Exploring an athletic talent development environment in China: A case study of a sport-friendly high school.

This case study utilized the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to explore a successful athletic talent development environment (ATDE) in China. As a case, we selected a basketball team in one Shanghai sport-friendly high school with outstanding individual and team achievements and aimed at (a) describing the ATDE, and (b) identifying environmental success factors (ESF). Using participant observations, document analysis, informal talks, and formal interviews with key stakeholders, including coaches, teachers, athletes, and administrators from sports and education departments, we derived the ATDE and ESF empirical models. The findings showed that (a) the ATDE demonstrated effective interactions between macro- and micro-levels, and (b) the experienced head coach, dedicated assistant coach, and support from athletes' parents contributed to overcoming barriers of preconditions (e.g., limited financial and human resources) within the environment. Further, a coherent and robust cultural paradigm led by the head coach helped the environment maintain its success for a long period. Although some features are similar to successful ATDEs in other countries, unique characteristics (e.g., not prioritizing athletes' autonomy) specific to this ATDE within the Chinese cultural context have been identified. Our findings supplement current studies on ATDEs using the HEA and reflect the environment within Chinese context, offering insights for researchers and practitioners.

Effectiveness of the world anti-doping agency's e-learning programme for anti-doping education on knowledge of, explicit and implicit attitudes towards, and likelihood of doping among Chinese college athletes and non-athletes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the World Anti-Doping Agency's e-learning programme for anti-doping education on knowledge of, explicit and implicit attitudes towards, and likelihood of doping among Chinese college athletes and non-athletes. METHOD: Thirty-two young adults (including 16 college athletes) were recruited to receive the Athlete Learning Program about Health and Anti-Doping (ALPHA) intervention (Zh-hans version). Another 32 young adults were recruited for no-treatment control purposes. Before and immediately after the intervention, the ALPHA test, performance enhancement attitude scale, doping likelihood scale, and brief implicit association test (BIAT) were performed. Cortical activity during the BIAT test was monitored using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy instrument. RESULTS: Significant intervention effects were observed for knowledge (p < 0.01, η2 = 0.21) and explicit attitude (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.12) but not for doping likelihood (p > 0.05; benefit situation: η2 = 0.04; cost situation: η2 = 0.02). Compared with the non-athletes, the college athletes reported lower doping likelihood scores in benefit situations (e.g., financial gain, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.10). Regarding the BIAT task, the experimental effect was successfully induced by different semantic associations between the concepts and the attitude (doping + like vs. doping + dislike). The mean reaction times (p < 0.01, η2 = 0.36) and error rate (p < 0.01, η2 = 0.34) in the doping-like block were higher than those in the doping-dislike block. Moreover, oxygenated haemoglobin (oxy-Hb) in response to BIAT interference in the temporoparietal junction-related channels was increased during the post-intervention test (p < 0.05, η2 varied from 0.09 to 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the online anti-doping education programme is partially effective among Chinese college athletes and non-athletes. Furthermore, our findings reflect enhanced cognitive control after the education intervention to suppress a prepotent implicit attitude towards doping.

A Supplementary Approach for Effective Anti-Doping Education: A Pilot Study Applying Refutation Texts to Modify Misperception of the Whereabouts System.

BACKGROUND: Over the past twenty years, a multifaceted anti-doping system was established to detect, deter, and prevent doping among athletes. However, perception of the whereabouts system has been a controversial issue. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of refutation text intervention on the perception of the whereabouts system. METHODS: In two studies, we tested whether (1) detailed refutation texts are perceived as more effective than simply refuting with a true or false claim among 132 athletes (47.73% female, mean age = 20.99 ± 2.11), and if (2) refutation text intervention can alter the perception of the whereabouts system among 177 athletes (53.11% female, mean age = 21.17 ± 2.27). Descriptive statistics were calculated, followed by a one-sample T-test, independent T-test, chi-square test, and a repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that five true/false statements were developed as refutation texts, and the mean accuracy of the true/false test is less than the probability of guess (p < 0.05, d = -0.18). In addition, detailed refutation texts evoked significantly greater perceived effectiveness than the simple refutation texts (p < 0.01, d = 0.66). Furthermore, the refutation text intervention enhanced the positive perception of the whereabouts system (p < 0.01, η2 = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the efficacy of refutation texts to improve the misperception of anti-doping regimes among athletes and have implications for future education prevention initiatives.

