Rugby Group Research Articles

Clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation of uninjured dominant shoulder in amateur rugby players vs a control group: a pilot study

BackgroundRugby is a sport involving a great number of shoulder collisions. Traumatic stress of the shoulder can weaken the static stabilizers and promote major injuries as dislocation or full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. The goal of this study is to evaluate the clinical and ultrasonographic dominant shoulder factures in a group of amateur rugby players, with no history of shoulder injuries, and to compare them with those of a control group.Methods52 male subjects join in the study: 26 amateur rugby players and 26 subjects, which did not practice rugby or competitive sport. Clinical history was obtained from all subjects, followed by dominant shoulder physical and ultrasonographic exams.ResultsRugby players showed a higher prevalence of positive clinical test, suggesting subacromial impingement than control group (p = 0.01).Among rugby group, five players (19,2%) showed positive test for radiculopathy (p = 0,02), and ten players (73,1%) reported shoulder pain needing pain-reliever drugs at list one time in the last six months (p = 0.001). In rugby group, ultrasound exams showed 23,1% degenerative changes and 30,8% tendon calcifications in supraspinatus tendons (p < 0.05).ConclusionsUninjured dominant shoulder of rugby players shows higher prevalence of clinical and ultrasound changes compare to control. Some rugby players without history of cervical symptoms show positive clinical test of cervical radiculopathy. Clinical and ultrasonographic monitoring of the shoulder can play a role in prevention and knowledge of silent shoulder damage in these athletes.

Dietary and Biological Assessment of Omega-3 Status in University Rugby Football Players: A Case-Control Study

Background: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been shown to help maintain muscle function and reduce muscle soreness after exercise-induced muscle damage. However, the relationship between the dietary and biological status of omega-3 fatty acids in rugby players remains unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the connection between the dietary and biological status of omega-3 fatty acids in university rugby players. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving university rugby players and age-matched sedentary controls. We assessed diets, including omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, using self-administered dietary questionnaires. Whole blood lipidomics was performed before and after a single training session. Results: The rugby group (n = 29) had significantly higher intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids compared to the control group (n = 31). While the blood omega-6 relative concentration did not differ between the groups, the rugby group had lower omega-3 fatty acid levels than the control group (4.4 ± 1.1 vs. 6.2 ± 1.8%). Approximately 48% of rugby players had an omega-3 index (O3i) considered as high risk for cardiovascular disease, and 52% were classified as intermediate risk. None of the players had a low-risk O3i. A single training session had an impact on the omega-3 and omega-6 metabolic pathways. Conclusions: Despite having a higher omega-3 fatty acid intake than controls, rugby football players may still be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Further nutritional interventions are needed to address these issues.

A-198 Acute Effects of a Single Moderate-intensity Exercise on Omega-3 and Omega-6 Metabolic Pathway Using Whole Blood Lipidomics

Abstract Background Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can reduce muscle soreness and maintain muscle function following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. However, the relationship between the dietary and biological status of omega-3 fatty acids in rugby players is unknown. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the dietary and biological status of omega-3 fatty acids in university rugby players. We investigated acute effects of a single moderate-intensity exercise on omega-3 and omega-6 metabolic pathway using whole blood lipidomics. Methods A cross-sectional study of university rugby players and age-matched sedentary controls was conducted. Diets including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were assessed using a validated brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Whole blood lipidomics analysis was performed using the dried blood spot technique before and after a single training session, namely a 2-h shuttle run, and the omega-3 index (EPA + DHA) was calculated. We categorized rugby players based on the proposed omega-3 index risk zones for cardiovascular disease as follows: high risk, &amp;lt;4%; intermediate risk, 4%–8%; low risk, &amp;gt;8%. Results The rugby group (n = 29) had a significantly higher intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than the control group (n = 31). The blood omega-6 relative concentration did not differ between the groups; however, the rugby group had lower omega-3 fatty acid levels than the control group (4.4 ± 1.1 vs 6.2 ± 1.8%). Approximately 48% of rugby players had an omega-3 index that was considered high risk, and 52% had that considered intermediate risk. None of the patients had a low-risk omega-3 index. A single training session affected the omega-3 and omega-6 metabolic pathways. Conclusion Rugby football players may be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, despite having a higher omega-3 fatty acid intake than controls. The omega-3 index and lipidomics can be used to profile and monitor rugby players. Further nutritional interventions are required to confirm these issues.

