Author(s)

Moulongo Jean Georges André^1,2, Massamba Alphonse¹, Pela Lola Christophe³, Mantari Jean Didier¹, Packa Tchissambou Bernard¹

¹Laboratory for Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics, Higher Institute of Physical Education and Sports (ISEPS), Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Congo.
²Division of Research, Documentation and the Files, National Institute of Youth and Sports, Brazzaville, Congo.
³Laboratory for Health and Rehabilitation, National Teaching University, Kinshasa, Congo.

The aim was to assess effects of the rainy ambiance on body weight, haemodynamic and thermoregulatory parameters in Congolese football players during a competition season. Thirty two football players of first division participated in this survey. The mean age was 22.0 ± 1.7 years. They have been divided in 2 teams: team 1 (n = 16) and team 2 (n = 16). The level of practice was comparable between topics of the 2 teams. The team 1 has been opposed to the team 2 during 6 friendly meetings in rainy and non rainy ambient. Variations of body weight, blood pressure, rectal temperature, coetaneous temperature and internal temperature have been measured before and after every meeting. The results indicate significant variations of body weight between the 2 groups: -5.7% in rainy ambient versus -4.79% in non rainy ambient. The higher variations were recovered at players evolving in the middle of the land, notably in the compartment 2: -6.6% in rainy ambient versus -3.9% (non rainy ambient). Him of it was in the same way for systolic arterial pressure (p < 0.05), diastolic arterial pressure, pulse pressure, the higher variations (p < 0.05) were recovered at the level of compartment 3 (rainy ambient). The rectal temperature, as for it, underwent some meaningful variations (p < 0.05), the superior gaps being recorded at soccer doing meetings in rainy ambient: Δθ_rect = 7.7% versus 3.2% (no rainy ambient). With regard to the coetaneous temperature, the variations observed between the two teams during matches were 5.5% for the team 1 and 8.9% for team 2 during rainy weather versus 5.6% and 5.7% during no rainy weather. As for the internal temperature, it varied respectively from 5.3% and 8.9% in rainy weather for the 2 teams, whereas the rates of variation amounted to 5.6% and 5.8% in no rainy weather. The humidity of air, the rainwater in which evolves the player, has some specific influences on the physiological adaptations at football players in equatorial environment. In conclusion, these data must challenge trainers, the technical settings of clubs and the Congolese Federation of Soccer, in the setting of the organization and the scheduling of the championship and the various tournaments.

Rainy Ambient, Soccer, Competition, Body Weight, Haemodynamic and Thermoregulatory Adaptations

André, M. , Alphonse, M. , Christophe, P. , Didier, M. and Bernard, P. (2016) Effects of the Rainy Ambiance on Weight Change, Haemodynamic and Thermoregulatory Adaptations in Congolese Football Players. Advances in Physical Education, 6, 396-405. doi: 10.4236/ape.2016.64040.