Investigation of readiness and perceived workload in junior female basketball players during a congested match schedule

This study aimed to: a) investigate the differences in workload and readiness between two junior female national basketball teams competing at different European Championships (EC); b) compare workload, readiness and match performance for players with longer and shorter playing times, and; c) examine the relationship between workload, readiness and match performance variables. Under-18 (U18) (n = 10, height = 179.9 ± 6.6 cm, body mass = 70.2 ± 5.1 kg) and under-20 (U20) female national basketball teams (n = 11, height = 178.4 ± 8.8 cm, body mass = 73.0 ± 9.7 kg) were monitored during congested match schedules encompassing 7 matches within 9 days. Daily workload was determined via the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE workload); readiness was measured by heart-rate variability (HRV) and well-being (WB); and match performance was assessed using the efficiency statistic and playing time. Analysis of workload and readiness during the EC showed no statistically significant between-team differences in any variables except WB for the U18 team, which was lower on Day 8 compared to the U20 team (p = 0.03; effect size [ES] = large). Players accumulating longer playing time showed a higher sRPE workload (p = 0.01, ES = moderate) and efficiency statistic (p = 0.04, ES = moderate) while no readiness variable differed significantly (p > 0.05) compared to players with shorter playing time. Trivial-to-small correlations were observed between workload, readiness and match performance variables. The study shows that junior female basketball players were able to cope with a congested schedule of 7 matches in 9 days irrespective of the competition context or individual differences in workload. Finally, combining objective and subjective methods to assess workload and readiness is recommended due to the weak relationships observed between these methods.     

Spatial distribution of active muscle fibre characteristics in the upper trapezius muscle and its dependency on contraction level and duration

The aim of this study was to provide direct in vivo information of the physiological and structural characteristics of active muscle fibres from a large part of the upper trapezius muscle. Two-dimensional (2-D) multi-channel surface electromyography recordings were used, with 13 × 10 electrodes covering 6 × 4.5 cm of the skin’s surface. A previously developed method was applied to detect individual propagating motor unit action potentials and to estimate their corresponding muscle fibre conduction velocity (MFCV) and muscle fibre orientation (MFO). Using these estimates, spatial distributions of MFCV and MFO were examined for five male subjects performing isometric shoulder elevation at different force levels. The main results were: (1) the general relationship between MFCV and force generation was non-systematic, with a positive relationship at the inferior part of the muscle, (2) the spatial distribution of MFCV at different force levels and fatigue was inhomogeneous and (3) the MFO was slightly different (6°) of the muscle fibres with origin superior compared to inferior to the C7 vertebra. These findings provide new information of the MFO of contracting muscle fibres and knowledge of the physiological characteristics of a large part of the upper trapezius muscle that previously was based on observations from human cadavers only.     

Response of plasma IL-6 and its soluble receptors during submaximal exercise to fatigue in sedentary middle-aged men

The pleiotropic cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been demonstrated to increase during exercise. Little is known regarding the response of the soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R and sgp130) during such exercise. The aim of the current study was to investigate the response of plasma IL-6, sIL-6R and sgp130 during fatiguing submaximal exercise in humans. Twelve participants underwent an incremental exercise test to exhaustion and one week later performed a submaximal exercise bout (96 ± 6% lactate threshold) to volitional exhaustion. Blood samples taken at rest and immediately post exercise were analyzed for IL-6, sIL-6R and sgp130. IL-6 increased (P < 0.01) by 8.4 ± 8.9 pg ml⁻¹ (75.7%) during the exercise period. sIL-6R and sgp130 also increased (P < 0.05) by 2.7 ± 3.9 ng ml⁻¹ (9.6%) and 37.7 ± 55.6 ng ml⁻¹ (9.6%), respectively. The current study is the first investigation to demonstrate that alongside IL-6, acute exercise stress results in an increase in both sIL-6R and sgp130.     

