Frontiers in Sports and Active Living最新文献

Background: At loads greater than 80% of one repetition maximum in bench press, at the ascending phase of the movement, the barbell decelerates or stops for a short time before it accelerates again during a region named sticking region. Post-Activation Performance Enhancement is one of the ways to increase maximal performance in bench press.

Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of different warm-up protocols with ballistic, high resistance exercises or dynamic stretching on the maximal barbell bench press performance and elbow angular velocity around the sticking region in male students.

Methods: Eighteen resistance trained male students (age: 23.8 ± 1.3 years, height: 1.70 ± 0.04 m, body mass: 74.4 ± 3.8 kg) performed maximal bench press after three different warm-up strategies, while barbell velocity, elbow angular velocity and barbell displacement around the sticking region were analysed with a 3D motion analysis system.

Results: The barbell velocity after the ballistic warm-up at first maximal velocity from the lowest position on the chest (v_max1), lowest barbell velocity after maximal velocity (v_min) and second maximal barbell velocity (v_max2) were higher compared to the other two warm-up methods. As well as, the time of occurrence of v_min and v_max2 occurred significantly earlier at the ballistic warm-up compared to the other two warm-ups, while the barbell height at v_max1 after the ballistic warm-up was significantly higher than after the other two warm-up protocols. Furthermore, elbow angular velocity was higher after the ballistic warm-up protocol compared to the other two protocols with significant differences observed at v_max1 and v_min and not at v_max2.

Conclusion: According to the obtained results, warm-up with ballistic exercises could have more optimal effects on athletes' performance and resulted in better surpassing the sticking region of the barbell bench press.

Introduction: High rates of teacher turnover continue to pose a significant challenge to the sustainability of physical education (PE) worldwide. This study explored how pre-entry and induction experiences influence preservice PE teachers' commitment to the profession, drawing on occupational socialisation theory.

Methods: A a convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed involving 79 preservice PE teachers in Singapore (Postgraduate Diploma, n = 48; Diploma, n = 31). Quantitative data from self-report measures of Initial Socialised Beliefs (ISB), Contract Teaching Stint Experience (CTSE), and Commitment to Teach (CTT) were analysed using mediation models. Pre-entry experiences were measured using the Initial Socialised Beliefs (ISB) scale (10 items), induction experiences were captured using the CTS Experience (CTSE) scale (5 items), and Commitment to Teach (CTT) was assessed using a 5-item intention scale. Qualitative responses to open-ended items provided explanatory depth and triangulation.

Results: ISB was positively associated with CTT, and CTSE partially mediated this relationship. Teachers who described supportive mentorship, progressive teaching responsibilities, and early classroom success reported higher commitment, whereas administrative overload and weak induction reduced motivation.

Discussion: The findings suggest that structured, high-quality CTSE can transform positive pre-entry beliefs into a lasting professional commitment. Schools and training programmes can strengthen retention by fostering meaningful early-career support through mentor pairing, workload design, and opportunities for authentic teaching success.

Conclusion: The transition from pre-entry to induction represents a pivotal phase in shaping the professional trajectories of PE teachers. Intentional design of school-based experiences-centred on mentorship, workload balance, and feedback-can strengthen teacher retention and sustain the quality of the PE workforce.

Boxing, traditionally a competitive sport, is increasingly recognised as a therapeutic exercise modality for women transitioning through perimenopause and menopause a life stage characterised by hormonal changes that can accelerate muscle loss, bone demineralisation, balance impairment, cardiovascular risk, weight gain, and mood fluctuations. Structured, non-contact fitness boxing integrates resistance, impact, and aerobic components, delivering multi-system benefits relevant to this population. Physically, boxing stimulates muscle protein synthesis, preserves lean mass, and provides weight-bearing stimuli to maintain bone density, thereby reducing fracture risk. Dynamic footwork and agility drills challenge proprioception and postural control, improving balance and lowering fall risk. The high-intensity cardiovascular demands enhance heart health, reduce blood pressure, improve lipid profiles, and assist with weight management. Physiologically, boxing's combined strength-endurance format boosts basal metabolic rate, improves insulin sensitivity, and moderates stress hormone levels, supporting metabolic health and resilience to menopause-related changes. Neuromuscular adaptations from complex motor sequences enhance coordination, reaction time, and functional independence. Neurologically, boxing promotes endorphin release and modulates key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, improving mood stability and reducing anxiety. Cognitive engagement through learning and executing punch combinations enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, supporting neuroplasticity, memory, and executive function. Emerging evidence positions non-contact boxing as a safe, engaging, and multi-dimensional exercise strategy for midlife women. It addresses physical, physiological, and neurocognitive domains in one intervention, offering healthcare and wellness professionals a practical, evidence-informed tool to promote strength, stability, cardiovascular fitness, and psychological well-being during the menopausal transition.

