Dr.Biol., Professor E.Sh. Shayakhmetova¹
Postgraduate E.R. Khakimov²
Postgraduate A.F. Gainullina¹
Associate Professor A.L. Lintvarev^3
1Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla, Ufa
²Ufa Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Ufa
³Bashkir State University, Ufa

Keywords: biological feedback, heart rate control, nervous system working capacity, elite boxers, training and competitive process.

Introduction. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the new non-traditional methods of normalization of psychoemotional and functional status of the human body. Biological feedback (BFB) is among such methods. Its basic concept is that information about individual functional status enables an athlete to learn self-regulation and modification of the regulated physiological function.

As seen from the studies of domestic physiologists and psychophysiologists in elite sports, the athletes’ functional status can be improved using the biocontrol method [1, 2, 5, 6]. At the same time, the practical potential of the biological feedback method is far from being exhausted. In particular, to date, no special studies have been conducted to improve the athletes’ noise immunity. Therefore, we assume that adaptive biocontrol, implemented through external feedback, is a promising trend requiring further development in order to improve noise immunity of elite boxers.

Objective of the study was to provide a psychophysiological substantiation of the BFB technologies and demonstrate their benefits for increasing elite boxers’ noise immunity.

Methods and structure of the study. The subject elite boxers were tested in the competitive periods of 2015-2016 at Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla in cooperation with the Psychophysiology and Experimental Psychology Laboratory, in compliance with the relevant ethical provisions. The subjects (n=68) were split up into Reference (RG) and Experimental Groups (EG) of 34 people each, CMS and MS. At the first stage of the experiment, the level of the functional status of all elite athletes was characterized as "negative" (critical, negative, maximum-permissible). The groups were statistically homogeneous in terms of the athletes’ age, qualifying period, level of skills, gender and sports qualification.

The cardiovascular (CVS) and nervous system functionality data were analyzed using the "Psychophysiologist" hardware and software complex including the "Heart Rate Variability (HRV)" and "Simple Visual-Motor Reaction (SVMR)" tests. The BFB-technologies were implemented by means of the "Reacor-T" hardware and software system (Medicom MTD, Ltd., Taganrog).

Results and discussion. The BFB-technologies were used to improve the cardiovascular and nervous system functionality rates in the EG group. The integrated use of the BFB-technologies aimed to improve the elite boxers’ functional status implied a stagewise implementation.

At the 1st stage, the athletes were familiarized in an intelligible form with the principles of the BFB-technologies.

Depending on the degree of tension and personality characteristics of the athlete, the 1st stage comprised 1 to 5 training sessions. The stage was considered complete when the athlete had mastered the biocontrol technique.

The 2nd stage took 10 to 15 training sessions: mastering, building, forming, and strengthening of the necessary skill to conduct self-control of personal mental state with the help and under control of the BFB devices and simulators.

Each training session consisted of 2 parts: 1st - workout, 2nd - rest.

During the workout, the boxer learnt to correctly control his breathing, HR, muscular sensations necessary for relaxation by receiving the sound and visual signals.

During the rest period, the BFB signals were not given to the athlete: the athlete could relax, switch his attention to other signals. For this purpose, beautiful slides accompanied by pleasant, quiet music were demonstrated to him.

The working time gradually increased from 5 to 10 minutes. The rest time, on the contrary, decreased from 8 to 4 minutes. The total time given for the training session increased to 20 minutes.

The task of the 3rd stage was to make the athlete use the acquired skill of self-control of his body functions without using the BFB tools when needed. For this purpose, we turned the monitor screen from the athlete and held it to ourselves, turned off the audible feedback and controlled the athlete's "blind" application of the built skill.

Table 1 presents the heart rate analysis results in elite boxers with and without using BFB-technologies.

Table 1. The cardiovascular system functionality rates in elite boxers against the background of the BFB-technologies and without them (n=68), %

As seen from Table 1, at the end of the experiment, no "critical" or "negative" functional statuses were detected in the EG subjected to the BFB-technologies.

In terms of zero exposure, we detected a negative functional status in 23.5% of tested boxers (8 athletes), which indicates a significant energy metabolic disturbance and may result from fatigue caused by intense training.

The maximum-permissible functional status was found in 6 EG boxers (17.6%) and in 9 RG boxers (26.5%). The maximum-permissible functional status prevailed in the second group of subjects, which indicates their stressful condition and can be associated with strenuous exercise and expectation of the upcoming boxing bouts.

