scholarly journals Balance dynamics are related to age and levels of expertise. Application in young and adult tennis players

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249941
Author(s):  
Carla Caballero ◽  
David Barbado ◽  
Héctor Hérnandez-Davó ◽  
José Luis Hernández-Davó ◽  
Francisco J. Moreno

In tennis, coaches consider balance fundamental for the acquisition of skilled motor performance. However, the potential relationship between balance and tennis expertise and performance has not been explored yet. Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between balance and tennis performance using linear and non-linear parameters through 1) the comparison of tennis players of different ages and levels of expertise, and 2) analyzing the relationship between balance and tennis serving speed and accuracy. One hundred and six recreational and expert male tennis players took part in the study (age range 10–35 years old). Temporal dynamics of postural control during a balance task on an unstable surface were analyzed through the mean velocity and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFAV) of center of pressure (COP). Tennis serve performance was quantified by measuring accuracy and speed. Traditional variables measuring balance performance only showed differences according to age but not to sport performance. COP showed a reduction of auto-correlated variability (reflected by DFAV) with age but mainly in expert players. COP dynamics was the only balance parameter discriminating sport expertise and it was related to age. Balance dynamics exhibited by expert tennis players DFAV results support the idea that, along the years, sport experience induces balance adaptations characterized by a higher ability to perform postural adjustments. These results also reinforce the use of non-linear analysis to reveal subtle balance adaptations produced by sport practice. Finally, the lack of correlations suggests that balance, measured with scattering variables, in a non-specific task is not a main determinant of sport performance in tennis serve.

1994 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy L. Van Raalte ◽  
Britten W. Brewer ◽  
Patricia M. Rivera ◽  
Albert J. Petitpas

In sport psychology, there is broad interest in cognitive factors that affect sport performance. The purpose of this research was to examine one such factor, self-talk, in competitive sport performance. Twenty-four junior tennis players were observed during tournament matches. Their observable self-talk, gestures, and match scores were recorded. Players also described their positive, negative, and other thoughts on a postmatch questionnaire. A descriptive analysis of the self-talk and gestures that occurred during competition was generated. It was found that negative self-talk was associated with losing and that players who reported believing in the utility of self-talk won more points than players who did not. These results suggest that self-talk influences competitive sport outcomes. The importance of "believing" in self-talk and the potential motivational and detrimental effects of negative self-talk on performance are discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruperto Antúnez ◽  
Francisco Hernández ◽  
Juan García ◽  
Raúl Vaíllo ◽  
Jesús Arroyo

Relationship Between Motor Variability, Accuracy, and Ball Speed in the Tennis ServeThe main objective of this study was to analyze the motor variability in the performance of the tennis serve and its relationship to performance outcome. Seventeen male tennis players took part in the research, and they performed 20 serves. Linear and non-linear variability during the hand movement was measured by 3D Motion Tracking. Ball speed was recorded with a sports radar gun and the ball bounces were video recorded to calculate accuracy. The results showed a relationship between the amount of variability and its non-linear structure found in performance of movement and the outcome of the serve. The study also found that movement predictability correlates with performance. An increase in the amount of movement variability could affect the tennis serve performance in a negative way by reducing speed and accuracy of the ball.


1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Goulet ◽  
Chantai Bard ◽  
Michelle Fleury

Two experiments were conducted to analyze the performance of expert and novice tennis players. For testing purposes, 16-mm films were used. Subjects in both studies had to identify the type of serve presented (flat, top-spin, sliced). In Experiment 1, visual search patterns were investigated. During the ritual phase, experts focus on the shoulder/trunk areas whereas novices concentrate their search around the head of the server. During the execution phase, experts concentrate on the racquet whereas novices use more cues. Using the technique of temporal visual occlusion, the speed and accuracy of decisional processes were investigated in a second study. Results showed that expert players select valuable information during the preparatory phase and during the first part of. the execution phase. Novices must see the ritual phase until ball/racquet impact to be as accurate. Results emphasize the importance of combining sampling of eye movement and behavior parameters to sharpen our understanding of the perceptual processes underlying motor sport performance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Michal Polách ◽  
Jiří Zháněl ◽  
Ondřej Hubáček

