Ricardo Fernandes

University of Porto | UP · Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D) and Porto Biomechanics Lab (LABIOMEP)

Swimming is a popular sport with several health benefits, but its effects on bone quality are controversial possibly due to distinct effects on different anatomical regions. Our aim was to investigate the effect of 8-month swimming on bone growth, mass, geometry, trabecular microarchitecture and osteocyte density of the lumbar vertebrae, femur and...

We have examined the impact of CrossFit® workout sessions on physical fitness, comparing the obtained outcomes with the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition, we provide suggestions to improve training monitoring, as well as practical applications for researchers, coaches and practitioners. CrossFit® imposes high c...

This study aimed to present an updated version of VO2FITTING software, where it is possible to dynamically edit, process, filter and model O2 post-exercise data and to characterize the O2 on/off symmetry along different exercise intensity domains. Validation datasets were developed and applied to four widely used models for describing low, moderate...

(1) Background: Among the myriad of injuries affecting football players, hamstring strains have emerged as a persistent and debilitating concern, underscoring the need for novel approaches to reduce strain rates. The current study aims to analyze the impact of improved running technique on reducing hamstring injuries in football players. (2) Method...

Runners achieve forward locomotion through diverse techniques. However, understanding the behavior of the involved kinematical variables remains incomplete, particularly when running overground and along an intensity spectrum. We aimed to characterize the biomechanical and physiological adaptations while running at low, moderate, heavy and severe i...

Foi objetivo deste estudo comparar, do ponto de vista cinemático, diferentes drills com o nado na técnica de crol. Seis nadadoras com (20,68±0,50 anos, 57,83±10,50 kg de massa corporal, 1,60±0,10 m de altura, e 22,39±2,61 kg/m² de índice de massa corporal) realizaram três repetições de 25 m nas seguintes condições de nado na técnica de crol: i) nor...

An inertial measurement system, using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers, is of great interest to capture tennis movements. We have assessed the key biomechanical moments of the serve phases and events, as well as the kinematic metrics during the serve, to analyze their influence on serve speed. Eighteen male competitive...

Cardoso, F, Costa, MJ, Colaço, P, Vilas-Boas, JP, Pinho, JC, Pyne, DB, and Fernandes, RJ. Ventilatory and perceived ergogenic effects of mandibular forward repositioning during running at maximal oxygen uptake intensity. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Wearing an intraoral dental splint may enhance ventilatory function and exercise perform...

The effects of occlusal splints on sport performance have already been studied, although their biomechanical impacts are often overlooked. We investigated the kinematical changes during running until exhaustion at severe intensity while wearing a mandibular advancement occlusal splint. Twelve trained runners completed (i) an incremental protocol on...

The study by Irandoust et al (2019) reported significant effects on balance stability and on hypercholesterolaemia and obesity after two years of APT in obese individuals. Bocalini et al (2010) studied the effects of 12 weeks of training and 6 weeks of detraining in healthy women, measuring quality of life and fitness tests, and showed a decrease w...

Background/Objectives: Swimming is a popular and cost-effective way to prevent sedentary behavior and improve physical conditioning and health during early adolescence. However, information on its impact and benefits on daily life activities is lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the chronic effects of swimming on physical conditionin...

We aimed to conduct a biophysical comparison of angular (Biorower) and linear (Concept2) rowing ergometers across a wide spectrum of exercise intensities. Sixteen (eleven male) skilled rowers, aged 29.8 ± 8.6 and 23.6 ± 1.5 years, with international competitive experience, performed 7 × 3 min bouts with 30 W increments and 60 s intervals, plus 1 mi...

We investigated the acute biophysical responses of changing the mandibular position during a rowing incremental protocol. A World-class 37-year-old male rower performed two 7 × 3 min ergometer rowing trials, once with no intraoral splint (control) and the other with a mandibular forward repositioning splint (splint condition). Ventilatory, kinemati...

A cross-sectional study was conducted to biomechanically characterize Isabel's workout (30 snatch repetitions with 61 kg fixed weight), focusing on eventual changes in knee, hip and shoulder angles. A three-dimensional markerless motion capture system was used to collect data from 11 highly trained male crossfitters along the Isabel workout perform...

Despite its limitations, 2D kinematical analysis remains a simple and valid alternative for swimming analysis. This analysis is limited by the length of the field of view, and the reconstruction errors are proportional to the calibrated area. A possible solution for these problems is the usage of moving cameras that allow for tracking an object acr...