Fatigue injury risk in anterior cruciate ligament of target side knee during golf swing

A golf-related ACL injury can be linked with excessive golf play or practice because such over-use by repetitive golf swing motions can increase damage accumulation to the ACL bundles. In this study, joint angular rotations, forces, and moments, as well as the forces and strains on the ACL of the target-side knee joint, were investigated for ten professional golfers using the multi-body lower extremity model. The fatigue life of the ACL was also predicted by assuming the estimated ACL force as a cyclic load. The ACL force and strain reached their maximum values within a short time just after ball-impact in the follow-through phase. The smaller knee flexion, higher internal tibial rotation, increase of the joint compressive force and knee abduction moment in the follow-through phase were shown as to lead an increased ACL loading. The number of cycles to fatigue failure (fatigue life) in the ACL might be several thousands. It is suggested that the excessive training or practice of swing motion without enough rest may be one of factors to lead to damage or injury in the ACL by the fatigue failure. The present technology can provide fundamental information to understand and prevent the ACL injury for golf players.     

Temporal changes in motor variability during prolonged lifting/lowering and the influence of work experience

Existing research indicates that repetitive motions are strongly correlated with the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Resulting from the redundant degrees-of-freedom in the human body, there are variations in motions that occur while performing a repetitive task. These variations are termed motor variability (MV), and may be beneficial for reducing WMSD risks. To better understand the potential role of MV in preventing injury risk, we evaluated the effects of fatigue on MV using data collected during a lab-based prolonged, repetitive lifting/lowering task. We also investigated whether experienced workers used different motor control strategies than novices to adapt to fatigue. MV of the whole-body center-of-mass (COM) and box trajectory were quantified using cycle-to-cycle standard deviation, sample entropy, and goal equivalent manifold (GEM) methods. In both groups, there were significantly increased variations of the COM with fatigue, and with a more substantial increase in a direction that did not affect task performance. Fatigue deteriorated the task goal and made it more difficult for participants to maintain their performance. Experienced workers also had higher MV than novices. Based on these results, we conclude that flexible motor control strategies are employed to reduce fatigue effects during a prolonged repetitive task.     

气候变化对甘肃省农业气候资源和主要作物栽培格局的影响

基于甘肃省80个地面气象观测站1961—2014年气象观测资料和玉米、春小麦、冬小麦、马铃薯的区划指标,分1961—1986(时段Ⅰ)和1987—2014年(时段Ⅱ)2个不同时段,分析气候变化对甘肃省农业气候资源变化特征和主要粮食作物潜在栽培格局的影响。研究发现:时段Ⅱ较时段Ⅰ平均气温、负积温、≥0℃积温和≥10℃积温分别增加0.83℃、113.9℃·d、290℃·d和180℃·d,降水量气候倾向率为-34—16mm/10a,整体表现为减少趋势。时段Ⅱ较时段Ⅰ春小麦不适宜种植区面积显著增加约9%,最适宜、适宜、次适宜种植区面积分别减少1.4%、4.1%和4.8%,其中以河西走廊和陇中黄土高原变化最为显著。冬小麦适宜和次适宜种植区面积分别增加6%和3.4%,最适宜、可种植和不适宜种植区面积分别减少0.4%、3.5%和5.7%,其中以陇中地区变化最为显著。玉米最适宜和可种植区面积分别增加13%和7%。适宜、次适宜和不适宜种植区面积分别减少11%、2%和7%,其中以河西灌区变化最为显著。马铃薯最适宜和适宜种植区面积分别减少3.8%和0.7%,次适宜和可种植区面积分别增加3.5%和1.3%,其中以陇中黄土高原变化最为显著。最后提出适应气候变化调整农业结构和栽培格局的对策建议。     

广东省潮安县大山植物资源的开发利用与对策

分析了潮安县大山的植物资源,并从资源保护和持续利用相结合的原则出发,提出大山植物资源保护及其利用的若干建议。     

Changes in the properties of mechanomyographic signals and in the tension during the fatigue test of rat medial gastrocnemius muscle motor units

