European journal of sport science最新文献

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of gaze direction instruction on postural stabilisation and muscle activity during landings after various motor tasks in artistic gymnastics. Eighteen female gymnasts (aged 14.0 ± 2.7 years) performed four different landing tasks: drop landing, backward somersault, forward somersault (SF) and a backward acrobatic series (AS). Gaze was directed either downward or straight ahead during landings. Muscle activity was recorded from six lower limb muscles and postural stabilisation was assessed using dynamic stability indices and time to stabilisation. Results showed a significant effect of motor task on muscle activity and stabilisation, with AS and SF presenting higher stabilisation demands. Gaze direction instruction had limited influence on muscle activation patterns and stabilisation, with limited manifestation in dynamic stability indices. Interactions between gaze and motor task were significant only for sagittal dynamic stability in longer time intervals. These findings suggest that motor task complexity primarily governs landing stabilisation, whereas gaze direction plays a minor role in lower limb muscle activity.

Elite law enforcement and special forces operators around the world have a unique skill set, including some risky methods of entry into a scene of operation. With fast roping being actively utilized by this population, it is important to gain an understanding of the physical demands of the task. Thirty-seven Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) completed five 20 ft fast rope descents onto a force platform, three in standard uniform (without kit) and two with the additional weight of operational kit (with kit). Additionally, 12 LEOs were also fitted with electromyography on their dominant arm. Landing forces with and without kit showed no significant difference. Participants with hang test time (HTT) < 35s showed significantly poorer Landing Control (LC) when descending with kit (p < 0.01). Landing control played an important role, with peak landing force significantly higher (p = 0.025) in uncontrolled landings. CMJ breaking impulse and rebound jump height are the main physical measurable predictors. However, when adjusting for body weight and kit, only rebound jump height remained predictive with marginal significance (p = 0.06) (R² = 0.45, p = 0.008). The biceps brachii (BB) exhibited greater activation when descending with kit (p = 0.003). However, the extensor carpi radialis exhibited the greatest activation during descents in both conditions (p < 0.003). Landing impact forces were not significantly different between groups, however longer HTT correlated with more controlled descents and reduced landing forces. The ECR was observed to be the muscle with the highest activation on all descents, with only the BB increasing in kit.

The effect of the overload principle in motor skill acquisition is unclear. Hence, the present study examined the effect of the overload principle in general, and in particular how the overload principle can be used to increase transferability to nontrained balance tasks with a high level of similarity at different levels of difficulty. A total of 24 participants were randomly assigned to two training groups: (1) low-difficulty training group and (2) high-difficulty training group. Both training groups completed five training sessions consisting of 25 trials over three weeks and only the level of difficulty of the balance board differed. Both the low and high-difficulty training groups had a significant improvement in balance performance in the specific trained conditions, which supports the specificity principle. Most interestingly, only the high-difficulty training group showed significant positive transfer to balance tasks with lower levels of difficulty. The low difficulty training group did not show significant positive transfer to balance tasks with higher levels of difficulty. These findings support the effect of the overload principle. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrate the superior effect of task-specific balance training, and, most interestingly, the study revealed that training with overload at higher levels of difficulty enhances transferability to similar tasks performed at lower difficulty levels.

