Performance Consistency of International Soccer Teams in Euro 2012: a Time Series Analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine the consistency of performance in successive matches for international soccer teams from Europe which qualified for the quarter final stage of EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. The eight teams that reached the quarter final stage and beyond were the sample teams for this time series analysis. The autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions were used to analyze the consistency of play and its association with the result of match in sixteen performance indicators of each team. The results of autocorrelation function showed that based on the number of consistent performance indicators, Spain and Italy demonstrated more consistency in successive matches in relation to other teams. This appears intuitive given that Spain played Italy in the final. However, it is arguable that other teams played at a higher performance levels at various parts of the competition, as opposed to performing consistently throughout the tournament. The results of the cross-correlation analysis showed that in relation to goal-related indicators, these had higher associations with the match results of Spain and France. In relation to the offensive-related indicators, France, England, Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic and Spain showed a positive correlation with the match result. In relation to the defensive-related indicators, France, England, Greece and Portugal showed a positive correlation with match results. In conclusion, in an international soccer tournament, the successful teams displayed a greater degree of performance consistency across all indicators in comparison to their competitors who occasionally would show higher levels of performance in individual games, yet not consistently across the overall tournament. The authors therefore conclude that performance consistency is more significant in international tournament soccer, versus occasionally excelling in some metrics and indicators in particular games

Development of a behavioural assessment system for achievement motivation in soccer matches

The aim of present investigation was to develop the behavioural instrument for measuring the achievement motivation in sport matches. According to 5-stage behavioural measurement system, the instrument was established and was applied for Iran national soccer team among three matches. The results have revealed the good validity, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliabilities for measuring motivational behaviours in sport contexts. In addition, the repeated measure analysis of variance has shown the applicability of new instrument for studying the association of achievement behaviours with successful performance, through significant differences between achievement behaviours in different matches with varied outcomes (p<.05).It seems the developed instrument is applicable for coaches to discriminate achievement behaviours of players during the match and select their strategy and players’ substitutions according to their trends and behaviours for success

Movement coordination during Sit-to-Stand in low back persons

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the inter-joint coordination during sit-to-stand [STD] and stand-to-sit (SIT) execution between healthy people and people with low back pain. Methods: Fifteen healthy adults (age= 45.14±5.18 years) and fifteen age-matched (age= 46.17±8.26) people with chronic low back pain were selected voluntarily. They performed three repetitions of STD and SIT movement patterns in their preferred pace. Motion analysis system was used for measuring 3-dimensional [3D] angular displacement of hip, knee and ankle joints during execution of movement patterns. Decomposition indices were analysed and were compared between two groups through Hotelling T2 Multivariate Analysis of variance [MANOVA] and follow-up Analysis of Variance [ANOVA]. Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference (T2 = 18.32, F14, 5= 8.33, p<.05) between the groups on decomposition indices. The ANOVA follow-up results showed that there are significant differences between two groups on decomposition indices of the whole pattern of STD (F1, 18= 7.96, p<.05), whole pattern of SIT (F1, 18= 5.37, p<.05), the first-half phase of STD (F1, 18= 7.26, p<.05) and the first-half phase of SIT (F1, 18= 6.33, p<.05). Conclusions: People with low back pain have dis-coordination in the function of different body parts, and results in pausing of one segment while the other segment moves independently. This knowledge may help in the development of rehabilitation strategies for movement in this population

Relationship between maternal distress with fetus growth rate: mediator role of heart rate

The aim of present investigation was to study the relationship between mothers` distress and fetal growth. In this correlational study, 110 pregnant women selected randomly and completed Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) before ultrasound measurement of fetus. The results of structural equation model have shown that the overall model has been accepted (χ2 = 36.4, df = 24, p>0.05). In fact, by increasing mothers` stress and anxiety, the fetus heart rate was increased and it decreased the height, weight, head circumference and width and femur length of fetus. Therefore, one of the environmental variables that have negative effect on the fetus growth is mother distress, because it can stimulate the fetal autonomic nervous system through the mediating of heart rate

Effect of visual force biofeedback on balance control in people with Multiple Sclerosis- a Pilot Quasi-experimental study

Objective: The present study examined the effect of visual force biofeedback (VFB) training on balance control in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. Design: Within- group subject design. Subjects: Ten adult volunteers with more than five years relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and with balance disorder participated and performed six sessions of VFB training. Methods: All subjects stood on a force plate for 15 minutes totally in each session and the force that they generated was measured to provide a baseline for the research. They then participated in the intervention which consisted of standing upright on the force plate for 30 seconds ten times in each session, whilst receiving visual information about the force generated by each of their feet. Results: The results of paired-t tests have shown that the VFB condition produced a more stable balance than the baseline condition (p<.001) for reaction force (2.90 vs. 9.10), force symmetry (ML=34, MR=32.7 vs. ML= 38.70, MR= 29.60), and centre of pressure (7 vs. 23.1). Conclusion: Perceptual-motor training has an important rehabilitative role for MS patients with sensory-motor dysfunction

Effect of visual force biofeedback on balance control in people with Multiple Sclerosis- a Pilot Quasi-experimental study

