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The effect of an 8-week mental training program on ITN test performances of tennis players /
No full textBackground The ITN (International Tennis Number) test is frequently applied to determine the general game success of tennis players. Mental training is widely used to improve the athletic performance. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week mental training program applied to male tennis players on ITN test performances. Method Twenty amateur male tennis players voluntarily participated in this study. This study was conducted with a quasi-experimental design and the participants were randomly divided into Tennis and Tennis + Mental training groups. The Tennis group performed only tennis-specific training for 45 minutes, 2 days a week for 8 weeks. The Tennis + Mental training group performed 45 minutes of mental training (imagery, focus, self-talk, and breath control) before each tennis training session, followed by similar training with the tennis group, and the tennis players’ ITN test performances were measured as pre- and post-tests. IBM SPSS package program was used to analyze the obtained data. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine the difference between the ITN test and its components of the Tennis and Tennis + Mental training groups. In addition, the percentage differences of time points according to the groups were calculated with the formula “% Δ = (Pre-test - Post-test) / Pre-test *100”. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the ITN test performance of the Tennis and Tennis + Mental training groups. When the measurement times of the groups were compared, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the ITN test performances. When group and time interactions in ITN test performances were analyzed between groups, a statistically significant difference was found. According to these results, while the ITN test performance of the Tennis group increased by 6.35%, the ITN test performance of the Tennis + Mental training group increased by 16.51%. Conclusion It was determined that the ITN test scores of tennis players increased through both Tennis and Tennis + Mental training, applied for eight weeks. However, it was determined that mental training in addition to tennis training provided a higher level of improvement in ITN test performances. Clinical trial number Not applicable
Myostatin in obesity: a molecular link between metabolic dysfunction and musculotendinous remodeling /
No full textObesity is increasingly recognized not only as a metabolic disorder but also as a condition marked by the structural and functional deterioration of skeletal muscle and tendon tissues. Central to this process is the dysregulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) resulting in fibrosis and ectopic fat accumulation, factors that contribute to impaired tissue mechanics. Myostatin (GDF-8), a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is known as a negative regulator of muscle mass. It can also mediate interaction between adipose and other tissues including muscles and tendons. In obesity, elevated myostatin levels have been reported to be associated with insulin resistance, muscle atrophy, and activation of SMAD2/3 signaling, while experimental and preclinical studies indicate that myostatin inhibition can improve glucose homeostasis and increase lean mass. Emerging evidence suggests that myostatin also plays a critical role in muscle ECM and tendon remodeling. Restoring its physiological levels may help reverse ECM disorganization and reduce tissue fragility associated with musculotendinous dysfunction. This review highlights the multifaceted role of myostatin in obesity, beyond its role in muscle catabolism, to include modulation of structural integrity, metabolism, and mechanical adaptability of the musculotendinous system. Understanding how myostatin responds to metabolic stress and affects biomechanical remodeling offers novel insights into obesity-related muscle and tendon dysfunction
Fizinio krūvio tyrimas taikant „pick and roll“ gynybos metodus krepšinio pratybų ir oficialių rungtynių metu.
