1,720,985 research outputs found
Exercise Dependence In Team Sport Athletes And Fitness Activities Participants
No full textPURPOSE: Although regular physical Activity (PA) has positive effects on mental and physical health, excessive exercise could have adverse effects. Exercise dependence (ED) is characterized by excessive training leading to physiological and psychological symptoms. Since excessive exercisers show higher ED risk compared to individuals with lower activity levels, this study aimed to investigate individual’s ED levels in team sport athletes and people engaging in fitness activities (FA). METHODS: Seventy adults (age: 29 ± 10.8 yrs) were allocated in two groups: Team Sport Group (TSG=36 team sport athletes) and FA Group (FAG=34 FA participants). The Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-21), measuring on a 6-point Likert scale Withdrawal, Tolerance, Reductions in Other Activities, Lack of Control, Continuance, Intention Effects and Time dimensions, was used to assess ED. Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to verify differences (p14 for at least 3 of the 7 dimensions) was not found, TSG scored higher in five dimensions of the EDS-21, indicating a greater propensity to exhibit behaviors which could result in ED. Results could be explained by sport commitment of athletes, requiring large amounts of training to pursue outstanding sport performances, and social pressure, representing a risk for maladaptive exercise behaviors. Conversely, participants engaging in FA might prioritize personal enjoyment, well-being enhancement, and socialization. Findings suggest the need for careful monitoring and psychological support for athletes engaged in sports to prevent adverse effects on health of excessive exercise
Could Mini-Trampoline Training Be Considered as a New Strategy to Reduce Asymmetries?
No full textInter-limb asymmetry is defined as the performance imbalance of a limb with respect to the other one. Studies demonstrated how plyometric training could minimize inter-limb imbalance by reducing asymmetries and the relative risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Among the different plyometric training modalities, SuperJump® represented a reliable method. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of SuperJump® training on dynamic balance Unilateral Asymmetry and Bilateral Asymmetry Indexes. Thirty-seven subjects were randomly allocated in two groups: SuperJump® (N = 20) and Control (N = 17). The SuperJump® group participated in the SuperJump® session, whereas the Control group did not receive any workout session. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the SuperJump® session, both groups performed the Wobble Board balance test. A significant difference (p 0.05) emerged between groups in testing time on Bilateral Asymmetry Index. Significant differences (p = 0.005) between PRE and POST in the SuperJump® group and an 18.9% Unilateral Asymmetry Index threshold reduction for the subjects were found. A strong relationship (R2 = 0.79) between delta (∆) change Unilateral Asymmetry Index and Unilateral Asymmetry Index baseline parameters was tested. Lastly, no significant differences (p > 0.05) in Unilateral Asymmetry Indexes between the Bilateral Asymmetry equal and change categories in the SuperJump® group was found. In conclusion, SuperJump® training played a key role in reducing Unilateral Asymmetry Index
Sitting On My Fine Motor Skills
No full textPURPOSE: Sedentary behaviors are characterized by low energy expenditure of 1.5 Metabolic Equivalent Task or extended periods of sitting time (ST). When combined with physical inactivity, sedentary behaviors significantly affect various health outcomes, including coordination patterns such as fine and gross motor skills. Since fine motor skills are closely associated with individuals’ performance in several daily activities and in living an independent life, this study aimed to investigate the influence of ST on the dominant (DOM) and non-dominant (NO_DOM) upper limbs performance in healthy young adults. METHODS: 38 young adults (age: 24.8 ± 2.5 yrs; body mass 67.2 ± 12.5 kg; height 170 ± 9.3 cm) participated in the study. The short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered to determine the daily individual level of ST. Subjects reporting ST ≥ 4 hours/day were allocated in the Sedentary Group (SG, n = 18) while those reporting ST < 4 hours/day were allocated in the Physically Active Group (PAG, n = 20). The Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) was used to measure (s) fine motor skills of the upper DOM and NO_DOM limb. A repeated measures mixed model was performed to compared DOM and NO_DOM upper limb GPT performances between SG and PAG (p < 0.08). RESULTS: Significant differences were found between limbs in SG (DOM: 62.70 ± 9.6 s NO_DOM: 69.75 ± 16.1 s, p < 0.003). No others significant differences were found between groups and limbs conditions (Figure 1). