinetics, and kinematics parameters were also assessed. Dynamic maximum strength increased similarly (p < 0.05) for the ST (22.8%) and PT (16.6%) groups. The maximum voluntary isometric contraction increased for the ST and PT groups (p < 0.05) in the posttraining assessments. There was a main time effect for muscle fiber cross-sectional area (p < 0.05), but there were no changes in muscle activation. The SJ height increased, after ST and PT, because of a faster concentric phase and a higher rate of force development (p < 0.05). The CMJ height increased only after PT (p < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in its kinetics and kinematics parameters. In conclusion, neuromuscular adaptations were similar between the training groups. The PT seemed more effective than the ST in increasing jumping performance, but neither the ST nor the PT was able to affect the SJ and the CMJ movement pattern (e.g., timing and sequencing of joint extension initiation).

Space creation dynamics in basketball offence: validation and evaluation of elite teams

The game of basketball involves several interactions of the offensive and defensive teams (i.e., dynamics). The dynamics for defensive disruption can be organized in classes of equivalence defined herein as space creation dynamics (SCDs). The aims of this study were: a) to validate a set of SCDs classes for offensive actions and b) identify the recurrence of these classes on elite teams’ games. SCDs definition and validation followed Fonseca’s et al. (2008) criteria: 1a. proposition of a preliminary model of SCDs classes based on researchers experience and game analysis; 1b. expert improvement of the pre-defined proposal of SCDs; 1c. intra-observer and inter-observers reliability; 1d. application of the SCDs: analysis on elite basketball games. Resultant classes of SCDs (steps 1a-b): Space creation with ball dribbled (BD); Space creation with ball not dribbled (BND); Post Isolation (PostI); Perimeter Isolation (PerI); Space creation without the ball (WB); On ball screen (OnBS); Out-of-ball screen (OutBS). Reliability (1c): Kappa test intra-observer and inter-observer reliability range from (0.76 -0.85) to (0.73-0.86), respectively. Inter-judges reliability indicates the usefulness of these classes for game analyses. (1d): “OnBS” presented the highest frequency of occurrence among elite teams (34.8%) indicating the relevance of pick and roll for teams’ strategy.

Efeito de dois métodos de treinamento no desenvolvimento da força máxima e da potência muscular de membros inferiores

Maximum strength and power are considered complementary training methods in an athletes training program. However, there are evidences of similar performance improvements in response to maximum strength training (ST) and power training (PT). The purpose of the present study was to compare the two training methods described in relation to their efficiency in increasing maximum strength and power in the half squat exercise. Twenty four physically active subjects (weight 76 ± 8.4 kg, height 178.2 ± 5.3 cm), with at least six months of strength training wash-out, were divided into two training groups, ST and PT. Pre and pos-training testing involved maximum dynamic strength (1 RM) and half squat power test with 30% 1 RM. After eight weeks of training (3x/week) we found that maximum strength increased significantly (p < 0.001) and similarly, 23% e 16% for ST and PT, respectively. Relative mean concentric power increased when both groups were pooled (p < 0.05). The main findings of this study were that ST and PT increased similarly both maximum strength and power.

Análise de jogo no basquetebol: perfil ofensivo da Seleção Brasileira Masculina

A analise de jogo no basquetebol (e em qualquer modalidade esportiva coletiva) e um recurso importante para que os tecnicos e atletas possam entender sua dinâmica e estabelecer estrategias para a melhoria do desempenho individual e coletivo. Neste estudo, realizado com a Selecao Brasileira de Basquetebol Masculina durante o Campeonato Mundial de 2002, nos Estados Unidos, o objetivo foi quantificar o numero de ataques posicionados e contra-ataques realizados e estabelecer relacoes entre eles e posses de bola, pontos possiveis, pontos feitos e aproveitamento de arremessos, considerando-se situacoes de vitorias e derrotas. Os dados foram coletados atraves da observacao dos videos de seis jogos (tres vitorias e tres derrotas). Nesses jogos, os resultados mostraram uma predominância dos ataques posicionados (85,8%) em relacao aos contra-ataques (14,2%). O Brasil fez 386 pontos a partir de ataques posicionados (82,7%) e 81 atraves de contra-ataques (17,3%). O aproveitamento da equipe nesse tipo de ataque foi de 63,3%, enquanto que nos ataques posicionados foi de 45,5%. Verificou-se tambem que nas derrotas, o poderio ofensivo da equipe foi menor, com uma queda de 20,3 pontos (em media) por jogo (88,0 nas vitorias e 67,7 nas derrotas). Em relacao ao aproveitamento de arremessos, nos seis jogos, a equipe obteve um percentual de 47,6%, abaixo das equipes melhores classificadas que obtiveram cerca de 50% nesse indicador de jogo. Outro dado que chama a atencao e a media de bolas perdidas nas derrotas (17,7/jogo) em comparacao as 11 bolas perdidas/jogo nas vitorias. Este fato, alem de diminuir as chances de finalizacao da ao adversario a possibilidade de atacar e aumentar suas chances de sucesso nos arremessos.

