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Evaluation of motivation to volunteer at the FIFA world hall football championship.
No full textThe aim of research work - to investigate the motivation to volunteer at a sports event. Research tasks: - to evaluate the motivation to volunteer at the stage of FIFA World Hall Football Championship in Kaunas; - to evaluate the influence of COVID - 19 on motivation to volunteer at the FIFA World Hall Football Championship in Kaunas stage; Research object - motivation of volunteers to volunteer. Research mothods. The study involved 93 volunteers who participated in the FIFA World Hall Football Championship in Kaunas (36 men and 57 women) over the age of 18. A questionnaire based on Bang., el at (2009), Van Dop et al., (2016), Lurie et al,. (2011), Mowday et al., (1979), Oh et al., (2017), Curran et al., (2016). It consists of several parts - motivation scale, psychological environment, evaluation of teamwork, satisfaction, behavioral intentions, brand heritage and socio-demographic variables. Results. 93 volunteers who volunteered at the FIFA World Hall Football Championship in Kaunas were interviewed. Most of the volunteers were Lithuanian citizens aged 18-22. According to the questions of motivation to volunteer (Part I), the greatest motivation to volunteer is the desire to express oneself through a relationship with another person and to make oneself meaningful. Motivation In Part (II), the results showed that motivation is most influenced by a person's interest in the field and the desire to test oneself in that field, rather than by material incentives. Assessing the psychological environment, it was found that volunteers are well aware of their competencies and what they can offer to those around them. The confidence assessment found that most volunteers are self-confident, socially active individuals who feel safe enough to express their thoughts freely to others. Assessing the impact of COVID - 19 on volunteer motivation, only a small number of respondents feared that COVID - 19 could cause death, but in general volunteers were reluctant to pay attention to COVID - 19. Conclusions: 1. The survey showed that the nature of volunteering does not depend on an interest in specific activities related to the event. 2. According to the survey data, COVID-19 had little or no effect on the motivation of volunteers
Functional impact of post-exercise cooling and heating on recovery and training adaptations: application to resistance, endurance, and sprint exercise /
No full textThe application of post-exercise cooling (e.g., cold water immersion) and post-exercise heating has become a popular intervention which is assumed to increase functional recovery and may improve chronic training adaptations. However, the effectiveness of such post-exercise temperature manipulations remains uncertain. The aim of this comprehensive review was to analyze the effects of post-exercise cooling and post-exercise heating on neuromuscular function (maximal strength and power), fatigue resistance, exercise performance, and training adaptations. We focused on three exercise types (resistance, endurance and sprint exercises) and included studies investigating (1) the early recovery phase, (2) the late recovery phase, and (3) repeated application of the treatment. We identified that the primary benefit of cooling was in the early recovery phase (< 1 h post-exercise) in improving fatigue resistance in hot ambient conditions following endurance exercise and possibly enhancing the recovery of maximal strength following resistance exercise. The primary negative impact of cooling was with chronic exposure which impaired strength adaptations and decreased fatigue resistance following resistance training intervention (12 weeks and 4–12 weeks, respectively). In the early recovery phase, cooling could also impair sprint performance following sprint exercise and could possibly reduce neuromuscular function immediately after endurance exercise. Generally, no benefits of acute cooling were observed during the 24–72-h recovery period following resistance and endurance exercises, while it could have some benefits on the recovery of neuromuscular function during the 24–48-h recovery period following sprint exercise. Most studies indicated that chronic cooling does not affect endurance training adaptations following 4–6 week training intervention. We identified limited data employing heating as a recovery intervention, but some indications suggest promise in its application to endurance and sprint exercise
Exerkines and long-term synaptic potentiation: mechanisms of exercise-induced neuroplasticity /
No full textPhysical exercise may improve cognitive function by modulating molecular and cellular mechanisms within the brain. We propose that the facilitation of long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP)-related pathways, by products induced by physical exercise (i.e., exerkines), is a crucial aspect of the exercise-effect on the brain. This review summarizes synaptic pathways that are activated by exerkines and may potentiate LTP. For a total of 16 exerkines, we indicated how blood and brain exerkine levels are altered depending on the type of physical exercise (i.e., cardiovascular or resistance exercise) and how they respond to a single bout (i.e., acute exercise) or multiple bouts of physical exercise (i.e., chronic exercise). This information may be used for designing individualized physical exercise programs. Finally, this review may serve to direct future research towards fundamental gaps in our current knowledge regarding the biophysical interactions between muscle activity and the brain at both cellular and system levels
An impact of physiotherapy with interactive games on physical condition of teenagers with moderate intellectual disabilities.
