The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the foam rolling technique and static stretching on perceptual and neuromuscular parameters following a bout of high-intensity functional training (HIFT), which consisted of 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 air squats (Angie benchmark) in recreationally trained men (n = 39). Following baseline measurements (Feeling Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, Total Quality Recovery, Sit-and-Reach, Countermovement Jump, and Change-of-Direction t-test), the volunteers performed a single bout of HIFT. At the end of the session, participants were randomly assigned to one of three distinct groups: control (CONT), foam rolling (FR), or static stretching (SS). At the 24 h time-point, a second experimental session was conducted to obtain the post-test values. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Regarding power performance, none of the three groups reached pretest levels at 24 h point of the intervention. However, the CONT group still showed a greater magnitude of effect at the 24 h time-point (ES = 0.51, p ≥ 0.05). Flexibility presented the same recovery pattern as power performance (post × 24 h CONT = ES = 0.28, FR = ES = 0.21, SS = ES = 0.19). At 24 h, all groups presented an impaired performance in the COD t-test (CONT = ES = 0.24, FR = ES = 0.65, SS = ES = 0.56 p ≥ 0.05). The FR protocol resulted in superior recovery perceptions (pre × 24 h TQR = ES = 0.32 p ≥ 0.05). The results of the present study indicate that the use of FR and SS exercises may not be indicated when aiming to restore neuromuscular performance following a single bout of HIFT. The use of the FR technique during the cooldown phase of a HIFT session may be helpful in improving an individual’s perception of recovery.

The literature recommends the practice of physical activity (PA), regardless of the domain. However, most studies ignore intersectional relations of oppression. The objective of the present study is to verify the associations between social determinants and distinct domains of physical activity (leisure-time, occupational, commuting, and domestic), especially from the perspective of the jeopardy index, which translates the intersectional relations of oppression in Vigitel´s research between the years of 2016 and 2020. From the data collected, the jeopardy index was calculated. It was possible to observe that the practice of PA during leisure time is more pronounced among groups with less social oppression. On the other hand, the most oppressed groups showed greater involvement in the domains of occupational, commuting and domestic PA. It is concluded, therefore, that the notion that any PA is better than being inactive should be reviewed.

Objectives: To compare the acute effects of upper cervical manipulation (CM) and manual massage (MM) to simulated CM (Sham) and Control conditions (Control) on heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) responses in women with non-elevated BP. Methods: A single-blind, four-arm, parallel-group, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial recruited 15 apparently healthy women with non-elevated BP who visited the lab on four occasions with 48 h intervals to ensure adequate washout between interventions. A Latin square randomization approach was employed to assign participants to one of four experimental conditions: (1) Control: Rest without intervention; (2) CM: Bilateral high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation of the upper cervical spine (C0–C2); (3) MM: A single 120 s session of MM release applied unilaterally to the anterior and posterior thigh, posterior lower leg, and lumbar musculature; or (4) Sham: Mimicking the positioning used in CM without the application of thrust manipulation. In each experiment, HRV, systolic and diastolic BP were measured at rest (Baseline) and every 15 min for 60 min after each intervention. All procedures were performed in the morning to avoid any confounding circadian rhythm effect on HRV and BP. Results: We found significant increases within conditions for RMSSDms (Control: Post-0 (p = 0.032), Post-15 (p = 0.023); Sham: Post-15 (p = 0.014); CM: Post-15 (p = 0.027)); SDNNms (Control: Post-45 (p = 0.037); CM: Post-45 (p = 0.014) and Post-60 (p = 0.019)); PNN50% (CM: Post-0 (p = 0.044), Post-15 (p = 0.044) and Post-45 (p = 0.019)); LF Power (ms2) (CM: Post-60 (p = 0.001)), and LF/HF ratio (MM: Post-60 (p = 0.022). Conclusions: Although no statistically significant between-condition differences were detected, within-condition changes with moderate-to-large effect sizes suggest potential clinical relevance of CM and MM. These preliminary findings emphasize the importance of effect sizes and may indicate greater translational significance in populations with non-elevated cardiovascular risk.

The purpose of present study was to compare lower limb power, linear speed, and change of direction performance in non-resistance trained soccer athletes across three distinct age categories (U15, U17, and U20). Seventy-six male soccer athletes of the same professional club participated in this study [U15 (n=25), U17 (n=20) e U20 (n=31)]. All participants were familiar with the assessments and completed all tests in a single session. Tests were performed at the end of the pre-season in the following sequence: a) squat jump (SJ); b) countermovement vertical jump (CMJ); c) linear sprint test (20-m); and d) change of direction test (COD-test). U20 athletes presented better perfomance than the under-15 and under-17 athletes in the sprint and CMJ (p < 0.001). The U20 athletes performed better than under-17 in COD-test and SJ (p < 0.001). The U17 athletes performed better than under-20 athletes in the COD deficit (p < 0.001). The U17 athletes performed better than under-15 athletes in the COD-test (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the U15 and U17 athletes in sprint, COD deficit, CMJ, and SJ (p > 0.05). No differences were observed between the U20 and U15 athletes in COD deficit and SJ (p > 0.05). These results suggest that older non-resistance trained athletes, with greater chronological maturation, and close to the transitional period to the professional level, presented better performance versus the younger age categories. Keywords: Power output; Sprint; Change of direction