The science and medicine of cricket: an overview and update

Abstract

Research into the science and medicine underlying cricket performance and injury has progressed since the First World Congress of Science and Medicine in Cricket in 1999. This review covers material on the physiological and psychological demands of the game and preparation for it, the biomechanics and motor control of cricket skills, the psychology of team dynamics, performance analysis and cricket injuries. Technological aspects of cricket equipment are also covered, where such research could influence injury risk or player performance. Fielding remains the least studied of the skills. Much more research needs to be done before we can gain a full understanding of the scientific aspects of the game. There is a need to address common definitions of injury, along with more research into injury mechanisms. Research on batting needs to bring together motor control and biomechanics more fully. The fitness demands of the game are still poorly understood, along with the mechanisms causing fatigue. Evaluation of the efficacy of intervention strategies needs to continue and to develop. The applications of research need to be communicated more to coaches and players — for example, in team dynamics — so that they can be applied, and tested further, in international matches.     

Reliability and validity of field-based measures of leg stiffness and reactive strength index in youths

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of a mobile contact mat in measuring a range of stretch–shortening cycle parameters in young adolescents. Additionally, vertical leg stiffness using contact mat data was validated against a criterion method using force–time data. The reliability study involved 18 youths completing a habituation and three separate test sessions, while 20 youths completed a single test session for the validity study. Participants completed three trials of a squat jump, countermovement jump, and maximal hopping test and a single trial of repeated sub-maximal hopping at 2.0 Hz and 2.5 Hz. All tests were performed on the contact mat. Reliability statistics included repeated-measures analysis of variance, intraclass correlation coefficient, and coefficient of variation (CV), while the correlation coefficient (r) and typical error of estimate (TEE) were reported for the validity study. Squat jump height was the most reliable measure (CV = 8.64%), while leg stiffness during sub-maximal hopping, and reactive strength index produced moderate reliability (CV = 10.17–13.93% and 13.98% respectively). Measures of leg stiffness obtained from contact mat data during sub-maximal hopping were in agreement with the criterion measure (r = 0.92–0.95; TEE = 6.5–7.5%), but not during maximal hopping (r = 0.59; TEE = 41.9%). The contact mat was deemed a valid tool for measuring stretch–shortening cycle ability in sub-maximal but not maximal hopping. Although reliability of performance was generally moderate, the tests offer a replicable assessment method for use with paediatric populations.     

Effects of playing surface on physiological responses and performance variables in a controlled football simulation

Abstract

In spite of the increased acceptance of artificial turf in football, few studies have investigated if matches are altered by the type of surface used and no research has compared physiological responses to football activity on artificial and natural surfaces. In the present study, participants performed a football match simulation on high-quality artificial and natural surfaces. Neither mean heart rate (171 ± 9 beats · min^?1 vs. 171 ± 9 beats · min^?1; P > 0.05) nor blood lactate (4.8 ± 1.6 mM vs. 5.3 ± 1.8 mM; P > 0.05) differed between the artificial and natural surface, respectively. Measures of sprint, jumping and agility performance declined through the match simulation but surface type did not affect the decrease in performance. For example, the fatigue index of repeated sprints did not differ (P > 0.05) between the artificial, (6.9 ± 2.1%) and natural surface (7.4 ± 2.4%). The ability to turn after sprinting was affected by surface type but this difference was dependent on the type of turn. Although there were small differences in the ability to perform certain movements between artificial and natural surfaces, the results suggest that fatigue and physiological responses to football activity do not differ markedly between surface-type using the high-quality pitches of the present study.     

High-intensity interval running is perceived to be more enjoyable than moderate-intensity continuous exercise: Implications for exercise adherence

