The Acute Effect of Dynamic vs. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Sprint and Jump Performance.

Participating in sports has been shown to promote overall wellness and, at the same time, reduce health risks. As more people are participating in sports, competitions have increased, and every aspect of the game has been focused by coaches and athletes in order to improve performance. One of these aspects is the warm-up session. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of a dynamic warm-up versus a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) warm-up on the sprint and jump performance of recreationally active men. Thirty (n = 30) males were randomly assigned to undergo three sessions of different warm-up types, 72 h apart, involving either proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), dynamic stretching (DS), or no stretching session (control). The PNF and dynamic modes of stretching improved vertical jump performance, F (2.58) = 5.49, p = 0.046, to a certain extent (mean + 3.32% vs. control, p = 0.002 for dynamic and mean + 1.53% vs. control, p = 0.048 for PNF stretching). Dynamic stretching is best used to get a better vertical jump height. Sprint performance was also increased to a greater extent following the stretching session, F (2.58) = 5.60, p = 0.01. Sprint time was +1.05% faster vs. the control, with a value of p = 0.002 after dynamic stretching, while PNF stretching demonstrated a sprint time of +0.35% vs. the control, with a value of p = 0.049. Dynamic stretching showed a better sprint performance and also vertical jump height performance in this study. PNF and dynamic stretching prove to be equally efficacious in flexibility conditioning depending on the type of movement involved. This type of stretching should be utilized to help preserve or improve the performance output of physical activity, especially in sprinting and jumping events.

Barreiras à atividade física percebidas entre adultos da Malásia durante a pandemia de COVID-19: um estudo transversal / Perceived barriers to physical activity among Malaysian adults during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUÇÃO: A pandemia COVID-19 trouxe um impacto relativamente significativo no mundo. A Malásia implementou uma estratégia de isolamento social em todo o país para nivelar a curva da epidemia. À medida que os limites ao movimento e à interação social entraram em vigor, mais indivíduos parecem menos ativos fisicamente. OBJETIVO: determinar as barreiras percebidas para a atividade física entre jovens adultos da Malásia durante a pandemia de COVID-19. MÉTODOS E MATERIAIS: Total de 217 participantes incluídos na faixa etária de 18 a 40 anos participaram voluntariamente deste estudo. Os participantes foram excluídos se não fossem malaios e apresentassem quaisquer problemas psicológicos e deficiência física que impedissem a atividade física. O questionário Barrier to Being Active (BBAQ) foi distribuído por várias plataformas de mídia social de janeiro de 2021 a maio de 2021. Os dados categóricos foram apresentados usando frequência simples e absoluta na distribuição de perfis sociodemográficos e respostas do BBAQ. Qui-quadrado de Pearson com nível de confiança de 95%, p <0,05 foi utilizado como nível de significância para analisar a associação entre gênero e barreiras. RESULTADOS: A barreira relatada pelos participantes foi "falta de força de vontade" 136 (62,7%), seguida de "falta de energia" 117 (53,9%), "falta de recursos" 113 (52,1%), "falta de tempo", 109 (50,2%), "influência social" 100 (46,1%), "falta de habilidade" 48 (22,1%) e "medo de se machucar" 40 (18,4%). Não houve relação significativa entre gênero e barreira à atividade física entre jovens adultos da Malásia. CONCLUSÃO: A "falta de energia", "falta de força de vontade" e "falta de recursos" foram as barreiras mais percebidas para a atividade física entre jovens adultos da Malásia durante o confinamento por causa da COVID-19. Não houve associação significativa entre as barreiras de atividade física e o gênero.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a relatively significant impact on the world. Malaysia implemented a countrywide social isolation strategy to flatten the epidemic curve. As limits on movement and social interaction have come into force, more individuals appear less physically active. OBJECTIVE: To determine the perceived barriers to physical activity among Malaysian young adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 217 participants included with age group from 18-40 years old voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were excluded if they were non-Malaysian and had any psychological problems and physical impairment that hindered physical activity. The barrier to Being Active quiz (BBAQ) questionnaire was circulated through various social media platforms from January 2021 to May 2021. Categorical data were presented using simple and absolute frequency on the distribution of sociodemographic profiles and BBAQ responses. Pearson Chi-square with 95% confidence level, p<0.05, was used as the significant level to analyze the association between gender and barriers. RESULTS: The barrier reported by the participants was "lack of willpower" 136 (62.7%), followed by "lack of energy" 117(53.9%), "lack of resource" 113(52.1%), "Lack of time," 109(50.2%), "social influence" 100(46.1%), "lack of skill" 48(22.1%) and "fear of injury" 40(18.4%). There was no significant relationship between gender and Barrier to Physical Activity among Malaysian young adults. CONCLUSION: The "lack of energy," "lack of willpower," and "lack of resource" were the most perceived barriers to physical activity among Malaysian young adults during COVID-19 lockdown, and there was no significant association between physical activity barriers and gender.

Abdominal muscle activation: An EMG study of the Sahrmann five-level core stability test.

BACKGROUND: Sahrmann five-level core stability test protocol has been used to evaluate the ability of the core muscles to stabilize the spine. However, validation studies on the Sahrmann protocol are limited. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the different levels of Sahrmann five-level core stability (levels 1-5) on the muscle activity of rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and transverse abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO). METHODS: Twenty-two asymptomatic male participants aged 21.3 6 ± 1 .59 years were recruited. Participants were instructed to perform maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and five levels of Sahrmann five-level core stability test guided with a pressure biofeedback unit (PBU). The surface electromyography (EMG) data of each muscle during five levels of Sahrmann five-level core stability test were normalized as a percentage of MVC. RESULTS: Results showed significant differences in the normalized EMGs of RA [ χ 2 (4) = 64.80, p < 0 .001], EO [ χ 2 (4) = 58.11, p < 0 .001], and TrA/IO [ χ 2 (4) = 56.00, p < 0 .001] between the five levels of Sahrmann five-level core stability test. Post-hoc analysis revealed Sahrmann levels 5 and 3 have significantly higher abdominal EMG signals than levels 4, 2, and 1 ( p < 0 .001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the Sahrmann five-level core stability test differs according to the level of Sahrmann tests. Significantly higher abdominal muscle activities were observed during levels 3 and 5. Therefore, the classification exchange in levels 3 and 4 of the Sahrmann five-level core stability test should be reconsidered in the future.