Publications by authors named "Antonino Scardina"

Introduction: Clinically, knowing whether a static stretching (SS) intervention program conducted for several weeks can reduce passive muscle stiffness is important. Still, only a few previous studies have evaluated the chronic effects of an SS intervention program in older adults, and the potential relationship between ROM changes and muscle stiffness changes is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 10- week SS intervention partially supervised program on joint range of motion (ROM) and tissue hardness in older adults.

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Background: This study aimed to compare and examine the local and non-local effects of a foam rolling (FR) and static stretching (SS) intervention applied to the plantar flexor (PF).

Methods: Fourteen female participants were investigated. Each participant underwent three conditions in a random order at least 48h apart and at the same time of the day: Control (CC), SS, and FR.

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  • This study investigates whether a 15-second static stretching (SS) exercise performed after a longer 180-second SS can enhance the prolonged effects on flexibility and tissue characteristics.
  • The research involved 15 untrained males, comparing three conditions: just 180 seconds of SS, 180 seconds of SS followed by 15 seconds during rest, and a control group with only 15 seconds of SS.
  • Results showed that adding the short-term SS improved knee flexion range of motion and reduced tissue hardness for longer durations compared to the other conditions, suggesting benefits of this combined approach.
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  • A study was conducted with 29 participants to examine the effects of static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on both local and non-local range of motion (ROM) over three sessions, including a control session.
  • Findings showed significant increases in local ROM for both dominant and non-dominant limbs after SS and PNF, but no differences were seen in non-local ROM measures like shoulder extension.
  • The results indicated that while both SS and PNF can effectively enhance local ROM, they do not appear to have significant effects on non-local ROM.
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  • Intense training, like that in combat sports such as judo, leads to changes in heart structure, specifically left ventricular enlargement and increased mass.
  • A study of 19 elite judo athletes (10 males, 9 females) found significant differences in left ventricular mass and thickness between genders, with males having larger heart measurements.
  • The research highlights that male elite judo athletes generally experience greater heart muscle adaptations compared to their female counterparts.
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  • The study explores the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on nursery and primary school teachers, specifically their physical and mental health habits.
  • It involved 265 teachers who answered surveys about their physical activity levels, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, and overall health perceptions.
  • Results showed primary school teachers had better physical activity levels and perceived health, with significant associations found between physical activity, weight status, and overall health outcomes.
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  • - The study investigates how the order of stretching exercises affects the range of motion (ROM) in participants, with 108 individuals divided into five groups focusing on different stretching protocols for the knee extensors and flexors.
  • - Results showed that the timing of evaluations revealed significant ROM increases only in the last muscle group stretched, particularly for the knee extensors and flexors in their respective groups.
  • - The findings suggest that the order of stretching exercises matters, as there was no noticeable impact on the opposite (control) limb, indicating that the stretching effect is localized.
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Over the past 50 years, socioeconomic development has brought a reduction in birth rates, an increase in life expectancy and consequently in the elderly population. For this reason, there has been an increasing focus on physical and mental health of the elderly, promoting the concept of healthy aging. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between perceived physical and mental health of older adults and a variety of determinants, such as demographic factors, physical functional fitness, physical activity level, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and anthropometric indices, through a structural equation modeling (SEM).

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Background: The aim of this study was to compare the positional transversal release (PTR) technique to stretching and evaluate the acute effects on range of movement (ROM), performance and balance.

Methods: Thirty-two healthy individuals (25.3 ± 5.

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Little is known about the dose-response of physical education interventions on motor coordination in preschoolers. Our aim was to investigate whether the development of motor skills changed depending on different amounts of a physical education program (PEP) in children aged 3-5 years. One hundred forty-five children were recruited from kindergartens and randomly divided into a control group (CG, = 28), which did not perform any PEP, and two intervention groups, which performed 4 h/week (I1, = 78) and 10 h/week (I2, = 39) of a PEP for 16 weeks.

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Physically active children have greater motor competence and a faster maturation compared with their sedentary peers. Recent research also suggests that physical activity during childhood may also promote cognitive development and therefore improve academic performance. The aim of this study was to understand if physically active academic lessons may improve academic achievement in primary schoolchildren.

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Background: Education is the ideal setting for carrying out projects to improve primary students' capacities. In recent years, interventions in natural environments have been more frequently proposed, but there is still a lack of standardization, making deeper study of the topic necessary. This review aims to report on what previous scientific research has been carried out, and eventually, to propose standard operating procedures for future interventions.

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Electronic performance tracking devices are largely employed in team sports to monitor performance and improve training. To date, global positioning system (GPS) based devices are those mainly used in soccer training. The aim of this study was to analyse the validity and reliability of the inertial sensor device (ISD) in monitoring distance and speed in a soccer-specific circuit and how their performance compare to a GPS system.

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