The implications of relative age grouping in sport are known as the Relative Age Effect (RAE). This study has the twofold purpose of analyzing RAE in Spanish youth national soccer teams and examining the prediction value of being selected for national youth teams to be a professional. The sample was composed of 548 players divided into five groups. A descriptive analysis of distribution and participation, frequencies, mean and standard deviation, crosstabs, Sankey charts, coefficient correlation and Cohen’s effect size criteria and two regression analyses were performed. Results established that the RAE is present in U’17 to U’21 Spanish youth national teams. Talent detection and selection programs are more reliable the closer they are to adulthood, reaching a success rate of almost 100% at the U’21 stage. The selection of players for such programs should be delayed as much as possible, thus, preventing younger players from dropping out and those selected from thinking they have already reached their goal. To this end, they should focus on long-term improvement, not short-term performance. In addition, factors such as the RAE or the maturity level of the athletes should be monitored.

The menstrual cycle can be seen as a potential determinant of performance. This study aims to analyze the influence of the menstrual cycle in women on sports performance, more specifically on the internal and external load of professional women basketball players. The sample consisted of 16 women players and 14 training sessions were recorded. A descriptive analysis of the mean and standard deviation of the variables according to the different phases of the menstrual cycle was performed, as well as an ANCOVA, partial Eta2 effect size criteria, and Bonferroni’s Post Hoc test to identify differences among phases. The results establish that ovulation is the phase in which higher values of external load are recorded and, therefore, the late follicular phase is the time of the cycle where a greater intensity in explosive distance, accelerations and decelerations are recorded. Considering women’s hormonal cycles, understanding their function and the individual characteristics of each athlete is essential since it allows for the development of specific training, the prevention of injuries and therefore positively affects the performance of women players. To this end, individual training profiles should be created in specific contexts, not following general rules. In addition, psychological factors and the specific position of the athletes should be monitored.

The increasing number of competitions in professional basketball has increased the interest in controlling player loads. The Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio is a very common tool for controlling load variation in professional teams. However, there are specific situations in which the ACWR is limited if no historical load values are available. The objective of this intervention was to analyze the workload of a professional basketball team through the ACWR, including a retrospective review of its curve for those scenarios in which it is desired to obtain accurate values of injury risk without players’ previous load values. A ten-player professional men’s team participated in this study. WIMU Pro brand inertial devices were used to quantify player load during training. The variables in this study were objective and subjective external load, acute load and chronic load. The results show the existence of injuries when the load is disproportionately increased and enters very high risk values. The incidence of injury is 20% when the risk values are exceeded. The study corroborates that the Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio is a practical and useful tool to monitor the load and its evolution throughout the mesocycle without further statistical analysis. In addition, it is useful to know when to control the players' loads from an eminently practical point of view, finding non-causal relationships with the appearance of injuries. A retrospective review of the values is recommended if it is desired to refine the injury risk value in those measurements where pre-intervention load rates are not available. El incremento de competiciones en baloncesto profesional ha generado un creciente interés en el control de la carga de los jugadores. El Ratio Agudo: Crónico es una herramienta muy común para controlar la variación de la carga en equipos profesionales. Sin embargo, se dan situaciones específicas en las que el RA:C está limitado si no se dispone de un histórico de los valores de carga. El objetivo de esta intervención fue analizar la carga de un equipo profesional a través del RA:C, incluyendo una revisión retrospectiva de su curva en aquellos escenarios en los que se desea obtener valores precisos de carga sin disponer de un histórico de las cargas de los jugadores. Un equipo profesional de diez jugadores participó en el estudio. Los dispositivos inerciales WIMU Pro fueron utilizados para cuantificar la carga de los jugadores durante el entrenamiento. Las variables de este estudio fueron la carga externa objetiva y subjetiva, la carga aguda y la carga crónica. Los resultados muestran la existencia de lesiones cuando la carga incrementa de manera desproporcional y figuran valores de riesgo de lesión en los jugadores. La incidencia lesional es del 20% cuando se superan los valores de riesgo. El estudio corrobora que el Ratio Agudo: Crónico es una herramienta práctica y útil para monitorizar la carga y su evolución durante el mesociclo sin realizar posteriores análisis estadísticos. Además, es útil para conocer las cargas de manera eminentemente práctica, encontrando asociaciones no causales con la apariencia de lesiones. Se recomienda una revisión retrospectiva de la curva cuando se desea conocer los valores de riesgo lesional y no se dispone de datos de una preintervención. O crescente número de competições no basquetebol profissional tem aumentado o interesse no controlo das cargas dos jogadores. O rácio de carga de trabalho aguda:crónica é uma ferramenta muito comum para controlar a variação de carga nas equipas profissionais. No entanto, existem situações específicas em que o ACWR é limitado se não existirem valores históricos de carga disponíveis. O objetivo desta intervenção foi analisar a carga de trabalho de uma equipa profissional de basquetebol através do ACWR, incluindo uma revisão retrospetiva da sua curva para aqueles cenários em que se pretende obter valores precisos de risco de lesão sem os valores de carga anteriores dos jogadores. Participou neste estudo uma equipa profissional masculina de dez jogadores. Foram utilizados dispositivos inerciais da marca WIMU Pro para quantificar a carga dos jogadores durante o treino. As variáveis deste estudo foram a carga externa objetiva e subjectiva, a carga aguda e a carga crónica. Os resultados mostram a existência de lesões quando a carga é aumentada de forma desproporcionada e entra em valores de risco muito elevados. A incidência de lesões é de 20% quando os valores de risco são ultrapassados. O estudo corrobora que o rácio carga de trabalho aguda:crónica é uma ferramenta prática e útil para monitorizar a carga e a sua evolução ao longo do mesociclo sem uma análise estatística mais aprofundada. Além disso, é útil para saber quando controlar as cargas dos jogadores de um ponto de vista eminentemente prático, encontrando relações não causais com o aparecimento de lesões. Recomenda-se uma revisão retrospetiva dos valores se se pretender aperfeiçoar o valor do risco de lesão nas medições em que não se dispõe de taxas de carga pré-intervenção.

Introducción: El cambio de categoría en baloncesto de U12 a U14 supone una gran dificultad de adaptación para muchos jugadores. La modificación de las variables de juego permitirá una mejor evolución de los jugadores, ayudando a reducir las exigencias y demandas técnicas. Objetivo: analizar la influencia de la modificación de las variables de juego sobre las variables de carga interna y externa a través de diferentes situaciones. Metodología: Ocho jugadores fueron analizados durante 4 situaciones de juego en las que se llevó a cabo la modificación de diferentes variables (espacio, número de canastas, número de jugadores y tiempo). Se realizaron en un espacio de 14 x 15 metros. Cada jugador fue equipado con un dispositivo inercial WimuProTM. Resultados y discusión: Los resultados muestran que la modificación de las variables en las diferentes situaciones de juego provoca cambios en las demandas físicas sobre la carga interna y externa. Conclusión: Cabe resaltar la importancia que tiene añadir una canasta más, aumentando la carga interna y externa, debido a que se produce un mayor movimiento en la pista. Mientras que disminuir el tamaño del campo, el tiempo y reducir el número de jugadores provocará que se recorran mayores distancias.