AGILITY, AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC CAPACITIES AND MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE OF MALAY MALE STATE LEVEL RUGBY AND HOCKEY PLAYERS

Fitness for sports has a multifaceted characteristic which includes physiologically independent components such as aerobic and anaerobic capacities, muscular strength, power, speed and agility. The present study investigated the agility, aerobic and anaerobic capacities and muscular performance of Malay male state level rugby and hockey players and sedentary individuals as control. Thirty Malay male participants (Age: 16.1 ± 0.9 years old) were recruited in this study. The participants were divided into three groups: sedentary control, rugby and hockey, with 10 participants per group. All the participants were required to perform the following physical fitness assessments: agility via Illinois agility test, aerobic capacity via 20 m shuttle run, anaerobic capacity via Wingate test, and muscular power via standing long jump and muscular strength measurement via hand grip and back and leg strength tests. The main findings of this study were: 1) rugby group showed significantly higher leg power and aerobic capacity compared to the hockey group, 2) rugby group have significantly higher agility, muscular strength and power, aerobic and anaerobic capacities compared to the sedentary control group, 3) hockey group have significantly higher agility, muscular power, aerobic and anaerobic capacities compared to the sedentary group. We conclude that physical training in rugby and hockey at state level in Kelantan elicited increased physical fitness components among the players compared to their sedentary counter-parts.

Symptom profile following cumulative mild traumatic brain injury in early adolescent rugby union players in South Africa

Background. The symptom profiles of young adolescent rugby and non-contact sports were investigated over one sport season. Objectives. To compare the concussion symptom profiles of rugby players with those of non-contact sport players over a sport season. Methods. In a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design, a group of rugby players ( n =99) were compared with a demographically equivalent group of non-contact sport participants ( n =74). The computerised Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (IMPACT) symptom scale was employed to evaluate and compare pre-season and post-season assessment of both groups. Results. Independent comparative analyses revealed that the damaging effects owing to exposure to concussive and sub-concussive incidents appear to be more pronounced in the rugby group in terms of symptomatic presentation compared with the controls. Conclusion. The damaging effects are compounded during a rugby season as a result of sub-concussive and concussive events.

Comparison of the Abdominal Wall Muscle Thickness in Female Rugby Players Versus Non-Athletic Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Rugby players engage in demanding, high loading muscular activity in the spine. Study of the abdominal wall architecture in female rugby athletes is relevant to the possible muscular asymmetry secondary to sport practice and the relationship between the abdominal wall and the pelvic floor muscles. Activation of the transversus abdominis (TrAb) generates an increase in the bladder neck muscle. Moreover, an increased interrecti distance (IRD) is related to urinary incontinence and has a higher prevalence in athletic women. The aim of the present study was to compare and quantify, with ultrasound imaging (USI), the thickness of the transversus abdominis (TrAb), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), rectus abdominis (RA), and interrecti distance (IRD) in female rugby players versus non-athletic women in order to improve upon existing knowledge about abdominal wall configuration in female athletes. Materials and Methods: A sample of 32 women was recruited at the Universidad Europea Research Lab and divided in two groups: a rugby group (n = 16) and a non-athletic women group (n = 16). The thickness of the TrAb, EO, IO, RA, and IRD were assessed by USI in both groups. Results: There were statistically significant differences for the ultrasound evaluation thickness of the right TrAb (p = 0.011; d = 0.10), EO (p = 0.045; d = 0.74), IO (p = 0.003; d = 1.32), and RA (p = 0.001; d = 1.38) showing a thickness increase for the rugby group with respect to the control group. For the IRD thickness, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between groups. Conclusions: An increased TrAb, IO, EO, and RA thickness may be shown in female rugby players versus non-athletic women. Nevertheless, statistically relevant differences were not found for the IRD between both groups.

Signs of cognitive dysfunction in adult players of club level rugby

The objective of this study was to investigate players of club level Rugby Union (hereafter rugby) over one rugby season, for signs of residual cognitive dysfunction due to repeated concussive events incurred during long-term participation in the sport. Adult male players of club level rugby, without a diagnosis of a concussion during the season ( n = 20), were compared with non-contact club level sports participants ( n = 22) of equivalent sex, age, education, and estimated IQ at pre-, mid-, and post-season intervals. Measures included the ImPACT Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, Visual Motor Speed and Reaction Time composites, and the Purdue Pegboard test. Statistical group comparisons revealed consistently poorer performance for rugby players compared with controls for ImPACT Visual Motor Speed and Reaction Time composites at all test intervals, and for the Purdue Pegboard tasks at the first two test intervals. Repeat measures comparisons across the three test intervals demonstrated differential learning patterns between groups on ImPACT Visual Memory, ImPACT Reaction Time, and Purdue Both tasks, suggestive of cognitive vulnerability in the rugby group. Overall, the results reveal deleterious cognitive performance in adult club level rugby players relative to equivalent non-contact sports controls. The finding serves to endorse indications from other studies that demonstrate persistent brain injury effects in association with long-term participation in a contact sport. Recommendations for further research and management of concussion in rugby players are discussed.