No full textStudy aim: Lack of physical activity is one of the barriers in the daily lives of people with intellectual disabilities that is directly affected by a lack of motivation to stay physically active on a regular basis. Physiotherapy therefore faces additional challenges. Alternative methods of physiotherapy are important to improve the physical activity of people with intellectual disabilities. The application of new methods and their change helps to keep the attention of patients, to interest them, to motivate them. Problem: What kind of influence the alternative physiotherapy movements have on the motivation of teenagers with moderate intellectual disabilities? Have the motivation improves by by their usage? Study object: Psychophysical condition of teenagers with moderate intellectual impairment. Hypothesis: We believe that teenagers with moderate intellectual disabilities that participate in physiotherapy activities with Interactive projection games, cognitive functions and motivation should perform better than those who participate in conventional physiotherapy. The purpose of the study: To analyzed the effects of physiotherapy on the psychophysical state of teenagers with moderate intellectual disability using interactive projection games. Research tasks: 1. To investigate and compare the effect of different physiotherapy methods on the changes in the balance of the subjects. 2. To investigate and compare the effect of different physiotherapy methods on the changes in the studied cognitive functions. 3. To investigate and compare the effect of different physiotherapy methods on the changes in the motivation of the subjects. The results of the research: 1. Interactive projection games develop the balance of teenagers with moderate intellectual disabilities more than conventional physiotherapy, but the improvement is negligible. 2. Interactive projection games have a greater impact on cognitive function in teenagers with moderate intellectual impairment than conventional physiotherapy because a statistically significant difference was found between groups after the exposure program. 3. Interactive projection games have a significant impact on the motivation of teenagers with moderate intellectual impairment compared to conventional physiotherapy
Approaches of heads of education institutions to health promoting physical activity.
No full textResearch problem: the attitude of the heads of education institutions to health-enhancing physical activity determines the provision of institutions with material and human resources, programs, adaptation of the environment. Therefore, it is important to explore what and how managers tend to shape the institution's internal policies and culture in terms of health-enhancing physical activity. Object of research: managerial, material and intellectual measures applied by the heads of educational institutions to promote health-promoting physical activity. The aim of the research: to study the attitude of the heads of educational institutions towards health - enhancing physical activity, aspects of self - evaluation of the institution 's physical activity activities. Research tasks: 1. To find out the attitude of the heads of educational institutions towards the importance and promotion of students' physical activity. 2. To determine the attitude of the heads of educational institutions to the assessment of students' physical ability. 3. To evaluate the attitude of the heads of educational institutions towards the human resources for the promotion of physical activity. 4. To evaluate the attitude of the heads of educational institutions to the environment promoting physical activity of the educational institution. Conclusions: 1. Most heads of educational institutions in Vilnius County believe that physical activity has a positive effect on students' health and learning outcomes, and apply measures to promote them. 2. The majority of heads of educational institutions consider it meaningful to assess physical capacity, but this lacks resources and methodological recommendations. 3. 80 percent. The heads of educational institutions participating in the network of “health-promoting and active schools” have appointed a person or group of persons responsible for the promotion of physical activity, and even more of them stated that such a person or group of persons is needed. 4. All interviewed heads of institutions stated that the infrastructure for physical activity of students set out in HN 21: 2017 needs to be installed and constantly updated, and this is being done in educational institutions. About half of the establishments also had infrastructure not required by HN, such as bicycle spaces
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization are equally effective in patients of different ages with spinal degeneration.
