Exergames as an Effective Alternative to Real Environmental Tennis Training for Adolescents.

(1) Background: The popularity of motion-sensing computer-based games, like virtual reality (VR) exergames, is increasing among adolescents. However, their efficacy compared to conventional physical training methods remains unclear. This study investigated whether VR exergames produce effects on reaction time (RT) comparable to traditional tennis training in school-aged adolescents. (2) Methods: In total, 130 adolescents (mean age: 15.6 ± 2.0 years; 67 boys: 15.5 ± 2.2 years; 63 girls: 15.7 ± 1.8 years) were recruited in schools and assigned to one of three groups: VR exergame (G1, n = 39), tennis training (G2, n = 25), or control (G3, n = 66). Participants' RTs were evaluated before and after the interventions. G1 engaged in VR exergames for 8 min, G2 underwent traditional tennis training for 30 min, and G3 did not participate in any physical activity. (3) Results: Our results indicated that in G3, girls exhibited slower RTs compared to boys (p < 0.0). No differences were observed in RTs when comparing G1 and G2. (4) Conclusions: Sex appeared to influence RT, with girls showing slower RTs than boys in G3. The findings suggest that VR exergames and traditional tennis training have similar impacts on RT. This indicates the potential of VR exergames as an alternative to conventional physical training for improving RT in adolescents.

Mastering movement: A Cross-sectional investigation of motor competence in children and adolescents engaged in sports.

INTRODUCTION: Motor Competence (MC) is related to the development of healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents, and many studies have compared it with different variables, including sports participation. This investigation aimed to characterize the components and total scores of MC regarding different physical activity practices, such as physical education (PE) classes, futsal, volleyball, and ballet, and to compare MC regarding sports, sex, and age-groups. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study, 398 Portuguese children and adolescents (398 participants: 200 boys and 198 girls; 12.649±3.46 years) were conveniently chosen between 2022 and 2023. Four groups of different sports were created: PE classes (n = 187), futsal (n = 80), volleyball (n = 101) and ballet (n = 30), and four different age groups: 7 to 9 years old (n = 117); 10 to 12 years old (n = 65), 13 to 15 years old (n = 96) and, 16 to 19 years old (n = 120). All participants reported to participate in at least two training sessions per week (1 hour each) for at least two years. MC was assessed with Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) comprising three components with six tests (two tests for each component). Participants' total MC was calculated as the average of the three components of the MCA. Data were analyzed by applying ANOVA one-way with LSD post-hoc. RESULTS: Differences were found in MC among groups, where futsal participants showed better scores in general. Sex comparison showed that boys have a higher MC when practicing futsal, especially compared to volleyball players. Age-group analysis showed that younger participants had better MC levels compared to older ones. CONCLUSION: The whole group showed the 50th percentile of MC, but volleyball adolescents showed results below this reference. MC is intrinsically linked to an individual's motor experiences and motivations rather than depending directly on the specific practice of the sport.

Evaluation of Reaction Time during the One-Leg Balance Activity in Young Soccer Players: A Pilot Study.

This study's aim was two-fold: (i) to test the intra-session reliability of the one-leg balance activity test; and (ii) to assess the influence of age on reaction time (RT) and the differences between dominant and non-dominant feet. Fifty young soccer players with an average age of 12.4 ± 1.8 years were divided into two groups: younger soccer players (n = 26; 11.6 ± 0.9 years) and older soccer players (n = 24; 14.2 ± 0.8 years). Each group then completed four trials (two with each leg) of the one-leg balance activity (OLBA) to evaluate RT under a single-leg stance. Mean RT and the number of hits were calculated, and the best trial was also selected. T-tests and Pearson correlations were performed for statistical analysis. Values for RT were lower, and the number of hits was higher while standing on the non-dominant foot (p = 0.01). MANOVA revealed that the "Dominant Leg" factor did not affect the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.05; F(4, 43) = 0.565; p = 0.689; Partial ETA Squared = 0.050; Observed Power = 0.174). The "Age" factor did not present an effect on the multivariate composite (Pillai Trace = 0.104; F(4, 43) = 1.243; p = 0.307; Partial ETA Squared = 0.104; Observed Power = 0.355). The results of the present investigation demonstrate that RT may be lower while standing on the non-dominant foot.