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences between limbs in SG could be interpreted as an inter-limb asymmetry (DOM vs NO DOM) due to the negative impact of physical inactivity and ST on the coordination patterns. On the contrary, the findings of the PAG could be interpreted as inter-limb balance. Considering sedentary behaviors’ negative impact on motor performance, promoting active lifestyles and reducing sedentary time could improve motor skills, inter-limb asymmetries, and overall health
Beyond The Gym: Investigating Post-exercise Hypotension In Outdoor Activities
No full textPURPOSE: Arterial Blood Pressure (BP) is strongly influenced by physical activity. The temporary decrease in BP following activity is known as Post-Exercise Hypotension (PEH). Literature suggests that a viable alternative to conventional gym-based activities is found in outdoor activities, such as walking and hiking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate PEH following hiking. METHODS: The study included 11 subjects (age:24.3±1.1 years; body mass: 69.3±13.4 kg; height:1.7±0.1 cm; BMI 23.5±2.6 kg/m2). Volunteers completed a field session involving a selected hike (length ~3800m). Systolic Blood Pressure (sBP) was measured 15-min before (PRE), immediately after (POST), 15-min (POST-15) and 30-min after (POST-30) the hike. Means, standard deviations and range of PRE, POST, POST-15 and POST-30 sBP were calculated for all subjects. PEH was calculated as the difference between sBP PRE and sBP POST-30 measurements. Repeated measures mixed models were applied to examine the effects of the hiking on subject’s sBP. Subjects were considered the random effect, whereas the measurement time (PRE, POST, POST-15 and POST-30) were treated as the fixed effect. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Significant reductions in sBP after hike were observed. Significant differences were found between PRE and POST-15 (p=0.000), resulting in 13.8 mmHg of PEH and PRE and POST-30 (p=0.000), resulting in 17.5 mmHg of PEH. In addition, significant differences were found between POST and POST-15 (p=0.000), resulting in 7.7 mmHg of PEH and POST and POST-30 (p=0.000), resulting in 11.4 mmHg of PEH. No significant differences were found between PRE and POST and POST-15 and POST-30. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of PEH was consistently observed, emphasizing its manifestation independent of the PRE session sBP. This not only underscores the capacity of hiking to induce PEH but also suggests it as a potential strategy for promoting reductions in sBP. The implications of these findings extend beyond the immediate post-exercise period, pointing to hiking as a valid modality able to simulate a sustained hypotensive response. Further research and longitudinal studies could shed light on the enduring benefits and the integration of hiking into comprehensive cardiovascular health strategies
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Acute Effects of Mini Trampoline Training Session on Leg Stiffness and Reactive Power
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of a mini trampoline training session (SuperJump®) on leg stiffness and reactive power (RP) while examining its relation to participants’ sex. A total of 20 participants (11 females, age: 24.4 ± 1.0 yrs; 9 males, age: 27.3 ± 2.9 yrs) performed continuous jump repetitions (RJs), measured on a force plate, before (PRE) and after (POST) a 30 min Superjump® session. Linear repeated measures mixed models were used to examine the effects of the Superjump® session on the leg stiffness mean (KMEAN), mean of the best RJs (KBEST), and RP in relation to sex. Before and after the mini trampoline training session, females showed lower KMEAN and KBEST values compared with males. Despite the significant (p < 0.002) decreases in RP after the Superjump® session in both males (PRE: 23.1 ± 6.5 W/kg; POST: 21.2 ± 6.1 W/kg) and females (PRE: 23.6 ± 5.5 W/kg; POST: 21.9 ± 5.3 W/kg), leg stiffness remained unchanged, suggesting a potential protective effect of mini trampoline training on leg stiffness during acute adaptations. These findings suggest that Superjump® training might exert a protective effect on leg stiffness, which prevents acute decreases that are commonly observed in other training modalities. The sex-related differences emerging from the present study emphasize the need for personalized approaches when integrating this innovative training tool into athletes’ regimens
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