The influence of activity-related changes in tension on properties of the mechanomyogram (MMG) was investigated in fast fatigable, fast resistant and slow motor units (MUs). A standard fatigue test was used in which rhythmically repeated unfused tetani were evoked. The amplitudes of the rise in tension of the first and the last contraction within the unfused tetanus and the amplitudes of accompanying signals in MMG were calculated. For fast fatigable MUs a parallel decrease in the amplitudes of both analysed contractions and in the amplitudes of accompanying MMG signals during the fatigue test was observed. For majority of fast resistant MUs at the beginning of the fatigue test a potentiation occurred and this phenomenon increased the tension of the first contraction and of the peak tetanic tension. However, the potentiation coincided also with a decrease of the amplitude of the last contraction in the tension recording of an unfused tetanus. The MMG reflected both, the increase of amplitude of the first contraction and the decrease of the amplitude of the further contractions within the tetanus. The single twitch contraction evoked immediately before and after the fatigue test was additionally recorded. A decrease (fatigue) or an increase (potentiation) of the twitch tension after the fatigue test was reflected by a decrease or an increase in the amplitude of MMG, respectively. However, the fatigue failed to change significantly the time parameters of MMG. To conclude, fatigue and potentiation can occur during activity of fast MUs and both these phenomena involve changes in the amplitude of oscillations in tension of unfused tetani which are reflected in MMG.     

Method of analysis influences interpretations of sex-related differences in firing rates during prolonged submaximal isometric contractions

Objective:This study examined motor unit (MU) firing rates during a prolonged isometric contraction of the vastus lateralis (VL) for females and males.Methods:Surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals were recorded from the VL for eleven females and twelve males during a 45-second isometric trapezoid muscle actions at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). For each MU, mean firing rate (MFR) was calculated for the initial and final 10-second epochs of the steady torque segment and regressed against recruitment threshold (RT, expressed as %MVC), as well as time at recruitment (T_REC, seconds). MFR was also averaged for each subject.Results:Significant differences existed across epochs for the y-intercepts (P=0.009) of the MFR vs. T_REC relationship, as well as the grouped MFR analysis (P<0.001); no differences were observed between epochs for the MFR vs. RT relationship. Significant differences existed between sexes for the grouped MFR analysis (P=0.049), but no differences were observed for the MFR vs. T_REC or MFR vs. RT relationships.Conclusion:Analysis method may impact interpretation of firing rate behavior; increases in MU firing rates across a prolonged isometric contraction were observed in the MFR vs. T_REC relationship and the grouped MFR analysis.     

Intracellular effect of β3-adrenoceptor agonist Carazolol on skeletal muscle,a direct interaction with SERCA

Carazolol (CZL) is a known agonist of β3 and antagonist of β1 and β2 adrenoceptors (AR), used in the animal production industry to improve meat quality by reducing animal stress and skeletal muscle (SM) proteolysis. Here we sought to better understand the direct effect CZL has on SM. We study CZL effect on calcium (Ca²⁺) regulation by enzymatic activity kinetics of the Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA), in isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from SM and on the mechanical properties of isolated muscle. In isolated SR from SM previously incubated with 0.03 mM CZL, but absent during SR isolation and during SERCA activity determination, the activity was reduced by 45%. Thermal analysis of SERCA activity with CZL shifted the transition temperature of inactivation (T_i) from T_i = 47 to 44 °C. When isolated SR from fast and slow SM was exposed to CZL, inhibition of SERCA occurred in a dose dependent manner. Slow and fast SM T_i of SERCA shifted to a lower temperature in the presence of CZL and a second transition appears at temperatures <40 °C. In isolated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles, CZL reduces the contraction force and increases susceptibility to fatigue. However, recovery force after fatigue in either muscle was higher. Our results suggest that Carazolol penetrates the plasma membrane and interacts with SERCA, thus having an important effect on skeletal muscle function. The inhibition of SERCA may lead to a decrement in SR Ca²⁺-release promoting further failure in muscle contraction.