No full textBackground. Back pain is the most common symptom caused by intervertebral disc degeneration, thus various interventions are used to relieve it, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization. The aim. To determine the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization on the static endurance of trunk muscles, back pain and functional disability in individuals of different ages with intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods. The study included 40 individuals diagnosed with lumbar disc degeneration. According to age, the subjects were divided into two groups: the first (n = 22), with a mean age of 34.27 ± 7.81 yrs. and the second (n = 18) with a mean age of 55.28 ± 5.86 yrs. Both groups underwent transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization to relieve back pain. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Before the intervention, after 4 weeks and after 8 weeks of the intervention, the static endurance of the trunk muscles and the pain intensity were assessed according to the numerical analog pain scale and the functional disability according to the Roland-Morris questionnaire. Results. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization of eight-week duration significantly increased static endurance of trunk muscles, reduced pain intensity, and functional disability in different age groups. No significant differences were found between groups after either 4 or 8 weeks of intervention. Conclusion. The use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization may reduce back pain and functional impairment in patients with intervertebral disc degeneration, regardless the age of patients. Keywords: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization, back pain, disc degeneration.
Palanki mokyklos edukacinė aplinka, skatinanti pradinių klasių mokinių fizinį aktyvumą.
No full textRelevance. Recent research reveals that the level of children’s physical activity is insufficient. According to the data of the international Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) investigation, more than 50 per cent of younger school-aged children in many European countries are insufficiently physically active (Inchley et al., 2020). In the UK, a study of 7–8-year-old children found that only 51 per cent met the recommended level of physical activity (Griffiths et al., 2013). A similar study of children aged 6–11 in the USA found that only 42 per cent of children met physical activity recommendations (Troiano et al., 2008). Recent Global Matrix 3.0 survey results from 49 countries showed that 27–33 per cent of children aged 5–17 met overall physical activity recommendations (Aubert et al., 2018). According to the aforementioned HBSC survey, only one in six Lithuanian school children (18 per cent) engaged in daily physical activity lasting at least 60 minutes in 2018, and this rate persistently remains low (Šmigelskas et al., 2019). The above studies show that many children are physically inactive. However, it is worth noting that physical activity starts to decline already in primary school (Jago et al., 2017, 2020; Metcalf et al., 2015). Longitudinal studies of primary school children have shown significant negative changes in children’s physical activity on weekdays and weekends (Jago et al., 2017) and an increase in sedentary lifestyles (Jago et al., 2020). Other studies have shown little change in children’s physical activity up to the age of 8 and a gradual decline from the age of 9 years onwards (Metcalf et al., 2015). It has also been observed that the decline in children’s physical activity is associated with the start of school (Reilly, 2016). The data from the international COSI study in Lithuania reveal that the number of physically inactive first-graders increased over a five-year period (Žaltauskė, Petrauskienė, 2016). The above studies suggest that children’s physical activity should be encouraged before it starts to decline dramatically. In other words, to develop lifelong skills rather than short-term habits, it is important to develop positive attitudes towards physical activity as early as possible (El Rayess et al., 2017; Zhao & Chen, 2018). Considering the need to promote physical activity in children as early as possible, this dissertation will focus on primary school children. When children start school, their routines and activities change. Instead of active games, children spend a large part of the day on the school bench, which negatively affects their physical activity (Kobel et al., 2015). As children spend about half of their day at school, the school has been identified as one of the most important factors contributing to their physical activity (Hyndman, 2017; Morton et al., 2016; Watson et al., 2017). Notably, over the past two decades, there has been a large number of studies using a range of interventions to promote physical activity in primary school (Bugge et al., 2012; Engelen et al., 2013; Martin & Murtagh, 2015; Mavilidi et al., 2019; Metcalf et al., 2015; Riley et al., 2016). Systematic or meta-analyses of the studies conducted suggest that such school-based interventions may be effective in increasing children’s physical activity levels (van Sluijs et al., 2007) or have little effect on children’s daily physical