Time of Day Effects on Repeated Sprint Ability

N. Zarrouk; H. Chtourou; H. Rebai; O. Hammouda; N. Souissi; M. Dogui; F. Hug

doi:10.1055/s-0032-1312626

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2012; 33(12): 975-980
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1312626

Training & Testing

Time of Day Effects on Repeated Sprint Ability

N. Zarrouk

¹Unité de Recherche: Neurophysiologie de la Vigilance, de l’Attention et des Performances; 99/UR/08-23 Service d’Explorations Fonctionnelles du Système Nerveux, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisie

,

H. Chtourou

²Research Laboratory: Sports Performance Optimization; National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

,

H. Rebai

³Unité de Recherche: Adaptations Cardio-circulatoires, Respiratoires, Métaboliques et Hormonales; Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, Tunisie

,

O. Hammouda

²Research Laboratory: Sports Performance Optimization; National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

,

N. Souissi

²Research Laboratory: Sports Performance Optimization; National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

,

M. Dogui

¹Unité de Recherche: Neurophysiologie de la Vigilance, de l’Attention et des Performances; 99/UR/08-23 Service d’Explorations Fonctionnelles du Système Nerveux, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisie

,

F. Hug

⁴Laboratory EA 4334, UFR STAPS, University of Nantes, France

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of time-of-day on muscle power and associated electromyographic (EMG) activity level of 4 thigh muscles during a repeated pedalling sprint exercise. After a familiarization session, 12 male subjects were asked to perform the repeated sprint ability test during 2 experimental sessions (randomized order), which were set up either at 06:00 or 18:00 h. For each sprint, peak power output, percentage of peak power decrement and total work were calculated. EMG activity of vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis and biceps femoris muscles was recorded throughout the test and analyzed for each sprint. Total work and percentage of peak power decrement were higher in the evening than in the morning (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). Likewise, peak power was significantly higher at 18:00 than 06:00 h during the first 3 sprints (p<0.01 for sprint 1 and p<0.05 for sprint 2 and 3). There was no time-of-day effect for EMG activity level. The neuromuscular efficiency decreased significantly over the repeated sprint ability test at the 2 times of testing (p<0.01). Despite diurnal fluctuation in muscular power and neuromuscular fatigue during the repeated sprint ability test, EMG activity of major thigh muscles was not time-of-day dependent.

Key words

diurnal variation - muscle - electromyography - power - neuromuscular fatigue

Full Text

References

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