Puissance critique de l’enfant prépubère et de l’adulte

Aim

The aim of the study was to compare aerobic and anerobic abilities of prepubertal children and adults with the critical power concept.

Methods

Sixteen children (10.3 ± 0.9 years) and 15 adults (23.5 ± 3.6 years) performed five tests: a maximal-graded test and four constant load exercises until exhaustion. Critical power (CP) and anaerobic-work capacity (CTA) were determined from the power-1/time (P-t) linear relationship.

Results

Determination coefficients for P-t were 0.94 ± 0.05 in children and 0.96 ± 0.04 in adults. PC values were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in children (2.7 ± 0.4 W/kg) than in adults (3.1 ± 0.3 W/kg). CTA values were significantly (p < 0.001) lower in children (136.4 ± 50.8 J/kg) than in adults (247.1 ± 45.7 J/kg).

Conclusion

Satisfying determination coefficients for CP and CTA were found in children and adults. Children have a lower CP and CTA than adults. This result is in accordance with literature.     

Déclaration de consensus sur l’entraînement de l’enfant au sport d’élite

Protecting the health of the athlete is the primary goal of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission. One of its main objectives is the promotion of safe practices in the training of the elite child athlete. The elite child athlete is one who has superior athletic talent, undergoes specialised training, receives expert coaching and is exposed to early competition. Sport provides a positive environment that may enhance the physical growth and psychological development of children. This unique athlete population has distinct social, emotional and physical needs, which vary depending on the athlete's particular stage of maturation. The elite child athlete requires appropriate training, coaching and competition that ensure a safe and healthy athletic career and promote future well-being. This document reviews the scientific basis of sports training in the child, the special challenges and unique features of training elite children and provides recommendations to parents, coaches, health care providers, sports governing bodies and significant other parties.     

Aspects biologiques des interactions de l’exercice et de la récupération

Subject

The use of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry technique (FT-IR) as a pitch technique of the biological control of short and intense exercises close to those of Rugby matches.

Material and method

In reference to 28 rugbymen of international level, the biological results of three short and intense exercises and two periods of recovery were analyzed by TF-IR. The exercises are: (1) sprints; (2) 12 × 20 m of swerve running; (3) 6 × 30 s of shuttle run.

Results

Lactate, glucose, urea, and to a lesser degree, triglycerides showed a significant evolution. If the evolution of the two first was in conformity with the literature, the increase of urea probably results from the activation of the purins–nucleotides cycle, whereas the evolution of triglycerides is explained by their probable muscular use during periods of active recovery. Among proteins related to the healthy sportsman, only haptoglobin presents a significant variation difficult to explain whereas CRP, orosomucoid and immunoglobulins A, G and M remain close to their rest values.

Conclusion

With the use of FT-IR technique, it is possible to intervene directly on the pitches of the sporting practice to control the biological incidences and to adjust the loads individually. It is also possible to detect inflammatory and immunological problems related to the biomechanical and physiological stresses.     

Prévention des lésions de l’appareil locomoteur liées à la pratique de l’athlétisme sur piste. Revue des données épidémiologiques

Objectives

Sports injuries have an important impact on the sport and in daily life. Although athletics is known and performed on five continents, few is known about epidemiological data such as frequency, incidence, diagnosis or risk factors of injuries in athletics. In this context, consideration on strategies of sports injury prevention in athletics should be conducted.

Current knowledge

Sports injury surveillance by epidemiological studies is a preliminary step necessary in the clinical research on sports injury prevention. This is permitted by an agreed and validated methodolgy. Currently, the musculoskeletal lesions related to the track and field practice are common. The great diversity of these lesions reflects the diversity of disciplines, the constraints are different between the explosive disciplines (sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws) and endurance disciplines (middle and long distance). There was a predominance of lesions of thigh and hamstrings in the disciplines of sprint/hurdles, the Achilles tendon in jumps and sprints/hurdles, and chronic knee injuries and stress fractures in middle-distance.

Conclusion

Preventive measures which target the most frequent pathologies should be introduced. However, these data appear insufficient to fully understand the specific injury according to disciplines, and to understand the risk factors and injury mechanisms. Therefore, prospective epidemiological studies, and studies focused on specific populations or pathologies, are needed to improve strategies for the prevention of injuries in track and field.