The speedometer is widely used to evaluate swimming velocity but has some constraints. With the constant development of inertial units (IMUs), it is expected that they will become a good alternative to the speedometer. This study aimed to compare the data retrieved by an IMU and a speedometer when breaststroke is performed at maximum speed. Sixteen...

In deep water, to start the movement and change direction, the participant must balance on a buoyancy support and move the upper limbs in horizontal extension or shoulder abduction. Using electromyography of the upper limb muscles, researchers have studied how resistance increases with the speed of movement, confirming the practical understanding a...

Background The effect of swimming on bone health remains unclear, namely due to discrepant findings between studies in humans and animal models. Objective The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify the available evidence on the effects of swimming on bone mass, geometry and microarchitecture at the lumbar spine, femur and t...

Purpose: To compare the kinematic profile of 2 underwater pullout breaststroke techniques. Methods: Sixteen swimmers (9 men, 20.67 [2.71] y old; 7 women, 18.86 [0.83] y old) performed 3 × 25-m breaststroke using 2 pullout breaststroke techniques: Fly-Kick first and Combined. A speedometer was used to assess the peak and the mean velocity during...

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) models with Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values allows multidimensional representation of movement performance interpreted on both global and local levels in terms understandable to human intuition. We aimed to evaluate the swimming performance (World Aquatics points) predictability of a combination...

In this study, we quantified relevant biophysical characteristics of two elite rowers across a wide range of intensities. Two <40-year-old male and female Olympic and World Championship finalists performed a 7 × 3 min protocol plus 1 min maximal effort on a rowing ergometer. The intensity increase resulted in maximum values of 79.4 ± 2.4 and 69.7 ±...

Purpose: Neural and peripheral effects of induced muscle pain on explosive force production were investigated. Methods: Nine participants performed two maximal, six explosive, and six electrical stimulations induced (twitches and octets) isometric knee extensions before and after (15 min of rest) receiving an intramuscular injection of hypertonic s...

Since swimming performance depends on both physical conditioning and technical proficiency, training zones should be built based on physiology and biomechanics inputs to dispose of structured and effective training programs. This paper presents a zone-based swimming training, supported by the oxygen uptake (V˙O2) kinetics at low, moderate, heavy, s...

Rowing performance depends on the type and size of the rowing blade used. The blade ability to transfer the force between the rower and the water is decisive to increase the boat velocity during a rowing race. The rate of force development represents the muscle capacity to, powerfully, generate force, which is a relevant index neuromuscular functio...

Investigations of upper limb muscle activation during reach tasks available in the literature are not for rotator cuff injury. Yet, the small body of literature on upper limb muscle activation during these tasks does not include any systematic study on the influence of each shoulder test. Tests such as Belly press, Drop arm, Empty can, Full Can and...

Objectives We aimed to assess the available evidence on the biophysics of the tennis serve, mapping the populations, interventions, contexts and other relevant information to highlight what is already known and to identify gaps in the literature. Design Systematic scoping review with evidence gap map. Methods The protocol was designed according t...

Rowing performance depends on the design and building materials used for competition. Recently, attempting to improve rowing performance, the Randall foil has been attached to the top edge of a rowing Big blade, making it spoon shaped. The current study aimed to analyse the differences between Big blades with and without Randall foils in force-rela...

Introdução: A fisioterapia aquática (FA) parece ser uma forma eficaz de desenvolver força, equilíbrio, mobilidade, assim como promover o alívio da dor em indivíduos com diversas condições de saúde (Soto-Varela A, et al., 2016). A FA baseia-se na realização de movimentos e tarefas em meio aquático, nem sempre passíveis de realização em meio terrestr...

Our purpose was to characterize the oxygen uptake kinetics (VO2), energy systems contributions and total energy expenditure during a CrossFit® benchmark workout performed in the extreme intensity domain. Fourteen highly trained male CrossFitters, aged 28.3 ± 5.4 years, with height 177.8 ± 9.4 cm, body mass 87.9 ± 10.5 kg and 5.6 ± 1.8 years of trai...

Purpose: Fran is one of the most popular CrossFit benchmark workouts used to control CrossFitters’ improvements. Detailed physiological characterization of Fran is needed for a more specific evaluation of CrossFitters’ training performance improvements.The aim of the study was to analyze the oxygen uptake (V˙O2) kinetics and characterize the energy...

