Akutni učinci fokusa pažnje na izvedbu bacanja kugle kod vrhunskih sportaša

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of adopting an external, internal, and neutral focus of attention while executing an underhand and overhead shot put. Using a counterbalanced within-participant design, thirty highly skilled athletes (height 183±6 cm, body mass 78±7 kg, age 22.2±2.4 years) performed five underhand and five overhead shot puts. The results indicated that the shot put distances were greater (p<.05) when the participants were in the external condition compared to the internal and neutral conditions in both tests. Additionally, it was observed that the neutral condition provided better throwing results compared to the internal condition. These results support the constrained action hypothesis, and provide additional evidence that skilled athletes should adopt an external focus of attention when executing motor skills.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrđivanje utjecaja usvajanja vanjskog, unutarnjeg ili neutralnog fokusa pažnje tijekom izvođenja bacanja kugle pothvatom naprijed te preko glave. Korištenjem eksperimentalnog nacrta s uravnoteženim ponovljenim mjerenjima unutar ispitanika 30 vrhunski obučenih sportaša (tjelesne visine 183±6 cm, tjelesne težine 78±7 kg u dobi od 22,2±2,4 godine) izvelo je pet izbačaja kugle pothvatom prema naprijed i pet izbačaja preko glave. Rezultati su pokazali je udaljenost bacanja bila veća (p<.05) prilikom primjene vanjskog fokusa pažnje u usporedbi sa unutrašnjim i neutralnim fokusom pažnje u oba testa. Nadalje, zamijećeno je da su rezultati bacanja bili bolji u uvjetima korištenja neutralnog fokusa pažnje u odnosu na unutrašnji fokus pažnje. Ovi rezultati potvrđuju hipotezu ograničene akcije, te nude dodatne dokaze da bi vrhunski sportaši trebali koristiti vanjski fokus pažnje prilikom izvođenja motoričkih zadataka

Effect of Coronavirus 19 on Maintaining Balance in Skilled Athletes

Preliminary studies have reported that motor control is negatively impacted following an infection of COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on maintaining balance in highly skilled athletes. As part of a larger investigation that was initiated in 2019, twelve professional handball players were recruited to participate in a study that was designed to measure static balance performance. Following the initial pre-test, six participants (body height 184.8 ± 4.7 cm; body weight 85.5 ± 3.3 kg; age 21.3 ± 1.2 years) were infected with COVID-19. The remaining six participants (body height 188.7 ± 2.6 cm; body weight 92.3 ± 3.7 kg; age 26.3 ± 3.3 years) never tested positive for COVID-19 and were presumably not infected with the virus. The experimental design required all the participants to complete an initial balance assessment (pre-test) and a later balance assessment (post-test). To fully analyze our data, we conducted a 2 (condition: COVID, no-COVID) X 2 (test: pre-test, post-test) ANOVA with repeated measures on the second factor. Our analysis revealed that the skilled athletes who contracted COVID-19 had a significant decrease in balance performance from the pre-test that occurred prior to being infected with COVID-19 relative to the post-test that occurred following the COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the skilled athletes who were not infected with COVID-19 did not demonstrate the same deterioration in balance performance in the same period. This study highlights the impact COVID-19 has on static balance performance in a group of highly skilled handball players. Longitudinal studies are needed to fully understand the lasting impacts COVID-19 has on motor behavior.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Does Step Length Adjustment Determine Take-Off Accuracy and Approach Run Velocity in Long and Triple Jumps?

Purpose. While take-off accuracy and approach run velocity are known determinants of long and triple jump performance, the interaction of these factors with step length adjustment (SLA) is not as clear. Methods. The study involved 39 male and 31 female national-level long and triple jumpers. The Optojump Next device was used to analyse jump attempts. Three groups were identified according to maximum variability of footfall placement (HVF - high, MVF - medium, LVF - Low) as well as three groups regarding the onset of step length adjustment (ESLA - early, MSLA - mid, LSLA - late). Results. Take-off accuracy in the LVF and MVF groups was greater compared with the HVF group among females. Among males, the LVF group made significantly (p < 0.05) fewer foul attempts than the HVF group. The ESLA group achieved significantly (p < 0.05) higher velocity during the last five steps of the approach run than the LSLA group in men. Conclusions. Coaches should implement exercises targeting SLA in long and triple jump training exercises to improve performance

Hurdle set up.

The contextual interference (CI) approach has proposed that a random order of practice for motor skills is superior in facilitating learning compared to a blocked arrangement of practice trials. Two groups of physical education students learned sprint hurdles, employing either an increasing CI practice schedule (n = 23) or a blocked practice schedule (n = 23). In both the practice schedules, the same exercises were used in a different trial order during each learning session. Eleven practice sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks, with two days of practice per week. Ten and 40 days after the acquisition phase, a retention and transfer test were conducted. The results showed no differences between the two practice schedules during the retention tests. However, students practicing with an increasing CI arrangement performed better on the delayed transfer test compared to students which practiced with a blocked schedule. Specifically, the increasing CI group more effectively (p </div

Examples of basic hurdle exercises.

The contextual interference (CI) approach has proposed that a random order of practice for motor skills is superior in facilitating learning compared to a blocked arrangement of practice trials. Two groups of physical education students learned sprint hurdles, employing either an increasing CI practice schedule (n = 23) or a blocked practice schedule (n = 23). In both the practice schedules, the same exercises were used in a different trial order during each learning session. Eleven practice sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks, with two days of practice per week. Ten and 40 days after the acquisition phase, a retention and transfer test were conducted. The results showed no differences between the two practice schedules during the retention tests. However, students practicing with an increasing CI arrangement performed better on the delayed transfer test compared to students which practiced with a blocked schedule. Specifically, the increasing CI group more effectively (p </div

S1 Dataset -

The contextual interference (CI) approach has proposed that a random order of practice for motor skills is superior in facilitating learning compared to a blocked arrangement of practice trials. Two groups of physical education students learned sprint hurdles, employing either an increasing CI practice schedule (n = 23) or a blocked practice schedule (n = 23). In both the practice schedules, the same exercises were used in a different trial order during each learning session. Eleven practice sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks, with two days of practice per week. Ten and 40 days after the acquisition phase, a retention and transfer test were conducted. The results showed no differences between the two practice schedules during the retention tests. However, students practicing with an increasing CI arrangement performed better on the delayed transfer test compared to students which practiced with a blocked schedule. Specifically, the increasing CI group more effectively (p </div

Learning program.

The contextual interference (CI) approach has proposed that a random order of practice for motor skills is superior in facilitating learning compared to a blocked arrangement of practice trials. Two groups of physical education students learned sprint hurdles, employing either an increasing CI practice schedule (n = 23) or a blocked practice schedule (n = 23). In both the practice schedules, the same exercises were used in a different trial order during each learning session. Eleven practice sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks, with two days of practice per week. Ten and 40 days after the acquisition phase, a retention and transfer test were conducted. The results showed no differences between the two practice schedules during the retention tests. However, students practicing with an increasing CI arrangement performed better on the delayed transfer test compared to students which practiced with a blocked schedule. Specifically, the increasing CI group more effectively (p </div

Mean and SD of kinematics achieved by both groups during acquisition phase.

Mean and SD of kinematics achieved by both groups during acquisition phase.</p