The fundamental motor skill proficiency among Polish primary school-aged children: A nationally representative surveillance study.

OBJECTIVES: With the premise that physical education classes should promote physical activity by teaching and learning fundamental motor skills, this study aimed to evaluate the fundamental motor skill proficiency of primary school students and determine the level of achievement of established learning outcomes for fundamental motor skills, as specified in the Polish National Physical Education Curriculum. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used for this study. The sample consisted of 2605 children and adolescents enrolled in grades 1-3 (ages 7-9, n = 1165), 4-6 (ages 10-12, n = 837), and 7-8 (ages 13-14, n = 603), including 1353 boys and 1252 girls. The Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test, a qualitative and process-oriented assessment tool, was used to evaluate fundamental motor skills. The Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test evaluates the following movement skills: hurdles, jumping rope, forward roll, ball bouncing, ball throwing and catching, and kicking and stopping a ball. RESULTS: The desired level of overall fundamental motor skill proficiency was achieved by only 2 % of students. An elementary level of fundamental motor skill proficiency was demonstrated by an additional 3.5 % of students. Further, the results showed that only 10-30 % of students had achieved mastery or were close to achieving mastery in a given fundamental motor skill. The skill with the lowest level of proficiency was jumping rope, which only 11 % of students had mastered or were near to mastering. CONCLUSIONS: The present study of a large, nationally representative sample of primary school students in Poland indicates that the vast majority (approximately 94 %) of them demonstrated insufficient fundamental motor skill proficiency. This may greatly hinder effective, safe, and healthy participation in lifelong physical activity.

The fus test: a promising tool for evaluating fundamental motor skills in children and adolescents.

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are essential for enjoyable, confident and skillful participation in physical activity across the lifespan. Due to the alarming low level of FMS proficiency in children and adolescents worldwide, the development of motor competency is an urgent issue for physical education. The promotion and implementation of a systematic process of teaching and learning FMS should be a physical education priority. Accordingly, effective assessment tools for evaluating FMS should be adopted or developed. Because FMS assessment for both children and adolescents need further effective solutions, the primary aim of this study was to develop the new age-related test of FMS (Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport test, in Polish: Test Fundamentalnych Umiejetnosci Ruchowych w Sporcie, FUS). The secondary aim of this study was to establish validity and inter-rater, intra-rater, test-retest reliabilities and internal consistency of the FUS test. The FUS test involves six sport skill-based tasks: hurdling, jumping rope, forward roll, ball bouncing, throwing and catching a ball, and kicking and stopping a ball. Two hundred sixty-four Polish students in grades 1-3 (7-9 yrs; n = 81), 4-6 (10-12 yrs; n = 89) and 7-8 (13-14 yrs; n = 94), including 139 girls and 125 boys completed the FUS test. The content validity index for all items was notably high. Both inter-rater and intra-rater reliability showed substantial to almost perfect agreement, with observed agreements for FUS skills between 78.5 and 93.1%. Ball bouncing had a moderate correlation with the forward roll and throwing and catching, while other correlations were low or insignificant. ICC values, ranging from 0.95 to 0.97, confirmed excellent test-retest reliability. The results of our study provide evidence that the FUS test is valid, reliable, and feasible to administer in school settings. Therefore, this tool test has the potential to support deliberate practice and improve motor competence by providing a standardized and structured approach to measuring FMS among school-aged children and adolescents.

Identification of success factors in elite wrestlers-An exploratory study.

Identification of success factors in wrestling as well as establishing their hierarchy are crucial from a cognitive and practical standpoint. It may provide a lot of practical recommendations related to wrestling-specific training. The aim of this study was to identify and establish the hierarchy of success factors in wrestling regardless of a fighting style and weight class. This study included 168 elite male freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers. They were divided into two groups: athletes who won medals (successful wrestlers) in high-rank competitions (Polish Championships or higher) and those who did not win any medals (less successful wrestlers) in those competitions. The following elements were assessed: anthropological measurements, body composition, dynamic strength, strength endurance, agility, special endurance, wrestling-specific fitness, response time, technical wrestling skills and anaerobic capacity. For initial data analysis, one-way ANOVA (α = 0.005) was used. Random Forests classifier was employed to identify success factors and to determine the importance of each of these factors in terms of sports performance. Seven key success factors were identified: anaerobic power, strength endurance, response time, special endurance, wrestling-specific fitness and technical wrestling skills performed in a horizontal position. Random Forests turned out to be an effective method of modelling success in wrestling (compared to SVM and KNN, which were also used in the study). These findings suggest that wrestling-specific training can be effectively monitored by controlling several vital indicators of athletes' preparedness: anaerobic power, strength endurance, response time, special endurance, wrestling-specific fitness and technical wrestling skills (the performance of reverse waistlock from a standing position and trunk grip gut wrench assessed by experts).

