Julien Louis

Liverpool John Moores University | LJMU · Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences (RISES)

Purpose: Repeated sessions of eccentric-biased exercise promote strength gains through neuromuscular adaptation. However, it remains unclear whether increasing the number of these sessions can mitigate the extent of neuromuscular fatigue and exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in response to a standardised eccentric-biased exercise bout. Method...

Background Overreaching is often linked to a deterioration in sleep quality, yet a comprehensive review is lacking. The aim of this systemic review and meta-analysis was to synthesise the literature and quantify the effect of overreaching from endurance-based training on sleep quality. Method The review was conducted following the PRISMA guideline...

Inducing a heat-acclimated phenotype via repeated heat stress improves exercise capacity and reduces athletes̓ risk of hyperthermia and heat illness. Given the increased number of international sporting events hosted in countries with warmer climates, heat acclimation strategies are increasingly popular among endurance athletes to optimize performa...

Protein fractional turnover rates (FTR) represent measurements of flux through a protein pool, i.e. net abundance (ABD) of the protein. If protein abundance is not measured or is different between experimental conditions the interpretation of FTR data may be confounded. This project investigates the consequences of reporting turnover rates of human...

Over the two last decades, whole-body cryotherapy/cryostimulation (WBC) has emerged as an exciting non-pharmacological treatment influencing inflammatory events at a cellular and physiological level, which can result in improved sleep quality, faster neuromuscular recovery after high-intensity exercise, and chronic pain relief for patients sufferin...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of partial-body cryostimulation (PBC) on microvascular responsiveness and muscular metabolic O2 consumption rate (m V˙ O2). Twenty healthy young adults (ten males and ten females) underwent post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) test at the flexor digitorum superficialis area before and after a 3-min PB...

Purpose Carbohydrate (CHO) intake periodization via the sleep low train low (SL‐TL) diet–exercise model increases fat oxidation during exercise and may enhance endurance‐training adaptation and performance. Conversely, training under environmental heat stress increases CHO oxidation, but the potential of combined SL‐TL and heat stress to enhance me...

It is unclear if human tendon adapts to moderate-intensity, high-volume chronic eccentric exercise, e.g. downhill running (DR) training. This study aimed to investigate the time course of patellar tendon (PT) adaptation to short-term DR training, and to determine if changes in PT properties were related to changes in mechanical stress and/or loadin...

Over the two last decades, whole-body cryotherapy/cryostimulation (WBC) has emerged as an exciting non-pharmacological treatment in uencing in ammatory events at a cellular and physiological level, which can result in improved sleep quality, faster neuromuscular recovery after high-intensity exercise, and chronic pain relief for patients suffering...

Using untargeted metabolomics, we aimed to characterise the systemic impact of environmental heat stress during exercise. Twenty‐three trained male triathletes (V̇O2peak${\dot V_{{{\rm{O}}_2}{\rm{peak}}}}$ = 64.8 ± 9.2 ml kg min⁻¹) completed a 30‐min exercise test in hot (35°C) and temperate (21°C) conditions. Venous blood samples were collected im...

Purpose The aim of this case report was to describe the sleep responses in a male combat sport athlete, who was engaging in both chronic (CWL) and acute (AWL) weight loss practices in order to reduce body mass for a national competition. Methods During the first seven weeks of training (Phases 1 and 2), the athlete adhered to a daily energy intake...

High performance sport is continuing to push the barriers of elite athletes’ physiological and biomechanical adaptation in an effort to gain an edge in highly competitive sporting environments, where the winning margins can be extremely thin. Methods for individualizing and optimizing the load-adaptation relationship to different training intervent...

The physiological effects of low energy availability (EA) have been studied using a homogenous daily EA pattern in laboratory settings. However, whether this daily EA pattern represents those of free-living athletes and is therefore ecologically valid is unknown. To investigate this, we assessed daily exercise energy expenditure, energy intake and...

Environmental heat stress poses a serious threat to endurance exercise capacity reducing workload and increasing physiological strain. Environmental heat stress during endurance exercise induces greater carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation and is characterised by increased respiratory exchange ratio, relative hyperglycaemia and accelerated muscle glycogeno...

