Cold Water Immersion Recovery on Some Muscular Damage Indices of Taekwondo Practitioners

سابقه و هدف: عدم بازگشت مناسب به حالت اولیه پس از فعالیت ورزشی، سبب آسیب و تخریب‌ در بافت عضلات می‌شود. هدف از این مطالعه، بررسی تأثیر بازگشت به حالت اولیه از طریق غوطه‌وری در آب سرد بر برخی شاخص‌های آسیب عضلانی در حین انجام چند مسابقه شبیه‌سازی‌شده متوالی تکواندو بود. روش‌ بررسی: مطالعه به روش نیمه تجربی انجام شد. 21 نفر از تکواندوکاران شهر قزوین در رده سنی 19- 17 سال با سابقه تمرینی 8- 6 سال به‌صورت در دسترس انتخاب شدند. آزمودنی‌ها به سبک مسابقات المپیک در طبقه‌بندی وزنی خود قرار گرفتند و مسابقه شبیه‌سازی‌شده‌ای را اجرا کردند. در زمان‌های بازگشت به حالت اولیه نخستین، پیش از مسابقه دوم، سوم و چهارم، غوطه‌وری پس از مسابقه دوم، سوم و چهارم، و 12 ساعت پس از مسابقه پایانی، خون‌گیری برای ارزیابی آنزیم‌های کبدی و کراتین کیناز انجام گرفت. تکواندوکاران به صورت تصادفی، در دو گروه غوطه‌وری در آب سرد (10 نفر) و کنترل (11 نفر) قرار گرفتند. غوطه‌وری به‌صورت غوطه‌وری موضعی پاها در آب سرد با دمای 11 درجه سانتی‌گراد و به مدت 11 دقیقه انجام شد. از روش آماری تحلیل واریانس دوطرفه با اندازه‌گیری تکراری در سطح معنی‌داری 0.05 استفاده شد. یافته‌‌ها: مسابقه شبیه‌سازی‌شده تکواندو منجر به افزایش معنی‌دار در میزان شاخص‌های آسیب عضلانی در گروه غوطه‌وری در آب سرد نسبت به گروه کنترل‌شده است (p<0.01). درکل مراحل پژوهش، میانگین شاخص‌های کراتین کیناز (P=0.001)، لاکتات دهیدروژناز (P=0.001)، آسپارتات آمینوترانسفراز (P=0.001) و آلانین آمینو ترانسفراز (P=0.001) گروه غوطه‌وری در آب سرد به‌طور معنی‌داری کمتر از گروه کنترل بود. نتیجه‌گیری: غوطه‌وری در آب سرد نسبت به بازگشت به حالت اولیه غیرفعال پس از چند مسابقه متوالی تکواندو، دارای اثربخشی بیشتری است. How to cite this article: Heidarinia M, Goodarzi B, Mirmoezzi M. Cold Water Immersion Recovery on Some Muscular Damage Indices of Taekwondo Practitioners. Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat. 2022;10(1):23-32.Background and Objectives: Lack of proper recovery after exercise causes damage and destruction to muscle tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cold water immersion recovery on some muscular damage indices during several consecutive simulated Taekwondo competitions. Methods and Materials: Twenty-one taekwondo practitioners in Qazvin in the age group of 17-19 years with a training experience of 6-8 years were randomly selected.  The participants were placed in their weight classification in the style of the Olympics and performed in a simulated competition. Blood samples were taken to assess liver enzymes and creatine kinase at baseline recovery periods, before the second, third, and fourth races, immersion after the second, third, and fourth races, and 12 hours after the final race, blood sampling for evaluation of liver enzymes and creatine kinase in two groups of cold water immersion (n = 10) and control (n = 11) was performed. Immersion was performed as local immersion of feet in cold water at 11 ° C for 11 min. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The simulated taekwondo competition resulted in a significant increase in the rate of muscle damage indices in the cold water immersion group compared to the control group (p<0.01). In all stages of the study, the mean indices of Creatine Kinase (CK; P=0.001), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH; P=0.001), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST; P=0.001), and Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid (ALT; P=0.001) of immersion group in cold water it was significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion: Immersion in cold water is more effective than inactive recovery after several consecutive Taekwondo competitions. How to cite this article: Heidarinia M, Goodarzi B, Mirmoezzi M. Cold Water Immersion Recovery on Some Muscular Damage Indices of Taekwondo Practitioners. Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat. 2022;10(1):23-32

Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries

Background Although several studies have shown that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has had negative impacts on mental health and eating behaviors among the general population and athletes, few studies have examined the long-term effects on elite and sub-elite athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health and eating behaviors in elite versus sub-elite athletes two years into the pandemic. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between March and April 2022, involving athletes from 14 countries, using a convenient non-probabilistic and snowball sampling method. A total of 1420 athletes (24.5 ± 7.9 years old, 569 elites, 35% women, and 851 sub-elites, 45% women) completed an online survey-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic survey, information about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items (DASS-21) for mental health assessment, and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S) for assessing eating behavior. Results The results showed that compared to sub-elite athletes, elite athletes had lower scores on the DASS-21 (p = .001) and its subscales of depression (p = .003), anxiety (p = .007), and stress (p < .001), as well as a lower REAP-S score indicating lower diet quality (p = .013). Conclusion In conclusion, two years into the pandemic, elite athletes were likelier to have better mental health profiles than sub-elite athletes but surprisingly had lower diet quality. Key Points Elite athletes had better mental health profiles compared to sub-elite athletes, with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Elite athletes reported greater psychological support and perceived themselves as more financially secure during the pandemic than sub-elite athletes do. Elite athletes were more likely to have poor eating habits compared to sub-elite athletes

Comparison of selected kinematic variables front- and rear- weighted track start of elite male swimmers

Objective: Over recent years, due to scientific advances in various aspects of sport, rapid development and improvement has taken place in sport performance standards as well as athletes' performance. In the swimming tournament starting on time and correctly, one of the factors that plays an important role in the success of swimmers, especially speed swimmers. The aim of this study was Comparison of selected kinematic variables frontand rear- weighted track start of elite male swimmers. Methods: Fourteen male elite male swimmers with an average age of 17.86&plusmn;1.92 years were targeted and available among those who had better starters and had the right foot (dominant legs) place in this study. The following kinematic parameters were analysed: take off angle, take off velocity, entry angle, entry velocity and flight distance. Used a top speed of 100 fps video camera to detect body position and biomechanical parameters during the performance two start techniques.the statistical methods were Kolmogorov-smirnov test to chek for normal distribution of data and T-test for comparison between two types of kinematic quantities start with 0.05 alpha levels. Results: Findings indicated that flight distance were significant difference between two start techniques (P<0.05) and the distance at Frontand- weighted track start was more than the distance at rear- weighted track start. Conclusion: Because of the difference in flight distance and Time off the platform in two types of startes, coaches and swimmers can use either of the two startes depending on the type of competition (Speed and endurance of swimming). &nbsp

The Effect of Fatigue on the Static and Dynamic Balance in Karate Kata and Kumite Elite Men

Objective: With regard to the effects of postural fatigue on the amount of participation in sport activities and as this may result in impaired motor functioning, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fatigue on static and dynamic balance in karate kata and kumite elite men. Methods: The statistical population consist of all karate kata and kumite National Karate team members in 2015-16, which involved 20 men. The sample of the study included 16 athletes with average age of 20.4 &plusmn; 23.75 years, all of whom were healthy. Static and dynamic balance was measured before and after the exercise protocol, including a severe karate training session. Static postural stability indices including mean center of pressure displacement (COP) and velocity of COP displacements (COP VEL) Direction of medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP), were measured in standing position on one leg. In order to evaluate the dynamic postural stability index (DPSI), the jump-landing task was used on the 1000-Hz Kistler force plate. Inferential statistics which were used to compare pre and post-test data in order to compare the effect of fatigue in kata and kumite groups at a significant level of 0.05, including paired samples t-test and covariance analysis. Results: The findings indicated that fatigue caused by intense training would significantly affect the static and dynamic balance in karate kata and kumite elite men (P<0.05). The kumite team had a better dynamic balance than the kata team (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be recommended that coaches and athletes consider the negative effects of fatigue in intensive training sessions on static and dynamic balance. Since practically there is not much differences between different exercise in kata and kumite. It is recommended that the exercise program be used to delay fatigue in order to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal damage

Effect of 8-Week of Selected Aerobic Exercise on Static and Dynamic Balance in Healthy Elderly Inactive Men

