Gender Influences on Physical Activity Awareness of Adolescents and Their Parents.

The imbalances between the actual physical activity (PA) of adolescents and the subjective perception both they and their parents have in this regard can play an important role in perpetuating inactive lifestyles. The aim of this study is to analyse these discrepancies by considering gender as a conditioning factor. The participants in the study were 1697 adolescents, 1244 mothers and 1052 fathers in the educational communities of 26 secondary schools located in urban environments of the Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain). With regard to actual physical activity, a high prevalence of sedentarism (82.1%) was revealed, this being even more acute in girls (87.8%). However, the perceived levels of activity differed significantly from the actual ones with a clear general overestimation both by the adolescents and their parents. When further exploring the data, gender influences were also detected both in adolescent and parental perceptions, since the high rates of overestimation in sedentary individuals were lower in girls and, on the contrary, the low rates of underestimation in active individuals were higher in girls. Moreover, although the level of agreement between actual and perceived physical activity was low overall, with Cohen's kappa values ranging from 0.006 to 0.047, the lowest values were observed in the case of girls. In conclusion, both the adolescents and their parents were incapable of correctly assessing the actual physical activity of the former, so it seems that the general population lacks knowledge about the amount of physical activity that adolescents need to do to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, it would be advisable to implement health education campaigns and awareness-raising interventions directed to young people as well as to their parents and, in doing so, gender must be considered by establishing distinct program designs in terms of this variable.

Training in Rhythmic Gymnastics During the Pandemic.

The pandemic caused by the COVID 19 Virus creates an unprecedented situation of global confinement altering the development of competition and sports training at all levels of participation and in all sports, including rhythmic gymnastics (RG). To avoid possible effects of physical, technical and psychological detraining, coaches looked for home training alternatives. The objectives of the study were to know how rhythmic gymnastics training developed during the lockdown period (the conditions, type of training, performance monitoring means, and determinants of gymnasts' participation) and to provide recommendations for a possible future lockdown. Three hundred and two RG coaches from twenty-six different countries throughout the five continents and four professional levels took part in the study: national team (28), international (26), national (172) and regional (75). The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 39 closed questions structured in three dimensions: identification data of the coaches, training data during confinement and gymnast participation data. The independent variable was the gymnasts' performance levels and the dependent variables organized in four categories: the technical media used to conduct and monitor the training sessions, the type of training done, the mechanisms for monitoring training performance and the aspects that determined participation. Most coaches kept their gymnasts training during confinement, although 76.5% confirm abandonment of any of their gymnasts. The main means used were real-time video conferencing, although at the lower practice levels the media stand out in deferred time. The contents of the training were mainly body technique, physical preparation and body difficulties. For performance monitoring, challenges, physical, and technical tests were predominant. The determinants for the development of training in the confinement vary depending on the level of the gymnasts, connectivity and electronic resources at the highest level, and the availability of spaces and social distancing at lower levels. For future lockdowns, it is necessary to review the content of the trainings, as well as the performance evaluation and the means necessary for it.

Acute effects of training load on contractile properties during a competitive microcycle in elite soccer players.

The aim of this study was to examine changes in muscle contractile properties across a microcycle of training in professional soccer players during the in-season period. Nineteen professional soccer players were assessed with tensiomyography (TMG) on the biceps femoris and rectus femoris before and after 5 training sessions of an in-season microcycle. Training load was quantified during each training session. Significant differences were observed in training load variables across different training sessions, with the last training session prior to match day showing the lowest values for all training load variables. Significant pre- to post-session increases were observed in muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris during the first four training sessions (effect size range, 0.5 to 0.9). However, no significant differences were observed in muscle contraction time and contraction velocity from pre- to post-session. In addition, repeated measures correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between absolute change in muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris and training duration, high-speed distance covered during training, and training average distance. The current study shows that players are physically taxed on their muscular stiffness by the training load. Post-session muscular stiffness assessment should be recommended to determine neuromuscular status and readiness in professional soccer players during the competitive season.

Longitudinal Study of Individual Exercises in Elite Rhythmic Gymnastics.