Abstract

The aim of this study was to objectively quantify ratings of perceived enjoyment using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale following high-intensity interval running versus moderate-intensity continuous running. Eight recreationally active men performed two running protocols consisting of high-intensity interval running (6×3 min at 90% [Vdot]O_2max interspersed with 6×3 min active recovery at 50% [Vdot]O_2max with a 7-min warm-up and cool down at 70% [Vdot]O_2max) or 50 min moderate-intensity continuous running at 70% [Vdot]O_2max. Ratings of perceived enjoyment after exercise were higher (P < 0.05) following interval running compared with continuous running (88 ± 6 vs. 61 ± 12) despite higher (P < 0.05) ratings of perceived exertion (14 ± 1 vs. 13 ± 1). There was no difference (P < 0.05) in average heart rate (88 ± 3 vs. 87 ± 3% maximum heart rate), average [Vdot]O₂ (71 ± 6 vs. 73 ± 4%[Vdot]O_2max), total [Vdot]O₂ (162 ± 16 vs. 166 ± 27 L) or energy expenditure (811 ± 83 vs. 832 ± 136 kcal) between protocols. The greater enjoyment associated with high-intensity interval running may be relevant for improving exercise adherence, since running is a low-cost exercise intervention requiring no exercise equipment and similar relative exercise intensities have previously induced health benefits in patient populations.     

Influence of regression model and initial intensity of an incremental test on the relationship between the lactate threshold estimated by the maximal-deviation method and running performance

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of the regression model and initial intensity during an incremental test on the relationship between the lactate threshold estimated by the maximal-deviation method and performance in elite-standard runners. Twenty-three well-trained runners completed a discontinuous incremental running test on a treadmill. Speed started at 9 km · h^?1 and increased by 1.5 km · h^?1 every 4 min until exhaustion, with a minute of recovery for blood collection. Lactate–speed data were fitted by exponential and polynomial models. The lactate threshold was determined for both models, using all the co-ordinates, excluding the first and excluding the first and second points. The exponential lactate threshold was greater than the polynomial equivalent in any co-ordinate condition (P < 0.001). For both models, the lactate threshold was lower when all co-ordinates were used than when the first and the first and second points were excluded (P < 0.001). 10-km race pace was correlated with both the exponential and polynomial lactate thresholds for all the co-ordinate conditions (r ≥ 0.75, P < 0.001 and r ≥ 0.56, P < 0.05, respectively). The results suggest that the exponential lactate threshold should be used instead of the polynomial equivalent since it is more strongly associated with performance and is independent of the initial intensity of the test.     

The Dynamics of Leisure Motivation: The Effects of Outcome on Leisure Needs

Abstract

Predicated upon the premise that leisure needs are socially determined and therefore dynamic qualities of leisure motivation, this field study investigated the effects of outcome (winning, losing, no outcome) of leisure participation on male and female subjects' leisure needs. Subjects were 438 players of 60 teams in the intramural basketball program comprised of competitive and recreational leagues. Factor analysis produced seven need factors, of which three dealt with interpersonal relationships, two with competence and two with escape or diversion. ANOVAs performed on the resultant factor scores showed that successful and unsuccessful leisure experiences strongly shaped subjects' needs for leisure participation, but these effects were often mediated by the sex of subjects and the competitive levels of leagues in which they played. Generally, winning and losing had just the opposite effects on males' and females' needs; winning increased females' and decreased males' needs. The effects of competitiveness of league types suggested that competitive and recreational leagues serve different psychological functions for males and females because the two leagues are expected to fulfill different leisure needs.     

Is movement variability important for sports biomechanists?

This paper overviews the importance for sports biomechanics of movement variability, which has been studied for some time by cognitive and ecological motor skills specialists but, until quite recently, had somewhat been overlooked by sports biomechanists. The paper considers biomechanics research reporting inter- and intra-individual movement variability in javelin and discus throwing, basketball shooting, and locomotion. The overview does not claim to be comprehensive and we exclude such issues as the theoretical background to movement and coordination variability and their measurement. We overview evidence, both theoretical and empirical, of inter-individual movement variability in seeking to achieve the same task goal, in contrast to the concept of “optimal” movement patterns. Furthermore, even elite athletes cannot reproduce identical movement patterns after many years of training, contradicting the ideas of motor invariance and “representative” trials. We contend that movement variability, far from being solely due to neuromuscular system or measurement “noise” – as sports biomechanists may have previously supposed – is, or could be, functional. Such functionality could allow environmental adaptations, reduce injury risk, and facilitate changes in coordination patterns. We conclude by recommending that sports biomechanists should focus more of their research on movement variability and on important related topics, such as control and coordination of movement, and implications for practice and skill learning.