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Do 5-6-year-old girls who attend gymnastics achieve better motor skills’ assessment results compared to those who do not attend gymnastics.
No full textBackground. Children become less involved in various activities, and physical inactivity may negatively affect motor development. Motor skills are important for a child’s development, so it is very important to know and track motor skills development. One of the methods for assessing motor skills is Bruininks – Oseretsky (BOT-2) test. The aim. to determine and compare the motor skills of 5–6-year-old girls who attend and do not attend gymnastics classes. Methods. 5-6 years girls participated in the study. We collected 15 who attended gymnastics classes and 15 age-matched controls. Gross motor skills were assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2) test kit. Results. Bilateral coordination, balance, running speed and agility, upper-limb coordination, and strength of girls attending gymnastics classes were significantly higher (p <0.05) compared to girls not attending gymnastics. Conclusions. Attending gymnastics classes significantly improved motor skills of 5–6-year-old girls. Keywords: motor skills, preschool children, BOT-2
La educación como factor de desarrollo de la sociedad conectiva en las condiciones de la transformación digital.
No full textThe purpose of the study is to concep tualize the cognitive development of society as a factor of digital transformation. The solution of this problem contributes to the formation of a ne w theory that requires the introduction of innovative technologies tha t play a very important role in the s ustainable development of society. The research methodology used consists of axiological, comparative, synergistic, structural - functional methods and approaches. The emergence of a new "digital person" is explored, whos e essence is that the technological r evolution has made it possible for everyone to connect to the network, to contribute to the network effect, allowing people to work in real time and generate income by moving in the markets. The concept of the formation of the digital economy has been stru ctured, as a factor in the cognitive development of society, and new digital strategies have been revealed for firms, companies, organizations, companies that face immeasurable challenges and opportunities for digitizat ion and for achieve success
Partly and fully supervised physical exercise effects on cognitive functions and movement proficiency of adolescents /
No full textThis study explored the effects of partly supervised physical exercise program (PSPEP) intervention compared to fully supervised physical exercise program (FSPEP) on cognitive functions, movement proficiency and problematic internet use (PIU) in adolescents presenting combined unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Method: Over a period of 16 weeks the PSPEP group (n = 14) engaged in strength, balance and flexibility exercises three times per week with one supervised session and two unsupervised. The FSPEP group (n = 13) practiced dance activities for 2 to 4 days per week including in training sessions the same exercises as for the PSPEP group. Prior and after the study adolescents completed the PIU scale, performed movement proficiency and cognitive function tests. Results: The PSPEP had significant effect on improvement of stress tolerance (p < 0.01, g = 1.08), while the FSPEP had significant effect on contributing general intelligence (p < 0.05, g = 0.90), color-word interference of the reading speed or color recognition (p < 0.01, g = 1.33), short- and long-term memory (p < 0.01, g = 1.72) and stress tolerance (p < 0.05, g = 1.06). The PSPEP had significant effect on improvement of the bilateral coordination (p < 0.01, g = 1.08). None of the two programs had effect on PIU. Conclusions: Engagement in PSPEP selectively contributed bilateral coordination and cognitive skills related to reaction to multiple stimuli. The FSPEP had multiple significant effects in improvement of cognitive outcomes
Students’ conflicts, causes and ways of solution in physical education lessons /
No full textSchool is one of the most important institutions of human socialization where students learn different behaviour models quickly on communicating with others. Thus, conflicts among children, adolescents and young people are unavoidable in the modern school, but the outcomes of this phenomenon can often be determined by the cognition of the characteristics and essence of the conflict as a phenomenon and process. Successful socialization of young people in schools is impossible without known any ways of conflict solution and trying to manage them. The purpose of this research was to reveal the inclination of 15-16-year-old students to conflicts as well as determine the causes of conflicts and peculiarities of the choice of behaviour strategies in physical education lessons. 325 students from comprehensive schools of the big Lithuanian cities, 172 girls and 153 boys participated in the research. The results of the research showed that students-girls and boys that participate in physical education lessons have an inclination to conflicts. The girls emphasized the main causes for conflicts: blank contents of the teachers’ communication, tactless, rough, authoritarian style of work and insufficient attention and sensitivity to the students. Meanwhile, the boys indicated the teachers’ disregard for the students, non-observation of the unity of words and acts and the teachers’ dishonesty and lying. Moreover, the results of the conflict research revealed the 15-16-year-old students-girls choose cooperation first and search for compromises second in conflict situations. Meanwhile, the boys of the same age indicated competition first and chose the strategy of conflict avoidance second
Expression of leadership in sports organizations: attitude of managers and employees of Lithuanian sports organizations.
