Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Its Influence on Anthropometric and Fitness Variables in High-Level Adolescent Athletes.

The objectives of the present research were to analyze adherence to the Mediterranean diet (AMD), to observe which variables most affect AMD, and to analyze whether AMD affects physical fitness and anthropometric parameters in high-level adolescent athletes. A total of 96 adolescent athletes in the under-16, under-18, and under-20 categories selected by the Athletics Federation of the Region of Murcia, of whom 47 were male (age = 18.31 ± 2.31 years old) and 49 female (age = 17.27 ± 1.44 years old), participated in this study. They completed the KIDMED questionnaire to discover their AMD, as well as an anthropometric and physical condition assessment. Results: The findings show that 61.45% had an excellent degree of AMD, 31.25% a moderate one, and 7.30% a poor one. The parameters that most conditioned AMD were the consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, breakfast cereals, and dairy products (p = 0.011-0.000). AMD did not show significant differences in anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness (p = 0.057-0.996). Conclusions: The majority of high-level adolescent athletes have a moderate or excellent AMD. The degree of AMD seems to have no influence on physical fitness and anthropometric parameters in this population.

Exploring the perception of barriers to a dual career by student-athletes with/out disabilities.

In recent years, there has been an increase in knowledge about the barriers experienced by people with disabilities in the education system or sports. However, no studies have analyzed the barriers for those who try to succeed in both disciplines (dual career). The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers faced by student-athletes with/out disability to a dual career combining studies and sport. Two groups were involved in the study (n = 162): student-athletes with disabilities (n = 79) and student-athletes without disabilities (n = 83). Data collected included: (a) socio-demographic aspects; and (b) barriers towards achieving a good balance between sport and academics during the dual career, through the "Perceptions of dual career student-athletes" (ESTPORT) questionnaire. The results showed that student-athletes with disabilities were more likely to perceive in a greater extent the barriers, the university is far from my home (p = 0.007) and the university is far from my training site (p = 0.006), I find myself unable to balance study and training time (p = 0.030), I have to take care of my family (p<0.001), and my current job does not allow me to study enough (p<0.001). The MANOVA analysis showed that the factors gender, competitive level, and employment status had an influence on the perception of some barriers between groups. In conclusion, student-athletes with disabilities perceived barriers more strongly than those without disabilities, and measures are needed to ensure their inclusion in the education system.

Exploring dual career quality implementation at European higher education institutions: Insights from university experts.

INTRODUCTION: This paper examines the convergence of the opinions of European higher education institution (HEI) experts on possible implementation of dual career policies and provision areas at university level. METHODS: An online 32-item questionnaire encompassing 26 dual career aspects collected the opinion of European HEI experts as the last phase of a Delphi method preceded by i) focus groups with student-athletes who aimed to identify needs for dual careers and ii) a workshop with 21 dual career experts to generate the statements to be included in the survey. Seventy-one HEI experts from 12 EU member states participated in the survey, rating each dual career aspect identified in previous phases. RESULTS: The relative position of each aspect has been plotted based on relevance (x-axis) and feasibility (y-axis). The Quadrant IV of the resulting scatterplots identified the following nine aspects rated as highly relevant and highly feasible for implementation: tutorship/mentorship, psychological support, programmes based on integration of academic departments and sports services, and adaptable programmes to the needs of each student-athletes (assistance/tutorship area), individual study plans and distance learning (curricula requirements area), publicity for student-athletes and initiatives for increasing the awareness of student-athletes and knowledge of dual career issues (social support area), and access to educational facilities (logistic support area). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The HEI experts' views represent a coherent and useful starting point to develop a deep understanding of the considered 26 aspects founded on a phenomenological lifeworld-led approach and emphasizes the need for a minimum standard for dual career policies and provisions.

Spanish Pre-Olympic Athletes' Motivations and Barriers to Pursuing Dual Career as a Function of Sociodemographic, Sport and Academic Variables.

The dual career allows elite athletes to attain their maximum competitive and academic performance, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered their development and changed their perception of the importance given to the sporting and educational environment. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to determine the differences in the motivations and perceived barriers, the importance given to academic qualifications, and the perception of the dual career from a multifactorial perspective, of elite athletes according to sex, type of sport practiced, job performance, time of sports career, type of athlete, and type of scholarship received. A total of 100 student-athletes participated in the research study by completing the "Perceptions of dual career student-athletes" questionnaire. The results showed that athletes from individual modalities (p = 0.012) and those who did not receive any scholarships described more barriers (p < 0.001). In addition, women studied more because they enjoyed it (p = 0.007); athletes from individual modalities studied to work later (p = 0.008); athletes who do not work perceived a greater influence between study and sports performance (p = 0.029); at the beginning and at the best stage of their sports career, a greater influence of academics on performance was perceived (p = 0.016); and athletes who considered themselves professionals, and athletes who did not receive any scholarships (p = 0.025), reported that the conciliation between sports and academic life was difficult (p = 0.034). The results obtained point to the importance of dual career scholarships for student-athletes, as well as the need for the programs implemented for these athletes to consider sex, sport modality or type of scholarship granted.

Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: The more than gold project focus groups.

