Objective: Limited research has directly compared the effectiveness of aqua- and land-based exercises for postexercise recovery. This study aimed to fill this gap by comparing the effects of these 2 types of exercises on postexercise recovery. Methods: Sixteen male college athletes participated in an 8-day experimental study. The initial 2 days were dedicated to determining the intensity levels for the muscle-damaging exercise and recovery jogging. In a crossover design, participants underwent 2 sets of experimental trials. They were randomly assigned to either an aqua or land recovery intervention for days 3 to 5, and after a 1-week washout period they switched to the opposite intervention for days 6 to 8. Muscle soreness, creatine kinase, anaerobic performance, countermovement-jump height, and flexibility were assessed at different time points: baseline, immediately after downhill running, within 1 hour after jogging, and 24 hours and 48 hours after aqua or land jogging. Results: Significant group × time interaction effects were detected in the perceived soreness of the hamstring and quadriceps. However, the post hoc analysis showed no significant difference between aqua and land jogging groups. No significant group × time interaction effect was observed in creatine kinase, anaerobic performance, countermovement-jump height, or flexibility. Conclusion: Aqua and land jogging have similar recovery effects on muscle soreness and performance-based parameters.
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Comparing the Effects of Aqua- and Land-Based Active Cooldown Exercises on Muscle Soreness and Sport Performance: A Randomized Crossover Study
Edwin Chun-Yip Chin, Steve Chung-Nam Lai, Sau-Fung Tsang, Sam Ho-Ngai Chung, Yik-Long Wong, Navjot Sran, Kwok-Keung Fung, and Fenghua Sun
Erratum. A Nordic Ski Coach’s Learning Journey Towards Creating More Inclusive and Safer Sport
International Sport Coaching Journal
An Activist Approach to Physical Education and Physical Activity: Imagining What Might Be
David Kirk
Middle School Students’ Team Cohesion Development Within a Sport Education Season: A Mixed Methods Investigation
Baofu Wang and Senlin Chen
Purpose: The purposes of the study were to examine the longitudinal changes of team cohesion within a Sport Education season among female students and to identify facilitators and barriers underlying cohesion development. Method: A longitudinal, concurrent, mixed methods design was employed. Students from sixth to eighth grades (all girls; n = 55) in small teams (n = 15), and their physical education teacher, from one convenience private school in a southern U.S. state, participated in this study. All students completed the validated Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire across three time points. Regular field observations, focus group interviews with students, and individual interviews with student leaders and the physical education teacher were conducted to capture the facilitators and barriers. Results: No significant time effect was observed for team cohesion, but student leadership significantly moderated cohesion development from Time 2 to Time 3 and from Time 1 to Time 3, but not from Time 1 to Time 2. Qualitative data unraveled four facilitators and three barriers underlying cohesion development. Conclusion: The findings are informative for future Sport Education-based curricular and instructional practices to nurture team cohesion.
Assessment of the Relationship Between Physical Performance and Percentage Change-of-Direction Deficit in Highly Trained Female Football Players
Alberto Roso-Moliner, Elena Mainer-Pardos, Chris Bishop, and Oliver Gonzalo-Skok
Purpose: Different studies indicate that female players in team sports such as soccer tend to have a lower change-of-direction (COD) deficit (CODD) than their male counterparts and that players who performed better in linear and curved sprints tended to have a worse CODD, suggesting that maximum speed does not equate to a faster COD. This study assessed how performance variables related to speed and jumping influence the variability of %CODD among adult highly trained female soccer players. Methods: Fifty-two highly trained female soccer players (age 23.1 [3.25] y; height 163.6 [5.49] cm; weight 59.7 [5.71] kg) participated in this study and performed 180COD, 40-m sprint, countermovement jump, and standing broad jump tests. Results: Significant correlations were found between 180CODL, %CODDR, %CODDL, and between-limbs standing broad jump asymmetry (r = .28–.74). A very large correlation existed between %CODDR and %CODDL (r = .91). Regression analyses indicated a strong inverse relationship between the 10-m sprint time and %CODDR and %CODDL. No predictive models were found for 180COD in either limb. Differences in performance variables such as 180CODR, 180CODL, and asymmetry %CODD were significant between the high- and low-%CODD groups, with moderate to large effect sizes. Conclusion: The present study suggests that specific physical-performance variables, particularly acceleration and unilateral horizontal jumping, are vital to improving COD in highly trained female soccer players, highlighting the need for specific training interventions.
