Early repolarization is almost always the rule in athletes but it is also frequent in sedentary males. Tracings somewhat simulating the Brugada syndrome were observed in only 8% of athletes without a history of syncope or familial sudden death. Significant differences exist between athletes with early repolarization and patients with the Brugada syndrome as regards the amplitude of ST elevation and QRS duration.

Bottoni A, Gianfelici A, Tamburri R, Faina M. Talent selection criteria for olympic distance triathlon. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 293-304, 2011. Talent Selection allows to optimize the resources available for sporting talent in order to design the best strategy to achieve top level sporting results. Because of the unknown aspects of the performance model in Olympic triathlon the TS variables and their relationship with a future performance are far-off from being identified in order to make a talent prospective study possible. Currently most triathlon federations evaluate only the juvenile performance expressed in time trials test on swimming and running. The aim of the present study was to find the most appropriate variables for the Talent Selection in Olympic Triathlon, verifying those widely used by means of a retrospective research about particular juvenile features recognized in top world triathlon athletes. The variables are considered as input variables of a Talent selection model based on Fuzzy Logic that overcome the limits of traditional models based on cut-off selection. The present findings indicate that the exclusive evaluation of juvenile running and swimming performance in order to select triathlon talent is not appropriate. Diagnosis criteria should include several other variables that should also take into account mental ability, speed of abilities development, utilization of endogenous and exogenous resources, load and stress tolerance as several leading countries have done recently.

The difference in [Formula: see text] regression lines between the IIAT and the on-court condition indicates that HR monitoring may not provide accurate data on the aerobic demands of specific on-court badminton tasks. HR monitoring should be preceded by an indirect calorimetry test on court to assess aerobic demands more precisely.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate metabolic and mechanical parameters of Spinning ® and to verify if the intensities remain within the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations. Fifteen participants (8 males: 39.0±2.0 years; 70.0±2.0 kg; 177.0±2.0 cm, 58.0±3.0 ml/kg/min; and 7 females: 33.6±5.5 years; 56.6±4.4 kg; 165.0±4.6 cm; 48.8±5.5 ml/kg/min) performing an interval Spinning ® session had their heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) and power output (W) measured. At the beginning and during the Spinning ® session, a blood sample was taken for lactate measurements. Statistical difference between phases was performed with ANOVA repeated measure design and a Chi-square test to calculate the frequency of distribution of HRs. The energy cost of the activity was 3367±159 kJ/h (804±38 kcal/h). Participants worked on average at 54% W max , 79% VO 2max and 86% HR max . Participants spent 80% of the session above the HR suggested by the instructor. Peak lactate measured was 5.3±0.69 mmol/l. The registered intensity was higher than the guidelines for healthy activities. Therefore Spinning ® should be considered a "very intense" activity and particular attention should be paid to novel or unfit participants because no feedback is provided during the session to control the intensity participants are working at.

In athletes, spectral analysis of HR variability (HRV) has been shown capable to detect the adaptational changes in sympatho‐vagal control attending physical training. So far, studies investigated autonomic nervous system (ANS) changes occurring with endurance training, whereas adaptations to markedly different exercise modes, for example, strength training, have never been investigated. We assessed the changes in cardiac ANS parameters during long‐term training in weight lifters of the Italian team preparing for the European Championship, where athletes competed for obtaining the pass for Olympic Games. We investigated nine athletes. Subject trained 3 sessions/day, 6 days a week. The intensity of strength exercises varied from 70% to 95% 1 RM. Training load (TL) was calculated as: volume (min) × intensity (%1RM).All ANS parameters were significantly and highly correlated on an individual basis to the dose of exercise with a second‐order regression model (r 2 ranged from 0.96 to 0.99; P < 0.001). The low‐frequency (LF) component of HRV and LF/HF ratio showed an initial increase with the progression of TL and then a decrease, resembling a bell‐shaped curve with a minimum at the highest TL. The high‐frequency (HF) component of HRV and R‐R interval showed a reciprocal pattern, with an initial decrease with progression of TL followed by an increase, resembling an U‐shaped curve with a maximum at the highest TL. These adaptations were at the opposite to those previously reported in endurance athletes. These results suggest that in Olympic weight lifters, ANS adaptations to training are dose‐related on individual basis and that ANS adaptations are mainly sport‐specific.