Objectives: Old age refers to years near or passed the middle age and therefore, near to the end of life&nbsp;cycle. Old-aged people have limited reviving capability and are more at risk of catching diseases, syndromes,&nbsp;and ailments. Falling is one of the most common problems in the elderly that occur due to their&nbsp;inability to maintain balance. This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercises on static and&nbsp;dynamic balance in healthy elderly inactive men. Methods & Materials:&nbsp;This quasi-experimental research was done in older people living in a nursing home&nbsp;in Qazvin, Iran. The study population included 200 elderly men (65-75 years old); of them, 26 healthy,&nbsp;inactive men were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental (13 subjects) and control (13&nbsp;subjects) groups. The experimental group participated in selected exercise programs for 8 weeks. We&nbsp;used personal information questionnaire to check the inclusion criteria that comprised independency in&nbsp;doing daily chores, lack of problems in vision or fall during the last year, and not having joints dislocation,&nbsp;chronic arthritis or vertigo. In the case of having these problems, the subjects were excluded from the&nbsp;study. Stork balance test and Timed Up and Go test were used to measure the static and dynamic balance&nbsp;of subjects before the initiation and after the termination of the program. The statistical analyses&nbsp;were done by paired and independent t-tests. Results: The results of independent t-test did not indicate any significant differences between 2 groups&nbsp;with regard to age, height, and weight (P>0.05). Homogeneity was observed in the 2 groups with respect&nbsp;to individual features affecting balance and walking. After performing the aerobic exercise program, the&nbsp;dynamic balance in the experimental group increased significantly (P<0.001). In the dynamic balance&nbsp;test, the lower mean time supported the better execution of the test, and significant changes were&nbsp;observed in the experimental group. The comparison of the two groups indicated the positive effect of aerobic exercise on the dynamic balance of healthy older people; however, no significant change was&nbsp;seen in static balance (P=0.36). Since we used Stork test for determining static balance, the higher mean&nbsp;time supported the positive effect but with no significant change in the static balance of experimental&nbsp;group after 8 weeks. We found that different factors like lower extremity muscles such as soleus, gastrocnemius,&nbsp;and hamstring have some roles in keeping static balance, and as the exercise protocol was&nbsp;related to aerobic exercise (walking and jogging), it did not reinforce these muscles. Conclusion: Our results showed that regular aerobic exercise improves dynamic balance in elderly men.&nbsp;We also found that jogging and walking improved dynamic balance. The improvement in balance may be&nbsp;due to the increase in nervous compatibility (due to exercise); increase in fitness, strength, and motion&nbsp;domain; improvement in aerobic status, response time and mental status; improvement in neuromuscular&nbsp;control, including a decrease in changing movement units; and improvement in simultaneous movement&nbsp;units. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between body composition and movement&nbsp;with balance. Therefore, regular aerobic activities are recommended as a suitable training method for&nbsp;improving balance

The Effect of Aquatic Exercise on Postural Mobility of Healthy Older Adults with Endomorphic Somatotype

The fear of falling (FOF) limits the movements of the older adults, which, in turn, might impair postural mobility. An aquatic environment has a relatively low risk of falling and can improve motor abilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aquatic exercise on postural mobility of the healthy endomorph elderly somatotype. Therefore, 37 healthy endomorphic older adults with an average age of 64.38 ± 4.12 years participated in this study. Participants were randomly divided into four groups (i.e., Aquatic exercise, Dry-land exercise, Aquatic control, and Dry-land control). The Heath-Carter method was used to estimate the criterion somatotype, and the Tinetti method was used to determine postural mobility. Covariance analysis was used to examine the mean differences at a significance level of p &lt; 0.05. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the aquatic exercise group and the two control groups (p &lt; 0.01), and the dry-land exercise group was significantly different from the aquatic control (p &lt; 0.05) and dry-land control groups (p &lt; 0.01). The results indicate that the design of aquatic exercise programs, especially for endomorphic older adults with inappropriate body shape, for whom dry-land exercises are not appropriate, likely, has a positive effect on the motor control and both the balance and gait and provide appropriate postural mobility without FOF in older adults

Mental health, eating habits and physical activity levels of elite Iranian athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic

International audienceBACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life styles of millions of people worldwide. This study investigated changes in the health, physical activity levels and eating habits of elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Iran. METHODS: 383 (248 female and 135 male) elite athletes (168.82 ± 0.07 cm; 63.92 ± 7.42 kg; the body mass index (BMI): 22.3 ± 0.78 kg/m(2)) participated in this study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) study tools were used to measure levels of physical activity and mental health status, respectively. The Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) was used to assess food consumption related to emotion. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis test were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Levels of depression and stress were mild and moderate, while levels of anxiety were severe and very severe in most elite athletes. There were levels of low emotional eating by elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity levels were negatively correlated with psychological mood measures (p≤0.05), while there were positive correlations between emotional eating behaviours and psychological mood measures (moderate correlation; p≤0.01) and light physical activity levels (weak correlation; p≤0.05). CONCLUSION:  This study provides the first preliminary evidence showing that the COVID-19 lockdown conditions negatively influenced the eating habits and levels of physical activity and mental health in elite athletes. Regular high intensity physical activity as health strategy in elite athletes and the general population remains a strategy to improve overall health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, these findings suggest the need to devise strategies to improve the life styles of elite athletes during pandemics such as the Covid-19 pandemic

Efficacy of hydrotherapy treatment for the management of chronic low back pain

Aims The study investigated the influence of hydrotherapy method–based McKenzie and Williams among patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). Methods Semi-experimental pretest-posttest with a control group design trial was conducted at Health Service Center, Qazvin, Iran. Twenty-eight NSLBP patients (16 men and 12 women, age: 42.5 ± 7 years) were recruited. Hydrotherapy program developed based on McKenzie and Williams therapy was performed individually 3 days per week for 20 sessions. Therefore, the study compared a hydrotherapy group (based on McKenzie and Williams therapy) to a control group. Participants attended a hydrotherapy program under the supervision of a hydrotherapist. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and Straight Leg Raise Test (SLRT) were measured at the beginning, middle, and at the end of the 20 sessions to determine pain and functionality of the patient’s improvement. Results Overall, NPRS, RMDQ, and SLRT scores were improved in hydrotherapy group in the 10th session and 20th session compared with baseline (p ≤ 0.001) and control group (p ≤ 0.001). No difference in the treatment variables between the 10th session and the 20th session was observed (p > 0.05). Conclusions The results indicated that the NSLBP symptom was improved after 10 sessions of hydrotherapy program developed based on McKenzie and Williams therapy

Effects of home confinement on physical activity, nutrition, and sleep quality during the COVID-19 outbreak in amateur and elite athletes

IntroductionDespite the progress in the management of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, it is necessary to continue exploring and explaining how this situation affected the athlete population around the world to improve their circumstances and reduce the negative impact of changes in their lifestyle conditions that were necessitated due to the pandemic. The aim of this study was to analyze the moderating influence of physical activity (PA) and dietary habits on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic experience on sleep quality in elite and amateur athletes.Materials and methodsA total of 1,420 elite (40.1%) and amateur (59.9%) athletes (41% women; 59% men) from 14 different countries participated in a cross-sectional design study. Data were collected using a battery of questionnaires that identified sociodemographic data, sleep quality index, PA levels, dietary habits, and the athletes' perception of their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Means and standard deviations were calculated for each variable. The analysis of variances and the correlation between variables were carried out with non-parametric statistics. A simple moderation effect was calculated to analyze the interaction between PA or dietary habits on the perception of the COVID-19 experience effect on sleep quality in elite and amateur athletes.ResultsThe PA level of elite athletes was higher than amateur athletes during COVID-19 (p &lt; 0.001). However, the PA level of both categories of athletes was lower during COVID-19 than pre-COVID-19 (p &lt; 0.01). In addition, amateurs had a higher diet quality than elite athletes during the pandemic (p = 0.014). The perception of the COVID-19 experience as controllable was significantly higher (p = 0.020) among elite athletes. In addition, two moderating effects had significant interactions. For amateur athletes, the PA level moderated the effect of controllable COVID-19 experience on sleep quality [F(3,777) = 3.05; p = 0.028], while for elite athletes, the same effect was moderated by dietary habits [F(3,506) = 4.47, p = 0.004].ConclusionElite athletes had different lifestyle behaviors compared to amateurs during the COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, the relevance of maintaining high levels of PA for amateurs and good quality dietary habits by elite athletes was noted by the moderating effect that both variables had on the influence of the controllable experience during the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality