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

Purpose: We investigated technical and physiological responses along with their relationships during an incremental field test to exhaustion specific to tennis (TEST) in elite players. Methods: 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. Results: 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 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.

from Sports Medicine via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2ia60c2
via IFTTT