No full textBasketball is an intermittent-based team sport characterized by repeated neuromuscular efforts and high cardiorespiratory requirements (Stojanović et al., 2018; Pernigoni et al., 2024). The physical load during basketball games includes high-intensity actions such as sprints, jumps, changes of activity and screening actions (Stojanović et al., 2018). In this concern, assessing players’ workload is of vital importance to optimize their performance, and it is useful to generate a large flow of information for the basketball coaching staff to characterize the physical load of official competitions (Reina et al., 2022). One of the most common training methodologies used by basketball coaches are game-based conditioning drills or small- sided games (SSG). These training methods have the advantage of allowing players to spend a long time under game-based situations compared with other traditional training methods, while also providing substantial physical and physiological training stimuli. The multifactorial benefits of SSG in basketball have been largely investigated (Clemente et al., 2019; O’Grady et al., 2020) and include positive adaptations in relevant physical qualities (e.g., intermittent endurance and repeated sprint ability) as well as technical skills. Various parameters have been found to influence the external and internal loads during basketball SSGs, such as the number of players involved (Conte et al., 2016), rule changes (Conte et al., 2015, Ferioli et al., 2020), players’ rotation status (Sansone et al., 2020) and training regimes (Sansone et al., 2019). Although the physical workload aspect is an essential parameter, it is not sufficient when considering the holistic analysis of basketball performance. As known, basketball performance is multi-factorial, and the complex interactions between multiple domains (physical, physiological, hormonal, and technical– tactical) should be taken into consideration (Gasperi et al., 2023). Nevertheless, research has not focused extensively on the tactical tasks implemented during SSGs. A previous study (Sansone et al., 2019) showed that, during a 3vs3 SSG played in a half-court setting, offensive tasks induced higher external and internal loads compared with defensive tasks. In this regard, the use of specific tactical elements typically implemented during basketball games would facilitate a better transfer from the SSGs to the game scenarios. Consider tactical elements from a defensive standpoint, various strategies are used by teams during competitions to stop the opponent offense from scoring (Gómez et al., 2010). Therefore, identifying the opponents’ offensive patterns become a prominent parameter in improving the defensive rate performance during games. In this context, the most common offensive expression of collective play is ball screen, also known as pick-and-roll (PnR) (Nunes et al., 2022). PnR is characterized by the ball screen which involve the legal interposition of an offensive player towards a defender with the aim of freeing a teammate specifically, during this screening action, that screener allows the screened player (i.e., ball handler) to get an advantageous situation over his direct defender, and then advances (i.e., rolls) towards the basket to receive a pass (Vaquera et al., 2016). Two of the most coached and used PnR actions are middle and side PnR, which are played on the top of the key and close to the sideline, respectively. As PnR has become one of the focal points of teams’offensive strategies, defensive PnR actions have also become fundamental. Considering the importance of these defensive strategies to counter the offensive PnR actions, it is fundamental to stimulate SSG drills including PnR defense with an emphasis on technical and tactical skills should be implemented for their relevance for game performance. It is noteworthy that PnR actions can be defended in different ways (Koutsouridis et al., 2018). For instance, middle PnR occurring at the top of the key can be defended using trap (i.e., the 2 defensive players double on the ball handler), switch (i.e., the 2 defensive players change their assigned offensive player), or drop (i.e., the defender on the ball handler follows the assigned opponent, while the defender of the screener drops in the lane). These defensive scenarios require different movement patterns and displacements on court, which might lead to different workloads. While a large body of knowledge exists on the use and effectiveness of PnR actions from a tactical standpoint – both offensively (Gómez et al., 2015; Marmarions et al., 2016), and defensively (Foteinakis et al., 2024), there is little information about the workload of PnR defenses played with different options (containing or aggressive) and in different court locations (middle or side) during official matches and SSGs. This information would be useful for basketball coaches and practitioners due to the frequency of PnR scenarios required by basketball competition, which should be sufficiently coached during training sessions. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to investigate the effect of different PnR defensives options on workload during basketball SSGs and official games. Research objectives To assess the effect of different PnR defensives options on the workload during basketball SSGs and official games: 1. Assess the effect of playing different PnR-defensive tactical options (containing or aggressive) on the external and internal loads during SSGs in female basketball players. 2. Evaluate the effect of executing different PnR actions (middle and side) and performing different defensive options (containing or aggressive) on external and internal loads during SSGs in male basketball players. 