Biomechanical profile after dry needling in mixed martial arts.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dry needling (DN) intervention on the responses of muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity, as well as power, pressure pain thresholds, and blood perfusion of the flexor carpi radialis muscle in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes. Thirty-two trained/developmental men MMA fighters (25.5±4.5 years; 24.5±3 body mass index) participated in a randomized crossover study. Participants underwent a single intervention, receiving both DN and placebo. Laser Doppler flowmetry measured blood perfusion, while a myotonometer assessed the mechanical characteristics of muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity of the flexor carpi radialis muscle. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured using an algometer, and maximal forearm muscle force was measured using a hand dynamometer. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately after, and 24 hours and 48 hours post-intervention. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant Intervention*Time interaction for all outcomes: perfusion unit (p<0.001), muscle tone (p<0.001), stiffness (p<0.001), elasticity (p<0.001), PPT (p<0.001) and maximal forearm muscle force (p<0.001). The current study suggests that a single session of DN enhances muscle recovery, increases muscle strength, and improved PPT in MMA athletes. These positive adaptations appear to last up to 48 hours in some variables.

Optimal Duration of Cold and Heat Compression for Forearm Muscle Biomechanics in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes: A Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND Cold and heat therapies for recovery in sports are commonly used, including in the mixed martial arts (MMA). The Game Ready (GR) device can be used for local monotherapy with either heat or cold and for contrast therapy. This study aimed to compare the effects of duration of cold and heat compression on biomechanical changes in the forearm muscles of 20 healthy mixed martial arts athletes. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty MMA volunteers (26.5±4.5 years old) underwent 3 different phases of the GR: (1) stimulation time 10 min (eGR-10, GR experimental group), (2) 10 min (cGR-10, sham control group) and (3) 20 min (eGR-20, GR experimental group). The following outcomes were assessed: muscle tone (T), stiffness (S), flexibility (E), pressure pain threshold (PPT), microvascular response (PU), and maximum isometric strength (Fmax). All measurements were performed before GR (rest) and after GR stimulation (post). RESULTS Both eGR-10 and eGR-20 significantly improved outcomes T (p<0.001), S (p<0.001), E (p=0.001, and p<0.001, respectively), PPT (p<0.001), PU (p<0.001), and Fmax (p<0.001). Notably, eGR-20 exhibited superior improvements in PU, Fmax, and PPT, with larger effect sizes (p<0.001). While eGR-10 demonstrated more pronounced reductions in T and S (p<0.001), these results underscore the potential for tailored GR therapy durations to optimize specific recovery goals for MMA athletes. CONCLUSIONS GR stimulation affects muscle biomechanical changes, pain threshold, muscle strength, and tissue perfusion. The study results suggest that 10 min of GR stimulation is sufficient to achieve changes that can be used to optimize recovery for MMA athletes.

Acute Effects of the Dry Needling Session on Gastrocnemius Muscle Biomechanical Properties, and Perfusion with Latent Trigger Points - A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes.

The study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of a dry needling (DN) therapy session on biomechanical properties, muscle power, perfusion, and pressure pain threshold of the gastrocnemius muscle with latent trigger points. Twenty mixed martial arts athletes (MMA) were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (eDN, n = 10) and sham (qDN, n = 10) to undergo one session of DN either with a real or a qazi needle. The measurements were taken at rest, 1-5 minutes after the DN (Post1-5min) and 24h after the DN (Post24h). DN significantly increased the muscle perfusion (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001), reduced its tone (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001) and stiffness (Post1-5min, p < 0.05; Post24 h, p < 0.001), and improved its elasticity (Post1-5min and Post24h, p < 0.001). DN also caused a significant increase in pressure pain threshold (Post1-5min, p < 0.001; Post24h, p < 0.05) and in muscle power (Post24h, p < 0.01). The DN session increased the blood perfusion and improved the biomechanical properties of the gastrocnemius muscle, which led to improved muscle power. The DN also had an analgesic effect. These effects were maintained at 24 h, which suggests that DN could facilitate muscle recovery in a post-exercise period of MMA athletes.

Where are the fastest master butterfly swimmers competing in the FINA World Masters Championships from?

