A physiological profile of tennis match play (original) (raw)
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Tennis Play Intensity Distribution and Relation with Aerobic Fitness in Competitive Players
PLOS ONE, 2015
The aims of this study were (i) to describe the relative intensity of simulated tennis play based on the cumulative time spent in three metabolic intensity zones, and (ii) to determine the relationships between this play intensity distribution and the aerobic fitness of a group of competitive players. 20 male players of advanced to elite level (ITN) performed an incremental oncourt specific endurance tennis test to exhaustion to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) and the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT 1 , VT 2 ). Ventilatory and gas exchange parameters were monitored using a telemetric portable gas analyser (K4 b 2 , Cosmed, Rome, Italy). Two weeks later the participants played a simulated tennis set against an opponent of similar level. Intensity zones (1: low, 2: moderate, and 3: high) were delimited by the individual VO 2 values corresponding to VT 1 and VT 2 , and expressed as percentage of maximum VO 2 and heart rate. When expressed relative to VO 2max , percentage of playing time in zone 1 (77 ± 25%) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in zone 2 (20 ± 21%) and zone 3 (3 ± 5%). Moderate to high positive correlations were found between VT 1 , VT 2 and VO 2max , and the percentage of playing time spent in zone 1 (r = 0.68-0.75), as well as low to high inverse correlations between the metabolic variables and the percentage of time spent in zone 2 and 3 (r = -0.49-0.75). Players with better aerobic fitness play at relatively lower intensities. We conclude that players spent more than 75% of the time in their low-intensity zone, with less than 25% of the time spent at moderate to high intensities. Aerobic fitness appears to determine the metabolic intensity that players can sustain throughout the game. Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Barcelona (Projectes d'investigació i recerca preferencial) http://www.inefc.cat/inefc/AppPHP/ index.php?id_pagina=1. EB was supported by Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. whole body efforts, alternating short (2-10 s) bouts of high-intensity exercise and short (10-20 s) recovery bouts interrupted by several resting periods of longer duration (60-90 s) . The typical duration of a tennis match is usually 1.5-2 hours but it can last even over 4 hours, and the average rally duration lasts 5-10 s, with a 20 s break, and 60 to 120 s break during the changeovers . Matches comprise about 300-500 high intensity efforts with stroke rates ranging between 2.5-4.7 shots/rally, dependent on gender and surface .
Physiological demands of match-play in elite tennis: A case study
European Journal of Sport Science, 2011
The physiological and perceptual demands together with match notation of a four-set tennis match were studied in two elite professional players during the preparation for the 2008 Davis Cup. The design of this case report is unique in that it is the first to describe the demands of prolonged match-play (197 min) over four sets in ecologically valid conditions. The variables measured before and after each set included blood lactate and glucose concentrations, body mass, and perception of effort. Stroke count for each rally and heart rate were recorded during each set while salivary cortisol concentration was determined before and after the match. The rally length decreased as the match progressed. The results showed significant physiological stress, with each player losing greater than 2.5% of body mass (as fluid) and having elevated salivary cortisol concentrations after the match. Heart rate and perception of effort were also increased following each set indicating increasing stress. However, blood lactate decreased following the fourth set while blood glucose was maintained. The results also suggest that elite players may adjust work rates or tactics to cope with the increased perception of effort. This report shows that four sets of tennis are associated with increasing stress and fatigue.
Journal of Human Kinetics, 2016
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of serve and return game situations on physiological responses and match characteristics in professional male tennis players during one hour-long simulated singles tennis matches. Ten internationally ranked tennis players (age 22.2 ± 2.8 years; body height 180.7 ± 4.4 cm; body mass 75.9 ± 8.9 kg) participated in this study. Their physiological responses were measured using two portable analyzers during indoor hard court matches. Ratings of perceived exertion were also determined at the end of the game. The variables describing the characteristics of the matches determined from video recordings were: (a) duration of rallies; (b) rest time; (c) work-to-rest ratio; (d) effective playing time; and (d) strokes per rally. Significant differences (p<0.05) were found between serving and returning conditions in an hour-long simulated singles tennis match in terms of oxygen uptake, a heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, pulmona...
Table tennis playing styles require specific energy systems demands
PloS one, 2018
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, ...
