Foot Posture and Patellar Tendon Pain Among Adult Volleyball Players

Foot Posture and Patellar Tendon Pain Among Adult Volleyball Players

by de Groot, Reinier; Malliaras, Peter; Munteanu, Shannon; Payne, Craig; Morrissey, Dylan; Maffulli, Nicola

Objective: We hypothesized that individuals with a normal foot posture would be less likely to experience patellar tendon pain and pathology than those with a pronated or supinated foot.

 Design: Observational study. 

Setting: Field-based study among competing athletes. 

Participants: Volleyball players competing in the Victorian State League, Australia. 

Assessment of Risk Factors: Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is common in sports involving running and jumping and can severely limit athletes' ability to compete. Several studies have investigated potential etiological factors for the development of PT, but little is known about the association between PT and foot posture. Main Outcome Measures: Static foot posture index (FPI), patellar tendon pain during single-leg decline squatting, and gray scale ultrasound imaging were measured in 78 recreational to elite volleyball players (48 men and 30 women).

 Results: Men with patellar tendon pain were more likely to have a normal foot posture and men without pain were more likely to be pronated according to the FPI (P < 0.05). Women showed no association between FPI and pain or imaging (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Men with a normal foot posture were more likely to have PT compared to men with a pronated foot type.

 

Serum Sex Hormone–Binding Globulin and Cortisol Concentrations are Associated With Overreaching During Strenuous Military Training

Serum Sex Hormone–Binding Globulin and Cortisol Concentrations are Associated With Overreaching During Strenuous Military Training

from The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research - Current Issue by Tanskanen, Minna M; Kyröläinen, Heikki; Uusitalo, Arja L; Huovinen, Jukka; Nissilä, Juuso; Kinnunen, Hannu; Atalay, Mustafa; Häkkinen, Keijo

Tanskanen, MM, Kyröläinen, H, Uusitalo, AL, Huovinen, J, Nissilä, J, Kinnunen, H, Atalay, M, and Häkkinen, K. Serum sex hormone-binding globulin and cortisol concentrations are associated with overreaching during strenuous military training. J Strength Cond Res 25(3): 787-797, 2011-

The purpose was (a) to study the effect of an 8-week Finnish military basic training period (BT) on physical fitness, body composition, mood state, and serum biochemical parameters among new conscripts; (b) to determine the incidence of overreaching (OR); and (c) to evaluate whether initial levels or training responses differ between OR and noOR subjects. Fifty-seven males (19.7 ± 0.3 years) were evaluated before and during BT. Overreaching subjects had to fulfill 3 of 5 criteria: decreased aerobic physical fitness (V̇O2max), increased rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in 45-minute submaximal test at 70% of V̇O2max or sick absence from these tests, increased somatic or emotional symptoms of OR, and high incidence of sick absence from daily service. 

V̇O2max improved during the first 4 weeks of BT. During the second half of BT, a stagnation of increase in V̇O2max was observed, basal serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) increased, and insulin-like growth factor-1 and cortisol decreased. Furthermore, submaximal exercise-induced increases in cortisol, maximum heart rate, and postexercise increase in blood lactate were blunted.

 Of 57 subjects, 33% were classified as OR. They had higher basal SHBG before and after 4 and 7 weeks of training and higher basal serum cortisol at the end of BT than noOR subjects. In addition, in contrast to noOR, OR subjects exhibited no increase in basal testosterone/cortisol ratio but a decrease in maximal La/RPE ratio during BT. As one-third of the conscripts were overreached, training after BT should involve recovery training to prevent overtraining syndrome from developing. The results confirm that serum SHBG, cortisol, and testosterone/cortisol and maximal La/RPE ratios could be useful tools to indicate whether training is too strenuous.