Institutional factors associated with college students' healthy physical activity and body composition: A first semester follow-up.

Objective: The first aim of this study was to examine changes in freshman college students' health-enhancing physical activity (PA) and body composition across the first semester. Secondly, this study aimed to explore the role of socio-ecological variables on these processes. Methods: A sample of 166 participants (108 females, 58 males, Mage = 18.14[.96]) completed self-report pre-and posttest data on vigorous PA (VPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and body mass index (BMI). Results: The results showed a statistically significant increase in BMI, but no statistically significant changes in VPA or MVPA. The findings revealed that our socio-ecological model predicted .71, .39, and .92 percent of the end of the year VPA, MVPA, and BMI, respectively. The findings highlighted the positive role of peer support, positive motivation, and university's Recreational Services on measured healthy behaviors. Conclusions: These findings suggest a need to increase college students' VPA.

Effects of Coordinative Exercise on Sustained Attention and Perceptual Discrimination in Elementary School Physical Education.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of coordinative exercise on children's sustained attention and perceptual discrimination in a school-based physical education (SBPE) setting. Methods: Seventy-three children received an intervention of moderate-to-vigorous intensity coordinative exercise, and 75 children participated in a moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity as part of a regular physical education class. Two neuropsychological tests of executive function (EF) were used to assess attention and perceptual discrimination functions before and after each treatment. Results: The results found that coordinative exercise significantly improved the performances on sustained attention and perceptual discrimination, as evidenced by enhanced response accuracy and improved speed of responding. Specifically, higher progressions in task performance were seen following coordinative exercise relative to regular physical activity. Conclusion: These findings suggest that coordinative exercise could enable more robust improvements in sustained attention and perceptual discrimination among children. Overall, we conclude that structured coordinative exercise, implemented in SBPE settings, may be a promising alternative to promote children's cognitive abilities.

Cognitively engaging movement games improve interference control and academic performance in overweight children: A randomized control trial.

The purpose of this study was to determine the (a) dose-response effects of cognitively engaging movement games (CEMGs) designed to improve aerobic capacity, interference control (IC), and academic performance, (b) relationship between intervention-induced improvements in aerobic capacity, IC, and academic performance, and (c) moderation effect of IC on the relationship between aerobic capacity and academic performance in overweight children. Seventy-five overweight children (aged 11.23 ± 0.60 years; 48% males) participated in this study conducted in Taipei during the 2018/2019 academic year and were randomly assigned to the low-dose (20-min) intervention, high-dose (40-min) intervention, and control groups and completed a Stroop test, half-mile run, and language and mathematics tests before and after a 10-week afterschool program. Both intervention groups showed similar improvements in outcomes of aerobic capacity (ds > 0.80), IC (ds > 0.76), and academic performance (ds > 0.90) from the pretest to posttest, whereas these outcomes were unchanged for the control group. Furthermore, improved IC moderated the association between improvements in aerobic capacity and academic performance. Our findings suggest that CEMG with varying doses is feasible and effective for improving aerobic capacity, IC, and academic performance in overweight children and that the association between improvements in aerobic capacity and academic performance depends on the intervention effects on IC.

National Football League Scouting Combine Tests Correlated to National Football League Player Performance.

LaPlaca, DA and McCullick, BA. National Football League scouting combine tests correlated to National Football League player performance. J Strength Cond Res 34(5): 1317-1329, 2020-The National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine has been used since 1982 to collect performance information on the top-rated NFL prospects including physical test results from the vertical jump, broad jump, 3 cone drill, shuttle run, 40-yd dash, and bench press. The correlation between NFL Scouting Combine test results and NFL player performance is frequently questioned, and thus this study endeavored to identify significant relationships between NFL Scouting Combine test results and NFL player performance indicators for all offensive and defensive positions, including quarterback (n = 107), fullback (n = 31), running back (n = 228), wide receiver (n = 336), tight end (n = 137), offensive tackle (n = 204), guard (n = 128), center (n = 66), cornerback (n = 276), free safety (n = 92), strong safety (n = 96), outside linebacker (n = 215), inside linebacker (n = 116), defensive end (n = 212), and defensive tackle (n = 223). A Spearman rank-order correlation analysis set at a p of ≤0.01 and p of ≤ 0.05 level of significance indicated that every offensive and defensive positions had at least 1 NFL Scouting Combine test result that correlated with NFL player performance. These results can be useful for those in charge of making player personnel decisions in the NFL, such as general managers, draft analysts, and scouts by helping them select NFL prospects. Furthermore, these results could inform strength and conditioning coaches in preparing athletes to excel in the NFL.

