Critical moments in freestyle BMX/MTB and their impact on prestart conditions

The purpose of this study was to describe critical moments in freestyle competition, analyse mental state of elite freestyle cycling athletes before competition and to evaluate changes of their subjective psychological experiences. In our research we compared results of freestyle cyclists with results of reference group of elite track cyclists. We used semi-structured interviews and two standardized questionnares: SUPSO test and SPARO test. Statistically significant differences were found while comparing SPARO test and SUPSO test results of freestyle cyclists and the reference group. Some of the differences were related to components, that smartly expresses specificity of freestyle cyclists´ mentality. Elite freestyle riders´ general and pre-competition mentality is specific, which is caused by specificity of this extreme cycling discipline. There are numerous factors that impact these athletes during the competition, more than in any other of cycling disciplines. Psychological preparation of freestyle cycling athletes would contribute to improve their performance

Active Safety Elements In Teaching Cycling In Primary School

Cykloturistika se stává dominantní turistickou aktivitou. Žáci se mohou setkat s výukou cyklistiky především prostřednictvím cykloturistických kurzů. Jejich realizace je stále učiteli považována za rizikovou. Ve výzkumu jsme se zaměřili na aktivní složku bezpečnostního hlediska cyklistiky a cykloturistiky. Použili jsme metody pozorování, rozhovoru a anketního dotazníku. Výzkumu se účastnily tři různé skupiny. Výsledky naznačují zájem pedagogů i žáků o výuku cyklistiky nejen v rámci kurzů. Největšími bariérami jsou personální zabezpečení a úroveň jízdních dovedností žáků.Cycling tourism is becoming a dominant tourist activity. Students are able undergo teaching courses primarily through cycling. Their implementation however is still risky. The research focused on the safety component of tourism and cycling. The method used was observation, interview, and interview questionnaire. The research involved three different groups of the population. Results suggest teachers and students are interested in learning cycling courses but also in cycling safety. The most significant barrier constitutes the current riding skills of students

3D Kinematic Analysis Of The Bicross Start

Příspěvek se zabývá technikou bikrosového startu. Cílem studie je na základě kinematografické metody analyzovat jednotlivé fáze bikrosového startu a určit základní kinematické parametry jeho prvních pohybů. Měření jsme provedli s využitím systému Simi motion 7. Bikrosový start provedli dva reprezentanti České republiky, jeden muž a jedna žena. Výsledkem naší práce je rozdělení startovního pohybu do pěti základních fází a jejich rozbor. U počátečních pohybů jsme vyhodnotili základní kinematické parametry, pomocí nichž jsme u testovaných osob porovnali rozdíly v technickém provedení.The paper deals with techniques of the bi-cross start. The aim of this study was to analyse particular phases of BMX start through cinematographic method and to evaluate basic cinematic parameters of first movements. For scanning the images, we used two high-frequency synchronised digital cameras SIMI MOTION Version 7. The bi-cross start was performed by two representatives of the Czech Republic, one man and one woman. The result of our study is a distribution of start movement to five basic phases. According to kinematic parameters of initial movements we compared differences between start techniques of each tested person

Analysis Of Shooting Successful Of The Czech Men´S Team In Biathlon In 2002-2010

Úspěšně provedená střelba je v biatlonu nutnou podmínkou celkového úspěchu v závodě. V soutěžích nejvyšších kategorií jako jsou Světový pohár, mistrovství světa a zimní olympijské hry i jeden neúspěšný zásah na střelnici vede k vyřazení sportovce z boje o vítězství v závodě. Cílem naší práce je porovnat střeleckou úspěšnost reprezentačního družstva mužů ČR s vítězi závodů těchto nejvyšších kategorií. Zjišťovali jsme, jak se vyvíjela střelecká úspěšnost českého družstva vzhledem ke kontrolní skupině vítězů světových soutěží v průběhu dvou olympijských cyklů v sezónách 2002/03–2005/06 a 2006/07–2009/10. Jako podklad pro zpracování jsme použili data z položky DATACENTER, dostupná na oficiálních stránkách mezinárodní biatlonové organizace IBU. Posuzovali jsme tři základní oblasti: úspěšnost střelby, rychlost provádění střelby a čistý běžecký čas. Tuto poslední položku jsme posuzovali pro doplnění rozboru střelecké úspěšnosti. Bylo zjištěno kontinuální zaostávání českých reprezentantů ve všech sledovaných oblastech. Prezentovaná zjištění by měla trenérům napomoci hledat rezervy v práci se sportovci především ve střelecké části biatlonu.The successful implementation of biathlon shooting is a necessary condition for overall success in the race. In the biggest competitions, such as the World Cup, World Championship and Winter Olympic Games, even one failed shot on the shooting-range can lead to the elimination of the sportsman from the fight for the victory in the whole race. The main aim of this thesis is to compare successful shooting skills of the men´s team of the Czech Republic within the winners of past world competitions. The goal was to discover the improvement of the successful shooting of the Czech team compared to the control group of winners in the worldwide competitions during two Olympic cycles in the seasons 2002/2003 – 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 and 2009/2010. Base data was used from DATACENTER, widely available on official web pages of the International biathlon organisation IBU. We have assessed 3 basic areas: shooting success, speed of the shooting performance and running time. The running time was assessed for the completion of the study of the successful shooting. Continued failings of the Czech representatives were found in all observed areas. The findings presented should help coaches better work with the athletes especially in the shooting part of the biathlon