Prevalence of Frailty and Its Association with Depressive Symptoms among European Older Adults from 17 Countries: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the association between frailty and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Cross-sectional and five-year longitudinal study. Data were from the population-based Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) waves six (2015) and eight (2020). Frailty was assessed using the SHARE-Frailty Instrument. Fatigue, appetite, walking difficulties, and physical activity were self-reported, and grip strength was measured using a handgrip dynamometer. The EURO-D 12-item scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The sample comprised 25,771 older adults (56.2% female) with a mean age of 66.5 (95% CI 66.4, 66.6) years. The prevalence of frailty was 4.2% (95% CI 3.9, 4.4) in 2015 and 6.7% (95% CI 13.5, 14.3) in 2020. Among frail participants, 72.5% and 69.6% had depression in 2015 and 2020, respectively. Frailty was associated with depression over the 5 years. Those with pre-frailty and those with frailty in 2015 had 1.86 (95% CI 1.71, 2.01) and 2.46 (95% CI 2.14, 2.83) greater odds of having depressive symptoms in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is a predictor of depression in older adults, and frail participants had greater odds of presenting depressive symptoms.

The effectiveness of community-based upper body exercise programs in persons with chronic paraplegia and manual wheelchair users: A systematic review.

Context: Physical activity has been beneficial to health, functional independence and quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury. However, there is no consensus concerning the effects of community-based upper-body exercise for people with paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair.Objective: Conduct a systematic review of evidence of upper-body exercise effects able to be developed in a community-setting, on both functional independence and quality of life, for individuals with chronic paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Ebsco, SportDiscus and Web of Science databases were browsed, searching for studies that combined words as paraplegia, exercise, functional independence and quality of life and their synonyms, published from January/1998 to December/2018 in English. PEDro scale and the Cochrane tool analyzed methodological quality and risk of bias, respectively.Results: Four studies were selected out of 4004. Studies conducted aerobic arm-ergometer and resistance training predominantly at home. Upper-limb functionality and wheelchair propulsion assessed functional independence, but only the first presented positive effects after resistance training. Resistance and aerobic arm-ergometer training seemed to improve health-related and subjective quality of life.Conclusion: Studies have shown low methodological quality and high risk of bias. Aerobic arm-ergometer and resistance training were the most upper-body exercises used. Resistance training improved functional independence while both types of exercise induced positive effects on quality of life. Future studies with uniform and high-quality methodology should be conducted with exercise in community-dwelling people with paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair.

Biophysical characterization of a swimmer with a unilateral arm amputation: a case study.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of swimming speed (v) on the biomechanical and physiological responses of a trained front-crawl swimmer with a unilateral arm amputation. METHODS: A 13-y-old girl with a unilateral arm amputation (level of the elbow) was tested for stroke length (SL, horizontal displacement cover with each stroke cycle), stroke frequency (SF, inverse of the time to complete each stroke cycle), adapted index of coordination (IdCadapt, lag time between propulsive phases), intracycle velocity variation (IVV, coefficient of variation of the instantaneous velocity-time data), active drag (D, hydrodynamic resistance), and energy cost (C, ratio of metabolic power to speed) during trials of increasing v. RESULTS: Swimmer data showed a positive relationship between v and SF (R² = 1, P < .001), IVV (R² = .98, P = .002), D (R² = .98, P < .001), and C (R² = .95, P = .001) and a negative relationship with the SL (R² = .99, P = .001). No relation was found between v and IdCadapt (R² = .35, P = .22). A quadratic regression best fitted the relationship between v and general kinematical parameters (SL and SF); a cubic relationship fit the IVV best. The relationship between v and D was best expressed by a power regression, and the linear regression fit the C and IdCadapt best. CONCLUSIONS: The subject's adaptation to increased v was different from able-bodied swimmers, mainly on interarm coordination, maintaining the lag time between propulsive phases, which influence the magnitude of the other parameters. These results might be useful to develop specific training and enhance swimming performance in swimmers with amputations.