1/2021
Monica Duarte
What did they do?
This study compared the immune response and side effects after administration of the influenza vaccine in two groups of elite athletes: in the first one, the vaccine was administered 2 hours after a training session; the second group received the vaccine 26 hours after the last training session.
Why is it important?
The findings indicate that timing of vaccination does not affect the induction of vaccine-specific cellular or humoral immune response in elite athletes. Ocurrence of side-effects was also similar in both groups. Therefore, according to this study, athletes can receive the influenza vaccine without the need to interrupt or modify their training schedule.
Things to consider?
This study included 45 competitive, mostly male healthy athletes (36 males and 9 females) and investigated two different time points (two and 26 hours) after the previous training session. No difference in induction of vaccine-specific immune response or severity of side-effects was reported between the two groups. However, this response may be different if vaccination takes place at different time points or during rest periods.
Take home message?
Influenza vaccine can be applied safely in elite athletes. Timing of vaccination with regards to previous training session does not significantly modify vaccine-specific immune response or side-effects in elite athletes.
Why I chose this article?
Vaccination is an important aspect of disease prevention in athletes that should not be omitted and is often scheduled based on training and competition. Moreover, this study did not report a compromised immune response in athletes, in contrast to what is often described in other studies.
Reference
Stenger, T., Ledo, A., Ziller, C., Schub, D., Schmidt, T., Enders, M., GÄrtner, B. C., Sester, M., & Meyer, T. (2020). Timing of Vaccination after Training: Immune Response and Side Effects in Athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 52(7), 1603–1609. Link: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002278
Dolores Dravinec
What did they do?
The professional player's body composition (BIA technique), aerobic capacity and distance covered in different speed zones was measured in official matches during a competitive football season.
Why is it important?
The study showed that sprint and high-speed running distance during the professional football match is significantly correlated with lower percentage of fat mass and higher aerobic capacity. This indicates the importance of getting the better understanding, correlation and casual relationship of body composition and the external match load.
Things to consider?
When match running performance is examined in small sample size (n=23) and isolation without integrating other factors like contextual and tactical factors there is a risk of interpretation data from 1-dimensional approach and misunderstanding of the casual relationship of examined variables. Moreover, intra-positional differences and individual’s body type should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results.
Take home message?
There is a correlation between player’s body composition and physical fitness, and high intensity running during the match. Players with the lower percentage of fat mass and higher level of aerobic capacity seem to cover longer distance in high intensity running during official football matches. However, the casual relationship could be reversed. Therefore, physical profile and fitness level could be continuously monitored to help the players optimize their play.
Why I chose this article?
This study shows potential benefits of regular body composition monitoring through the season for helping the players find and maintain their optimal condition. Introducing nutrition consulting services to football clubs, and implementing individualised nutrition strategies, can help players in achieving and maintaining optimal body composition during the competitive season.
Reference:
Radziminski, L., Szwarc, A., Padrón-Cabo, A., & Jastrzębski, Z. (2020). Correlations between body composition, aerobic capacity, speed and distance covered among professional soccer players during official matches. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 60(2), 257–262. Link: https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09979-1
Cameron Scullard
What did they do?
The study aimed to establish normative data for dynamic visual acuity (DVA) and gaze stabilisation (GST), which both contribute to Vestibulo-ocular reflex ability (VOR). This was conducted among 124 male and female collegiate athletes participating in American football, soccer and cheerleading.
Why is it important?
The study forms one of the first of its kind to determine normative values for DVA and GST among the athletic population. The assessment of an individual’s ability to maintain a clear visual fixation on various visual stimuli whilst moving the head is directly applicable to the sporting context. This was assessed using technology that has been designed to simulate the speed of head movements used during the sport. The use of the measurements also contributes to determining the VOR ability, of which significant normative data is also lacking.
Things to consider?
There were no significant differences in DVA and GST between males and females and those with or without concussion history. The study reported results relating to many different subgroups, and therefore the sample size may be inadequate to make compelling conclusions about each subgroup. However, cheerleaders displayed inferior scores compared to American football and soccer players. Prior to the study, reliability of the testing equipment and procedure had not been investigated.
Take home message?
The VOR of athletes have been found to be superior to that of the norms of the general population reported in previous DVA studies. The use of these results may lend its clinical use in establishing norms amongst the athletic population and baseline measurements post-concussion rehabilitation. However, there is a need for sport-specific norms.
Why I chose this study?
The parameter assessed in this study forms part of the visual system which is strongly associated and incorporated within Neuroathletic training, of which minimal research is established. The testing equipment used is identical to that proposed for use in my study, where reliability and variability will be investigated. This study forms a foundation for future studies assessing visual and vestibular function among sport populations
Reference:
Quintana, C., Heebner, N. R., Olson, A. D., Abbot, J. P., & Hoch, M.C. (2020). Sport-specific differences in dynamic visual acuity and gaze stabilization in division-I collegiate athletes. Journal of Vestibular Research, (Preprint), 1-9. Link: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vestibular-research/ves200710
Mat Herold
What did they do?