activity (Love et al., 2018, 2019). Teachers play a critical role in school-based physical activity interventions (Cothran & Kulinna, 2010), especially while addressing the issue of promoting physical activity in primary school children. Therefore, it is argued that it should be in the teacher’s interest to motivate children to be physically active and incorporate the promotion of physical activity into their educational routines (Watson et al., 2017). At the same time, it is pointed out that teachers do not have the skills and capacities to integrate, adapt, and meaningfully implement physical activity promotion interventions in schools (Jago et al., 2015). Although teachers believe in the benefits of physical education classes, they would rather teach other subjects due to a lack of confidence, time or equipment (Morgan, 2008). It should be noted that the studies mentioned above focused more on curriculum and physical education in primary school, teachers’ perception of the benefits of physical education (Morgan, 2008; Morgan & Hansen, 2008), and delved deeper into how teachers perceive the opportunities of promoting physical activity in the classroom (Dinkel et al., 2017; Webster et al., 2017). However, to better understand how to promote children’s physical activity, it is important to consider the whole school context. On the other hand, there is a lack of evidence on how teachers themselves perceive the opportunities to promote children’s physical activity at school. Research has also shown the important role of parents in promoting children’s physical activity at school (Dobbins et al., 2013; Lisinskienė, 2016; Messing et al., 2019; Žaltauskė, 2017). Although evidence on parents’ perception of the factors that promote and limit children’s physical activity (Bassett-Gunter et al., 2019) can be found, there is a lack of parental views on the opportunities to promote children’s physical activity at school. We assume that teachers’ and parents’ perception of the opportunities to promote children’s physical activity at school is essential to better understand what hinders and what (and how) contributes to understanding the benefits of physical activity. Over the past decades, many policy initiatives, programmes, and interventions have been undertaken to increase the level of children’s physical activity during the school day (Aadland et al., 2006; French et al., 2001; Martin & Murtagh, 2015; Mavilidi et al., 2019; Sallis et al., 2003; WHO, 2004). However, the findings of various studies reveal a declining situation in physical activity among primary school children, which suggests that the existing interventions and policies are not working. Langille and Rodgers (2010) argue that different policies, either simultaneously or each on their own, can impact the school environment and children’s physical activity. The researchers suggest that policy influences the way schools choose to operate. However, in the absence of proper policy coordination and accountability, its implementation may face barriers at the institutional (school) level. Therefore, to increase the effectiveness of the school in promoting children’s physical activity, it is important to understand not only its internal conditions but also the contextual barriers and opportunities and explore the experiences of education policymakers and practitioners to understand the processes that help implement and sustain such policy in schools (Collins et al., 2003; Dusenbury et al., 2003). The Lithuanian scientific discourse lacks a broader understanding of the school educational environment that impacts children’s physical activity keeping in mind the contextual conditions in which schools operate. To understand how physical activity is promoted at school, a broader, integrated view and knowledge from the school community – teachers and parents – on how they perceive and evaluate the school’s capacity to promote children’s physical activity and what factors in the school environment act as barriers or opportunities for promoting physical activity are in a great need. There is also a lack of policymakers/ experts working in the field of promoting children’s physical activity to provide insights into broader areas of school activities, i.e., the political, economic, and cultural contexts that impact school’s ability to promote children’s physical activity. In this context, the dissertation raises a problem question: what are the characteristics of the school educational environment that need to be present to support and encourage the physical activity of primary school children? The research subject is a supportive educational environment that encourages physical activity among primary school children. The research aims to reveal the factors of the school educational environment that encourage physical activity among primary school children. Objectives: 1. To describe the theoretical analysis of the concept of the educational environment to define its impact on encouraging the physical activity of primary school children. 2. To reveal the factors contributing to creating a school educational environment to support physical activity among primary school children. 