Considering the conflicting evidence regarding the potential long-term detrimental effect of swimming during growth on femur quality and fracture risk, our aim was to investigate the effect of eight months of swimming on femur quality. Twenty male eight-week-old Wistar rats were assigned into a swimming (SW; n = 10; 2 h/day, 5 days/week) or active...

INTRODUCTION: The complexity of open water swimming performance, particularly from an anthropometric, physical performance, propulsive swimming force and bioenergetics point of view, can be fully appreciated when considering and determining the correlation between these features. In the current study, we examined the relationships between the above...

INTRODUCTION The performance of open-water swimmers (OWS) is influenced by a complex process encompassing multiple factorial phenomenon, with recent research stating that anthropometric, bioenergetics, biomechanics, and propelling efficiency all play an important role in OWS performance (Vanheest et al., 2004; Baldassarre et al., 2017). Beside, evi...

Background: Firefighting is a strenuous occupation that requires firefighters to be in excellent physical condition. However, some of these professionals are not sufficiently physically fit for duty, negatively impacting their performance. Objective: To cardiopulmonary characterize Portuguese firefighters at different exercise intensities to clarif...

Physical fatigue is not only a tiredness condition but can also be a symptom of various diseases or a precursor of workplace accidents and incidents. High-risk professions like firefighters and military personnel are more frequently exposed to it and its consequences. To contribute to current research efforts towards physical fatigue quantification...

Esta obra, enquadrada na Coleção APTN, é um contributo para o conhecimento geral da natação, compondo-se de treze capítulos especializados, criados por 39 autores de referência, a maioria ligado a instituições de ensino superior de Portugal, Espanha e Brasil. Editada pelos professores Ricardo J. Fernandes, Mário J. Costa e Aldo Matos da Costa, dete...

TO OUR READERS: An error appeared in the following article: Zacca R, de Souza Castro FA, Mottini Monteiro AS, Pyne DB, Vilas-Boas JP, Pinto Fernandes RJ. Swimming with the COSMED AquaTrainer and K5 wearable metabolic system in breath-by-breath mode: accuracy, precision, and repeatability. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2023;18(10):1152–1160. https:/...

The use of massage guns has become increasingly popular in recent years. Although their use is more and more common, both in a clinical and sports context, there is still little information to guide the practitioners. This systematic review aimed to determine the effects of massage guns in healthy and unhealthy populations as pre- and post-activity...

The analysis of the external forces of swimming starts has revealed how swimmers propel themselves out of the block, but data should be properly interpreted to fully understand force-generation mechanisms. This study aimed to assess horizontal and vertical forces in the backstroke start based on swimmers’ structural and propulsive actions. Firstly,...

Citation: Silva, G.; Goethel, M.; Machado, L.; Sousa, F.; Costa, M.J.; Magalhães, P.; Silva, C.; Midão, M.; Leite, A.; Couto, S.; et al. Acute Recovery after a Fatigue Protocol Using a Recovery Sports Legging: An Experimental Study. Sensors 2023, 23, 7634. https://doi.org/10.3390/ s23177634 Academic Editors: Abstract: Enhancing recovery is a fundam...

The aim of the present study was two-fold: (i) to analyze the progression and variability of swimming performance (from entry times to best performances) in the 50, 100, and 200 m at the most recent FINA World Championships and (ii) to compare the performance of the Top16, semifinalists, and finalists between all rounds. Swimmers who qualified with...

The aim of the present study was two-fold: (i) to analyze the progression and variability of swimming performance (from entry times to best performances) in the 50, 100, and 200 m at the most recent FINA World Championships and (ii) to compare the performance of the Top16, semifinalists, and finalists between all rounds. Swimmers who qualified with...

Swimming performance is likely influenced by strength, but differences between butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and front crawl, as well as between novice and expert swimmers, are unclear. We have examined the associations between sprint performances, upper and lower limb strength, and anthropometric characteristics in 14 (six males and eight fe...

Low back pain is one of the main causes of motor disabilities and psychological stress, with the painful process encompassing sensory and affective components. Noxious stimuli originate on the periphery; however, the stimuli are recombined in the brain and therefore processed differently due to the emotional environment. To better understand this p...

Introduction: Since sex-specific accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD) during high-intensity swimming remains unstudied, this study aimed to assess AOD during 50, 100, and 200 m front-crawl performances to compare the responses between sexes and analyse the effect of lean body mass (LBM). Methods Twenty swimmers (16.2±2.8 years, 61.6±7.8 kg, and 48.8±11...

