Promoting Traditional Chinese Winter Sport Participation: Cultural Capital and Demands of Bingxi

As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games approach, promoting the winter sport participation in China is essential and important. However, most of winter sports participants are one-time player, and it could be due to the lack of winter sports culture in the Chinese public. So, developing and promoting the traditional Chinese winter sports may help managers to build a endogenous winter sport culture. Bingxi is a series of ice sport event in ancient China, which is the one of the most representative traditional Chinese sports, which is unique in Chinese history. The present study applied a historical method to explore the three forms of cultural capital in Bingxi. And developed a Demands Scale for Cultural Capital in Bingxi (DSCCB) to measure the participation demands in Bingxi of different group people. Residents (n=621) of Shenyang (capital city in Qing Dynasty) participated in this study. Discussions are centered on the target group of the three forms of cultural capital in Bingxi, and offer a proposal for promoting Bingxi in the future.

Ski Mountaineering: Perspectives on a Novel Sport to Be Introduced at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games

Ski mountaineering is a rapidly growing winter sport that involves alternately climbing and descending slopes and various racing formats that differ in length and total vertical gain, as well as their distribution of downhill and uphill sections. In recent years, both participation in and media coverage of this sport have increased dramatically, contributing, at least in part, to its inclusion in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. Here, our aim has been to briefly describe the major characteristics of ski mountaineering, its physiological and biomechanical demands, equipment, and training/testing, as well as to provide some future perspectives. Despite its popularity, research on this discipline is scarce, but some general characteristics are already emerging. Pronounced aerobic capacity is an important requirement for success, as demonstrated by positive correlations between racing time and maximal oxygen uptake and oxygen uptake at the second ventilatory threshold. Moreover, due to the considerable mechanical work against gravity on demanding uphill terrain, the combined weight of the athlete and equipment is inversely correlated with performance, prompting the development of both lighter and better equipment in recent decades. In ski mountaineering, velocity uphill is achieved primarily by more frequent (rather than longer) strides due primarily to high resistive forces. The use of wearable technologies, designed specifically for analysis in the field (including at elevated altitudes and cold temperatures) and more extensive collaboration between researchers, industrial actors, and coaches/athletes, could further improve the development of this sport.

The Road to the Beijing Winter Olympics and Beyond: Opinions and Perspectives on Physiology and Innovation in Winter Sport

Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, and China strengthens research on various aspects to allow their athletes to compete successfully in winter sport. Simultaneously, Government-directed initiatives aim to increase public participation in recreational winter sport. These parallel developments allow research to advance knowledge and understanding of the physiological determinants of performance and health related to winter sport. Winter sport athletes often conduct a substantial amount of training with high volumes of low-to-moderate exercise intensity and lower volumes of high-intensity work. Moreover, much of the training occur at low ambient temperatures and winter sport athletes have high risk of developing asthma or asthma-related conditions, such as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The high training volumes require optimal nutrition with increased energy and dietary protein requirement to stimulate muscle protein synthesis response in the post-exercise period. Whether higher protein intake is required in the cold should be investigated. Cross-country skiing is performed mostly in Northern hemisphere with a strong cultural heritage and sporting tradition. It is expected that innovative initiatives on recruitment and training during the next few years will target to enhance performance of Chinese athletes in classical endurance-based winter sport. The innovation potential coupled with resourcing and population may be substantial with the potential for China to become a significant winter sport nation. This paper discusses the physiological aspects of endurance training and performance in winter sport highlighting areas where innovation may advance in athletic performance in cold environments. In addition, to ensure sustainable development of snow sport, a quality ski patrol and rescue system is recommended for the safety of increasing mass participation.

Motivational Processes Influencing Mental Health Among Winter Sports Athletes in China

This study examined the association between motivational processes, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), and burnout among winter sports athletes within the Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (HMIEM). A total of 685 winter sport athletes participated in this study (377 males, 308 females, age range 18–25 years), from three sport universities across nine winter sports. They completed five psychometric inventories related to motivational factors and mental disorders. Overall, a task-oriented climate showed a positive association with basic psychological needs, eliciting a positive pathway to autonomous and controlled motivation. In contrast, an ego-oriented climate showed a negative association with basic psychological needs, eliciting a negative pathway to amotivation. Autonomous and controlled motivation were negatively associated with symptoms of psychological distress and burnout, while amotivation was positively associated with symptoms of psychological distress and burnout. These findings highlight the complex relationships between various motivational factors and mental health disorders among winter sport athletes, and support the essential requirement for adding mental health factors to the outcomes of the HMIEM sequence.