Purpose Due to its eccentric nature, downhill running (DR) training has been suggested to promote strength gains through neuromuscular adaptations. However, it is unknown whether short-term chronic DR can elicit such adaptations. Methods Twelve untrained, young, healthy adults (5 women, 7 men) took part in 4 weeks’ DR, comprising 10 sessions, with...

Background “Sleep Low-Train Low” is a training-nutrition strategy intended to purposefully reduce muscle glycogen availability around specific exercise sessions, potentially amplifying the training stimulus via augmented cell signalling. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 3-week home-based “sleep low-train low” programme and i...

Background Thanks to the specific materials they embed, far infrared (FIR)-emitting garments can interact with the body’s physiological functions. Such effects have been sought in medicine and physiotherapy for a long time for the treatment/relief of a variety of pathologies and disabling conditions. Recently, FIR-emitting garments have been introd...

Key points Muscle glycogen and intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG, stored in lipid droplets) are important energy substrates during prolonged exercise. Exercise‐induced changes in lipid droplet (LD) morphology (i.e. LD size and number) have not yet been studied under nutritional conditions typically adopted by elite endurance athletes, that is, afte...

We assessed the effects of a 3-min partial-body cryostimulation (PBC) exposure-where the whole body is exposed to extreme cold, except the head-on cognitive inhibition performance and the possible implications of parasympathetic cardiac control and cerebral oxygenation. In a randomized controlled counterbalanced cross-over design, eighteen healthy...

The study aimed to determine the effects of self-regulated and variable intensities sustained during short-term heat acclimation training on cycling performance. Seventeen competitive-level male athletes performed a 20-km cycling time trial before (TT-PRE), immediately after (TT-POST1) and one week after (TT-POST2) a 5-day acclimation training prog...

Purpose: (1) To compare the sleep of female players from a professional soccer team to nonathlete controls across an in-season week and (2) to compare the sleep of core and fringe players from the same team on the night after a match to training nights. Methods: Using an observational design, 18 professional female soccer players and 18 female n...

Are you looking for a training buddy to prepare for your next marathon race? Have you ever considered that your father could be the right person? Would not it be great to cross the finish line side by side and get on the podium together? You probably think that your father is not young enough for such an effort, do not you? We believe that your fat...

Downhill running (DR) is a whole-body exercise model that is used to investigate the physiological consequences of eccentric muscle actions and/or exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). In a sporting context, DR sections can be part of running disciplines (of-road and road running) and can accentuate EIMD, leading to a reduction in performance. The...

***For a copy of this full text please send a private message on research gate to Tom King.*** _____________________________________________________________________________________ Hip extension is a joint action that contributes to athletic movement during performance in various sports. Within the sport of professional soccer, high intensity effor...

Punching in boxing requires a combination of force and velocity of the acting arm, originating from an optimal synchronization of the different body segments. However, it is not well understood what kinematic parameters of the punching execution influence boxing performance the most. This study aimed to investigate the differences in punching execu...

Introduction: “Train-low” is a method of carbohydrate (CHO) periodisation intended to reduce muscle glycogen availability during low-intensity (LIT) exercise whilst maintaining adequate CHO for high-intensity exercise, enhancing metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle. CHO periodisation combined with heat acclimation could provide a novel interven...

Football is a global game which is constantly evolving, showing substantial increases in physical and technical demands. Nutrition plays a valuable integrated role in optimising performance of elite players during training and match-play, and maintaining their overall health throughout the season. An evidence-based approach to nutrition emphasising...

PurposeA predominance of parasympathetic drive is observed following cold exposure. Such modulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is associated with faster post-exercise recovery. Within this context, whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) has been spreading in sport medicine, though the optimal temperature and frequency are unclear. The aim of this...

New findings: What is the central question of this study? What is the absolute level of pre-exercise glycogen concentration required to augment the exercise-induced signalling response regulating mitochondrial biogenesis? What is the main finding and its importance? Commencing high-intensity endurance exercise with reduced pre-exercise muscle glyc...