Introduction Since sex-specific accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD) during high-intensity swimming remains unstudied, this study aimed to assess AOD during 50, 100, and 200 m front-crawl performances to compare the responses between sexes and analyse the effect of lean body mass (LBM). Methods Twenty swimmers (16.2±2.8 years, 61.6±7.8 kg, and 48.8±11....

Oral health involves physiological functions related to mouth, teeth and orofacial structures, but also includes psychological and social dimensions. In this sense, oral health is an integrated part of human general health and well-being. Our aim was to access and evaluate the general oral health status of a high- and elite-level sample of Portugue...

The present study aimed to analyse the associations between force production and 100 m front crawl inter-lap pacing and kinematics. Eleven elite male swimmers performed a 100 m front crawl maximal effort to collect 50 m lap time (T50, s) and velocity (v, m·s-1) for pacing, stroke rate (SR), stroke length (SL) and stroke index (SI) as kinematic vari...

Physical fatigue reduces productivity and quality of work while increasing the risk of injuries and accidents among safety-sensitive professionals. To prevent its adverse effects, researchers are developing automated assessment methods that, despite being highly accurate, require a comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanisms and variables’...

Aim: To quantify the physiological demands and impact of muscle function of the Fran workout, one of the most popular CrossFit benchmarks. Methods: Twenty experienced CrossFitters-16 male: 29 (6) years old and 4 female: 26 (5) years old- performed 3 rounds (with 30-s rests in between) of 21-21, 15-15, and 9-9 front squats to overhead press plus...

Purpose: To compare ventilatory and cardiorespiratory responses between the COSMED AquaTrainer coupled with the K4b2 and K5 wearable metabolic systems in breath-by-breath mode over a wide range of swimming speeds. Methods: Seventeen well-trained master swimmers performed 2 front-crawl 7 × 200-m incremental intermittent protocols (increments of 0...

We characterized the physical and physiological profiles of high-level female Portuguese handball players and examined the relationships between their anthropometric characteristics, general motor performance and cardiopulmonary fitness. Twenty-four high-level female handball players with an average age of 23.6 ± 5.5 years, height of 173.6 ± 5.1 cm...

Epidemiological reports on physical inactivity (Guthold et al., 2020) and drowning accidents (WHO, 2014) show that the 6-12-year-old population are not protected to take advantage of the aquatic environment as an opportunity to practice in the water environment while they are lifelong activities (Chase et al., 2008). To carry this dual aquatic safe...

Objectives: Swimming intra-cycle velocity fluctuation has often been assessed using the coefficient of variation, which requires a mathematical assumption of a positive linear relationship between the velocity mean and standard deviation. As this assumption has never been tested, the current study aimed to investigate the within-participant relati...

Background Physical exercise is a source of stress to the human body, triggering different ventilatory responses through different regulatory mechanisms and the aquatic environment imposes several restrictions to the swimmer, particularly regarding the restricted ventilation. Thus, we aimed to assess the acute ventilatory responses and to character...

Background Physical exercise is essential to improve quality of life, with muscle recovery after exercise being crucial since it reduces the delayed sensation of muscle discomfort and fatigue. The present study aims to identify the methods used by physiotherapists to recover sports practitioners after physical exercise and presents a non-experiment...

Intracycle velocity variation is a swimming relevant research topic, focusing on understanding the interaction between hydrodynamic propulsive and drag forces. We have performed a systematic scoping review to map the main concepts, sources and types of evidence accomplished. Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases...

Background Physical exercise is essential to improve quality of life, with muscle recovery after exercise being crucial since it reduces the delayed sensation of muscle discomfort and fatigue. The present study aims to identify the methods used by physiotherapists to recover sports practitioners after physical exercise and presents a non-experiment...

While there are positive benefits from physical activity participation for individuals with Down syndrome, little is known about the effects of swimming training. The aim of this study was to compare the body composition and physical fitness profile of competitive swimmers and moderately active (untrained) individuals with Down syndrome. The Eurofi...

Background: Hamstrings injuries are common in sports and the reinjury risk is high. Despite the extensive literature on hamstrings injuries, the effectiveness of the different conservative (i.e., non-surgical) interventions (i.e., modalities and doses) for the rehabilitation of athletes with acute hamstrings injuries is unclear. Objective: We aime...

Physical fatigue is a serious threat to the health and safety of firefighters. Its effects include decreased cognitive abilities and a heightened risk of accidents. Subjective scales and, recently, on-body sensors have been used to monitor physical fatigue among firefighters and safety-sensitive professionals. Considering the capabilities (e.g., no...