European Journal of Human Movement

Proposal to reach a consensus on challenges of sports sciences research for health

2024-06-30T19:10:29+02:00

Effect of inside-outside school alternated teaching units on knowledge of the environment for physical conditioning and related psychological outcomes in the Physical Education setting: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

2024-05-29T14:00:40+02:00

The main aim of the present study was to examine the effect of two inside-outside alternated teaching units on students’ environmental knowledge for physical conditioning outside of school, their perceptions of barriers, autonomy support, motivation towards physical activity, intention to be physically active, their habitual and extracurricular physical activity, and the regular use of their environment for practicing physical activity. One hundred and forty-six high school students (50% females) aged 11-15 years old participated in the study. Six pre-established classes, balanced by grade, were cluster-randomly assigned into the alternated group (n = 75) or traditional group (n = 71). The alternated group students performed two fitness-based teaching units twice a week for four weeks, alternating lessons inside and outside the school. Meanwhile, the traditional group students performed a fitness teaching unit solely having lessons inside the school center. All variables were measured before and after the intervention by validated questionnaires. The Multilevel Linear Model showed that the alternated teaching units improved students’ knowledge of their environment for physical conditioning, autonomy support, and autonomous motivation toward physical activity (p < 0.05; d = 0.16-1.30), while the rest of variables were not affected (p > 0.05). A four-week inside-outside school alternated teaching units improve students’ key predisposition variables of habitual physical activity, but not the practice in itself. Some ideas are discussed in order to improve future Physical Education programs.

Could football be a valid tool to combat adolescents’ physical inactivity? A Descriptive Study

2024-02-19T15:51:12+01:00

Football is considered the most popular sport among adolescents, but most do not meet the World Health Organization's recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Can regular football practice help to meet this recommendation? This research aimed to assess the physical activity levels of players in a high-performance football academy, both in training and in matches, using accelerometry. In addition, the study aimed to analyze the coaching style of the participants’ coaches using the researcher’s diary. A total of 130 players from a Spanish professional La Liga team agreed to participate: Under 18 (U18), Under 15 (U15) and Under 13 (U13). In addition, the subjective perception of total quality of recovery (TQR) and perceived exertion (RPE) before and after each training session/match, as well as their coaches, were analysed. The results showed that the average minutes of MVPA per training session and match with more than 60 minutes played were respectively: U18: 61.46 ± 2.45 and 77.78 ± 5.93, U15: 50.84 ± 3.78 and 79.63 ± 14.84, and U13: 53.35 ± 4.96 and 74.04 ± 14.73. Players were consistently considered "very well recovered" (TQR). The RPE values of coaches and players were similar during training, but higher for coaches in competition. The U18 coaches showed a coaching style of autonomy support, while the U15 and U13 categories showed a controlling style. In conclusion, weekly football practice in a high-performance academy may enable adolescent players to meet international MVPA recommendations for health benefits by encouraging an active lifestyle.

The impact of intermittent and continuous training on the levels of CIDE and Perilipin-1 proteins and their effect on the size of lipid droplets in the visceral adipose tissue of obese male rats

2024-06-05T11:46:08+02:00

Intense interval training and moderate-intensity continuous exercise produce lipid droplets that change size and impact visceral adipose tissue. 50 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups, each consisting of 8 rats, in order to accomplish this objective. Regarding dietary intake, 2 clusters of 32 rats were subjected to a normal or elevated fat diet over 10 weeks. Post the induction of obesity, 16 animals were euthanized, with an equal number originating from both the high-fat and normal diet cohorts. The ramifications of a high-fat diet were examined through the utilization of samples. The remaining 24 rats were randomly allocated to 3 groups: a sedentary high-fat diet control group, a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol group, and a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) protocol group. The 12-week training program had 5 sessions per week. Western blot measurement of perilipin-1, CIDE, and Oil-Red proteins assessed lipid droplet size. Research indicates that HIIT and MICT training significantly decreased CIDEc protein levels (p<0.05) but not CIDEa. CIDEc protein upregulation and perilipin-1 downregulation cause obesity in high-fat diets. HIIT and MICT training reduce fat droplet size and CIDEc protein production. Enhancing perilipin-1, which breaks down fats, may reduce obesity by lowering lipid droplets and weight.

