Abstract
aper presents complexes of physical exercises and mobilization sports massage for skilled female athletesspecialized in rowing. The positive influence of such complexes on pre-start preparation, which is quite relevant,is shown. Objective of study: Evaluating the influence of different complexes of pre-start special exercises andmobilization massage in two versions of their combinations on biochemical indices of blood serum in highlyskilled female athletes specialized in rowing during pre-start preparation. Subjects and methods of study: Thestudy involved 4 female athletes - international-class masters of sports in rowing. Questionnaire was conductedbefore the first test to
2 assess the subjective state of female athletes on a 10-point scale, a biochemical blood test (Mindray BS200 Chemistry Analyzer). Athletes performed different exercise complexes during pre-start warmup. Blood serum cortisol and testosterone levels, their ratio (T/C index), as well as the activity of cellularenzymes: ALT, AST, LDH, GGT, ALP was determined before and after application of impacts. Testosteroneand cortisol content were determined by means of BECKMAN COULTER Access 2 and immune-enzymaticmethod (MR-96A Mindray), respectively. Results. The influence of complexes of impacts on female athletehormonal status alteration has been shown. After performing complex 1, the decrease of blood cortisol contentwas observed in all subjects after 5 and 40 minutes of rest. After 40 minutes of rest blood cortisol level decreasedby 40%, 34% and 24 % in the first, the second and the third, and the fourth female athlete. Total averagedecrease of testosterone level constituted 27 %. After completing complex 2 blood cortisol level decreased by 24% and 21 % in the first and the second female athlete. Testosterone content decreased by 2 % and 7 %. T/Cindex constituted 0,0037 before and 0,0047 after in the first female athlete and 0,0030 before and 0,0036 after inthe second one. A 25 % increase in the T/C ratio after performing this complex was noted in the second athlete.To analyze the results of the study, methods of statistical data processing and those of nonparametric statisticswere used. Conclusions. The peculiarities of biochemical reactions in the body of highly skilled female athletesto the impacts of special exercises. Different degree and direction of changes in blood serum cortisol andtestosterone content, the T/C index of athletes, depending on the type of applied complexes, have beenidentified. Keywords: highly skilled female athletes, cortisol, testosterone, blood biochemical indices, special exercises. Introduction. Pre-start preparation of elite female athletes for the upcoming competitions and realization of functionalcapacities during them are of tremendous importance for successful performance. This period seems jittery formany athletes, and includes physiological and psychological stressors; slight increase in cortisol awakeningresponse (CAR) on the threshold of sports competitions may be interpreted as a possible habituation of the basalhypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal activity [Salvador A.
Pre-start preparation of elite female athletes for the upcoming competitions and realization of functionalcapacities during them are of tremendous importance for successful performance. This period seems jittery formany athletes, and includes physiological and psychological stressors; slight increase in cortisol awakeningresponse (CAR) on the threshold of sports competitions may be interpreted as a possible habituation of the basalhypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal activity [Salvador A. at al., 2003;Strahler K. at al., 2009].Various programs and approaches to pre-start preparation are known: - passive strategies that increase the core temperature (shower, bath, heatable garments Adidas Clima365, AG, Germany, Blizzard Protection Systems Ltd, Bangor, UK); - active warmup;
3 - usage of special movements based on neural mechanisms, such as post- activation potentiation (PAP) -a phenomenon in which muscle efficiency increases rapidly if preceded by maximal or close to maximalneuromuscular activation exercises.It is noteworthy that during the development of PAP, stimulating exercises with preload, one shouldtake into consideration factors of individual training experience, the intensity of exercise performance [McGowan C.at al., 2015]. The use of such and similar impacts during pre-start preparation of athletes can significantlyinfluence the readiness to perform work [Vinogradov V. Е., 2010, Vinogradov V. Е. at al., 2019].It should be mentioned that the features of pre-start warmup must account for the athlete's experience,depending on the type of competitive load and its energy constituent. The content of pre-start activity should behighly specific and individual, and the