Search results for "229"
showing 10 items of 1572 documents
Artificial Neural Networks in Sports: New Concepts and Approaches
2001
Artificial neural networks are tools, which - similar to natural neural networks - can learn to recognize and classify patterns, and so can help to optimise context depending acting. These abilitie...
What can gender tell us about the pre-retirement experiences of elite distance runners in Finland?: A thematic narrative analysis
2016
Abstract Objectives This study explores gendered experiences of the mastery stage in endurance runners' athletic careers in terms of (a) key themes in this period of life, (b) retirement decision-making and (c) changes in athletic and runner identities. Design and method Ten male and nine female athletes aged between 25 and 62 participated in individual interviews. The data were analyzed via thematic narrative analysis. Results and conclusion Gendered meanings permeate career decision-making and retirement patterns of Finnish runners. Female athletes reported many difficulties, including health problems, loneliness, societal pressure and lack of social support during the final years of thei…
Heart rate variability changes at 2400 m altitude predicts acute mountain sickness on further ascent at 3000-4300 m altitudes
2012
Objective: If the body fails to acclimatize at high altitude, acute mountain sickness (AMS) may result. For the early detection of AMS, changes in cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability (HRV) may be more sensitive than clinical symptoms alone. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the changes in HRV during ascent are related to AMS. Methods: We followed Lake Louise Score (LLS), arterial oxygen saturation at rest (R-SpO2) and exercise (Ex-SpO2) and HRV parameters daily in 36 different healthy climbers ascending from 2400 m to 6300 m altitudes during five different expeditions. Results: After an ascent to 2400 m, root mean square successive differences, high-fre…
Sprint and Strength Training Modulates Autophagy and Proteostasis in Aging Sprinters
2020
Purpose Exercise and aging may modulate muscle protein homeostasis and autophagy, but few studies examine highly-trained middle-aged or older individuals. This study elucidated the effects of a new long-term training stimulus on markers of muscle autophagy and unfolded protein response (UPR) and on sprint running performance in masters sprinters. Methods Thirty-two male competitive sprinters (aged 40–76 years) were randomly divided into experimental (EX) and control (CTRL) groups. The EX training program was a combination of heavy and explosive strength and sprint exercises aimed at improving sprint performance. Fifteen and thirteen participants completed the 20-week intervention period in …
Association Between Implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport and Female Elite Runners’ Performance
2020
The purpose of this research was to evaluate the performances of female middle- and long-distance runners before and after the implementation of a new antidoping strategy (the Athlete Biological Passport [ABP]) in a country accused of systematic doping. A retrospective analysis of the results of Russian National Championships from 2008 to 2017 was performed. The 8 best female performances for the 800-m, 1500-m, 3000-m steeplechase, 5000-m, and 10,000-m events from the semifinals and finals were analyzed. The yearly number of athletes fulfilling standard qualifications for international competitions was also evaluated. Overall, numbers of athletes banned for doping in 2008–2017 were calculat…
Comparison of posturographic parameters between young taekwondo and tennis athletes
2018
[Purpose] Physical activity can influence the development of postural control and balance. Therefore, the aim of study was to use posturography assessment to compare balance control on the Romberg test between athletes in two very different sports, taekwondo and tennis. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-nine young athletes participated in the study, 11 forming the taekwondo group and 18 the tennis group. Posturography was performed using the FreeMed system (Sensor Medica). Between-group differences were evaluated using unpaired Student’s t-test. [Results] There was a significance between-group difference in the centre of pressure and the ellipse surface area with no between-group difference…
Factors affecting peak impact force during soccer headers and implications for the mitigation of head injuries
2020
It has been documented that up to 22% of all soccer injuries are concussions. This is in part due to players purposely using their head to direct the ball during play. To provide a more complete understanding of head trauma in soccer athletes, this study characterized the effects of four soccer ball characteristics (size, inflation pressure, mass, velocity) on the resulting peak impact force as it relates to the potential for incurring neurophysiological changes. A total of six hundred trials were performed on size 4 and 5 soccer balls as well as a novel lightweight soccer ball. Impact force was measured with a force plate and ball velocity was determined using motion capture. These data we…
Identity and Cultural Transition: Lessons to Learn from a Negative Case Analysis
2020
In this paper, we present a single case study of identity crisis that unfolded in the cultural transition context. Our participant was ‘Jenni’ – a 26 years old female basketball player with the dou...
High versus low motivating music on intermittent fitness and agility in young well-trained basketball players
2021
The present study aimed to analyse the influence of the music level of motivation, compared to the absence of music, on intermittent fitness and agility, in a group of young well-trained basketball players. On alternate days, thirteen players (14.85 ± 0.68 years, 188 ± 0.05 cm, 75.89 ± 8.02 kg) were assessed of the V-Cut test (agility test including changes of direction) and the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT; maximal running speed under fatigue). There were six testing sessions over three consecutive weeks, with three different randomized conditions: team-selected High Motivating Music (HMM), Low Motivating Music (LMM), and the No-Music condition (NM). Arterial oxygen saturation…
Attitudes Toward Professional Foreign Players in Finnish Amateur Basketball
1984
The use of foreign professional players may influence the host country's sport culture. To determine the attitudes toward foreign professionals in various Finnish amateur basketball leagues, all clubs (n = 55) playing basketball in the three highest Finnish leagues were interviewed by mailed questionnaire. The results indicated that recruitment of foreign pros was held to effect negatively the team spirit and the play tactics, the economics of the club, the development of other sport branches in the club and the success of the national team. Positive effects were expected on the number of spectators, public relations of the club and the success of its team. For lower leagues foreign profes…