Reliability of a Battery of cognitive tests in Young, healthy people / Fiabilidad de una batería de pruebas cognitivas en personas jóvenes y sanas

Cognitive performance is an essential aspect of sports. Still, few studies provide reliable cognitive tests for training and evaluating cognitive aspects related to sports, particularly in a healthy and/or youthful population. This study assessed the intraday and interday reliability of a cognitive test battery related to sports performance. In the research, seventeen healthy volunteers participated. DynavisionTMD2, Bassin Anticipation Timer, Go/No-Go, Eriksen Flanker, and the Trail Making Test (TMT) were analyzed. TMT-A and TMT-B (intraday), as well as the following variables in the interday analysis, exhibited significant differences: "Physical RT - Fastest" (Test 1), "Visual RT - Fastest" and "Physical RT - Fastest" (Test 2), "Visual RT - Fastest" (Test 4) and TMT-A. Thirteen of the thirty-one variables analyzed on the intraday exam had moderate Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), six were good, and one was exceptional. In the interday analysis, 15 variables with moderate ICC and 5 variables with excellent ICC were identified. Reliable tests include "Reaction Time" (Tests 5 and 6) and "Red and Green Lights" of the DynavisionTMD2, the 15 mph speed of the Bassin Anticipation Timer, and the Go/No-Go, Eriksen Flanker, and TMT tests.(AU)

Changes in electromyographic activity of latent trigger points after a dry needling intervention: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effects of dry needling (DN) in upper trapezius latent trigger points (LTrPs) on pressure pain threshold (PPT) and surface electromyography (sEMG). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. SETTINGS: Sports Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of Castilla-La Mancha. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six participants (18-35 years old) with LTrP in the upper trapezius were divided into two groups: DN-group and Sham-DN-group. INTERVENTIONS: In the DN-group, the needle was inserted 10-times through the skin, and it was manipulated up and down using a "fast in and out" technique. In the Sham-DN-group, non-penetrating needles were used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PPT, sEMG at rest, and sEMG in isometric contraction of the LTrP of the upper trapezius muscle were evaluated at baseline, 30 min after treatment, and after 24 h, and 72 h of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean change in sEMG at rest between baseline and 30 min was - 0.38 (0.38) %refRMS for the DN group and - 0.05 (0.31) %refRMS for the Sham-DN group (mean difference -0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference: - 0.54 to - 0.13), and between baseline and 24 h was - 0.35 (0.35) %refRMS for the DN group and - 0.06 (0.58) %refRMS for the Sham-DN group (mean difference -0.29, 95% CI: -0.57 to -0.01). In addition, the DN-group showed higher values of PPT than the Sham-DN group at 72 h (5.22 (1.23) to 4.65 (1.03) kg/cm2; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A single session of DN intervention was effective in reducing the electromyographic activity, muscle fatigue and pain of the upper trapezius muscle in LTrP. CONTRIBUTION OF PAPER: In healthy volunteers dry needling is effective.

The effects of intermittent hypoxia training on hematological and aerobic performance in triathletes.

The aim of the present research was to analyze modifications on hematological and aerobic performance parameters after a 7-week intermittent hypoxia training (IHT) program. Eighteen male trained triathletes were divided in two groups: an intermittent hypoxia training group (IHTG: n: 9; 26.0 ± 6.7 years; 173.3 ± 5.9 cm; 66.4 ± 5.9 kg; VO2max: 59.5 ± 5.0 ml/kg/min) that conducted a normoxic training plus an IHT and a control group (CG: n: 9; 29.3 ± 6.8 years; 174.9 ± 4.6 cm; 59.7 ± 6.8 kg; VO2max: 58.9 ± 4.5 ml/kg/min) that performed only a normoxic training. Training process was standardized across the two groups. The IHT program consisted of two 60-min sessions per week at intensities over the anaerobic threshold and atmospheric conditions between 14.5 and 15% FiO2. Before and after the 7-week training, aerobic performance in an incremental running test and hematological parameters were analyzed. After this training program, the IHTG showed higher hemoglobin and erythrocytes (p < 0.05) values than in the CG. In terms of physiological and performance variables, between the two groups no changes were found. The addition of an IHT program to normoxic training caused an improvement in hematological parameters but aerobic performance and physiological variables compared to similar training under normoxic conditions did not increase.