Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Versus Standard Care for Reducing Quadriceps Atrophy After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Clinical Scenario: Quadriceps atrophy and weakness are common after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy, alone or in combination with exercise, has shown some promise in promoting muscular hypertrophy. This review was conducted to ascertain the extent to which current evidence supports the use of BFR for reducing quadriceps atrophy following ACLR in comparison with standard care. Clinical Question: Is BFR more effective than standard care for reducing quadriceps atrophy after ACLR? Summary of Key Findings: The literature was searched for studies that directly compared BFR treatment to standard care in patients with ACLR. Three level I randomized control trial studies retrieved from the literature search met the inclusion criteria. Clinical Bottom Line: Reviewed data suggest that a short duration (13 d) of moderate-pressure BFR combined with low-resistance muscular training does not appear to measurably affect quadriceps cross-sectional area. However, a relatively long duration (15 wk) of moderate-pressure BFR combined with low-resistance muscular training may increase quadriceps cross-sectional area to a greater extent than low-resistance muscular training alone. The results of the third randomized control trial suggest that employing BFR while immobilized in the early postoperative period may reduce quadriceps atrophy following ACLR. Additional data are needed to establish if the benefits of BFR on quadriceps atrophy after ACLR outweigh the inherent risks and costs. Strength of Recommendation: All evidence for this review was level 1 (randomized control trial) based on the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria. However, the findings were inconsistent across the 3 studies regarding the effects of BFR on quadriceps atrophy resulting in a grade “B” strength of recommendation.

INJURY RATE FACTORS IN EXTREME SPORTS ATHLETES WITH DIFFERENT MENTAL SELF-REGULATION TYPES

Aim. The article deals with studying the injury rate factors in athletes with different peculia­rities of mental self-regulation. Materials and methods. Male athletes aged 18–32 involved in cross-country motorcycle and bicycle races, snowboarding, and skateboarding participated in the study (n = 167). The following injury factors were taken into account: the number and severity of injuries, length of the recovery period, limitations on doing sport after recovery. The intensity of the following self-organization characteristics was assessed: determination, self-discipline, flexibility, perseverance, commitment to the current aim, and the general level of self-organization. The frequency of using the following mental self-regulation techniques during training and competitions was assessed: autosuggestion, self-persuasion, physical exercises, breathwork, auto-training, psycho-muscular training, motor imagery practice, visualization, and meditation. Results. Athletes with better-developed self-discipline and those practicing psycho-muscular training have fewer injuries while doing extreme sports. The injuries of athletes practicing psycho-muscular training are not so severe. Athletes with better determination and self-discipline recover faster after injuries. This can also be applied to those athletes who often use the techniques of autosuggestion, self-persuasion, psycho-muscular training, meditation, and visualization. Athletes with greater perseverance have fewer limitations on doing sport after recovery. This is also true for athletes practicing autosuggestion, self-persuasion, and meditation. No differences in the injury rate of cross-country motorcyclists, snow- and skateboarders were revealed. Conclusion. It is appropriate to treat the peculiarities of mental self-regulation as a factor affecting the injury rate of athletes practicing extreme sports.

Lyrical technique as a pedagogical tool for teaching brazilian popular singing

The present study consists in proposing the use of the lyrical technique dissociated from the aesthetics of sacred music, opera, and concert music, for which its use has become reputed, to use it as a healthy and efficient tool in the vocal muscular training of the Brazilian popular singer. For this, we carried out a bibliographical review on pedagogy and vocal physiology in the scope of popular Brazilian song, as well as an analysis of small fragments of the repertoire of popular music, through which we seek to justify the use of the lyrical technique by the popular singer. The project aims to open new perspectives on the subject and to point out the musical benefits achieved through the physiological knowledge that the lyrical technique provides: the conscious use of the organs that make the activity of singing possible and the use of the whole body as an instrument.

Short-Term Effects of Combined High-Intensity Strength and Sprint Interval Training on Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Performance of Elite Team Handball Players

Muscular strength and speed are critical physical factors in determining the technical and tactical skills of elite team handball players. This study thus investigated the effect of high-intensity muscular strength and sprint interval training (SIT) on lower limb explosive performance and anthropometric characteristics in 22 male handball athletes aged 20.2 ± 0.1 years. A training group (TG, n = 12) and a control group (CG, n = 10) were followed over 8 weeks parallel to regular handball training. The TG received combined additional high-intensity muscular strength and interval training twice per week during this period. The muscular training was comprised of 3 – 4 sets of 70 – 85 % of 1-RM (repetition maximum) of dynamic back half squat exercise; followed immediately by a short sprint program with 4, 5, and 6 maximal intensity repetitions of 30 m runs. Strength (1-RM of the half back-squat and bench press), first step (V1S), first 5 m (V5 m), squat jumps (SJ), counter movement jumps (CMJ) and the Modified Agility Test (MAT) were tested at the beginning and end of the study. Significant interaction effects (group × time) were observed for all parameters (η² range: 0.531 (MAT) to 0.829 (First 5 m)). All 10 parameters showed relevant intervention effects (d> 0.5) in the TG (highest intervention effect: CMJ: d = 4.05), the mean effect size being d = 1.85. In contrast, scores for the CG either remained unchanged or decreased (d = –0.24). We conclude that combined high-intensity strength and sprint interval training during the competitive season should be recommended to elite male handball players as a means of improving handball-related performance characteristics without compromising other critical aspects of the individual's performance.

Spring-Follower-Cam Assembly for Muscular Training at Different Speeds

Conventional equipment for muscular rehabilitation and training uses passive load systems. This work seeks the creation of an alternative resistance generation device for the skeletal muscle contraction to be applied in conventional machines of muscular training and physiotherapy. The proposed device uses a group spring-follower-cam to produce the resistance and does not use cables, belts or chains. The device was designed to generate mechanical resistance through low inertia set, accessibility, modular and low-cost to be adapted on training machines. This device consists of a cam-follower pair connected to a compression spring. Its operating principle is based on the pressure angle variation between the cam-follower pair. The mathematical modeling and the numeric solution for the cam profile is presented. It was noted that prototype can be applied in high speeds unlike conventional equipment. The maximum torque curve available and the torque curve obtained in the device approached, as the movement training approached motor gesture, with maximum errors of about 10 %. The results confirm that the device is capable of generating a resistance profile that resembles the maximum available torque profile at the joint user when performing certain movement training, which can more adequately represent the motor gesture to be trained. Two case studies were conducted using the motor gesture of judo training and rower’s movement which mainly uses elbow flexion.