Acta Gymnica, 2021 (vol. 51)
Linear and non-linear analysis of lower limb joints angle variability during running at different speeds
Peyman Aghaie Ataabadi, Javad Sarvestan, Fatemeh Alaei, Fateme Yazdanbakhsh, Ali Abbasi
Acta Gymnica e2021.023 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.023 
Background: Stability is one of the key demands in human locomotion including running. Various kinematical analytical approaches are adopted to investigate the running strategies; nevertheless, the impacts of running speeds on the variability of angles in individual lower limbs joints is still unclear. Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the impact of various running speeds on linear and non-linear variability of the hip, knee and ankle joints movement. Methods: Twenty-three collegiate athletes (13 females, 10 males, age 22.04 ± 3.43 years, body mass 62.14 ± 9.26 kg, height 168.29 ± 7.06 cm) ran at preferred running speed,...
Phasic alertness indicated by simple motor reaction time in late childhood: The effect of age and sex
Rudolf Psotta, Josef Kraus, Milada Krejčí, Grzegorz Juras
Acta Gymnica e2021.022 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.022
Background: In contrast to strongly established views on the development of tonic, top-down controlled alertness, a small number of neurobehavioral and neurophysiological studies deal with the developmental trajectory of exogenously driven phasic alertness during childhood. Objective: The current study aimed to examine the age and sex effects on phasic alerting during late childhood, and to analyse the degree of association between tonic and phasic alertness at the behavioural level. Methods: Three age groups of typically developing children, aged 10, 11 and 12 years (N = 59, 27 boys, 32 girls) performed a computer-based simple hand-eye reaction...
Sports injuries and psychological aspects of pain perception of athletes
Jakub Sciranka, Adriana Kaplánová
Acta Gymnica e2021.021 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.021
Background: Injury is one of the risks of performing regular sports activities, which causes mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress for athletes. Objective: As there is not much research on the psychological aspects of pain perception of athletes, the main purpose of this study was to investigate differences in pain coping styles according to gender and type of sport. Methods: The sample consisted of 147 athletes (101 men, 46 women) who reported a previous sports-related injury, with an average age of 20.82 ± 1.61 years, involved in individual (n = 59) and team (n = 88) sports. The pain perception was evaluated...
Jumping performance and take-off efficiency correlation with the basic anthropometric parameters in female volleyball players
Soňa Jandová
Acta Gymnica e2021.020 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.020
Background: Vertical jump height and body height are almost universally recognised as determinant factors in elite volleyball performance. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between basic anthropometric parameters (body height and body weight) and jumping performance in a group of 16 female volleyball players (age 19.14 ± 5.52 years, height 1.80 ± 0.06 m, weight 69.81 ± 6.85 kg) and in a control group of 15 female university students (age 22.90 ± 0.83 years, height 1.70 ± 0.05 m, weight 61.70 ± 8.23 kg). Methods: The Quattro Jump 9290BA force platform system (Kistler, Winterthur, Switzerland)...
Analysis of the associations between variables derived throughout velocity-based training device and jumping performances in youth soccer players: Multiple regression study
Vlade Bendic, Barbara Gilic, Damir Lastre, Ivan Peric, Damir Sekulic
Acta Gymnica e2021.019 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.019
Background: It has been suggested that velocity-based training (VBT) improves real-life performance in sports, such as jumping, but studies rarely examined the associations between variables derived during VBT (VBT-variables) and jumping performances. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between VBT-variables derived during deadlift exercise executed at different loads and anthropometric variables, and vertical and horizontal jump performance in young athletes. Methods: Seventeen youth soccer players (16-18 years old) were included. Predictors were body height, body mass, body fat percentage, and VBT-variables (force,...
