High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Performed on the Sand Induces Higher Internal Load Demands in Soccer Players.

This study aimed to examine the acute physiological effect of shuttle-run-based high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) performed at the same relative speed (i. e., 100% PS) on sand (SAND) and grass (GRASS) in male junior soccer players.

Intervention and mediation effects of a community-based singing group on older adults' perceived physical and mental health: the Sing4Health randomized controlled trial.

ObjectiveTo examine short- and long-term effects of a group singing program on older adults' perceived physical and mental health levels, and also investigate subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive/negative affect and hedonic balance), body balance and serum biomarkers (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) as putative mediating mechanisms, controlling for the cognitive status of the participants. : The randomized controlled trial included 149 participants (60 to 95 years), allocated to an immediate intervention group (IG) or a wait-list active control group (WLG). The intervention comprised 34 sessions of group singing during 4-months.

The Hamstrings: Anatomic and Physiologic Variations and Their Potential Relationships With Injury Risk.

The incidence and recurrence of hamstrings injuries are very high in sports, posing elevated performance and financial-related costs. Attempts to identify the risk factors involved in predicting vulnerability to hamstrings injury is important for designing exercise-based programs that aim to mitigate the rate and severity of hamstrings injuries and improve rehabilitation strategies. However, research has shown that non-modifiable risk factors may play a greater role than modifiable risk factors.

Strength Training to Prevent Falls in Older Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of strength training (ST), as compared to alternative multimodal or unimodal exercise programs, on the number of falls in older adults (≥60 years). Ten databases were consulted (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, EMBASE, PEDro, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science), without limitations on language or publication date. Eligibility criteria were as follows: RCTs with humans ≥60 years of age of any gender with one group performing supervised ST and a group performing another type of exercise training, reporting data pertaining falls.

BDNF Impact on Biological Markers of Depression-Role of Physical Exercise and Training.

Depression is the most common and devastating psychiatric disorder in the world. Its symptoms, especially during the pandemic, are observed in all age groups. Exercise training (ET) is well known as a non-pharmacological strategy to alleviate clinical depression.

Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction: An Empirical Study in a Population of Senior Citizens.

: The specialised literature indicates that the two key aspects in active ageing are performing physical activity and life satisfaction. Regarding physical activity, this not only improves physical aspects of senior citizens, but also has a positive impact on mental well-being and satisfaction with one's own life. The aim is to demonstrate the relationship between these two variables to explain healthy ageing.

The Impact of Internet Addiction and Job Satisfaction on Mental Health Symptoms among a Sample of Portuguese Workers.

Not many studies assessing the impact of internet addiction (IA) and job satisfaction (JS) on mental health symptoms (MHS) among active workers exist. Therefore, the purpose of this study was as follows: (a) to assess the presence of criteria for IA among a sample of active workers; (b) to analyze differences in IA, JS and MHS, by gender; (c) to analyze association levels among IA, JS, and MHS; and (d) to determine the predictive effect of IA and JS on MHS. In total, 1064 participants ( = 40.

Mediating Effect of Burnout on the Association between Work-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Symptoms.

The purpose of this study was: (1) to assess levels of burnout, work-related quality of life (WRQoL) and mental health symptoms among a sample of active workers living in Portugal; (2) to analyze differences in burnout, WRQoL and mental health symptoms by gender and shift work; (3) to analyze association levels among all variables under study; (4) to determine the predictive effect of burnout and WRQoL on mental health symptoms; and (5) to assess the mediating effect of burnout on the association between WRQoL and mental health symptoms. Eight-hundred and forty-one Portuguese active workers between 18 and 67 years of age participated in this study (Mean = 37.23; SD = 11.

Effects of Training Programs on Decision-Making in Youth Team Sports Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The use of dedicated training programs for improving decision-making (DM) in team sports players has grown in the last several years. Approaches such as imagery training, video-based training, or game-based drills are some of the interventions used in youth players in order to improve DM. However, no systematic reviews or meta-analyses have been conducted to summarize the main evidence regarding the effects of these programs on the players and identify the magnitude of the effects compared to control groups.

Active School Breaks and Students' Attention: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

School physical activity breaks are currently being proposed as a way to improve students' learning. However, there is no clear evidence of the effects of active school breaks on academic-related cognitive outcomes. The present systematic review with meta-analysis scrutinized and synthesized the literature related to the effects of active breaks on students' attention.

Coexistence of Distinct Performance Models in High-Level Women's Volleyball.

In performance analysis, and most notably in match analysis, generalizing game patterns in a sport or competition may result in formulating generic models and neglecting relevant variability in benefit of average or central values. Here, we aimed to understand how different game models can coexist at the same competitive level using social network analysis with degree centrality to obtain systemic mappings for six volleyball matches, one for each of the six national teams playing in the 2014 World Grand Prix Finals, guaranteeing a homogeneous game level and balanced matches. Although the sample was not recent, this was not relevant for our purposes, since we aimed to merely expose a proof of concept.

Effects of Small-Sided Game Interventions on the Technical Execution and Tactical Behaviors of Young and Youth Team Sports Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Small-sided games (SSGs) are an adjusted form of official games that are often used in training scenarios to introduce a specific tactical issue to team sports players. Besides the acute effects of SSGs on players' performance, it is expectable that the consistent use of these drill-based games induces adaptations in the technical execution and tactical behaviors of youth team sports players. This systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of SSG programs on the technical execution and tactical behaviors of young and youth team sports players.

