This study investigated the relationship between psychological skills and fitness levels among el... more This study investigated the relationship between psychological skills and fitness levels among elite taekwondo athletes. A total of ten Iranian male elite taekwondo athletes (mean age of 20.6±2 years, BMI 18.78±0.62 kg/m2, and fat percentage of 8.87±1.46%) participated in the study. The Sports Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Sports Success Scale, Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire, and Mindfulness Inventory for Sport were used to assess psychological factors. The Wingate test was used to determine anaerobic power, and the Bruce test to determine aerobic fitness. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were utilised to examine any relationships between subscales. Statistically significant correlations were recorded between the evaluation of feelings (EI scale) and VO2peak (ml/kg/min) (r = -0.70, p = 0.0235) and between social skills (EI scale) and relative peak power (W/kg) (r = 0.84, p = 0.0026). Also, between optimism (EI scale) and VO2peak (ml/kg/...
Objective: This study aimed at assessing the effects of two verbal encouragement modalities on th... more Objective: This study aimed at assessing the effects of two verbal encouragement modalities on the different offensive and defensive performance indicators in handball small-sided games practiced in physical education settings. Methods: A total of 14 untrained secondary school male students, aged 17 to 18, took part in a three-session practical intervention. Students were divided into two teams of seven players (four field players, a goalkeeper, and two substitutes). During each experimental session, each team played one 8 min period under teacher verbal encouragement (TeacherEN) and another under peer verbal encouragement (PeerEN). All sessions were videotaped for later analysis using a specific grid focusing on the balls played, balls won, balls lost, shots on goal, goals scored, as well as the ball conservation index (BCI), and the defensive efficiency index (DEI). Results: The findings showed no significant differences in favor of TeacherEN in all the performance indicators that...
The objective of this study was to determine and compare leg asymmetry between preferred dominant... more The objective of this study was to determine and compare leg asymmetry between preferred dominant and non-dominant legs in muscular power and balance among sub-elite soccer (football) players in Qatar. Thirty-two professional local soccer players from the Qatar Stars League (Second Division) participated in the study (23.1 ± 6.1 years). They were classified according to their preferred dominant leg (preferred leg to kick the ball). Twenty-two players had a right dominant leg, and the remaining ten had a left dominant leg. Countermovement jump (CMJ) was used to measure unilateral and bilateral vertical jump performances. The Y-balance test (YBT) was used to assess dynamic balance. No significant differences were found between the dominant and non-dominant leg for CMJ flight height (p > 0.05; asymmetry index (AI) = 1.83 ± 11.46) or the relative and absolute reach distance derived from the YBT (p > 0.05; AI (relative) = −0.45 ± 9.68, AI (absolute) = −0.60 ± 12.3). Bilateral asymm...
The imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restricted the daily activities of many people, including ath... more The imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restricted the daily activities of many people, including athletes. This study investigated the training practices of athletes in the Philippines during the first COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 442 athletes answered an online survey (May-July 2020), with questions pertaining to training practices, such as training frequency and duration. Data were analyzed according to: athlete classification (world-class, international, national, state, or recreational), sport category (individual or team), and sex (male or female). During lockdown, significant reductions in training frequency (except recreational, i.e., lower pre-lockdown training) and duration were observed for all athlete classifications. Similarly, training frequency and duration decreased significantly irrespective of sport category and sex. World class athletes appeared to be less affected by lockdown (types of exercise and specific training) as compared to lower-classification athletes. Ath...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Impaired balance is associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries. The purpose of... more Impaired balance is associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between age, anthropometric measurement, and asymmetry index (AI) in an adolescent high school population. Twenty-six male students (15 ± 1.0 years) were randomly selected. Body composition, measurements of vertical jump height using a countermovement jump test (CMJ), and dynamic single stance balance using the Y-balance test (YBT), were collected over 4 weeks. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were used as dimension reduction techniques in four different blocks to determine valid predictors for AIs. In the first regression analysis, controlling for age, body mass, height, and body mass index (BMI), the regression coefficient (B = 0.383, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.088, 0.679], p < 0.05) associated with body fat indicated that with each additional unit of body fat, the YBT AI increased by 0.383 units. In the second reg...