While the butterfly stroke has received considerable attention in sports science, the origin of the fastest master butterfly swimmers remains unknown. The present study investigated which geographical locations produce the top-performing master butterfly swimmers within their age groups and gender. A total of 26,512 master butterfly swimmers (11,288 women and 15,224 men) competed in 50 m, 100 m and 200 m races in World Masters Championships held between 1986 and 2019. From each swimmer, the year of competition, first name, last name, age group and distance were recorded. Descriptive data were presented using mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values, and/or confidence intervals. The top 10 race times for master butterfly swimming and gender were identified for descriptive purposes. Nationalities were then grouped into six categories: the top five nationalities with the most appearances in the top 10 fastest times in butterfly swimming by distance each year and one group consisting of all other nationalities. In the event of a tie, the nationality with the most participants overall was selected. Generalized linear models (GLMs) with a gamma probability distribution and log link function were used to assess the effect of age groups and gender on swimming time. In summary, Germany had the fastest women butterfly master swimmers across all distances, while the USA had the fastest men butterfly master swimmers for all distances. Men covered all distances faster than women and younger swimmers were quicker than older swimmers. The results of this study can be utilized to determine the countries that produce the most successful master butterfly swimmers, providing a foundation for further research to explore the factors that lead to their success.

Influence of Surface Structure on Ball Properties during a Professional Water Polo Game.

The use of modern materials in sports, in terms of chemical composition and surface texture, entails both progress in results and an increasing discrepancy in the technical parameters of the equipment used. This paper aims to demonstrate the differences between balls admitted to a league and world championships in composition, surface texture, and the influence of these parameters on the water polo game. This research compared two new balls produced by top companies producing sports accessories (Kap 7 and Mikasa). To obtain the goal, the measurement of the contact angle, analysis of the material using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and optical microscopic evaluation were used. The analysis of the surface free energy shows significant differences (Kap 7 32.16 mJ/m2, Mikasa 36.48 mJ/m2). In the case of both balls, anisotropies of the structure of the furrows were observed, however, the Mikasa ball is slightly more homogeneous than the Kap 7 ball. The obtained results from the analysis of the contact angle, as well as the composition and real feedback from the players, indicated the need to standardize the material aspect of the regulations so that the sports results are repeatable every time.

Pacing Strategy Models in 1500 m Male Freestyle Long-Course Swimming on the Basis of the All-Time Ranking.

In long-distance swimming competitions, a pacing strategy is of considerable importance for the final result and for sporting success. The paper presents the pacing strategy models of the all-time best competitors in 1500 m male freestyle long-course swimming. The top 60 scores were retrieved from official websites. The results were divided into six groups of ten swim times each, with splits of 15 × 100, 5 × 300, 3 × 500, and 2 × 750 m, and then analysis of variance was used. The main effects of the competitor group order revealed with the analysis of variance were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The group effect size turned out very high (ηp2 = 0.95). Consecutive groups of competitors achieved significantly slower results. The magnitude of the interaction effects of the competitor group order and distance splits was moderate (ηp2 of 0.05-0.09) and statistically not significant. The main effects of the 3 × 500, 5 × 300, and 15 × 100 m splits were high and very high (ηp2 of 0.33-0.75) and statistically significant (p < 0.001). The difference between the 2 × 750 m split was statistically not significant. The achieved values of the main effects led to the following trend. In the distance split, the first and last sections did not significantly differ from each other, nor did the middle sections. However, when the middle sections and the first and last sections were compared against each other, a significant discrepancy was observed. The pacing strategies of the best athletes in the history of the competition follow a very similar parabolic trend.

Relationship between vertical jump tests and ice skating performance in junior Polish ice hockey players.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between vertical jumps (VJ) and various on-ice skating performances of junior ice hockey players (n = 19). The three modes of VJ or off-ice measures were countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJ), squat jump (SJ) and depth drop jump (DDJ). The on-ice skating performance was measured by the skating multistage aerobic test (SMAT), forward and backward acceleration test, top speed test, and repeated sprint ability (RSA) test. The relationships between the variables were quantified using Pearson's product-moment correlation. DDJ showed a significant positive correlation with forward average skating speed (FASS) (r = 0.62) and strong correlations with backward average skating speed (BASS) (r = 0.81), and maximum skating speed (MSS) (r = 0.71). SJ was found to be strongly correlated with BASS (r = 0.82) and MSS (r = 0.76), whereas the only on-ice performance that significantly correlated with CMJ was BASS (r = 0.68). All three modes of VJ were inversely and non-significantly correlated with performance decrement index and fatigue index, as determined by the RSA test. SMAT was not significantly correlated with either VJ or RSA. Correlations between all three modes of VJ tests were significant. Therefore, this study concludes that: (1) DDJ can be used as a predictor of all the ice skating speed tests, whereas SJ can predict BASS and MSS. CMJ, on the other hand, can predict the performance of only BASS. (2) RSA performance cannot be predicted from CMJ, SJ, or DDJ tests, and (3) neither any of the VJ nor RSA can predict skating endurance of junior ice hockey players.

