Purpose: This study sought to assess the validity of several heart rate (HR) monitors in wearable technology during mountain biking (MTB), compared to the Polar H7® HR monitor, used as the criterion device.
Methods: A total of 20 participants completed two MTB trials while wearing six HR monitors (5 test devices, 1 criterion). HR was recorded on a second-by-second basis for all devices analyzed.
This study examined whether physically active middle-aged (50-64 years) and older adults (65-80 years) demonstrate age-related ankle proprioceptive decline relative to younger counterparts. Empirical data indicate that ankle proprioception declines with aging and such sensory decline negatively affects balance. Using a passive motion apparatus, we employed a psychophysical forced-choice paradigm in which the ankle was passively plantarflexed to a reference position (15° or 25°) and a comparison position that was always smaller than the reference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) affects the quality of life of 52 million Americans and leads to an enormous personal and economic burden. A multidisciplinary approach to cLBP management is recommended. Since medication has limited efficacy and there are mounting concerns about opioid addiction, the American College of Physicians and American Pain Society recommend non-pharmacological interventions, such as mind and body approaches (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Proprioceptive training is any intervention aiming to improve proprioceptive function with the ultimate goal to enhance motor function and performance. It has been promoted as an approach to enhance athletic performance and as a tool for sensorimotor rehabilitation. Numerous studies sought to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe OPTIMAL theory of motor learning postulates that autonomy support (AS), enhanced expectancies (EE), and an external focus of attention (EF) facilitate improved motor learning and performance. However, its applicability to elite-level throwing athletes has not been investigated by previous literature. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the successive implementation of AS, EE, and EF factors on overhand throwing performance in elite collegiate softball athletes (14.
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