3. Quantify the physical load measured during defensive PnR actions, according to court location (middle and side), defensive options (containing or aggressive) and the effectiveness (successful and unsuccessful) during official basketball games. Research hypotheses RH1. is expected that defensive strategies encompass aggressive options during PnR defense would exert higher external and internal loads compared to containing options during SSGs. RH2. is predictable that playing middle PnR actions induced a higher external and internal load compared with side PnR actions during SSGs. RH3. is expected a similar effect of court locations and defensive options measured during official games compared to what hypothesized for SSGs, and that unsuccessful PnR defenses will result in higher load compared to successful ones. Practical significance of the research The novel findings presented in this dissertation aim to provide basketball practitioners with valuable insights into the application of PnR defensive options during training sessions and official games and their it impacts on the workload. These findings are insightful for various reasons. Firstly, to provide a better understanding for coaches about players’ workload when designing SSGs including defensive PnR actions. This information will help coaches in designing suitable SSGs that can coach players about basketball-specific tactical aspects while having an appropriate monitor of the workload. Additionally, to be informed about the workload imposed by PnR options during official matches, and, in turn, having appropriate PnR defensive strategies that increase the team’s performance while controlling the workload. CONCLUSIONS The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the effect of different PnR defensives options on workload during basketball SSGs and official games. Therefore, we conducted three studies with the key results summarized as follows: 1. Findings from study 1 suggest that defensive strategies employed during middle PnR scenarios significantly affect external and internal loads in female basketball players. Specifically, the trap defense resulted in higher physical demands (i.e., greater PL and high ACC), and increased perceived exertion (i.e., higher RPE scores) compared with switch and drop defenses. These findings highlight the importance for coaches to consider the specific tactical demands when designing SSGs, particularly when running drills with trap defense during middle PnR situations. 2. Findings from study 2 showed that small-sided games (SSGs) including middle pick-and-roll (PnR) actions induced a higher external load (i.e., Player Load) compared with SSGs including side PnR actions. Moreover, including trap defense during SSGs resulted in greater Player Load and high accelerations and changes of direction compared with drop and ice defenses during middle and side PnR, respectively. The differences in external load did not reflect the differences in ratings of perceived exertion. These results provide interesting insight for basketball coaches using SSGs to develop players’ physical condition while adopting various tactical aspects of the game (i.e., PnR defense). 3. Findings from Study 3 provides novel insights into the physical loads (i.e., duration, PL and PL·min−1 ) of defensive PnR actions during official basketball games. The main findings showed that court location (middle vs. side) and the defensive option employed (switch, drop or ice) do not significantly affect physical loads during defensive PnRs. Conversely, unsuccessful PnR defenses resulted in higher duration, PL and PL·min−1 compared to successful ones. Based on current findings, basketball practitioners should be aware of the higher physical load imposed by unsuccessful defensive PnR situations, and should therefore aim at improving the players’ defensive performances to increase the team’s performance in ball possession alongside reducing the physical loads imposed
Enhancing mental toughness in upper school-aged male children within sports school setting: An experimental study /
No full textThe purpose of this research is to explore the effects of a program to enhance mental toughness in upper school-aged male children within sports school setting. Thirty sports school male children aged 15–16 were involved in a program to enhance mental toughness, while thirty-two children were assigned to a control group and received no intervention. Mental toughness enhancement program was designed to enhance athletic mental toughness skills: determination, visualization, positive cognition, and self-belief. Before and after the educational experiment, children from the experimental and control groups completed the Psychological Performance Inventory-Alternative (PPI-A). The findings revealed that educational program had a significant medium overall effect (F (4, 57) = 2.62; p < .05; ηp 2 = 0.16) on mental toughness of upper school-aged male children in the experimental group. Univariate analyses of the interaction between group and time for athletic mental toughness revealed a statistically significant impact of the educational program on positive cognition and self-belief within sports school settings. The conclusions of this study could be valuable for practitioners seeking to cultivate the mental toughness of children in sports school setting. This research may stimulate more research in the future, specifically targeting upper school-age, a relatively under-researched age period
Sex-related differences in fine motor skills and muscle strength control during short-term fasting /