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices durin... more Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May–July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. Results: During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (∼50%) than other sports (∼35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed ...
The general and sports psychology research is limited regarding the difference between the effect... more The general and sports psychology research is limited regarding the difference between the effects of verbal encouragement (VE) or compliment methods during high-intensity functional exercise testing. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of VE and compliments on the performance of the repeated change-of-direction (RCOD) sprint test. A total of 36 male students in secondary school participated voluntarily in the study. They were divided equally into three homogeneous groups [VE group, compliment group (CG), and control group) and performed a standardized one repetition RCOD. The RCOD (6 × 20 m with 25-s active recovery) test consisted of a 100°change in the direction at every 4 m. Outcomes included performance indices (fast time, average time, and total time), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and feeling scale scores. VE and the compliment increased the performance indices and RPE compared with the control group. In conclusion, VE during the exercise testing would ...
The novel pandemic called “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), as a global public health emerge... more The novel pandemic called “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), as a global public health emergency and global threat, has affected many countries in unpredictable ways and impacted on physical activity (PA) behaviors to various extents. Specific populations including refugees, asylum seekers, and prisoners, are vulnerable groups with multiple complex health needs and worse health outcomes with respect to the general population worldwide and at high risk of death from the “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus type 2” (SARS-CoV-2). Governments around the world have been implementing preventive healthcare policies, including physical and social distancing, isolation, and confinement, to mitigate against the burden imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak. This pandemic period is characterized by reduced or lack of movement. During this period of lockdown, PA can represent an immunotherapy and a preventative approach to avoid the harmful effects of inactivity due to the pande...
Low back pain (LBP) indicates the presence of a bone injury or an irritation at the muscle/nervou... more Low back pain (LBP) indicates the presence of a bone injury or an irritation at the muscle/nervous level. Based on the scientific literature, there is a controversy about LBP frequency in various age categories; some studies shown that LBP prevalence affected the age group from 45 to 60 years old, however some other studies demonstrated that LBP was more frequent in younger age. The common LBP cause might be the fatigue and overloading. It is then disappearing with adequate rest. The present study is a systematic review on the age-frequent and causes of LBP among taekwondo (TKD) practitioners. Methodological quality identified 5 studies reporting the LBP in taekwondo athletes. According to these studies, the LBP prevalence was between 10 and 34 years old. The LBP emergence in TKD athletes might be caused by an inappropriate warm-up. This pain was associated with the neck level injuries. The study number aimed at LBP still lower to well understand causes of LBP in TKD although that L...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ... more The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 249 athletes between 15 and 35 of age, M = 21.22, SD = 5.12. The sample was composed of eight Olympic Games medalists, three European medalists, 67 international medalists, and 63 national medalists. The instruments used were: (1) COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, (2) Athlete Quality of Life Scale, (3) Impact of Pandemic on Athletes Questionnaire, and (4) International Personality Item Pool (IPIP Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability Scales). The results indicate significant differences in COVID-19 anxiety depending on the sport practiced, F (9239) = 3.81, p < 0.01, showing that there were significant differences between sports. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and the athletes’ quality of life. The percentage of mediation was 33.9%, and the indirect effect was −0.11, CI 95% (−0.18, −0.03), Z = −2.82, p < 0.01. Trait...