3. To identify the factors that negatively influence physical activity in a primary school. The scientific novelty of the dissertation. So far, research in Lithuania has mainly focused on measuring the physical activity of older learners. The novelty of this dissertation is that the new knowledge will be related to complex cognition. The concept of the school educational environment will be expanded to reveal how the ability of the school to promote children’s physical activity is related to the variables external to the school environment, such as the child’s unique features, the family environment, and education policy. Practical relevance. The research will identify the factors and problems that hinder the support of physical activity among children, which will enable the programmes developed to address the problematic issues in a targeted way. The factors identified as contributing to children’s physical activity will form the basis of the programmes under development, thus enhancing their purposefulness and impact. The research results may be relevant for teachers while working more closely with parents and helping them better understand how to support physical activity among children striving to organise the process of physical education and promote physical activities at school more effectively. The study results are also beneficial for school administrators while creating a school culture supporting physical activity, raising awareness of the importance of children’s physical activity, and designing and implementing physical activity promotion programmes at school. The identified education and health policy factors will allow the legislative and executive decision-makers to make informed strategic choices to more effectively implement and coordinate policies and programmes to encourage physical activity among children. CONCLUSIONS 1. A multi-theoretical approach applied to the analysis of theoretical sources has highlighted the complexity of the determinants of children’s physical activity and revealed a dynamic interaction between the various factors of intrapersonal, close social environment and broader social context at different levels, including variables such as the place of residence, the learning environment, the infrastructure of physical activities, the policy of physical activity promotion, and the national socio-cultural context. School is identified as one of the most important environments for promoting physical activity in children. The definition of the concept of the educational environment has led to identifying the criteria of the school educational environment that are important for children’s physical education: the characteristics of the learners (e.g., intellectual and physical abilities, motivation, previous experience); the school infrastructure (spaces for physical activities, the size of gyms, equipment, furniture, facilities); curricula, ongoing physical activity and healthy lifestyle promotion programmes, teacher’s competence; the socio-cultural environment, i.e., relationships among teachers, peers; parent’s involvement, support and encouragement; physical activity traditions in the school and the family; interactions between the educator and the learner, which includes purposeful communication, support, frequency and quality of relationships. It has become clear that the school cannot be seen as a closed system. It operates at the intersection of, and is influenced by, family, friends, living environment, and macrocontextual conditions. 2. The study revealed that the physical activity of primary school children is positively influenced by school environment factors such as properly adapted infrastructure for physical activity, the organisation of the physical education process, the teacher’s personality and competence, cooperation between parents and teachers, the quality of non-formal physical education, and the socio-cultural environment of the school. Modern and diverse infrastructure and equipment adapted for physical activities, renovated outdoor stadiums, and spaces for children to use for physical activities during breaks provide a supportive environment to encourage and maintain physical activity in the school. The variety of forms of physical activities, the organisation of physical activities during breaks, and the integration of physical activities into the content of academic lessons all contribute positively to children’s physical activeness. Transferring physical education classes to the facilities of selected professional sports not only makes physical activity more attractive to children but also addresses the issue of lack of infrastructure for physical activity at school. Positive influences include an attractive personality of the teacher, a positive teacher-learnerrelationship, expressed by support, encouragement, reinforcement, recognition of the child’s needs, and the teacher’s participation in physical activities with the children. The involvement of the representatives of the sporting world in physical education is also seen as a factor in encouraging children’s physical activity. The research suggests that introducing a position of a teacher in physical education and increasing the number of weekly physical education classes would positively contribute to promoting physical activity among children, especially if health professionals are involved. Parents’ participation in school-organised