Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibre on Exercise Performance and Perception of Fatigue in Young Basketball Players.

Research background: In this study, we investigated the effects of soluble dietary fibre on improving neuromuscular and cardiovascular endurance and perception of fatigue in a closely monitored group of basketball players. Prebiotics have been sidelined in sports nutrition and their effect on performance remains poorly investigated and understood. Experimental approach: Eighteen healthy male basketball players were divided into two groups; one received 17 g/day of soluble dietary fibre (Nutriose®) for four weeks and the other group received placebo. Their morphological characteristics, neuromuscular and cardiovascular endurance, and rating of perceived exertion according to the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale were assessed. Measurements were taken before supplementation and after four weeks of supplementation. Faecal samples were collected from all participants immediately before and after the supplementation period, their total DNA extracted and sent for amplicon sequencing. Results and conclusions: In this study, fibre had no statistically significant effect on the vertical-type explosive power, no statistically significant effect on sprint-type explosive power, nor on aerobic and anaerobic endurance in the experimental group. Soluble fibre had a statistically significant effect on reducing the rating of perceived exertion of basketball players during the competitive part of the season (RPE 7.27±0.04 versus 8.82±0.81). This was confirmed by two-way ANOVA with replication, which showed that within-group interaction (p=0.0193), before and after dietary intake (p=0.0049), and between-group interaction before and after dietary intake (p=0.0313) had a significant effect on the result. The overall conclusion of the study is that soluble dietary fibre supplementation does not improve neuromuscular and cardiovascular endurance over a 4-week period. However, fibre supplementation could have a significant effect on reducing the rating of perceived exertion, as shown by the statistics. Both amplicon sequencing and subsequent bioinformatics results suggest that this could be the result of the beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites. Novelty and scientific contribution: This work highlights the importance of prebiotics in sports nutrition. Dietary fibre has been a neglected component of sports nutrition. This study demonstrated a statistically significant positive effect on the perception of fatigue, highlighting the need for further studies in this direction.

Performance factors that negatively influence shooting efficiency in women's basketball.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of selected factors (possession duration, game quarter, defensive pressure, shooting distance from the basket, and heart rate level) on shooting efficiency on Under-19 (U19) and senior level of women's basketball competition (second division). The analysis procedures included five U19 and six senior-level games, containing 224 and 252 shooting attempts, respectively. Binary logistic regression identified the opponent's defensive pressure and shooting distance from the basket as significant predictors of shooting efficiency in both categories. When defensive pressure was high, the chance for the missed shot was 3.5 (95% CI; 1.43-8.52) and 3.19 (95% CI; 1.4-7.26) times more likely than it was under the minimum defensive pressure for U19 and senior category, respectively. Shooting efficiency significantly decreased when the horizontal distance from the basket increased. In U19, a chance for a missed shot was 4.63 (95% CI; 2-10.712) and 5.15 (95% CI; 1.91-13.86) times higher for medium and long-distance (respectively), compared to short-range shooting. In the senior category, the chance for the missed shot was 3.9 (95% CI; 1.83-8.31) and 3.27 (95% CI; 1.43-7.52) times higher for medium and long-distance (respectively) when compared to a short distance. The possession duration, game quarter, and heart rate level were identified as insignificant predictors. Therefore, the aforementioned findings suggest that basketball players and coaches may benefit from designing training sessions where the defender puts pressure on the shooting player as in a real game situation and balanced the frequency of shooting from different distances from the basket.

The Influence of Protective Headgear on the Visual Field of Recreational-Level Skiers.

The benefit of protective headgear for recreational skiers is an ongoing debate in the snow sports industry, and there are a lot of opposing opinions. Due to the dynamic conditions in which winter sports are performed, athletes demand rapid and constant processing of visual information. A sufficient level of anticipation helps athletes to properly position themselves to reduce the forces transferred to the head or even move to avoid a collision. To objectively identify the impact of protective headgear on the visual field when skiing, it is necessary to conduct suitable measurements. The sample consisted of 43 recreational-level skiers (27 M, 16 F; age 31.6 ± 8.23 years). A predefined testing protocol on an ortoreter was used to assess the visual field for three conditions of wearing protective headgear. Differences in perceived visual stimuli between the three conditions were evaluated by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the observed results, it can be concluded that the combination of wearing a ski helmet and ski goggles significantly negatively influences visual performance in a way that the visual field is narrowed, for both helmet users and non-users, only when comparing the tested conditions. When comparing helmet users and non-users, there are no differences in the amount of visual impairment; therefore, the habit of wearing a helmet does not influence the ability of perceiving visual stimuli.