Contextual Factors Associated with the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test in a Youth Football Academy

2024-03-11T10:11:16+01:00

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of various contextual factors on the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15 IFT) in young male football players.30-15 IFT was evaluated in U-14 and U-16 football teams (n=229). The sample was categorized by relative age, biological maturation, playing position and competitive level (CL). The results revealed a trend in the overall sample towards an overrepresentation of players born in the early months of the year. Significant differences were found when comparing vIFT (maximal intermittent running velocity) values across age categories (U13: 17.73 ± 1.24; U14: 18.14 ± 1.56; U15: 18.99 ± 1.31; U16: 18.81 ± 1.55; F = 9.93; p < .001) and between maturity groups, in favor of the more mature players (PrePHV: 17.77 ± 1.38; MidPHV: 18.53 ± 1.37; PostPHV: 18.83 ± 1.48). There were some minor differences in the vIFT between players from different field positions (F = 2.96; p = .014; ηp2 = 0.078). As well as players who compete at higher levels of competition reached higher results for the vIFT (CL: F = 9.01; p < .001; ηp2 = 0.238 and CL2: F = 15.44; p < .001; ηp2 = 0.184). This study showed the complexity of factors influencing the 30-15 IFT of young football players and suggest that maturity may play a more influential role than RA in physical performance which could influence the selection process at early ages.

Acute effects of running 10km on the medial longitudinal arch height: dynamic evaluation using a three-dimensional motion capture system

2024-04-16T08:12:20+02:00

In previous studies, static evaluations of changes in the navicular height by long-distance running have shown that the navicular height decreases after long-distance running. However, few studies have performed dynamic evaluations of the changes in the supportive function of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) height. Therefore, to evaluate the changes in the MLA height of healthy recreational runners before and after running 10 km, we performed static and dynamic evaluations. Nineteen runners underwent MLA height measurements before and after running 10 km on a treadmill. The measurements of MLA height were performed using three-dimensional motion analysis while the participants were barefoot in the sitting, standing, and walking positions. The heel contact value, minimum value, difference between the heal contact and minimum values, dynamic navicular drop (DND) height, and time when the minimum MLA height was reached during the stance phase of gait (timing) were calculated. After running 10 km, the standing MLA height decreased (18.04-16.86 mm; p<0.05), DND increased (6.32-7.77 mm; p<0.05), and timing was delayed (82.6%-85.2%; p<0.05). The DND, which is a dynamic measure of the MLA support function, increased with long-distance running, thereby decreasing the support function. The degree of deformation of the foot morphology in the terminal stance when the tissues comprising the MLA are stressed may influence injuries.

Effects of 12 weeks of short-duration isometric strength training in university students

2024-04-16T09:02:16+02:00

Purpose: Isometric strength training has the advantage of improving musculoskeletal properties, neuromuscular function and health biomarkers compared with dynamic strength training. This study aimed to analyze the effects of short-term isometric strength training on pain, body composition, and biomarkers of health in young adults. Methods: This was a pre-post experimental study with isometric training period. The training period was carried out for 12 weeks with a single session per week, with a weekly training volume of 6 minutes. The study sample consisted of 22 students (20.5 years ± 1.37) of both sexes (15 males and 7 females). The maximum isometric force test (in Newton meters) using the MedX lumbar extension and knee extension machines. The InBody 770 were used for body composition analysis, visual analog scale for pain and glycated hemoglobin values were measured using the Quo-Lab. Results: Analysis of changes in pain showed a significant improvement in hip pain in the entire group (p≤0.05), with no other significant changes observed in the other pain scales (0.05), phase angle (0.02), glycated haemoglobin (0.00) and lumbar strength (<0.05) measured or segregating the sample by sex. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that a short duration strength training intervention can help to improve pain at anatomical points, reduce HbA1c levels, finding trends for improvement in numerous body composition variables. Highlighting the significant change in phase angle, a variable with a promising approach in the more accurate and comprehensive study of both body composition and metabolic health.