Objective: The present study examined the effect of visual force biofeedback (VFB) training on balance control in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. Design: Within- group subject design. Subjects: Ten adult volunteers with more than five years relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and with balance disorder participated and performed six sessions of VFB training. Methods: All subjects stood on a force plate for 15 minutes totally in each session and the force that they generated was measured to provide a baseline for the research. They then participated in the intervention which consisted of standing upright on the force plate for 30 seconds ten times in each session, whilst receiving visual information about the force generated by each of their feet. Results: The results of paired-t tests have shown that the VFB condition produced a more stable balance than the baseline condition (p<.001) for reaction force (2.90 vs. 9.10), force symmetry (ML=34, MR=32.7 vs. ML= 38.70, MR= 29.60), and centre of pressure (7 vs. 23.1). Conclusion: Perceptual-motor training has an important rehabilitative role for MS patients with sensory-motor dysfunction

The effect of traditional games in fundamental motor skill development in 7-­9 year old boys

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of traditional games on fundamental motor skills in seven to nine year-old boys. Methods: Forty subjects of seven to nine year-old boys selected randomly by a personal information questionnaire. After pretest by Test of Gross Motor Development, edition 2 (TGMD-2), gross motor skill, locomotor and object control motor skills, subjects were divided by random matching into two groups. The first group performed traditional games and the second group performed daily activities. Then children in first group played traditional game at 24 sessions. After 12 and 24 sessions, traditional game and daily activity groups participated in the mid and post tests. Data were analyzed by Variance Analyze of Repeated Measures. Findings: The results showed that traditional games with mean difference in fundamental motor skill development (17.12, P<0.001), and also with mean difference in locomotor (2.23, P=0.002), and mean difference in object control skill development (2.27, P=0.002) significantly are more effective than daily activities. Conclusion: Traditional game program is appropriate for a fundamental motor skill development

Temporal analysis of losing possession of the ball leading to conceding a goal : a study of the incidence of perturbation in soccer

The aim of this study was to examine the temporal occurrence of losing possession of the ball in soccer and its association with conceding a goal. Thirty two senior national teams competing in the 2010 World-Cup in South Africa and twelve youth soccer clubs were selected for match analysis. The results of time distribution analysis showed a significant positive skewness (K-SZ=3, S=0.463, p=0.000) for losing possession of the ball, transition time in senior (K-SZ=1.82, S=1.57, p=0.003) and youth groups (K-SZ=2.85, S=1.29, p=0.002) and normal distribution for variability of time to losing the ball (K-SZ=1.07, S= -0.280, p=0.19). The results of an independent t test showed that there was a significant difference (t=2.71, p=0.008) in transition time between youth and senior groups. In conclusion, this study showed that the number of times that the ball was lost increased near to a goal being conceded and the duration of the most recent loss was very close to goal-conceding. Thus effective strategies that have been employed to destabilise opponents include increasing the number of perturbations through losing possession of the ball, speeding up the transition periods and the final strike after the opponents lose the ball

Aerobic exercise interventions reduce blood pressure in patients after stroke or transient ischaemic attack: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Secondary vascular risk reduction is critical to preventing recurrent stroke. We aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise interventions on vascular risk factors and recurrent ischaemic events after stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Design: Intervention systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: OVID MEDLINE, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, TRIP Database, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, UK Clinical Trials Gateway and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched from 1966 to October 2017. Eligibility criteria: Randomised controlled trials evaluating aerobic or resistance exercise interventions on vascular risk factors and recurrent ischaemic events among patients with stroke or TIA, compared with control. Results: Twenty studies (n=1031) were included. Exercise interventions resulted in significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) −4.30 mm Hg (95% CI −6.77 to −1.83) and diastolic blood pressure −2.58 mm Hg (95% CI −4.7 to −0.46) compared with control. Reduction in SBP was most pronounced among studies initiating exercise within 6 months of stroke or TIA (−8.46 mm Hg, 95% CI −12.18 to −4.75 vs −2.33 mm Hg, 95% CI −3.94 to −0.72), and in those incorporating an educational component (−7.81 mm Hg, 95% CI −14.34 to −1.28 vs −2.78 mm Hg, 95% CI −4.33 to −1.23). Exercise was also associated with reductions in total cholesterol (−0.27 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.54 to 0.00), but not fasting glucose or body mass index. One trial reported reductions in secondary vascular events with exercise, but was insufficiently powered. Summary: Exercise interventions can result in clinically meaningful blood pressure reductions, particularly if initiated early and alongside education

An exploratory analysis of losing possession in professional soccer

The aim of the present study was to develop a measure that determines the reasons for losing possession in professional soccer. Fifty five national soccer teams that took part in 2006 and 2010 World Cup games were selected for this study. The Losing Possession Observational Checklist for Soccer was developed and applied to games in these tournaments. The results of interrater and intra-rater reliabilities showed that the new checklist had good stability (Қ= .75) and objectivity (Қ= .75). In addition, the results of exploratory factor analyses showed that losing possession in soccer included skill execution and parameterization, skill under stress, and speed and timing problems that accounted for 77% of common variance. In conclusion, current findings demonstrated that losing possession in soccer is multidimensional in nature and consists of motor and cognitive factors on the basis of specialist and statistical confirmation