Fomento del trabajo cardiorrespiratorio en adolescentes de 12 a 16 años durante el horario extraescolar mediante aplicaciones móviles: una revisión crítica

The decrease in physical activity during adolescence, together with the increase in screen time, has led to the search for alternatives for maintaining an active lifestyle that provides physical and psychological benefits to this population. Thus, mobile phones, and more specifically mobile applications for physical activity, have acquired greater prominence in recent years. However, some aspects need to be considered when using mobile applications to obtain improvements in the level of activity that produce changes in the fitness and body composition of adolescents. First, the scope of use of the mobile apps (at school or out-of-school); second, the academic year or age of the subjects; third, gender; fourth, the volume of training completed with the mobile apps; and fifth, the mobile app selected to carry out the intervention. The practical applications of all of the above in terms of the use of mobile applications in adolescents are discussed, and conclusions are made with aspects that should be taken into consideration in future research.La disminución de la actividad física durante la adolescen-cia, unida al incremento del tiempo de pantalla, ha obligado a la búsqueda de alternativas para el mantenimiento de un estilo de vida activo que permita obtener beneficios físicos y psicológicos en esta población. Así, los teléfonos móviles, y más concretamente las aplicaciones móviles de actividad física, han adquirido un mayor protagonismo en los últi-mos años. Sin embargo, es necesario considerar algunos aspectos cuando se utilizan aplicaciones móviles para ob-tener mejoras en el nivel de actividad que produzcan cam-bios en la condición física y la composición corporal de los adolescentes. En primer lugar, el ámbito de utilización de las aplicaciones móviles (escolar o extraescolar); en segun-do lugar, el curso académico o la edad de los sujetos; en tercer lugar, el género; en cuarto lugar, el volumen de en-trenamiento completado con las aplicaciones móviles; y, en quinto lugar, la aplicación móvil seleccionada para llevar a cabo la intervención. Se discuten las aplicaciones prácticas de todo lo anterior en cuanto al uso de aplicaciones móvi-les en adolescentes, y se finaliza con los aspectos que de-ben tenerse en consideración en futuras investigaciones.Actividad Física y Deport

Importance of perceived quality and usability of step tracker mobile apps for their use by adolescents

The aims of the present research were to understand the reasons why adolescents stop using mobile applications and to discover the objective and subjective evaluation of mobile applications for physical activity by adolescents. A 10-week quasi-experimental design involving four experimental groups of adolescents who used mobile apps. A total of 240 adolescents aged 12–16 years participated in the research. The level of physical activity and the assessment of the apps used were recorded. The results showed an increase in physical activity after the intervention. The main reasons for not using the apps were that adolescents found the interface complex, or the apps did not work on their mobiles. Pokémon Go showed a greater entertainment and customization than the rest of the apps. It can be concluded that the abandonment of mobile app interventions is due to the fact that they are not designed for use in this populationActividad Física y Deport

Gender and academic year as moderators of the efficacy of mobile app interventions to promote physical activity in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial

No previous study has analyzed the differences in the effectiveness of an intervention with mobile applications, according to gender and academic year, on the level of physical activity, body composition, and physical fitness of adolescents. For this reason, the aim of the present investi- gation was to establish the differences in the change in level of physical activity, kinanthropometric and derived variables, and fitness with an intervention to promote physical activity base on the use of mobile applications in adolescents according to gender and academic year. A randomized controlled trial was carried out with a 10-week intervention with mobile applications that was promoted by the physical education department of the school. The final sample consisted of 400 adolescents (210 males and 190 females; mean age: 13.96 ± 1.21 years). A total of 240 adolescents were placed in the experimental group, and 160 were placed in the control group. Physical activity, body composition and physical fitness were measured before (pre) and after the intervention (post). During the intervention, four apps were mandatory used by the adolescents (Strava, Pacer, MapMyWalk, Pokémon Go) a minimum of three times a week. The distance to be traveled increased weekly during the intervention. The control group did not use the apps but continued to perform their physical activities as normal. The results showed that the use of mobile apps was higher in females (p < 0.001; 71.1% females vs 50.0% males) and adolescents in higher academic year (p < 0.001; 74.4% fourth academic year vs 53.8% first academic year). Moreover, the use of the apps prevented the increase of variables related to fat accumulation (body mass index (BMI), fat mass, sum 3 skinfolds, waist, and hips girths). Specifically, the differences between male and female were significant in BMI (p < 0.001; mean diff: −0.352), corrected calf girth (p = 0.008; mean diff: −0.498), fat mass (p = 0.025; mean diff: 0.748), handgrip right (p = 0.002; mean diff: −1.359), handgrip left (p = 0.002; mean diff: −1.103), and countermovement jump (p = 0.002; mean diff: −2.456), while when considering academic year, differences were significant in height (p < 0.001–0.044; mean diff: −1.099 to −0.509), sum of 3 skinfolds (p = 0.046–0.047; mean diff: −3.255), waist girth (p = 0.048; mean diff: 0.584), hip girth (p < 0.001–0.008; mean diff: −1.461 to −0.777), corrected calf girth (p = 0.019–0.029; mean diff: −0.539 to −0.482), and fat mass (p = 0.025–0.046; mean diff: 1.011 to −1.392). It can be concluded that mobile apps can be a great alternative to promote the practice of physical activity, decrease of fat variables, and improve some physical fitness variables, especially in females and adolescents in higher academic year. As a consequence of the above, gender and academic year should be considered in future interventions with mobile apps, as the effects in kinanthropometric and derived variables, and fitness and the follow-up of the intervention by adolescents may be different depending on these factors. The research protocol was registered prior to the start of the study in ClinicalTrials.gov (code: NCT04860128), under the name “New technologies as a tool for health promotion in schoolchildren of compulsory secondary education”.Actividad Física y Deport

