Training and match volume and injury in adolescents playing multiple contact team sports: A prospective cohort study

Exercise addiction in team sports: A systematic literature review

While regular exercise should be part of the contemporary lifestyle, many people overindulge in it to the point of losing control over their behavior. This condition is known as exercise addiction (EA). Although addiction is an individual phenomenon, and most of the over 1,000 published studies on EA look at individual exercisers, there are studies on team sports athletes, too. Theoretically, these athletes should not manifest exercise addiction, but some studies are projecting the contrary. Therefore, in this literature review, we analyze EA in team athletes. Based on four databases (PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar), we located 22 articles conforming to inclusion criteria. These studies suggest a high risk of exercise addiction among team sports participants. While the figures are lower than for individual exercisers, they are in discord with the concept of addiction as a dysfunction, and the lack of a single case of exercise addiction reported (to date) in team sports athletes in the academic literature. In agreement with a recent position paper, we conclude that there are substantial conceptual and measurement errors in exercise addiction research.

Anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills of schoolboy players of different age categories and playing standards

Background

Rugby is increasingly gaining popularity among school-aged male junior players in countries hardly known for dominating international rugby, such as Zimbabwe. Given rugby combativeness, participating adolescents should possess qualities or skills commensurate with the physical demands of the sport for effective participation. This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of age category and playing standard on anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills among Zimbabwean athletes.

Methods

Two hundred and eight elite, sub-elite and non-rugby players competing at Under 16 and Under 19 age categories were assessed using the School Clinical Rugby Measure (SCRuM) test battery. Participants underwent height, sitting height, mass, skinfolds, speed, agility, upper-and-lower muscular strength and power, prolonged high-intensity intermittent running ability, tackling, passing and catching assessments in a cross-sectional experimental design.

Results

Age categories had significant main effect on all SCRuM test items except sum of seven skinfolds (p = 0.45, η²p = 0.003). Playing standard had significant main effects for all variables except height (p = 0.40, η²p = 0.01) and sum of seven skinfolds (p = 0.11, η²p = 0.02). Specifically, upper-and-lower muscular strength and power, prolonged high-intensity intermittent running ability, tackling, passing and catching improved with increasing playing standards. However, two-way analysis of variance only demonstrated significant interactions between the effects of age category and playing standards for vertical jump height (VJ) test, 2-kg medicine ball chest throw (2-kg MBCT) test, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IRT L1), and tackling and catching tests. Yo-Yo IRT L1, VJ, tackling and catching tests demonstrated greater discriminative ability among Under 16 s, whereas the 2-kg MBCT test showed better ability in Under 19 s.

Conclusion

All SCRuM variables except skinfolds improved with age, highlighting relative sensitivity in differentiating older from younger athletes. However, the discriminative ability by playing standards for VJ, 2-kg MBCT, Yo-Yo IRT L1, tackling and catching ability tests was age-dependent. These findings informs on general attribute development in junior rugby players with age and on specific players attributes in need of monitoring for attainment of elite status at U16 or U19 level.

Qualities or skills discriminating under 19 rugby players by playing standards: a comparative analysis of elite, sub-elite and non-rugby players using the SCRuM test battery

Objective

Although schoolboy rugby is growing in popularity and played at different competitive levels in Zimbabwe, the influence of playing standard on qualities or skills of older male adolescent rugby players is unknown. Utilising a cross-sectional design, this study determined anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills defining elite under 19 (U19) schoolboy rugby players. Following development and subsequent assessment of test–retest reliability of School Clinical Rugby Measure (SCRuM) test battery, this study compared performance outcomes of elite rugby players (n = 41), sub-elite rugby players (n = 46) and non-rugby athletes (n = 26) to identify qualities or skills discriminating (i) elite from sub-elite and non-rugby players, and concomitantly (ii) sub-elite from non-rugby players.

Results

40 m speed test (p < 0.001, ES = 1.78) and 2 kg Medicine Ball Chest Throw test (p < 0.001, ES = 1.69) significantly discriminated elite U19 from sub-elite and non-rugby players. These tests further differentiated sub-elite from non-rugby athletes. Additionally, 1RM back squat (p = 0.009, ES = 0.57), 1RM bench press (p = 0.005, ES = 0.61), repeated high-intensity exercise test (p < 0.001, ES = 0.88) and passing ability test (p < 0.001, ES = 0.99) discriminated elite from sub-elite counterparts. These findings highlight important attributes linked to elite U19 schoolboy rugby in Zimbabwe. However, no significant differences were observed for sum of seven skinfold (p = 0.28), tackling (p = 0.08) and catching ability (p = 0.05).

Motivation for sports participation, injury prevention expectations, injury risk perceptions and health problems in youth floorball players

PURPOSE

Describe the motivation for floorball participation, injury prevention expectations, injury risk perceptions and prevalence of health problems in youth floorball players at the start of the season.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey is part of a larger Sport Without Injury ProgrammE (SWIPE) project and provides baseline data before a cluster randomised controlled trial of an injury prevention program (Knee Control). A baseline survey (online and paper based) was collected from 47 teams with 471 youth floorball players from two provinces of Sweden before the start of the 2017 season.

RESULTS

The mean age for 140 females and 331 males was 13.7 (± 1.5) and 13.3 (± 1.0) years, respectively. The two most significant motivators for floorball participation were being part of the team (82% females, 75% males) and friends (65% females, 70% males). Fractures (84% females, 90% males), eye injuries (90% females, 83% males) and concussion (82% females, 83% males) were perceived as the most severe injuries. 93% of players believed that sports injuries can be prevented, while 74% believed it is unlikely that they will sustain an injury. Existing health problems at the beginning of the season were prevalent in 33% of players, with 65% being injuries and 35% illnesses. 17% of existing injuries at the start of the season caused time-loss from play and 17% required medical attention.

CONCLUSION

Social aspects were the greatest motivators for floorball participation in youths, suggesting that these factors are important to retain sports participants. The high number of health problems in youth is a concern; as such more effort, resources and priority should be given to sports safety programs. Many players believed that sports injuries can be prevented, possibly providing a fertile ground for implementation of such programs.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.