effect of warming-up and additional, specially selected exercises in thispart of preparation for the start should be clearly predictable [Vinogradov V. Е. at al., 2011].Muscle stretching has long been used in many physical loads to increase the range of motion (ROM)around a joint. If the warm-up is aimed at increasing the joint ROM and muscle strength and/or power, thendynamic stretching seems to be a suitable alternative to static stretching. Nevertheless, numerous studies inwhichchanges or deterioration in performance were not revealed, paid attention to possible mitigating factorssuch as duration of stretching, amplitude, speed of movement. Accordingly, ballistic stretching as a form ofdynamic stretching with high speed will be less advantageous as compared to controlled dynamic stretching.Literature data show that an inconsistent description of stretching procedures represented an important deterrentto achieving a clear consensus [Opplert J.at al., 2017].The concept of static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) in the warmuphas changed recently. Great interest is given to dynamic stretching (DS), which provides slight or moderateperformance improvements. All forms of training that usually lasted less than 30 minutes resulted in ROMimprovement. The differences could be caused by a sharp decrease in muscle and tendon stiffness or byadaptation of the nervous system, which caused an increase in tolerance to stretching. Some studies have shownthat small and medium changes immediately after stretching are recommended
provides slight or moderateperformance improvements. All forms of training that usually lasted less than 30 minutes resulted in ROMimprovement. The differences could be caused by a sharp decrease in muscle and tendon stiffness or byadaptation of the nervous system, which caused an increase in tolerance to stretching. Some studies have shownthat small and medium changes immediately after stretching are recommended during warm-up, which includesadditional dynamic activity after stretching. It is fulfilled to reduce muscle injuries and increase joint ROM,while DS involves performing controlled displacement of stress through the ROM of active joints with littleeffect on subsequent athletic performance.DS is deemed preferable in preparation for physical activity when: - there may be close resemblance between the models of stretching and motion [Behm, D.at al., 2015]; – DS activity may elevate core temperature, which can increase nerve conduction speed, muscleelasticity and the enzymatic cycle, thus accelerating energy production;
4 – DS and dynamic activity tend to increase rather than decrease the central drive, as may happen withprolonged static. Unlike fast muscle elongation, static stretching fails to increase the reflex activity of stretchedmuscle, but instead reduces the excitability of the spinal reflex [Guissard N.at al., 2006]. Dose-response ratios have been precisely determined for PNF and DS. Therefore, for higher efficiency,the duration of SS and PNF should be greater and they might be applied, for instance, 10 minutes before thecompetition. DS can be performed closer to the competition. It is shown that DS within more than 2 minutescontributes to higher increase of performance [Behm D.at al., 2015].Our studies also present the positive effects of enhancing the athletes' work capacity, confirmed by thepractice of using such complexes and their combinations at the major sports competitions (6 Olympic Games, 23World Championships) [Vinogradov V. Е., 2012, Vinogradov V. Е.at al., 2016]. It is not unlikely that a positiveimpact of presented exercise complexes and their combinations with the mobilization technique of sportsmassage on sports performance may be associated with a change in the body hormonal level and, in particular,cortisol and testosterone. Control for the level of blood cortisol in athletes, as an index of the hypothalamus –pituitary – adrenal system excitation, is thought to be of great importance during preparation for competitions[Hoffman J.at al., 1997;Lac G.at al., 2000]. Decreased level of cortisol or body reactivity may indicate a highdegree of stress tolerance, and a moderate increase in cortisol level prepares athletes for vigorous activity [MazurA., 1985;Stansbury K.at al., 1997]. Significant increase in the content of corticosteroids in the blood of highlytrained athletes at rest may be indicative of the body physical overloads or physiological stress [ViruА.А.at al.,1983] and leads to low sports performance [Erickson K.at al., 2003]. Determination of testosterone/cortisol ratiois used as a potential hormonal marker of temporary incomplete recovery and overtraining syndrome afterprolonged training loads [Adlercreutz H.at al., 1986;Banfi G.at al., 1993;Lac G.at al., 2000]. The change of theseindices before competition in athletes, whose sports activity is associated with highly intensive motor activity,may reflect the level of physiological stress conditioned by either