Importance of training volume through the use of step trackers apps promoted from the subject of physical education to change body composition, physical fitness and physical activity in adolescents and the influence of gender

The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in physical activity level (PA), kinanthropometric and derived variables, and physical fitness in adolescents, as a result of an out-of-school intervention with mobile step tracker apps promoted from the field of physical education, according to the volume of training completed and gender. A randomized controlled trial was carried out with 400 adolescents (210 males and 190 females) aged 12 to 16 years old (mean age: 13.96 ±1.21 years-old). Adolescents were divided into experimental group (EG) (n = 240) and control group (CG) (n =160). Two measurements were carried out, separated by a 10-week intervention, and PA, kinanthropometric variables and physical condition were measured. During the intervention, EG must use Strava (n =74); Pokemon Go (n =59); Pacer (n =60); and MapMyWalk (n =47) a minimum of 3 times per week, covering an incremental distance from 7,000 steps per day (week 1) to 12,500 steps per day (week 10). After that, EG were divided in quartile according to the volume of training completed. The results obtained showed a significant increase between pre-and post in PA (p = 0.009–0.044) and curl-up (p < 0.001–0.040) in EG regardless the quartile of compliance, and a reduction in fat variables (p < 0.001) and an increase in CMJ in 75–100 % compliance group (p =0.005). The introduction of the covariate gender did not introduce changes in the intra-group evolution. On inter-group differences, differences were only found for the post-test values between 0–25 % Vs 25–50 % and between 50–75 % Vs 75–100 % with the group that completed a longer distance being the one that showed the lowest values in the post-test in both cases. When including the covariate gender, no significant differences were found for either the pre-test or the post-test on either variable. To conclude, a higher training volume with mobile apps seems to be relevant in the increase PA and strength and decrease of fat mass. The gender factor is not influential in the intra-group changes, but it is influential in the inter-group differences.Actividad Física y DeporteEducació

Gender and academic year as moderators of the efficacy of mobile app interventions to promote physical activity in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial

No previous study has analyzed the differences in the effectiveness of an intervention with mobile applications, according to gender and academic year, on the level of physical activity, body composition, and physical fitness of adolescents. For this reason, the aim of the present investigation was to establish the differences in the change in level of physical activity, kinanthropometric and derived variables, and fitness with an intervention to promote physical activity base on the use of mobile applications in adolescents according to gender and academic year. A randomized controlled trial was carried out with a 10-week intervention with mobile applications that was promoted by the physical education department of the school. The final sample consisted of 400 adolescents (210 males and 190 females; mean age: 13.96 ± 1.21 years). A total of 240 adolescents were placed in the experimental group, and 160 were placed in the control group. Physical activity, body composition and physical fitness were measured before (pre) and after the intervention (post). During the intervention, four apps were mandatory used by the adolescents (Strava, Pacer, MapMyWalk, Pokémon Go) a minimum of three times a week. The distance to be traveled increased weekly during the intervention. The control group did not use the apps but continued to perform their physical activities as normal. The results showed that the use of mobile apps was higher in females (p < 0.001; 71.1% females vs 50.0% males) and adolescents in higher academic year (p < 0.001; 74.4% fourth academic year vs 53.8% first academic year). Moreover, the use of the apps prevented the increase of variables related to fat accumulation (body mass index (BMI), fat mass, sum 3 skinfolds, waist, and hips girths). Specifically, the differences between male and female were significant in BMI (p<0.001; mean diff: −0.352), corrected calf girth (p=0.008; mean diff: −0.498), fat mass (p=0.025; mean diff: 0.748), handgrip right (p=0.002; mean diff: −1.359), handgrip left (p=0.002; mean diff: −1.103), and countermovement jump (p=0.002; mean diff: −2.456), while when considering academic year, differences were significant in height (p<0.001–0.044; mean diff: −1.099 to −0.509), sum of 3 skinfolds (p=0.046–0.047; mean diff: −3.255), waist girth (p=0.048; mean diff: 0.584), hip girth (p < 0.001–0.008; mean diff: −1.461 to −0.777), corrected calf girth (p=0.019–0.029; mean diff: −0.539 to −0.482), and fat mass (p=0.025–0.046; mean diff: 1.011 to −1.392). It can be concluded that mobile apps can bea great alternative to promote the practice of physical activity, decrease of fat variables, and improve some physical fitness variables, especially in females and adolescents in higher academic year. As a consequence of the above, gender and academic year should be considered in future interventions with mobile apps, as the effects in kinanthropometric and derived variables, and fitness and the follow-up of the intervention by adolescents may be different depending on these factors. The research protocol was registered prior to the start of the study in ClinicalTrials.gov (code: NCT04860128), under the name “New technologies as a tool for health promotion in schoolchildren of compulsory secondary education”. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT04860128?term=NCT04860128&draw=2&rank=1.Actividad Física y Deport

Psychological Profile in Female Cyclists and Its Relationship with Age, Training Parameters, Sport Performance, and Injury Incidence.

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of psychology on sports performance and its relationship with the incidence of sport injuries. The objectives of the present investigation were: (1) to analyze the psychological profile of female cyclists as a function of age, training parameters, sport performance, and injuries suffered and (2) to design a model to predict their psychological profile. Sixty-one female cyclists participated in the study. Differences were found as a function of a competitive category for team cohesion (F = 5.035; p = 0.002), sport level effect on performance evaluation (F = 5.030; p = 0.004) and team cohesion (F = 64.706; p = 0.000), the effect of having reached the podium in the last competition on performance evaluation (t = 2.087; p = 0.041) and motivation (t = 4.035; p = 0.000), and injury severity on stress management (F = 6.204; p = 0.008). The factors that affected the psychological profile of the female cyclists the most, in addition to the independent psychological parameters, were the number of podiums in the last year and the years of cycling experience. In conclusion, there is an interaction between the psychological profile, sociodemographic variables, training, performance, and injuries suffered in female cyclists

Physical, Psychological, and Body Composition Differences between Active and Sedentary Adolescents According to the “Fat but Fit” Paradigm

The practice of physical activity during adolescence is essential for the proper development of the population. In recent decades, the relevance of physical activity has been increasing, due to the development of the “fat but fit” paradigm. This paradigm shows that adolescents with a high level of physical fitness are healthier than adolescents with poorer physical fitness, regardless of their weight, giving importance to sports practice over other aspects. However, few previous studies have analyzed the differences in physical and body composition between active and sedentary adolescents in this paradigm. For this reason, the objectives of the present study were to establish the differences in body composition, physical performance, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet between active and sedentary adolescents; and to analyze the differences between active and sedentary adolescents according to the “fat but fit” paradigm. The sample consisted of 791 adolescent whose body composition, level of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and physical fitness were measured. It was found significant between active and sedentary adolescents in most of the anthropometric, AMD, and physical fitness variables, with a significant effect of the covariates gender, age, BMI, and biological maturation on the model. The binary logistic regression analysis performed shows that anthropometric variables, AMD, and VO2 max can be considered as primary outcomes to distinguish between active and sedentary groups of adolescents. Furthermore, the results showed that the active adolescents, regardless of their weight status, had lower fat mass and greater muscle mass, as well as a higher performance in the physical fitness tests, and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet than the sedentary adolescents. To conclude, the practice of physical activity is a determinant for the improvement of body composition, physical performance, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet of the adolescent population, regardless of their gender, age, weight, or maturity status.Actividad Física y Deport