This triple-blinded randomized crossover study investigated the roles of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) in regulating exercise performance and fatigue using acute pharmacological manipulation. Eighteen healthy adults (9 males and 9 females; mean age = 23.4 ± 2.2 years) completed three experimental conditions. Participants ingested methylphenidate (MPH; 20 mg; primarily enhancing DA signaling), reboxetine (REB; 8 mg; selectively enhancing NA signaling), or placebo (10 mg lactose) prior to performing dynamic leg extensions until exhaustion. Behavioral, subjective, and physiological responses were assessed to evaluate drug-specific effects using (generalized) linear mixed-effects models. The fatiguing task effectively induced exhaustion in all conditions, evidenced by increases in self-reported fatigue and exertion, heart rate, and blood lactate levels. MPH did not significantly improve the number of leg extension repetitions (+3.1%, p = 0.23) or perceived exertion ratings. Perceived performance and vigor increased, while sleepiness decreased across pretask and posttask assessments. Posttask temporal demand and overall task load were also reduced. In contrast, REB significantly reduced the number of leg extension repetitions (-13.2%, p < 0.001) without altering perceived exertion, mood, or performance perception. These findings show that DA and NA systems differently affect fatigue regulation. DA mainly influences cognitive and perceptual aspects, improving alertness and mood without significantly enhancing physical performance. In contrast, NA reduced physical performance without altering fatigue perception, indicating a dissociation between subjective fatigue and actual capacity. This study provides new evidence on how DA and NA shape both performance and perception during fatiguing leg-extension exercise in males and females. Trial Registration: G095422N and identifier NCT05880342.

Mental fatigue (MF) has been widely investigated in resistance exercise (RE). However, the results remain inconsistent, likely due to variability in the cognitive load across studies and, most importantly, the lack of individualized assessments of self-reported MF levels among participants before initiating the RE session. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the acute effect of different levels of MF induced by prior cognitive effort on the subsequent number of repetitions performed during an RE session. In a crossover trial, 20 participants were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: a control and two mentally fatiguing conditions. In the MF conditions, the participants performed a computerized Stroop word-color (ST) task until reaching 40 mm (moderate MF) and 80 mm (high MF) on the visual analog scale for MF. Following all three conditions, participants completed an RE session consisting of six sets of half back-squat performed to muscle failure with a fixed load of ∼45% 1RM (1.0 m.s^-1). Physical and perceptual parameters-including total repetitions, repetitions per set, repetitions per velocity loss, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE)-were measured during the RE session. Participants exhibited a lower number of repetitions and a higher RPE during RE in the high MF condition compared to the moderate MF and control conditions, with a significant difference also observed between the moderate MF and control conditions (p < 0.05). In summary, these findings suggest that a high level of subjective MF results in a greater magnitude of impairment in physical performance during an RE session.

Mood profiling is a longstanding strategy for assessing mental health risk and several distinct mood profile clusters have been identified in different cultural contexts. In this study, six previously identified mood profile clusters, namely, the iceberg, inverse iceberg, inverse Everest, shark fin, submerged and surface profiles, were investigated in Finnish individuals. The 24-item, 6-factor Finnish-language version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), referred to as the Finnish Mood Scale (FIMS) was completed by 652 Finnish-speaking participants (409 females and 231 males), of which 156 self-identified as athletes, 368 self-identified as regular exercisers and 128 self-identified as inactive. Participants were grouped into four age categories [15-25 (n = 238), 26-35 (n = 176), 36-45 (n = 108) and 46+ yr. (n = 129)]. Seeded k-means cluster analysis identified the six hypothesised mood profiles. A discriminant function analysis supported cluster strength. Chi-squared analyses showed differences between groups in cluster prevalence. Males were overpresented in the iceberg profile, associated with positive mental health, whereas females were overpresented in the inverse Everest and shark fin profiles, both of which are associated with risks to mental health. In physical activity categories, the inactive group was underrepresented and exercisers overrepresented in the iceberg profile. Exercisers were underrepresented, and athletes overrepresented in the inverse iceberg profile. Age comparisons showed the 46+ years group were overpresented in the iceberg profile. Findings indicate that the FIMS may have utility in identifying individuals with mood profiles associated with elevated risk to mental health in Finnish populations aged 15 years and older.