K.at al., 2003]. Determination of testosterone/cortisol ratiois used as a potential hormonal marker of temporary incomplete recovery and overtraining syndrome afterprolonged training loads [Adlercreutz H.at al., 1986;Banfi G.at al., 1993;Lac G.at al., 2000]. The change of theseindices before competition in athletes, whose sports activity is associated with highly intensive motor activity,may reflect the level of physiological stress conditioned by either psychological state or metabolic needs[RogolaА.D., 2008]. At the same time, a decrease in the level of free testosterone at rest and lower maximumincrease of its concentration caused by physical activity may be considered as the first sign of adaptabilitydecrease in athletes [Jarek M.at al., 2005].In view of the aforesaid, to assess the functional state of the body of skilled female athletes specializedin rowing before competitions and reveal the effects of various complexes, a biochemical analysis of cortisol andtestosterone content was carried out, and the activity of a number of blood serum indicator enzymes wasdetermined to control possible damage of muscular and other tissues of the body. Objective of work. Evaluating the impact of various complexes of pre-start special exercises andmobilization massage in two variants of their combinations
5 on the blood serum biochemical indices in the bodyof highly skilled female rowers during pre-start preparation. Methods and organization of studies. To identify the impacts of various utilized complexes on the body of female athletes, a biochemicalblood test was run (Mindray BS200 Chemistry Analyzer with ISE Module Complete).Blood serum levels of cortisol and testosterone were determined, as well as the activity of a number ofcellular enzymes, being biochemical markers that characterize the state of skeletal muscles and other organs:ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), GGT(gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase). Content of testosterone was determined by meansof BECKMAN COULTER Access 2 device, whereas that of cortisol by immunoenzymatic method (microplatereader MR-96A Mindray). A biochemical blood test was performed the day before the use of extra- trainingcomplexes (basic data), immediately before the complex performance and after 5 and 40 minutes of rest after thecomplex execution. The standard conditions for taking biological material and preventing the degradation of thebiologically active substance in the samples were observed.The studies were conducted at the training base of athletes’ preparation in Belarus (Brest). The studyinvolved 4 female rowers (n = 4), international-class masters of sports competing at 2000 m distance. The age ofthe subjects ranged from 23 to - 28 years. According to the data of the calendar prophylactic medicalexaminations, the athletes were practically healthy and gave consent to participate in the examinations. Athleteswere examined at the stage of pre-competitive preparation before and after performing complexes of specialexercises and mobilization massage. The authors modified exercise complexes for use by female rowers and tested in training and competitive periods with female athletes of Belarus andUkraine. Similar complexes ofexercises and methods of their usage in somesports events have been described previously [Vinogradov V. Е.,2010]. The methods of nonparametric statistics were used. The significance of differences was assessed by thetest of marginal homogeneity of two dependent samples (Marginal Homogeneity Test) [Sharon L.W.at al.,2005]. Results and discussion. On the pre-start day, before the testing day, the individual (basic) hormonal and enzyme indices of eachfemale athlete were determined; on the day of testing, a questionnaire was conducted among athletes.It
of nonparametric statistics were used. The significance of differences was assessed by thetest of marginal homogeneity of two dependent samples (Marginal Homogeneity Test) [Sharon L.W.at al.,2005]. Results and discussion. On the pre-start day, before the testing day, the individual (basic) hormonal and enzyme indices of eachfemale athlete were determined; on the day of testing, a questionnaire was conducted among athletes.It is known that sleep quality mayexert a significant impact on sports resultsand, especiallyperformance of submaximal, lengthy exercises. Sleep disturbance may also affect learning, memory, cognition,pain perception, immunity and inflammation. Besides that, changes in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrinefunction as a result of chronic partial sleep deprivation may lead to alterations in carbohydrate metabolism,appetite, food consumption and protein synthesis [Halson S., 2014].