Erratum. Initial Validation of the Teaching Methods Scale in Physical Education
Journal of Teaching in Physical Education
Examining the Effects of a 24-Week Exercise Program on Functional Capacity, Cognitive Capacity, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Miguel Jacinto, Raul Antunes, Diogo Monteiro, Filipe Rodrigues, Nuno Amaro, Maria João Campos, José Pedro Ferreira, and Rui Matos
This study investigated the effects of two physical exercise programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Twenty-one participants were assigned to an indoor group (IG, n = 7; 24-week gym intervention with machine), an outdoor group (OG, n = 7; 24-week outdoor intervention with low-cost materials) or a control group. The outcomes assessed included quality of life, dementia, and functional capacity. The IG significantly improved physical well-being compared with the control group (p = .017). There were no significant differences in dementia score between groups and moments. Postintervention, the IG showed improvements compared with the control group for the 30-s sit-to-stand test (p = .03), timed up-and-go (p = .00), and 6-min-walk test (p = .033) and between moments in the IG for 30-s sit-to-stand test (pre ≠ post; p = .007) and 6-min-walk test (pre ≠ post; p = .007). Outdoor interventions appeared effective for physical well-being, while indoor interventions using weight-training machines benefited functional capacity. No significant effects were observed for dementia/cognitive decline.
Instructional Alignment in Physical Education Student Teachers’ Lesson Plans for Individual Sports
Peter Iserbyt, Jackie Lund, and Fien Lux
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the instructional alignment of unit and lesson plans in physical education. Methods: Unit and lesson plans of 31 student teachers from one Physical Education Teacher Education program were analyzed. Trained coders assessed the quality and alignment of unit goals and lesson outcomes, assessments, and tasks. Interobserver reliability was 93% based on the full sample. Results/Discussion: Only 7% of unit goals (n = 145) were assessable and feasible. There was strong alignment between unit goals and assessment in 61% of the sample. Only 26% of unit goals were assessed. For lesson outcomes (n = 476), only 8% were assessable and feasible. For tasks (n = 1,806), 51% of the sample were strongly aligned with lesson outcomes and 50% with unit goals. Conclusion: There was limited instructional alignment in unit and lesson plans. Providing more support for student teachers to improve their instructional alignment is needed.
Recommendations for Physical Activity in Segments of the School Day Support the Increase in Daily Physical Activity in Adolescents
Karel Frömel, Dorota Groffik, Josef Heidler, Josef Mitáš, and Michael Pratt
Purpose: This study aimed to assess the impact of segment-specific physical activity (PA) recommendations during the school day on the daily PA in both boys and girls. Methods: A total of 426 Czech and 219 Polish adolescents participated in this study. They were divided into two groups: one receiving segment-specific PA recommendations for the school day and the other receiving general daily PA recommendations. The Youth Activity Profile questionnaire, the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, and the wearable Garmin vívofit were used in the research. Results: The application of segment-specific PA recommendations during the school day was significantly associated with higher PA on school days. It also increased the odds of meeting the recommendations of 6,000 steps/day after school (odds ratio = 1.63, confidence interval [1.19, 2.24], p = .003) and 11,000 steps/day (odds ratio = 1.59, confidence interval [1.16, 2.18], p = .004) on school days. Conclusions: Segment-specific PA recommendations during the school day are effective and should be integrated into physical education curricula, comprehensive school PA programs, and broader school educational strategies.
Observation of the Achilles Tendon and Gastrocnemius Muscle’s Passive Stiffness During an Incremental Running Protocol
Anh Phong Nguyen, Laurent Bosquet, Laureen Cugnet-Evans, Christine Detrembleur, and Philippe Mahaudens
Objective: Passive stiffness, a biomechanical parameter, has a potential influence on running economy, thus playing a pivotal role in performance. This study aimed to quantify passive stiffness of the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle using myotonometry throughout an incremental running protocol. Methods: Twenty-one male participants underwent a multistage incremental test (Bordeaux test) on a treadmill until exhaustion. Passive stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon was measured using a MyotonPRO device. Measurements were taken before, during, and after the incremental test. Results: Our findings indicated that passive stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius decreased at rest between prerun and postrun assessments (−20.12 N·m−1, P = .012). Furthermore, during the test, stiffness increased at low intensity (at 50% of maximal aerobic speed: +104.8 N·m−1, P = .042), returning to baseline values as intensity increased. Conclusions: Throughout an incremental running protocol, both Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle stiffness initially increased and then decreased with escalating percentages of maximal aerobic speed. A deeper understanding of stiffness in running can inform more effective recommendations for runners’ strengthening and training.