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Physical education (PE) has a unique opportunity in not only supporting children with disabilities but also their parents’ physical-activity knowledge and support behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic literature review was to synthesize published studies regarding parent perspectives toward physical education (PE) for their children with disabilities. A total of 19 articles met inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged: (a) parents’ understanding of adapted PE (A/PE), (b) parents’ expectations of A/PE teachers, and (c) parents’ undeveloped relationships with A/PE teachers. There exists a disconnection between parent expectations and PE teachers’ abilities to accommodate their children and develop lines of communication. Additionally, parental value toward PE was often lower compared with other areas of need for their children. Future research suggests exploring teacher perspectives in understanding the relationships with parents. Furthermore, exploring the origins of parental values for PE and its impact on their perspectives warrants further investigation.

Purpose: To investigate (1) whether physical activity is associated with lung function in children and adolescents, (2) whether this association is modified by the subjects’ weight status, and (3) whether this association is mediated by the body mass index. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including 460 participants aged 7–17 years, randomly selected from 13 public schools in southern Brazil. Collected data included anthropometric measures, physical activity, screen time, and spirometric measures expressed as percent predicted values. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and 2-way analysis of variance. Results: There were positive associations between physical activity and forced vital capacity (β = 3.897, P = .001) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (β = 2.931, P = .021). The effect modification by weight status was not statistically significant (forced vital capacity: P _interaction = .296 and forced expiratory volume in the first second: P _interaction = .057). Body mass index did not mediate the association between physical activity and spirometric outcomes (P > .05). Conclusion: Regular physical activity was associated with higher forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in the first second in children and adolescents. The observed associations were not modified by weight status nor mediated by body mass index. Our results reinforce the importance of regular physical activity for the development of lung function during childhood and adolescence.

Which opponent player to sequentially serve to in beach volleyball is crucial given the advantage of the attacking team. The sequential choice theory was tested in three studies by analyzing allocation strategies based on the hot hand belief. Study 1 showed strong belief in the hot hand of national coaches. In Study 2, we analyzed Tokyo Olympics data to explore how base rates and sequential selection rates varied in an elite sample. When base rates of players differed by 0.25, low-performing players were frequently selected. In an experiment with elite athletes, Study 3A demonstrated accurate base-rate-difference recognition but low base-rate-change recognition. Study 3B found that the hot hand is believed to be important but is not often detected. We conclude that players and coaches follow predictions of the sequential choice theory and believe in the hot hand, but do not have a shared understanding of how to use it.

Adopting both a self-determination theory perspective and a proactive, asset-oriented approach to coping with stressors, we propose a hypothesized model to explain physical education students’ year-long development of course-specific grit-perseverance (Study 1) and mental toughness (Study 2). In both studies, we used a randomized controlled trial research design with longitudinally assessed dependent measures (four waves) to test a hypothesized model in which teacher participation in an autonomy-supportive teaching workshop (experimental condition) would increase students’ T2 perceived autonomy-supportive teaching and T2 perceived autonomy-supportive classmates, both of which would increase T3 need satisfaction, which would then explain longitudinal gains in students’ T4 grit-perseverance (Study 1) and mental toughness (Study 2). In both Study 1 (57 teachers, 3,147 students) and Study 2 (38 teachers, 2,057 students), a multilevel structural equation modeling analysis showed that the hypothesized model fit the data very well. We conclude that the developmental roots of grit-perseverance and mental toughness can emerge proactively out of the asset-oriented experiences of interpersonal support and psychological need satisfaction that are central to self-determination theory.

Purpose: Study on the effect of psychological skills training on self-esteem (SE) in young athletes. Method: 10 swimmers and 35 volleyball players, split into an intervention group (25) and a control group (18). The intervention entailed a 3-week psychological skills training program covering arousal management, breathing, relaxation, mental imagery, and self-talk. Multilevel growth curve analyses evaluated SE changes. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in multiple SE dimensions—physical self-worth, fitness, athletic competence, strength, and body attractiveness but not general SE. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence of a multimodal psychological skills training’s effectiveness in enhancing young athletes’ domain-specific SE. It highlights the role of domain-specific SE in young athletes’ well-being. Future research should examine psychological and physiological correlations and assess the long-term SE development in adolescent athletes.

