Different performance characteristics among students in Malaysia

The main aim of this study is to examine and define performance characteristics for the male students and female students in 3 types of school in Malaysia. A sample of 1083 students (male=625, Female 458) age between 13 years to 16 years participated in this study. The students are from 3 different types of school, namely National Sport School (n=300), State Sport School (n=333) and Normal School (n=450). There were 190 male and 110 female from National Sport School, 210 male and 123 female from State Sport School. Meanwhile, there were 225 male and 225 female from the Normal School. The students from National Sport School and State Sport School consists of young athletes. Meanwhile, the students from Normal School just ordinary students with various backgrounds. Height and weight measurement is to indicate students’ anthropometry measurement. Furthermore, the students have been tested with 6 physical fitness tests to indicate their physical performances (standing broad jump, sit and reach, 30-meter sprint, 7 level sit-up, 10-meter shuttle run, bleep test). The results of this study show that anthropometry measurement and physical performance test can be used to discriminate between students in the different type of school (NSS, SSS, NS). Besides that, this study showed that there were different performances in the physical test among students, which can help to discriminate students into the different school

Perubahan prestasi fizikal dan tumbesaran dalam kalangan murid berumur di antara 9 hingga 12 tahun

Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti perubahan prestasi fizikal dan tumbesaran pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan berumur antara 9 tahun hingga 12 tahun. Kajian ini adalah berbentuk rentas silang (cross-sectional) melibatkan sampel sebanyak 400 orang (murid lelaki=200, murid perempuan=200) yang dibahagikan kepada empat kumpulan umur (9 tahun, 10 tahun, 11 tahun, 12 tahun). Petunjuk tumbesaran didalam kajian ini adalah ukuran tinggi berdiri urid. Enam ujian prestasi fizikal dijalankan untuk menguji tahap prestasi fizikal murid iaitu ujian tekan tubi (TT), ujian lompat jauh berdiri (LJB), ujian lari pecut 30 meter (LP), ujian duduk jangkau (DJ), ujian lari ulang alik (LUA), dan ujian bleep (UB). Dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan tumbesaran puncak pelajar lelaki berlaku ketika berumur antara 9 tahun hingga 10 tahun iaitu meningkat sebanyak 9.1 cm. Manakala, tumbesaran pesat pelajar perempuan berlaku ketika berumur 10 tahun hingga 11 tahun dengan peningkatan sebanyak 7.6 cm. Perubahan prestasi fizikal pelajar lelaki meningkat seiring dengan proses tumbesaran dan perubahan prestasi fizikal pelajar perempuan menunjukkan kemerosotan prestasi seiring dengan proses tumbesaran. Selain itu, perubahan terhadap prestasi fizikal berlaku pada umur yang berbeza bagi pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan. Secara keseluruhannya, tumbesaran (tinggi) pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan dengan prestasi fizikal bagi kumpulan umur 9 tahun hingga 12 tahun

Relationship between parenting style and physical activity participation among adolescents

Parents play an important role in the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors in their children. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between parenting style and physical activity participation. A random 100 student’s aged range from 13 to 17 years old were selected as respondents of this study. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescences (PAQ-A) was used as the instrument to measure respondent's general level of physical activity meanwhile the Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ) was used to assessed respondent's perceived parenting style of their parents. The results showed that majority of adolescent were involved in moderate level of physical activity and only 29% reported to be very active during physical education class and 40% claimed that they did not active after school hour. Data analysis also showed that 60% of the respondents perceived the parents are using authoritative style, authoritarian style (31%) and permissive style (9%). Finally, the statistical analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between parenting style and physical activity participation thus conclude parenting styles play as a role in the promotion and involvement of physical activity among adolescents

COVID-19 Malaysia overview: evaluate driving awkward posture and muscle fatigue through RULA and Electromyography (EMG) analysis on health problem among older taxi drivers

Driving taxis is one of the alternative jobs older people took up during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated driving posture and muscle fatigue among older taxis drivers in Malaysia during COVID-19 using Rapid Limb Assessment and Electromyography. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment questions were used to assess awkward driving posture and Electromyography to measure muscular fatigue. RULA analysis body score at value score 7 (23.5%)- required change immediately and value score 5/6 (61.9%) - required investigation and change soon. There is a significant decrease in energy (p<0.05) on EMG analysis. Ergonomic education on driving posture may improve the lifestyle and well-being of older Malaysian taxis driver

Profiles of physical fitness and fitness enjoyment among children : associations with sports participation

Purpose: The present study examined whether groups of children with different physical fitness and fitness enjoyment profiles could be identified and, if so, whether the different groups varied from one another in terms of organized sports participation. Method: Five hundred and fifty-eight 8–11-year-olds (56.99% boys) participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical fitness and fitness enjoyment were assessed with seven items from a standardized test battery and a pictorial scale containing pictures referring to the enjoyment in those seven physical fitness tests, respectively. To examine whether groups with different fitness and enjoyment profiles could be identified, we conducted cluster analyses based on children’s standardized physical fitness and fitness enjoyment scores. A two-way ANCOVA (sex*cluster) was conducted to investigate differences in weekly organized sports participation among each of the identified groups while controlling for age. Results: Cluster analyses revealed two groups with aligned levels of physical fitness and fitness enjoyment (i.e., relatively low-low and relatively high-high) and two groups with unaligned levels (i.e., relatively low-moderate and relatively high-moderate), respectively. Both groups with relatively high fitness scores were found to spend significantly more time in organized sports (M = 2.01 h and 2.29 h, respectively) than the two groups with relatively low fitness scores (M = 1.08 h and 0.98 h, respectively), irrespective of their enjoyment levels. Conclusion: Increasing physical fitness levels (especially among those children with suboptimal enjoyment levels) may lead to increased organized sports participation, while increased organized sports participation in its turn may lead to higher fitness levels. As such, participation in sports programs should be promoted in children of all age groups

Effects of Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) warm-up on vertical jump performance among volleyball players

This study aims to examine the effects of resistance versus complex exercise with the retention of post-activation potentiation (PAP) on vertical jump among volleyball players. A total of 30 volleyball players (mean age = 16.5 ± 1.106 years old) were recruited as participants of this study. The participants were requested to attend two different testing sessions, with two days between each session. Each session had a different exercise routine, namely, resistance and complex. A one-way repeated measure was used to analyse the performance of the vertical jump, while a pairwise comparison was applied to compare the retention of PAP between the resistance and complex exercises. The findings show that there is a significant interaction for both warm-up exercises; [(F(1,29)=1275.57, p=0.000] for resistance exercise and [(F(1,29) = 1456.83, p= 0.000] for complex exercise. The retention analysis for PAP effect also indicates that there is a significant difference between the two warm-up activities in vertical jump performance. In conclusion, this study reveals that both exercises managed to increase PAP among volleyball players. However, complex exercise is suggested to be combined with the warm-up method as it can maintain a longer retention than resistance exercise

Does mental fatigue affect skilled performance in athletes? a systematic review

Background: Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state induced by a prolonged duration of demanding cognitive tasks. The effects of mental fatigue on physical performance have been well investigated in the literature. However, the effect of mental fatigue on skilled performance in sports remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to report a comprehensive systematic review investigating the carryover effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance among athletes. Methods: A thorough search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (CENTRAL, SPORTDicus), and Scopus to select relevant literature, as well as on Google Scholar and sources of reference for grey literature. The selected literatures are centred on a mental fatigue protocol in which cognitive tasks are performed prior to athletic tasks. Only studies that used an experimental design to test two conditions, namely mental fatigue and non-mental fatigue, were selected. Results: Eleven articles were chosen based on the selection criteria. Mental fatigue affects skilled performance in three sports: soccer, basketball, and table tennis. A decline in skilled performance (decreased accuracy, increased performing time etc) is relevant to impaired executive functions. Seven studies focus on offensive skills, whereas only two studies are associated with defensive skills. Conclusion: Mental fatigue has a negative effect on various sports skills of high-level athletes, including their technical and decision-making skills; however, the impact is greater on offensive skills than that of defensive skills in terms of the role of athletes. Impaired executive functions may be responsible for the negative effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance

Effect of functional training on physical fitness among athletes: a systematic review

There is evidence that functional training is beneficial for the overall physical fitness of athletes. However, there is a lack of a systematic review focused on the effects of functional training on athletes’ physical fitness. Thus, the aimed of the present review is to clarify the effects of functional training on physical fitness among athletes. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) Statement guidelines, the systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), and CINAHL Plus databases was undertaken on the 2nd November 2020 to identify the reported studies, using a combination of keywords related to functional training, physical fitness, and athletes. From the 145 studies, only nine articles met all eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. The assessment was performed on the Pedro scale, and the quality of the study included in the nine studies was fair (ranging from 3 to 4). The results showed that speed (n = 6) was the aspect of physical fitness studied in functional training interventions, followed by muscular strength (n = 5), power (n = 4), balance (n = 3), body composition (n = 3), agility (n = 3), flexibility (n= 1) and muscular endurance (n = 1). Existing evidence concludes that functional training significantly impacts speed, muscular strength, power, balance, and agility. Furthermore, there are still limit numbers of evidence showing effect of functional training on flexibility and muscular endurance. In contrast, no significant improvement was found in body composition where functional training was conducted