Sedentary behaviour in college students and its influence on heart rate and mental health

2023-12-01T13:07:10+01:00

Objective: To determine the relationship between sedentary lifestyle in university students and its relationship with physiological and psychological variables. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out in a sample of 376 university students belonging to the Teruel campus. The following variables were collected by means of questionnaires: anxiety, stress and sitting hours, and resting heart rate (HR) was measured. A correlation matrix using Pearson's coefficient in a linear regression model was used to test the association between variables. Results: Increased time in a sedentary position was related to increased levels of stress (p<0.001) and resting heart rate (p=0.014) independently of age. In addition, anxiety and stress also find a significant association(p<0.001). Higher self-perceived anxiety is related to higher stress levels. Only in those under 23 years of age is there a positive correlation between self-perceived anxiety and heart rate. That is, the higher the anxiety the higher the heart rate. Conclusions: The study showed that spending more time in a sedentary position generates negative consequences on students' health, such as increases in stress levels or resting heart rate, which could become an indirect risk of cardiovascular disease.

Analyzing Factors Influencing Volunteer Experience in Large-Scale Sporting Events

2024-02-29T16:22:29+01:00

Despite the extensive literature on volunteers at sports events, there remains limited comprehension among researchers regarding volunteer experience. While studies suggest direct and indirect relationships between motivation, satisfaction, commitment, and sense of community concerning volunteer experience, empirical understanding in this area remains inadequate. The primary objective of this research was to empirically examine the relationship between external influence, satisfaction, and the sense of sports event volunteers' experiences. Following the "Athens Marathon, The Authentic," 850 volunteers participated in an online self-administered questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 65%. Hypothesized linear relationships were tested using a two-step structural equation model. The findings reveal both direct (external influence and satisfaction) and indirect (commitment and sense of community) connections leading to volunteer experience. Volunteer satisfaction demonstrates an indirect relationship with material, mediated by the direct relationship with external influence. Similarly, the sense of egoism exhibits an indirect relationship with volunteer satisfaction, mediated by direct external influences. Additionally, the study identifies leisure as the sole determinant of the direct relationship with satisfaction. Overall, the study emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive analyses to account for the interconnected nature of factors influencing volunteer satisfaction.

Small Sided Games 3vs3 Goalkeeper-Encouragement: Improve the Physical and Technical Performance of Youth Soccer Players

2024-05-30T10:11:41+02:00

This study aims to investigate the effect of small sided games (SSG) 3vs3 Goalkeeper (GK)-encouragement (E) on increasing the level of physical and technical performance of youth soccer players. A true experiment with a randomized control trial (RCT) for 8 weeks was adopted. 24 youth soccer players from the positions of striker, midfielder and defender participated in this study. They were divided in two groups, SSG (n = 12, 17.33 ± 1.07 years) and SSG 3vs3 GK-E (n = 12, 18.00 ± 1.04 years). Instruments to measure physical performance included 20m sprint test, Illinois agility test and Multistage 20m fitness test, while technical performance was assessed through dribbling, passing and shooting tests. The results of the student's paired t-test showed that there were changes in physical and technical performance in SSG and SSG 3vs3 GK-E (all, p < .001) from the pre-test to the post-test. The 2-Way ANOVA with 2 × 2 repeated measures results showed that physical and technical performance had a main effect of "time" (p < 0.05), effect "training session" (p < 0.05), and an effect "interaction" (p < 0.05). This study confirms that SSG 3vs3 GK-E can be an alternative training in the future to increase the level of physical and technical performance in of youth soccer players.