The Effects of Two Different Rest Intervals on the Repeated Skating Ability of Ice Hockey Forwards and Defensemen.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different rest intervals (2 min and 3 min), between two consecutive sets of repeated sprint skating ability (RSSA) tests, on the repeated sprint ability of ice hockey Forwards and Defensemen. Two protocols of RSSA tests, RSSA-2 and RSSA-3, were completed by 16 ice hockey Forwards and 8 Defensemen. Defensemen were heavier (p < 0.05) than Forwards, although their % body fat did not differ significantly. In RSSA-2, athletes performed six sets of 3×80 m sprint skating with 2 min passive recovery between two consecutive sets. In RSSA-3, the rest interval between the sets was 3 min. Average speed, average heart rate (HRaver), blood lactate concentration ([BLa]), and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured in both RSSA-2 and RSSA-3 tests. Both Forwards and Defensemen skated faster in RSSA-3 than in the corresponding set of RSSA-2. Forwards were faster than Defensemen in both the tests, however, the difference was significant (p < 0.05) only in RSSA-2. In Forwards and Defensemen, HRaver increased gradually from set 1 through set 6 in RSSA-2 and RSSA-3. In most of the sets, RPE was higher in RSSA-2 than in RSSA-3, and Defensemen perceived higher exertion than Forwards. No difference in [BLa] was noted between Forwards and Defensemen, although players of both positions showed higher [BLa] in RSSA-3 than in RSSA-2. This study concludes that (1) Forwards skate faster than Defensemen, (2) average heart rate and [BLa] do not vary between Forwards and Defensemen, and (3) a higher perceived exertion is observed in Defensemen than Forwards during repeated sprint skating tests.

Individual Determinants as the Causes of Failure in Learning to Swim with the Example of 10-Year-Old Children.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to identify which, and to what extent, selected individual determinants of 10-year-old children may limit the final achievement in learning to swim. In view of the above, the research hypothesis was formulated that some children, despite regular attendance at swimming classes, do not achieve the learning outcomes set in the curriculum. The reason for this may be unfavorable (compared to their peers) morphological and functional characteristics, coordination motor abilities, and problems with fear of water. METHODS: The study was conducted on a group of 271 students from the third grade of elementary schools who could not swim when they entered the physical education classes at the swimming pool and then participated in at least 25 swimming lessons during the school year. After these classes, the students performed swimming tests, and their somatic and functional characteristics and coordination motor abilities were measured. RESULTS: In 46.1% of the participants, the final achievement level was lower than assumed in the school curriculum. The biggest problem for teachers and students in the initial teaching and learning to swim was the high fear of water, especially among girls. Furthermore, children characterized by lower body height and body weight, a lower sum of three skinfolds, and lower BMI had problems with progress in swimming. Despite the differences, these values did not correlate significantly with the final achievement level in swimming, except for body height in boys. Slower progress in swimming was also associated with lower vital capacity, whereas no relationship was found between final achievement level in swimming and trunk flexibility or foot mobility. However, significant correlations occurred for coordination motor abilities, as in almost all tests the participants characterized by the achievement level below the objectives set out in the curriculum performed significantly worse than children in the group with the achievement level meeting the objectives. CONCLUSIONS: In many cases, children who begin learning to swim from scratch make significant progress, but for many of them, the achievement levels are lower than the requirements set out in the school curriculum. The biggest problem for teachers and students in the initial teaching and learning to swim was the high fear of water, especially among girls.

Polyurethane-Based Porous Carbons Suitable for Medical Application.

The main aim of the study was to synthesize and analyze spectral data to determine the structure and stereometry of the carbon-based porous material internal structure. Samples of a porous biomaterial were synthesized through anionic polymerization following our own patent and then carbonized. The samples were investigated using MALDI ToF MS, FTIR ATR spectroscopy, optic microscopy, SEM, confocal laser scanning microscopy and CMT imaging. The analysis revealed the chemical and stereological structure of the obtained porous biomaterial. Then, the parameters characterizing the pore geometry and the porosity of the samples were calculated. The developed material can be used to collect adsorption of breathing phase samples to determine the parity composition of exhaled air.