In boxing, an efficient punch requires a combination of force, velocity and stability of the athlete. Being able to monitor these parameters has the potential to better inform training practices required to reach high performance. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the differences in punching execution between two groups of elite boxer...

Dehydration during exercise originates from the need of the body to maintain its temperature close to the normal value of 37°C via thermoregulatory mechanisms involving sweat loss. In football, sweat and electrolyte losses can have a negative impact on performance, but the relation between training load, environmental condition and hydration status...

TO THE EDITOR: Over the last three decades, the improvement in the marathon world record (WR) has been ~4–5% for elite runners (1). During the same time period, marathon performances of the best master runners have improved at a much greater rate, especially for the older age groups (� 60 yr old) (2, 3). When changes in marathon world record perfo...

In their Viewpoint, Joyner et al. (2) proposed that a convergence of factors (physiology, training, technology, and logistics) may explain the recent swift improvement in marathon times. While we agree on the importance of these factors and we acknowledge previous research in elite marathon runners, we believe that masters athletes can add to the d...

This study aimed to develop a method for measuring the abundance and synthesis rate of human muscle proteins in molar rather than fractional (%/d) terms. Losses in proteostasis are implicated in ageing and chronic diseases but research is hindered by a lack of methods for studying protein dynamics in humans. Protein‐specific fractional synthesis ra...

Purpose To investigate the effect of early evening exercise training at different intensities on nocturnal sleep and cardiac autonomic activity in endurance-trained runners. Methods Eight runners completed three experimental trials in a randomised, counterbalanced order. In the early evening (end of exercise 3.5 h before bedtime), participants per...

Retraining and resuming competition following surgery is challenging for athletes due to the prolonged period of reduced physical activity and subsequent alteration in body composition and physical performance. This is even more challenging for master athletes who endure the additional effect of aging. Within this context, the purpose of this study...

The aim of this study was to examine the physiological profiles and the pacing strategies of the father (59 years old) and son (34 years old) who broke the World record time (4:59:22; father : 2:27:52, son : 2:31:30) for combined father and son marathon in 2019. Oxygen uptake (VO 2 ), heart rate (HR), ventilation (VE), blood lactate concentration (...

The therapeutic effects of cold have been known for a long time. Hippocrates (460-370 BC) already recommended the use of local cold application through ice and snow to relieve pain. Nowadays, whole body cryotherapy (WBC) utilises the properties of cold in an innovative way to support various purposes both in the sporting and the medial domain. In t...

Reconditioning and return to competition following surgery is challenging for athletes due to the prolonged period of reduced activity and subsequent alterations in body composition and physical capacity. This is even more challenging for master athletes who endure the additional effect of ageing. The purpose of our case study was to present the re...

Les athlètes masters (> 40 ans) représentent de véritables modèles de vieillissement réussi grâce à leur capacité à maintenir un haut niveau de performance sportive durant toute leur vie. L’étude de leurs habitudes de vie et de leurs capacités physiques constitue une ressource inestimable dans l’étude des mécanismes du vieillissement biologique pri...

Purpose: This study assessed the cardiorespiratory capacity and running economy (RE) of a 59-yr-old ex-Olympian athlete who ran a marathon in 2:30:15 in 2019. The athlete retired from running at 32 yr old (best marathon performance: 2:13:59) for a 16-yr period after his participation at the Olympics. Methods: Heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (V˙O2...

DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00496.2019

Master athletes are often considered as exemplars of successful aging thanks to their capacity to maintain a high sports performance during their entire life. A high training capacity, regular participation in sporting competitions and delayed alterations in body composition and physiological capacities have been listed amongst the main factors con...

Key points Reduced carbohydrate (CHO) availability before and after exercise may augment endurance training‐induced adaptations of human skeletal muscle, as mediated via modulation of cell signalling pathways. However, it is not known whether such responses are mediated by CHO restriction, energy restriction or a combination of both. In recovery fr...

