Search results for "athletics"
showing 10 items of 21 documents
Mechanical and neural function of triceps surae in elite racewalking
2016
Racewalking is a unique event combining mechanical elements of walking with speeds associated with running. It is currently unclear how racewalking technique impacts upon lower limb muscle-tendon function, despite the relevance of this to muscle economy and overall performance. The present study examined triceps surae neuromechanics in 11 internationally competitive racewalkers (age 25±11 years) walking and running on a treadmill at speeds between 4.5 - 13.8 km/h whilst triceps surae fascicle lengths, electromyography and kinematic data were recorded. Cumulative muscle activity required to traverse a unit distance (CMAPD) was calculated for each muscle. Medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus …
Influence of Training Load on Mood Disturbance at Sea Level and 3900 m Altitude: A Case Study of a Wheelchair Athlete
2018
The purpose of this case study was to investigate the influence of a training load (TL), oxygen saturation (SO2) and blood pressure (BP) on mood states in a wheelchair marathoner during (7 weeks at sea level (SL), 5 weeks at 3860 m altitude, 1 week returning to SL). TL was obtained with Foster’s equation while mood states were obtained with the Profile of Mood States Questionnaire (POMS). Furthermore, SO2 and BP were assessed upon wakening. SO2 (%) decreased at altitude, compared to SL (88.31 ± 2.46 vs. 98.52 ± 0.11) and increased until the last week at altitude (92.64 ± 1.12). Systolic pressure (SP) increased at altitude compared to pre-altitude (126.0 ± 5…
Schoolyard affordances for physical activity: a pilot study in 6 Nordic–Baltic countries
2021
Environmental settings influence children’s and adolescents’ physical activity (PA) in neighborhoods and schoolyards. This study aimed to explore the main characteristics of schoolyards in six Nordic–Baltic countries, to document how those facilities provide affordances for PA in 7–18 year–old schoolchildren, and how the schoolyard meets children’s preferences. One schoolyard was studied in each included country: Iceland, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The affordances, facilities, and equipment for PA in schoolyards were identified through orthophoto maps and standard registration forms. Children’s preferences were collected through group interviews at each participating s…
Kinanthropometric Assessment of Individual, Collective and Fight Sport Players from the Spanish National Sport Technification Program
2020
Nowadays, the study of kinanthropometric parameters is an important tool for both early talent selection and for evaluating the efficacy of a training program. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric characteristics, body composition indicators and somatotype components of individual (athletics, swimming and triathlon), collective (handball and volleyball) and fight (karate and taekwondo) sportsmen and sportswomen from the Valencian Sports Technification Centre. This study involved a total of 62 men and 56 women, they were divided in three subgroups, including individual (athletics, swimming and triathlon), collective (handball and volleyball) and fight (karate and taekwondo) sport…
Acute Effects of Loaded Half-Squat Jumps on Sprint Running Speed in Track and Field Athletes and Soccer Players
2016
The purpose of the study was to determine the acute responses to a jump squat protocol designed to induce postactivation potentiation on sprint running performance in experienced track and field athletes and soccer players. Twenty-five regional level athletes (12 track and field: ∼17 years; ∼177 cm; ∼73 kg and 13 soccer: ∼18 years; ∼175 cm; ∼72 kg) performed 2 test sessions assessing 40-m sprint running performance in a balanced, crossover design. Dual-beam light timing gates measured 0-20 and 20-40 m sprint times before and after either 9 minutes of sitting (control) or 2 sets of 6 repetition half-squat jump with the load eliciting maximum power (experimental) conditions. Sprint performanc…
Vertical jumping height and horizontal overhead throwing velocity in young male athletes
1992
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of calendar and skeletal age, anthropometric dimensions, training history and their interactions on vertical jumping height and horizontal overhead throwing velocity in a cross-section of 318 young male athletes (age range 9-16 years) participating in cross-country skiing (n = 70), basketball (n = 40), apparatus gymnastics (n = 19), ice hockey (n = 50), track and field (n = 89) and wrestling (n = 50). Vertical jumping height was measured with four different loads held on the shoulders and then interpolated for loads representing 0 and 40% body mass. Horizontal overhead throwing velocity using both hands was determined for seven balls of d…
Essay: Does training adversely affect long-term health?
2005
A number of philosophers and physicians living in ancient Greece thought that sport could harm both mind and body. Hippocrates, for example, acknowledged the health benefits of physical activity, but also believed that intense athletic competition had a harmful effect on the heart and other organs, and lowered resistance to disease. That athletes do not have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, however, was not appreciated until the 19th century. In 1873, J E Morgan published the results of his study of 294 British oarsmen who participated in the Oxford versus Cambridge boat races between 1829 and 1869. His findings indicated that these sportsmen lived about 2 years longer…
Socioeconomic status and parent perceptions about the costs and benefits of youth sport.
2021
Objectives Describe what costs and benefits parents across the socioeconomic spectrum weight most heavily when making decisions about sport participation for their children. Method Cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative online panel of parents of children between the ages of 5 and 18 (n = 1025, 52% response rate). Parents rated the importance of a series of potential costs and benefits of youth sport and these responses were compared across tertiles of per capita family income. We first examined the association between family income tertiles and cost and benefit variables. Model-based cluster analysis was then used to identity homogeneous groups of responses to costs and ben…
Mechanical jumping power in young athletes.
1987
Mechanical jumping power was determined for 286 young male athletes representing six sports events and ranging in calendar and skeletal ages from 8.8 to 17.1 and from 7.8 to 18.1 years, respectively. The subjects performed successive maximal vertical jumps on a contact mat for 30 s. The number of jumps and their cumulative flight time after 15 and 30 s were used for calculations of mechanical power. The jumping performances of the young athletes were found to be reproducible from the age of 10-12 years in respect to the angular displacement of the knee and duration of contact. Absolute mechanical power, as well as power related to body weight, increased with calendar and skeletal ages. Of t…
Coaches' reflections on the meaning and value of Masters athletics
2019
Masters sport is a growing social movement offering the opportunity to participate in competitive sports in later life. Although many studies have explored Masters athletes' experiences, little is known about how other actors in the sport subcultures construct meaning in Masters sport and whether their stories work to support or hinder participation. Our study explored the cultural narrative resources and life scripts surrounding sport and ageing that coaches draw upon in two European countries, England and Finland, where sport policy has put different emphasis on elite sport and sport for all. We analysed interviews from 23 athletics (track and field) coaches (8 women) to understand how th…