Effects of a 12-Week Detraining Period on Physical Capacity, Power and Speed in Elite Swimmers.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a prolonged transition period (detraining) on the physical capacity, power, and speed parameters of elite swimmers. Fourteen swimmers (seven females and seven males) aged 20.4 ± 1.7 years participated in the study. The athletes were subjected to two rounds of identical tests at 12-week intervals during the detraining period (DP), which consisted of an evaluation of the athletes' body weight and composition, a measurement of the power of their lower limbs (Keiser squat, countermovement jump (CMJ), akimbo countermovement jump (ACMJ)) and upper limbs (Keiser arms) on land, and 20-m swimming using the legs only (Crawl Legs test), arms only (Crawl Arms test), and full stroke (Front Crawl test). An analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of the main factor, Gender, on all the measured parameters, while for the factor Detraining, except for Front Crawl (W) (F = 4.27, p = 0.061), no significant interaction effect (Gender × Detraining) was revealed. Among both the male and the female participants, a reduction in lactate-threshold swimming speed (LT Dmax) and a reduction in swimming speed and power on the Crawl Arms, Crawl Legs, and Front Crawl tests was observed after 12 weeks. There were also statistically significant reductions in ACMJ and CMJ jump height and upper-limb power (Keiser squat) among the female and male swimmers. There were no significant changes in body weight or body composition. The study showed a clear deterioration in results for most of the parameters, both for those measured on land and for those measured in water.

Correlations between Crawl Kinematics and Speed with Morphologic, Functional, and Anaerobic Parameters in Competitive Swimmers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a unique complex of predictors and 100 m front crawl race kinematics and swimming speed. In 28 male competitive swimmers (age: 19.6 ± 2.59 years), the following groups of predictors were assessed: (a) the morphologic, (b) the functional upper limb range of motion, and (c) the anaerobic indices of arm-cranking and a series of countermovement jumps. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was calculated to distinguish the predictors and the swimming results. The main finding was that the indices of the power (arm-cranking) and the work (countermovement jump) generated in the anaerobic tests showed a significant and higher correlation with stroke length and stroke index than total body length, upper limb range of motion, or hand and forearm surface area. These results were obtained in accordance with the high swimming economy index relation to clear surface swimming speed. This study reveals that the strength generated by the limbs may represent a predictor of swimming kinematics in a 100 m front crawl performance.

Physiological and Somatic Principal Components Determining VO2max in the Annual Training Cycle of Endurance Athletes.

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of training on the physiological variables achieved during the test effort in the macrocycle of road cyclists and their use in the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) prediction at individual training stages in the VO2max test. Nine well-trained male cyclists (age 25.6 ± 5.2 years and body weight 72.4 ± 7.35 kg) participated in the study and each phase of the macrocycle was followed by a time to exhaustion test (TTE) on the bicycle ergometer. The research showed that training loads significantly influence the maximum power (PPO), ventilation (VE) in the preparatory period (T1), time of the test (TTmax) at the start of the competition period (T2), percentage of body fat in total body weight (%FAT) and skeletal muscle mass (MMS) during the competition period (T3). Of the 16 variables taken for the analysis of the principal components (PC), the regression model determined one principal variable responsible for VO2max in the training macrocycle of cyclists, the relative value of maximum power (PPORV) and the accompanying variables in individual periods: breathing frequency (BF), delta blood lactate concentration (ΔLA), body fat (FAT) and MMS. Determining PC influencing the exercise capacity can be crucial in achieving the intended goals by athletes. Monitoring these indicators can help protect the health of professional athletes and provide guidelines in the training process, stimulate the body properly while protecting against overtraining.