No full textRelevance of the topic . It is observed that leadership and its expression in various different environments are constantly updated. It is actively researched, empowered by it, learned, and efforts are made to understand how leadership emerges and develops (Damkuvienė et al. 2019). These needs do not bypass the sports sector, whose organizations operate in conditions of complete uncertainty in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In such a context, leadership becomes an important condition for the effective operation and development of a sports organization. The problem under consideration and the level of its research. The phenomenon of leadership has been studied by scientists (Andriani, Kesumawati, and Kristiawan 2018; Budrienė, Vaitiekienė, and Vaitiekus 2019; Damkuvienė et al. 2019; Hartley 2018; Holmes et al. 2021; Kulshreshtha and Sharma 2021; Miles and Scott 2019). The issue of leadership has been examined exclusively in the sports sector (Ajeigbe, Owolabi, and Alasinrin 2021; Hutchens et al. 2020; Macquet and Stanton 2021; Martinez- Moreno, Cavas-Garcia, and Diaz-Suarez 2021; Megheirkouni 2017; Sabaliauskas 2017; Stewart et al. 2020). Most of the time, research on the expression of leadership chooses to apply quantitative methods, which prevents a deeper experience of both managers of sports organizations and their subordinates in the field of leadership. Therefore, this article aims to refine and present insights based on qualitative research in the field of leadership communication. The goal is to evaluate the expression of leadership in sports organizations after examining the theoretical assumptions of leadership. Tasks: 1. To reveal the theoretical assumptions of expression of leadership in sports organizations; 2. Determine the characteristic and desirable qualities of a leader of a sports or ganization; 3. To refine the leadership functions in sports organizations; 4. To identify obstacles limiting leadership in sports organizations and to reveal the potential for strengthening leadership. Methods. Results . Quantitatively, the expression of leadership in sports organizations is evaluated in various aspects, but there is a lack of qualitative research in this area. This circumstance prompted the choice of a qualitative strategy for the study of leadership expressions in sports organizations. The qualitative strategy is applied in accordance with the following methodological provisions: social reality is perceived and interpreted individually; each individual actively creates reality based on personal experience; social reality is different for different individuals, but it is shared through interaction with other individuals (Damkuvienė et al. 2019, p. 40). The block of questions for the assessment of leadership expression is formulated according to Winston’s (2004) insights about leadership expression. Conclusions. Summarizing the results of the empirical study of the expression of leadership in sports organizations, it can be stated that the ideal leader in a sports organization is usually associated with focus, motivation, connections with sports, and flexibility. In the opinion of most of the representatives of the sports sector, existing leaders are characterized by motivation, flexibility, activity, and sharing of responsibilities. Leaders in sports organizations usually perform functions of planning, task allocation, control and monitoring, and organization, which traditionally fall within the content of the concept of leadership. It has been determined that there is potential for improving leadership in the country’s sports organizations
Genetinio fono ir protarpinio badavimo poveikis pelių kūno audinių morfometriniams rodikliams bei raumenų ir kepenų proteolizės žymenų raiškai.
