Anemia and nutritional aspects in adolescent athletes: a cross-sectional study in a reference sport organization

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the association between anemia and nutritional aspects in adolescent athletes from a large sport club. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, involving 298 athletes aged between 10 and 17 years, submitted to measurement of skin folds, weight and height, and collection of capillary blood in duplicate to determine hemoglobin values. It was carried out in a random sample composed of athletes from eight sport modalities. Results: Regarding nutritional status, 10.1% of athletes were overweight based on body mass index and 70 (23.5%) athletes had a percentage of body fat classified as high or very high. The prevalence of anemia was 16.4%, being more prevalent in judo (37.1%), basketball (34%) and futsal (20.5%) athletes. Low hemoglobin levels were significantly associated with shorter stature (p=0.006). Conclusions: There was a significant association between anemia and short stature, suggesting that the athlete's height-weight development may be affected in suboptimal conditions of oxygen distribution.

Relationships between Risk Events, Personality Traits and Risk Perception of Adolescent Athletes in Sports Training

Personality traits have close relationships with risky behaviors in various domains, including physical education, competition, and athletic training. It is yet little known about how trait personality dimensions associate with risk events and how vital factors, such as risk perception, could affect the happening of risk events in adolescent athletes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the prediction of risk events by regression analysis with dimensions of personality, risk perception and sports, relations between risk events, risk perception, and the facets of the personality dimensions via data collecting from 664 adolescent athletes aged 13–18 years (male 364, female 300). Secondary intent is to assess school-specific levels of training risks among sports schools, regular schools, and sports and education integrated schools. The results show that psychology events are the strongest predicted by personality traits, risk perception, and sports, followed by injury and nutrition. Emotionality has the most significant positive correlation with risk events, while other traits have a significant negative correlation with risk events, except agreeableness. The integration schools are more conducive to the healthy development of adolescent athletes’ personalities. Moreover, the research indicates that sports training can strengthen the development directions of different personality characteristics.

Specialist Referral and Outcomes in Adolescent Athletes With Prior Concussion History

ObjectiveTo examine specialist referral patterns and clinical outcomes in adolescents with differing levels of prior concussion history.BackgroundLimited evidence exists on healthcare utilization and outcomes in concussed adolescent athletes with and without a history of prior concussion.Design/MethodsData were prospectively collected from participants aged 12–18 diagnosed with a sport-related concussion and documented prior concussion history between August 2015-March 2020. Participants were separated into 3 groups: 0, 1, and 2 + prior concussions. Demographics, medical history, specialist referrals, and clinical outcome variables obtained at 3-months post-concussion were analyzed.ResultsOne thousand one hundred ninety-seven participants were included: 114 (10.4%) had 2+, 213 (19.4%) had 1, and 770 (70.2%) had 0 prior concussions. There was no difference in sex or time to presentation. A small difference was found across age (15.3 ± 1.6 vs 14.9 ± 1.6 vs 14.5 ± 1.6 years, p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed between groups in self-reported history of psychological disorders (14.9 vs 15 vs 8.4%, p = 0.01) and headaches/migraines (25.4 vs 20.2 vs 15.5%, p = 0.02). Significant differences between the groups were found in specialist referrals, with more referrals made in the 2 + group to physical therapy (39.6 vs 28.2 vs 23.4%, p = 0.001), neuropsychology (17.1 vs 5.3 vs 7.5%, p = 0.001), and neurology (8.9 vs 2.9 vs 2.2%, p = 0.001). Fewer participants in the 2 + group recovered in = 30 days (53.6 vs 65.6 vs 68.5%, p = 0.04) and reported lower rates of return to activity at 3-months post-concussion (67.9 vs 85.9 vs 87.6%, p < 0.001). No differences were seen in symptom severity, PHQ-8, or GAD-7 scores. All reported as 2 + vs 1 vs 0.ConclusionsConcussed adolescent athletes with a history of 2 or more prior concussions had a higher rate of specialist referrals, were less likely to have returned to prior level of play/activity 3 months following injury, and were less likely to have resolution of symptoms in 30 days or less.

Factorial Validity and Invariance of an Adolescent Depression Symptom Screening Tool