Previous studies have found that student-athletes (S-As) have difficulties in achieving dual career (DC) success. However, no studies have analysed the opinion of the S-As on the functioning of DC with a qualitative methodology. The aim of the present work was to collect the opinions of elite university S-As in relation to DC policy adopted by their academic institutions in different European countries. In total, 77 athletes (F = 35, M = 42; age range: 20-25 years) participated in 15 national face-to-face focus groups in five different countries, to discuss aspects that higher education institutes should implement in relation to: 1) the athletes' needs; 2) assistance/tutorship: 2) curricula requirements; 3) financial support; 4) logistic support; 5) social support; and 6) dual career policies. Fifty of the athletes competed in individual sports and twenty-seven team sports. Of them, 57 was enrolled at undergraduate, 17 was enrolled in a master and 3 in a PhD. The athletes were presented with 13 open-ended questions one by one, and were ensured freedom to interact. All the discussions were recorded. After this, a general discussion took place in which the participants identified and agreed on a final list of statements from their focus group deemed to be relevant to DC athletes as university students. Then, at a consensus meeting, the findings were combined, repetitions were eliminated, and fragmented statements were condensed into broader ones. A final list of 31 statements, organized in six related content units, were identified in relation to the athletes' needs (n = 5), assistance/tutorship (n = 5), curricula requirements (n = 4), financial support (n = 4), logistic support (n = 4), social support (n = 6), and DC policies (n = 3), respectively. In conclusion, this cross-national qualitative research study synthesized the S-As views about their needs and the most relevant DC policies and provisions that higher education institutes should provide to ensure them with positive academic experiences towards the achievement of a degree.

The Effect of Age, Biological Maturation and Birth Quartile in the Kinanthropometric and Physical Fitness Differences between Male and Female Adolescent Volleyball Players.

BACKGROUND: Differences in kinanthropometric and physical fitness performance between boys and girls usually start during adolescence, as a result of the changes in the hormonal environment that occur with the advance of age and biological maturation; Methods: A total of 96 1st Regional Division players adolescent volleyball players, 48 males, (age = 14.17 ± 1.00 years-old) and 48 females (age = 14.41 ± 1.21 years-old) underwent a kinanthropometric assessment, were asked to perform different physical fitness test and to complete a questionnaire. Chronological age, maturity offset, age at peak height velocity (APHV), and birth quartile were calculated; Results: Statistical differences were observed between male and female players in the APHV (p < 0.001). Male players showed higher values in the bone and muscle-related variables (p < 0.001-0.040), as well as in the strength and power production-related physical tests (p < 0.001-0.012), while the female showed higher values in the fat-related variables (p = 0.003-0.013), and performed better in the flexibility tests. Age, maturity offset, and birth quartile showed to have statistical influence in the differences found between sex groups; Conclusions: There is a clear influence of age and biological maturation on the differences found between sexes in adolescent volleyball players that could be taken into account regarding grouping in early stages.

Effects of the COVID-19 Health Crisis on Sports Practice, Life Quality, and Emotional Status in Spanish High-Performance Athletes.

Spain is one of the many countries highly affected by the COVID-19 crisis, establishing very restrictive measures with a complete lockdown for more than 3 months. This situation forced the complete closure of sport practice and national or international competitions, leading to a negative impact on physical and psychological health of high-performance athletes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (a) to determine the effects of the COVID-19 health crisis on Spanish high-performance athletes in terms of sports practice, life quality, and emotional state and (b) to identify the profile with the greatest difficulties during and after the lockdown. A sample of 130 high-performance athletes aged between 18 and 34 years (67 women and 63 men) participated in this study (83.1% achieved a medal in National-International elite competitions; 86.9% were considered student-athletes). Measures included socio-demographic data through a 5-dimension ad hoc survey: physical activity and exercise using an adapted version from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); health status and limitations using an adapted version of SF-12 Health Questionnaire; Perceived stress (Short-PSS); and Mood States (29-item POMS). All participants have shown a significant decrease pre-post-lockdown in both health and performance perception, especially in women, individual athletes, medalists, and student-athletes. Strong limitations of training, attention, and motivation as well as a moderate negative emotional state during lockdown were reported, in women, individual athletes, medalists, and student-athletes. Even with an improved emotional state and energy level in the post-lockdown period, moderate-to-high stress scores were reported by women and medalists. Our findings highlight the importance of paying attention to the physical and psychological health of elite athletes on three profiles: team athletes (due to social distance), student-athletes (dual-career issues), and women athletes (prevalence of implicit gender inequalities in sport).

Dual Careers of Athletes During COVID-19 Lockdown.