6 Therefore, before the first testing, aquestionnaire was conducted to evaluate subjective state of female athletes on a 10-point scale: the duration andquality of night’s sleep (hours), the the quality of falling asleep in the evening and awakening in the morning,nervousness, appetite (Table 1). As follows from questionnaire results, all female subjects reported good indices of falling asleep, sleepquality and duration and awakening quality, and assessed their state as optimal according to sleep parameters.Morphological characteristics of examined athletes are presented in table 2, which shows insignificantdifferences in the height of female athletes (176 Å} 2,8 cm). At the same time there were differences in bodymass, chest volume and BMI between the subjects (Table 2). In these studies, two different complexes of impacts were used in pre-start preparation of athletes forcompetitions. The following were used in the experiment: Complex 1 – “basic” pre-start complex in combination with mobilization massage - 4 female athletes,complex 1, (table 3); 2 – mobilization massage and pre-start warm-up (20 minutes, Concept), 2 athletes participated, complex2; Complex 1. "Basic" complex of precompetitive impacts.Each movement was performed withaccentuated exhalation and concentric and eccentric resistance (partner) before special part of the warm-up.Towards the end of the complex, the athlete models efforts with the partner according to her subjective feelings,close in rhythm and resistance to the competitive ones. Initial position (I.P.) – lying on the stomach. 1. Straight arms movement from top to bottom, the partner holds the hands clenched into fists. 2. Arms at side, to raise and lower overcoming partner’s resistance.
7 3. I.P. – arms on the nape, backbend, the partner supports the elbows, the athlete lowers down, tensingabdominal muscles. 4. I.P. – arms rearward on the lower back, backbend, the partner supports the shoulders, the athlete’sefforts aimed at tensing the long muscles of the back. 5. Right shin movement (i.p. – shin in vertical position), the partner holds the shin, providingresistance (anterior thigh muscles are involved). 6. Backward-upward right shin movement (i.p..- shin in horizontal position) the partner holds the shinwith resistance (posterior thigh muscles are involved). 7. I.P. – the right shin vertically, the partner presses the foot, upward foot movement (plantar flexion),overcoming partner’s resistance. 8. Repeat for the left leg, then for the two legs simultaneously. Initial position – lying on the back. 9. I.P. – the right thigh is flexed in the knee, the foot is near the left knee outside. Outward knee movement, overcoming partner’s resistance. 10. I.P. – the right thigh is flexed in the knee, the foot is near the inner surface of the left knee. Kneeinward movement, overcoming partner’s resistance. 11. I.P. – as above, but the foot before the beginning of movements is outside of the lying leg; shortened movement is performed, as in exercise 10 and 11. 12. I.P. - legs extended. Upward right thigh movement to the shoulder, overcoming partner’s resistance. 13. I.P. - the right knee at the right shoulder. The partner extends leg in the knee, overcoming athlete’sresistance. 14. I.P. - right leg in vertical position. Foot downward movement, overcoming partner’s resistance. 15-20 – repetitions by left foot. 21. I.P. - legs bent at the knees, at right angles to the trunk. To hold in this position, the partner tries tostraighten the athlete's legs with jerks. 22. I.P. - legs bent at knees, the feet on the support, the arms pressed to the chest, the body elevated. Standing behind the athlete’s head, the partner pushes the shoulders; the athlete holds the position, overcomingthe partner’s resistance. Time of performing the “basic” complex exercises – about 8 minutes. Immediately after completing the complex of exercises and before getting on
I.P. - legs bent at knees, the feet on the support, the arms pressed to the chest, the body elevated. Standing behind the athlete’s head, the partner pushes the shoulders; the athlete holds the position, overcomingthe partner’s resistance. Time of performing the “basic” complex exercises – about 8 minutes. Immediately after completing the complex of exercises and before getting on a boat, a pre-startstimulating massage (Complex 1 and Complex 2) was performed. It included massage techniques lasting 6minutes, 30 seconds, performed by a massage therapist, physiotherapist, kinesiotherapist or team doctor. It isapplied 50 minutes before the competitive activity and is combined with the “basic”, “shortened” complex ofspecial exercises, in isolation or before special part of the warm-up. The sequence of techniques: 1) impacts on the area of neck and trapezius muscle 2 min. from each side; 2) impacts on the area of adrenal gland 2 min. from each side;