Catecholamine Excretion and Heart Rate as Factors of Psychophysical Stress in Table Tennis

Abstract

Table tennis, like tennis, squash and badminton, is a racket sport. All these sports have in common a rapid succession of mostly short-term maximal or submaximal efforts and short recovery phases. The goal of this paper is to investigate the psychophysical stress in table tennis by means of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. The catecholamines were determined from urine samples. 16 Austrian top-level table tennis players were examined. There were 8 female and 8 male players in this group. The catecholamine excretion at rest (R), training (TR), practice competition (PC), competition (C) and treadmill ergometry (TE) are indicated in ng/min of collecting time. When the group is divided according to sex, we find marked differences in the catecholamine release. While the epinephrine excretion during and after training and practice competition is basically the same, it is lower during and after treadmill ergometry and higher after competition. The same result was found with respect to norepinephrine excretion. The ratio between norepinephrine and epinephrine was 4:1 at rest and during and after treadmill ergometry, 6:1 during and after training, 5:1 during and after the practice competition and 2:1 during and after the competition. The investigation showed that a table tennis competition puts high stress on the player. The mental component should therefore receive much more importance in order to keep the stress low.

The impact of urinary stress incontinence in young and middle-age women practising recreational sports activity: an epidemiological study

“…In 1994, Nygaard et al 12 carried out a study on 156 university students and found that 28% of them complained of urinary leakage during their sports activity. It has also been postulated that the higher level of catecholamines during competitive activities in athletes could stimulate urethral α-receptors, contributing to a higher incidence of urinary leakage in this population 21 22. Moreover, because of sudden intra-abdominal pressure increases in these subjects, it has been reported that pelvic floor muscles need to be much stronger in elite athletes than in controls 23…”

Changes in blood lactate and respiratory gas exchange measures in sports with discontinuous load profiles

“…However, if motor performances consume highenergy phosphates (ATP, CrP), then the ATP is predominately resynthesized by oxidation without conversion of pyruvate to LA (Essen 1978). Portable RGEM systems allow continuous monitoring of V · O 2 and (in contrast to HR measures) are less influenced by psychological and mental conditions (Baron et al 1992).…”

Physiological responses in tennis and running with similar oxygen uptake

“…Because many previous studies were performed using cycle ergometry, it is not entirely valid to extrapolate such ®ndings to multiple sprint sports such as tennis or soccer. In addition, certain physiological eects related to higher mental stress in sports such as tennis (prompted by factors such as the scoring system and stronger cognitive, technical and tactical demands) should be taken into account (Baron et al 1992;Weber et al 1996). For example, Richter et al (1982) reported a close correlation between psychological strain and catecholamine release, with a subsequent acceleration of glycogenolysis and lipolysis.…”