Rugby morphologies: "bigger and taller", reflects an early directional selection.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to investigate the changes over time in anthropometric parameters of young and adult rugby players in France. METHODS: Age, mass and height were collected for 2051 French elite rugby players participating in the championship during the 1988-1989 and the 2008-2009 seasons. The same variables were collected for the best 145 juniors (under 21 years) and 448 U15 (under 15 years) French players for these seasons. Changes in anthropometric parameters were compared according to age, category (back vs. forwards) and season. RESULTS: Over 20 years, adult French rugby backs and forwards have become heavier by 12 kg and 12.3 kg, taller by 5.4 cm and 2.9 cm, respectively. Junior players also became taller and heavier, 6 cm and 9.9 kg for backs and 4.4 cm and 11.1 kg for forwards. U15 backs have gained 5.1 cm and 6.5 kg, and forwards earned 4.7 cm and 4.7 kg. CONCLUSION: Rugby players have become taller and heavier. Their current morphology is the product of a long process of competition and selection. This study demonstrates that this selection of the "large sizes" is already present at a young age.

Cutoff value for predicting success in triathlon mixed team relay.

Introduction: The Mixed-Team-Relay (MTR) triathlon is an original race format present on the international scene since 2009, which became an Olympic event at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The aim of this study was to define the probabilities of reaching a victory, a podium, or a finalist rank in a relay triathlon, according to the position of any of the four relayers (Women/Men/Women/Men) during each of the four segments (leg) of the race. Methods: All MTR results from the World Series, Continental Championships, World Championships from 2009 to 2021 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been collected. We calculated the set of probability frequencies of reaching a given final state, according to any transient state during the race. All results are compared with a V' Cramer method. Results: The frequency of winning is similar at the end of Leg 1 for TOP1 (first position) and TOP2-3 (second and third positions). Then, a difference in the winning-associated frequencies is first observed after the Bike stage of Leg 2, where 47% of TOP1 athletes will win, vs 13% of the TOP2-3. Discussion: This difference continually increases until the end of the race. Legs 2 and 3 are preponderant on the outcome of the race, the position obtained by each triathlete, especially in swimming and cycling, greatly influences the final performance of the team. Leg 1 allows to maintain contact with the head of the race, while Leg 4 sets in stone the position obtained by the rest of the team.

Impact of fruit and vegetable vouchers and dietary advice on fruit and vegetable intake in a low-income population.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Lower-income subgroups consume fewer servings of fruit and vegetables (FVs) compared with their more advantaged counterparts. To overcome financial barriers, FV voucher delivery has been proposed. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a 12-month trial, 302 low-income adults 18-60 years old (defined by evaluation of deprivation and inequalities in health examination centers, a specific deprivation score) were randomized into two groups: dietary advice alone ('advice'), or dietary advice plus FV vouchers ('FV vouchers') (10-40 euros/month) exchangeable for fresh fruits and vegetables. Self-reported data were collected on FV consumption and socioeconomic status at baseline, 3, 9 and 12 months. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were conducted at these periods, as well as blood samples obtained for determination of vitamins. Descriptive analyses, multiple linear regression and logistic regression were performed to evaluate the impact of FV. RESULTS: Between baseline and 3-month follow-up, mean FV consumption increased significantly in both the 'advice' (0.62±1.29 times/day, P=0.0004) and 'FV vouchers' groups (0.74±1.90, P=0.002), with no difference between groups. Subjects in the FV vouchers group had significantly decreased risk of low FV consumption (<1 time/day) compared with those in the advice group (P=0.008). No change was noted in vitamin levels (vitamin C and ß-carotene). The high number of lost-to-follow-up cases did not permit analysis at 9 or 12 months. CONCLUSION: In the low-income population, FV voucher delivery decreased the proportion of low FV consumers at 3 months. Longer-term studies are needed to assess their impact on nutritional status.