physical activity events is also an important factor in promoting children’s physical activity, which operates through sharing, role modelling, encouragement, and support. Close cooperation between teachers and parents is associated with a better understanding of the child’s needs, selecting more effective forms of physical activities, and shaping a more positive parent’s attitude towards their child’s physical activeness. The culture and traditions of physical activity at school are important in supporting and promoting physical activity among children, as evidenced by the organisation of physical activity events that involve the pedagogical community and families; refusal to treat physical education as a subordinate subject compared to other academic subjects, and the promotion of active involvement of health professionals in supporting children’s wellness and physical activity in education. 3. Identifying the factors that negatively affect the physical activity of primary school children at school revealed that they are related to the problematic issues of school infrastructure, the organisation and regulation of physical education, and the lack of teachers’ competencies. New challenges are related to the psychophysical characteristics of present-day children, the overemphasis on academic achievements, and the lack of a common state policy on promoting physical activity among children. Although school infrastructure related to physical activity has received considerable attention in recent years, schools face problems of inadequate size of gyms and lack of equipment because of high flows of learners. The problem of changing rooms and shower facilities remains particularly acute. It leads to a lack of normal conditions for children’s hygiene and often provokes bullying. The study results highlighted several important problems in the organisation of the physical education process. The findings revealed too little consideration of peculiarities of children’s age while organising physical education. Children have too few choices during physical education classes and breaks, they do not find physical activities at school that suit their needs, and physical education classes are more formal. Transferring physical education classes to professional sports facilities may help address the lack of infrastructure. However, it may also pose problems for teachers while organising the physical education process and personalising the content of education according to the level of learners’ physical fitness and needs. The research revealed that teachers face the problem of the absence of common documents to ensure the quality of physical education and its evaluation system. This leads to unequal levels of achieving the aims of physical education classes. The research implied that children’s physical education requires primary teachers to have specific knowledge, which they lack not being specialists in physical education. In addition, the study also identified the problem of teachers’ age, which may pose challenges in adopting and applying various innovations in physical education. The research revealed that non-formal physical education is an attractive form of physical activity that encourages physical activity among children. However, it also highlighted problems in non-formal education that reduce children’s physical activeness, i.e., lack of variety and choice. The funding model for clubs within the municipality limits the access to other, possibly better-quality clubs in neighbouring municipalities. Coaches may not be motivated to work with weaker children or achieve higher results. The excessive pressure from parents for their children to attend sports clubs without considering their wishes and abilities also reduces children’s motivation to be physically active. The research also highlighted the psychophysical characteristics of present-day primary school children that pose challenges for teachers in encouraging their physical activity, i.e., declining physical capacity and state of health, psychological hypersensitivity, lack of stubbornness and persistence, fear of trying new things, lack of self-confidence, desire for quick results and instant loss of interest in activities. Parents’ excessive desire to protect their children from possible injuries in sports also poses additional challenges for teachers in engaging children in physical education classes. It has been observed that the orientation towards academic achievements has marginalised physical activity. Parents emphasise academic performance as a key determinant of their children’s future careers, and schools with high academic performance maintain their competitiveness in the education market. Government policies and measures do create the conditions for schools to actively promote children’s physical activity; however, there is a lack of greater responsibility of the government to promote children’s physical activeness, a clear long-term policy on, and a common framework for, promoting physical activity. Moreover, there is no single authority responsible for developing a policy on children’s physical activity
Ryšiai tarp profesionalių paauglių sportininkių, per treniruotes patiriančių skirtingą mechaninę apkrovą, kaulų mineralinio tankio, kūno kompozicijos ir kraujo žymenų.
