Effects of an external foci of attention at different distances on standing long jump in non-athletes.

[Purpose] External focus (EF) instructions demonstrate a learning effect on motor performance enhancement. However, the effective EF distance during standing long jump performance of non-athletes has not been clarified. This study aimed to determine the effects of EF at different distances on jumping performance.

Effects of antagonistic muscle contraction exercises on ankle joint range of motion.

[Purpose] Antagonistic stretching is an important therapeutic program in rehabilitation. However, if pain occurs during stretching, other methods should be considered. This study aimed to investigate whether antagonistic muscle contraction exercises alone had an effect in expanding the joint range of motion.

The improvement effect of limited mental practice in individuals with poststroke hemiparesis: the influence of mental imagery and mental concentration.

[Purpose] This study examined whether limited mental practice improves the motor performance of poststroke individuals with hemiparesis. [Subjects] Twenty-three participants with poststroke hemiparesis (40-82 years of age) participated in this study. [Methods] The subjects were divided into four groups with respect to a dart-throwing task: the no-practice, physical practice only, mental practice only, and mental and physical practice groups.

The activation of apoptosis factor in hindlimb unloading-induced muscle atrophy under normal and low-temperature environmental conditions.

In order to identify the apoptosis-induced factors and apoptosis pathway in hindlimb unloading muscle atrophy, the reciprocal relationships between caspase-3 activation and factors related to mitochondria, other organelle pathways, oxidative stress and nitric oxide were investigated. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups, two groups of hindlimb-unloaded rats were maintained under normal (25 degrees C) and low-temperature (10 degrees C) environmental conditions for a 3-week experimental period, plus two corresponding control groups. Active caspase-3-containing myofibers were observed in the hindlimb-unloaded rats in normal and low-temperature environments, but not in the control rats.