The Physical Activity Class Satisfaction Questionnaire (PACSQ) in Greek educational context: Psychometric properties
Grigorios Masadis, Filippos Filippou, Evangelos Bebetsos, Stella Mavridou, Olga Kouli, Veroniki Karagiannidou, Dimitris Petanidis, Dimitra Varsami, Dafni-Anastasia Filippou, Zsolt Németh
Acta Gymnica e2021.018 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.018
Background: The Greek bibliography does not provide researchers with a credible measurement instrument that can estimate satisfaction as a multi-dimensional concept, in the frame of a physical education lesson. Objective: The main aim of this study was to cross-validate the Greek version of the Physical Activity Class Satisfaction Questionnaire (PACSQ) in a Greek educational context. The internal consistency of the PACSQ was also examined as well as the levels of satisfaction, gender, and grade of studies as factors that differentiate lesson satisfaction from lesson attendance. Methods: A total of 459 elementary school students (220 boys and 239 girls)...
The effects of different recovery methods on anaerobic performance in combat sports athletes
Hakan Yarar, Ümit Gök, Ahmet Dağtekin, Yunus Saçan, Hüseyin Eroğlu
Acta Gymnica e2021.017 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.017
Background: Athletes, who engage in combat sports, perform often several matches in a day during competitions. For this reason, recovery is a very important factor between matches. There are many different recovery methods applied by athletes and it is very important to know which one is more suitable for anaerobic performance. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different recovery methods on anaerobic performance in combat sports athletes. Methods: Thirteen experienced international level elite combat sports athletes (age 20.5 ± 1.6 years, body height 175.3 ± 4.5 cm, body mass 73.8 ± 7.9 kg, body fat 11.4...
Achievement goal orientations, sport motivation and competitive performance in beach volleyball players
Michaela Knoblochova, Jiri Mudrak, Pavel Slepicka
Acta Gymnica e2021.016 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.016
Background: From the perspective of achievement goal orientation theory, athletes may evaluate their performance by comparing current achievements with previous achievements (task orientation) or with those of other athletes (ego orientation); these two orientations may affect their sport motivation and performance outcomes in different ways. Objective: Based on a sample of competitive Czech beach volleyball players, this study aimed to assess the relationships among achievement goal orientations (task/ego), sport motivation (represented by intrinsic motivation, extrinsic regulation, and amotivation), and athletes' competitive performance....
Effect of eccentric and concentric squat exercise on quadriceps thickness and lower extremity performance in healthy young males
Nihal Büker, Raziye Şavkin, Akin Süzer, Nuray Akkaya
Acta Gymnica e2021.015 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.015
Background: In clinical practice, resistance training, which includes concentric and eccentric dynamic muscle movements, is widely used by physiotherapists to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. However, although eccentric training is assumed to induce greater hypertrophy compared to concentric contractions, there are also studies reporting that similar increases in muscle thickness can be seen in both eccentric and concentric training.Objective: This study aims to assess the effect of the eccentric and concentric squat exercise on quadriceps thickness, and lower extremity performance during jumping and walking in healthy young sedentary males. Methods:...
Comparison between the effects of aerobic and isometric exercises on primary dysmenorrhea
Asmaa M. Elbandrawy, Sahar M. Elhakk
Acta Gymnica e2021.014 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.014
Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a cramping pain in the lower abdomen occurring just before or during menstruation without pelvic pathology. One of the methods used to decrease this condition's severity is exercise. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of aerobic and isometric exercises on primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial that included 105 females aged 18-25 years complaining of primary dysmenorrhea. The participants were divided into three groups equal in number: (1) aerobic exercise (n = 35), (2) isometric exercise (n = 35), and (3) control group (n = 35). The two intervention...
State and status of physical education in tertiary institutions in selected European countries in the second decade of the 21st century
Robert Podstawski, Marta Żurawik, Krzysztof Borysławski, Alena Bukova, Bojan Masanovic, Zoltán Alföldi, Piotr Żurek
Acta Gymnica e2021.013 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.013
Background: For the majority of students, the transition into higher education seems to have deleterious effects on their physical activity (PA) behaviors and motivation. To tackle students' physical inactivity, reforms in higher education were supposed to reinvent physical education (PE) programs, revise their objectives and tasks. Nevertheless, European universities are experiencing a physical activity crisis, and recent generations of students are facing health problems due to underprovided levels of PA. Objective: The aim of this descriptive study was to analyze the state and status of physical education in higher education in selected European...
