Objectives: Sufficient gross motor skill proficiency is an essential prerequisite for the successful performance of sport-specific skills and physical activities. The Test of Gross Motor Development is the most common tool for assessing motor skills in paediatric populations, however, there is a lack of 'normative' data available against which children's scores can be compared. Normative data would enable the comparison of an individual's motor development to age-standardised norms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeight-adjustable workstations offer a practical strategy to reduce sedentary behaviour in student populations, but the effect of standing intervals on young adults' metabolic health remains uncertain. This study investigated the acute impact of breaking up sitting time with intermittent standing on postprandial metabolic responses in university students. Using a randomised, cross-over design, 23 participants (13 females, 10 males; age, 24 ± 5 years; BMI, 23.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Dyspnoea perception is influenced by a complex interplay of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors. Recently, we showed that males with high trait self-control experience less dyspnoea and persist for longer in a carbon dioxide (CO) rebreathing challenge than males with low trait self-control. As self-control can also vary within individuals (state self-control), the primary aim of the present study was to investigate whether prior self-control exertion influenced perceptions of dyspnoea and tolerance of a CO rebreathing challenge in healthy young males.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the importance of physical education (PE) lessons for physical activity in adolescents, the acute cognitive responses to PE lessons have not been explored; a gap in the literature that this study addresses. Following familiarisation, 76 (39 female) adolescents (12.2 ± 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
December 2022
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a real-world after-school football session on subsequent cognitive function in primary school children. Following ethical approval, 100 children (aged 8−9 year) from the same after-school football club were randomly assigned to either an intervention (60 min football activity) or control (continued to rest) group. Cognitive function (selective visual attention, short term memory and long-term memory) was assessed prior to, immediately following and 45 min following the football session (and at the respective timepoints in the control group).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study was to examine the effects of physically active lessons, implemented through the Mathematics and English Language curriculum, on cognitive function and gross motor skill development. Following ethical approval, 192 children aged 8-9 years were randomly allocated to an intervention group ( = 98) or a control group ( = 94). The intervention consisted of 8 h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe associations between self-control and objective measures of physical activity, physical fitness, and adiposity are yet to be explored in young people; this is a gap in the literature that the present study aimed to address. The study employed a cross-sectional design. A total of 101 young people participated in the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: High trait self-control is associated with greater tolerance of unpleasant sensations including effort and pain. Dyspnoea and pain have several commonalities and this study aimed to investigate for the first time whether trait self-control influences responses to a hypercapnic rebreathing challenge designed to induce dyspnoea. As sex also influences tolerance to dyspnoea, we also sought to investigate whether this moderated the role of trait self-control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The psychological impact of the prolonged lockdown measures in the UK as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. Our aim was to determine if there are significant differences in self-control, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and leisure motivation between UK older adults with differing levels of physical activity, and which of these variables can be used to predict activity level after 1 year of lockdown restrictions.
Methods: 521 adults aged 50-92 years completed an online survey consisting of several validated measures relating to physical activity, self-control, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and leisure motivation.
Scand J Med Sci Sports
October 2021
The prior exertion of self-control has previously been shown to negatively affect physical performance, yet the effects on complex sporting skill performance have not been examined. Therefore, this study examined whether prior self-control exertion influences performance on a field hockey task, alongside measuring plasma cortisol concentration and attention as potential mechanisms to explain any effects. Following familiarization, 13 male hockey players (20 ± 1 years) participated in a randomized, order-balanced, crossover design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-control exertion on an initial task has been associated with impaired performance on subsequent physical tasks also requiring self-control; an effect suggested to be mediated by changes in perceptions of pain and motivation. However, the effects of spending longer on the initial self-control task are unknown. This study, therefore, explored the potential for the duration of the initial self-control task to influence subsequent physical performance, perceptions of pain, and perceived motivation; particularly during the early stages of the physical task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-control has been defined as the mental capacity of an individual to alter, modify, change or override their impulses, desires, and habitual responses. In this review, we will discuss the bi-directional nature of the relationship between self-control and exercise. In brief, higher levels of trait self-control have been associated with greater exercise performance and adherence; whilst the depletion of state self-control has been shown to decrease performance and persistence on subsequent exercise tasks requiring self-control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examined coincidence anticipation timing performance at moderate and fast stimulus speeds before, during, and after a 15 minute cycling task. In a within-subject design, 24 children (18 males and 6 females) exercised on a cycle ergometer under two experimental conditions: exercise intensities of 50% (moderate) and 75% (vigorous) heart rate reserve. Coincidence anticipation timing was measured using the Bassin Anticipation Timer at stimulus speeds of 5 and 8 mph.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerforming a task requiring self-control may impair performance on a subsequent physical task also requiring self-control. The mechanisms explaining why self-control is reduced following prior use currently remain unclear. This study, therefore, explored whether exerting self-control (a) reduces performance, (b) increases perceptions of pain, and (c) reduces motivation during a subsequent, unrelated physical task that requires self-control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Sport Exerc Psychol
June 2015
The study explored patterns of change in a number of potentially performance-related variables (i.e., fatigue, social support, self-efficacy, autonomous motivation, mental skills) during the lead-up to a competitive triathlon, and whether these patterns of change differed for relatively superior versus inferior performers.
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