The study of Reaeder et al. (2016) aimed to analyze changes of neuromuscular, physiological and perceptual markers for a routine assessment of fatigue and recovery in high-resistance strength training. Fourteen male and nine female athletes participated in a six-day intensified strength training micro-cycle (STM) designed to purposefully overreach. After each cycle, they were evaluated with tensiomyography. The study revealed that the markers Td and Tc remained unaffected throughout the STM. Moreover, the accuracy of the selected markers for the assessment of fatigue and recovery in relation to 1RMest derived from a contingency table was inadequate. Correlational analyses also revealed no significant relationships between changes in 1RMest and all analyzed markers. In conclusion, mean changes of performance markers and CK, DOMS, PPC and MS may be attributed to an STM-induced fatigue and subsequent recovery. You can find the complete article here.

Rey et al. (2016) from the University of Vigo have recently published an article in which they have analyzed the impact of high and low flexibility levels of hamstring and quadriceps muscles on physical fitness and neuromuscular properties in professional soccer players. 62 male professional soccer players participated in this study, in which several tests including TMG have been performed. The results of the study support the rationale that baseline stiffness is likely to influence athletic performance rather than the flexibility level of soccer players. You can find the complete article here.

The preseason period is very important in terms of the overall preparation of football players to all the efforts, strains and impacts that they will endure during the season. Askling, Karlsson and Thorstensson (2003) have shown that the addition of specific preseason strength training for the hamstrings would be beneficial for elite soccer players, both from the injury prevention and performance enhancement point of view. The effect of a preseason conditioning program on adolescent female football players in relation to its influence on the occurrence and severity of soccer injuries was also studied by Heidt, et.al (2000). They have concluded that preseason training has a significant influence on lowering the incidence of injury. However, in order to get the most out of this period and optimize the performance / prevent injuries on an individual level, adequate diagnostics is needed. In this manner, Witvrouw, Danneels, Asselman, D’Have and Cambier (2003) suggest that a preseason hamstring and quadriceps muscle flexibility testing can identify male soccer players at risk of developing hamstring and quadriceps muscle injuries. Orchard, Marsden, Lord and Garlick (1997), have furthermore shown in their study that preseason isokinetic testing of professional Australian footballers can identify players at risk of developing hamstring muscle strains. Kiesel, Plisky, & Voight (2007) additionally suggest that professional football players with dysfunctional fundamental movement patterns as measured by the Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) are more likely to suffer an injury than those scoring higher on the FMS™. Apart from that, Tensiomyography (TMG) as an established method for the assessment of muscle function provides an athlete’s detailed muscle profile, which is used for training and injury prevention optimization in the preseason period. Consequently, such individual muscle profiles are widely used in elite football clubs.

July is the most suitable month for a TMG preseason muscle assessment. After we had finished the diagnostics in Bayer 04 Leverkusen, we flew to Amsterdam to evaluate the players of Al-Shabab FC. The players’ muscle profiles will be used to individualize and optimize the training routine.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen is trying to get the most out of the preseason period, which is why they have decided to refine their trainings on the basis of TMG diagnostics. Our experts have performed detailed measurements of all players and provided guidelines for training optimization on an individual level.

‪Our experts have performed tensiomyographic‬ measurements of FC Lokomotiv Moscow players during their preparations in Austria. As well as in other cases, these preseason evaluations will be used for training optimization and injury prevention.‬‬‬‬

Giorna FC and Red Bull Brasil strongly believe in the importance of preseason training optimization, which is why they rely on tensiomyographic diagnostics provided by the team staff and local experts.

We have performed several tensiomyographic tests on players of younger selections of different Slovenia national football teams. Tests that are performed annually enable coaches to monitor the development of players and refine their training approaches.

We have hosted an ISOT consensus meeting on the 6th of July at the recent European College of Sport Science congress in Vienna. All the members that were present supported the idea to form the ISOT journal with the name Advances in Skeletal Muscle Function Assessment. The final structure of the journal as attached has been approved by the ISOT Board. All the details will be available in the next few weeks.

Oscar García-García from the University of Vigo, an avid TMG user and founding member of the International Society of Tensiomyography (ISOT) has recently published a new article on a preseason neuromuscular assessment through TMG in the Annals of Sports Medicine and Research. The aim of this study was to determine the baseline neuromuscular TMG parameters of knee extensor and flexor muscles in amateur road cyclists and then calculate percentages for the lateral symmetry and functional symmetry. Twelve Spanish amateur road cyclists, category Elite, were considered (age 18.7 ± 0.7 years, body mass 68.0±8.2 kg, height 180.1±5.4 cm; fat 8.8±2.3%; maximal power output5.6±0.3 w/kg).The cyclists were assessed, with TMG, on the first days of the preseason, after a rest period of 3 weeks, at least 48 hours after performing any physical activity. A paired-samples test (p< .01) was applied, with a muscle being taken as an independent factor. No significant differences were observed between the dominant and non-dominant leg except in maximum radial displacement and contraction velocity of rectus femoris. The lateral symmetry percentages obtained were of about 82% in all muscles and functional symmetry percentages obtained were above 73%. This is due to higher contraction time (between 11.8 and 16.9 ms, p < .01) and lower contraction velocity (between 65.5 y 123.9 mm•s-1p < .01) of a cyclist´s biceps femoris above the knee extensor muscles. The neuromuscular evaluation of the principal muscles of pedaling at the beginning of the training season may set initial values of reference in theoretical absence of fatigue so that it becomes a tool that helps the coach to control and subsequently study the changes that occur due to the training loads and competition that the cyclist receives during different training cycles of the season. Moreover, in case of a muscle tendon injury, it would help to identify the anomalous values produced by the injury and carry out the monitoring of the recovery. You can download the article here.