Reliability, criterion-concurrent validity, and construct-discriminant validity of a head-marking version of the taekwondo anaerobic intermittent kick test.

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of a head-marking version of the taekwondo anaerobic intermittent kick test (TAIKT-head). Twenty-seven (21 males and 6 females) taekwondo athletes performed TAIKT-head on two occasions (test-retest). In addition, they performed the chest-marking version of the TAIKT (TAIKT-chest), 30-s continuous jump (CJ30s), countermovement jump (CMJ) and flexibility tests. To establish TAIKT-head's construct validity (discriminatory capability), two subgroups were identified based on their international and national taekwondo results: 15 elite (12 males and 3 females) and 12 sub-elite (9 males and 3 females) athletes. TAIKT-head showed high relative (ICCs ≥ 0.90) and absolute (SEMs < SWCs) reliability. The comparison between TAIKT-head and TAIKT-chest revealed that absolute and relative peak and mean powers were higher (p < 0.001) in TAIKT-head than in TAIKT-chest. In contrast, the fatigue index and rating of perceived exertion were lower in TAIKT-head than in TAIKT-chest (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively), with no significant difference between the two tests regarding physiological variables. Significant correlations between TAIKT-head and TAIKT-chest (r ranged from 0.74 to 0.53), CJ30s (r ranged from 0.84 to 0.43), and CMJ (r ranged from 0.88 to 0.79) were mostly "very large". There was no association between TAIKT-head and flexibility tests. Elite athletes showed greater TAIKT-head performances than sub-elite counterparts. Receiving operating characteristic analysis indicated that the TAIKT-head effectively discriminated between elite and sub-elite athletes. In conclusion, the TAIKT-head is a reliable and valid test to evaluate the specific intermittent anaerobic power of taekwondo athletes through the most used kicking technique at the head level.

Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test: Discriminant Validity and an Update with the Gold-Standard Wingate Test.

The aim of this study was to update the validity of the Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test compared with the 30-s Wingate anaerobic test as the "Gold-Standard", squat jump and countermovement jump tests. The second objective was to examine whether this new specific test would be able to effectively discriminate between elite taekwondo athletes of different competitive levels. Twenty taekwondo athletes (15 males and 5 females) participated in the validation component, whereas 18 (14 males and 4 females) and 16 (13 males and 3 females) athletes participated in the reliability analysis of the Wingate anaerobic test and jumping tests, respectively. They performed these tests on two separate occasions (i.e., test-retest), in addition to the Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test. To establish test's discriminatory capability (i.e., construct validity), two subgroups were identified based on their international and national taekwondo performance: 10 elite (8 males and 2 females) and 9 sub-elite (7 males and 2 females) athletes. Wingate anaerobic test and jumping tests performances showed excellent reliability (ICC > 0.90, SEM < 5% for most variables). Significant correlations between Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test, Wingate anaerobic test, and jumping tests' variables were mostly "large". Elite taekwondo athletes showed greater taekwondo test performances compared with their sub-elite counterparts (p < 0.001). Receiving operating characteristic analysis indicated that the taekwondo specific test was able to effectively discriminate between elite and sub-elite taekwondo athletes. Overall, the findings of the current study support the concurrent validity of the Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test. In particular, the Taekwondo Anaerobic Intermittent Kick Test showed good ability to effectively discriminate between taekwondo athletes of different competitive levels.

The five-jump test for distance as a field test to assess lower limb explosive power in soccer players.

The 5-jump test (5JT) was proposed to evaluate lower limb explosive power of athletes competing in various disciplines. Although 5JT performance is usually expressed in absolute terms as the overall distance covered (i.e., in meters), subject size can play a significant role in the performance. The aims of the present study were to test the relationship of 5JT absolute performance with laboratory tests for explosive power and to develop performance notations useful to improve the diagnostic value of 5JT. Fifteen elite soccer players, members of the Under-23 Tunisian national team, were tested for 5JT, force platform vertical jumping (squat jump [SJ] and arm-aided countermovement jump [Arm-CMJ]), and concentric isokinetic leg extension/flexion (90 degrees x s(-1) and 240 degrees x s(-1)). 5JT performance was expressed in absolute terms (meters), relative to leg length (5JT-relative) and with body mass-dependent notations (Body mass x 5JT, 5JT-body mass). 5JT performance was significantly correlated with SJ height and scaled (W x kg) peak power (0.72 and 0.77, respectively, p < 0.01). 5JT-relative values were significantly related to SJ and Arm-CMJ height (0.61 and 0.71, respectively, p < 0.05) and scaled peak power (0.57 and 0.59, respectively, p < 0.05). 5JT-body mass revealed significantly related of SJ (0.82, p < 0.0001) and Arm-CMJ peak power (0.54, p < 0.05) and to SJ and Arm-CMJ peak force (0.67 and 0.65, respectively p < 0.05). 5JT-relative and 5JT-body mass correlated significantly with knee extensors 240 degrees x s(-1) (0.60, p < 0.05) and knee flexors 90 degrees x s(-1) (0.67, p < 0.01) isokinetic acceleration time, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the 5JT may be regarded as an explosive strength diagnostic tool under field conditions in elite soccer players. The use of performance notation accounting for body size differences may improve the diagnostic ability of 5JT.

Influence of fatigue, stress, muscle soreness and sleep on perceived exertion during submaximal effort.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the Hooper's Index variations (i.e., self-ratings of fatigue, stress, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and sleep) on rating of perceived exertion during a 10 min submaximal exercise training session (RPE-10 min) and then check the stability and the internal consistency of RPE-10 min. Seventeen junior soccer players took part in this study. The individual Hooper's indices taken before each training session were correlated with RPE-10 min during a constant intensity and duration effort (10 min) using Pearson product moment correlation. Intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to assess the internal consistency of the RPE-10 min. All individual correlations between RPE-10 min and quality of sleep and quantity of fatigue, stress, and DOMS were non-significant (p>0.05). No significant correlations were resulted between RPE-10 min and Hooper's Index in all athletes. The ICC of RPE-10 min was 0.77 thus demonstrating internal consistency. The results of the present study demonstrated the objectivity and utility of RPE as a psychological tool for monitoring training during traditional soccer training. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that fatigue, stress, DOMS and sleep are not major contributors of perceived exertion during traditional soccer training without excessive training loads. It seems that psychobiological factors other than fatigue, stress, DOMS and sleep may have mediated the 10 min exercise perceptual intensity.