Invasion team sports: strategy and match modeling

Performance in invasion team sports (ITS) is highly dependent on the appropriate execution of an efficient team strategy by the players. Strategy enables individual and group actions to be organized in order to produce collective execution, increasing the diversity and unpredictability of the team’s actions. Nonetheless, the scientific literature has mainly analyzed match events without integrating information regarding the observed behavioral patterns and team strategies. As neither match dynamics nor its relation with strategy has been modeled, this study accomplishes these goals through the following steps. First, the organization of collective play was defined by modeling the strategic control of players’ actions and the coordination of cooperative actions between two or more players. Second, a model was constructed that supports the design of strategies, including constraints that ensure effective usefulness of the strategy. Third, the integration between the strategy model and the dynamical structure of the confront was established through the match model. The presented model may provide insight for team training, match analysis, support the development of intelligent software to help coaches design team strategies and as prior information about the collective movements of the team players acquired from automatic player recognition using digital video images.

Treinamento de força máxima x treinamento de potência: alterações no desempenho e adaptações morfológicas

O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar as alteracoes no desempenho de forca maxima e as adaptacoes morfologicas decorrentes do treinamento de forca maxima e de potencia muscular. Quarenta sujeitos foram randomicamente divididos nos grupos treino de forca (TF; 178,7 ± 4,3 cm; 75,2 ± 7,3 kg; 22,5 ± 3,8 anos), treino de potencia (TP; 177,0 ± 5,9 cm; 76,0 ± 8,9 kg; 24,2 ± 4,1 anos), e controle (C; 178,9 ± 11,0 cm; 74,1 ± 9,6 kg; 24,1 ± 2,7 anos). Os sujeitos dos grupos TF e TP foram submetidos a oito semanas de treinamento, com tres sessoes semanais. O grupo TF realizou agachamento com cargas entre 60 e 95% de 1 RM, enquanto o grupo TP realizou agachamento com cargas entre 30 e 60% de 1 RM, com a maior velocidade possivel. Foi avaliado o ganho de forca maxima no teste de 1 RM no agachamento e a area de seccao transversa das fibras tipo I, tipo IIa e tipo IIb pre- e pos-treinamento. Os grupos TF e TP aumentaram a forca maxima apos o periodo de treinamento (p ; 0,05). Houve um efeito principal de tempo para o aumento da area de seccao transversa para todos os tipos de fibras (p < 0,05). Concluindo, o TF e o TP produziram ganhos de forca e de hipertrofia muscular semelhantes, apos oito semanas de treinamento.

Different Resistance-Training Regimens Evoked a Similar Increase in Myostatin Inhibitors Expression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different resistance-training regimens (S or P) on the expression of genes related to the MSTN signaling pathway in physically-active men. 29 male subjects with at least 2 years of experience in strength training were assigned to either a strength-training group (S; n=11) or a power-training group (P; n=11). The control group (C; n=7) was composed of healthy physically-active males. The S and the P groups performed high- and low-intensity squats, respectively, 3 times per week, for 8 weeks. Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were collected before and after the training period. No change was observed in MSTN, ACTIIB, GASP-1 and FOXO-3 A gene expression after the training period. A similar increase in the gene expression of the inhibitory proteins of the MSTN signaling pathway, FLST (S: 4.2 fold induction and P: 3.7 fold induction, p<0.01) and FL-3 (S: 5.6 fold induction and P: 5.6 fold induction, p<0.01), was detected after the training period. SMAD-7 gene expression was similarly augmented after both training protocols (S: 2.5 fold induction; P: 2.8 fold induction; p<0.05). In conclusion, the resistance-training regimens (S and P) activated the expression of inhibitors of the MSTN signaling pathway in a similar manner.

Influência do nível de força máxima na produção e manutenção da potência muscular

Individuos mais fortes (com nivel mais elevado de forca maxima, Fmax) demonstram menor resistencia de forca que individuos mais fracos (com nivel mais baixo de Fmax) em uma mesma intensidade relativa. Como o nivel de Fmax influencia a producao de potencia, espera-se que sujeitos mais fortes tambem apresentem uma menor resistencia de potencia. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influencia do nivel de Fmax na producao e na resistencia de potencia durante repeticoes e series multiplas do exercicio meio-agachamento. Quarenta e dois sujeitos foram classificados de acordo com o resultado no teste de forca dinâmica maxima (1RM) e destes os 10 mais fortes e os 10 mais fracos foram selecionados para participar no estudo. Para avaliar a resistencia de potencia os dois grupos realizaram 10 series de seis repeticoes a 40% e a 60% 1RM na maior velocidade possivel. A potencia absoluta (PA) e a potencia relativa ao peso corporal (PR) desenvolvidas na fase concentrica do exercicio foram medidas. A analise de variância (ANOVA two-way) revelou que os sujeitos mais fortes diminuiram a PA a 60% 1RM a partir da quarta repeticao e a PR a partir da quinta repeticao. Ja os sujeitos mais fracos diminuiram a PA apenas na sexta repeticao e mantiveram o rendimento na PR ao longo das 10 series. Nao houve efeito significante na intensidade de 40% 1RM. Isso sugere que sujeitos mais fortes fadigam antes em maiores intensidades de carga. Essa fadiga precoce nos sujeitos mais fortes poderia estar ligada a diferentes fatores associados ao controle da homeostase orgânica como o comportamento da pressao arterial, da atividade eletromiografica e a proporcao de fibras musculares dos tipos I e II.