ECSS Paris 2023: OP-AP21
INTRODUCTION: Body size, shape, and composition are important factors in sports performance, and understanding their impact on technical-tactical components is essential. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how body composition and somatotype influence technical-tactical behaviors during table tennis (TT) matches. METHODS: Ten international-level male TT players (24.9±6.2 years) participated in the study. Body composition was evaluated via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), assessing total body mass and the percentage of body fat (%BF), fat free mass (%FFM), and skeletal muscle mass (%SSM). Additionally, body mass index (BMI), body fat index (BFI), fat free mass index (FFMI), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) were calculated by normalizing absolute values to height square. ISAK-derived anthropometric assessments [1] were used to determine somatotype components (ectomorphy, endomorphy, mesomorphy) [2]. Technical-tactical behaviors were evaluated through a notational analysis of one official match per player. Each side of the table was divided into three main areas (backhand, central, and forehand), to investigate the execution of the forehand (FH) technique from the backhand area. Specifically, the percentages of overall and offensive (topspin + top-counter-top) FH strokes were analyzed. RESULTS: No correlations were found between the percentage of overall FH strokes and %BF, %FFM, and %SSM. Conversely, the percentage of overall FH strokes was directly associated with BMI (r=0.680, p=0.031), FFMI (r=0.726, p=0.017), and SMMI (r=0.727, p=0.017). The somatotype analysis aligns with this pattern, showing that the percentage of overall FH strokes was positively related to mesomorphy component (r=0.877, p=0.001) and negatively related to ectomorphy component (r=-0.785, p=0.007). Similarly, the percentage of offensive FH strokes demonstrated positive correlations with BMI (r=0.755, p=0.012), FFMI (r=0.695, p=0.026), SMMI (r=0.698, p=0.025), and mesomorphy component (r=0.706, p=0.023), and a negative association with ectomorphy component (r=-0.840, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: This study highlights for the first time how body composition and somatotype influence technical-tactical behaviors in TT. Our findings suggest that greater height-indexed muscularity, lower fat mass, a higher mesomorphy component, and a lower ectomorphy component facilitate the FH execution from the backhand area, especially when considering offensive strokes. Coaches and match analysts should consider these relationships to individualize players’ technical-tactical development through targeted trainings. Accordingly, physical trainers should plan specific sessions aimed at enhancing the pivot-step, which is the fundamental footwork used to perform FH strokes from the backhand corner. Future investigations should increase the sample size and employ a multivariate approach to also analyze players’ motor characteristics. 1. International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment, 2001; 2. Carter & Heath, 1990.
Read CV Alessandro GuarnieriECSS Paris 2023: OP-AP21
INTRODUCTION: Obesity is primarily caused by unhealthy eating habits and insufficient physical activity [1]. Obesity is associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, impaired exercise tolerance, and a diminished capacity to oxidise lipids at rest and during exercise [2, 3, 4]. Current guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) state that programmes combining moderate and high intensity exercise are particularly effective in improving body composition and physical performance in this population [4]. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of polarised training (POL) and high intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, aerobic capacity, energy cost and substrate utilisation during walking. METHODS: Forty healthy men with obesity were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups. The HIIT group performed mainly high-intensity training, while the POL group performed mainly low-intensity training. All participants were tested at the beginning (T0), in the middle (T3), and at the end of the study (T6). Tests included measurements of anthropometric characteristics, body composition by BIA, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), energy cost and substrate utilisation during walking at 5 km h-1. Training sessions were based on participants actual ventilatory thresholds, with either an interval-based or a polarised weekly distribution. RESULTS: Body mass (BM) decreased in both POL and HIIT training groups from baseline to the end of the program (-2%, p=0.013 and -4%, p=0.003, respectively). Fat mass (kg) decreased only in the HIIT group by 6% (p=0.002). Both training groups significantly increased their VO2max (L min-1) by 14% (p=0.007) and 19.2% (p=0.022), respectively, and the maximal aerobic velocity by 13% and 19% (p=0.003, p<0.001, respectively). At the first and second ventilatory thresholds, VO2 and speed increased significantly from baseline to the end of the program in both training groups. The energy cost of transport (CoT, ml kg-1 m-1) at 5 km h-1 decreased in both groups by 16% and 9% (p=0.005, p=0.003), and the POL group showed a shift towards higher fat oxidation by 25% (p=0.016) and lower carbohydrate utilisation by 29% (p<0.001) compared to baseline. CONCLUSION: After 6 months of training, both groups decreased BM, improved speed at the ventilatory thresholds and reduced the cost of transport (CoT) during walking, accompanied in the POL group by a shift towards greater fat oxidation and lower carbohydrate utilisation. Overall, these results highlight the effectiveness of structured exercise programs in improving body composition and aerobic fitness, with each program approach providing different benefits. References (1) ‘Standard Italiani per la Cura dell’Obesità SIO-ADI’. (2) ‘Obesity: identification, assessment and management Clinical guideline’, 2014. (3) J. R. Berggren 2008. (4) J. E. Donnelly et al; 2009.
Read CV Lara MariECSS Paris 2023: OP-AP21
INTRODUCTION: High-level driving performance relies on multiple abilities, including advanced visual processing, strength capacities and decision-making skills (Baur et al., 2006; Lappi et al., 2022). Yet, the performance determinants in racing drivers have not been comprehensively characterised. Previous research has mainly focused on the demands of driving rather than on the skills contributing to performance, notably regarding physical, cognitive, and psychological factors (Reid et al., 2019). This study investigated whether executive functions [EF] (switching, updating, inhibition), force production (maximal voluntary contraction, rate of force development [RFD]), and individuals psychological characteristics (personality traits, coping strategies, sensation seeking, emotional competencies), were consistently associated with driving performance in highly skilled drivers. METHODS: Twenty-eight drivers (single-seater: n=12, karting: n=12, endurance: n=4) completed a standardised 2.5-h protocol. All participants followed the same fixed order. 30-min EF testing (Modified Flanker, N-back, Stop Signal Task) using OpenSesame. 30-min psychological assessment (NEO-FFI, Brief-COPE, BSSS-8, PEC) administered via LimeSurvey. 40-min force production testing in a controlled seated position using VALD dynamometers (Dynamo Max, Lite). 20-min driving simulator task, including 10-min familiarisation and 10-min time trial on the Red Bull Ring track, aiming for the fastest valid lap, which constituted the primary performance outcome. A Fanatec ClubSport DD+, Meca Cup V1 pedals, and a formula-style seat were used. RESULTS: Higher executive performances were significantly associated with faster lap times: switching (r = 0.522, p = .006), inhibition (r = 0.574, p = .002), and updating (r = 0.497, p = .008). For switching and inhibition tasks, performance was quantified using the Inverse Efficiency Score, integrating response speed and accuracy. After controlling for age, RFD was the main physical parameter associated with performance at both the steering wheel (r = 0.470, p = .006) and brake pedal (r = 0.716, p = .002). No significant relationships were observed between dispositional psychological constructs and performance (all p values > .055). CONCLUSION: Simulated driving performance in motorsport appears to be affected mainly by executive function and RFD. The lack of association between individual psychological characteristics and performance may reflect the acute nature of the task relative to the trait-level assessment of questionnaires. More in-depth investigation of these factors in a longer session, in conditions that more closely resemble on-track conditions, is needed in future research.
Read CV Clement Le viennesseECSS Paris 2023: OP-AP21