Burnout Syndrome (BOS) is a psychological condition characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment, frequently observed in high-performance athletes exposed to chronic stress and competitive pressure. This study examined the role of hardiness and social support as potential protective factors against burnout and its dimensions while accounting for demographic and sports-related variables such as age, sex, and level of competition. The sample comprised 388 high-performance athletes aged between 15 and 45 years (46% women; M = 27.31, SD = 8.51). Participants completed the validated Spanish versions of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), Resilient Personality Scale for Marathoners (EPRM), and Social Support Scale (EAS). The data were analyzed using nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis test) and multiple linear regression models. The results revealed that sex was not a significant predictor of burnout, whereas age and competition level were negatively associated with overall burnout scores. Among the psychological variables, hardiness, particularly commitment and control dimensions, emerged as the strongest protective factor, whereas social support was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and total burnout. The significant interaction between social support and competition level indicated that younger athletes had a stronger protective effect than senior athletes. These results show that social support plays a different role in competitive stages, indicating early reinforcement of athletes' social networks can significantly lower their burnout risk. Practical implications for coaches and sports psychologists in developing integrated prevention and intervention programs that enhance athletes' hardiness and social connection throughout their careers.

Purpose: This study compared the effects of two jump training protocols-Plyometric Training and the Air Alert Program-on vertical jump performance among male and female collegiate volleyball players. It also aimed to analyze time-dependent performance changes and develop a predictive model for post-training outcomes.

Methods: Twenty-four athletes (12 males, 12 females) were assigned to four groups (n = 6 each): male-plyometric, male-Air Alert, female-plyometric, and female-Air Alert. Both programs were implemented for eight weeks (3 sessions/week). Vertical jump height was measured at pre-, mid- (week 4), and post-training (week 8) using a Vertec device. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, independent t-tests, ANCOVA, and multiple regression. The significance level was set at p < .05.

Results: Significant effects of time (p < .001) and training type (p = .002) were found, with greater gains in the plyometric group for both sexes. Regression identified pre-test performance (β = 0.35, p < .01) and training type (β = 4.12, p = .02) as key predictors of post-test height, explaining 94% of variance (R² = .94).

Conclusions: Plyometric training was superior to Air Alert in enhancing vertical jump height, emphasizing progressive, high-intensity, low-volume training for optimizing neuromuscular adaptation.

Practical applications: Coaches should integrate structured plyometric training early in the season and monitor mid-phase outcomes to predict final performance more effectively.

Background: Physical Literacy (PL) is widely acknowledged in international policy documents for its holistic contribution to promoting lifelong physical activity. It encompasses four interconnected learning domains (physical, psychological, cognitive, and social), thus extending beyond motor competence. Although theoretical developments in PL have advanced, qualitative insights into its implementation and experience within school-based interventions remain limited. Existing reviews have largely focused on quantitative outcomes, often reinforcing the centrality of the physical learning domain while overlooking the cognitive, psychological, and social dimensions of PL.

Purpose: This study builds on previous reviews by mapping qualitative data on school-based PL interventions. The goal was to deeply understand how PL is developed and experienced in authentic educational contexts.

Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a three-stage search strategy was conducted across seven databases (EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Cochrane, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science). Eligibility criteria for the review required full-text studies on: PL interventions; conducted in school settings; targeting individuals aged 5-18 years; reporting qualitative results; and written in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Twenty-one studies met the eligibility criteria and were analysed using a hybrid thematic approach, combining deductive and inductive approaches.

Findings: The thematic analysis yielded three themes: i) elements and pedagogical strategies related to the four domains of physical literacy; ii) challenges to program implementation; and iii) recommendations for practice. Results reveal an emphasis on the psychological domain, particularly aspects like motivation, confidence, and engagement, with less attention given to the physical and social domains. Nevertheless, many interventions effectively integrated pedagogical strategies that fostered multiple domains simultaneously, reinforcing PL's holistic nature. Student-centred learning, ipsative assessment, autonomy-supportive teaching, and peer collaboration were consistently linked to positive outcomes across domains.

Conclusions: The review offers insight into how PL is operationalised and experienced in schools. Four main conclusions emerged: i) students engage more deeply with flexible, inclusive, and individualised programmes; ii) student-centred methods and non-judgemental environments are particularly well received; iii) the teacher's role is central to successful implementation; and iv) continuous professional development and collaborative opportunities for teachers are essential for sustaining high-quality PL practices.