Prolonged exercise induces cardiovascular drift, which is characterized by decreasing mean arteri... more Prolonged exercise induces cardiovascular drift, which is characterized by decreasing mean arterial pressure (MAP), stroke volume and heart rate increase. Cardiovascular drift has been debated for a long time. Although the exact mechanisms underlying cardiovascular drift are still unknown, two theories have been proposed. The first is that increased skin blood flow displaces blood volume from central circulation to the periphery, which reduces stroke volume. According to this theory, the rise in heart rate is presumably responding to the drop in stroke volume and MAP. The alternative theory is that an increase in heart rate is due to an increase in sympathetic nervous activity causing reducing time at diastole, and therefore stroke volume. It may be difficult to determine a single robust factor accounting for cardiovascular drift, due to the broad range of circumstances. The primary focus of this review is to elucidate our understanding of cardiovascular drift during prolonged exercise through nitric oxide and force-frequency relationship. We highlight for the very first time that cardiovascular drift (in some conditions and within a specific time period) may be considered as a protective strategy against potential damage that could be induced by the intense and prolonged contraction of the myocardium.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of time of day (TD) on two types of exercise ... more The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of time of day (TD) on two types of exercise protocols [continuous (CP) versus alternated (AP)]. Eleven physical education students (mean ± SD: age = 24.4 ± 1.2 years, aerobic peak power (APP) = 290 ± 31.9 W) underwent four sessions. These sessions were performed at 08:00 (AM) and 18:00 (PM) and consisted of cycling exercises until voluntary exhaustion at 90% APP (CP) or 70%-105% APP (AP) with the order of testing randomly assigned. Time to exhaustion (time limit = Tlim) was measured from the start of the test to when voluntary exhaustion occurred. Heart rate (HR) was recorded at baseline (HRbaseline) and throughout the protocols to determine HR at exhaustion (HRpeak). Blood lactate ([La]) was measured at rest, immediately after exhaustion and at 2min30 post-exercise to determine [La]peak. A significantly higher means of Tlim (334 ± 57 s; 272 ± 59 s; p< 0.05), HRbaseline (72 ± 5 beats/min; 67 ± 5 beats/min; p< 0.01), HRpeak (...
Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of ... more Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March–June 2020). Results Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to “maintain training,” and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is “okay to not train during lockdown,” with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered “coaching by correspondence (remote coaching)” to b...
This study investigated the relationship between psychological skills and fitness levels among el... more This study investigated the relationship between psychological skills and fitness levels among elite taekwondo athletes. A total of ten Iranian male elite taekwondo athletes (mean age of 20.6±2 years, BMI 18.78±0.62 kg/m2, and fat percentage of 8.87±1.46%) participated in the study. The Sports Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Sports Success Scale, Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire, and Mindfulness Inventory for Sport were used to assess psychological factors. The Wingate test was used to determine anaerobic power, and the Bruce test to determine aerobic fitness. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were utilised to examine any relationships between subscales. Statistically significant correlations were recorded between the evaluation of feelings (EI scale) and VO2peak (ml/kg/min) (r = -0.70, p = 0.0235) and between social skills (EI scale) and relative peak power (W/kg) (r = 0.84, p = 0.0026). Also, between optimism (EI scale) and VO2peak (ml/kg/...
Objective: This study aimed at assessing the effects of two verbal encouragement modalities on th... more Objective: This study aimed at assessing the effects of two verbal encouragement modalities on the different offensive and defensive performance indicators in handball small-sided games practiced in physical education settings. Methods: A total of 14 untrained secondary school male students, aged 17 to 18, took part in a three-session practical intervention. Students were divided into two teams of seven players (four field players, a goalkeeper, and two substitutes). During each experimental session, each team played one 8 min period under teacher verbal encouragement (TeacherEN) and another under peer verbal encouragement (PeerEN). All sessions were videotaped for later analysis using a specific grid focusing on the balls played, balls won, balls lost, shots on goal, goals scored, as well as the ball conservation index (BCI), and the defensive efficiency index (DEI). Results: The findings showed no significant differences in favor of TeacherEN in all the performance indicators that...