This study aimed to investigate the student-athletes' capability to face the academic, sport, and social challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and to disclose novel aspects of dual careers. A 32-item online survey encompassing demographic characteristics, sport and university engagement, support and dual-career benefits, physical activity, sitting time, and the time deemed necessary to recover the previous level of performance was developed. Four hundred sixty-seven student-athletes (males: 57%, females: 43%) from 11 countries, competing in 49 different sports (individual: 63.4%, team: 36.6%) at regional (17.5%), national (43.3%), and international (39.2%) levels, and enrolled at high school (21.9%) and university (78.1%) levels completed the survey. During the lockdown, the respondents decreased the time dedicated to sport and academics, although they maintained an active lifestyle. Student-athletes from countries under severe contagion were more likely to train at home, dedicate to academics, and receive support from the coach but less likely receive support from their teachers. With respect to their team sport counterparts, athletes competing in individual sports trained more and were more likely to receive support from their coaches. International athletes showed the highest training time and support from their coaches and as student-athletes. High school students received more support from their coaches and teachers, whereas university students were more likely considering dual careers useful to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study substantiates the relevant role of competitive sports participation in the maintenance of active lifestyles, with student-athletes considering home training and e-learning valuable resources during the lockdown. Furthermore, their sport and academic commitments helped student-athletes cope with the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Elite Spanish Student-Athletes' Perception of the Dual Career.

The aim of the present research was to assess elite student-athletes' perception of the dual career during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, compared with a group of elite student-athletes who could develop their dual career under normal conditions. A total of 150 elite athletes who were also undergraduate or postgraduate students self-completed the "Perceptions of dual career student-athletes (ESTPORT)" questionnaire. From them, 78 did it during the mandatory lockdown period due to the state of emergency caused by COVID-19 (COVID-19 group) and 72 completed it in the previous year to Rio 2016 Olympic Games (control group). The COVID-19 group was found to spend a significantly higher number of hours per week studying, while no significant differences were observed between groups in any training time variable. Student-athletes of the COVID-19 group showed better perception of whether their sport career could help them cope with their academic career and better general perception of remote learning and the use of tasks and videoconferencing as learning support tools. A lower percentage of athletes of the COVID-19 group than of the control group wished to continue with their sport career once they finished their studies. To conclude, student-athletes of the COVID-19 group show adaptations with regard to the organization of their studies and the importance they give to them and to the services provided by dual-career programs, compared with student-athletes from an ordinary pre-Olympic year. In general, student-athletes' perception of the dual career is very positive.

[Evolution in anthropometric variables related to training and nutritional parameters in ultra-endurance mountain runners]. / Evolución de las variables antropométricas en relación con los parámetros de entrenamiento y nutricionales en corredores de ultrarresistencia de montaña.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: eating and training habits induce modifications in the anthropometric parameters. Objectives: to analyze the evolution of the anthropometric variables in the eleven previous weeks to the competition in recreational mountain runners and to identify the factors that could explain those changes. Methods: twenty-two recreational ultra-endurance mountain runners (mean age: 41.4 ± 4.1 years) took part in the study. Anthropometric variables were measured in the eleventh week before (pre-test) and in the previous days before (post-test) the main competition of the year. Runners registered their daily training during the study. Furthermore, they self-filled the "24-hour reminder" test about food intake, two week days and a weekend day, the first and last week of the study. Results: it was found a significant decrease in weight; body mass index; subscapular, supraspinal, abdominal and calf skinfolds; six and eight skinfold sums; corrected arm girth, arm transversal muscle area; fat weight and percentage; residual mass; and endomorphy. Bone and muscle mass, ponderal index and ectomorphy showed a significant increase. Correlation analysis and linear regression showed that changes are due to nutritional factors, as fat percentage intake in pre-test, kilocalorie intake in the post-test and/or the differences in the fat percentage and kilocalorie intake between both measurements. Conclusions: changes in anthropometric variables are influenced by nutritional habits instead of training factors in recreational mountain runners.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: los hábitos alimentarios y de entrenamiento provocan modificaciones en los parámetros antropométricos. Objetivos: analizar la evolución de las variables antropométricas en las once semanas previas a la competición en corredores de montaña populares e identificar los factores que explican dicha evolución. Métodos: veintidós varones (media de edad: 41,4 ± 4,1 años), corredores de montaña recreacionales de ultrarresistencia, participaron en el estudio. Se midieron las variables antropométricas once semanas antes (pre-test) y en los días previos (post-test) a la competición objetivo del año. Los corredores realizaron un registro de su entrenamiento diario durante este periodo. Además, autocumplimentaron la primera y la última semana de estudio el "recordatorio de 24 horas" sobre la ingesta de alimentos, registrando dos días laborales y uno festivo. Resultados: se encontró un descenso significativo en peso; índice de masa corporal; pliegues subescapular, supraespinal, abdominal y pierna; sumatorio de seis y ocho pliegues; perímetro del brazo corregido; área muscular transversal del brazo; porcentaje y peso graso; peso residual; y endomorfia. También hubo un aumento significativo del porcentaje de masa ósea y muscular, el índice ponderal y la ectomorfia. El análisis correlacional y la regresión lineal mostraron que estos cambios estaban relacionados con factores nutricionales, tales como el porcentaje de grasa consumida en el pre-test, las kilocalorías consumidas en el post-test y/o la diferencia en el porcentaje de grasas y kilocalorías consumidas entre ambas mediciones. No hubo relación con las variables de entrenamiento. Conclusiones: los cambios antropométricos están influenciados en mayor medida por los hábitos alimentarios que por el entrenamiento en corredores de montaña recreacionales.