An integrated physiological and performance profile of professional tennis * COMMENTARY
British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2007
Objective: To describe the physiological responses to tournament tennis in relation to prevailing environmental conditions, match notation, and skills that underpin performance. Design: 14 male professional tennis players (mean (SD) age, 21.4 (2.6) years; height, 183.0 (6.9) cm; body mass, 79.2 (6.4) kg) were studied while contesting international tennis tournaments. Environmental conditions, match notation, physiological (core temperature, hydration status, heart rate, blood variables), and performance indices (serve kinematics, serve velocity, error rates) were recorded. Results: Hard and clay court tournaments elicited similar peak core temperature (38.9 (0.3) v 38.5 (0.6)˚C) and average heart rate (152 v 146 (19) beats/min) but different body mass deficit (1.05 (0.49) v 0.32 (0.56)%, p,0.05). Average pre-match urine specific gravity was 1.022 (0.004). Time between points was longer during hard court matches (25.1 (4.3) v 17.2 (3.3) s, p,0.05). Qualitative analysis of first and second serves revealed inverse relations between the position of the tossing arm at ball release and the position of the ball toss and progressive match time (respectively, r = 20.74 and r = 20.73, p,0.05) and incurred body mass deficit (r = 0.73 and r = 0.73, p,0.05).
British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2007
Objective: To examine the game characteristics and physiological (ie, blood lactate concentration) and perceptual (ie, rating of perceived exertion, RPE) responses during actual tennis competition in professional performers. Methods: Eight trained and internationally ranked (Association of Tennis Professionals rankings) male tennis players were studied during singles matches (best of three sets) played on an outdoor clay court surface during a professional, invitational tournament. Blood lactate concentrations (n = 53) and RPE (n = 113) were determined at selected changeovers during the game. The variables describing the characteristics of the matches, (a) duration of rallies (DRs); (b) rest time (RT); (c) effective playing time (EPT); and (d) shots per rally (SR), were determined from video recordings. Results: The mean (SD) values for the match-play activity variables were DR 7.5 (7.3) s, RT 16.2 (5.2) s, EPT 21.5 (4.9%), SR 2.7 (2.2) shots. Average blood lactate concentration and RPE values were 3.8 (2.0) mmol/l and 13 (2). Blood lactate concentrations and RPE values were significantly higher (p,0.01) in service games than in receiving games. Both blood lactate concentration and RPE values were significantly correlated with SR and DR (r = 0.80 to 0.28; p,0.001).
International journal of sports physiology and performance, 2011
The aim of the study was to determine the cardiorespiratory and metabolic characteristics during intense and moderate table tennis (TT) training, as well as during actual match play conditions. Blood lactate concentration (Lac), heart rate (HR, beats per minute [bpm]), oxygen uptake (VO2), and energy expenditure (EE) in 7 male participants of the German junior national team (age: 14 ± 1 y, weight: 60.5 ± 5.6 kg height; 165 ± 8 cm) were examined during six training sessions (TS) and during an international match. The VO2 was measured continuously with portable gas analyzers. Lac was assessed every 1 to 3 min during short breaks. Mean (peak) values for Lac, HR, VO2, and EE during the TS were 1.2 ± 0.7 (4.5) mmol·L-1, 135 ± 18 (184) bpm, 23.5 ± 7.3 (43.0) mL·kg-1· min-1, and 6.8 ± 2.0 (11.2) METs, respectively. During match play, mean (peak) values were 1.1 ± 0.2 (1.6) mmol·L-1, 126 ± 22 (189) bpm, 25.6 ± 10.1 (45.9) mL·kg-1·min-1, and 4.8 ± 1.4 (9.6) METs, respectively. For the first ...
2010
The purpose of the present study was to determine the fractional utilisation of maximum oxygen uptake capacity (% VO2max) during execution of ground strokes and tennis match play. Ten male Malaysian state-level tennis players participated in this study. Age, height, weight and VO2max of the players were 15.3 + 1.2 years, 164.0 + 7.4 cm, 52.3 + 11.5 kg and 51.7 + 7.3 ml·kg -¹·min -¹ respectively. This study was conducted in 3 phases: laboratory test (Phase I), on-court test (Phase II) and simulated match (Phase III). Fraction of VO2max during execution of forehand and backhand strokes were 71.6 + 10.9% and 72.3 + 8.8% respectively, whereas tennis match play demanded 69.3 + 9.8% of VO2max. Execution of forehand and backhand strokes led to a blood lactate concentration of approximately 6 mmol·L 1, indicating the involvement of anaerobic glycolysis. On the other hand, due to the intermittent nature of the game and the work-rest ratio of 1 : 2.2, the post-match blood lactate was found to be 3.21 + 0.2 mmol·L 1, reflecting an aerobic dominance in the game. The mean match heart rate (154.3 + 15.4 beats·min -