No full textDespite the growing relevance of fasting-related effects on health promotion, studies related to its impact on motor behavior remain scarce. Thus, the aims of the present study were to determine the effects of short-term fasting on fine motor skills and muscle strength control, and to assess whether these fasting-induced effects are sex-dependent. Healthy, nonobese male (n = 14) and female (n = 14) participants underwent a 48-h fast. Changes in fine motor skills, reflexes (V-wave, H-wave and M-wave), involuntary muscle torque, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and central activation ratio (CAR) during MVC were measured. Only females showed an increase in the time to complete the fine motor skills test after a 48-hour fast, from 46.3 ± 5.16 s to 49.0 ± 5.40 s (p < 0.05). Fasting had no effect on MVC, and involuntary muscle torques. However, a sex difference in the CAR was observed indicating fasting-associated CAR decrease from 94.5 ± 7.4% to 90.1 ± 10.5% in females but not in males (p < 0.05). Moreover, a decrease in the H-wave normalized by the M-wave, from 0.68 ± 0.27 to 0.60 ± 0.26, and a shortened V-wave latency, from 38.1 ± 2.81 ms to 37.0 ± 2.54 ms, were observed only in females (p < 0.05). To conclude, 2-days’ fasting decreased fine motor skills performance only in females. Nevertheless, females exhibited modulations at supraspinal and spinal level, muscle torque was preserved, and fasting was accompanied with maintained muscle strength in both sexes. Trial registration Retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05545943)
Analysis of training behavior in users of a fitness app: cross-sectional study /
No full textBackground: Mobile health (mHealth) apps are increasingly being used to promote physical activity (PA) and can support exercise uptake and maintenance. Despite their potential, these tools face high dropout rates and inconsistent adherence, posing a significant challenge. Understanding how users engage with fitness apps is essential for improving user experience and health outcomes. Objective: This study aims to analyze user behavior patterns in the Mammoth Hunters (MH) fitness app (Mammoth Hunters SL), focusing on retention (days from registration to user's last recorded training session), average weekly training frequency, and adherence (alignment between planned and actual training). We examined how these outcomes are influenced by sociodemographic, motivational, and other variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 2771 Mammoth Hunters app users. In a subsample (n=289), training data were complemented by motivational data acquired through online surveying via an ad-hoc scale (internal consistency >0.83) based on the self-determination theory (SDT). Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn post-hoc, and Spearman correlation) were used to assess correlation between sociodemographic, motivation, and training behavior variables. Results: Mean retention (days) was significantly higher among males than females (135 vs 109, respectively; P<.01), users in the subscription vs free plan (154 vs 81; P<.001), active or very active individuals vs inactive, midbuilt vs thin body types (132 vs 120; P=.001), and those with slightly lower BMI. Users pursuing antiaging or muscle gain goals showed longer retention than those aiming to lose weight (gain: 132, antiaging: 128, lose weight: 116; P<.001). Average weekly frequency (sessions per week) of training was statistically significantly different by sex (male: 1.9 vs female: 1.8; P=.04), body type (thin: 1.96 vs mid: 1.77; P=.04), activity level (very active: 2.05 vs inactive: 1.83; P=.04), and motivation type (extrinsic introjected motivation correlated positively: r=0.17; P<.05), but did not correlate with perceived difficulty or fitness goals. Adherence, defined as actual vs targeted training frequency, was only significantly different among body types, with thin users showing higher adherence than the midbuilt group (57% vs 52.1%; P=.02). Intrinsic motivation showed a positive correlation with retention (r=0.19; P=.002), as did identified motivation (r=0.12; P<.05). Conclusions: This study shows that retention is influenced by demographic factors, with males, subscribers, previously active, midbuilds, those aiming to gain muscle, and individuals with autonomous types (ie, intrinsic and identified) of motivation displaying greater long-term participation. These findings provide valuable preliminary insight into the complexities of exercise training behavior in apps. They suggest that training frequency, retention, and adherence do not respond to the same factors. App developers, researchers, and trainers should assess these variables separately and develop strategies accordingly
Sport-specific experience modulates perceived exertion but not enjoyment or workload in recreational 3 x 3 basketball /