The objective of this study was to determine and compare leg asymmetry between preferred dominant... more The objective of this study was to determine and compare leg asymmetry between preferred dominant and non-dominant legs in muscular power and balance among sub-elite soccer (football) players in Qatar. Thirty-two professional local soccer players from the Qatar Stars League (Second Division) participated in the study (23.1 ± 6.1 years). They were classified according to their preferred dominant leg (preferred leg to kick the ball). Twenty-two players had a right dominant leg, and the remaining ten had a left dominant leg. Countermovement jump (CMJ) was used to measure unilateral and bilateral vertical jump performances. The Y-balance test (YBT) was used to assess dynamic balance. No significant differences were found between the dominant and non-dominant leg for CMJ flight height (p > 0.05; asymmetry index (AI) = 1.83 ± 11.46) or the relative and absolute reach distance derived from the YBT (p > 0.05; AI (relative) = −0.45 ± 9.68, AI (absolute) = −0.60 ± 12.3). Bilateral asymm...
The imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restricted the daily activities of many people, including ath... more The imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restricted the daily activities of many people, including athletes. This study investigated the training practices of athletes in the Philippines during the first COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 442 athletes answered an online survey (May-July 2020), with questions pertaining to training practices, such as training frequency and duration. Data were analyzed according to: athlete classification (world-class, international, national, state, or recreational), sport category (individual or team), and sex (male or female). During lockdown, significant reductions in training frequency (except recreational, i.e., lower pre-lockdown training) and duration were observed for all athlete classifications. Similarly, training frequency and duration decreased significantly irrespective of sport category and sex. World class athletes appeared to be less affected by lockdown (types of exercise and specific training) as compared to lower-classification athletes. Ath...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Impaired balance is associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries. The purpose of... more Impaired balance is associated with an increased risk of lower extremity injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between age, anthropometric measurement, and asymmetry index (AI) in an adolescent high school population. Twenty-six male students (15 ± 1.0 years) were randomly selected. Body composition, measurements of vertical jump height using a countermovement jump test (CMJ), and dynamic single stance balance using the Y-balance test (YBT), were collected over 4 weeks. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were used as dimension reduction techniques in four different blocks to determine valid predictors for AIs. In the first regression analysis, controlling for age, body mass, height, and body mass index (BMI), the regression coefficient (B = 0.383, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.088, 0.679], p < 0.05) associated with body fat indicated that with each additional unit of body fat, the YBT AI increased by 0.383 units. In the second reg...
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices durin... more Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May–July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. Results: During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (∼50%) than other sports (∼35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed ...
The general and sports psychology research is limited regarding the difference between the effect... more The general and sports psychology research is limited regarding the difference between the effects of verbal encouragement (VE) or compliment methods during high-intensity functional exercise testing. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of VE and compliments on the performance of the repeated change-of-direction (RCOD) sprint test. A total of 36 male students in secondary school participated voluntarily in the study. They were divided equally into three homogeneous groups [VE group, compliment group (CG), and control group) and performed a standardized one repetition RCOD. The RCOD (6 × 20 m with 25-s active recovery) test consisted of a 100°change in the direction at every 4 m. Outcomes included performance indices (fast time, average time, and total time), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and feeling scale scores. VE and the compliment increased the performance indices and RPE compared with the control group. In conclusion, VE during the exercise testing would ...
The novel pandemic called “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), as a global public health emerge... more The novel pandemic called “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), as a global public health emergency and global threat, has affected many countries in unpredictable ways and impacted on physical activity (PA) behaviors to various extents. Specific populations including refugees, asylum seekers, and prisoners, are vulnerable groups with multiple complex health needs and worse health outcomes with respect to the general population worldwide and at high risk of death from the “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus type 2” (SARS-CoV-2). Governments around the world have been implementing preventive healthcare policies, including physical and social distancing, isolation, and confinement, to mitigate against the burden imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak. This pandemic period is characterized by reduced or lack of movement. During this period of lockdown, PA can represent an immunotherapy and a preventative approach to avoid the harmful effects of inactivity due to the pande...