Used positional tracking data to determine successful passes by calculating changes in the organization of the defensive team (D-Def) and it’s subunits (I-Mov) following a pass. Data was collected from a total of 18 competitive football matches of 1 team against 13 different opponents during the 2017-2018 Dutch Premier League (Eredivise). After filtering for erroneous data and because the pass detection algorithm was unable to differentiate between intentional passes and un-intentional ball contacts, 6,460 passes were used in the analysis.
Why is it important?
Previous pass evaluation approaches used strategies based on the probability of goal-scoring and/or the chance of producing a shot on goal, thus favoring forward passes. This is the first study to measure the value of sideways and backward passes by their ability to disrupt the defensive organization of the opponent. D-Def was computed as the displacement of the average X and Y positions (or centroids) for the full team, and the defensive, midfield, and attacking lines between the moment a pass was given (t0) and 3 seconds later (t0+3). I-Mov was constructed out of the absolute displacement in the longitudinal (X-axis) and absolute displacement in the lateral (Y-axis).
Things to consider?
D-Def was able to differeniate passes that caused greater defensive disruptiveness. Although individual movement (I-Mov) was highly correlated with disruptiveness of the defense (D-Def), movement (I-Mov) itself does not guarantee defensive disruption (D-Def). The results establish the idea of defensive disruption as a measure for passing performance, however some important factors were excluded that leave room for future work. For example, given a player’s position on the field, they might have disparate opportunities to execute disruptive passes as well as the demand to priotize passes with either higher or lower percentage of completion.
Take home message?
Results revealed that D-Def could distinguish top, average and low performance passes, and determine which players are more effective passers. The speed (at least 10m/s), length (19-30m), and precision of passes are predictors of success, causing greater D-Def scores. Although passes in a slightly more forward direction produced the best D-Def scores, passing angle was not a determining factor for the effectiveness of passes.
Why I chose this article?
This study highlights important contextual characteristics of effective passes and demonstrates the value of sideways and backwards passes in the attacking process. Although passes that reduce the distance to the opponent’s goal are crucial for success, sideways and backward passes imbalance the defense which might result in the subsequent creation of an opening for a forward pass or assist.
Reference:
Goes, F. R., Kempe, M., Meerhoff, L. A., & Lemmink, K. (2018). Not every pass can be an assist: A data-driven model to measure pass effectiveness in professional soccer matches. Big Data. doi:10.1089/big.2018.0067. Link: http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2018.0067
Max Smith
What did they do?
Looked at differences in symptoms, neurocognitve, vestibular/oculomotor, and action boundary function between 24 college athletes with no concussion history, self reported diagnosed concussion by physician in the last 2 years, and 22 college athletes with concussion history.
Why it is important?
Showed residual neurological effects, compared to no concussion history group, still present in athletes who had sustained a concussion within the past two years. Vestibular/oculomotor and action boundary perception (at narrower aperture ratios) are still impaired in athletes with concussion history compared to those with no concussion history. Adding to the growing list of possible mechanisms for increased musculoskeletal injury risk in athletes returning to play after sustaining a concussion. Highlighting there is a good argument for an increase of concussion baseline test screening for on athletes.
Things to consider?
The study didn’t have a large number of participants (46). There would be a need for larger numbers of recruits and a more longitudinal study design. The lack of baseline testing to refer to, for the athletes who had sustained a concussion, makes it hard to know any true changes in their individual norms along with the large differences of time between sustaining the concussion and the testing. There is still questions to be asked on the link of acute concussions on action boundary perception.
Take home message?
Action boundary is the limits of one’s action capability. With athletes constantly needing to access their environment and properly calculate opportunities for actions, having deficiencies in vestibular/oculomotor function and action boundary perception could put the athlete at risk for increased injuries. The study shows these impairments may be seen in athletes post concussion and more longitudinal studies are needed to look at the effect of concussion on action boundary perception directly.
Why I chose this article?
This was the first study, to my knowledge, comparing perception action coupling behavior in athletes with previous history and no history of concussion. By investigating more baseline measurements for concussion management we are able to get a more holistic view on the athletes and make better decisions regarding the athletes readiness to return to play. It paves the way for more thorough research into this subject and increased options on concussion battery testing. More sufficient evidence is still needed to look at coupling the deficits being detected in this study with increased injury rate but it helps open the door for future in depth research.
Reference:
Eagle, Shawn R., et al. Does Concussion Affect Perception Action Coupling Behavior? Action Boundary Perception as a Biomarker for Concussion. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, Publish Ahead of Print, 2019, doi:10.1097/jsm.0000000000000731. Link: https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/9000/Does_Concussion_Affect_Perception_Action_Coupling.99070.aspx