The permissible functional status of the cardiovascular system (CVS) was detected in 5 EG athletes (14.7%), near-optimal - in 10 EG boxers (29.4%) and in 17 RG athletes (50%). It is known that such a state is very typical and reflects high functional activity of the body of those with increased motor activity.

The EG training process based on the BFB-technologies resulted in the optimal status of the CVS. Such values indicate high-level functional capabilities of the athletes’ body and their psychological readiness for competitions.

Therefore, the data obtained make it possible to conclude: sports activity is costly in terms of depletion of certain body resources. This is evidenced by the "negative" and "maximum-permissible" functional statuses of the CVS. In turn, the CVS functionality rates can serve as reliable indicators of the fatigue state of the athlete. It is known that the level of training and psychoemotional loads in pre-season is quite high [7], and a failure to comply with certain conditions of preservation of the athlete's health (timely diagnostics and prevention of fatigue and over-fatigue, compliance with the regime of rest, vitamin fortification, nutrition, etc.) can ultimately lead to a decrease of the competitive result and long sports career.

The nervous system functionality is an important psychophysiological indicator of the athlete's adaptation to training activities. Assessment of the degree of adaptation, in turn, brings us closer to the solution of the problem of preservation of the elite athletes’ health.

The functional status and degree of fatigue of boxers were estimated using the chrono-reflexometric technique by T.D. Loskutova [3] modified by M.P. Moroz [4]. This method is used to assess the current functional status of the subjects based on the parameters of their visual-motor response to the light stimulus.

Based on the chrono-reflexometric method we analyzed the central nervous system functionality indices in the athletes subject and not subject to the BFB-technologies in their training process (Table 2).

Table 2. The nervous system performance indices in the elite boxers against the background of the BFB-technologies and without them (n=68), %

Normal working capacity, corresponding to the most optimal functional status of the body, was observed in 64.7% of the EG athletes and 29.4% of the RG ones.

We detected a limited working capacity in 5.9% of the EG boxers and 11.8% of the RG ones, which can be described as minor fatigue, requiring increased attention to the athlete's state of health.

The proportion of people with limited working capacity (with signs of fatigue) was lower in the group of boxers who used the BFB-technologies in their training process than in the group of those not using them (26.5% and 58.8%, respectively). This circumstance allows for the conclusion that the mechanism of internal inhibition, formed during individual training, does not cause any significant decrease in the functional capabilities of the body and enables an individual to avoid fatigue for a longer period of time.

The mean values ​​of the latent period of the SVMR in the boxers against the background of the BFB-technologies and without them are of practical importance. The intergroup differences in the mean values ​​amounted to 29.4 ms (t=11.99 at p≤0.001). The values ​​of the latent period of the SVMR in the EG (228.4+6.15 ms) testify to the mobility of the nervous processes, in the RG (257.8+9.64 ms) - to their inactivity.

The mean group SVMR values ​​in the RG indicate the initial stage of fatigue, characterized by weakening of the perceptual processes, psychomotor support of activity, increasing number of errors and test execution time.

Conclusion. The analysis of changes in the psychophysiological and physiological indices of the elite boxers in the training process pre-season against the background of the BFB-technologies revealed the following:

• the cardiovascular system functionality rates change statistically significantly (p=0.001) against the background of the BFB-technologies. The "optimal", "near-optimal", and "permissible" levels were registered in 82.4% of the EG boxes and 50% of the RG ones. Consequently, The BFB-technologies help train the cardiovascular system and develop endurance;
• the nervous system functionality rates also change statistically significantly against the background of the BFB-technologies. The "normal" and "insignificantly reduced" levels were registered in 70.6% of the EG athletes and 41.2% of the RG ones.

References                  

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Corresponding author: Shaga.elv@yandex.ru

Abstract

The study was designed to obtain and analyse cardiovascular and nervous system functionality data of elite boxers by means of the modern biological feedback technologies. The subject boxers were tested in the competitive periods of 2015-16 at Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla in cooperation with the Psychophysiology and Experimental Psychology Laboratory. Subject to the study were elite boxers (n=68) split up into Experimental (EG) and Reference Groups (RG) of 34 people each. The EG training process included a psychophysiology conditioning component based on the relevant biological feedback (BFB) technologies using the ‘Reacor-T’ System. The study data and analyses demonstrated benefits of the BFB technologies as verified by clear improvements in the cardiovascular and nervous system functionality rates.