ARNI in HFrEF-One-Centre Experience in the Era before the 2021 ESC HF Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Sacubitril/valsartan, an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), has demonstrated a survival benefit and reduces heart failure hospitalization in patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF); however, our experience in this field is limited. This study aimed to summarize a real clinical practice of the use of ARNI in HFrEF patients hospitalized due to HFrEF in the era before the 2021 ESC HF recommendations, as well as assess their clinical outcome with regard to ARNI administration. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Overall, 613 patients with HFrEF hospitalized in 2018-2020 were enrolled into a retrospective one-centre cross-sectional analysis. The study population was categorized into patients receiving (82/13.4%) and not-receiving (531/82.6%) ARNI. Clinical outcomes defined as rehospitalization, number of rehospitalizations, time to the first rehospitalization and death from any cause were analysed in the 1-2 year follow-up in the ARNI and non-ARNI groups, matched as to age and LVEF. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics revealed the following differences between ARNI and non-ARNI groups: A higher percentage of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED) (p = 0.014) and defibrillators with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) (p = 0.038), higher frequency of atrial fibrillation (p = 0.002) and history of stroke (p = 0.024) were in the ARNI group. The percentage of patients with HFrEF NYHA III/IV presented an increasing trend to be higher in the ARNI (64.1%) as compared to the non-ARNI group (51.5%, p = 0.154). Incidence of rehospitalization, number of rehospitalizations and time to the first rehospitalization were comparable between the groups. There were no differences between the numbers of deaths of any cause in the ARNI (28%) and non-ARNI (28%) groups. The independent negative predictor of death in the whole population of ARNI and non-ARNI groups was the coexistence of coronary artery disease (CAD) (beta= -0.924, HR 0.806, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Our current positive experience in ARNI therapy is limited to extremely severe patients with HFrEF. Regardless of the more advanced HF and HF comorbidities, the patients treated with ARNI presented similar mortality and rehospitalizations as the patients treated by standard therapy.

Exhaled Air Metabolome Analysis for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Fingerprints Identification-The Preliminary Study.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease with a serious prognosis. The aim of this study was to identify biomarkers for PAH in the breath phase and to prepare an automatic classification method to determine the changing metabolome trends and molecular mapping. A group of 37 patients (F/M: 8/29 women, mean age 60.4 ± 10.9 years, BMI 27.6 ± 6.0 kg/m2) with diagnosed PAH were enrolled in the study. The breath phase of all the patients was collected on a highly porous septic material using a special patented holder PL230578, OHIM 002890789-0001. The collected air was then examined with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The algorithms of Spectral Clustering, KMeans, DBSCAN, and hierarchical clustering methods were used to perform the cluster analysis. The identification of the changes in the ratio of the whole spectra of biomarkers allowed us to obtain a multidimensional pathway for PAH characteristics and showed the metabolome differences in the four subgroups divided by the cluster analysis. The use of GC/MS, supported with novel porous polymeric materials, for the breath phase analysis seems to be a useful tool in selecting bio-fingerprints in patients with PAH. The four metabolome classes which were obtained constitute novel data in the PAH population.

Correlations of jump height and lower limb power during jump tests with biomechanical parameters of dolphin kick in swimming.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of lower limb power and jump height in the SJ, CMJ, ACMJ and CJ30s tests with time, speed, force, power, and work done during dolphin kick. METHODS: Seventeen female swimmers and seventeen male swimmers of an elite swimming sports school in Poland participated in the study. The parameters being recorded and used in the analysis were the jump height and lower limb power in jump tests. In the test of 25 meters of dolphin kick in swimming at maximum pace, the results used in the analysis were the mean values of time, velocity, power, force and work. Results were expressed as means ± standard deviations. Descriptive statistics of the groups were then compiled to finally perform Pearson correlation calculations. RESULTS: The highest correlations occurred between lower limb power during jumps and swimming speed, especially for men in the ACMJ (r = 0.5468, p = 0.023) and SJ (r = 0.5411, r = 0.025) tests. Jump height was not as often and strongly correlated with swimming time and speed as lower limb power. An important observation is that no statistically significant correlations were found for power, force and work during dolphin kick with lower limb power and jump height. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed strong correlations between the performance variables of swimmers on dry land and in water. The most important finding is that the power during all the jumps (ACMJ, SJ, CJ30s and CMJ) was strongly correlated with the time and speed of swimming using dolphin kick.

A Comparative Study of Two-Minute versus Three-Minute Passive Recovery on Sprint Skating Performance of Ice Hockey Forwards and Defensemen.

The impact of two different passive recovery durations, two and three minutes, between sets of repeated sprint skating ability (RSSA) test on skating speed, speed decrement (Sdec), and heart rate (HR) response of ice hockey forwards (n = 12) and defensemen (n = 7) were determined. Six sets of 3 × 80 m sprint, with two-minute passive recovery between two consecutive sets, were performed in RSSA-2. A three-minute passive recovery period between two consecutive sets was allowed in RSSA-3. Skating speed, Sdec, and HR were measured in all tests. Subjects skated faster (p < 0.05) in most of the RSSA-3 sets than the corresponding set of RSSA-2. Defensemen were slower (p < 0.05) than forwards in most of the cases. The Sdec was higher in defensemen than in forwards, although the difference was significant occasionally. No difference in peak HR and minimum HR between forwards and defensemen was found. RSSA-3 is beneficial over RSSA-2 in both forwards and defensemen by increasing speed. Defensemen are slower and show early fatigability than forwards, and no difference in HR response was noted between forwards and defensemen. This study concludes that three-minute recovery is beneficial over two-minute recovery by increasing skating speed, although Sdec and HR response neither vary significantly between RSSA-2 and RSSA-3, nor between forwards and defensemen.

The Use of ZrO2 Waste for the Electrolytic Production of Composite Ni-P-ZrO2 Powder.

Ni-P-ZrO2 composite powder was obtained from a galvanic nickel bath with ZrO2 powder. Production was conducted under galvanostatic conditions. The Ni-P-ZrO2 composite powder was characterized by the presence of ZrO2 particles covered with electrolytical nanocrystalline Ni-P coating. The chemical composition (XRF method), phase structure (XRD method) and morphology (SEM) of Ni-P-ZrO2 and the distribution of elements in the powder were all investigated. Based on the analyses, it was found that the obtained powder contained about 50 weight % Zr and 40 weight % Ni. Phase structure analysis showed that the basic crystalline component of the tested powder is a mixed oxide of zirconium and yttrium Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96. In addition, the sample contains very large amounts of amorphous compounds (Ni-P). The mechanism to produce the composite powder particles is explained on the basis of Ni2+ ions adsorption process on the metal oxide particles. Current flow through the cell forces the movement of particles in the bath. Oxide grains with adsorbed nickel ions were transported to the cathode surface. Ni2+ ions were discharged. The oxide particles were covered with a Ni-P layer and the heavy composite grains of Ni-P-ZrO2 flowed down to the bottom of the cell.

Age-Related Differences in Motivation of Recreational Runners, Marathoners, and Ultra-Marathoners.

Aim: This study was aimed to investigate the influence of age on the motivations of various types of runners, namely, marathoners, ultra-marathoners, and non-starters. Methods: A total of 1,537 runners including 380 women (24.7%) and 1,157 men (75.3%) took part in the diagnostic survey and completed the motivations of marathoners' scales questionnaire (MOMS). The effect sizes were estimated. Results: The article presents several statistically significant differences in the impact of age on the motivations of runners in different categories and compares the motivations of marathon runners, ultramarathon runners, and non-starters. The results show that young non-starters decide to run for personal goal achievement, and for both marathon and ultramarathon runners, recognition and competition are important. However, for older people in all groups (non-starters, marathoners, and ultramarathoners), personal goal achievement is of the least importance. Among the oldest runners, the most important motives were self-esteem for non-starters and health orientation for marathoners and ultramarathoners.

Effect of Rest Period Duration between Sets of Repeated Sprint Skating Ability Test on the Skating Ability of Ice Hockey Players.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two different rest periods, 2 min and 3 min, between consecutive sets of a repeated sprint skating ability (RSSA) test, on the skating ability of ice hockey players. Two RSSA tests, RSSA-2 and RSSA-3, were assessed on 24 ice hockey players. In RSSA-2, six sets of 3 × 80 m sprint skating, with 2 min passive recovery between two consecutive sets was allowed. In RSSA-3, the recovery period between the sets was 3 min. Average speed, average heart rate (HRaver), peak heart rate (HRpeak), blood lactate concentration ([BLa]), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured in both RSSA-2 and RSSA-3 tests. In all the sets, except set 1, the average speed of the subjects was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in RSSA-3 than the respective set in RSSA-2. Average HR and RPE were higher in RSSA-2 than RSSA-3 in most of the sets. For any given set, no difference in HRpeak was noted between RSSA-2 and RSSA-3. Post-sprint (Set 6) [BLa] was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in RSSA-3 than RSSA-2. This study concludes that the 3 min rest period is more beneficial than the 2 min rest period, for (1) increasing skating speed and (2) reducing overall cardiac workload and perceived fatigue.