Can pre-activation of inspiratory muscles potentiates the force, velocity and power of soccer players? Analysis using mechanical and physiological signals by computational model

Abstract

Soccer is a sport modality characterized by intermittent efforts that requires high energy demand as well as physical strength, velocity and consequently power. Additionally, physiological variables such as heart rate, oximetry and blood lactate concentration obtained by specific physical evaluations and soccer matches show relationship with athletes´performance. As a strategy to further increase sports performance, recent studies have shown the benefits of Inspiratory Muscle (IM) Pre-Activation (PA) in sprints, when the mechanical variables and their association with fatigue were analyzed. However, while it may seem interesting to performance, this application has not yet been tested on soccer players. In general, this project aims to evaluate the force, velocity and power of soccer players in a semi-tethered soccer field test composed by repeated sprints investigating the effects of Pre-Activation applied to Inspiratory Muscle (PA-IM) on the potentiation performance of these athletes. Also, considering that we will registrate many mechanical and physiological signals obtained by wearable technologies using high frequency, we will to find the best computational model able to treat the data and improve the explanation about the performance enhancement by the method of the PA-IM (as one expects to observe). For this, we will evaluated professional soccer players. After the triage of the teams and athletes, subjects will be submitted to four evaluation sessions (24 to 48 hours interval between them, both in soccer field). Firstly, soccer players will respond to three questionnaires (i.e. anamnesis, sports-competitive history and physical activity level), they also submitted to anthropometric evaluation/body composition and familiarization with the equipments. In a second session, the individual maximal inspiratory pressure will be measured. Later, on two randomized sections (without and with the pre-activation of inspiratory muscles), they will submiited to the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) using a tethered field system model (apparatus used during the tethered running condition) with records of force, velocity and power being performed throughout the test. RAST protocol consists of six 35 m sprints, interspaced by 10 s of passive rest. Besides being attached to tricycle, athletes will be use wearable technologies to recorded the physiological variables (i.e. heart rate, pulse oximetry and oxy-deoxyhemoglobin ratio in more or less active muscles) during the tests. Blood lactate and psychophysiological resposnses will be reccorded after the end of efforts. Data will be presented in mean and standard error, with normality and homogeneity will be tested. Physiological and mechanical variables will be treated in Matlab. For each scenarios (with and without PA-IM), a comparative analysis of the mechanical and physiological parameters will be performed using the Student's t-test for dependent samples. Correlations between individual PImax and oxy-deohaemoglobin ratio in active and less active muscles will be tested (product x Pearson's moment), as well as the intraclass correlation coefficient. The effect size will be calculated by Cohen's proposal and the Bland and Altman analysis will be adopted to verify the accuracy and precision of the data. Aimed the correct mechanical and physiological signals interpretation (in two scenarios and during time line), this project intends to associate Sports Science and Computation Science to find the best model for analysis and interpretation of these data and its relationship with performance. (AU)