Flipped Learning to improve students' motivation in Physical Education
Ángela G. Botella, Salvador García-Martínez, Nuria M. García, Javier Olaya-Cuartero, Alberto Ferriz-Valero
Acta Gymnica e2021.012 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.012
Background: Active methodologies have emerged in which they focus their importance of the teaching-learning process in students and not only on the result. In this way, research has been conducted using the active methodology Flipped Learning (FL) in all areas of Primary, Secondary and Higher Education. Objective: The current study aims to analyze the effect on student motivation after an intervention with the FL teaching technique, using a Parkour Didactic Unit in primary school students. Methods: One hundred students of 6th grade of Primary (11-12 years old) participated in this study, of which, 45 were girls and 55 were boys. It was randomly...
Only children or siblings: Who has higher physical activity and healthier weight?
Erik Sigmund, Dagmar Sigmundová
Acta Gymnica e2021.011 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.011
Background: The influence of parents on physical activity (PA) and body weight of their children is confirmed by scientific studies. However, it is not known whether only children or those with siblings have a higher level of PA and healthier body weight. Objective: The aims of this study are (i) to assess whether there are any differences in the achievement of the daily step count (SC) recommendation and in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between only children and children from families with multiple children, and (ii) to investigate whether the achievement of the SC recommendation by children/parents and parental overweight/obesity is associated...
Reliability of a laser beam device for the assessment of head repositioning accuracy in patients with chronic neck pain
Michail Makrogkikas, Nikolaos Ntenezakos, George A. Koumantakis, Zacharias Dimitriadis
Acta Gymnica e2021.010 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.010
Background: Laser beam devices have been widely used for the assessment of cervical proprioception. However, their reliability for the assessment of repositioning accuracy in patients with chronic neck pain requires further examination. Objective: Examination of test-retest and inter-rater reliability of a laser beam device for the assessment of cervical proprioception in patients with chronic neck pain. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic neck pain were conveniently recruited. The patients performed a head-to-neutral test at four different movement directions (flexion, extension, left and right rotation) and a head-to-target test at two different...
Acute hydrogen-rich water ingestion stimulates cardiac autonomic activity in healthy females
Michal Botek, Barbora Sládečková, Jakub Krejčí, František Pluháček, Eliška Najmanová
Acta Gymnica e2021.009 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.009
Background: Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has been shown to have a stimulating effect on the human body. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of acute HRW intake on autonomic cardiac regulation during 50 min of rest sitting. Methods: Fourteen healthy females (age 21.7 ± 1.2 years, body mass 67.8 ± 8.7 kg, height 167 ± 5.5 cm) took part in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with crossover design. Heart rate variability (HRV) was monitored in the sitting position after administration of 1260 ml of HRW or placebo. Time domain indexes of HRV as the square root of the mean of the squares of differences...
Comparison of emotional intelligence levels of soccer players according to age and playing position
Yusuf Soylu
Acta Gymnica e2021.008 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.008
Background: Several studies have compared the physical, physiological and anthropometric characteristics according to age and playing position in soccer. However, no studies have researched the comparison of emotional intelligence (EI) levels of soccer players. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the EI levels of soccer players in their age and playing position. Methods: A total of 550 male soccer players were divided into four groups according to their age: under-17 (n = 135), under-19 (n = 131), under-21 (n = 144) and 22+ (n = 140) and playing position: goalkeeper (n = 101), defender (n =...
Effect of using the additional field player on attack efficiency during 2017 Women's Handball World Championship
Tathyane Krahenbühl, Luis L. L. Pereira, Rafael P. Menezes, Stephania M. F. Amazonas, Lucas Leonardo
Acta Gymnica e2021.007 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.007
Background: Rule changes such as the use of the additional field player in the attack to replace the goalkeeper can significantly change the tactical strategies of the handball game. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the use of the additional field player in offensive situations during the positional attack and counterattack suffered by the teams participating in the 2017 Women's Handball World Championship. Methods: The sample consisted of 15 matches in the knockout stage. In total, 1638 attack actions (positioned and counterattack) were identified and analyzed. For the exploratory analysis, we used descriptive statistics,...
