Change in physical activity and stress during COVID-19 in a sample of older adults with exercise habits

BACKGROUNDː The COVID-19 outbreak forced many states to introduce public health and social measures (PHSM), which may pose an obstacle to performing physical activity (PA).METHODS: This study investigated PA levels and their changes and perceived stress in a sample of 193 participants (aged 71.21 ± 4.87 years) engaged in exercise lessons prior to PSHM. Data were collected via an online survey distributed directly to the participants. The survey included two instruments: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale.RESULTS: The results indicate that sports habits may be a protective factor in staying active and meting PA recommendations. Nevertheless, there were no associations between the number of exercise lessons in the pre-COVID-19 period and PA level or the perceived change in PA during PSHM. Ability to replace the cancelled exercise lesson with PA of similar duration and intensity was negatively associated with PA levels and its change. The PSS-10 score suggests that the sample did not experience a significant increase in perceived stress, but the relationship of this outcome to PA is unclear.CONCLUSIONS: The promotion of alternative PA that could be performed during PHSM and building long-term exercise habits in older adults should be considered.

Match-fixing as a Threat to Sport: Ethical and Legal Perspectives

This article aims to show how match-fixing is a threat to sport, not only from an ethical but also from a legal perspective, and to explain the various challenges of combating match-fixing in sport on the national and international level. To achieve this, the first step of the article is to explain corruption in sport, the values of sport and their endangerment through match-fixing, and then the crucial factor of sport autonomy is explained. Further, the article discusses various national and international legal norms and measures in the fight against match-fixing. On the international level there is discussed the current state of play of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the so-called Macolin Convention) and the Group of Copenhagen, as the follow-up network of national platforms. Finally, the article makes recommendations regarding the better investigation of match-fixing and concludes with a critical appreciation of findings in the fight against match-fixing.

Covid-19 versus Physical Activity in the Context of University Students

PURPOSE: The aim of the paper is to present the results of a recent research survey (February 2021) in a broader context of the issue to determine whether university students devote themselves as much as possible to specific sports and physical activities even at the time of the ongoing pandemic associated with the spread of COVID-19, i.e. at a time when the possibilities of sports and physical activities are limited, and the contact Physical Education lessons (hereinafter referred to as PE) are cancelled at schools.METHODS: To meet the objectives of the research survey, the method of questioning – an online questionnaire – was chosen. The total number of the university students who were addressed was 1164, 530 first-year students from all seven faculties of VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (hereinafter referred to as VSB-TUO) answered. The questionnaires were subjected to the statistical classification of the first-level data. Another method was the comparative method of working with documents, comparing with the results of comparable questionnaire surveys from 2015 and 2018, and relevant scientific discussion in this contestRESULTS: The results of the research confirmed that first-year students of all VSB-TUO faculties, who as graduates of the relevant secondary school could no longer complete the subject Physical Education due to pandemic measures, preferred unorganized physical activities in accordance with the situation, such as walks, including walking the dog. 34.8% of respondents answered that they “did not miss sport” or that they “were not interested in sport at all”. A high percentage of respondents (44.3%) admitted that they “did not miss” organized Physical Education lessons “at all”, while some (31.3%) stated that thanks to the subject Physical Education, they were able to play sports “at least once a week”.CONCLUSION: Due to the high number of interviewed first-year students of VSB-TUO, it can be assumed that we would reach similar results in a vast population of peers, and the findings can be generalized. The study summarizes the latest reflections on impersonal forms of teaching of Physical Education on the motivation and intensity of sports and physical activities within the general level of foreign surveys as well. Relevant research in our cultural setting coincidently conclude indispensable importance of growing role of regular physical activity in the field of school, family and leisure including its attractive innovation during lock down pandemic situation.

Psychological Skills in Relation to Academic Achievement through Swimming Context

This study aimed to investigate: (1) the level of psychological skills among students enrolled in swimming courses at the Physical Education faculties in the Jordanian Universities. (2) the relation between their psychological skills and academic achievement. (3) the differences in these psychological skills according to gender. The descriptive approach was used to conduct this study. The study sample consisted of (260) male and female students enrolled in intermediate and advanced level swimming courses at the School of Sport Sciences/ University of Jordan. Students’ final academic achievement records in addition to the “Life skills through swimming context” scale was used to collect required data. The results of the statistical analysis revealed an average level of psychological skills, significant differences in psychological skills level in favor of female students, A level students, and JU students, and a positive significant relation between psychological skills and academic achievement. In conclusion, it is important to design comprehensive psychological skills-based study plans for swimming courses and in different sports fields. Also, to conduct specified training and guidance courses in this domain to improve psychological skills, teaching competencies, and academic achievement.

The Relative Age Effect in Czech U14 Male and Female Tennis Players in 2007–2016

The issue of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) has been long researched, discussed and published both in the academic and coaching community and the number of studies on it in various sports has significantly grown in recent years. The aim of this study was to verify the existence of RAE among Czech male (n = 6552) and female (n = 4131) junior tennis players and to identify possible differences in birthdate effect between male and female players. The research was carried out in players registered in the years 2007–2016 in the U14 age category in Czech Tennis Association (CTA) database; the athletes were divided into three subgroups (‘Ranked’, ‘Top 100’, ‘Top 10’). Research data were analysed by the methods of descriptive and inferential statistics: relative and absolute frequency, chi-square goodness of fit test () and chi-square test of independence () with the use of effect size (ES index w). A declining tendency of frequencies from Q1 to Q4 between male and female junior players was proven in all three subgroups.In the whole period of 2007–2016, a significant and strong RAE was demonstrated only in the ‘Top 10’ male subgroup (RAE was significant and ES was small or trivial in the other two subgroups). Among the female players, RAE was significant in all three subgroups (ES was small or trivial). Gender differences in RAE in favour of male players were significant in ‘Top 100’ and ‘Ranked’ (ES was small or trivial in all three subgroups). In the short and long term, RAE can have significant implications for the sport development of athletes; both coaches and the professional public can therefore be recommended to pay attention to this issue. The impact of RAE in sport, i.e. the uneven distribution of athletes’ birthdates, is more pronounced especially among junior athletes and often significantly affects their sports development and career.