No full textSkeletal muscle mass is one of the major components of human body composition (Livshits et al., 2016). Muscle mass plays a key role in recovery from critical illness or severe trauma (Hill et al., 2017; Wolfe, 2006). Sarcopenia, low muscle mass and function, is an increasing problem in our ageing society. The prevalence of sarcopenia varies extremely between elderly cohorts ranging from 7% to over 50% (Bijlsma et al., 2013). Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with increased mortality risk in patients with coronary heart disease (Nichols et al., 2019). Development of treatments against muscle wasting requires a better understanding of genetic, molecular and physiological factors affecting muscle mass. Because of their phylogenetic relatedness mice have long served as models of human biology including research for genetic determinants of muscle mass (Morse, 2007). Consomic mouse strain, when a chromosome from one mouse strain is transferred to another strain, provides a possibility to study the function of genes candidates affecting muscle mass in the chromosome in greater detail. In our study, we chose the following model of the experiment: C57BL/6J strain and consomic C57BL/6J-Chr10A/J/NaJ mouse strain. The two strains share genetic background except of chromosome 10, which in the case of C57BL/6JChr10A/J/NaJ comes from the A/J strain. Over the past 3 decades, the prevalence of obesity around the world has been rising apart from a few countries where only a slight levelling-off can be perceived. (Blundell et al., 2017; Güngör, 2014). Human societies living without food conservation technologies and wild animals show low levels of obesity as they often experience fasting for periods ranging from several days to weeks (de Toledo, Grundler, Bergouignan, Drinda, & Michalsen, 2019). Indeed, caloric restriction and various regimes of fasting are often considered the most effective interventions against obesity (Utada et al., 2016; Varady, 2011). Fasting is associated with significant benefits for health including a decrease in body fat, an increase in insulin sensitivity, lowered blood pressure, and improved functioning of the nervous system (Horne, Muchlestein, & Anderson, 2015; Yanar, Simsek, & Çakatay, 2019). However, there are also risks. The long-lasting reduced food intake can lead to low plasma IGF-1 and insulin levels, elevated IGF-binding protein-1 concentrations and abnormal liver function which became apparent during the subsequent refeeding (Rosen, Bakshi, Watters, Rosen, & Mehler, 2017). Delay in weight regains after prolonged fasting is often associated with the leakage of enzymes from the liver (Imaeda et al., 2016). An increase in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase is a predictor of hepatic injury under such conditions (Pan & Stanley, 2020; Smith et al., 2020). Research on the effects of fasting has mainly focused on intermittent fasting consisting of repeated short periods of fasting, stretching from 18 to 48 hours, followed by 6–120 hours of refeeding (Longo & Mattson, 2014; Mattson, Longo, & Harvie, 2017). On the other hand, 12-day fasting with food intake limited to 500 kcal per day has induced improvements in blood markers of health in humans however tissue adaptations have not been studied (Schöller-Mann, Matt, Schniertshauer, Hochecker, & Bergemann, 2020). Such studies are complicated due to the low compliance of humans with prolonged dietary interventions and the associated costs. It appears that C57BL/6J mouse strain a popular model of human metabolism can be used to gain a detailed insight into adaptations to prolonged fasting and refeeding cycles. Metabolic rate per unit of body mass is approximately 6-fold faster in mice than in humans and 48-hour fasting in mice would be equivalent to 12-day fasting in humans (Kvedaras, Minderis, Krusnauskas, & Ratkevicius, 2020; Ravussin, Harper, Rising, & Bogardus, 1991). The aim and hypothesis of the first study The first study aimed to investigate if gene variants that reside on chromosome 10 of the A/J mice strain can affect muscle properties of the C57BL/6J mouse strain. Based on Lionikas et al. (2013b) study results, muscle size and its underlying indices (fibre number and size) substantially differ among the six studied strains, implying a significant contribution of genetic variability to this difference. We hypothesized that chromosome 10 of the A/J strain may affect soleus muscle mass and morphometric characteristics of the C57BL/6J mouse strain. The aim and hypothesis of the second study Our second study aimed to compare the effects of single and eight bouts of 48-h fasting with 120-h refeeding in C57BL/6J mice with a particular focus on body composition and proteolysis gene expression in skeletal muscles and liver. Liver and skeletal muscles as metabolically active tissues contribute significantly to changes in the lean body mass of mice exposed to fasting. We hypothesized that repeated bouts of fasting would lead to progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and gain in fat as an adaptation for increase energy reserves. The aim and hypothesis of the third study The third study aimed to compare the effects of the first and the second bout of 2-days acute fasting followed by 5-days refeeding in BEH+/+ and BEL mice. We focused on body composition and proteolysis gene expression in skeletal muscles and liver as tissues, which contribute significantly to changes in lean body mass after fasting (Fokin et al., 2019). We hypothesized that higher muscle mass of BEH+/+ mouse strain will ameliorate proteolysis gene expression in skeletal muscles and liver as a reserved store of body fat will lead to a reduction in loss of lean body mass. Practical application The research data presented in this dissertation can contribute to a better understanding of the potential effects of genetic factors as well as external factors such as fasting on muscle properties, liver and adipose tissues. Identification of genes affecting muscle properties would allow for the initiation of deeper muscle studies in mouse models. Prolonged studies of bouts of fasting and refeeding provide insight into the potential benefits or harms of the growing popularity of intermittent fasting for health purposes
Prevalence of bullying in relationships between athletes.