The relative age effect is more than just participation bias in badminton
Mert Bilgiç, Erhan Devrilmez
Acta Gymnica e2021.006 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.006
Background: Annual age grouping is a widely used strategy to allocate players to age categories for more equal and fair opportunities considering the developmental differences. Although it is a well-intended strategy, certain (dis)advantages occur because of the subtle age-related differences within the same age groups. Objective: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relative age effect among badminton players reaching the podium in the last three consecutive European U15, U17 and Junior (U19) Badminton Championships. Methods: A total of 288 medal owners from 20 countries were evaluated in the study. Chi-square (χ2)...
Difficulty-manipulation-based learning effects on throwing performances and achievement goals in young boys
Yousri Elghoul, Fatma Bahri, Mohamed Abdelkader Souissi, Nesrine Chaâri, Nizar Souissi, Mohamed Frikha
Acta Gymnica e2021.005 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.005
Background: Motor development in essential for ensuring mastery in daily motor activities. Nonetheless, skill acquisition is still requiring strategies inducing efficient motor learning.Objective: The aim of this research is to investigate whether a short period of learning a novel psychomotor task, based on difficulty manipulation, affects throwing performances and achievement goals adoption and stability in 11-12-year-old boys. Methods: Forty-one right-handed boys (M ± SD; age 11.3 ± 0.4 years, body height 147 ± 8.94 cm, body mass 40.57 ± 8.1 kg) were assigned to either control group (no difficulty manipulations),...
Windows of equity? Media review of Czech gender hegemony during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games
William Crossan, Lucie Hřebenářová, Taryn Price
Acta Gymnica e2021.004 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.004
Background: Sport media coverage of women's participation has long been viewed as perpetuating hegemonic masculinity. Yet several authors have found recent coverage of mega, multi-sport events, such as the Summer Olympic Games, to be more equitable towards women, particularly when examined proportionally to participation. The Czech Republic for various reasons has traditionally been resistant to feminist ideology, marking its unique positioning in providing an equitable presentation of women's participation. Objective: To examine the influence of hegemonic masculinity in an Eastern European culture, portrayed through Czech online media coverage of...
High-intensity activity according to playing position with different team formations in soccer
Javier J. Vilamitjana, Gabriel Heinze, Pablo Verde, Julio Calleja-González
Acta Gymnica e2021.003 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.003
Background: A tactical factor such as playing formation seems to be another influencing factor in the physical performance of elite soccer players during the match. Some researchers have suggested that distances covered during high-intensity running in matches are valid measures of physical performance. They concluded that players covered greater distances of high-intensity activities during some team formations in comparison to others. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine high-intensity patterns of professional soccer players in relation to the positional role with two different playing formations. Methods: Match data were collected during...
The effect of uneven terrain conditions during shod vs. barefoot running
Jan Urbaczka, Julia Freedman Silvernail, Jaroslav Uchytil, Daniel Jandacka
Acta Gymnica e2021.002 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.002
Background: The majority of research on barefoot running focuses on acute changes in altering footwear without regard to the runner's experience with barefoot or minimalist footwear running. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of footwear (standard cushioned running shoes, barefoot) and running surface (flat surface, uneven terrain) on gait in experienced runners using minimalist shoes. Methods: Terrain running was simulated by three custom-made mats with randomly placed firmly attached stones. Seven experienced trail runners participated in this study. All participants were forefoot strikers. Participants underwent three-dimensional...
Relationship between biological age, body dimensions and cardiorespiratory performance in young soccer players
Bettina Béres, István Györe, Leonidas Petridis, Katinka Utczás, Irina Kalabiska, Gergely Pálinkás, Tamás Szabó
Acta Gymnica e2021.001 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2021.001
Background: During adolescence, performance in competitive sport is influenced not only by the levels of physical activity, but also by the biological state and body dimensions. Objective: The purpose of our study was to compare cardiorespiratory performance between groups with different biological age in male adolescent soccer players. Methods: Eighty-eight young soccer players (age = 15.9 ± 0.5 years, body height = 176.1 ± 5.6 cm, body weight = 65.4 ± 7.2 kg) performed a vita-maxima protocol on a treadmill. Starting speed was 6 km/h and inclination 1.4%, which were increased linearly every minute, to 11 km/h and to 3.5% respectively...