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the differences of previous basketball-specific experience on perceived exertion, enjoyment, physiological, and physical responses during recreational 3 x 3 basketball in active young adults. Twenty-four healthy male participants were divided into two groups: those with basketball experience (9.6 +/- 4.5 years) and those with minimal or no experience (0.7 +/- 0.9 years). All participants completed a 10-min recreational 3 x 3 basketball match following official FIBA rules. Heart rate responses were monitored using Polar H10 heart rate straps to determine the percentage of maximal heart rate (%HRmax), while perceptual responses were assessed through the modified Borg RPE scale (0-10) and the Exercise Enjoyment Scale (1-7). Physical demands were captured using inertial measurement units (Catapult) and included PlayerLoad/min, accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, and jumps. Between-group differences were analyzed using t-tests for normally distributed data or Mann-Whitney U tests otherwise. No significant differences were observed between experienced and non-experienced players for %HRmax, enjoyment, or physical activity metrics (p > 0.05). However, non-experienced participants reported significantly higher RPE values than their experienced counterparts (p = 0.005; r = 0.68, large effect size), indicating that prior sport-specific experience may affect the perceived difficulty of a given task, even when physiological and physical outputs are similar. In conclusion, these findings suggest that perceived exertion is more sensitive to prior sport-specific experience than physiological or physical measures, underlining the need to consider participants' backgrounds when monitoring internal load. Overall, recreational 3 x 3 basketball remains a highly enjoyable activity across experience levels and may support adherence to long-term physical activity programs
The validity and reliability of the digital gaming and physical activity relationship scales amongst Finnish adolescents /
No full textAlthough physical activity (PA) is an established pastime, digital gaming (DG) has created a new social world for young people. Scales to measure digital gaming relationships (DGRs) and physical activity relationships (PARs) are in their infancy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the properties and differences of the DGR and PAR scales used by adolescents. A convenience sample of high school students was recruited for the study. Participants completed the same questionnaire twice, with a 3‐week interval between administrations. After merging and matching the two sets of responses, data from 116 students were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients to assess intrarater reliability and principal component analyses to evaluate convergent validity. T ‐tests were used to determine gender differences in the DGR dimensions and linear associations with gaming and PA behaviour. After determining reliable items, five dimensions were found (competitiveness, social aspects, self‐development, mental health and functional features). Cronbach′s alphas for each dimension ranged from 0.74 to 0.94. Scores from males in four of the five dimensions were statistically significantly higher than females, and there were linear associations with gaming behaviour in four dimensions. To conclude, the DGR and PAR scales seem to be suitable for use by adolescents in surveys
School-level variation in physical fitness outcomes among children and adolescents /
No full textRadiomics allows for quantitative utilisation of radiological data and carries great potential for improving the diagnosis and management of hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) cancers. Radiomic features represent changes at the mesoscopic scale and serve as non-invasive markers for tumour heterogeneity. Using deep learning and machine learning approaches, retrospective studies have demonstrated that radiomic signatures have the capability to improve the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, in conjunction with radiological evaluation. Radiomic models have been successfully implemented to predict prognosis and treatment response, consistently outperforming established clinical markers. Novel pretreatment radiomic signatures predicting progression, survival and response to immunotherapy in advanced HCC demonstrate the great potential for radiomics in precision medicine. Correlation and integration of radiomics with genomic, metabolomic and immunological data allows for non-invasive profiling of HPB cancers and the development of highly predictive integrated models. Future adoption of these works into clinical practice will allow for personalised diagnostic and treatment strategies. However, though these works show promise, further evaluation of optimal imaging strategies, image standardisation and prospective validation across diverse patient populations is needed before widespread adoption in routine clinical practice
Effects of aging in combination with high-fat or ketogenic diet on skeletal muscle atrophy following denervation in C57BL/6J mice /
No full textObjectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the interaction between aging and high-fat diet (HFD) or ketogenic diet (KD) on denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Methods: In this study, 6-, 19- and 27-month-old male mice were studied after 12 weeks’ exposure to a regular chow diet, RD (kcal distribution: 13% fat, 57% carbohydrate, 30% protein), HFD (kcal distribution: 60% fat, 20% carbohydrates, 20% protein), or KD (kcal distribution: 80% fat, <1% carbohydrates, 20% protein). Gastrocnemius (GAS) and soleus (SOL) muscles were left denervated during the last 6 weeks of this 12-week dietary intervention (n = 10 for each group). Results: Denervation-induced atrophy was greater (p < 0.001) in GAS compared to SOL. There were no differences between type 1 and type 2 muscle fiber atrophy in adult SOL muscle. Muscle atrophy did not depend on the diet and was greater in adult than old mice. Both HFD and KD feeding reduced IGF-1 levels (p < 0.01) in GAS muscle compared with the RD independently of age. Myostatin levels in GAS muscle increased (p < 0.01) with age independently of the diets. Conclusions: Denervation-induced muscle atrophy does not depend on dietary fat intake and proceeds at a slower rate in old mice compared to adult mice