This randomized crossover trial examined the effects of low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) versus high-carbohydrate low-fat (HCLF) isocaloric diets on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived glucose metrics in trained, healthy male cyclists. Participants (n = 15) followed each dietary condition for 7 days, with glucose data continuously collected using CGM technology. The primary outcomes assessed were mean glucose levels, glucose variability, and time spent within specific glycemic ranges across wake, exercise, and nighttime phases. Results indicated that the LCHF diet significantly reduced mean glucose levels and glycemic variability (CV) compared to the HCLF diet. Mean glucose values were significantly higher during exercise compared to wake and night phases, irrespective of dietary conditions. Exercise intensity was positively associated with higher glucose concentrations during training sessions, independent of dietary conditions. Furthermore, nocturnal glycemia was significantly lower after exercise days, suggesting an influence of prior physical activity on overnight glucose regulation. Substantial interindividual variability in glucose responses was observed, highlighting the necessity of personalized dietary strategies for athletes. This study demonstrates that dietary carbohydrate manipulation significantly influences glucose metabolism, with implications for optimizing training, recovery, and metabolic health in endurance athletes. Future research should further explore individualized glucose responses and longer-term adaptations to dietary interventions in athletic populations.

This study aimed to clarify changes in sprint ability and spatiotemporal variables with maturation in children and to identify key determinants from anthropometric and muscle strength perspectives. Ninety-eight young soccer players aged 7.6-17.9 years underwent a 30-m sprint test, anthropometric measurements, muscle thickness (MT) and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Maturity offset (MO) was calculated as the difference between the chronological age and estimated age at peak height velocity (PHV). Breakpoint (BP) in maximal sprint speed (MSS) development was identified at +1.1 years of MO, and the participants were classified into pre- and post-BP groups. A significant correlation was found between MSS and MO in the pre-BP group, but was no longer observed in the post-BP group. Although step length (SL) was positively correlated with MO in the pre-BP group, this correlation was not observed and step frequency (SF) showed a positive correlation in the post-BP group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that in the pre-BP group, leg length (LL) was the only significant predictor of MSS, primarily by influencing SL. By contrast, in the post-BP group, MVC and MT emerged as significant predictors of MSS, mainly by influencing SF. In conclusion, this study identified a key developmental BP at +1.1 years of MO and demonstrated a shift in the determinants of sprinting ability from reliance on anthropometric growth before this point to a dominance of neuromuscular factors.

Improving the number of years lived in good health is an international priority. Walking sports offer an opportunity for adults of all ages and abilities to engage in physical activity. However, research on walking sport participation is limited. We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of walking sport participants using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adults (mean age 62.9) participating in walking sports programmes in Australia. Interviews were coded and themed using thematic analysis and mapped to the TPB. Five themes pertaining to experiences and perceptions of walking sports were identified: (1) advantages of walking sports, (2) disadvantages of walking sports, (3) perceived social norms surrounding walking sports, (4) facilitators of walking sports participation and (5) barriers to walking sports participation. This study has important implications for strengthening current walking sports offerings to support engagement in such offerings and optimise population-level health outcomes.

This study aimed to investigate the independent and combined effects of caffeine and static stretching (SS) on maximal ball velocity and 30-m sprint performance. Sixteen male amateur football players performed 30-m sprint and an instep kicking ball velocity test under six conditions. The six conditions were control, SS only, placebo only, placebo combined with SS (PLA + SS), caffeine only, and caffeine combined with SS (CAF + SS). A repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of condition on maximal ball velocity (F(5, 75) = 1.11, p = 0.36, η²_p = 0.069). In contrast, a significant main effect of condition was observed for 30-m sprint performance (F(5, 75) = 4.57, p = 0.001, η²_p = 0.23). Our findings showed that the SS condition resulted in similar sprint performance compared to all other conditions (p ≥ 0.093) except the caffeine condition (p = 0.009). In contrast, the caffeine condition led to faster sprint performance compared to all conditions (p ≤ 0.010) except CAF + SS (p = 0.184). Additionally, sprint performances in the SS and CAF + SS conditions were similar (p = 0.093). A large effect size (0.94) was observed between the control and CAF conditions, whereas a moderate effect size (0.54) was found when comparing caffeine and CAF + SS conditions. These findings indicate that caffeine intake enhances sprint performance; however, the CAF + SS combination appears to reduce this effect, making it less effective. Although SS does not directly impair sprint performance, it may have the potential to diminish the ergogenic effects of caffeine.