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Training environment and sponsorship dynamics in Hungarian artistic swimming /
No full textThe present study examines the training environment and sponsorship dynamics in Hungarian artistic swimming, with a particular focus on competitiveness. Through the utilization of a linear regression method ample aspects were identified, such as coach qualifications, funding sources, and facilities, that positively impact the number of qualified competitors. The availability of funding sources, when coupled with governmental assistance, has a favorable effect on the number of competitors, whereas membership fees have a deleterious impact. Furthermore, the findings indicate that increased water availability and increased publicity enhance artistic swimming recognition, whereas improved land-based training conditions may lead to a decline in the number of competitors. This paper discusses how different aspects of training programs can be integrated to improve overall athleticism, prevent injury, and enhance the competitive ability of artistic swimmers
Qualitative insights into the skills development, health outcomes, and school experience of adolescent peer-leaders of a physical activity programme in second level schools /
No full textThe Active School Flag (ASF) is a whole-of-school, physical activity (PA) programme in Ireland. At second level, student leadership is central to ASF, as adolescents aged 15–16 years in Transition Year (TY), are peer-leaders (PL) of ASF in their school. TY is a one-year programme unique to Ireland, that provides adolescents with skills and personal development opportunities. PLs receive leadership training and have a dedicated weekly class to plan the delivery of whole-of-school PA events and surveys. This study explored the impact on PL skills development, health outcomes, and school experience
Evaluation of the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity of children and adolescents with disabilities /
No full textPhysical activity provides a wide range of health benefits for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). However, despite CAWD being at higher risk of physical inactivity, there is a lack of surveillance systems that capture physical activity data of CAWD. To address this gap, the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity of CAWD was set up with 14 participating countries/jurisdictions (Ng et al., 2023) based on the methodology of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance’s Global Matrix 4.0 (Aubert et al., 2023). This study aims to evaluate the process, outcome, and impact of the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards
The associations of n-3 fatty acid intake with handgrip strength and muscle mass indices in older adults: A cross-sectional study from UK Biobank /
No full textOBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations of n-3 fatty acid intake with handgrip strength and muscle mass indices in older adults. A secondary aim was to investigate whether these associations differed by physical activity status. RESEARCH METHODS & PROCEDURES: A cross-sectional study included 53,170 participants aged 60 years and over from the UK biobank (25,324 men and 27,846 women). The primary outcomes were grip strength index and muscle mass index, the predictor variable was n-3 fatty acid intake and the covariates were age, ethnicity, Townsend deprivation index, physical activity, multimorbidity count, total energy intake, body fat percentage and the month of assessment. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed across 5 models. Model 1 was unadjusted; model 2 adjusted for age, ethnicity, deprivation index and month of assessment; model 3 adjusted as in model 2 plus total energy intake; model 4 as in model 2 plus multimorbidity count; and model 5 as in model 4 plus body fat percentage. RESULTS: In model 5, higher n-3 fatty acid intake was positively associated with the grip strength index in women. For each additional gram of n-3 fatty acid consumed per day, there was an increase of 0.03 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.00 to 0.06 kg/m2) in active women and 0.04 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.00 to 0.07 kg/m2) in inactive women. However, no significant associations were observed in men, whether active (p = 0.405) or inactive (p = 0.323). Additionally, no significant associations were found between n-3 fatty acid intake and muscle mass index in either active (p = 0.858) or inactive (p = 0.250) men, or in active (p = 0.909) or inactive (p = 0.187) women. CONCLUSION: Although n-3 fatty acid intake was associated with grip strength index in older women, regardless of their activity status, the magnitude of this association was very small and unlikely to be clinically relevant. Additionally, n-3 fatty acid was not associated with muscle mass index
Atsigavimo strategijų taikymas siekiant optimizuoti sportinę veiklą ir savijautą krepšinyje.