Monitoring the level of individual factors or performance predispositions is an essential part of athlete´s training process. The article discusses the results of the diagnostic performance predispositions research of the selected group of tennis players. In the research, we first made a selection of players according to the criterion of the frequency of participation in testing and the other criterion was the performance level, ranking, they reached. In the next phase, we analyzed the individual test results of the players in the long-term perspective. The final step was to assess the relationship between age, the results of the test battery and game performance. Due to the small number of measurements and the complexity of sport performance in tennis we did not expect very tight dependence (correlation) of individual variables. We came to the conclusion that by all observed players a high level of motor performance predisposition were recorded which corresponds with their high performance in tennis and ranking, although statistical dependence was not proven.


2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Baiget ◽  
Francisco Corbi ◽  
Juan Pedro Fuentes ◽  
Jaime Fernández-Fernández

AbstractThe aims of this study were to analyze the relationship between maximum isometric strength levels in different upper and lower limb joints and serve velocity in competitive tennis players as well as to develop a prediction model based on this information. Twelve male competitive tennis players (mean ± SD; age: 17.2 ± 1.0 years; body height: 180.1 ± 6.2 cm; body mass: 71.9 ± 5.6 kg) were tested using maximum isometric strength levels (i.e., wrist, elbow and shoulder flexion and extension; leg and back extension; shoulder external and internal rotation). Serve velocity was measured using a radar gun. Results showed a strong positive relationship between serve velocity and shoulder internal rotation (r = 0.67; p < 0.05). Low to moderate correlations were also found between serve velocity and wrist, elbow and shoulder flexion – extension, leg and back extension and shoulder external rotation (r = 0.36 – 0.53; p = 0.377 – 0.054). Bivariate and multivariate models for predicting serve velocity were developed, with shoulder flexion and internal rotation explaining 55% of the variance in serve velocity (r = 0.74; p < 0.001). The maximum isometric strength level in shoulder internal rotation was strongly related to serve velocity, and a large part of the variability in serve velocity was explained by the maximum isometric strength levels in shoulder internal rotation and shoulder flexion.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Moreau ◽  
Jérome Clerc ◽  
Annie Mansy-Dannay ◽  
Alain Guerrien

This experiment investigated the relationship between mental rotation and sport training. Undergraduate university students (n = 62) completed the Mental Rotation Test ( Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978 ), before and after a 10-month training in two different sports, which either involved extensive mental rotation ability (wrestling group) or did not (running group). Both groups showed comparable results in the pretest, but the wrestling group outperformed the running group in the posttest. As expected from previous studies, males outperformed women in the pretest and the posttest. Besides, self-reported data gathered after both sessions indicated an increase in adaptive strategies following training in wrestling, but not subsequent to training in running. These findings demonstrate the significant effect of training in particular sports on mental rotation performance, thus showing consistency with the notion of cognitive plasticity induced from motor training involving manipulation of spatial representations. They are discussed within an embodied cognition framework.


1985 ◽  
Vol 24 (02) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. van Pelt ◽  
Ph. H. Quanjer ◽  
M. E. Wise ◽  
E. van der Burg ◽  
R. van der Lende

SummaryAs part of a population study on chronic lung disease in the Netherlands, an investigation is made of the relationship of both age and sex with indices describing the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve. To determine the relationship, non-linear canonical correlation was used as realized in the computer program CANALS, a combination of ordinary canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and non-linear transformations of the variables. This method enhances the generality of the relationship to be found and has the advantage of showing the relative importance of categories or ranges within a variable with respect to that relationship. The above is exemplified by describing the relationship of age and sex with variables concerning respiratory symptoms and smoking habits. The analysis of age and sex with MEFV curve indices shows that non-linear canonical correlation analysis is an efficient tool in analysing size and shape of the MEFV curve and can be used to derive parameters concerning the whole curve.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Babaei-Aghbolagh ◽  
Komeil Babaei Velni ◽  
Davood Mahdavian Yekta ◽  
H. Mohammadzadeh