The mediating role of prosocial and antisocial behaviors between team trust and sport commitment in college basketball players.

HIGHLIGHTS: Current college athletes face multiple pressures such as academics, sports training, and future employment, which cause their continuous participation in sports training and competitions to be shaken, resulting in a decline in sport commitment. This study starts from the perspective of team atmosphere and peer behavior, and selects college basketball players on a large scale in China, because basketball is popular among Chinese college students and has brought greater social attention. In the process of playing basketball, the interaction between members is high, and the emotional factor with teammates is even more important. Therefore, the choice of research participants is also one of the advantages of this paper.

The relationship between physical fitness and academic performance among Chinese college students.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance, after controlling for potential confounds. PARTICIPANTS: The sample comprised 2,324 college students representing three Chinese universities. METHODS: Physical fitness was measured using the Chinese National Student Physical Fitness Standard; academic performance (ie, Grade Point Average) and lifestyle behaviors were assessed using questionnaires. Academic performance and overall physical fitness were used to divide participants into three categories: low, moderate, and high. RESULTS: Several physical fitness indicators systematically differed across the three academic performance categories. Additionally, overall physical fitness was positively associated with academic performance, even after controlling for the effects of lifestyle behaviors; those who belonged to the high overall physical fitness group had lower odds ratios of low academic performance than those belonging to the low overall physical fitness group. CONCLUSIONS: Poor academic performance was related to low overall physical fitness . The probability of having poor academic performance was significantly lower among students with high physical fitness than those with low physical fitness.

Four Loci Are Associated with Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Endurance Performance in Young Chinese Females.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and endurance performance are characterized by a complex genetic trait with high heritability. Although research has identified many physiological and environmental correlates with CRF, the genetic architecture contributing to CRF remains unclear, especially in non-athlete population. A total of 762 Chinese young female participants were recruited and an endurance run test was used to determine CRF. We used a fixed model of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for CRF. Genotyping was performed using the Affymetrix Axiom and illumina 1 M arrays. After quality control and imputation, a linear regression-based association analysis was conducted using a total of 5,149,327 variants. Four loci associated with CRF were identified to reach genome-wide significance (P < 5.0 × 10-8), which located in 15q21.3 (rs17240160, P = 1.73 × 10-9, GCOM1), 3q25.31 (rs819865, P = 8.56 × 10-9, GMPS), 21q22.3 (rs117828698, P = 9.59 × 10-9, COL18A1), and 17q24.2 (rs79806428, P = 3.85 × 10-8, PRKCA). These loci (GCOM1, GMPS, COL18A1 and PRKCA) associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance performance in Chinese non-athlete young females. Our results suggest that these gene polymorphisms provide further genetic evidence for the polygenetic nature of cardiorespiratory endurance and be used as genetic biomarkers for future research.

Associations of Cognitive Function with BMI, Body Fat Mass and Visceral Fat in Young Adulthood.

Background and objectives: Existing studies concerning the associations of cognitive function with adiposity in young adults are sparse. The purpose of the study was to examine the associations of adiposity with cognitive control in young adults. Materials and Methods: Participants were 213 young adults (98 women and 115 men). Cognitive control was measured using a modified task-switching paradigm. Anthropometrics were measured by standardized procedures. Body fat mass and visceral fat area were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results: The results showed that increased body mass index (BMI, p = 0.02), body fat percentage (p = 0.02), and visceral fat area (p = 0.01) were significantly correlated with larger global switch costs of accuracy in women. In men, high levels of body fat percentage (p = 0.01) and visceral fat area (p = 0.03) were significantly correlated with larger local switch costs of reaction time. Conclusions: The results indicated that elevated adiposity was associated with worse performance on measures of cognitive control in young adults.