Context: Depression is among the most common mental health disorder in youth, results in significant impairment, and is associated with a higher risk of suicide. Screening is essential but assessment tools may not be appropriate across races or do not account for the complex interrelatedness of various demographics including gender, socio-economic status and race. Objectives: (1) To determine the factor structure of the Patient Health Questionnaire-Adolescent (PHQ-A) for measuring depression in a group of adolescent athletes; and (2) to determine measurement invariance between Blacks and Whites on the PHQ-A. Design: Retrospective cohort design. Setting: Data obtained from a secure database collected at a free, comprehensive, mass pre-participation physical exam (PPE) event hosted by a large health care system. Participants: Participants included 683 high school athletes (Black n=416; White n=267). Independent variables included somatic and affective factors contributing to the construct of depression measured by the PHQ-A and participant race (Black and White). Main Outcome Measures : (1) Factors upon which the construct of depression is measured and (2) measurement invariance between Blacks and Whites. Results: A two-factor model, including affective and somatic components, was specified and exhibited an adequate fit to the data (CFI&gt; .90). All items exhibited moderate to high squared multiple correlation values (R2 = .10–.65), suggesting that these items resonated relatively well with participants. The two-factor model demonstrated noninvariance Black and White participants (RMSEA = .06-.08). Conclusions: Overall, the structure of the PHQ-A is supported by a two-factor model in adolescent athletes, measuring both affective and somatic symptoms of depression. A two factor PHQ-A structure is not fully invariant for the adolescents sampled across participant groups, implying that the model functions differently between Blacks and Whites sampled.

Changes in pulmonary function after long-duration adventure racing in adolescent athletes

The present study investigated the acute effects of a mixed-modality, long-duration adventure race on pulmonary function in adolescent athletes. Twenty male adolescents aged 14 to 17 years volunteered to participate in a wilderness adventure race of 68.5-km. Expiratory function was evaluated before, immediately after, and 24 h after race completion. Measurements included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth static pressures (MIP and MEP, respectively) were also measured using a portable hand-held mouth pressure meter across the same time points. The mean completion time of the race was 05:38 ± 00:20 hours. A significant post-race decrease in FVC was observed immediately after the race (-5.2%, p = 0.01). However, no significant changes were observed for FEV1, PEF and the FEV1/FVC and FEV1/PEF ratios. In addition, estimates of respiratory muscle strength (MIP and MEP) were unaffected by the race. The long-duration adventure race induced no marked reduction in expiratory pulmonary function and this response was associated with no apparent respiratory muscle fatigue. Therefore, the pulmonary system of trained adolescent athletes was sufficiently robust to sustain the mixed-modality, long-duration adventure race of ∽5-6 h.

STAGES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT OF ADOLESCENT-YOUNG AGE SPORTSMEN

Purpose. Сoverage of the results of theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the psychological support of adolescent athletes. The state of development of the researched problem is clarified, the maintenance of the basic stages of psychological support of sports activity is opened, the plan and tasks of the program of psychological support of preparation of sportsmen of teenage age are developed.Methods. To achieve this goal, general scientific methods of theoretical level were used: analysis, comparison, systematization and generalization of scientific and theoretical data, which made it possible to characterize the main aspects and directions in which research is conducted on this issue. The scientific article is a generalized systematic study.Results. The article considers the problem and directions of the system of psychological support and accompaniment as one of the important components of modern training of young athletes. The author's scientific view on the content of psychological support of sports activities is described, which is the foundation for the development and implementation of the program of psychological support of training athletes.Conclusions. In the course of a theoretical study of the topic of psychological support of adolescent athletes, it was concluded that this issue requires thorough study and generalization. We believe that the purpose of psychological support for the training of athletes is the organization of professional growth planning, the formation of the psychological structure of the athlete, his constant readiness for coaching. The main task of psychological support is to create an effective program of psychological influence, interaction and support of athletes at all stages of long-term training and competitive activities.Key words: psychological support, stages of psychological support and theircontent, sports activities, athletes of adolescence, the program of psychological support for the training of athletes. Метою статтіє висвітлення результатів теоретичного аналізу наукових джерел щодо психологічного супроводу спортсменів підлітково-юнацького віку. З’ясовано стан розробленості досліджуваної проблеми, розкрито зміст основних етапів психологічного супроводу спортивної діяльності, розроблено план та завдання програми психологічного супроводу підготовки спортсменів підлітково-юнацького віку.Методи. Для досягнення поставленої мети використано загальнонаукові методи теоретичного рівня: аналіз, порівняння, систематизація та узагальнення науково-теоретичних даних, що дало можливість охарактеризувати основні аспекти та напрямки, за якими ведуться наукові дослідження з даного питання. Наукова стаття є узагальнюючим систематизованим дослідженням.Результати. У статті розглянута проблема та напрямки системи психологічного забезпечення та супроводу як однієї з важливих складових частин сучасної підготовки юних спортсменів. Описано науковий погляд авторки на зміст психологічного супроводу спортивної діяльності, що є фундаментом для розробки та впровадження програми психологічного супроводу підготовки спортсменів.Висновки. У ході теоретичного дослідження теми психологічного супроводу спортсменів підлітково-юнацького віку дійшли висновку, що дане питання вимагає досконального вивчення і узагальнення. Вважаємо, що метою психологічного супроводу підготовки спортсменів є організація планування про-фесійного зростання, формування психологічної структури спортсмена, його постійної готовності до тренерської діяльності. Головним завданням психологічного супроводу вбачаємо створення ефективної програми психологічного впливу, взаємодії та підтримки спортсменів на всіх етапах багаторічної тренувальної та змагальної діяльності.Ключові слова: психологічний супровід, етапи психологічного супроводу та їхній зміст, спортивна діяльність, спортсмени підлітково-юнацького віку, програма психологічного супроводу підготовки спортсменів.

A relação entre o criticismo do treinador e a ansiedade dos atletas: O papel do mindfulness e do autojulgamento

Background and Aim: The sample included 184 adolescent athletes (150 boys and 34 girls), aged between 12 and 18 years old, who completed a protocol of self-report instruments assessing sports anxiety (SAS-2), the perception of coach’s critical attitudes (APoCCAS), mindfulness (CAMM) and self-compassion (SCS). Method: The sample included 184 adolescent athletes (150 boys and 34 girls), aged between 12 and 18 years old, who completed a protocol of self-report instruments assessing sports anxiety (SAS-2), the perception of coach’s critical attitudes (APoCCAS), mindfulness (CAMM) and self-compassion (SCS). Results: Sports anxiety showed a positive association with critical coach attitudes and self-judgment and a negative association with mindfulness. Mindfulness revealed a negative association with self-judgment and the athletes’ perception of the coach’s critical attitudes. Self-judgment was positively associated with the athletes’ perception of the coach’s critical attitudes. The regression model explained 45% of the variance in sports anxiety, with mindfulness and self-judgment being the only predictors. Path analysis results indicated that the athlete’s mindfulness and self-judgment fully mediated the effect of the athletes’ perception of the coach’s critical attitudes on sports anxiety. Conclusions: Results suggest that athletes who perceive more critical attitudes from the coach, who have more self-judgmental attitudes, and fewer mindfulness skills tend to have higher levels of sports anxiety. The present study is innovative in showing how these variables are associated, suggesting that the development of mindfulness skills and the reduction of self-judgmental attitudes can help decrease the impact of the coach’s critical attitudes on competitive anxiety.

Identifikasi Status Gizi Dan Kebiasaan Makan Atlet Usia Remaja Pada Masa Pendemi Covid-19

Adolescence is a period of growth that has special nutritional needs to support daily activities and growth. Likewise for an athlete, the main problem that is often encountered by national athletes is lack of stamina and endurance. The fatigue factor followed by a slow body recovery process can reduce the athlete’s performance. One of the things that can affect this is nutritional intake. Adolescence is a nutritionally vulnerable age because of rapid growth and if the eating habits is not good, it will have an impact on growth that is not optimal. The purpose of this study was to determine the nutritional status and eating habits of adolescent athletes during the maintenance period of nutritional status. This study used a Cross Sectional Study design. This study carried out anthropometric measurements, measurement of nutritional needs & intake and eating habits of adolescent athletes. The data that has been collected is then analyzed with the help of Microsoft Office Excel software. The results showed that 90% of respondents were in the normal nutritional status category, 5% each were in the mild and severe overweight categories. In the assessment of eating habits, 23% of respondents are in the high category, 9% are in the sufficient category, 59% of respondents are in the less category and 9% are in the low category. And on the assessment of nutritional intake, 18% of respondents were in the normal category, 9% hard mild deficits, 14% moderate deficits and 59% hard severe deficits.

Hydration Status and Fluid Replacement Strategies of High-Performance Adolescent Athletes: An Application of Machine Learning to Distinguish Hydration Characteristics

There are limited data on the fluid balance characteristics and fluid replenishment behaviors of high-performance adolescent athletes. The heterogeneity of hydration status and practices of adolescent athletes warrant efficient approaches to individualizing hydration strategies. This study aimed to evaluate and characterize the hydration status and fluid balance characteristics of high-performance adolescent athletes and examine the differences in fluid consumption behaviors during training. In total, 105 high-performance adolescent athletes (male: 66, female: 39; age 14.1 ± 1.0 y) across 11 sports had their hydration status assessed on three separate occasions—upon rising and before a low and a high-intensity training session (pre-training). The results showed that 20–44% of athletes were identified as hypohydrated, with 21–44% and 15–34% of athletes commencing low- and high-intensity training in a hypohydrated state, respectively. Linear mixed model (LMM) analyses revealed that athletes who were hypohydrated consumed more fluid (F (1.183.85)) = 5.91, (p = 0.016). Additional K-means cluster analyses performed highlighted three clusters: “Heavy sweaters with sufficient compensatory hydration habits,” “Heavy sweaters with insufficient compensatory hydration habits” and “Light sweaters with sufficient compensatory hydration habits”. Our results highlight that high-performance adolescent athletes with ad libitum drinking have compensatory mechanisms to replenish fluids lost from training. The approach to distinguish athletes by hydration characteristics could assist practitioners in prioritizing future hydration intervention protocols.