Technical Alterations during an Incremental Field Test in Elite Male Tennis Players. 2017

Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
1French Tennis Federation, Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, FRANCE; 2Faculty of Biology and Medicine, ISSUL, Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, SWITZERLAND; 3Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, Doha, QATAR; and 4National Ski-Nordic Center, Premanon, Les Rousses, FRANCE.

We investigated technical and physiological responses along with their relationships during an incremental field test to exhaustion specific to tennis (TEST) in elite players. Twenty male elite tennis players completed TEST, which consisted of hitting alternatively forehand and backhand strokes at increasing ball frequency (ball machine) every minute. Ball accuracy (BA), ball velocity (BV), and tennis performance (TP) index (TP = BA × BV) were determined by radar and video analysis for each stroke, in addition to cardiorespiratory responses and blood lactate concentrations. At low intensities (less than 80% of maximal oxygen uptake [V˙O2max]), technical performance was steady. From 80% to 100% of V˙O2max, significant and steady decreases in BV (-9.0% and -13.3%; P = 0.02 and P = 0.002), BA (-19.4% and -18.4%; both P < 0.001), and TP (-27.4% and -29.15%; both P = 0.002) occurred for forehands and backhands, respectively. Changes in TP and blood lactate concentration from 60% to 100% of V˙O2max were inversely correlated (r = -0.51, P = 0.008). BV was 5.2% higher (P = 0.042) for forehand versus backhand, and there was no difference between strokes for both BA (P = 0.930) and TP (P = 0.536). Technical alterations (i.e., decrease in BV, BA, and TP) in elite players undergoing TEST only occurred at high intensity (>80% of V˙O2max), presumably because of the use of compensatory strategies to overcome fatigue. Above this intensity, all technical indices decreased steadily until exhaustion, independently of the stroke nature.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010101 Oxygen Consumption The rate at which oxygen is used by a tissue; microliters of oxygen STPD used per milligram of tissue per hour; the rate at which oxygen enters the blood from alveolar gas, equal in the steady state to the consumption of oxygen by tissue metabolism throughout the body. (Stedman, 25th ed, p346) Consumption, Oxygen,Consumptions, Oxygen,Oxygen Consumptions
D005080 Exercise Test Controlled physical activity which is performed in order to allow assessment of physiological functions, particularly cardiovascular and pulmonary, but also aerobic capacity. Maximal (most intense) exercise is usually required but submaximal exercise is also used. Arm Ergometry Test,Bicycle Ergometry Test,Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing,Exercise Testing,Step Test,Stress Test,Treadmill Test,Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test,EuroFit Tests,Eurofit Test Battery,European Fitness Testing Battery,Fitness Testing,Physical Fitness Testing,Arm Ergometry Tests,Bicycle Ergometry Tests,Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tests,Ergometry Test, Arm,Ergometry Test, Bicycle,Ergometry Tests, Arm,Ergometry Tests, Bicycle,EuroFit Test,Eurofit Test Batteries,Exercise Test, Cardiopulmonary,Exercise Testing, Cardiopulmonary,Exercise Tests,Exercise Tests, Cardiopulmonary,Fitness Testing, Physical,Fitness Testings,Step Tests,Stress Tests,Test Battery, Eurofit,Test, Arm Ergometry,Test, Bicycle Ergometry,Test, Cardiopulmonary Exercise,Test, EuroFit,Test, Exercise,Test, Step,Test, Stress,Test, Treadmill,Testing, Cardiopulmonary Exercise,Testing, Exercise,Testing, Fitness,Testing, Physical Fitness,Tests, Arm Ergometry,Tests, Bicycle Ergometry,Tests, Cardiopulmonary Exercise,Tests, EuroFit,Tests, Exercise,Tests, Step,Tests, Stress,Tests, Treadmill,Treadmill Tests
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D013715 Tennis A game played by two or four players with rackets and an elastic ball on a level court divided by a low net.
D013996 Time and Motion Studies The observation and analysis of movements in a task with an emphasis on the amount of time required to perform the task. Time Studies,Studies, Time,Study, Time,Time Study
D054874 Athletic Performance Carrying out of specific physical routines or procedures by one who is trained or skilled in physical activity. Performance is influenced by a combination of physiological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. Sports Performance,Athletic Performances,Performance, Athletic,Performance, Sports,Performances, Athletic,Performances, Sports,Sports Performances
D055815 Young Adult A person between 19 and 24 years of age. Adult, Young,Adults, Young,Young Adults
D018763 Muscle Fatigue A state arrived at through prolonged and strong contraction of a muscle. Studies in athletes during prolonged submaximal exercise have shown that muscle fatigue increases in almost direct proportion to the rate of muscle glycogen depletion. Muscle fatigue in short-term maximal exercise is associated with oxygen lack and an increased level of blood and muscle lactic acid, and an accompanying increase in hydrogen-ion concentration in the exercised muscle. Fatigue, Muscle,Muscular Fatigue,Fatigue, Muscular

Related Publications

Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
November 2016, International journal of sports physiology and performance,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
December 2005, British journal of sports medicine,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
January 2024, International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
September 2006, British journal of sports medicine,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
May 2019, Journal of science and medicine in sport,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
March 2017, Journal of sports science & medicine,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
March 1991, The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
November 2004, Medicine and science in sports and exercise,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
March 2011, Journal of sports sciences,
Cyril Brechbuhl, and Olivier Girard, and Grégoire P Millet, and Laurent Schmitt
February 2010, Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!