No full textBone is a metabolically active tissue with continuous remodeling occurring throughout the lifespan, which involves a tight cooperation between osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteocytes (Jürimäe, 2010). It is important to increase bone mineralization during growth and maturation (Bailey, McKay, Mirwald, Crocker, & Faulkner, 1999) as individuals who achieve higher bone accrual during adolescence and subsequently higher peak bone mass in early adulthood have decreased fracture risk in later life (Weaver et al., 2016; Sözen, Özışık, & Başaran, 2017). The most important factors related to the accumulation of bone mineral are hormonal and mechanical factors (Bellver, Del Rio, Jovell, Drobnic, & Trilla, 2019; Gruodyte et al., 2010a) that also include body composition (Jürimäe, Gruodyte-Raciene, & Baxter-Jones, 2018) and physical activity (Marin-Puyalto et al., 2019). The beneficial effects of physical activity on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) are primarily linked to the mechanisms of mechanical loading either from the impact with the ground or from skeletal muscle contractions, but the relative importance of these two sources has not yet been elucidated (Gomez-Bruton et al., 2016; Jürimäe et al., 2018). Both forces seem to be able to induce bone adaptations independently, and there may be differences in the importance of loading sources at different skeletal sites (Bellver et al., 2019). The nature of the stimuli is affected by the type, intensity, frequency, and duration of the activity (Marin-Puyalto et al., 2019). The effects of exercise training on bone health in athletes also vary in relation to the training pattern, ranging from non-weight bearing (e.g., swimming) to high-impact (e.g., gymnastics) activities (Nichols, Sanborn, & Essery, 2007; Maimoun et al., 2013a). It appears that systematic swimming practice has no effect on bone mineral accrual, and it is not therefore considered an osteogenic sport (Gomez-Bruton et al., 2016; Vlachopoulos et al., 2017). Furthermore, differences in aBMD between adolescent swimmers (SW) and other athletes seem to increase with age and maturation, favoring the non-swimming sports (Gomez-Bruton et al., 2016; Ubago-Guisado et al., 2019). In contrast, gymnastics training is especially osteogenic for bone development during adolescence (Jürimäe et al., 2018). High-intensity mechanical loading of gymnastics activities increase bone mineral accrual and counterbalance negative effects, such as low body fat mass (FM) and lower hormone levels in highly trained rhythmic gymnasts (RG) (Jürimäe et al., 2018). However, intense athletic activity in RG can also lead to a relative state of energy deficiency, hormone disbalance and hypothalamic amenorrhea (Ackerman & Misra, 2018), which could lead to unfavorable bone mineral accrual in adolescence (Maimoun, Georgopoulos, & Sultan, 2014; 2020). Furthermore, an excessive exercise with high energy expenditure may have detrimental effects on bone tissue in adolescent female athletes, especially together with exercise-induced hypothalamic amenorrhea (Ackerman & Misra, 2018). In the present thesis, we aim to address how different kind of athletic activities may affect bone mineral development taking into account body composition characteristics, blood biomarkers and different sport training variables such as previous length of practice and weekly training volume in adolescent female athletes. In addition, after extensive literature search, we were unable to find any studies that compare and describe the influence of prolonged athletic activity on the possible interaction between energy homeostasis regulating hormones including different adipokines, osteokines and myokines in adolescent female athletes with different athletic activity pattern. Aim of research The general aim of this thesis was to investigate the relationships of bone mineral characteristics with blood biomarkers, body composition and training load variables in adolescent female athletes with different loading patterns. Research objectives 1. To compare bone mineral characteristics and blood biomarkers in eumenorrheic adolescent athletes with different training patterns (Study I). 2. To evaluate the relationships of bone mineral characteristics with blood biomarkers in eumenorrheic adolescent athletes with different training patterns (Study I). 3. To investigate the relationships of sclerostin with adipokines, myokines, osteokines and body composition in lean adolescent females (Study II). 4. To investigate the relationships of bone mineral characteristics with blood biomarkers, body composition and training load variables in adolescent athletes with different training patterns (Study III). Research hypotheses 1. Rhythmic gymnasts with high weight-bearing athletic activity have higher bone mineral values despite lower body fat percent and circulating adipokine values in comparison with swimmers and untrained individuals. 2. Systematic athletic activity with different loading patterns may have a different effect on the relationships of bone mineral values with blood biomarkers in adolescent female athletes. 