Executive Function Performance in Young Adults When Cycling at an Active Workstation: An fNIRS Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effects of self-paced cycling at an active workstation on executive functions and cortical activity. METHODS: In a crossover study design, 37 young adults (45.9% females) were randomly assigned to the following two task conditions: (1) performing cognitive tests during sitting, (2) performing cognitive tests while cycling at an active workstation. Executive functions were assessed by the Stroop color and word test and the task-switching paradigm. Cortical activity was monitored using a multi-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. RESULTS: The behavioral results showed that there were no significant differences on the Stroop interference effects (P = 0.66) between the sitting and the cycling conditions. In all probability, no differences on the global switch costs (P = 0.90) and local switch costs (P = 0.67) were observed between the sitting and the cycling conditions. For the fNIRS results, the oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) in response to the Stroop interference in channels 5, 10, and 12 were decreased during the cycling condition (all Ps < 0.05, FDR-corrected). Conversely, the oxy-Hb associated with the global switch costs in channels 3, 29, and 31 were increased during the cycling condition (all Ps < 0.05, FDR-corrected). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that behavioral performances on executive functions were not affected by cycling at an active workstation, while cognitive resources were reallocated during cycling at an active workstation.

Development of Experimental Materials on Moral Judgment in Sport: Evidence From Chinese Athletes.

Objectives: The existing scales for moral judgment in sport have some limitations when used for cognitive neural research. Developing a set of experimental materials with good validity is thus warranted. The purpose of this study was to develop experimental materials that can be used in cognitive neuroscience research on moral judgment in sport. Design: Study 1 was a qualitative study and Study 2 used a within-subject design. Method: In Study 1, a qualitative method was adopted to assess types of moral misconduct among Chinese athletes, based on news reports of Chinese athletes' moral misconduct collected from the Internet and from interviews with Chinese elite athletes. In Study 2, typical examples were selected from a qualitative analysis based on the types of moral misconduct observed among athletes in Study 1. The examples were then compiled, controlled, and modified. The validity of the developed experimental materials was evaluated. Results: The moral misconduct observed in Chinese athletes can be divided into the following four categories: violent behavior, doping, match-fixing or tanking, and self-reported dishonesty. Subject analysis and item analysis consistently found that the experimental materials developed for moral judgment based on the four categories were significantly different in six aspects, including the rate of participants' agreement to the proposed resolution [F Subject(3, 184) = 236.60, p = 0.00; F Item(3, 156) = 471.17, p = 0.00], decision time [F Subject(3, 184) = 23.69, p = 0.00; F Item(3, 156) = 3.13, p = 0.03], moral conflict [F Subject(3, 184) = 3.70, p = 0.01; F Item(3, 156) = 10.71, p = 0.00], moral acceptability of the behavior [F Subject(3, 184) = 58.22, p = 0.00; F Item(3, 156) = 110.69, p = 0.00], emotional valence [F Subject(3, 184) = 3.41, p = 0.02; F Item(3, 156) = 3.11, p = 0.03], and emotional arousal [F Subject(3, 184) = 1.32, p = 0.27; F Item(3, 156) = 5.09, p = 0.00]. The experimental materials developed were not affected by the type of sport. Conclusions: The developed experimental materials can be used as experimental materials for cognitive neuroscience research on moral judgment in sport.

Self-Esteem, Achievement Goals, and Self-Handicapping in College Physical Education.

This study aims to investigate the relationships among self-esteem, achievement goals, and self-handicapping and the potential mediating role of achievement goals in the relationship between self-esteem and self-handicapping in college physical education. The participants were 320 Chinese college students. Three validated scales were employed to assess participants' self-esteem, achievement goals, and self-handicapping in college physical education. Results showed that self-esteem had a negative effect on self-handicapping. Self-esteem had a positive effect on mastery goals, but had a negative effect on performance-avoidance goals. Mastery goals had a negative effect and performance-avoidance goals had a positive effect on self-handicapping. Moreover, mastery goals and performance-avoidance goals partially mediated the relationship between self-esteem and self-handicapping, and self-esteem had both direct and indirect effects on self-handicapping in college physical education. The findings indicate that improving individual's self-esteem and promoting mastery goals while reducing performance-avoidance goals may be relevant strategies to reduce self-handicapping in college physical education.

Associations Between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Executive Functioning in Young Adults.