The performance evolution in rhythmic gymnastics depends on changes in code of points. At the beginning of each Olympic cycle the code of points changes and therefore, the content of the competition exercises, as well. This study aimed to analyze - for each apparatus - the evolution of number of technical elements and final score over the last two decades (last 13 world championships), how they have been affected by changed code of points, and how the final score relates to the number of technical elements performed. The sample consisted of 416 exercises in five apparatus: ball (96), rope (40), hoop (96), ribbon (88), and clubs (96). The following variables were gathered: code of points, apparatus, technical group, total number of elements, final classification, and final score. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the effects on the number of elements and final score in each apparatus. The number of technical elements increased in all apparatus, between 7.4 and 20% over a 10-year period. There were mixed evolutions of final score between the different apparatus, between -6.3 and 14% over a 10-year period. There is small increase in number of elements in hoop and a small decrease in rope after a code change. There was a small decrease in final score in championships after a code change in hoop, moderate in clubs and ribbon, and large in rope. There was a negative relationship between number of elements performed and final score in clubs. In conclusion, the code change generally effects the final score negatively, but there were apparatus specific effects of code change on number of elements and relationship between number of elements and final score.

Parental assessment of physical education in the school curriculum: A brief report on the influence of past experiences as students.

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between parents' past experience as Physical Education (PE) students and the importance they give to PE within the school curriculum. Parents of 1834 teenagers from Spain and Portugal participated in the study (1834 fathers and 1834 mothers). An 11 item questionnaire was used for data collection. The measures studied were: socio-demographic characteristics, parent´s past experience as PE students, and importance that parents gave to PE in the school curriculum. The results suggest that parents' past experiences as PE student condition their evaluation of the importance that PE should have in the school curriculum. As the past experience as PE student deteriorated and as age increased, there was an increase in the probability that parents evaluate PE as deserving a less important status in their children's curriculum. These findings can contribute to understanding how the parents' past experiences as PE students seem to partially model the value judgements that they make later in life regarding the importance of the subject.

Relación entre la actividad física de los adolescentes y la de madres/ padres / Relaçao entre a actividade física dos deus adolescentes e de madres/padres / Relationship between physical activity of adolescents and that of mothers/parents

Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la relación entre la AF de los padres y madres con la de sus hijas e hijos. Participaron en el estudio 1604 adolescentes (807 portugueses, 797 españoles). Para la recogida de datos sobre práctica de AF se utilizó un cuestionario para los adolescentes y otro para los padres y madres. El efecto de la AF de las madres y de los padres sobre la AF de sus hijas e hijos fue evaluado a través de regresión logística multinomial. Los adolescentes con progenitores físicamente activos practicaban semanalmente más veces AF no organizada (59.4% vs. 37.9%, p<0.001), organizada (39.6% vs. 22.7%, p<0.001) y durante más tiempo (24.8% vs. 17.0%, p=0.010) que los que tenían madre y padre poco activos. Los adolescentes con madres activas y padres poco activos (OR=1.8, 95% IC: 1.3-2.7, p=0.002), y los que tenían ambos activos (OR=2.1, 95% IC: 1.4-3.2, p<0.001) tenían mayor probabilidad de practicar AF no organizada. Tener el padre activo y la madre poco activa (OR=1.6, 95% IC: 1.1-2.1, p=0.024) y tener ambos activos (OR=1.6, 95% IC: 1.1-2.3, p=0.017) estaba asociado a una mayor probabilidad de práctica de AF organizada. El presente estudio demostró la existencia de una relación entre la AF de padres y madres con la AF de sus hijos e hijas (AU)