Neurophysiological and cognitive impairment following repeated sports concussion injuries in retired professional rugby league players

ABSTRACTBackground: Concussion is regarded as a common injury in rugby league, however no studies have explored the long-term neurophysiological and cognitive effects of repeated concussion injuries in this sport.Methods: Former professional rugby athletes (n = 25) were compared to 25 age-matched participants with no history of a concussion. All participants completed standardised motor dexterity, reaction time, and cognitive tasks for working memory, associative learning and rule acquisition and reversal. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) acquired motor evoked potentials and cortical silent period (cSP), as well as paired-pulse TMS for short latency intracortical inhibition and long intracortical inhibition (LICI).Results: Compared to controls, dexterity and visuomotor reaction time was slower in the rugby group compared to controls (p = 0.02, p < 0.01, respectively). The rugby group also demonstrated poorer cognitive performance than controls (p range 0.02 to < 0.01). TMS revealed significantly reduced cSP at suprathreshold stimulation intensities (p range 0.02 to <0.01), and increased LICI (p = 0.03) in the rugby group.Discussion: These findings of motor and cognitive changes, along with neurophysiological alterations, particularly with intracortical inhibition, nearly two decades post-concussion provides evidence for long-term sequelae for athletes with a history of repeated head trauma in contact sports.

Neurobehavioural profile following cumulative mild traumatic brain injury in adolescent rugby players in South Africa

The study investigated the neurobehavioural components of executive dysfunction following sport-related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) in Grade 12 adolescent rugby players over a rugby season. In a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design, a rugby group (n = 90) were compared with demographically equivalent noncontact sport controls (n = 59). The Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functions – Self Report (BRIEF-SR) was employed to assess the neurobehavioural component of executive functions. Independent and dependent t-test analyses were conducted to compare the groups at baseline and end-of-season intervals. The overall findings suggest more pronounced deleterious effects on executive functioning from exposure to the concussive and sub-concussive events among the rugby group. High school rugby players experience adverse neurobehavioural effects in executive dysfunction from contact rugby sport injuries.

COGNITION IN FORMER RUGBY UNION PLAYERS AND IMPACT OF CONCUSSION HISTORY

BackgroundInformation is needed on the effects on health after retirement from participating in sport and any effects of sustaining concussions.ObjectiveTo investigate differences in cognitive function between former rugby and non-contact...

Sensory organisation and reactive balance control of amateur rugby players: A cross-sectional study

Purpose: This study compared the sensory organisation and reactive balance control of amateur rugby players and a control group. Methods: Forty-one amateur rugby players (22 males: 19 females; mean height ± SD = 168.8 ± 8.8 cm; mean weight ± SD = 63.9 ± 12.5 kg) and 31 control participants (22 males: 9 females; mean height ± SD = 171.5 ± 10.3 cm; mean weight ± SD = 63.8 ± 10.3 kg) completed the study. Their sensory organisation and standing balance performance were evaluated using a sensory organisation test (SOT), and their reactive balance performance was quantified using a motor control test (MCT). The SOT equilibrium scores (ES) and sensory ratios and the MCT motor response latencies were the major outcome measures. Results: The results revealed that compared to the controls, amateur rugby players had lower SOT ESs under different sensory environments (P < .001, = 0.142–0.254) and prolonged reactive motor response times in the MCT (P < .001, d = 0.890). The vestibular and visual ratios were also lower in the rugby group (P = .005, = 0.107 and 0.108, respectively). No significant difference was found in the somatosensory ratio (P = .853, < 0.001) between the two groups. Conclusions: Amateur rugby players demonstrated inferior standing balance performance compared to their non-trained counterparts. They relied less heavily on vestibular and visual inputs to maintain standing balance under different sensory environments. In addition, they reacted more slowly to postural disturbance, reflecting their suboptimal reactive balance ability in standing.

Determinants of sport-specific postural control strategy and balance performance of amateur rugby players.

Postural control strategy and balance performance of rugby players are important yet under-examined issues. This study aimed to examine the differences in balance strategy and balance performance between amateur rugby players and non-players, and to explore training- and injury-related factors that may affect rugby players' balance outcomes. Cross-sectional and exploratory study. Forty-five amateur rugby players and 41 healthy active individuals participated in the study. Balance performance and balance strategies were assessed using the sensory organization test (SOT) of the Smart Equitest computerized dynamic posturography machine. Rugby training history and injury history were solicited from the participants. The SOT strategy scores were 1.99-54.90% lower in the rugby group than in the control group (p<0.05), and the equilibrium scores were 1.06-14.29% lower in the rugby group than in the control group (p<0.05). After accounting for age, sex and body mass index, only length of rugby training (in years) was independently associated with the SOT condition 6 strategy score, explaining 15.7% of its variance (p=0.006). There was no association between SOT condition 6 strategy/equilibrium scores and injury history among the rugby players (p>0.05). Amateur rugby players demonstrated inferior balance strategy and balance performance compared to their non-training counterparts. Their suboptimal balance strategy was associated with insufficient training experience but not with history of injury.