No full textThe problem of the study: what is the prevalence of bullying in inter-athlete relations in Lithuania? The subject of the study: Prevalence of bullying in inter-athlete relationships. The aim of the study: to develop a plan to prevent bullying in sports organizations by detecting the prevalence of bullying in interrelationships. The tasks of the study: 1. To analyze bullying in relations between athletes by comparing empirical results of Lithuanian and foreign research. 2. Review bullying prevention and intervention programs in sports organizations by comparing Lithuanian and foreign practices. 3. To determine the prevalence of bullying in relations between athletes in Lithuania. 4. Develop a plan to prevent bullying in sports organizations. Conclusions: 1. By comparing empirical studies conducted in Lithuania and other countries of the world, which aimed to find out the frequency of bullying experienced by athletes, and the extent to which bullying is battled, it can be seen that the level of bullying in Lithuania is quite high. Most bullying takes place in school environments, but bullying is also persisting in a sports organization. The survey analyzed that 29.90% of respondents experience or have experienced bullying (r=41). 2. After reviewing bullying prevention and intervention programs in sports organizations in Lithuania and foreign countries, the data obtained shows that there is a serious shortage of such programs in Lithuania. The results of the survey showed that 30.7% of respondents said they thought a written code of ethics should be adopted in sports organizations, and 25.5% of respondents felt the need to hold meetings with a qualified specialist who could help resolve conflicts. 3. The survey found that bullying in Lithuania is quite widespread, based on the results obtained by about one-third of respondents (r=41, 29.9 percent), claiming to have experienced bullying. 4. To reduce or even stop ongoing bullying, the first step is to educate the parents, coaches, and club leaders of children who play sports on this issue, as behavior forms as early as childhood, and the people around us are strongly influenced. 27 individuals (19.7 percent) stated they had experienced bullying from coaches, while 19 respondents (13.9 percent) said they had experienced bullying from a club manager and 18.2 percent (r=25) said they have experienced bullying from those involved in sports organizations where they play sports. Also, the survey results showed that sports organizations would like to see a code of ethics approved, that as many as 57.7 percent of respondents did not say it and that seminars on the topic would stand at 63.5% of respondents said that their sports organization does not have meetings. Coaches should create a bond with athletes so that they are not afraid to approach them with all the questions that have emerged to express unrest. 11.4 percent of respondents say they saw or experienced bullying, but did nothing, did not go anywhere because they were afraid. Bullying shouldn't be tolerated
Links between the lifestyle and the quality of life among the disabled in Kaunas city.
No full textResearch problem: The studies carried out emphasise society's demand for increasing accessibility of the disabled to the environment, their options of safety and healthcare operations, and opportunities to study, to acquire certain skills which are required in order to lead life in full. Therefore, it is important to conduct some new investigations in order to establish how the lifestyle and its factors, e. g. good habits, physical activities and lifestyle, determine the perception of the quality of life among the persons with disabilities. Goal of the paper: Establishment of the links between the lifestyle and the quality of life among the disabled in Kaunas city. Tasks of the paper: Identifying lifestyle characteristics of disabled people (their nutritional habits, physical activity and addictions); assessing the quality of life of persons with disabilities; establishing the links (relationship) between the lifestyle and the quality of life among disabled persons. Hypothesis: The disabled, who do exercises, do not smoke and do not consume alcohol, as well as who eat properly, assess the quality of their life positively. Methods of research: questionnaire surveys, systemization and aggregation of data, statistical analysis. Results: After conducting the research, it is established that the disabled people who participated in the survey, distinguished for their sufficiently healthy lifestyle: most of them do not smoke, consume alcohol drinks very rarely, consider that diet is important – they have breakfast and eat three times a day, and although they have snack food they choose healthy products (fruit). However, only minority of the disabled do exercises every day and more than a half of the disabled sleep too short per day. The overall quality of life of people with disabilities and their general health are assessed as average. The disabled people assessed the satisfaction with their life and psychological health by the highest scores while their physical health was estimated by the lowest scores. The quality of life of the disabled was not affected by neither sex nor their education; however, the overall quality of their life, the general health and environment was assessed better by the people younger than 30 years old; persons with sensory and mental disabilities assessed their physical health by higher scores; people possessing their disabilities over 20 years assessed their physical health, psychological health, environment and satisfaction with their life by higher scores; single disabled persons assessed their overall health by higher scores comparing with married disabled people; working persons with disabilities evaluated their physical health by higher scores compared with the disabled who did not work. Conclusion: After assessing the links between people's quality of life and healthy lifestyle, it is established that the disabled people who exercise, do not smoke and do not consume alcohol, and has a proper diet, assess the quality of their life more positively