Effects of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on mental performance, physical capacity, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy men.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic Rhodiola rosea (R. rosea) supplementation on mental and physical performance, as well as hormonal and oxidative stress biomarkers. METHODS: Twenty-six healthy male students received either R. rosea extract (600 mg/day; RR) or placebo (PL) in a randomized double-blind trial. Prior to supplementation (Term I) and following 4 weeks of supplementation (Term II), the students underwent psychomotor tests for simple and choice reaction time, included in the Vienna Test System. Also, the subjects performed VO2peak test. Blood samples were obtained before and after the test to measure the hormonal profile (cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone), as well as the biomarkers of oxidative stress (lipid hydroperoxides, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase) and muscle damage (creatine kinase). RESULTS: R. rosea ingestion shortened reaction time and total response time. Moreover, a greater relative increase in the number of correct responses was observed in RR group as compared to the PL group. No changes in endurance exercise capacity and hormonal profile were observed after R. rosea ingestion. R. rosea ingestion raised plasma total antioxidant capacity. It did not, however, affect other measured parameters. CONCLUSION: Chronic R. rosea ingestion does not affect physical performance, but can improve the results of some psychomotor tests (simple and choice reaction time) in young, healthy, and physically active men. The improvements in mental performance, however, at least in our study, seem not to be related to changes in cortisol release or antioxidant activity of R. rosea extract. Thus, the specific mechanisms responsible for these effects still need to be elucidated.

Response Time and Effectiveness in Elite Greco-Roman Wrestlers Under Simulated Fight Conditions.

Gierczuk, D, Bujak, Z, Cieslinski, I, Lyakh, V, and Sadowski, J. Response time and effectiveness in elite Greco-Roman wrestlers under simulated fight conditions. J Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3442-3449, 2018-The purpose of the study was to determine changes in response time and its correlations with tactical and technical actions performed by Greco-Roman wrestlers in a fight. Twenty wrestlers aged 19-25 (21.4 (Equation is included in full-text article.)1.8) years were divided into 2 groups, i.e., finalists of Polish Senior Championships (winners of 1st and 2nd places) and wrestlers who won 3rd-6th places in those competitions. The subjects from 1 group were individually paired with the wrestlers from the other group according to the same weight class. Response time before a fight and during the intervals between the 3 rounds was assessed. Batak Lite (test IV) was used in the study. The Polar M400 watch was used to register heart rate. Response time changed during a fight. The finalists showed significantly quicker reaction and performed a higher number of technical and tactical actions. The differences grew in the course of a fight, and the largest ones were observed during the third round. The strongest correlations were noted between response time and the number of technical and tactical actions performed during the third round (r = 0.77, p < 0.001). Response time is a significant determinant of wrestlers' results, which can be observed at submaximal intensity of the effort (176-195 b·min) during a fight.

SOD2 gene polymorphism and response of oxidative stress parameters in young wrestlers to a three-month training.

The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of Val 16Ala polymorphism in SOD2 gene on oxidative stress parameters and lipid profile of the blood during a three-month wrestling training. The study included 53 Polish young wrestlers. Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the programme and following three months of the training. The list of analysed parameters included erythrocyte and serum activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, total glutathione (tGSH) level, concentration of lipid hydroperoxides (LHs), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and creatine kinase (CK) activity in the serum, as well as lipid profile parameters: triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Three-month training resulted in a decrease in CK activity, an increase in serum SOD activity, as well as in unfavourable changes in serum lipid profile: an increase in TC, LDL-C, and TG, and a decrease in HDL-C. Aside from CK activity, all these changes seemed to be associated with presence of Val allele. Prior to the training programme, subjects with Ala/Ala genotype presented with lower levels of LHs, lower whole blood GPx activity, and lower serum concentrations of TC than the individuals with Ala/Val genotype. Both prior to and after three-month training, higher levels of tGSH were observed in Val/Val genotype as compared to Ala/Val genotype carriers. Moreover, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that SOD2 genotype was a significant predictor of pre-training whole blood GPx activity and erythrocyte SOD activity (Val/Val > Ala/Val > Ala/Ala). Altogether, these findings suggest that Val 16Ala polymorphism in SOD2 gene contributes to individual variability in oxidative stress status and lipid profile of the blood in young wrestlers, and may modulate biochemical response to training.

Speed of Reaction and Fighting Effectiveness in Elite Greco-Roman Wrestlers.

The purpose of the study was to determine the changes in simple reaction time and to define correlations between simple reaction time and technical and tactical actions performed by elite Greco-Roman wrestlers during a match. Twenty Greco-Roman wrestlers (M age = 19.5 years, SD = 1.8) from the Wrestling Sports Centre in Radom participated in the study. Simple reaction time (including reaction time and movement time) before a match and after the first, the second, and the third round was analyzed. The wrestlers' reaction time and movement time changed in the course of performance. Wrestlers with higher sports achievements demonstrated a smaller decrement in simple reaction time and performed more technical and tactical actions during a match. The strongest correlations were observed between both reaction time and movement time and the number of technical and tactical actions performed during the last round. Quick reaction was a significant factor in determining the match outcome, which is revealed at submaximal intensity of the effort during a match.