Associations between daily physical activity (PA) and executive functioning have rarely been investigated among young adults. This study examined these associations among 162 university students (74 females and 88 males; mean age = 19.0, SD = 1.1 years). We measured PA objectively, using hip-mounted accelerometers, and assessed executive functioning in a task-switching paradigm. Anthropometrics measurements were gathered using standardized procedures. Through linear regression modeling, we found moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (ß = -0.19, 95% CI = [-0.35, -0.03], p = .02) and light physical activity (ß = -0.17, 95% CI = [-0.34, -0.01], p = .04) to be associated with smaller global reaction time switch costs. Total PA was not associated with task-switching performance, and there were no statistically significant associations between PA indicators and local switch costs. As both moderate-to-vigorous and light physical activities were associated with better executive function in young adults, there can be important cognitive benefits to remaining physically active.

Common variants in ZMIZ1 and near NGF confer risk for primary dysmenorrhoea.

Primary dysmenorrhoea, defined as painful menstrual cramps in the absence of pelvic pathology, is a common problem in women of reproductive age. Its aetiology and pathophysiology remain largely unknown. Here we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study and subsequent replication study to identify genetic factors associated with primary dysmenorrhoea in a total of 6,770 Chinese individuals. Our analysis provided evidence of a significant (P<5 × 10-8) association at rs76518691 in the gene ZMIZ1 and at rs7523831 near NGF. ZMIZ1 has previously been associated with several autoimmune diseases, and NGF plays a key role in the generation of pain and hyperalgesia and has been associated with migraine. These findings provide future directions for research on susceptibility mechanisms for primary dysmenorrhoea. Furthermore, our genetic architecture analysis provides molecular support for the heritability and polygenic nature of this condition.

Endocrinological analysis of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in middle-aged patients with impaired glucose tolerance during prediabetes mellitus.

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is a pre-diabetic metabolic state involving heterogeneous and dynamic changes between the normal and diabetic state. The present study aimed to investigate the endocrine regulation of endothelium-dependent dysfunction in middle-aged patients with IGT and in patients with a normal glucose tolerance (NGT). An oral glucose tolerance test was performed to determine the NGT and IGT states. Physiological and biochemical analyses were performed. The carotid artery structure and function were investigated with Doppler supersonic diagnostic equipment. The functioning of the vascular endothelium was analyzed with physiological and biochemical indices in the IGT group. The results showed a significant reduction in endothelium-dependent vasodilation, but not in endothelium-independent vasodilation in the IGT group compared with those of the NGT group. It was identified that the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery and expression levels of endothelin-1 were significantly higher, whereas the endothelium-derived factor C-type natriuretic peptide levels were significantly lower in the IGT group compared with those in the NGT group. Notably, significant correlations were identified between endocrinological changes and body composition, including fat and glucose metabolism, in the IGT group. Our data indicate that vascular endothelial functions may be impaired by fat and glucose metabolism and body composition in IGT patients during prediabetes mellitusare.

Effects of exercise intervention on vascular endothelium functions of patients with impaired glucose tolerance during prediabetes mellitus.

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is an early pathophysiological change in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) during prediabetes mellitus. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that exercise intervention contributes to the reversal of vascular endothelium-dependent dysfunction in middle-aged patients with IGT. Following exercise intervention, significant changes in endothelin (ET)-1, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), ΔDia-P, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)2h, fasting insulin, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), body fat percentage, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio were measured. However, no marked changes in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), fasting blood glucose and BMI were observed following exercise intervention. Validity analysis of index changes in the two exercise intervention groups further confirmed there was no change. Exercise intervention increased CNP levels, decreased ET-1 levels and increased ΔDia-P, indicating improved vascular endothelium function. Decreased HOMA-IR following exercise suggests enhanced insulin sensitivity. Exercise intervention also improved glucose metabolism via decreased OGTT2h and fasting insulin. In addition, decreased waist circumference, ratio of waist to hip and body fat percentage following exercise intervention improved changes of body composition, including BMI, body fat and waist circumference. These results indicate that exercise intervention may reverse vascular endothelium-dependent dysfunction in middle-aged patients with IGT. This study also provided direct clinical data supporting the use of exercise intervention to prevent diabetes mellitus (DM) during the early stage.