Vicente Pinheiro Lima

Anthropometric and physical fitness parameters versus specific performance tests in Brazilian field hockey athletes: a pilot study

Summary Study aim: To investigate the correlation between anthropometric parameters, Sargent jump test, core muscles endurance and agility performance versus specific tests with and without a ball in female Brazilian field hockey athletes. Material and methods: Nine professional female field hockey players (age: 27.4 ± 2.5 years) participated in this study. Body height, body weight, body fat percentage, Sargent jump test (SJT), shuttle run agility test (SR), core muscular endurance tests and sport-specific tests - repeated sprint ability test (RSA) and repeated sprint ability with the ball (RSAB) - were assessed in a randomized order. Results: A moderate correlation was noted between SR and RSAB (r = 0.58, p = 0.09) and RSA (r = 0.60, p = 0.08). In addition, a moderate correlation was noted between percentage of body fat with RSAB (r = 0.59, p = 0.09) and with RSA (r = 0.72, p = 0.08). The other variables showed slight agreement or no agreement. Conclusions: These results indicated that the SR could be implemented in training and evaluation programs of hockey athletes due to the correlation with specific tests. Thus, the percentage of body fat was the only anthropometric parameter that showed a correlation with the specific tests, revealing the importance of maintaining a proper percentage of body fat for better performance in hockey.

Electromyographic Analysis of Muscles Activation during Sit-And-Reach Test Adopting Self-Myofascial Release with Foam Rolling Versus TraditionalWarm Up

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the score and surface of the electromyographic (sEMG) activity of erector spinae (ES), lateral belly of gastrocnemious (GL), and semimembranous (SM) muscles during SRT adopting SMR, compared to traditional warm-up. Methods: Fourteen male college students of certain age and weight (age: 26.8 ± 5.7 years; weight: 75.1 ± 8.2 kg, height: 176.7± 5.5 cm) participated in this study. The participants performed two experimental protocols in two nonconsecutive days: TRAD: Before testing, all subjects performed a 5-minute warm-upon a cycle ergometer followed by three attempts in SRT, with 3-minute rest intervals between; SMR – Firstly, the participants performed Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) for low back, knee flexor, and triceps surae muscles in a randomized design, immediately followed by SRT. The SMR was performed adopting 30-seconds for each leg (knee flexor and triceps surae muscles). The SMR for back muscles held for 1-minute. Results: No differences were observed in SRT performance between TRAD and SMR. During muscle activity, there was no interaction or significant differences between the protocols.However, significant differences were observed between muscles intra protocols (p=0.028). Muscle activity of ES muscle was significantly greater than GL (p=0.0001) and SM (p=0.0002) for both protocols, respectively. Similar results were noticed between SM (p=0.001) and GL (p=0.0023) for TRAD and SMR, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, foam roller massage applied only for 3 minutes on back and lower body muscles thus, they may have a similar acute warm up effect than cicloergometer, considering SRT performance.

Myoeletric Activity of the Quadriceps During Leg Press Exercise Performed With Differing Techniques.

Abstract Machado, W, Paz, G, Mendes, L, Maia, M, Winchester, JB, Lima, V, Willardson, JM, and Miranda, H. Myoeletric activity of the quadriceps during leg press exercise performed with differing techniques. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 422–429, 2017—The quadriceps muscle supplies the motive force for dynamic knee extension. During this action, the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) co-contract to stabilize the patella as it tracks within the patellofemoral groove. The purpose of this study was to analyze surface electromyographic (SEMG) responses for the VL, VMO, rectus femoris (RF), and biceps femoris (BF), as well as the VMO:VL ratio during an open-kinetic chain 45° angled leg press (LP45). The traditional LP45 technique was compared with 2 alternative LP45 exercise techniques that used a physioball and elastic band, respectively. Thirteen female college students performed 3 protocols in random order: TRAD—1 LP45 set performed using the traditional exercise technique, PBALL—1 LP45 set performed with a physioball held between the knee joints, and PEB—1 LP45 set performed with an elastic band proximal to the knee joints. Ten repetitions at 70% of a 10 repetition maximum load were performed in each protocol, and the SEMG data were recorded for the VMO, VL, RF, and BF muscles. Significant increases in VMO activity were noted during PBALL vs. PEB (p = 0.001) and TRAD (p = 0.002). Higher VMO activity was noted during TRAD vs. PEB (p = 0.001). Greater VL activity was noted during PBALL vs. TRAD (p = 0.0001) and PEB (p = 0.0001). The PBALL condition elicited a greater VMO:VL ratio during the concentric phase vs. the PEB (p = 0.001) and TRAD (p = 0.001) protocols. Greater RF activity was observed during PEB vs. TRAD (p = 0.001) and PBALL (p = 0.001). Therefore, practitioners should consider placing a physioball between the knees during the LP45 exercise as an alternative technique when greater overall quadriceps activity is desired for clinical rehabilitation or a muscle strengthening program.

Determination and comparison of time under tension required to perform 8, 10 and 12-RM loads in the bench press exercise

Summary Study aim: To determine and compare the time under tension (TUT) required to perform 8, 10 and 12 repetition maximum (RM) loads in the bench press exercise. Material and methods: Twenty men (24.17 ± 4.69 years) were selected intentionally and properly. We included in the study physically active individuals, with a weekly frequency of physical activity of at least two days for six months, and excluded individuals with injury or pain that could interfere with the correct execution of the exercise and individuals with positive PAR-Q. The 10-RM test consisted in performing ten consecutive repetitions with maximum overload and the highest speed in bench press exercise on the Smith machine. After 48 h, 10-RM sets were performed with the load obtained in the 10-RM load testing. The TUT in 10-RM was verified through kinematics using the timing technique of the Kinovea software. Results: The RM loads and TUT obtained during the retest session showed normal distribution between subjects. However, no significant differences were found between the loads 8, 10 and 12-RM within and between subjects (p < 0.05). The verified TUT showed a difference from 8 to 10-RM and from 8 to 12-RM, but no significant difference was found between TUT protocols for 10 and 12-RM (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study results enable evaluation of TUT in bench press exercise on the Smith machine for the study sample, allowing, for this group, the prediction and control of training intensity through the TUT.

Correlação entre incapacidade funcional lombar e índices da aptidão física para a saúde

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar se existe correlacao entre incapacidade funcional lombar (IFL) para com a flexibilidade da coluna lombar, circunferencia de cintura (CC), risco cintura-quadril (RCQ) e indice de massa corporal (IMC) em universitarios de ambos os generos. A amostra foi composta por 58 mulheres adultas com 27,02±8,90 anos de idade e 56 homens adultos com 24,59±7,53 anos de idade. O Roland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ) foi utilizado para verificar a existencia de IFL e o teste de sentar e alcancar (TSA) para mensurar a flexibilidade da coluna lombar. De acordo com o resultado nao se verificou correlacao entre o RMQ para com IMC, RCQ, CC e TSA atraves da correlacao linear de Pearson considerando p