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The benefits of guided imagery on athletic performance: a mixed-methods approach /
No full textIntroduction: Imagery as a psychological skill in sports occupies an essential place in the psychological preparation of athletes and is one of the key factors in realizing an athlete’s potential in competitive sports. It’s role in athlete performance, as well as the differences in its use across various sports and demographic groups, has been a compelling topic in both sports’ science and psychology. This topic has remained relevant in recent years. Aim: This quantitative survey-based and experimental design study aims to first, to determine whether differences in imagery ability profiles, identified through cluster analysis, can characterize differences among athletes with varying levels of athletic achievement. A secondary aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of a guided imagery intervention on imagery abilities and athletic performance. Methods: A total of 500 athletes from different sports, aged M = 21.01 (SD = 2.82), both male and female, completed the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ) and provided information regarding their demographics and athletic achievements. In the experimental part of the study, nine alpine skiers were selected to participate in a six-month guided imagery intervention alongside their regular trainings on the ski track to assess the intervention’s impact on performance. Results: The results of K-means cluster analysis on athletic achievements of athletes showed a four-cluster solution that hat emphasized distinctions between the groups and reduced variation within each group. A Multiple Analysis of Covariance revealed that the four cluster groups differ in their imagery abilities. Pre- and post-intervention assessments for the nine alpine skiers were conducted using SIAQ and control training sessions, revealing significant increase in both imagery ability scores and performance indicators (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The research results support recent findings that athletes with higher athletic achievement tend to have stronger imagery abilities. The significant differences observed between the clusters based on athletic achievement levels were confirmed. By using imagery profiling of athletes with an analytical method, this study provides valuable insights into the role of imagery in athletic success, suggesting that tailored imagery training could enhance performance across different levels of athletic achievement
A quantitative analysis of the association between problematic internet use, cognitive ability, and movement proficiency among adolescents in Pakistan :
No full textThe effects of a 48-hour fasting period on metabolic markers during exercise and recovery in male combat sports athletes :
No full textThe specifics of applying systemic psychotherapy to team sports games /
No full textHigh-level team sports competition creates considerable degree of mental workload for the players, particularly in teams with prominent players displaying characteristics of subclinical narcissism. This affects team effectiveness, which is contingent upon the harmonization of the players’ personalities. This perspective examines the specific application of systemic psychotherapy in team sports games. We analyze key factors including team compositions, therapeutic processes, and the factors that contribute to the onset and persistence of pathological symptoms. Our analysis reveals that while systemic psychotherapy effectively addresses team dynamics by treating the team as a unified system, its success depends on multiple variables that influence treatment outcomes. Understanding these specifics enables more effective implementation of systemic psychotherapy in a team sports, though its effectiveness is not constrained by universal patterns. This perspective contributes to expanding the therapeutic approaches in competitive team sports
The social importance of continuous training of public officials to maximize governance and democratic governance. Perceptions and debates.
No full textGovernance and democratic governance are crucial analytical categories for the study of contemporary political systems in the twenty-first century. Governance refers to the stability of democracy and its ability to integrate the demands and aspirations of society. On the other hand, governance focuses on the legitimacy of good governance. In this context of political and social debate, the main objective of this scientific article is to describe the social importance of the continuous training of public officials to maximize governance and democratic governance in the twenty-first century. Methodologically, the technique of documentary research and Socratic maieutics were used, where the formulation of intelligent questions is key to reaching the truth of the entities. It concludes that, in an era marked by the growing relevance of technology and transparency, citizens legitimately demand a government that responds to their needs and expectations. Therefore, continuous training becomes an essential requirement for civil servants to adapt to new realities and social demands, which are complex and dynamic
Mental preparation of karateka for sports competition in kata /
No full textMental preparation for sports competition in karate is significant, as it is deeply embedded in the philosophical and ethical values that underpin this combat method. In practice, the mental preparation of karateka varies depending on the type of competition, for example preparation for kata (forms) and kumite (fights). Thus, this perspective offers a concise account of the authors' viewpoint on the leading mental skills required of kata competitors. It is argued that self-esteem, inner speech, imagination, visualisation, values and personality play a significant role in the development of confidence. In addressing stress, attention was directed towards the role of arousal, coping strategies, Jacobson's progressive relaxation, Schultz's autogenic training, biofeedback, schemas and scripts. Effective management of anxiety relies on the utilisation of mindfulness and desensitisation techniques. In maintaining attention, effective attention management, attention styles, the ability to filter out distractions, mantras and affirmations are significant. Conversely, practicing tasks that induce a Stroop effect can improve executive function skills. The above elements of mental preparation for kata competitors are universally applicable to all competitors in this field, yet they are not the sole elements that may be employed. Given the individual predispositions of kata competitors, other mental training techniques may also be applicable
