Mechanical, Physiological, and Perceptual Demands of Repeated Power Ability Lower-Body and Upper-Body Tests in Youth Athletes: Somatic Maturation as a Factor on the Performance.

Jorge Arede,Nuno Leite,Marc Madruga-Parera,Ben Bradley,Eduardo Saéz De Villarreal,Oliver Gonzalo-Skok

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01888

Abstract

This study aims (a) to assess and compare the acute mechanical, physiological, and perceptual demands induced by a lower and upper body repeated power ability (RPA) protocols, and (b) to examine how the somatic maturation could predict training response in RPA. Thirteen young male basketball players (chronological age = 15.2 ± 1.1 years; height = 173.8 ± 9.5 cm; body mass = 71.7 ± 18.3 kg) were selected to perform the parallel Back Squat (BS), and Bench Press (BP) RPA protocols (3 blocks of 5 sets of 5 repetitions with 30 s and 3 min of passive recovery between sets and blocks, respectively). Mean propulsive power (MPP), accelerometer-based data, cardio-respiratory data, blood lactate, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle soreness were recorded. Somatic maturation was estimated according to the Khamis and Roche method. On the BS protocol, the mean oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), and RPE were 1006.33 ± 481.85 ml/min., 133.8 ± 12.5 bpm, and 6.14 ± 0.98 A.U., while on the BP protocol, were 684.6 ± 246.3 ml/min., 96.1 ± 10.4 bpm, and 5.08 ± 1.44 A.U., respectively. Significant between-blocks differences were found for MPP, RPE, and blood lactate for both exercises. The BS implies higher cardio-respiratory and perceptual demands, though lower power production fluctuation and movement variability than the BP. The somatic maturation was a strong predictor of RPA-derived variables in BS. The MPP during all protocol, and the MPP during the Best Set were significant predictable by somatic maturation in both exercises. Mechanical, physiological and perceptual training demands are exercise and maturation dependent.

Highlights

During team-sports matches, players are required to perform repeated bouts of high-intensity actions (HIA), such as sprinting, jumping, accelerations, decelerations, turns, and cutting interspersed with periods of low-to-moderate intensity actions (Stojanovicet al., 2018)
We found that lower-body repeated power ability (RPA) training protocol requires higher cardio-respiratory and perceptual demands, and lower power production fluctuation and movement variability than the upper-body training strategy
It was observed that some lower- and upper body RPA-derived variables were predicted using somatic maturation, i.e., the present findings support our hypothesis that training response differs according to the exercise, and somatic maturation predicts exercise response in RPA, in lower-body RPA

Summary

Introduction

During team-sports matches, players are required to perform repeated bouts of high-intensity actions (HIA), such as sprinting, jumping, accelerations, decelerations, turns, and cutting interspersed with periods of low-to-moderate intensity actions (e.g., standing and walking) (Stojanovicet al., 2018). Several training strategies have been recommended to optimize athletes’ ability to perform lower-body and upperbody actions in team-sports athletes (Gonzalo-Skok et al, 2016, 2017; Arede et al, 2019b). In this regard, the repeatedpower ability (RPA) training consists of several blocks of sets of lower or upper-body maximal power with incomplete recovery periods between sets, that can concurrently target a wide variety of adaptations (e.g., cardio-respiratory, mechanical, neuromuscular) (Gonzalo-Skok et al, 2014, 2016, 2018). The RPA training is largely explored in young and/or moderately resistance-trained basketball players during in-season (GonzaloSkok et al, 2016, 2018), additional evidence are required to clarify its perceptual and physiological demands to help practitioners to properly design training plans that include both in-court training sessions and the RPA training

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