Table tennis playing styles require specific energy systems demands.

Fabio Milioni,Jorge Vieira De Mello Leite,Marcelo Papoti,Rodrigo Araújo Bonetti De Poli,Alessandro Moura Zagatto,Ralph Beneke,Øyvind Sandbakk

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199985

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in energy system contributions and temporal variables between offensive and all-round playing styles. Fifteen male table tennis players (Offensive players: N = 7; All-round players: N = 8) participated in the study. Matches were monitored by a portable gas analyzer and the blood lactate responses was also measured. The contributions of the oxidative (WOXID), phosphagen (WPCr), and glycolytic (W[La]) energy systems were assumed as the oxygen consumption measured during the matches above of baseline value, the fast component of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOCFAST) measured after the matches, and the net of blood lactate concentration (Δ[La]), respectively. Energy systems contributions were not significantly different between the offensive and all-round playing styles (WOXID: 96.1±2.0 and 97.0±0.6%, P = 0.86; WPCr: 2.7±1.7 and 2.0±0.6%, P = 0.13; W[La]: 1.2±0.5 and 1.0±0.7%, P = 0.95; respectively), however, magnitude-based analysis of WPCr presented Likely higher contribution for offensive compared to all-round players. Regarding temporal variables, only rate of shots presented higher values for offensive when compared to all-round players (P = 0.03), while the magnitude-based analysis presented Very likely lower, Likely lower and Likely higher outcomes of rate of shots, WPCr and maximal oxygen consumption, respectively, for all-round players. Strong negative correlation was verified for offensive players between number of shots and WPCr (r = -0.86, P = 0.01), while all-round players showed strong correlations between rally duration, WOXID (r = 0.76, P = 0.03) and maximal oxygen consumption (r = 0.81, P = 0.03). Therefore, despite no differences in energy system contributions for offensive and all-round players, different playing styles seems to requires specific energy systems demands.

Highlights

Table tennis is a racket sport practiced by millions of athletes and has been part of the Olympic program since 1988 [1]
Data on the metabolic profile of table tennis are limited to blood lactate concentration ([La]) and heart rate (HR) in official [2,3] and simulated matches [4], while respiratory measures have only been analyzed in simulated matches [5]
The overall of energy system contribution, temporal and physiological variables are present in Table 1 (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Table tennis is a racket sport practiced by millions of athletes and has been part of the Olympic program since 1988 [1]. Zagatto et al [5] provided strong evidence for the after mentioned assumptions based on the measurement of contribution of each metabolic pathway, corresponding to 96.5% (834.6 ± 242.2 [671.8–997.3] kJ) oxidative, 2.5% (19.3 ± 4.7 [16.2–22.4] kJ) high energy phosphates, and 1.0% (8.4 ± 6.4 [4.0–12.7] kJ) glycolytic energy, respectively. Oxidative and glycolytic energy demands were highly related to rally duration, while the rate of shots during rallies, which may serve as an index of exercise intensity, was significantly correlated with the high energy phosphates pathway and anaerobic capacity estimated by maximal accumulated oxygen deficit [5]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion