Family Influence on Sport Activity Patterns During Early Adolescence – A Comparative Approach

The aim of research is to examine and describe young individuals who participate in extended sport education program. The main focus concerns family influences on the development of the investigated youngsters’ sportive patterns. Data were collected through online and paper (whenever appropriate) questionnaires (elite sport training in secondary higher education – models of success in sport with pupils from a selection of sport schools in respective countries). Coaches from sports schools representing all participating countries (Poland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia and Belarus) were interviewed. The results indicate that the influence of parents and physical education teachers on the decision to join a sport club and to continue sport career is rather low. Main reasons behind joining a sport club are: the desire to become an athlete, sport idols, and the subjects’ own will. Staying in a sport club and pursuing a career is also determined by previous achievements in the field and good coaches. The parents’ past engagement in psychical activities was not systematic. The subjects consider local sport facilities and a number of accessible sport clubs and sports coaches to be of high importance at the early stage of their engagement in sport.

Pedalling Technique and Postural Stability During Incremental Cycling Exercise – Relationship with Cyclist FMSTM Score

Purpose of the present study was to examine the changes in the pedalling kinetics and in the ground reaction forces as a measure of the cycling stability during an incremental cycling exercise. Furthermore, we compared the effectiveness of the pedalling technique and postural stability between the high and low Functional Movement Screen score (FMSTM) cyclists and analysed the relationships between the cycling specific postural stability, pedalling kinetics and cyclists FMSTM test scores. 31 competitive cyclists (18.5±2.1y; 1.81±0.06m; 73.7±7.5kg) were categorized based on the (FMSTM) test results in a low (LS, n=19; FMS≤14) and a high (HS, n=12; FMS>14) score group. The pedalling effectiveness and absolute symmetry indexes, as well the ground reaction force (GRF) were measured during incremental cycling exercise. Cycling specific postural stability was expressed as the body mass corrected standard deviation of 3 linear and 3 angular GRF components during a 30sec cycling at four power levels. We found that during incremental cycling exercise the pedalling effectiveness, smoothness and cyclist’s swaying in all three planes increased according to the combined effect of the workload and fatigue. Cyclists with high FMSTM score showed a lower bilateral pedalling asymmetry and a greater cycling specific postural stability, but showed no differences in the pedalling effectiveness and smoothness compared with the LS cyclists. Cyclist’s FMSTM score were moderately related with the stability components acting along the horizontal plane. The pedalling effectiveness, smoothness and bilateral asymmetry were inversely related to the components acting perpendicularly to the horizontal plane.

Assessment of Motor Capacity in the Competition Period – Female Sports Games (Soccer and Rugby Sevens)

In the rugby and soccer sevens, players need special motor capacities, such as aerobic and anaerobic resistance, proper force in the muscles that work during game actions, as well as speed and agility. The purpose of the papers was to assess the motor capacity in the competition period, among female athletes who practice team sports. The study comprised 26 subjects, 12 of whom activate in the female rugby team of CS Politehnica Iasi, and 14 of whom belong to the soccer team of Naviobi Iasi. Both teams are champions in their leagues. We applied the following tests: 250m run, long jump without take-off, throwing the 2kg medicine ball, 30second abdominals, and 5m back and forth run. The data obtained were interpreted in SPSS 20.0 for IBM, by applying the t test for independent samples. Results have shown a significant difference (p<0.05). Significant differences were found only for the test that measured the force of abdominal muscles for which the female rugby players scored significantly higher than the rest. In all the other tests, the mean results were similar or very close. We found that the motor experience within the game influenced the results obtained, just like general physical training; they are both important for supporting the specific effort. The tests we applied mid-competition period.

The Training of Highly Skilled Basketball Players and its Evaluation: The Context of a Microstructure

The search for methods of optimisation of the training of highly skilled basketball players is very relevant due to an increased volume of competition activities. It is important for trainers to properly distribute training loads throughout micro-cycles and, thus, strive for more rapid regeneration, accumulation of physical and psychic efficiency of athletes. Appropriate distribution of training loads in a micro-cycle is related to reception of athletes’ feedback, too.Another highly relevant problem deals with athletes’ endeavours to develop their capacities through individual training. An athlete should be able to assess efficiency of this activity, too. The research objective is to investigate the change of highly skilled basketball players’ training loads (training conducted by trainers, additional individual training and competition activities) and the evaluation of them throughout training micro-cycles. The research methods of theoretical analysis and generalisation, observation, evaluation, mathematical statistics are applied. A fragment of an initial part of the basketball players’ training and competitions period (20 initial micro-cycles of the season 2014 – 2015) of “Šiauliai” basketball team was observed and analysed. An experienced basketball player evaluated the load undergone by the team as well as his own individual training load. Optimal sports training should be based on analysis of three activities: the training conducted by trainers, additional individual training of an athlete, athletes’ competition activities. An average duration of a sports training micro-cycle is 88.6min. The training conducted by trainers constitutes 73.1%, athlete’s additional individual training constitutes 6.0%, and the competing constitutes 20.9% of the total sports training. A major criterion of the tasks being solved throughout micro-cycles and their filling with the content are matches and the amount of them in one micro-cycle. An average evaluation of the volume of the training conducted by trainers throughout a cycle was 6.2±0.70 points; evaluation of intensity was 7.0±0.51 points. The change of evaluation of the work load, intensity throughout the micro-cycles was similar. Highly skilled basketball players do not pay appropriate attention to additional individual activities.

Cranial Electrical Stimulation in Fitness with Weightlifting Tools

Sport trainings are based on two essential components: the preparatory process and the athlete’s level of training as the result of the training process. The most important task of the coach is to find the most efficient way how to prepare an athlete so that he would achieve the highest capacity and would be able to implement it. Application of cranial electrical stimulation in sport is not fully explored. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of cranial electrical stimulation on the strength parameter indicators of fitness athletes who use weightlifting tools. In the study participated 10 men (representatives of fitness sport, of Latvian Academy of Sport Education, who use weightlifting tools in the training process). The age of these athletes was 21±3 years. The average weight of the athletes was 76±3.2kg and the average height was 156±15.5cm. An exercise set “lifting a weight bar to the chest” was developed. A 10 minute session of cranial electrical stimulation was applied. During the test a weightlifting bar of the company “Eleiko” was used and FiTRO Dyne Premium cable was attached on one end of the bar which was connected to a computer system and registered the data obtained during the control exercise performance. During the experiment the results obtained during two tries of control exercise performance were compared, which are the difference between the average strength parameters and the difference between the maximum strength parameters before the application of cranial electrical stimulation (hereinafter – CES), performing the first three repetitions, comparing them to the last three repetitions performed after the application of the stimulation. After cranial electrical stimulation the maximum strength parameters improved by 533.23±11.09N (α<0.05). Fitness sport representatives and coaches, in order to improve the level of training of their student, must pay attention to the application of CES in the training process with weightlifting tools.

The Application and Effectiveness of Yoga in Prevention and Rehabilitation of Sport Injuries in Athletes Participating in Competitive Sport

The purpose of the study is to review literature for scientific studies about application and effectiveness of yoga in rehabilitation & prevention of sports injuries in athletes participating in competitive sports. The author conducted a comprehensive search of open access articles of major scientific databases including PuBMed, SCIENCEDIRECT, EBSCO, SCOPUS, Web of Science, etc.. No significant scientific studies were found relating to the application of yoga in rehabilitation and prevention of sport injury. Four studies were selected based on inclusion criteria. One pilot study has included yoga as part of sport conditioning and has investigated use of yoga for flexibility and incidence of non-contact injuries in baseball athletes. The other studies include a clinical example that has used yoga as part of the seven point program in injury treatment of elite football players, an intervention that has included yoga in high-volume training program and a randomised control trial that has evaluated effect of yoga in flexibility and balance among athletes. Conclusions: There is scope for further studies to examine the effect of yoga as an adjunct intervention in rehabilitation of select sports injuries for athletes in competitive sport. There is potential to include sport-specific yoga programs in athletic training for prevention of non-contact injuries.

Influence of Exchanged Neuromuscular Regulation of M.Gastrocnemius on Leg Bloodflow Regulation During Static Voluntary Contraction of Knee Flexors

In literature from 1970th are described experimentaly proved concept of muscle local blood flow redistribution to capillaries feeding active muscle fibres, and loss of this synhrone blood flow redistribution with changes of recruited motor units, caused by mechanical, metabolic or neural regulatory disturbances. On the other hand, from theory of applied kinesiology (AK) it is known that different external or internal challenges coud exchenge neuromuscular regulation and muscle could become weak-testing or become hypertonic. The physiological background of these changes is not jet known. The aim of this study is to find out connections between muscle's neuromuscular regulation and its local blood flow regulation. We investigate blood flow regulation in the leg during static voluntary contraction with contraction force 5% of the knee flexor muscle maximal static voluntary contraction (MVC) in position with knee flexed till 60 deg. In this experiment participate 8 LASE students in age 22-24 with normotonic m. gastrocnemius and 8 LASE students in age 22-26 with weak-tested m. gastrocnemius. Muscle tests were performed according AK testing methode (Frost, 2002.). Leg blood flow was measured with a mercury-in-silastic strain-gauge plethismograph, using the venous-occlusion plethismography Hokanson AI6 (Hokanson, Sumner and Strandness, 1975). Cycle of leg blood flow measurement was 15 seconds repeated twice in every controled minute. Student paired t-test was used to evaluate diferences in the results of blood flow measurements from strong tested and weak tested leg muscles. We find statistically significant (P>95) differences triceps surae during static contraction with contracting force of knee flexors 5% MVC. Volume blood flow in leg with exchanged neuromuscular regulation of knee flexors where statisticaly higher neither blood floww in leg with normal neuromuscuular regulation. These differences was observed all the time of the static contraction. Changes of neuromuscular regulation could cause muscles local blood flow regulatory disturbances. Character of muscle local blood flow could be a quantitatively measurable parameter which reflects changes of neuromuscular regulatory processes of studied muscle.

Relationship Between Physical Activity and the Objective Indicators of Physical Capital for Women in Fitness

As it is mentioned in the action direction Healthy and Workable Individual of the National Development Plan of Latvia 2012 –2020: 30% of all the dead in Latvia have lost their life at the age of being able to work. The main causes of death rate are different diseases (cardio-vascular a.o.), as well as outer death causes (injuries) (Pudule et al, 2012; Štale et al, 2013). Only 8% of the EU and 6% of the Latvian population regularly perform moderate and very difficult physical activity (PA) (Eurobarometer, 2013). Therefore it is necessary to implement purposeful and effective health promoting and risk limiting events to develop the physical capital of one. The understanding of the impact of physical activity on one’s physical capital is not well explored in the previous studies (Hutson, 2012; Maguire, 2008; Goldenberg, 2003; Hedblom, 2009). Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine the relationship between PA and the objective indicators of physical capital for women in fitness. In the study voluntarily participated 33 women (30±4.1 years) from 2 fitness clubs in Riga. In order to determine the respondents’ objective indicators of physical capital were applied: bioimpedance method (TANITA SC330, Japan, 89/336/EC), heart rate variability analysis data processing software ‘Omega’, complex load test with expiratory gas analysis (VIASYS Healthcare GMBH, Germany) and Eirofit tests for adults. In order to determine the level of PA the IPAQ (Craig et al, 2003) short version in Latvian (Kaupuzs & Larins, 2010) was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were made (SPSS ver.18.0). Several moderately close (0.5<|rs|<0.69; p<0.01) and close correlations (0.7<|rs|<0.99; p<0.01) are determined between the level of PA and indicators of body composition, physical work capacity, physical fitness and functional state of the body. The level of PA has a positive impact on the objective indicators of physical capital. The more physically active the respondent is, the better physical fitness, higher work capacity, better the indicators of his body composition are and better functional state.

Motives of Young Basketball Players for Going in for Sports

The aim of the research is to analyze the motives for going in for sports among young basketball players within the age group of 9-16 years. Research methods are as follows: analysis of relevant scientific research, questionnaire, and statistical analysis. Data was collected by cooperating with Silute Sports School upon receipt of consent; questionnaires were handed out to the pupils of the sports school. The research sample was composed of 100 respondents between the ages of 9 – 16 years attending Silute Sports School. The results of the present research identified and named the most common and significant motives encouraging the young basketball players to engage in sports across all age groups (interval of 10―16 years), which are the improvement of health and the possibility of making own sport-related achievements public. Considering different age groups, results demonstrate that boys at the age of 9 – 10 consider the following motives fundamental: to improve health and to express emotions. They believe that emotional enrichment when emotions experienced in sports come along with pleasure in doing such sports and appreciation of own achievements is highly significant. When it comes to the adolescents falling into the group of 11 – 12 year olds, willingness to compete, fight, and control oneself are the central motives, while to the adolescents at the age of 13 – 14 years it was to experience pleasure in sports, however, the group of 15 – 16 year olds name a possibility to become famous for sport-related achievements as the most significant motive.

Peak Oxygen Uptake and Muscle Power Can Be Simultaneously Improved with Hybrid Training

The purpose was to investigate the effects of simultaneous endurance and strength training repeatedly performed in the same training sessions (hybrid training). Twenty-six habitually active female physical-education students took part in the study. They were assigned to a hybrid training group (HT) or one of two control groups (CON1; only endurance training and CON2; maintained their normal training regimen). In a pre- and post-test training design all the subjects were tested before and after the intervention period concerning peak oxygen uptake while pedalling on a cycle ergometer and power output in a progressive cycle ergometer pedalling power/strength test. The HT intervention group and the CON1 group trained three times per week for five weeks, while the CON2 group did not change their normal training regimen. The HT group used a pre-programmed cycle ergometer to pedal at a mean oxygen uptake of 70-75% VO2peak for 30 minutes, but the training time was divided into 60 intermittent work periods (6 seconds) at a very high relative intensity (approximately 190 % of VO2peak) interspersed with low-intensity work periods (24 seconds) at about 45% of VO2peak. The CON1 group trained at the same mean oxygen uptake level as the HT group but during 30 minutes continuous training. The HT group significantly increased VO2peak and muscle power performance. The CON1 group increased VO2peak significantly but not power/strength. The CON2 group did not change significantly in the parameters studied. Thus, it can be concluded that in-session hybrid training allows simultaneous significant improvements of both VO2peak and muscle power performance during cycle ergometer pedalling.