Emotional intelligence and well-being: Associations and sex- and age-effects during adolescence.

Background: Several studies have suggested that trait and ability-based measures of emotional intelligence (EI) contribute to the promotion of well-being in adults. However, this relationship has not been sufficiently explored among adolescents.

Objective: The present study aims to: i) investigate the associations between EI dimensions and well-being indicators (self-esteem, life satisfaction and social anxiety) in adolescents; and ii) analyze the effect of sex and age on dimensions of EI.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Depressive Symptoms through the Lens of Sexual Orientation.

This research seeks to explore the impact of COVID-19 on depressive symptoms, analyzing discrepancies of sexual orientation in a Portuguese-speaking sample. 1590 individuals participated, of which 63% were women, and 88% self-identified as straight. Participants responded to the depression sub-scale of the Beck Symptoms Iventory-18, the fear of COVID-19 scale and the COVID-19 negative impact scale.

Skeletal Muscle-Adipose Tissue-Tumor Axis: Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise Training in Prostate Cancer.

Increased visceral adiposity may influence the development of prostate cancer (PCa) aggressive tumors and cancer mortality. White adipose tissue (WAT), usually referred to as periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT), surrounds the prostatic gland and has emerged as a potential mediator of the tumor microenvironment. Exercise training (ET) induces several adaptations in both skeletal muscle and WAT.

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Work-Related Quality of Life through the Lens of Sexual Orientation.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the exceptional situation that has been experienced on a global scale since 2020, it is essential to assess the impact of COVID-19 in several areas and domains. Therefore, this research seeks to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on work-related quality of life (WRQoL) in a Portuguese-speaking sample, through the lens of sexual orientation. One thousand, five hundred and seventy-seven individuals participated in this study, of which 1396 (88.

The Relationship between Health Perception and Health Predictors among the Elderly across European Countries.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between health perception and health predictors among the elderly. In this study, 376 older adults from four different countries (Hungary, = 86; Italy, = 133; Portugal, = 95; and Spain, = 62) were analyzed. All subjects completed the EQ-5D-5L to assess their quality-adjusted life years and were assessed in handgrip (HG) and in Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests.

Acute Effects of Kinesiology Taping Stretch Tensions on Soleus and Gastrocnemius H-Reflex Modulations.

This study examined the acute effects of stretch tensions of kinesiology taping (KT) on the soleus (SOL), medial (MG), and lateral (LG) gastrocnemius Hoffmann-reflex (H-reflex) modulation in physically active healthy adults. A cross-over within-subject design was used in this study. Twelve physically active collegiate students voluntarily participated in the study (age = 21.

Validity and Reliability of Mobile Applications for Assessing Strength, Power, Velocity, and Change-of-Direction: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to (1) identify and summarize studies that have examined the validity of apps for measuring human strength, power, velocity, and change-of-direction, and (2) identify and summarize studies that have examined the reliability of apps for measuring human strength, power, velocity, and change-of-direction. A systematic review of Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases was performed, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. From the 435 studies initially identified, 23 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed.

Monitoring Accumulated Training and Match Load in Football: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Training load monitoring has become a relevant research-practice gap to control training and match demands in team sports. However, there are no systematic reviews about accumulated training and match load in football. (2) Methods: Following the preferred reporting item for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), a systematic search of relevant English-language articles was performed from earliest record to March 2020.

The Influence of Antenna Height on the Measurement of Collective Variables Using an Ultra-Wide Band Based Local Positioning System in Team Sports.

Ultra-wide band (UWB) based local positioning systems (LPS) are based on devices and a portable antenna set. The optimal installation height of the antennae is crucial to ensure data accuracy. Collective variables are metrics that consider at least two pairs of coordinates, which may lead to lower precision than an individual one.

Reliability of salivary cortisol and testosterone to a high-intensity cycling protocol to highlight overtraining.

Athletes physically overload to improve performance. Unbalanced stress/recovery may induce overtraining, which is difficult to diagnosis as no diagnostic marker exists. Hormonal responses to a 55/80 cycle (30-min of alternating blocks of 1-min at 55% and 4-min at 80% maximum work rate) may highlight early-stage overtraining (overreaching), as blunted cortisol and testosterone responses to 55/80 follows intensified training.

The Influence of Contextual Aspects in Talent Development: Interaction Between Relative Age and Birthplace Effects in NBA-Drafted Players.

The aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to inspect separately for the relative age and birthplace effects for players selected in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft; (2) to explore the interaction among these factors and analyse this interaction in players' career performance. The database was obtained from the official records of the players ( = 1,738), who were selected during the annual editions of the NBA Draft from 1990 to 2019. The participants' date of birth was analyzed according to the month of birth and divided into four quartiles.

Effects of Mental Fatigue in Total Running Distance and Tactical Behavior During Small-Sided Games: A Systematic Review With a Meta-Analysis in Youth and Young Adult's Soccer Players.

Mental fatigue can impact physical demands and tactical behavior in sport-related contexts. Small-sided games (SSGs) are often used to develop a specific sport-related context. However, the effects of mental fatigue on physical demands and tactical behaviors during soccer SSGs have not been aggregated for systematical assessment.

Variations of Trail Runner's Fitness Measures across a Season and Relationships with Workload.

Trail running involves off-road running over different surfaces of positive and negative unevenness. Given these particularities and the associated physical demands, it is essential to understand this relationship and how fitness levels influence performance. This study aimed to analyze fitness level variations during different times of the season and establish a relationship between changes in fitness levels and accumulated load.