Acute concurrent exercise improves inhibitory control without mediating the role of lactate: an event-related potential study /
No full textConcurrent exercise (CE), an emerging exercise modality characterized by sequential bouts of aerobic (AE) and resistance exercise (RE), has demonstrated acute benefits on executive functions (EFs) and neuroelectric P3 amplitude. However, the effect of acute CE on inhibitory control, a sub-component of EFs, and P3 amplitude remains inconclusive. Moreover, exploring the mechanisms underlying the effects of acute exercise on EFs contributes to scientific comprehension, with lactate recognized as a crucial candidate positively correlated with EFs. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of acute CE on inhibitory control via behavioral and event-related potential approaches and to examine its potential mediational role on lactate
Finnish parents’ perception of the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of autistic adolescents /
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted autistic adolescents differently, but less is known about what aspects of their lives were the most affected. In this paper, we used a convenience sample (n = 323) of Finnish parents of autistic adolescents who reported the perceived impact of COVID-19 on the lives of their autistic children. Data were analysed with content analyses and four themes emerged; studies, everyday life, interaction, and personal matters. The impact was considered to have been more negative (69%) than positive (31%). There were some mixed feelings towards the impact of COVID-19 and these were targeted particularly towards the way studies were carried out. Parents reported temporal negative impact of the pandemic such as, overall quality of schooling, changes to daily routines, lack of friendships, and reduced mental health. These areas should be monitored post-pandemic. In addition, parents reported their autistic adolescents were able to learn in an undistracted way, were supported by their family, had less exposure to stressful stimuli. The parents appreciated the opportunity to see their autistic child thrive. These were important learnings for designing personalised education for autistic adolescents, such as hybrid schooling and flexible supportive environments in a post-COVID-19 lockdown world
Vascular reactivity characterized by PPG-derived pulse wave velocity /
No full textVascular reactivity is the capacity of the blood vessels to adapt under physiological and environmental stimuli. Heat stress causes changes at vascular level affecting pulse wave velocity (PWV), which can be non-invasively obtained using pulse photoplethysmography (PPG). The study aim is to characterize non-invasive and reliable PPG-derived PWV surrogates that are able to assess vascular reactivity, using data from fifteen healthy male volunteers under heat stress conditions. Pulse arrival time (PAT) is a recognized PWV surrogate measure, but our study explores further by including pulse transit time difference (PTTD) and pulse wave decomposition analysis (PDA). Our results indicate a significant linear decrease in PAT and PDA under heat stress, with an approximate 15% reduction compared to the relax phase, closely correlating with heart rate (HR) alterations. This correlation is likely influenced by factors such as the pre-ejection period or stroke volume changes. In contrast, PTTD demonstrates a distinct pattern: it exhibits significant and rapid changes during the initial exposure to heat stress, with an approximate 30% reduction, yet shows minimal intra-stage variations (around 0 ms/min compared to 2.5 ms/min in PAT). This suggests that PTTD, in measuring acute sympathetic activation responses, effectively minimizes the impact of HR-related phenomena that significantly influence PAT and PDA measurements. Our study highlights PTTD as an underexplored yet promising measure for accurately assessing vasoconstriction and vascular reactivity
The effect of acute and prolonged cooling and heating on muscle force and recovery /
No full textBackground: It has been observed that temperature manipulation has different effect on skeletal muscle function. We hypothesise that both acute and prolonged heating will reduce muscle force more than cooling and recovery will be slower in the heating. Methods: Ten participants (age 27.1 ± 6.8 years) performed acute and prolonged thermal manipulations and neuromuscular testing. We measured muscle, rectal temperatures, P20, P100, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) after acute and prolonged cold water immersion (CWI) and hot water immersion (HWI) and control (CON) sitting. Results: Muscle temperature (Tmu) significantly increased following both acute and prolonged HWI and significantly decreased after acute and prolonged CWI, compared to baseline and CON conditions, p < 0.05. Rectal temperature (Trec) increased after HWI and declined significantly only during prolonged CWI, p < 0.05. Electrically evoked torques (P20 and P100) and MVIC decreased significantly after fatiguing stimulation across all conditions, p < 0.05, with greater post-recovery impairments in HWI compared to CWI, especially in the prolonged phase, p < 0.05. Central activation ratio (CAR) declined significantly only in the prolonged HWI condition after bath and following 3 min of recovery, compared to baseline and other conditions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Although HWI effectively increases body temperature, it may significantly impair neuromuscular recovery more than CWI or passive rest