Do Blood Lactate Levels Affect the Kinematic Patterns of Jump Shots in Handball?

The aim of this study was to determine whether the dynamic motor stereotype of movement (shooting technique) is violated under conditions of an increased lactate concentration in a player's blood after a 30-15 intermittent fitness test. The hypotheses was that there would be statistically significant differences in ball speed and shooting accuracy in jump shots on the goal before and after the occurrence of fatigue in the player. The sample of respondents consisted of 10 top-level handball players of the highest competition rank in Croatia. The results showed significant differences before and after the fatigue protocol in the run-up speed (F = 5.66; p = 0.02), in the maximum speed of the forearm (F = 5.85; p = 0.02) and the hand (F = 4.01; p = 0.04), in the speed in the shoulder joint (F = 5.39; p = 0.02) and wrist joint (F = 4.06; p = 0.04), and in the ball shooting speed (F = 5.42; p = 0.02). The accuracy of the shot was, on average, lower (36.20 vs. 33.17 cm) but not significantly so. High blood lactate levels affect changes in certain kinematic parameters during the performance of a jump shot in handball. Consequently, this reduces the speed of the shot, which can affect situational performance as one of the two significant parameters of scoring success.

What Are Kinematic and Kinetic Differences between Short and Parallel Turn in Alpine Skiing?

There are numerous programs worldwide adapted for alpine ski beginners and they all share the same primary goal-inclusion of skiing beginners in alpine ski schools. The final elements of ski school taught in the parallel skiing technique are parallel turn and short turn. Synchronized analysis of kinetic and kinematic parameters of the parallel turn (PT) and short turn (ST) was conducted to determine the main biomechanical differences from a standpoint of foot pressure and lower limb angles. Both elements were performed by nine male ski instructors (age 33.4 ± 8.62, height 179.52 ± 5.98 cm, weight 78.6 ± 8.88 kg). Kinetic and kinematic analysis was conducted on 180 turns, 90 for each element. Differences in kinetic and kinematic parameters between parallel and short turns were tested by a paired t-test. The main findings of our study are determined differences in the ratio of pressure distribution on the inside and the outside foot and differences in kinematic parameters of the outside leg between elements. The mentioned analysis can provide an objective insight into the complexity of each element and provide guidelines for teaching process of those elements. This study determined the reasons for higher complexity of ST compared to PT based on the objective evaluation of biomechanical factors.

Determinants of Dribbling and Passing Skills in Competitive Games of Women's Basketball.

This work aimed to identify the influence of selected endogenous (internal load) and exogenous (possession duration, game quarter, and defensive pressure) factors in natural game conditions on the efficiency of dribbling and passing skills. Dribbling and passing skills were assessed during four games of U19 female basketball players and five games of senior (2nd division) female basketball players. In total, 551 dribbling and 914 passing executions were evaluated. Binary logistic regression identified defensive pressure of the opponent as a predictor of dribbling and passing skills effectivity. When the defensive pressure of the opponent was medium, the chances for the ineffective pass were 1.997 times more likely (95% CI; 1.179-3.383), as it is at the minimum defensive pressure. When the defensive pressure of the opponent was high, the chances for ineffective dribbling were 7.45 times more likely (95% CI; 3.672-15.113) and for ineffective pass were 8.419 times more likely (95% CI; 4.6-15.409), as it is at minimum defensive pressure. The game quarter and the internal load were not identified as the predictors influencing the dribbling and passing effectivity. Possession duration was also an insignificant predictor of dribbling and passing skills effectivity. However, the passing skill effectivity decreases when the shot clock is winding down. These findings confirm the importance of transferring game situations into the training process. Coaches should take into account these factors when they want to stimulate determinants of player performance in a balanced and systematic way.

Kinematic Analysis of 2-Point and 3-Point Jump Shot of Elite Young Male and Female Basketball Players.