Age-related declines in lower limb muscle function are similar in power and endurance athletes of both sexes: a longitudinal study of master athletes /
No full textThe age-related decline in muscle function, particularly muscle power, is associated with increased risk of important clinical outcomes. Physical activity is an important determinant of muscle function, and different types of physical activity e.g. power-based versus endurance-based exercise appear to have differential effects on muscle power. Cross-sectional studies suggest that participation in power-based exercise is associated with greater muscle power across adulthood but this has not been investigated longitudinally. We recruited eighty-nine male and female power and endurance master athletes (sprint and distance runners respectively, baseline age 35-90y). Using jumping mechanography, we measured lower limb muscle function during a vertical jump including at least two testing sessions longitudinally over 4.5 ± 2.4y. We examined effects of time, discipline (power/endurance) and sex in addition to two- and three-way interactions using linear mixed-effects models. Peak relative power, relative force and jump height, but not Esslingen Fitness Index (indicating peak power relative to sex and age-matched reference data) declined with time. Peak power, force, height and EFI were greater in power than endurance athletes. There were no sex, discipline or sex*discipline interactions with time for any variable, suggesting that changes were similar over time for athletes of both sexes and disciplines. Advantages in lower limb muscle function in power athletes were maintained with time, in line with previous cross-sectional studies. These results suggest that improvements in lower limb function in less active older individuals following power-based training persist with continued adherence, although this requires further investigation in interventional studies
Management solutions during Covid-19 pandemic and sport clubs employees intention to leave workplace.
No full textThe aim of the research - to evaluate management solutions impact on employee’s intent to leave workplace during Covid-19 pandemic. The research problem – how do management solutions determine employee’s intent to leave workplace during Covid-19 pandemic? Research tasks: 1. To discuss factors affecting employees turnover intention in the context of management solutions. 2. To determine fitness clubs employees turnover intention during Covid-19 pandemic. 3. Assess fitness clubs management solutions, related to organization’s course of actions during the pandemic. 4. To reveal the links between management solutions and employees turnover intention. Research methods - analysis of scientific literature and questionnaire survey. Freely available questionnaires or parts of the following authors are integrated into the instrument: Rohani and Mishaliny (2012, pp. 702-709), Brasheara, Manolis and Brooks, (2005, pp. 241–249). The research questionnaire consists of three blocks of questions, Part I - socio - demographic data, Part II - the employee 's employment opportunities and intention to change jobs and Part III – employee’s evaluation of their workplace manager’s management solutions during Covid-19 pandemic. In total, the questionnaire consisted of 27 questions, of which: 6 were of the closed type (when the answer options are optional) and 21 questions, the answer options of which were presented on five-point (Likert) rating scales, where 1 meant - strongly disagree and 5 meant strongly agree. The most important results - Analyzing turnover intention of employees working in Kaunas city fitness clubs during Covid-19 pandemic, it was found that one third of respondents intend to leave their workplace. Employees that work in a fitness club for the first or second time express less desire to leave current workplace, compared them to employees that work in a fitness club for the third time or more. This study revealed negative significant association (-0,650**) between turnover intentions and employees’ satisfaction with management solutions during Covid-19. Therefore it can be concluded that employees, who are satisfied with management solutions show less intention to leave their workplace. Findings of the study – respondents do not show a sense of urgency in deciding whether to leave their current organization or stay during Covid-19 pandemic, even if the probability of finding another job is great. Younger employees of fitness clubs express more intention to leave their job in times of Covid-19 pandemic than their older co-workers. It can also be stated that younger respondents are more indecisive and have trouble making a decision whether they should leave or stay at their workplace, compared them to their older colleagues. It was also found that male respondents are more likely to leave their workplace than female respondents. Employees that work in a fitness club for the first or second time express less desire to leave current workplace, compared them to employees that work in a fitness club for the third time or more. Management solutions during Covid-19 pandemic affect employees‘ turnover intention. If employees are satisfied with their supervisors and their decision making, they are more likely to stay at their workplace