Abstract We investigate the $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ -like flows for non-linear electrodynamic theories in D(=2n)-dimensional spacetime. Our analysis is restricted to the deformation problem of the classical free action by employing the proposed $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ operator from a simple integration technique. We show that this flow equation is compatible with $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ deformation of a scalar field theory in D = 2 and of a non-linear Born-Infeld type theory in D = 4 dimensions. However, our computation discloses that this kind of $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ flow in higher dimensions is essentially different from deformation that has been derived from the AdS/CFT interpretations. Indeed, the gravity that may be exist as a holographic dual theory of this kind of effective Born-Infeld action is not necessarily an AdS space. As an illustrative investigation in D = 4, we shall also show that our construction for the $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ operator preserves the original SL(2, ℝ) symmetry of a non-supersymmetric Born-Infeld theory, as well as $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 supersymmetric model. It is shown that the corresponding SL(2, ℝ) invariant action fixes the relationship between the $$ T\overline{T} $$ T T ¯ operator and quadratic form of the energy-momentum tensor in D = 4.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziyou Zhou ◽  
Can Wu ◽  
Zhen Hu ◽  
Yujuan Chai ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractIt has been known that short-time auditory stimulation can contribute to the improvement of the balancing ability of the human body. The present study aims to explore the effects of white Gaussian noise (WGN) of different intensities and frequencies on dynamic balance performance in healthy young adults. A total of 20 healthy young participants were asked to stand at a dynamic balance force platform, which swung along the x-axis with an amplitude of ± 4° and frequency of 1 Hz. Their center of pressure (COP) trajectories were recorded when they were stimulated by WGN of different intensities (block 1) and different frequencies (block 2). A traditional method and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) were used for data preprocessing. The authors found that only with 75–85 dB WGN, the COP parameters improved. WGN frequency did not affect the dynamic balance performance of all the participants. The DFA results indicated stimulation with 75 dB WGN enhanced the short-term index and reduced the crossover point. Stimulation with 500 Hz and 2500 Hz WGN significantly enhanced the short-term index. These results suggest that 75 dB WGN and 500 Hz and 2500 Hz WGN improved the participants’ dynamic balance performance. The results of this study indicate that a certain intensity of WGN is indispensable to achieve a remarkable improvement in dynamic balance. The DFA results suggest that WGN only affected the short-term persistence, indicating the potential of WGN being considered as an adjuvant therapy in low-speed rehabilitation training.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 723-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodie G Dakic ◽  
Belinda Smith ◽  
Cameron M Gosling ◽  
Luke G Perraton

ObjectiveThe physical demands of professional tennis combined with high training/match loads can contribute to musculoskeletal injury. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the type, location and severity of injuries sustained during a 12-month tennis season in a cohort of professional female tennis players on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour and (2) prospectively investigate associations between training/match loads and injury.Methods52 WTA players competing at the Australian Open (2015) consented to participate. Injuries reported to WTA medical staff were classified using tennis-specific guidelines. Individual match exposure data were collected for all matches played at international level in 2015 and expressed per 1000 hours of WTA competition matchplay (MP) and 1000 match exposures (MEs). Variables associated with the number of injuries in the season and loss of time from competition were identified with regression analysis.ResultsThe injury incidence rate (IR) was 56.6 (95% CI: 49.5 to 64.6) per 1000 hours of MP or 62.7 (95% CI: 54.8 to 71.6) per 1000 MEs, although the IR of injuries resulting in loss of time from competition was lower (12.8 per 1000 hours of MP, 92 injuries/100 players). Lower limb (51%) and muscle/tendon (50%) injuries were the most common site and type of injury. Common specific injury site subcategories were the thigh, shoulder/clavicle, ankle and knee in order of frequency. Various measures of match load were significantly associated with injury.ConclusionThis study prospectively analysed injury profiles, including severity across an entire season of professional tennis, and investigated the relationship between training/match loads and injury. These data may help medical professionals develop injury risk identification and prevention programmes.


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