Basketball shooting is one of the most important offensive skills in basketball. Winning or losing a game mostly depends on the shooting effectiveness. The study aims to compare the selected kinematic variables of 2-point (2-pt) and 3-point (3-pt) jump shots (after making a cut and receiving the ball) and ascertain the differences between elite male under 16 and 18 (U16M, U18M) and female under 16 and 18 (U16F, U18F) basketball players. Overall, forty-eight young male and female basketball players participated in the study. 3D motion analysis using an inertial suit with the addition of utilizing a smart ball was performed for assessing the 2-pt and 3-pt shooting techniques. Players in male categories shot for 2-pt with a higher center of mass difference in the vertical direction (U16M 5.7 cm, U18M 3.9 cm vs. U16F 1.4 cm, U18F 0.6 cm), with higher release shoulder angle (U16M 110.9, U18M 113.8 vs. U16F 103, U18F 105), and with a higher entry angle of the ball (U16M 34, U18M 32 vs. U16F 30, U18F 30) when compared to female categories (p < 0.001). In the 3-pt shooting, there were differences between male and female categories in the shoulder angle when releasing the ball (p < 0.001). In the players shooting speed, there were differences between U16M vs. U18F (0.95 ± 0.1 vs. 0.88 ± 0.1; p = 0.03) and U16F vs. U18F (0.96 ± 0.06 vs. 0.88 ± 0.1; p = 0.02) players. Male categories shot 3-pt shots with a smaller center of mass difference in the horizontal direction when compared to 2-pt shots (p < 0.001). The entry angle was higher in successful shooting attempts compared to unsuccessful shooting attempts when shooting for 3-pt (p = 0.02). Player shooting speed was higher in all categories (except U18F) when shooting for 3-pt (p < 0.001). It appears that performers show difference in kinematic variables based on distance from the basket. Basketball coaches and players should work to minimize the kinematic differences between 2-pt and 3-pt shooting and to optimize the shooting technique.

Influence of Fatigue on Some Kinematic Parameters of Basketball Passing.

Kinematic analysis is an objective method for examining basketball technique. However, there are just a few studies featuring a kinematic analysis of passing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the kinematic parameters and accuracy of passing changed when players were under the influence of fatigue. Eleven Croatian basketball players who are members of the youth national program (age: 18.36 ± 0.67 years; height: 192.32 ± 9.98 cm; weight: 83.35 ± 11.19 kg; body fat: 15.00 ± 4.40%, arm span: 194.34 ± 10.39 cm) participated in fatigue and non-fatigue repetitive tests. A Xsens suit was used to analyze the kinematic parameters of push passing; a radar gun was used to determine ball speed; heart rate and blood lactate were used to identify fatigue and non-fatigue state. There was a significant difference in angular velocities of shoulder (p = 0.01), elbow (p = 0.04), and wrist (p = 0.01), accuracy (p = 0.01), ball speed (p = 0.00), pelvis position (p = 0.00), and velocity of the pelvis in X-axis (p = 0.00) between fatigue and non-fatigue state. Fatigue influences some kinematic parameters and accuracy of passing. The findings of this study suggest that coaches conduct as many drills as possible in situational conditions that are similar to the conditions during the basketball game itself.

Short-Term Core Strengthening Program Improves Functional Movement Score in Untrained College Students.

Functional movement is an important part of developing athletes' but also untrained individuals' performance. Its monitoring also proved useful in identifying functional limitations and asymmetries, and also in determining the intervention effects. The quasi-experimental pre-test post-test study investigated the effects of core stability training program on the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) score in untrained students after six weeks. The intervention (INT) and control (CG) groups included 73 and 65 male students, respectively. Functional movement patterns were evaluated using the FMS including seven components scores representing seven basic functional patterns. Both groups significantly improved almost all FMS components scores, but the INT increased the mean performance of the hurdle step (partial ŋ2 × 100 = 4%, p = 0.02), in-line lunge (partial ŋ2 × 100 = 3%, p = 0.05), rotatory stability (partial ŋ2 × 100 = 4%, p = 0.02) and total FMS (partial ŋ2 × 100 = 3%, p = 0.04) significantly more than the CG. This justifies that core strengthening can improve FMS in untrained individuals even with the short duration programs.

Sleep Duration and Sleep Quality Are Associated with Physical Activity in Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes.

The main purpose of the study was to explore the associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with physical activity (PA). In this cross-sectional study, participants were 894 elderly individuals (mean age 80 ± 3 years; 56.0% women) living in nursing homes. PA, sleep duration, and sleep quality (based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) were self-reported. The associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with PA at the nursing home level were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with clustering. Participants reporting short sleep duration (<6 h; OR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.25⁻0.80) were less likely to report sufficient PA, yet those reporting long sleep duration (>9 h; OR = 2.61; 95% CI 1.35⁻5.02) and good sleep quality (<5 points; OR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.19⁻2.12) were more likely to report sufficient PA. When sleep duration and sleep quality were entered into the same model, the same associations remained. This study shows that elderly individuals who report short sleep duration are less likely to meet PA guidelines, while those who report long sleep duration and good sleep quality are more likely to meet PA guidelines. Strategies aiming to improve sleep duration and sleep quality are warranted.