Nabil Gmada

Relative and absolute reliability of a modified agility T-test and its relationship with vertical jump and straight sprint.

Sassi, RH, Dardouri, W, Yahmed, MH, Gmada, N, Mahfoudhi, ME, and Gharbi, Z. Relative and absolute reliability of a modified agility t-test and its relationship with vertical jump and straight sprint. J Strength Cond Res 23(6): 1644-1651, 2009-The aims of this study were to evaluate the reliability of a modified agility T-test (MAT) and to examine its relationship to the free countermovement jump (FCMJ) and the 10-m straight sprint (10mSS). In this new version, we preserved the same nature of displacement of the T-test but we reduced the total distance to cover. A total of 86 subjects (34 women: age = 22.6 ± 1.4 years; weight = 63.7 ± 10.2 kg; height = 1.65 ± 0.05 m; body mass index = 23.3 ± 3.3 kg·m−2 and 52 men: age = 22.4 ± 1.5 years; weight = 68.7 ± 8.0 kg; height = 1.77 ± 0.06 m; body mass index = 22.0 ± 2.0 kg·m−2) performed MAT, T-test, FCMJ, and 10mSS. Our results showed no difference between test-retest MAT scores. Intraclass reliability of the MAT was greater than 0.90 across the trials (0.92 and 0.95 for women and men, respectively). The mean difference (bias) ± the 95% limits of agreement was 0.03 ± 0.37 seconds for women and 0.03 ± 0.33 seconds for men. MAT was correlated to the T-test (r = 0.79, p < 0.001 and r = 0.75, p < 0.001 for women and men, respectively). Significant correlations were found between both MAT and FCMJ, and MAT and 10mSS for women (r = −0.47, p < 0.01 and r = 0.34, p < 0.05, respectively). No significant correlations were found between MAT and all other tests for men. These results indicate that MAT is a reliable test to assess agility. The weak relationship between MAT and strength and straight speed suggests that agility requires other determinants of performance as coordination. Considering that field sports generally include sprints with change direction over short distance, MAT seems to be more specific than the T-test when assessing agility.

Technical and tactical analysis of high level kickboxing matches

The purpose of the study was to analyze the technical and tactical aspects of high level Kickboxing matches. A total of 45 matches (135 rounds) from the World Championship 2009 and 2011 of male kickboxers were analyzed using notational analysis system to determine the technical and tactical aspects (i.e., offensive, defensive techniques and combined actions) considering combat rounds, weight divisions and match outcome. Kickboxers were engaged in offensive actions more than defensive ones (P<0.001). The most used techniques were straight punches, roundhouse kick, block/parry and foot defense (P<0.001), while punch combinations were the most used combination type. Winners used more offensive (i.e., hook punches), defensive techniques (i.e., foot defense and clinch) and punch combinations than losers. Significant interation effect of weight category, match outcome and rounds were found on offensive and defensive techniques. The activity in international kickboxing competitions was modulated by weight categories with a significant effect of combat stage. Winners applied more offensives and defensives techniques than defeated athletes. Our findings suggest that to win a match, athletes should be motivated by developing the most used offensives techniques and coaches should structure specific training to maintain a high rate of techniques ‘delivery during the combat.

Time-motion analysis of elite male kickboxing competition

Abstract Ouergui, I, Hssin, N, Haddad, M, Franchini, E, Behm, DG, Wong, DP, Gmada, N, and Bouhlel, E. Time-motion analysis of elite male kickboxing competition. J Strength Cond Res 28(12): 3537–3543, 2014—The objective of the study was to analyze the time structure of high-level kickboxing matches. A total of 45 combats from 2 male World Championships were monitored using a time-motion analysis system. The combat time structure (i.e., high-intensity activity [HIA], low-intensity activity [LIA], and referee breaks or pauses) during competition and weight divisions was determined and compared. Results indicated that the time structures were HIA: 2.2 ± 1.2 seconds; LIA: 2.3 ± 0.8 seconds; pauses: 5.4 ± 4.3 seconds; and 3.4 ± 1.2 seconds between 2 subsequent HIA. The fighting to nonfighting ratio was found to be 1:1. Moreover, the number of HIA and LIA and the time of LIA decreased in latter rounds (e.g., the average number of HIA was 27.1 ± 7.1, 25.1 ± 6.6, and 24.9 ± 6.1, respectively, for rounds 1, 2, and 3), meanwhile the time and number of pauses increased (e.g., the average pause times were 12.8 ± 11.4, 22.3 ± 22.6, and 24.6 ± 23.3 seconds, respectively, for rounds 1, 2, and 3). The activity times did not differ among weight categories. The present results confirm the intermittent nature of kickboxing competition and provide coaches with more information on how to structure training sessions to mimic the physical demands in competition.

EFFECT OF A PRIOR FORCE-VELOCITY TEST PERFORMED WITH LEGS ON SUBSEQUENT PEAK POWER OUTPUT MEASURED WITH ARMS OR VICE VERSA

Bouhlel, E, Chelly, MS, Gmada, N, Tabka, Z, and Shephard, R. Effect of a prior force-velocity test performed with legs on subsequent peak power output measured with arms or vice versa. J Strength Cond Res 24(x): 000-000, 2010-The aim of this study was to examine whether measurement of peak anaerobic power (Wpeak) by force-velocity test using the arms or the legs influenced the performance obtained when the opposite muscle group was tested. Ten trained male throwers (age: 20.6 ± 2; stature: 1.82 ± 0.06 m; and body mass: 85.5 ± 17.2 kg) performed, on separate days, 2 Monark cycle-ergometer protocols comprising (a) arm cranking (A1) followed by a leg cycling (L2) force-velocity test (series A-L) and (b) a leg cycling (L1) followed by an arm cranking (A2) force-velocity test (series L-A). On each day, 8 minutes of seated rest separated the 2 force-velocity tests. Arterialized capillary blood was collected from the finger tips for blood lactate analysis at rest and at the end of each force-velocity test. Wpeak-A1 and Wpeak-A2 were similar (8.1 ± 1.7 and 8.6 ± 1.5 W·kg−1, respectively). Wpeak-L1 and Wpeak-L2 were 14.0 ± 3 and 13.4 ± 2.8 W·kg−1 (NS). Blood [La] increased significantly after each force-velocity test (p < 0.001), but peak blood [La] did not differ significantly between L1 (6.6 ± 1.2) and L2 (6.2 ± 1.4 mmol·L−1) or between A1 (7.2 ± 1.0) and A2 (7.4 ± 1.6 mmol·L−1). In this population, force-velocity tests performed using the legs or the arms did not induce a significant decrease in force-velocity determinations of peak anaerobic power performed subsequently with the opposite muscle group. In strength-trained athletes, the force-velocity approach can thus be used to measure the peak power output of both the legs and the arms in a single laboratory session, without adversely affecting estimates of an athletes performance.