Influence of Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, Age, Biological Maturity and Anthropometric Variables on the Probability of Suffering Lumbar, Neck and Shoulder Pain in Spanish Adolescents from the Region of Murcia

Back pain in adolescents is a common injury, mainly affecting the lumbar, cervical and sometimes shoulder region. This has been related to various factors, such as lifestyle habits or physical capacity, but no previous research has shown conclusive results. The aims of this study was to analyze the risk of suffering lumbar, neck and shoulder pain according to anthropometric and physical fitness variables, physical activity level, age and biological maturity in adolescents, as well as the influence of sex in the study results. Methods: A descriptive crosssectional study was performed, including a sample of 2015 adolescents (boys: n = 1006, mean age = 14.41 ± 1.35 years-old; girls: n = 1009, mean age = 14.48 ± 1.41 years-old). The participants underwent an anthropometric evaluation and physical fitness tests were carried out, including a 20 m shuttle run, a counter movement jump, a horizontal jump, a 20 m sprint and push-up tests, followed by the completion of lumbar, neck and shoulder pain questionnaires. Results: Higher values in age and peak height velocity (PHV) showed an increase in the risk of suffering lumbar, neck and shoulder pain (OR = 0.79–1.55; p = 0.000–0.025). The anthropometric variables related to adiposity showed an increase in the risk of suffering back pain, with significant incidence in the lumbar region (OR = 1.32–1.60; p = 0.000); while muscle mass showed a protective effect (OR = 0.59; p = 0.000). Regarding the fitness tests, a better physical fitness seemed to protect adolescents from suffering from the analyzed back pains in the general sample and in the boys sample (OR = 0.56–1.60; p = 0.000), while in the girls sample the influence of the physical fitness was less relevant. Conclusions: Both anthropometry and physical fitness may influence the occurrence of back pain in adolescents, with some variations in their importance according to sex.Actividad Física y Deport

Differences in kinanthropometric variables and physical fitness of adolescents with different adherence to the Mediterranean diet and weight status: “Fat but healthy diet” paradigm

The present investigation provides a new paradigm, the fat but healthy diet, through which to analyze the importance of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD) in the adolescent population. To this end, the objectives were to analyze the existing differences in physical fitness, level of physical activity, and kinanthropometric variables in males and females with different AMD and to determine the existing differences in physical fitness, level of physical activity, and kinanthro- pometric variables in adolescents with different body mass index and AMD. The sample consisted of 791 adolescent males and females whose AMD, level of physical activity, kinanthropometric variables, and physical condition were measured. The results showed that when analyzing the whole sample, the differences were only significant in the level of physical activity among adolescents with different AMD. However, when considering the gender of the adolescents, the males also showed differences in the kinanthropometric variables, while the females did so in the fitness variables. In addition, when considering gender and body mass index, the results showed that overweight males with better AMD showed less physical activity and higher body mass, sum of three skinfolds, and waist circumference, and females did not show differences in any variable. Therefore, the benefits of AMD in anthropometric variables and physical fitness of adolescents are questioned, and the fat but healthy diet paradigm cannot be confirmed in the present research.Actividad Física y DeporteCiencias de la Alimentació

The Iceberg Profile Does Not Influence the Performance of Elite League of Legends Players, but Changes With the Events of the Game

Little is known about the interactions between the iceberg profile, which is characterized by high vigor scores, as opposed to low scores in tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and performance in League of Legends (LOL). For these reasons, the objectives of the present research were to analyze whether performance was influenced by the presence of the iceberg profile before the start of the game, and to determine the changes produced in the iceberg profile of esports players as a function of the final outcome of the game, the players' performance during the game, and pre-game anxiety and self-confidence. The participants were players in a professional LOL esports team during a SuperLiga Orange spring split. The POMS and CSAI-2 questionnaires were used. Performance was assessed using in-game variables such as game result, favorable and unfavorable plays, and KDA (kills/deaths/assists ratio). The results showed that no changes were found in the performance of the players according to the pre-game iceberg profile. Changes were found in the pre- and post-game iceberg profile, according to the final outcome of the game, and the favorable and unfavorable plays. Furthermore, the psychological variables cognitive and somatic anxiety, and self-confidence, had a relationship with the presence or absence of the iceberg profile. To conclude, the iceberg profile does not seem to influence the performance of esports players, although it is modified by events that occur during the game.Actividad Física y Deport