No full textBasketball is a popular court-based team sport which requires players to perform repeated high-intensity activities, including sprinting, shuffling, jumping, accelerations, decelerations and changes of direction (Stojanović et al., 2018). As a consequence of such demands, basketball training and competition place the athlete’s body under stress, which can result in a disruption of homeostasis, leading to performance impairments, exercise-induced muscle damage, delayed onset of muscle soreness, reduced range of motion, impaired kinesthetic awareness, inflammatory and immunological responses (Chatzinikolaou et al., 2014; Doma et al., 2018; Moreira et al., 2018; Pliauga et al., 2015). Although some of these phenomena are important for the long-term adaptive processes that take place after exercise (Owens et al., 2019), previous research shows that a single basketball session can have an acute, detrimental impact on performance (e.g., vertical jumping, sprinting, and strength) (Chatzinikolaou et al., 2014; Delextrat et al., 2014; Delextrat, Calleja-González et al., 2013; Pliauga et al., 2015), physiological status (e.g., muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers) (Chatzinikolaou et al., 2014; Moreira et al., 2014; Souglis et al., 2015), and athlete-reported outcomes (e.g., muscle soreness, perceived fatigue, and mood states) (Chatzinikolaou et al., 2014; Conte et al., 2021; Gonzalez-Bono et al., 1999), with such alterations often persisting for hours or days following match-play (Chatzinikolaou et al., 2014; Moreira et al., 2014; Pliauga et al., 2015; Souglis et al., 2015). Moreover, an increasing number of basketball leagues require teams to complete several matches in close succession (Conte et al., 2021; Edwards et al., 2018; Fox et al., 2020), which represents an additional challenge for basketball practitioners, and could potentially hinder players’ health and readiness during training sessions or matches (Montgomery, Pyne, Hopkins et al., 2008). In support of this notion, previous research has suggested that match congestion may influence team outcome (i.e., winning or losing) (Esteves et al., 2021), weekly loads (Clemente et al., 2019; Conte et al., 2018; Fox et al., 2020), hormonal responses (Kamarauskas et al., 2022), and injury risk (Doeven et al., 2021) among basketball teams. As a consequence of the highly demanding nature of real-world basketball training and competition, the implementation of strategies which limit the negative consequences of basketball activity plays a crucial role (Davis et al., 2022). Overall, the use of recovery strategies such as massage (Davis et al., 2020; Poppendieck et al., 2016), compression garments (Weakley et al., 2022), hydrotherapy (Higgins et al., 2017; McGorm et al., 2018; Moore et al., 2022), cryotherapy (Bouzigon et al., 2021; Kwiecien & McHugh, 2021), stretching (Afonso et al., 2021; Herbert et al., 2011), foam rolling (Wiewelhove et al., 2019) and nutritional approaches (Bongiovanni et al., 2020; Owens et al., 2019) has been extensively investigated across sports science research. However, only a limited number of studies (Davis et al., 2022) have specifically examined the application of recovery tools and methods among basketball players, mainly focusing on approaches such as cold water immersion. Crucially, previous research suggests that post-match fatigue responses may vary between basketball and other sports (Doeven et al., 2018), likely due to its unique movement patterns [e.g., frequent activity changes, high number of lateral movements, picks and screens (Conte et al., 2015; Taylor et al., 2017)] and match structure [e.g., interruptions due to fouls, out-of-bounds, free-throws and inter-quarter breaks (Doeven et al., 2018)]. Hence, research assessing the effect of recovery strategies in other sports may not necessarily apply to basketball. As a result, basketball practitioners are often left without specific evidence-based guidelines, which may lead to the use of inadequate strategies (Pernigoni et al., 2022). Hence, the aim of this dissertation is to investigate the effectiveness of recovery strategies which have received little-to-no attention across basketball-specific research, despite being frequently employed by practitioners in real-world contexts. Research objectives: To assess the impact of the following recovery strategies on post-exercise measures of performance, physiological and perceptual fatigue: 1. Active recovery versus static stretching; 2. Foam rolling versus placebo; 3. Whole-body cryotherapy versus placebo. Research hypotheses: 1. Shortly after each intervention, active recovery is expected to have a beneficial effect on performance [through a “re-warm-up effect” (Silva et al., 2018)] compared with static stretching, which may cause decreases in neuromuscular activation (Behm & Chaouachi, 2011). Comparable effects are expected between the two interventions on physiological [heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol and testosterone] and perceptual measures of fatigue (muscle soreness, perceived recovery) (Afonso et al., 2021; Van Hooren & Peake, 2018). 2. Foam rolling is expected to have trivial-to-small effects on performance (Wiewelhove et al., 2019) and physiological recovery measured through HRV (D’Amico et al., 2020), while significantly improving perceptual measures of fatigue (Rahimi et al., 2020; Rey et al., 2019). 