Low back pain (LBP) indicates the presence of a bone injury or an irritation at the muscle/nervou... more Low back pain (LBP) indicates the presence of a bone injury or an irritation at the muscle/nervous level. Based on the scientific literature, there is a controversy about LBP frequency in various age categories; some studies shown that LBP prevalence affected the age group from 45 to 60 years old, however some other studies demonstrated that LBP was more frequent in younger age. The common LBP cause might be the fatigue and overloading. It is then disappearing with adequate rest. The present study is a systematic review on the age-frequent and causes of LBP among taekwondo (TKD) practitioners. Methodological quality identified 5 studies reporting the LBP in taekwondo athletes. According to these studies, the LBP prevalence was between 10 and 34 years old. The LBP emergence in TKD athletes might be caused by an inappropriate warm-up. This pain was associated with the neck level injuries. The study number aimed at LBP still lower to well understand causes of LBP in TKD although that L...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ... more The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 249 athletes between 15 and 35 of age, M = 21.22, SD = 5.12. The sample was composed of eight Olympic Games medalists, three European medalists, 67 international medalists, and 63 national medalists. The instruments used were: (1) COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, (2) Athlete Quality of Life Scale, (3) Impact of Pandemic on Athletes Questionnaire, and (4) International Personality Item Pool (IPIP Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability Scales). The results indicate significant differences in COVID-19 anxiety depending on the sport practiced, F (9239) = 3.81, p < 0.01, showing that there were significant differences between sports. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and the athletes’ quality of life. The percentage of mediation was 33.9%, and the indirect effect was −0.11, CI 95% (−0.18, −0.03), Z = −2.82, p < 0.01. Trait...
Prolonged exercise induces cardiovascular drift, which is characterized by decreasing mean arteri... more Prolonged exercise induces cardiovascular drift, which is characterized by decreasing mean arterial pressure (MAP), stroke volume and heart rate increase. Cardiovascular drift has been debated for a long time. Although the exact mechanisms underlying cardiovascular drift are still unknown, two theories have been proposed. The first is that increased skin blood flow displaces blood volume from central circulation to the periphery, which reduces stroke volume. According to this theory, the rise in heart rate is presumably responding to the drop in stroke volume and MAP. The alternative theory is that an increase in heart rate is due to an increase in sympathetic nervous activity causing reducing time at diastole, and therefore stroke volume. It may be difficult to determine a single robust factor accounting for cardiovascular drift, due to the broad range of circumstances. The primary focus of this review is to elucidate our understanding of cardiovascular drift during prolonged exercise through nitric oxide and force-frequency relationship. We highlight for the very first time that cardiovascular drift (in some conditions and within a specific time period) may be considered as a protective strategy against potential damage that could be induced by the intense and prolonged contraction of the myocardium.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of time of day (TD) on two types of exercise ... more The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of time of day (TD) on two types of exercise protocols [continuous (CP) versus alternated (AP)]. Eleven physical education students (mean ± SD: age = 24.4 ± 1.2 years, aerobic peak power (APP) = 290 ± 31.9 W) underwent four sessions. These sessions were performed at 08:00 (AM) and 18:00 (PM) and consisted of cycling exercises until voluntary exhaustion at 90% APP (CP) or 70%-105% APP (AP) with the order of testing randomly assigned. Time to exhaustion (time limit = Tlim) was measured from the start of the test to when voluntary exhaustion occurred. Heart rate (HR) was recorded at baseline (HRbaseline) and throughout the protocols to determine HR at exhaustion (HRpeak). Blood lactate ([La]) was measured at rest, immediately after exhaustion and at 2min30 post-exercise to determine [La]peak. A significantly higher means of Tlim (334 ± 57 s; 272 ± 59 s; p< 0.05), HRbaseline (72 ± 5 beats/min; 67 ± 5 beats/min; p< 0.01), HRpeak (...
Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of ... more Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March–June 2020). Results Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to “maintain training,” and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is “okay to not train during lockdown,” with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered “coaching by correspondence (remote coaching)” to b...
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