Serum and sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 in winter sports athletes and swimmers: relationships with airway function

IntroductionCompetitive cross-country skiers and swimmers present characteristics of airway inflammation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix similar to what is observed in mild asthma. We aimed to compare serum and sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1, reflecting the balance between airway fibrogenesis and inflammation process, in swimmers and winter sport athletes, during the annual period of training resumption, and to observe its seasonal variations in winter sports athletes.MethodsCompetitive winter sports athletes (n=41), swimmers (n=25) and healthy nonathletes (n=8) had blood sampling, lung function measurement, skin prick tests, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea challenge, methacholine inhalation test (MIT), and induced sputum analysis. Twelve winter sport athletes performed the test during both summer and winter. Serum and sputum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured by ELISA.ResultsNo significant difference in baseline serum or sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was observed between the three groups, and no relationship was observed with airway function or responsiveness. Serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was however significantly higher during the summer in winter sport athletes compared with winter season (median [Interquartile range]: 1.27 [0.97-1.62] during the winter and 3.65 [2.47-4.03] during the summer, p=0.005). Sputum MMP-9 correlated with Methacholine PC20 and serum CC16/SP-D ratio. No significant correlation was observed between serum values and lung function or responsiveness.ConclusionOur results suggest that although MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in sputum or serum was similar in our three groups of subjects, it may fluctuate according to the training season while sputum MMP-9 correlated with Methacholine PC20 and serum CC16/SP-D ratio, suggesting a link between airway responsiveness, epithelial damage and MMP-9 in the airways.

It’s all about the brand: place brand credibility, place attachment, and consumer loyalty

Despite the growing attention brand credibility attracts in recent marketing literature, little is known about the credibility of place brands and their relationship with consumers’ loyalty. The present study builds on brand signalling and attachment theory to investigate whether credible place brands affect consumers’ attachment formation, their subsequent word of mouth (WOM) and intention to return. Survey data from an Alpine winter sport destination reveal that place brand credibility is a key antecedent of consumers’ attachment. Moreover, consistent with brand signalling theory, credible place brands exert a particularly strong direct effect on consumers’ WOM. A positive effect on their intention to return, however, will result only if they feel attached with the place brand beforehand. Implications for marketing scholars and brand managers are offered.

Intention to Engage in Winter Sport in Climate Change Affected Environments

Exercise, including winter sport activities, shows positive effects on physical and mental health, with additional benefits when participating in natural environments. Winter sport activities are particularly vulnerable to climate change, since global warming will decrease the duration and amount of snow. In the context of climate change in alpine environments, little is known on the determinants of winter sport behavior. Thus, the following study primarily aimed at comparing the effect of being exposed to a climate change affected scenario (CCA) or to a climate change unaffected scenario (CCU) on the intention to engage in recreational winter sport activities. Secondly, we aimed to analyze the role of anticipated affective responses during exercising based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). An experimental cross-sectional web-based study design was used. Participants were randomly allocated to pictures of either CCA or CCU. TPB variables and affective responses with regard to the displayed scenarios were assessed. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney-U Tests, linear regression, and mediation analyses. Significant group differences were seen in all TPB variables, p < 0.038; −0.13 < r < −0.30, as well as in affective responses, p < 0.001; −0.24 < r < −0.85. Lower intention to engage in winter sport activities and lower anticipated affective valence during exercising was found in CCA compared to CCU. Attitude toward winter sport was significantly positively associated with intention to engage in winter sport, beta = 0.66, p < 0.001. The effect of group allocation on attitude was mediated by anticipated affective valence, indirect effect = 0.37, p < 0.001. Intention to engage in recreational winter sport activities was lower in participants exposed to the climate change affected winter sport scenario. Since affective valence seems to influence attitude and consequently intention to exercise, the role of non-cognitive variables with regard to climate change related exposure should be considered in future studies. Therefore, winter sport resorts may consider altered winter sport behaviors due to the consequences of climate change as well as the importance of providing an optimal framework to enhance affective valence of their guests in order to mitigate potential changes in winter sports behavior.

A Sport Injury Poster

Skiing is an exciting winter sport; however, it isdefined as a high-risk sport for significantinjuries. Among upper body and lowerbody injuries, common traumas to the body indownhill skiers are sprains of the ulnar collateralligament (UCL), which is part of the thumb joint,and tibia fractures.The analysis and research will outline thefollowing of each injury:• Mechanism of injury• Treatment• Rehabilitation• Prevention

Sport Injury and Illness: Surveillance of Tropical Country Athletes during the 1st Winter Children of Asia Games

Background: The systematic surveillance of injuries and illness in young athletes is important to reduce the loss of training and competition time and enable continuing sports participation. However, the risk and incidence of injury and illness in tropical country athletes competing in winter sports remains unclear. Objective: To identify the incidence, severity, and causes of injuries and illness in the Thailand National Youth Team during the 10-day First Winter Children of Asia Games. Materials and Methods: In the present observational prospective cohort study, the authors used the International Olympic Committee (IOC) injury and illness surveillance system for multisport events. The injuries and illnesses of 18 Thailand athletes were collected daily by the team physician over a 10-day competition period. Results: Eight injuries and nine illnesses were reported, equating to 44.4% of the athletes sustaining at least one injury and 50% at least one illness, an incidence rate of 2.6 injuries and 7.3 illnesses per 100 athletes, respectively. The risk of sustaining an injury was highest during cross country skiing while the most common type of injury was a sprain. The upper respiratory tract was the site most affected by illness with females reporting a greater illness rate. Conclusion: The presented data constitute the basis for future analyses of injury and illness associated risk factors in winter sports, which are essential to develop and implement effective preventative strategies in tropical winter sport athletes. Keywords: Surveillance, Injury and illness, Winter sport