3. Considering the inconsistent findings from previous research (Bouzigon et al., 2021; Kwiecien & McHugh, 2021; Russell et al., 2017), WBC is expected to have limited effects on performance. Conversely, significant improvements are hypothesized for physiological [HRV (Sautillet et al., 2021; Schaal et al., 2013)] and perceptual fatigue (Bouzigon et al., 2021; Kwiecien & McHugh, 2021; Rose et al., 2017). Practical significance of the research The novel findings presented in this dissertation aim to offer basketball practitioners valuable insights into the application of recovery strategies used in real-world settings. These findings are particularly important to assess the effectiveness of such strategies in a realistic, basketball-specific context, and ensure that they are not only easily implemented during training and competition, but also supported by data relevant to the unique demands of basketball. By incorporating evidence-based recovery methods within training programs, practitioners will be able to make informed decisions, enhancing performance and recovery both in the short- and long-term. Ultimately, these findings serve as essential tools for optimizing players’ performance and well-being in real-world basketball environments. CONCLUSIONS 1. Findings from Study 1 suggest that neither active recovery nor static stretching appear to be a superior strategy for improving recovery beyond ~10–20 min post-intervention, following a training session in elite youth male basketball players. The differences in the time required to return to baseline for CMJ, HRV and TQR within each intervention were likely due to short-lived neuromuscular and metabolic mechanisms, rather than a long-lasting effect of the interventions. 2. Findings from Study 2 indicate that foam rolling was ineffective for improving recovery of CMJ height, cardiac parasympathetic activity, muscle soreness and perceived fatigue in female basketball players following a simulated basketball match. Only the within-intervention time course of perceived recovery differed between the foam rolling (TQR scores returned to pre-match levels at post-recovery) and control interventions (restored at 24 h), although no significant, direct differences were observed between interventions at any time point. 3. Findings from Study 3 indicate that a single WBC exposure (4 min, –75 to –85 °C) was ineffective for improving recovery of performance, cardiac autonomic activity and muscle soreness in high-level, youth male basketball players following a simulated match. On the other hand, WBC showed a potentially beneficial effect on perceived recovery in the acute phase (i.e., post-recovery), although caution is advised when interpreting these findings, given the observed differences at baseline (i.e., pre-match) between WBC and the placebo intervention. Therefore – although future basketball-specific research utilizing different WBC protocols is warranted – practitioners should be aware of the limited benefits in terms of performance, physiological and perceptual recovery when employing the protocol examined here
Su sveikata susijusi sutrikusio intelekto žmonių gyvenimo kokybė.
No full textPeople with intellectual disability are a diverse population. While some people have a moderate intellectual disability, others could have a severe one. Depending on the person's degree of functioning, the effect of impairment on quality of life for those with intellectual disabilities varies greatly. Health-related quality of life is a measurement of how a person's daily life is impacted by their physical, mental, and social well-being. It comprises measures of things like bodily functionality, discomfort, mental health, and subjective well-being. It covers social functioning, psychological health, and physical health. Aim of Research The purpose of this study is to evaluate the health-related quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities in India and Germany who are between the ages of 20 and 40. Objectives of Research • To evaluate health related quality of life of people with mild and moderate intellectual disability. • To conduct a comparative analysis between age and gender on quality of life of people with intellectual disability (Mind and Moderate) • To compare quality of life of people with intellectual disability (Mild and moderate) in India and Germany (for people with ID) Research Methodology A standardized close ended questionnaire has been used named SF-36 Questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential analysis has been conducted in this research. Under descriptive analysis, mean and frequency analysis has been conducted. Under inferential analysis, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA has been used. Results The research found moderate issues in the health-related quality of life of people with intellectual disability, no significant difference in the perception of males and females on quality of life and is no significant difference in the perception of India and Germany on quality of life of people with intellectual disability
Oldies, but goldies—preserved morphology and stability of antigenic determinants in decades‐old cryosections of human m. vastus lateralis /
No full textFibre typing by immunohistochemistry on cryosections from human skeletal muscle biopsies is an essential tool in the diagnosis and research of muscular diseases, ageing, and responses to exercise training and disuse. Preserving a good quality in these frozen specimens can be challenging especially if they are stored for longer periods before histological processing, which is often the case in studies with a large number of test subjects and/or repeated sampling separated by multiple years. We demonstrate in this article that both, the morphology and reactivity of epitopes to myosin heavy chain isoforms and dystrophin are well preserved in up to 18‐year‐stored unfixed and unstained cryosections of human m. vastus lateralis ( n = 241). Any variation in staining intensity between samples was unrelated to the age of the biopsy donor or the storage period of the unstained cryosections, and in all cases, the obtained images were appropriate for image analysis, such as the determination of the fibre type composition and the fibre cross‐sectional area, and quantitative analysis of muscle capillarisation
Exploring early, middle, and late loss in basic activities of daily living among nursing home residents: a multicenter observational study /
