Differences in sleep quality in amateur and professional karate fighters / Diferenças na qualidade do sono em lutadores de karatê amadores e profissionais / Diferencias en la calidad del sueño entre aficionados y profesionales de karate

Objective: This study aimed to analyze whether there are differences between the sleep quality of amateur and professional karate fighters. Methodology: Nineteen male Karate fighters participated in the study, where ten fighters were amateur (regional championships), aged 32.3 ±11.2 years, the body mass of 79.1 ±13.1 kg, and nine fighters were professionals (world championships), aged 26.8 ±10.5 years, the weight of 66.3 ±8.2 kg. All volunteers answered the PSQI-Br instrument, validated to Brazilian Portuguese. The Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test was used for statistical analysis, p-value, U value, Z score, and effect size. Results and discussion: There was a statistically significant difference in bedtime and sleep duration, indicating worse results for professional karate fighters. There were no differences in overall sleep quality; however, both groups are classified as poor sleepers. Conclusion: Therefore, amateur and professional karate fighters have poor sleep quality, generating several factors that negatively affect health and performance

Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar se existem diferenças na qualidade do sono entre lutadores de karatê amadores e profissionais. Metodologia: Dezenove lutadores de karatê masculinos participaram do estudo, sendo dez lutadores amadores (campeonatos regionais), com idade média de 32,3 ±11,2 anos e peso médio de 79,1 ±13,1 kg, e nove lutadores profissionais (campeonatos mundiais), com idade média de 26,8 ±10,5 anos e peso médio de 66,3 ±8,2 kg. Todos os voluntários responderam ao instrumento PSQI-Br, validado para o português brasileiro. O teste não paramétrico de Mann-Whitney U foi usado para análise estatística, com valor de p, valor U, escore Z e tamanho de efeito. Resultados e discussão: Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa no horário de dormir e na duração do sono, indicando resultados piores para lutadores profissionais de karatê. Não houve diferenças na qualidade geral do sono; no entanto, ambos os grupos foram classificados como tendo má qualidade do sono. Conclusão: Portanto, lutadores de karatê amadores e profissionais têm má qualidade do sono, o que gera vários fatores que afetam negativamente a saúde e o desempenho

Objetivo: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar si existen diferencias en la calidad del sueño entre luchadores de karate amateur y profesionales. Metodología: Diecinueve luchadores masculinos de karate participaron en el estudio, donde diez luchadores eran amateurs (campeonatos regionales), con una edad de 32,3 ± 11,2 años, una masa corporal de 79,1 ± 13,1 kg, y nueve luchadores eran profesionales (campeonatos mundiales), con una edad de 26,8 ± 10,5 años y un peso de 66,3 ± 8,2 kg. Todos los voluntarios respondieron el instrumento PSQI-Br, validado para el portugués brasileño. Se utilizó la prueba no paramétrica U de Mann-Whitney para el análisis estadístico, el valor p, el valor U, la puntuación Z y el tamaño del efecto. Resultados y discusión: Se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en la hora de acostarse y la duración del sueño, indicando peores resultados para los luchadores de karate profesionales. No hubo diferencias en la calidad general del sueño; sin embargo, ambos grupos fueron clasificados como malos durmientes. Conclusión: Por lo tanto, los luchadores de karate amateur y profesionales tienen una mala calidad del sueño, lo que genera varios factores que afectan negativamente la salud y el rendimiento

Impact of increasing age on high-performance Olympic triathletes in male and female: a case report

Abstract Aim: Increasing age is associated with significant changes in athletes' performance; however, it is not yet known how increasing age could influence the performance of triathletes. In this sense, the present study aimed to investigate how the performance of two elite triathletes (HCK and AD), who participated and finished the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London, could change over the years. Methods: This study reports two cases (male and female) with cross-sectional and retrospective characteristics that describe how the increasing age changes the performance of two elite triathletes who participated in four consecutive Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012). Pearson correlation test was used to verify the correlation between the performance and age of the triathletes. A value of p < 0.05 was assumed to show statistical significance. Results: The results suggest that both triathletes showed impaired performance at the Summer Games in Athens in 2004. When the two athletes were analyzed together, positive correlations were observed between age and transition 1 (T1; swim-to-cycle) and transition 2 (T2; cycle-to-run). Also, a high correlation was found between T2 and age for HCK but not for AD. The results showed a significant correlation between increasing age and a reduction in running performance for HCK. Conclusion: Although the two triathletes improved overall time throughout the Olympic Games, this improvement did not correlate with age. Thus, the increasing age does not seem to impact these two athletes during the four Olympic events.