Biomechanical And Kinesiology Aspects Of The Bicross Start Technique

Příspěvek se zabývá technikou bikrosového startu. Na základě analýzy limitujících faktorů výkonu poukazuje na start jako na jednu z nejdůležitějších fází celého bikrosového závodu. Optimální start je založen na respektování kineziologických a biomechanických zákonitostí, jimiž se v příspěvku zabýváme. Cílem studie je vytvořit teoretický základ, na němž půjde stavět empirické práce zabývající se optimalizací bikrosového startu.The paper deals with techniques of the bi-cross start. Based on the analysis of factors limiting the performance start, the paper points out that the start is the most important stage in the race. Optimum take off is based on kinesiology aspects and biomechanical patterns, which this paper looks at. The aim of this study is to establish a theoretical foundation on which will be built upon empirical work dealing with optimisation bi-cross start

Personality characteristics and its effect on performance in the race BMX

The aim of this study was to describe personality characteristics of top athletes – 10 elite bicross (BMX) racers (18+ years), both men and women. For our research we used SPARO test – monitoring of basal psychical autoregulation of personality, which was evaluated with t-test. Particular segments were compared with population and with top athletes of different sports. BMX racers had significantly higher (p < 0.05) intensity of autostimulation, airiness (-5.92±2.54), searching for emotional experiences (3.4 ±2.35) and higher willingness to risk (6,54±2,37). Simultaneously it confirmed higher anxiety (3.35±3,2.1), need of independence (3,73±2.00) and dominant need of experiential attitude (-2,55±2,38). Results show characteristics of BMX racers, which correspond with characteristic of this cycling discipline, and also show personality attributes which are important for success in this sport.This research was funded within the specific research project "The concentration of attention as one of the prerequisites for successful performance in cycling" “c. MUNIA/A/0829/2012 ID 23564”

The coast of giants: an anthropometric survey of high schoolers on the Adriatic coast of Croatia

The aim of this anthropometric survey was to map regional differences in height and body proportions in eight counties adjacent to the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Body height was measured in 1,803 males and 782 females aged 17–20 years at 66 schools in 23 towns. When corrected for population size in regions, mean male height is 182.6 cm in all eight counties, 182.8 cm in seven counties of Adriatic Croatia, and 183.7 cm in four counties of Dalmatia proper. Regional variation is considerable: from 180.6 cm in the county of Karlovac to 184.1 cm in the county of Split-Dalmacija. The mean height of females is based on more limited data (168.0 cm in seven counties). These results show that young men from Dalmatia are currently the tallest in the world in the age category of 18 years, and the north-to-south gradient of increasing stature on the Adriatic coast largely mirrors that in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The extraordinary values of height in Croatia and BiH can most likely be explained by unique genetic predispositions that are shared by the local populations of the Dinaric Alps

Global Correlates of Cardiovascular Risk: A Comparison of 158 Countries

The aim of this study was a large-scale ecological analysis of nutritional and other environmental factors potentially associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the global context. Indicators of CVDs from 158 countries were compared with the statistics of mean intake (supply) of 60 food items between 1993 and 2011, obesity rates, health expenditure and life expectancy. This comparison shows that the relationship between CVD indicators (raised blood pressure, CVD mortality, raised blood glucose) and independent variables in the global context is influenced by various factors, such as short life expectancy, religiously conditioned dietary customs, the imprecision of some statistics and undernutrition. However, regardless of the statistical method used, the results always show very similar trends and identify high carbohydrate consumption (mainly in the form of cereals and wheat, in particular) as the dietary factor most consistently associated with the risk of CVDs. These findings are in line with the changing view of the causes of CVDs. Because only the statistics of raised blood glucose include people using medications and reflect true prevalence that is independent of healthcare, more objective data on the prevalence of CVDs are needed to confirm these observed trends

Correction: Grasgruber et al. Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe. Biology 2022, 11, 786

Note: The authors apologize for the rather extensive text corrections [...