Mixed-sex in sport for development: a pragmatic and symbolic device. The case of touch rugby for forced migrants in Rome

Following the success of its all-male refugee football team, the Italian voluntary-based association Liberi Nantes created a touch rugby team as a pilot project aimed at involving female forced migrants. Initially set up as an all-woman activity to provide a less intimidating environment, the touch rugby group was later turned into a mixed-sex team. While potentially enabling transformative experiences and generating opportunities for challenging gender stereotypes, the mixed-gender character of the touch rugby provision also served broader objectives within Liberi Nantes’ mission. Focusing on the accounts of the activists and volunteers involved in the project, this paper investigates the practical and symbolic reasons for the strategic use of mixed-gender sport and its implications. Notably, by analysing the development of the touch rugby team, we highlight how its mixed-gender nature contributes to nourishing a wider rhetoric of social mixing and celebration of diversity, in which Liberi Nantes’ identity is embedded.

Does Strenuous Physical Exercise Influence the Attentional Function?

This study investigated the influence of strenuous physical exercise on the attentional function by considering the specific example of rugby. Using a group version of the “Stroop and reverse-Stroop test” that was composed of four tasks (Hakoda and Sasaki, 1990) as an index of the attentional function, we compared the pre- and post- attentional function between 12 male university students who participated in a rugby match (rugby group) and 41 male students who attended a classroom lecture (control group). We found that in the control group, the number of correct answers for all four tasks increased, showing a practice effect. In the rugby group, only the Stroop interference task induced an increase of correct answers whereas the reverse-Stroop interference task did not induce any improvements of the performance. These results suggest that rugby related physical exercise improved the control function of the interference from verbal information, but not from color information.

Influence of long-term wheelchair rugby training on the functional abilities in persons with tetraplegia over a two-year post-spinal cord injury

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of long-term wheelchair rugby training on the functional abilities of persons with tetraplegia over a 2-year period post-spinal cord injury. A prospective non-randomized controlled trial. Forty people with incomplete tetraplegia were examined. Participants were divided into 2 groups: a wheelchair rugby training group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). The Wheelchair Skills Test was used to assess functional changes in patients. In order to assess the strength of the 10 key muscles in the upper limb, the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score was used. All participants were assessed at the beginning of the study (at the start of wheelchair rugby training) and reassessed after 2 years. Between pre- and post-measurements patients from the wheelchair rugby group attended wheelchair rugby training once a week. The baseline values of the Wheelchair Skills Test in the wheelchair rugby group was 71.3, and this increased significantly by 24%. In the control group, the mean Wheelchair Skills Test value was 63.2, and this improved by 4%. A significant correlation between Wheelchair Skills Test score and ASIA motor score was found in both groups. Participation in regular wheelchair rugby training may preserve and augment functional abilities in individuals with incomplete tetraplegia.

Bone Mineral Content and Density of Tunisian Male Rugby Players: Differences Between Forwards and Backs

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long-term rugby participation on bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) of male rugby players and to determine if the diverse stimuli elicited by the actions of forwards and backs affect their skeleton differently. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were obtained from 20 male rugby players (10 Forwards and 10 Backs) who actively participated in rugby for the past 13 yr, and from 29 age matched non active subjects of the same ethnic origin. Both groups (rugby players and controls) had comparable age (23.6 +/- 3.7 yr vs. 25.6 +/- 3.4 yr), height (178.1 +/- 4.0 cm vs. 178.3 +/- 6.0 cm), and body fat percentage (14.2 +/- 4.4 vs. 16.5 +/- 5.1). Rugby players showed greater total body mass, and greater total lean and fat body masses than control subjects (p < 0.01). Whole spine BMC and BMD were 52 % and 15 % higher, respectively, in the rugby players than in the control subjects (p < 0.001). Furthermore, rugby players displayed higher skeletal BMC (40 %, 37 % and 58 % for legs, arms and pelvis, respectively) and BMD (16 %, 21 % and 17 %, respectively) than controls. Within the rugby group, forwards were taller, heavier and had greater body fat percentage, and greater total lean and fat body masses than backs (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Likewise, BMC, BMD and bone area for the whole body and at specific sites such as arms, spine and legs were also greater in the forwards (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Long-term rugby participation, starting at pubertal age, is associated with markedly increased BMC, BMD and bone size at all skeletal sites, except at the head. The musculo-skeletal adaptations, greater in forwards than in backs, could mimic training responses and therefore explain the bone features, localized in specific stressed regions.

Physiological and metabolic characteristics of elite tug of war athletes

Objective—To determine the aerobic power (V̇o2max), body composition, strength, muscular power, flexibility, and biochemical profile of an elite international squad of tug of war athletes.Methods—Sixteen male competitors (mean (SEM) age...