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a relação entre os níveis de atividade física (AF) dos pais e os mostrados pelos respetivos filhos. Participaram no estudo 1604 adolescentes (807 portugueses, 797 espanhóis). Para a recolha de dados referente à AF recorreu-se à aplicação de um questionário para os pais e outro para os filhos. Foi utilizada uma regressão múltipla logística para averiguar a relação entre os níveis de AF dos pais e os mostrados pelos filhos. Adolescentes com pais ativos praticaram AF não organizada mais frequentemente (59,4% vs. 37,9%, p <0,001), AF organizada (39,6% vs. 22,7%, p <0,001) semanalmente e durante mais tempo (24,8% Versus 17,0%, p = 0,010) do que aqueles que tinham uma mãe e pai menos ativos. Adolescentes com mães ativas e pais menos ativos (OR = 1,8, IC 95%: 1,3-2,7, p = 0,002), e aqueles que tiveram ambos os pais ativos (OR = 2,1, IC 95%: 1,4-3,2, p <0,001) eram mais propensos a praticar AF não organizada. Aqueles que tinham pai ativo e mãe menos ativa (OR = 1,6, IC 95%: 1,1-2,1, p = 0,024), e ambos os pais ativos (OR = 1,6, IC 95%: 1,1-2,3, p = 0,017) foram associados a uma maior probabilidade de prática de AF organizada. Esses resultados destacam a relação entre a participação em AF dos pais e a participação de seus filhos em AF (AU)

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the physical activity (PA) levels of parents and that showed by their children. A sample comprised of 1604 adolescents (807 Portuguese, 797 Spanish) participated in this study. For PA data collection it was used a questionnaire for parents and another one for their children. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the PA levels of parents and that showed by their children. Adolescents with active parents practiced more often non-organized PA (59.4% vs. 37.9%, p<0.001), organized PA (39.6% vs. 22.7%, p<0.001) on a weekly basis, and during more time (24.8% vs. 17.0%, p=0.010) than those who had a mother and father less actives. Adolescents with active mothers and less active fathers (OR=1.8, 95% IC: 1.3-2.7, p=0.002), and those who had both active parents (OR=2.1, 95% IC: 1.4-3.2, p<0.001) were more likely to practice non-organized PA. To have active father and less active mother (OR=1.6, 95% IC: 1.1-2.1, p=0.024), and have both active parents (OR=1.6, 95% IC: 1.1- 2.3, p=0.017) were associated with a greater likelihood of practice of organized AF. These results highlight the relationship between parents PA participation and their children PA participation (AU)

The Impact of a Good Season Start on Team Performance in Elite Handball.

The aim of the current study was (i) to identify how important was a good season start in relation to elite handball teams' performance, and (ii) to examine if this impact was related to the clubs' financial budget. The match performances and annual budgets of all teams were collected from the Spanish Professional Handball League during ten seasons. The dependent variable was the difference between the ranking of each team in accordance to the annual budget and the ranking of each team at the end of the season. A k-means cluster analysis classified the clubs according to their budget as High Range Budget Clubs (HRBC), Upper-Mid Range Budget Clubs (UMRBC), Lower-Mid Range Budget Clubs (LMRBC) and Low Range Budget Clubs (LRBC). Data were examined through linear regression models. Overall, the results suggested that the better the team performance at the beginning of the season, the better the ranking at the end of the season. Each position in the ranking above expected in accordance to the budget of the teams in Rounds 3, 4 or 5 improved by 0.47, 0.50 or 0.49, respectively, in the ranking at the end of the season (p<0.05). However, the impact of the effect depended on the clubs' annual budget. For UMRBC, LMRBC and LRBC a good start to the season had a positive effect on the final outcome (p<0.05). Nevertheless, for HRBC, a good or a bad start of the season did not explain their final position. These variables can be used to develop accurate models to estimate final rankings. UMRBC, LMRBC and LRBC can benefit from fine-tuning preseason planning in order to accelerate the acquisition of optimal performances.

Practical skills of rhythmic gymnastics judges.

The aim of this study was to analyze the practical skills of rhythmic gymnastics judges and to identify how their degree and experience influence the assessment of these skills. Sixty one rhythmic gymnastics judges participated in the study. A questionnaire was used for data collection. This tool was composed of 28 questions and divided into six categories: identification, experience, initial training, continuing education, skills and training needs. The results suggest that the most valued skills are those related to the sport's technical parameters and the ability to adapt to any level of competition with self-confidence and self-assuredness. Significant differences were found regarding the variables for: the ability to communicate (p = 0.002) and for the ability to observe, identify and register performance (p = 0.005). The results showed that experience was not a decisive factor in assessing skills. This study thus presents evidence that rhythmic gymnastics judges must implement and optimise a set of skills that contribute to the effectiveness of the assessment process. These findings might help in the design of programs and training models that contribute to effective professional development.