Purpose: The current study aimed to determine the effect of a synthetic-grass sport surface on core body temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during intermittent exercise in hot conditions. Methods: Using a randomized crossover design, 13 trained/developmental team-sport athletes completed two 50-minute standardized intermittent running protocols on a synthetic and a natural-grass surface, on separate days (control-condition air temperature 32.6 °C [1.3 °C], relative humidity 43.2% [5.3%]). Results: Final skin temperature was significantly higher on synthetic compared with natural grass at the calf (40.1 °C [2.5 °C] vs 33.4 °C [0.6 °C]; P < .001), shoulder (36.6 °C [1.7 °C] vs 33.7 °C [0.7 °C]; P < .001), and chest (33.2 °C [1.1 °C] vs 31.8 °C [1.2 °C]; P = .02). Thermal sensation (median: 2.3; interquartile range [0.5] vs 2.2 [0.5], P = .03) and sweat rate (1.5 [0.4] L·h⁻¹ vs 1.2 [0.3] L·h⁻¹; P = .02) were also significantly higher on synthetic grass. While final core body temperature was significantly higher on the natural than synthetic grass (38.4 °C [0.3 °C] vs 38.2 °C [0.4 °C]), there were no significant differences in delta core temperature, as well as heart rate, thermal comfort, or RPE. Conclusions: Higher skin temperatures, thermal sensation, and sweat rates suggest that exercising on synthetic grass in hot conditions may increase some markers of heat strain during exercise. However, delta core body temperature, heart rate, thermal comfort, and RPE remained unaffected.

Purpose: This pilot study investigated the functional outcomes after ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in high-level para-athletes with spinal-cord injury. Methods: Nine athletes completed 2 handgrip exercise trials (an isometric hold to failure at 60% maximal voluntary contraction [ISO] and a progressive, intermittent handgrip to failure [INT]), preceded by either IPC (220 mm Hg) or sham (20 mm Hg) for six 5-minute periods, in a repeated-measures, crossover design. Results: Although small performance improvements in time to task failure were observed in the ISO (∼5%) and INT (∼8%) IPC conditions, which are similar to those reported elsewhere, no statistical influence was observed (ISO–IPC, 74.2 [32.6] s; SHAM, 70.7 [27.2] s; P = .73; INT–IPC, 426.0 [80.1] s; SHAM, 392.2 [42.5] s; P = .35). Fatigue was evident in the forearm muscle force (maximal voluntary contraction) ISO (mean decline of 178.1 [76.0] N [95% CI, −10.4 to 366.7 N]; P < .05) and INT (mean decline of 182.2 [72.5] N [95% CI, 34.5–329.8 N]; P < .05) trials but not different between treatments (P > .95). Conclusions: Although small performance improvements in time to task failure were observed, the findings of the present data set suggest that acute bouts of IPC do not meaningfully influence fatigue during handgrip exercise in para-athletes with spinal-cord injury.

Understanding the simultaneous patterning of accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior (physical behaviors) can inform targeted interventions. This cross-sectional study described multicomponent patterns and correlates of physical behaviors using accelerometry among diverse postmenopausal women. The Women’s Health Accelerometry Collaboration combined two United States-based cohorts of postmenopausal women with similar accelerometry protocols and measures. Women (n = 22,612) aged 62–97 years enrolled in the Women’s Health Study (n = 16,742) and the Women’s Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Study (n = 5,870) wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer on their hip for 1 week. Awake-time accelerometry data were summarized using the accelerometer activity index into sedentary behavior, light (low, high), and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Latent class analysis was used to classify physical behavior hour-by-hour. Five unique patterns were identified with higher total volume of physical activity and lower sedentary behavior with each successively higher class number based on percentage of the day in physical activity/sedentary behavior per hour over 7 days. The percentage assignment was 16.3% Class 1, 33.9% Class 2, 20.2% Class 3, 18.0% Class 4, and 11.7% Class 5. The median posterior probabilities ranged from 0.99 to 1.00. Younger age, higher education and general health, normal weight, never smokers, weekly drinking, and faster self-reported walking speed generally had higher-class assignments compared with their counterparts. History of diabetes and cardiovascular disease generally had lower-class assignments compared with those without these conditions. These results can inform targeted interventions based on common patterns of physical behaviors by time of day among postmenopausal women.

Purpose: This study examined longitudinal associations between average physical activity (PA) levels in children and their sleep duration, and whether changes in PA levels are associated with their sleep duration. Methods: Data were collected on 108 children at 4 time points: when children were 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age (44% female, 50% Non-Hispanic White). PA was assessed using accelerometry. Children’s daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour sleep duration were measured with actigraphy. Linear mixed model analyses estimated the associations between average PA levels over time and changes in PA over time, treating each sleep duration variable as an outcome in separate linear mixed model analyses. Results: Children with higher total PA levels slept less during the day compared with children with lower total PA levels over the 2-year period. The strength of the relationship between a child’s PA levels and their 24-hour sleep duration decreased as they approached 24 months of age. Conclusions: The results suggest that while PA may be developmentally beneficial overall, it appears that its relationship with sleep duration is not clinically relevant in very young children.