No full textNursing home (NH) residents commonly face limitations in basic activities of daily living (BADLs), following a hierarchical decline. Understanding this hierarchy is crucial for personalized care. This study explores factors associated with early, middle, and late loss in BADLs among NH residents. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 NHs in Catalonia, Spain. Dependent variables were related to limitations in BADLs: early loss (self-care-related BADLs: personal hygiene, dressing, or bathing), middle loss (mobility-related BADLs: walking or wheelchair handling, toileting, and transferring), and late loss (eating). Independent variables were based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment and institutional factors. Logistic regression was used for the multivariate analyses. The study included 671 older adults. Early loss in BADLs was significantly associated with urinary incontinence, cognitive impairment, and falls. Middle loss in BADLs was linked to fecal incontinence, urinary incontinence, ulcers, and cognitive impairment. Late loss in BADLs was associated with fecal incontinence, the NH not owning a kitchen, neurological disease, cognitive impairment, dysphagia, polypharmacy, and weight loss. These findings highlight the need to address geriatric syndromes, especially cognitive impairment and bladder/bowel incontinence. Monitoring these syndromes could effectively anticipate care dependency. The presence of kitchens in NHs may help to address limitations to eating, allowing for potential personalized meal adaptation
Trumpalaikio ir ilgalaikio dietos nitratų vartojimo įtaka organizmo funkcinei būklei ir darbingumui.
No full textThe thesis, combines findings from five scientific articles employing a generalized exploratory approach to explore the impact of dietary nitrate supplementation on organism functionality in general. The primary goal of the study was to evaluate the effects on functional states and performance in living organisms, predominantly focusing on humans, while simultaneously seeking a deeper comprehension of the mechanisms underlying nitrate supplementation. It is important to highlight that the fundamental objective of this doctoral study was to investigate the influence of dietary nitrate supplementation without predetermined assumptions. For this purpose, exploratory research approach was chosen which in open-ended nature, aims to uncover potential relationships between variables without established hypotheses. This approach allows for a more organic exploration of the effects of dietary nitrate without bias, providing a broad perspective on the subject matter. In this case exploratory approach was chosen deliberately to unearth unforeseen connections and potential impacts of dietary nitrate supplementation on organism functionality. Besides human trials, the study used Drosophila melanogaster and mice as analytical models due to their genetic similarities to humans, ease of breeding, and shorter lifespan. This made them ideal candidates for studying the effects of dietary interventions like nitrate supplementation on lifespan and health outcomes within a reasonable experimental timeframe. While humans were the preferred study subjects, these models were also employed to eliminate any emotional factors or placebo effects Longevity emerged as a natural outcome of the study, serving as a proxy for improved organism functionality. The investigation unearthed compelling insights into the impact of short-term and long-term dietary nitrate supplementation. Results indicated a substantial influence on the functional state and performance of the organisms under study. This effect was manifested in various aspects, notably in enhanced performance markers and increased longevity, which served as indicators of improved organism functionality. In summary, the thesis presents a comprehensive exploration of the influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on organism functionality. By employing an exploratory approach, the study did not limit itself to predefined assumptions, instead unraveling potential relationships between variables. By utilizing analytical models and maintaining a comprehensive focus on the overall functionality of organisms, the research offers valuable insights into the potential benefits and mechanisms linked to nitrate supplementation. These findings hold significant promise in understanding the broader implications of dietary nitrate on organism functionality and performance, with potential applications in human health and longevity
Mobile learning using extended UTAUT model during COVID-19: evidence from developed countries /
No full textThis research evaluates the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model from the context of mobile-based learning using smartphones amid COVID-19. It specifically examines the impact of exogenous variables such as social isolation besides standard dimensions and mediating variables such as perceived compatibility, perceived anxiety, and perceived value on mobile learning technology. The research also explores the impact of service quality and technological innovation as moderating variables on the modified and extended UTAUT model. The data for this research was gathered from 898 students in technologically advanced countries, for instance, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, the United States, Australia, and Germany. The outcomes of this research show that the exogenous dimensions of the UTAUT model, such as social isolation, have an affirmative and significant association with the behavioral intent to adopt mobile-based learning in an online education environment. The study’s findings further exhibited that the mediating dimensions, such as perceived anxiety, perceived compatibility, and perceived value, have a robust and affirmative association between exogenous and endogenous factors. Moreover, the results demonstrated a strong influence of technological innovation and service quality on the association between independent and dependent factors. Overall, the research findings have significant implications for both industry and academia regarding management and theory