As an emerging form of sports tourism, city marathons have become an important means to stimulate local economic growth and enhance urban image. However, empirical evidence on how such events influence tourism development in economically underdeveloped but culturally rich cities remains limited. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), this study constructs a structural equation model (SEM) to examine, from the residents' perspective, how perceptions of tourism economic impacts (TEC), tourism image impacts (TIM), and tourism spatial impacts (TSP) affect residents' attitudes toward the marathon (RAT) and their intention to support it (RIS). Using the Kaifeng City Marathon as a case study, the results show that all three perceived impacts significantly and positively influence residents' attitudes, with tourism image perception having the strongest effect. Positive attitudes, in turn, significantly enhance residents' support intention. Mediation analysis further reveals that attitude fully mediates the effects of economic and image perceptions, while partially mediating the spatial perception. These findings provide empirical evidence for how sports events can promote tourism development in economically underdeveloped small cities.

Introduction: Elevated competitive state anxiety, performance-interfering thoughts, and low self-confidence can impair coping ability to stress, and deteriorate athletic performance. Exaggerated competitive state anxiety is the manifestation of an athlete's negative appraisal of their own performance and fear of failure. Very little is known about the susceptibility to these psychological factors in adolescent athletes at grassroots football. The present study aimed to examine differences in competitive state anxiety, self-confidence, and cognitive interference scores between mid- and late adolescent Indian players and those with different playing positions. The inter-relationship between the age, playing experience [PE], cognitive state anxiety [CA], somatic state anxiety [SA], cognitive interference [CI], and self-confidence [SC] was also examined.

Methods: Out of the ninety-one young (age range: 14-20 years), male footballers recruited from an elite football academy through convenience sampling, eighty-three (age: 17.08 ± 1.56 years; positions: goalkeepers = 12, defenders = 17, midfielders = 44, strikers = 10) completed the study. The original Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2R) questionnaire and the Thought Occurrence Questionnaire for Sport (TOQS) were self-administered during intramural competition in mid-adolescent (MA, n = 50) and late-adolescent (LA, n = 33) players. Non-parametric correlation, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests were conducted.

Results: Age was positively associated with PE (τ = +0.3, p < 0.001) and SC (τ = +0.16, p < 0.05); and negatively associated with CA (τ = -0.2, p < 0.05), SA (τ = -0.2, p < 0.05), thoughts of escape [ToE (τ = -0.19, p < 0.05)], situation-irrelevant thoughts [SIT (τ = -0.19, p < 0.05)], and performance worries [PW (τ = -0.15, p < 0.05)], CI (τ = -0.2, p < 0.001). The SA and CA were significantly higher in the MA than in LA (p < 0.01), as well as CI (p < 0.001). There was a significant effect of playing position only on CA scores (p < 0.05). post-hoc analysis found a significantly higher level of CA in strikers than the goalkeepers (p < 0.05) and midfielders (p < 0.05). PE did not show any significant association with these CSAI-2R and TOQS parameters.

Discussion: Mid- adolescent players exhibited significantly lower SC and elevated SA, CA, and CI. The lower susceptibility to SA, CA, and CI was associated with increasing age and not with the PE. Adolescence in athletes is a critical phase for physiological, cognitive, and psychological maturation. Our findings emphasized the need for personalized psychological support in building mental resilience from a young age to cope with competitive pressure.

Introduction: The limitations of costly laboratory methods could be addressed by advances in wearable sensors and associated machine learning algorithms (13). Key advantages of wearable technologies (WT) include non-invasive and continuous monitoring. However, it is necessary to control and ensure their accuracy. The aim of this review was to analyze and systematically summarize recent studies on the validity of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O_2max) and lactate threshold (LT) as estimated by consumer wearables.

Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in preparing this review. The literature was systematically searched in the Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Medline databases. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies, version 2, tool.

Results: Of the 252 records initially identified, 13 studies met the defined inclusion criteria. Most studies investigated Garmin smartwatches with compatible chest belt heart rate (HR) sensors and the Firstbeat Technologies algorithm. V̇O_2max was measured in all cases in the laboratory with a treadmill graded exercise test (GXT), while estimations were generated from submaximal outdoor runs. Studies with healthy untrained adults, recreational athletes and highly trained or professional athletes were equally represented. In seven studies wearable devices proved to be valid or acceptable for V̇O_2max estimation compared to the gold standard measurement. Three studies demonstrated validity of LT estimation.

Discussion: Our review demonstrates valid estimations of V̇O_2max using WT in populations of healthy untrained adults, recreational athletes and team sports professional athletes. Usefulness in elite endurance sports is questionable and may depend on artificial intelligence (AI). Two or more submaximal runs as an index test could improve validity, but further examination is needed. An important finding is that valid estimations were calculated from submaximal tests. These make consumer wearables a user-friendly alternative to laboratory GXT, which has some limitations. To provide insight into stability of algorithms, there is a need for longitudinal studies that would monitor the accuracy of WT over months or even years. Ongoing research into the latest models of smartwatches and synthesis of data is critical to understanding their suitability and usefulness.