STEP ADJUSTMENT IN LONG JUMP APPROACH IN BEGINNER ATHLETES AGED 12-13

This study examined whether young non-expert long jumpers showed at the long jump approach (LJA) similar pattern of variability in footfall placement across trials as adult expert athletes. The LJA of 51 competition jumps performed by 17 athletes, aged 12-13 years, were analyzed. A stride regulation pattern emerged on the 5th and 4th stride prior to take-off and at a mean distance of 8.7m (males) and 7.2m (females) from take-off board. TBD variability reached a maximum value of 32.1±19.9cm and 37.4±29.9cm and was finally reduced to 10.6±16.1cm and 15.6±14.4cm for males and females respectively. The striding pattern was similar to that reported in the literature for adults. However, beginners were found to be less consistent over the initial phase of the LJA than adult athletes and made more dramatic step length modifications during the final two strides

KINEMATIC PARAMETERS OF HURDLE CLEARANCE MOTION IN YOUNG, NOVICE ATHLETES

The purpose of the present study was to assess hurdle kinematics of young athletes when clearing the first two hurdles (0.76 m height) of a simulated hurdle race. Participants run the distance from the starting line to the 2nd hurdle. All trials were video recorded in order to evaluate specific kinematic variables related to hurdle clearance motion. Results revealed that young athletes negotiate the hurdles with lower values of horizontal velocity and hurdle clearance distance parameters, and tend to adopt “a jumping action” over the hurdle compared to the motor pattern of more skilled hurdlers. Horizontal velocity variation affected the technical model of hurdle clearance at the 2nd hurdle, compared to the 1st hurdle, forcing young participants to clear the 2nd hurdle with higher vertical displacement

Anthropometric and Leg Power Factors Affect Offensive Kinetic Patterns in Fencing

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(4): 919-931, 2021. This study aimed to identify potential factors that may influence specific fencing offensive kinetic patterns in a large group of well-trained fencers having different ages, gender level, and training specialization. One-hundred-thirty fencers (males: n = 72) and (females: n = 58), participating in three different fencing weapons (epee, foil, and sabre), having considerable experience of national and international competitions. All members of seven national fencing teams were measured for basic anthropometric parameters, leg power performance and velocity values for three specific kinetic offensive patterns during an International Fencing camp. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed a significant velocity multivariate effect in age competitive categories (Wilks Λ = 0.129, F = 2.112, p \u3c0.01, n2 = 0.060) gender (Wilks Λ = 0.103, F = 3.743, p \u3c 0.05, n2 = 0.103), competition levels (Wilks Λ = 0.863, F = 5.198, p \u3c0.01, n2 = 0.137) and discipline practiced (Wilks Λ = 0.239, F = 4.305, p \u3c 0.001, n2 = 0.119) respectively. Significant correlations were observed between lunge and step lunge velocity and long jump (LJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), and reaction strength index (RSI). Age, gender, level of participants, and the choice of the weapon practiced, influenced fencing performance. Different leg power abilities could be decisive factors in training schedules design and monitoring training adaptations

STRIDE REGULATION AT THE APPROACH PHASE OF LONG JUMP IN VISUALLY IMPAIRED (F13) ATHLETES

The present work studied whether visually impaired (VI) class F13 long jumpers showed at the approach run the same pattern of variability in footfall placement across trials as their non-VI counterparts. The long jump finalists (men and women), of the IBSA 2009 European Athletics Championship were recorded. VI long jumpers demonstrated an initial ascending variability followed by a descending one suggesting some type of regulation. This control emerged on the 5th and 4th stride prior to take-off and at a mean distance of 8.8±1.9m and 8.3±2.6m from the take-off board for men and women respectively. TBD variability reached a maximum value of 30.0±18.9cm and 25.2± 14.4cm and was finally reduced to 7.73cm (± 6.65cm) and 8.2± 2.6cm for males and females respectively. The striding pattern observed was similar to that reported in the literature for non-VI athletes

TIME TO EXHAUSTION AT 90 AND 100% VO2MAX AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF 3 KM PERFORMANCE IN ELITE CYCLISTS

The minimal power that elicits VO2max and the time to exhaustion (tlimit) at this workload appear to determine cyclists’ endurance capabilities, analyze performance and help coaches to design training. Data in the literature are limited so as to elucidate this. The aim of this study was to investigate the tlimit at the power output, which corresponds to 90 (tlimit 90) and 100% VO2max (tlimit 100) in elite endurance cyclists. The contribution of tlimit in 3 km indoor individual time trial was also studied. Subjects were eleven elite male road cyclists (age 17.7 0.5 years, body mass 66.8 4.9 kg, body height 176.3 7.4 cm, VO2max 69.77 2.58 ml.kg-1.min-1). Power output at 90 and 100% VO2max was determined by continuous incremental testing. This protocol had steps of 2 min and increments of 30 W. The exhaustive trials tlimit 90 or tlimit 100 were performed in random order at least five days apart. Five days after the last exhaustive trial, cyclists performed an individual 3 km time trial on an indoor wooden track. Mean sd, tlimit 90 and tlimit 100 were 16:27.73 07:46.6 and 4:48.6 00:53.2 min:sec. Time to exhaustion at tlimit 90 and tlimit 100 ranged between 07:00-30:15 and 03:10-06:00 min:sec, respectively. Tlimit 100, tlimit 90 and VO2max (ml.min-1) did not correlate with 3 km cycling performance (r = 0.08, 0.16 and –0.59, p > 0.05). Tlimit 90 was inversely related (r = –0.49, p = 0.1) with VO2max (ml.min-1). Only power output which corresponded to ventilatory threshold and VO2max correlated significantly with 3 km performance (r = –0.83 and –0.80, p < 0.01). The results of this study indicate that: a) if cyclists’ training intensity is based on %VO2max, individual determination of the tlimit at the %VO2max has to be considered due to a wide range of tlimit to exhaustion; b) 3 km performance directly depends on the power that corresponds with ventilatory threshold and VO2max. Article visualizations

PERIMENSTRUAL DISTRESS AND PHYCHOMOTOR TESTS OF WOMEN, ATHLETES OR NOT, AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF THEIR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS A) TO APPLY THE MENSTRUAL DISTRESS QUESTION (MDQ - FORM C) IN GREEK WOMEN AND OBTAIN ESTIMATES OF SYMPTOM PREVALENCE OVER DIFFERENT PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE B) TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE EFFECT OF MC PHASES ON 3 GROUPS OF 46 WOMEN (2 OF WHICH COMPRISED ATHLETES OF AEROBIC- GROUP 2 - AND ANAEROBIC - GROUP 3 - SPORTS, WHILE THE 3RD GROUP CONSISTED OF NON - ATHLETES), ON PHYCHOMOTOR TASKS (DIFFERENT TYPES OF REACTION TIME ANDCONCENTRATION), AND C) TO ASSAY WHETHER A COMBINATION OF SUBJECTIVE (MDQ - FORM T) AND OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS (PSYCHOMOTOR TESTS) IS ABLE TO DISCRIMINATEDIFFERENT GROUPS OF WOMEN. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND AMONG THE PHASES OF THE MC AND THE THREE GROUPS OF WOMEN FOR ALL MDQ SUBSCALES AND FOR ALL PHYCHOMOTOR TESTS. THE PROPOSED ANALYSIS OF COMBINATION OF SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS SEEMS TO HAVE PREDICTORY VALUE AND PROFILE CONSTRACTIONABILITY OF A MUCH WIDER VARIETY OF GROUPS THAN THOSE UNDER CONSIDERATION.ΚΥΡΙΟΙ ΣΚΟΠΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ: Α) Η ΠΡΟΣΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΔΥΟ ΕΡΩΤΗΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΩΝ ΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΗΣ ΕΝΤΑΣΗΣ (ΕΕΕ) ΤΟΥ MOOS (1985), ΤΥΠΟΣ - Κ ΚΑΙ ΤΥΠΟΣ - Σ, ΣΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΛΗΘΥΣΜΟ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΗ ΤΩΝ ΙΔΙΑΙΤΕΡΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΣΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΥ ΩΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΑ ΣΩΜΑΤΙΚΑ Η ΨΥΧΙΚΑ ΣΥΜΠΤΩΜΑΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΑΝΤΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΟΝΤΑΙ ΟΙ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΙΣ ΦΑΣΕΙΣ ΑΥΤΕΣ, Β) Η ΑΝΑΖΗΤΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΠΙΔΡΑΣΕΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΩΝ ΑΥΤΩΝ ΣΥΜΠΤΩΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΕ ΨΥΧΟΚΙΝΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ Γ) Η ΔΗΜΙΟΥΡΓΙΑ ΕΝΟΣ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΑ ΤΩΝ ΟΜΑΔΩΝ, ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΤΟ ΣΥΝΟΛΟ ΤΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΩΝ ΣΥΜΠΤΩΜΑΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝΨΥΧΟΚΙΝΗΤΙΚΩΝ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΩΝ. Η ΣΤΑΤΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΝΑΛΥΣΗ ΕΓΙΝΕ ΜΕ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΤΡΙΚΕΣ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ (T - TEST, ANOVA, T -TEST, ANOVA, ΣΥΝΤΕΛΕΣΤΗΣ ΣΥΣΧ. PEARSON). ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΑΝ, ΕΠΙΣΗΣ, ΠΟΛΥΜΕΤΑΒΛΗΤΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΡΤΗΣΕΙΣ, ΣΤΙΣ ΟΠΟΙΕΣ ΣΤΗΡΙΧΘΗΚΑΝ ΤΑ ΒΑΣΙΚΟΤΕΡΑ ΣΥΜΠΕΡΑΣΜΑΤΑ. ΤΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ ΕΔΕΙΞΑΝ ΟΤΙ Α) ΔΕΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ ΑΝΑΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΦΑΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΑΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΟΥΝ ΤΟ ΔΕΙΓΜΑ ΓΙΑ ΟΛΕΣ ΤΙΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ ΣΥΜΠΤΩΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΕΕΕ ΚΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΟΛΕΣ ΤΙΣ ΨΥΧΟΚΙΝΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ, Β) ΟΙ ΨΥΧΟΚΙΝΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ ΔΕ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΖΟΝΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΗ ΕΝΤΑΣΗ ΚΑΙ Γ) ΤΟ ΣΥΝΟΛΟ ΤΩΝ ΥΠΟΚΕΙΜΕΝΙΚΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΤΙΚΕΙΜΕΝΙΚΩΝ ΜΕΤΡΗΣΕΩΝ ΜΠΟΡΕΙ ΝΑ ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΣΕΙ ΕΝΑ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ ΤΟΥ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΑ ΤΩΝ ΟΜΑΔΩΝ. ΕΠΙΣΗΣ, ΤΟ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ ΠΟΥ ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΘΗΚΕ ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΤΟ ΣΥΝΟΛΟ ΤΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΜΜΗΝΟΡΡΥΣΙΑΚΩΝ ΣΥΜΠΤΩΜΑΤΩΝ (ΥΠΟΚΕΙΜΕΝΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΤΡΗΣΕΙΣ) ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΨΥΧΟΚΙΝΗΤΙΚΩΝ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΩΝ (ΑΝΤΙΚΕΙΜΕΝΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΤΡΗΣΕΙΣ) ΚΑΘΕ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΑΣ ΑΠΕΔΕΙΧΘΗ ΟΤΙ ΕΧΕΙ ΤΗ ΔΥΝΑΤΟΤΗΤΑ ΠΡΟΒΛΕΨΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΜΑΔΑΣ, ΣΤΗΝ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΑΥΤΗ ΑΝΗΚΕΙ. ΠΕΡΑΙΤΕΡΩ ΜΕΛΕΤΕΣ ΘΑ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΣΑΝ ΝΑ ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞΟΥΝ ΕΑΝ ΤΟ (ΠΕΡΙΚΟΠΗ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗΣ

Relative Age Effect: A Systematic Discrimination against Biologically Younger Athletes

Physical differences associated with birth-date among athletes of the same selection year have been described as the Relative Age Effect (RAE). The aim of this study was to examine whether RAE still exists in soccer and running sport disciplines as well as to evaluate its progress among different gender, age, and sport context and if it has an effect on performance. Using official archives of the international sports’ associations (World Athletics-UEFA), birthdates and performance were collected for 7226 athletes (4033 males; 3198 females) who participated in soccer and running events. A chi-square test was used to assess differences between observed and expected birth date distributions. The study showed an over-representation of athletes born in the first quarter of the selection year for both soccer and running events. RAE is more obvious in younger age groups and in sports that require higher explosive speed, strength, power and anaerobic capacity such as soccer and short distance sprints. It was also found that RAE is associated with performance. In conclusion, athletes of younger age groups with greater biological age have a physical advantage in explosive sports (i.e. soccer and short distance running) that probably does not predict their future development

Enhancing Soccer-Specifc Motor Skills Through Visual Training: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Young Soccer Players

 In team sports like soccer, the ability to make quick decisions is essential for successful performance. Players must perceive and understand the available affordances in their environment to effectively utilize the information and make accurate decisions on the feld. Visual exploratory actions play a crucial role in acquiring the necessary information, allowing players to anticipate action possibilities and plan their subsequent actions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative training protocol based on visual exercises in improving soccer-specifc motor skills of U12 soccer players. Thirty young male soccer players participated in the study and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Technique Group (T-G), Visual-Technique Group (VT-G), and Control Group (C-G). The T-G received technical training, the VT-G received the same training with the addition of visual stimuli, and the C-G received regular in-season training. Pre- and post-test measurements were conducted on soccer-specifc motor skills. The results showed that the VT-G demonstrated signifcant improvements in motor skills compared to the T-G and C-G. These fndings suggest that incorporating targeted visual training into soccer training programs can enhance perceptual-cognitive and visual skills, leading to improved agility and overall on-feld performance. Keywords: soccer, agility, visual training, youth sports, motor skills