The Organisation of Formal Education of Fencing Coaches in Hungary, Great Britain and the Czech Republic

The paper deals with formal educational programmes for fencing coaches in Hungary, Great Britain and the Czech Republic. Based on a content analysis of mainly curricular documents, we were able to identify and describe similarities and differences in approaches to coach education. They were apparent primarily on the legislative, organisational and content level. The research shows that the road to coaching excellence takes a different length of time in different countries. It is even in sharp contrast to formal licence education of some fencing federations when it comes to a bachelor study programme. Differences were also found in the approach towards the organisation of practical training. The more traditionally designed education of coaches in Hungary and the Czech Republic differed from the education in Great Britain from a philosophical and content point of view, specifically in topics such as the application of soft skills and setting, planning and assessment of goals in coaches´ practice.

Breathing as one of the components of biathlon shooting in youth biathletes

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at identifying the length of breath holding in youth biathletes before shooting in both the prone and the standing position, and determining potential dependence between breath holding and the shooting performance at rest and after physical load during the training period.METHODS: Twenty-one national youth biathletes, women (n = 10; 16.7 ± 0.7 years) and men (n = 11; 16.5 ± 0.6 years), participated in the study. All participants completed two series of measuring of breath holding after 3 months period during shooting at rest and after roller skiing in a race load, in the prone as well as the standing position. They shot using their own biathlon rifles with a fixed accelerometer and respiration belts on the thorax.RESULTS: The average length of breath holding when successfully hitting the target in the prone position was 0.65 seconds in average both at rest and in the racing load, with some significant differences both men and women. When shooting in the standing position, the average values were approximately same as in the prone position 0.65 seconds both at rest and in racing load, again with some observable differences both men and women. There were several significant differences between the pre-test and post-test in the length of breath holding in both groups (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:The study evaluate the length of breath holding and determine dependence of breath holding on the shooting performance at rest and after physical load during the training period in youth biathletes. The comparison of the acquired information with the shooting methodology taught by the coaches brought beneficial results. The study showed that is appropriate to hold breath for an average of 0.55 - 0.7 seconds in both shooting positions for both men and women in this age category.

Early Dropout of Children and Youth from Sports – International Perspective and Societal Backgrounds

Sport and physical activities of children are essential in forming their health, personality, society and other factors which affect their future life either directly or indirectly. Their life attitudes are shaped by experience, and one of domains that can be affected in them for ever based on positive or negative experience is physical activity and relation thereto. Significance and awareness of this societal problem currently lead to activities which are to support sports and physical movement of children and youth. Efforts focused on the prevention of early dropout of children from sports are in the interest of kinanthropological research studies, national children’s sports support programmes where the issue often becomes part of political and programme statements of governments, civic and non-profit organizations and sports associations. In spite of all these efforts, however, we still face a massive dropout of children from sports, which is not replaced with an adequate alternative physical activity. Consequences of the negative, and sometimes even toxic experience with physical activity at early age lasts until adulthood, which brings a range of personal, health and social problems. Possibilities for reducing the phenomenon consist in systematic work dealing with the support and improvement of coaching procedures which will be focused more on the needs of children and diverted from the traditional perception of coaching education focused primarily on the needs of coaches, on the building of positive relationship with parents as partners in the process of physical education of children, and on extending the range of physical activities for children also in the environment of non-competitive sports.

The Impact of Foreign Ownership in Czech Football

Foreign ownership in European football has been rapidly increasing especially in the last two decades. Although the main interest for the foreign investors are the teams of Big 5 leagues, there are some occasional surprises. One of the surprises is the oldest football team in Czech football, SK Slavia Prague. This study investigates the impact of Slavia’s takeover on Czech First Division. First a stochastic frontier analysis is conducted and efficiency scores are estimated. The results indicate that Slavia’s athletic efficiency has improved significantly after the takeover. The transfer activity in the league increased greatly thanks to Slavia’s additional funds allocated to transfers and also it should be noted that Slavia’s domestic transfers have created an opportunity for the other teams to improve their finances. Finally, the overall competitive balance in the league improved after the takeover despite Slavia’s dominance in the league after the takeover.

Deep Squat – Should We Be Afraid?

PURPOSE Squats are among the basic exercises that have become an integral part of exercise programs. It is commonly used by athletes in many sports. Its potential is shown in the development of strength, power, and overall sports performance. The aim of the study was to verify inconsistent views on deep squats, technical design, and related health risks. METHODS For the purposes of the review, the terms "squat, knee, biomechanics, deep, patellofemoral, back squat, performance, arthritis, health, injury, risk" were used. RESULTS It turns out that the technique of performing a deep squat has its strict principles, which must be respected and which have a significant impact on the benefits and risks. From loading, the lower position represents an increase in compressive and shear forces on the patellofemoral joint, however, this is a natural state that is not risky. Health hazards cannot be based on analytical-mathematical models, which are insufficient in this aspect. Extreme long-term exposure carries the risk of permanent consequences in the form of osteoarthritis. For prophylaxis or convalescence, it is possible to use effective aids like sleeves, kinesio taping, bandage or "knee savers". CONCLUSIONS With optimal technique and sensible exercise selection, there is no greater risk in healthy individuals without degenerative anatomical changes. In order to assess the effects of the squat forces on the ankle, knee, hip, spine, it is necessary to consider the technique and also individual anatomical differences.