Corak tumbesaran dan kaitannya dengan prestasi fizikal dalam kalangan pelajar berumur 9 tahun hingga 16 tahun

Tumbesaran fizikal seseorang individu merupakan salah satu faktor penting dalam menentukan prestasi fizikal seseorang individu. Prestasi fizikal seseorang itu meningkat seiring dengan tumbesaran dan peningkatan umur. Pada peringkat awal, prestasi fizikal antara lelaki dan perempuan adalah tidak jauh berbeza. Proses tumbesaran yang berlaku secara semulajadi semasa remaja sudah tentu mempengaruhi peningkatan prestasi fizikal seseorang. Di samping itu, prestasi fizikal amat dipengaruhi oleh faktor tumbesaran seseorang individu. Hal ini kerana berlakunya tumbesaran puncak yang secara langsung akan mempengaruhi prestasi fizikal seseorang. Ketika ini di Malaysia, tumbesaran kanak-kanak dan remaja adalah merujuk kepada carta tumbesaran yang dikeluarkan oleh Centre for Disease Control (CDC) di Amerika Syarikat yang merekodkan berat, tinggi dan ukur lilit kepala berbanding umur, dan berat berbanding tinggi. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti corak tumbesaran dan peningkatan prestasi fizikal pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan berumur antara 9 tahun hingga 16 tahun. Kajian ini adalah berbentuk cross-sectional. Petunjuk tumbesaran di dalam kajian ini adalah ukuran tinggi berdiri pelajar yang akan diukur dengan menggunakan stadiometer. Manakala satu set bateri ujian prestasi fizikal yang terdiri daripada ujian tekan tubi (TT), ujian duduk jangkau (DJ), ujian lari ulang alik (LUA), ujian lompat jauh berdiri (LJB), ujian lari pecut 30 meter (LP) dan ujian bleep (UB) digunakan untuk mengukur tahap prestasi fizikal pelajar. Seramai 800 orang pelajar (400 pelajar lelaki, 400 pelajar perempuan) yang berumur antara 9 tahun hingga 16 tahun terlibat dalam kajian ini. Tumbesaran (tinggi) pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan meningkat seiring dengan peningkatan umur mereka. Selain itu, tumbesaran puncak pelajar lelaki berlaku ketika berumur antara 13 tahun hingga 14 tahun iaitu meningkat sebanyak 9.7 cm. Manakala,tumbesaran puncak pelajar perempuan berlaku ketika berumur 10 tahun hingga 11 tahun dengan peningkatan sebanyak 7.6 cm. Corak prestasi fizikal pelajar lelaki meningkat seiring dengan proses tumbesaran dan corak prestasi fizikal pelajar perempuan menunjukkan kemerosotan prestasi seiring dengan proses tumbesaran. Selain itu, puncak peningkatan prestasi fizikal berlaku pada umur yang berbeza bagi pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan iaitu sebelum, semasa dan selepas tumbesaran puncak. Secara keseluruhannya, tumbesaran (tinggi) pelajar lelaki dan pelajar perempuan mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan dengan prestasi fizikal bagi kumpulan umur 9 tahun hingga 16 tahun

"Pattern as reference": windows of trainability among adolescents

Introduction: Physical trainability among adolescents is crucial to optimize training and obtain best adaptations for physical performance, which is also related to anthropometric growth profiles. Problem Statement: Previous studies have shown different growth profiles inter-countries, hence this warrants more investigations on potential variance in patterns of windows of trainability. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how physical growth can be associated with and affected physical trainability among adolescents for training optimization purpose. Materials & Methods: A total of 800 students (400 boys and 400 girls) aged between 9 to 16 years participated in this study using fishbowl technique. Participants' weight and weight were measured and six physical fitness tests consisted of push-up (PU), bleep test (BLEEP), sit and reach (SnR), standing broad jump (SBJ), 30-meter sprint (SPRINT), and 10-meter shuttle run (SR) were tested. Results & Discussions: The results showed that peak growth seemed to occur around 13 and 14 years old for male students whereas 10 and 11 years old for female students. Peak of physical performance for male and female students aged 9 to 16 years old occurred before, during and after peak growth period, with both male and female students demonstrating their certain patterns. In overall, there was a significant relationship between physical growth and physical performance between 9 to 16 years old for both male and female students. Conclusions: The patterns obtained from this study could be used as a reference and guideline to plan physical training for adolescents, especially during PHV period where the peak of physical performance occurs for the windows of trainability for the long-term development