The level of Polish youth champions’ temperamental qualities in football

There are many factors which contribute to a successful sports career in football. One of the most important ones is players’ comprehensive preparation which consists of motor, technico-tactical and psychical components. The study focuses on a selected psychical aspect and more precisely on the temperamental features that describe and explain relationship between a man and environment.The aim of the study was to determine and compare the level of highly qualified young footballers’ temperamental properties in relation to those of the average people of the same age. The subject of the research was 31 players of the Lech Poznań club (Polish champions U-17 from 2016). The research was carried out using the EAS-D questionnaire which consists of five scales: dissatisfaction, fear, anger, activity and sociability.In the conducted study, there was a statistically significant differentiation of the results between the respondents and the average people at the level of two temperamental traits such as fear (a lower score in football players) and activity (a higher score in tested football players compared to the average people of the same age)

Maximum Locomotor Speed of the Best Football Players at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil

In comprehensive preparation of a player to football competition special attention is paid to his predispositions in terms of speed abilities. Therefore, the authors’ objective was to analyse maximum locomotor speed of players of the four best national teams competing during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, including specifying the differences in terms of speeds of these national teams and players in corresponding playing positions of individual teams. The analysis used data obtained using the Castrol Performance Index, a kinematic method and in order to present significance of differences between the studied teams and playing positions one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. The study showed that the mean maximum running speed of the players of the four best teams of the World Cup was 8.34 metres/ second. The mean maximum locomotive speed of the defenders in semi-finalist teams of the tournament was 8.29 m/s, while the midfielders’ speed was – 8.16 m/s, the forwards’ – 8.48 m/s and the goalkeepers’ – 7.40 m/s. The players who had a maximum speed of 9 m/s or more were the Dutchman Ron Vlaar (9.16 m/s) and the Argentines José María Basanta (9.09 m/s) and Ángel Di Maria (9.17 m/s). There is no significant difference between the world’s best teams, including between their corresponding playing positions, in the level of maximum running speeds determining the dynamics of the game

Analysis of the Longest Distances Run by the Best Soccer Players at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014

The aim of the study was, among other things, to characterise the maximum distance run by the four best teams in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, including individual tactical formations and players who played for at least 90 minutes in the whole tournament. In total, the highest results of 68 players were established. In the analysis data obtained using Castrol Performance Index method were used. The mean maximum distance run by players of the tournament semi-finalist teams in the 24 analysed games was 11.63 km. The mean by the analysed defenders was 11.75 km, whereas for midfielders it was 12.02 km, for forwards – 11.02 km, and for goalkeepers – 5.65 km. In group of all 68 respondents soccer players a distance of over 15 km in one game was obtained by Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller and Lucas Biglia

Estimating trace deposition time with circadian biomarkers: a prospective and versatile tool for crime scene reconstruction

Linking biological samples found at a crime scene with the actual crime event represents the most important aspect of forensic investigation, together with the identification of the sample donor. While DNA profiling is well established for donor identification, no reliable methods exist for timing forensic samples. Here, we provide for the first time a biochemical approach for determining deposition time of human traces. Using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays we showed that the characteristic 24-h profiles of two circadian hormones, melatonin (concentration peak at late night) and cortisol (peak in the morning) can be reproduced from small samples of whole blood and saliva. We further demonstrated by analyzing small stains dried and stored up to 4 weeks the in vitro stability of melatonin, whereas for cortisol a statistically significant decay with storage time was observed, although the hormone was still reliably detectable in 4-week-old samples. Finally, we showed that the total protein concentration, also assessed using a commercial assay, can be used for normalization of hormone signals in blood, but less so in saliva. Our data thus demonstrate that estimating normalized concentrations of melatonin and cortisol represents a prospective approach for determining deposition time of biological trace samples, at least from blood, with promising expectations for forensic applications. In the broader context, our study opens up a new field of circadian biomarkers for deposition timing of forensic traces; future studies using other circadian biomarkers may reveal if the time range offered by the two hormones studied here can be specified more exactly

Dose finding of melatonin for chronic idiopathic childhood sleep onset insomnia: an RCT

Contains fulltext : 86695.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Rationale Pharmacokinetics of melatonin in children might differ from that in adults. Objectives This study aims to establish a dose–response relationship for melatonin in advancing dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), sleep onset (SO), and reducing sleep onset latency (SOL) in children between 6 and 12 years with chronic sleep onset insomnia (CSOI). Methods The method used for this study is the randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Children with CSOI (n=72) received either melatonin 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 mg/kg or placebo during 1 week. Sleep was assessed with log and actigraphy during this week and the week before. Outcomes were the shifts in DLMO, SO, and SOL. Results Treatment with melatonin significantly advanced SO and DLMO by approximately 1 h and decreased SOL by 35 min. Within the three melatonin groups, effect size was not different, but the circadian time of administration (TOA) correlated significantly with treatment effect on DLMO (rs=-0.33, p=0.022) and SO (rs=-0.38, p=0.004), whereas clock TOA was correlated with SO shift (r=-0.35, p=0.006) and not with DLMO shift. Conclusions No dose–response relationship of melatonin with SO, SOL, and DLMO is found within a dosage range of 0.05–0.15 mg/kg. The effect of exogenous melatonin on SO, SOL, and DLMO increases with an earlier circadian TOA. The soporific effects of melatonin enhance the SO shift. This study demonstrates that melatonin for treatment of CSOI in children is effective in a dosage of 0.05 mg/kg given at least 1 to 2 h before DLMO and before desired bedtime.13 p

Wyznaczanie celów w kontekście zachowań zdrowotnych

Celem pracy jest zwrócenie uwagi na umiejętność wyznaczania ekonomicznych i realistycznych celów, istotnych w procesie planowania i kształtowania zachowań zdrowotnych. Przedstawione zostaną aplikacyjne zastosowania psychologicznej metody S.M.A.R.T., która jest jedną z najpopularniejszych technik wykorzystywanych w zarządzaniu, wspieraniu analizy i kontroli stopnia realizacji określonych zadań (krótko, średnio i długoterminowych).            Technika S.M.A.R.T. u swoich podstaw teoretycznych zakłada użyteczność pięciu postulatów: prostoty, mierzalności, osiągalności, istotności i terminowości. Stąd też formułowanie zadań za jej pomocą odbywa się według zbioru zasad dotyczącego: maksymalnego sprecyzowania i jednoznaczności celu, jego wyrażenia liczbowego (ilościowego), wyznaczenia oczekiwań najbardziej pożądanych, które są atrakcyjne, ambitne i realistyczne oraz określone w czasie. W dalszych modyfikacjach podaje się, że wyznaczone cele powinny być także silnie ekscytujące, odnotowane i formułowane w sposób pozytywny

Motivation of women playing team sports games

Cel badań. Głównym celem było zweryfikowanie natężenia rodzajów motywacji oraz ich składowych u kobiet rywalizujących w zespołowych grach sportowych w odniesieniu do referencyjnej grupy sportowców obu płci. Scharakteryzowano też związki pomiędzy poszczególnymi składowymi motywacji u zawodniczek. Materiał i metody. Badanie objęło 51 kobiet w wieku 18–28 lat trenujących gry zespołowe (piłkę ręczną, koszykówkę, piłkę nożną). Narzędziem badawczym była polska adaptacja Skali Motywacji Sportowej (SMS-28), która składa się z 28 stwierdzeń dotyczących motywów podejmowania aktywności w określonej dyscyplinie sportu. Wyniki. Kobiety trenujące gry zespołowe charakteryzowały się wyższymi motywami identyfikacji i introjekcji (składowej motywacji zewnętrznej) oraz niższymi wynikami amotywacji niż sportowcy z grupy porównawczej. Wyszczególniono wiele dodatnich związków pomiędzy składowymi motywacji (wewnętrznej, zewnętrznej i amotywacji). Wnioski. Uzyskane wyniki mogą być efektem przywiązywania dużej wagi do norm, bodźców i komunikatów środowiska zewnętrznego. W przypadku posiadania wysokich kompetencji w uprawianej dyscyplinie poczucie spełniania oczekiwań i wymagań środowiska może wpływać na odczuwanie subiektywnej satysfakcji.Background. The main aim of the study was to verify the intensity of particular motivation types and their components in women playing team sports games compared with the reference group of athletes of both sexes. Also, correlations were characterized between the motivation components in the female athletes. Material and methods. The study involved 51 women aged 18–28 playing team games (handball, basketball, and football). The research tool was the Polish adaptation of the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-28), consisting of 28 statements that specify the motives for undertaking a specific sports discipline. Results. The women playing team games were characterized by a higher level of identification and introjection (components of external motivation) and a lower level of amotivation than the reference group athletes. Many positive relations were noted between specific motivation components (internal, external motivation and amotivation). Conclusions. The results may reflect high appreciation of norms, stimuli, and information from the external environment. In the case of high competence in a sports discipline, the feeling that one meets the expectations and demands of the environment may influence the subjective satisfaction