Individual and Group-Based Engagement in an Online Physical Activity Monitoring Program in Georgia.

INTRODUCTION: Given the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States, innovative methods are needed to increase physical activity (PA) in community settings. Evidence suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in PA if they are given a choice of activities and have support from others (for encouragement, motivation, and accountability). The objective of this study was to describe the use of the online Walk Georgia PA tracking platform according to whether the user was an individual user or group user. METHODS: Walk Georgia is a free, interactive online tracking platform that enables users to log PA by duration, activity, and perceived difficulty, and then converts these data into points based on metabolic equivalents. Users join individually or in groups and are encouraged to set weekly PA goals. Data were examined for 6,639 users (65.8% were group users) over 28 months. We used independent sample t tests and Mann-Whitney U tests to compare means between individual and group users. Two linear regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with activity logging. RESULTS: Users logged 218,766 activities (15,119,249 minutes of PA spanning 592,714 miles [41,858,446 points]). On average, group users had created accounts more recently than individual users (P < .001); however, group users logged more activities (P < .001). On average, group users logged more minutes of PA (P < .001) and earned more points (P < .001). Being in a group was associated with a larger proportion of weeks in which 150 minutes or more of weekly PA was logged (B = 20.47, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Use of Walk Georgia was significantly higher among group users than among individual users. To expand use and dissemination of online tracking of PA, programs should target naturally occurring groups (eg, workplaces, schools, faith-based groups).

What Can Veterinary Educators Learn from PE Teachers?

Veterinary education requires the training of students in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. However, the veterinary education literature tends to focus more on the cognitive domain, with less emphasis on the affective and psychomotor domains. Physical education (PE) teachers have been teaching psychomotor skills to students for decades using a variety of teaching models. Teaching models provide a framework encompassing theory, student and teacher interactions, instructional themes, research support, and valid assessments. This paper reviews some of the models used by PE teachers, including the Direct Instruction Model, the Cooperative Learning Model, the Personalized System for Instruction, and the Peer Teaching Model. We posit that these models might be particularly helpful for novice teachers in veterinary education settings, providing a structure for the teaching and assessment of psychomotor skills.

Expert golf instructors' student-teacher interaction patterns.

The purpose of this study was to identify the dominant instructional interaction patterns of expert golf instructors. Instructors (N = 22) were selected by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Teaching based on the following criteria: (a) 10 or more years of golf teaching experience, (b) LPGA certification, (c) awards received for the quality of their instruction, and (d) peer and student recognition for outstanding teaching. The instructors were videotaped teaching a 60-min lesson to a novice college-age woman with no previous golf experience. The tapes were then analyzed using both the Cheffers Adaptation of Flanders' Interaction Analysis System (CAFIAS) and a qualitative analysis. Based on the findings from descriptive statistics and correlation analyses of the CAFIAS data and qualitative data analysis, several trends were identified. First, the dominant instructional behavior of these teachers was providing information to the students using both explanations and demonstrations. Second, the prevailing instructional interaction pattern of the expert teachers included extensive explanations and demonstrations followed by directions. The student followed the directions by practicing skills and received praise for their achievements. Third, high rates of directions and praise from teachers prompted student practice. Fourth, engaging students in subject-related discussion was positively correlated with teachers' questions but negatively correlated with teachers' criticisms. Finally, teacher acceptance was positively correlated with student analytic behavior, while teachers' talk negatively correlated with students initiating discussions.