Background: Performance in the discus throw requires high forces and torques generated from the shoulder of the throwing arm, making shoulder muscles at risk of overuse injury. Little is known on muscle activation patterns in elite discus throw. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the body kinematics and muscle activation p...

This work presents a novel non-invasive electromagnetic sensor operating at microwave frequencies for real-time monitoring of glycogen in-vitro, developed for forthcoming human trails. Skeletal muscle glycogen stores are a key indicator of athletic performance in activities requiring high levels of energy supply. However, glycogen stores are limite...

Master athletes are genuine examples of successful ageing thanks to their capacity of maintaining a high level of sports performance during their entire life. Within the last decade many studies have focused on the evolution of performance in many sports with ageing, as well as on the training modalities to reach such performance. On the contrary,...

Fatigue modifies the kinematics of various sports-related movements. Basketball induces fatigue, however, the effects of fatigue on the kinematics of shooting have never been studied. This study analysed the effects of fatigue induced by repeated sprints on the kinematics of 3-point shooting (3PS) in young, elite basketball players (U18 level). 3D...

Deliberately training with reduced carbohydrate (CHO) availability to enhance endurance-training-induced metabolic adaptations of skeletal muscle (i.e. the ‘train low, compete high’ paradigm) is a hot topic within sport nutrition. Train-low studies involve periodically training (e.g., 30–50% of training sessions) with reduced CHO availability, wher...

Introduction et contexte Nous assistons actuellement à un vieillissement de la population aussi bien au niveau national, qu’européen et mondial. Au 1er janvier 2018, la population française comptait 67,1 millions d’habitants dont un quart (16,8 millions) est âgé de plus de 60 ans. Cette tranche de la population française ne cesse d’augmenter. Ce so...

Abstract: In order to better inform the effects of dehydration and hydration guidelines, we tested the acute effects of a 2% dehydration protocol on performance and technique of 3-point shooting (3PS) in Elite Basketball players (n=9). The 3PS technique was monitored by using nanotechnology inertial measurement units positioned onto body joints dur...

Short introduction- Basketball play is classically accompanied with a significant loss of body water with a potential negative impact on both physical and cognitive performance 1. Very few studies have examined the impact of dehydration on biomechanical adjustments required to score in basketball, though joints angles, the position of the centre of...

In order to better inform the effects of dehydration and hydration guidelines, we tested the acute effects of a 2% dehydration protocol on performance and technique of 3-point shooting (3PS) in Elite Basketball players (n = 9). The 3PS technique was monitored by using nanotechnology inertial measurement units positioned onto body joints during the...

There is a growing demand for non-invasive point of care devices to monitor metabolites in blood such as lactate. In hospital environments, having such tools would reduce the risk of infection, increase the frequency of measurement and ensure timely intervention only when necessary. In sports situations, such tools will enhance training of athletes...

Goal: This paper reports the use of a novel electromagnetic sensor technique for real-time non-invasive monitoring of blood lactate in human subjects. Methods: The technique was demonstrated on 34 participants who undertook a cycling regime, with rest period before and after, to produce a rising and falling lactate response curve. Sensors attach...

While effects of the two classes of proteins found in milk (i.e. soluble proteins, including whey, and casein) on muscle protein synthesis have been well investigated after a single bout of resistance exercise (RE), the combined effects of these two proteins on the muscle responses to resistance training (RT) have not yet been investigated. Therefo...

Muscle glycogen levels have a profound impact on an athlete’s sporting performance, thus measurement is vital. Carbohydrate manipulation is a fundamental component in an athlete’s lifestyle and is a critical part of elite performance, since it can provide necessary training adaptations. This paper provides a critical review of the current invasive...

In an attempt to better identify and inform the energy requirements of elite soccer players, we quantified the energy expenditure (EE) of players from the English Premier League (n=6) via the doubly labeled water method (DLW) over a 7-day in-season period. Energy intake (EI) was also assessed using food diaries, supported by the remote food photogr...

Overview of the latest updates on the use of Whole-Body Cryoterapy in Medicine and Sport