Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin und Dopingstudien

The main purpose of the present study was to find out the effect of six weeks of gymnastic oriented training program on the physical fitness and the level of technical performance of Volleyball players. A group of 27 Volleyball players were divided into 12 experimental and 15 control groups and their age ranged between 18 to 24 years. Physical Fitness tests comprising of vertical jump, push-ups, chin ups, sit ups, back strength, 30 m sprint, boomerangs test, 600 m run, sit and reach, bridge up and shoulder rotation and technical skill tests like passing, spiking and service were used for the study. A pre and post test was conducted before starting the training program and after the 6 weeks. It was found that both the physical fitness and skill level of the Volleyball players increased through the participation in the gymnastics oriented program.

Background: Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) is frequent in asthmatic athletes and, although less prevalent, also occurs in non-asthmatic ones. Breathing warm-humid air reduces this phenomenon.
Objective: To evaluate EIB prevalence in semi-professional soccer athletes from a tropical humid region.
Methods: We included athletes from a soccer team from the city of Recife-Brazil. A history of asthma or respiratory symptoms after exercise, demographic data and baseline FEV1 measurements were obtained. Thereafter, each athlete performed a standardized free field running to achieve 85% to 95% of the maximum calculated heart rate for the last 6 minutes of a total running time of 8 to 10 minutes. FEV1 was measured again at 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes after exercise and EIB was defined as a reduction ≥ 10% from basal values in two consecutive time points. Results: Fifty-four male athletes aged between 13 and 21 years were evaluated. All denied exercise associated respiratory symptoms. Mean temperature and air humidity were 30.2°C ± 2.7°C and 82.1% ± 2.9%, respectively. EIB was found in two (7%) athletes (with a fall in FEV1 from baseline of 23.3% and 22.6%), none with history of asthma symptoms. Two other athletes had a history of asthma symptoms in childhood but no decrease in FEV1. Conclusion: The studied population of semi-professional soccer athletes with no exercise associated respiratory complaints showed a low BIE prevalence (7%). It may be necessary to perform the challenge with the athlete breathing dry air in those that also play in more dry and cold climates.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a frequent lesion in athletes. It is incompatible with the practice of high-level sport, especially pivot and contact-pivot ones. The purpose of the ACL reconstruction is to allow the athlete to resume the practice of same sport at the same level.
The study involved 51 sports patients operated for ACL reconstruction at the Order of Malta’s Hospital center in Dakar during the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2014. The average age of patients was 26.3 years with a male predominance (92.15%). These were professional athletes in 37.25%, amateur in 31.37%, and leisure in 31.37% of the cases. The sport was contact-pivot in 96.6% of the cases, mainly football. The objective functional evaluation was performed using the Lysholm-Tegner scale and laximetry using the GNRB arthrometer. The overall sporting recovery rate was 96% with 54.9% recovery in the same sport at the same level. Professional athletes were 42 times more likely to resume the same sport at the same level as amateurs. Recovery times were 4.7 months for line sports, 9.2 months for pivot / contact-pivot and 11.3 months for the resumption of competition. These delays were shorter for professionals with a return to pivot sport at 8 months.
Apprehension and fear of a new injury were the main reason for sport's downtime or decline. Functional and anatomical results were good with a mean Lysholm score of 91% and a GNRB differential of 2.87. No independent factor was predictive of returning to sport at the same level.
Returning to sports activity is very likely after an ACL ligamentoplasty, but the return to the same sport at the same level is more uncertain, in the order of 55% despite satisfactory anatomical and functional results, confirming the important role of other factors such as psychological coaching and sport-specific rehabilitation.