EFFECTS OF AGE, GENDER AND ACTIVITY LEVEL ON COUNTER-MOVEMENT JUMP PERFORMANCE AND VARIABILITY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

The aim of this study was to investigate counter-movement jump performance and variability in a large population of children and adolescents with respect to age, gender, and activity level. 1835 subjects performed three counter-movement jumps with arms akimbo on a force platform. The subjects were divided into 6 age groups and three activity level groups. Jump height and maximum rate of force development were calculated for all jumps. The best trial out of three was considered for further calculations. Variability of both parameters was indicated by the coefficient of variation over three jumps. Both parameters increased with increasing age while their variability decreased. Boys jumped higher than girls. Regarding maximum rate of force development female subjects showed higher values. The active subjects jumped higher and with less variability than the sedentary group. Jump height and maximum rate of force development are good parameters to describe the development of jumping performance regarding age, gender and activity aspects. Due to the high variability of maximum force rate development, however, this parameter has to be interpreted with caution in subject-specific assessments

Antecedents and Consequences of Outward Emotional Reactions in Table Tennis

The purpose of the present study was to shed light on the behavioral component of emotions by investigating antecedents and consequences of outward emotional reactions during table tennis competitions. With regards to the antecedents of outward emotional reactions, in line with appraisal theories, we considered the importance and the controllability of the situation as two important constructs. Fifteen table tennis matches, involving in total 21 players (7 females) with a mean age of 16.71 (SD = 0.70), were video recorded during the finals of the youth National Championship in Greece. Based on the footage, outward emotional reactions after every point were classified as neutral, positive, or negative. Situational factors in relation to the scoring system, bearing the importance and the controllability of the situation, were formed to assess antecedents of outward emotional reactions. To measure the consequences of outward emotional reactions, the impact on the outcome of the next point was assessed. Generalized linear models with a logit link were computed separately for positive outward emotional reactions after having won a point and negative outward emotional reactions after having lost a point. In general, the results show that while situational factors bearing the importance of the situation could predict positive and negative outward emotional reactions, the effects of situational factors bearing the controllability of the situation were less conclusive. In addition, the results also showed interactive effects between the two constructs for both positive and negative outward emotional reactions. With regard to the consequences of outward emotional reactions, negative and positive outward emotional reactions could not predict the outcome of the next point. To conclude, this study highlights the behavioral component of emotions as a viable alternative to enhance our understanding of the role of emotions in sport

Proximity to Sports Facilities and Sports Participation for Adolescents in Germany

Objectives - To assess the relationship between proximity to specific sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities for adolescents in Germany. Methods - A sample of 1,768 adolescents aged 11–17 years old and living in 161 German communities was examined. Distances to the nearest sports facilities were calculated as an indicator of proximity to sports facilities using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Participation in specific leisure-time sports activities in sports clubs was assessed using a self-report questionnaire and individual-level socio-demographic variables were derived from a parent questionnaire. Community-level socio-demographics as covariates were selected from the INKAR database, in particular from indicators and maps on land development. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between proximity to the nearest sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities. Results - The logisitic regression analyses showed that girls residing longer distances from the nearest gym were less likely to engage in indoor sports activities; a significant interaction between distances to gyms and level of urbanization was identified. Decomposition of the interaction term showed that for adolescent girls living in rural areas participation in indoor sports activities was positively associated with gym proximity. Proximity to tennis courts and indoor pools was not associated with participation in tennis or water sports, respectively. Conclusions - Improved proximity to gyms is likely to be more important for female adolescents living in rural areas

The difference between saying and doing when it comes to training volume: Effect of motives of sport activity, age, gender and pain on training volume [Der Unterschied zwischen Sagen und Tun beim Trainingsfleiß: Effekte von Motiven sportlicher Aktivität, Alter, Geschlecht und Schmerzen auf den Trainingsumfang sportlicher Aktivitäten]

Background Health, joy/fun, body shape and society are motives for physical exercise. So far, the impact of the strength of these factors on the training scope is unclear. The study aims to analyse the association between these motives, age, gender, back pain and training volume. Materials and methods In this study, 792 participants (68% women and 32% men, mean age 53.5 years, standard deviation 11.9, range 24–85 years) were asked about their motives for physical activities, their back pain and their volume of training. Regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of the motives on training volume. Results In women, the motives joy (B$_{joy}$ = 0.23, t = 3.6, p < 0.001, r = 0.25), body shape (B$_{body shape}$ = 0.127, t = 2.0, p = 0.05, r = 0.16) and age (B$_{age}$ = 0.03, t = 2.5, p = 0.01, r = 0.17) had small (age, body shape) to medium effects (joy) on training volume. In men, only back pain had a significant positive effect (B$_{back pain}$ = 1.4, t = 4.2, p < 0.001, r = 0.35) on training volume (strong effect). Discussion and conclusion For active women, the pleasure felt during training (intrinsic motivation) and the desire for a better figure (introjected regulation = meeting external requirements) promote the amount of training. For active men, the solution to the health problem is possibly in the foreground: the greater the problem (back pain), the higher the training volume. Presumably, they have made the experience that physical training reduces back pain

Tracking physical activity in different settings from late childhood to early adulthood in Germany: The MoMo longitudinal study Health behavior, health promotion and society

Background: Regular physical activity is important for remaining healthy. Most studies on the association between active child- and adulthood were based on small non-representative populations. The purpose of the study was to quantify tracking of leisure-time PA (in and outside sports clubs) for 6 years from adolescence into young adulthood in a representative sample in Germany. Methods: This study was a subsample of the "Motorik-Modul (MoMo) Longitudinal Study" (baseline: 2003-2006, wave 1: 2009-2012). Representative longitudinal physical activity data of N∈=∈947 adolescents were included and collected using the MoMo-physical activity questionnaire (MoMo-PAQ). Stability of different physical activity indices was measured using Spearman\u27s rank-order correlations and ANOVA with repeated measurement with age, sex and socio-economic status (SES) as determinants. Results: While mean leisure-time physical activity outside sports clubs (LTPA) (F1,397∈=∈7.9, df∈=∈1; p∈387∈=∈4.8, df∈=∈1; p∈1,441∈=∈7.7, df∈=∈1; p∈371∈=∈3.2, df∈=∈1; p∈>∈.05) were observed. Low tracking correlations were found for different physical activity indices (LTPA: r∈=∈.094, p∈<∈.05; SCPA: r∈=∈.248 p∈=∈<.05; OPA: r∈=∈.211 p∈<∈.05; OS index: r∈=∈.266 p∈<∈.05). Results by sex, age and SES were inconsistent. Analyses of agreement showed different results for determinants and settings. Conclusion: The results of this representative study were comparable to previous studies and showed significant but low stability. Possible reasons for low stability coefficients are a relatively long timespan between both measurement points and potential effects of the reliability of subjective assessment methods. The results confirm that physical activity is a fluctuating variable. Future studies should examine the determinants of tracking and change in physical activity. © 2015 Rauner et al.; licensee Biomed Central