3. There is a possible interaction between bone, adipose and muscle tissues, which is characterized by relationships between specific osteokine, adipokine and myokine values in lean adolescent females with increased energy metabolism. 4. Systematic athletic activity with different loading patterns may have a different effect on the relationships of bone mineral values with body composition and training load in adolescent female athletes. CONCLUSIONS 1. Rhythmic gymnasts undertaking specific weight-bearing athletic activity present higher bone mineral values in comparison with swimmers and untrained controls, while non-weight-bearing activity of swimming training has neutral effect on bone mineral values in swimmers. Adolescent athletes with different training patterns have higher serum sclerostin concentrations than untrained controls. 2. Circulating sclerostin concentration influenced bone mineral characteristics only in high-impact training group of rhythmic gymnasts, suggesting that the specific training pattern seen in rhythmic gymnasts has a beneficial effect on bone mineral values despite higher sclerostin that inhibits bone formation. 3. Circulating sclerostin level is associated with leptin, irisin and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, suggesting a possible interaction between specific adipokine, myokine and osteokine values in lean adolescent females with increased physical activity. 4. Specific training volume together with appendicular muscle mass influenced cortical bone development at the femoral neck site of the skeleton in rhythmic gymnasts, while hormonal values influenced trabecular bone development at the lumbar spine site of the skeleton in both athletic groups with different loading patterns. Appendicular muscle mass was the only studied predictor of all measured bone mineral values in untrained controls
Effects of physical activity on the physical condition and quality of life of elderly people /
No full textBackground: The article raises a topical scientific problem regarding the physical inactivity and low physical capacity of the elderly population, the indicators of which, according to researchers in old age, can help predict institutionalization, disability, or even the risk of premature death. Various organizations around the world are striving to increase the number of physically active people by raising awareness and developing preventive measures. In this study, we looked for optimal activities that can effectively improve the physical capacity and quality of life self assessment of older people. Methods: Eurofit tests were used to assess physical capacity (Jones, & Rikli, 2002). The study assessed the physical capacity of elderly people to determine body composition, motor system capacity, skeletal muscle capacity, and cardiovascular capacity. A shortened version of the WHO questionnaire (World Health Organization Quality of Life 100 - WHOQOL-100), WHO-BREF-26 was used to assess quality of life (World Health Organization, 2012). Results: The indicators of quality of life of the subjects did not improve in a statistically significant way after physically energetic activities – exercise, swimming and Nordic walking. The indicators of physical capacity of the subjects improved in a statistically significant way after physically energetic activities. The three-month exercise increased hand muscle strength and body composition, swimming activity increased hand muscle strength, upper body flexibility and motor system performance indicators, Nordic walking statistically significantly improved upper body flexibility. Conclusions: Different physical activity activities significantly improve different components of physicalcapacity. Keywords: physical activity, elderly people, physical capacity
The relationship between mindfulness practices and the psychological state and performance of kyokushin karate athletes /
No full textThe aim of this study was to determine the relationship between mindfulness practices and the psychological state and qualification of kyokushin karate athletes. The survey was conducted using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-15) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The study involved 371 Lithuanian kyokushin karate athletes (of which 59.3% were male and 40.7% were female; 71.4% of research participants have practiced this sport for 11 and more years and have the 1st dan or a higher belt). The results of the study showed a positive impact of mindfulness in reducing stress experienced by athletes, improving their psychological state, and enhancing their athletic performance. A moderate negative correlation was identified between stress, anxiety, and mindfulness, and while the mindfulness score was increasing, the severity level of depression was decreasing. Meanwhile, the correlation of the meditation effect and anxiety with kyokushin karate 0–7 kyu belt was very weak but statistically significant. The research results could be useful not only for athletes and their coaches but also for sports organizations. After analysing the benefits of mindfulness for kyokushin karate athletes, mindfulness practices are proposed for the effective improvement of athletes’ physical and psychological state when preparing for professional-level competitions