Effects of changing the head coach on soccer team's performance: A systematic review.

The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise the most significant literature addressing the effects of changing the HC on soccer team's performance, identifying the most frequently researched outcomes and characterizing their methodologies. A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA, 2020) guidelines. The following keywords and synonyms were entered in various combinations in the title, abstract or keywords: "football*" OR soccer AND "coach*" OR "manager*" AND "replacement" OR "turnover" OR "substitution*" OR "change". Solely original articles written in English that contained data about the effects of the change in the HC on performance in professional male soccer were included. A total of 94 titles were identified, of which 24 met the eligibility criteria. The quality of the studies was considered excellent. The most common topic of analysis was the effects of the HC on match outcomes (i.e., win, draw, loss, points won, goals average). Some studies suggest that the HCs dismissal has small but positive impacts on a team's short-term performance, while other findings suggest that little-to-no impact is observed following HC departure. The dismissal of the HC does not guarantee increase success of an underperforming team. Some studies suggest that hiring an appropriate coach could positively affect match performance in the short-term. Due to limited variations in study designs, further research is needed before robust conclusions can be drawn.

The Efficacy of a Multicomponent Functional Fitness Program Based on Exergaming on Cognitive Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Regular physical exercise can attenuate age-related cognitive decline. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a physical exercise multicomponent training based on exergames on cognitive functioning (CF) in older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included older adults aged 61-78. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (IG; n = 15) or active control group (CG; n = 16). The IG was exposed to a combined training with traditional exercise and exergaming, twice a week over a period of 12 weeks. The CG performed only traditional sessions. CF was assessed by the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument. The time points for assessment were at zero (pretest), 12 (posttest), and 17 weeks (follow-up). RESULTS: Active CG and IG increased from pretest to posttest in short-term memory (STM), long-term memory (LTM), and Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument total score 1.98 > Z < 3.00, ps < .005, with moderately large positive effects (.36 > r < .54). A significant increase was seen from posttest to follow-up in STM, Z = 2.74, p = .006, and LTM, Z = 2.31, p < .021, only in IG. Across the two time periods posttest to follow-up, there were significant interaction effects between program type and time for STM (p = .022, ηp2=.17) and LTM (p = .004, ηp2=.25), demonstrating a more beneficial effect of the exergames intervention compared to the CG. Discussion and Implications: The integration of exergaming in a multicomponent functional fitness exercise might have the potential to maintain and improve CF (in particular, STM and LTM) in older adults.

Comparing locomotor intensity indicators in soccer training and competition across contextual factors: a study of replaced coaches in a Portuguese professional 1st league team.

This study aims to examine, for each head coach (HC) replaced, the association between training intensity and physical performances obtained in games. Furthermore, the study investigated how contextual factors influence locomotor and mechanical performance association. External load variables were collected using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices across the 4 weeks and 4 games before and after the replacement in a professional adult male soccer team. Six different HC records were analysed (48.8 ± 7.4 years of age; 11.2 ± 3.9 years as an HC) during a three-season span (2020/21-2022/2023). There were marked differences within player variability across the two coaching regimes. Game loads didn't reflect training-related performance, with differences ranging from -71.4% to -9.9%. Players under the outgoing coaches have greater coverage of meters per minute. Meters per minute, distance covered over 18 km/h and high-speed running (all in training) are found to be significant variables influenced by contextual factors. Within-subject and time, training loads did not reflect game-related loads/performances, with starters showing higher deficits (ranging from -79.0 to -14.5). The study suggests that changes in soccer HC can affect players' training intensity and game performance, influenced by various contextual factors and not directly correlated. This type of information might be very suitable to improve training load periodization and programming. For further research avenues, could be the study of the variation of the psychological states of the players at the time of the dismissal and hiring of the HCs, associating them with the physiological performance at the same moments.

Physical predictors for retention and dismissal of professional soccer head coaches: an analysis of locomotor variables using logistic regression pipeline.

Introduction: Soccer has enormous global popularity, increasing pressure on clubs to optimize performance. In failure, the tendency is to replace the Head coach (HC). This study aimed to check the physical effects of mid-season replacements of HCs, investigating which external load variables can predict retention or dismissal. Methods: The data was collected in training and matches of a professional adult male soccer team during three complete seasons (2020/21-2022/2023). The sample included 6 different HCs (48.8 ± 7.4 years of age; 11.2 ± 3.9 years as a HC). The 4 weeks and 4 games before and after the replacement of HCs were analysed. External load variables were collected with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices. A logistic regression (LR) model was developed to classify the HCs' retention or dismissal. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to determine the specific locomotive variables that could predict the likelihood of HC retention or dismissal. Results: In competition, locomotor performance was better under the dismissed HCs, whereas the new HC had better values during training. The LR model demonstrated a good prediction accuracy of 80% with a recall and precision of 85% and 78%, respectively, amongst other model performance indicators. Meters per minute in games was the only significant variable that could serve as a potential physical marker to signal performance decline and predict the potential dismissal of an HC with an odd ratio of 32.4%. Discussion: An in-depth analysis and further studies are needed to understand other factors' effects on HC replacement or retention.

School-Based Family-Oriented Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to systematically review and analyse intervention programs in a school context centred on the family, focused on increasing youths' physical activity. DATA SOURCE: The research was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. STUDY INCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies were included if participants were children or adolescents, focusing on school-based intervention studies with parental involvement and physical activity, sedentary behaviour or physical fitness outcomes. DATA EXTRACTION: The search was performed according to the PRISMA protocol. A total of 416 articles were identified. After being considered for eligibility and duplicates, 22 studies were identified as relevant for inclusion. DATA SYNTHESIS: Sample and intervention characteristics, objective, the role of the family, outcomes measures, main findings regarding the outcomes and risk of bias. RESULTS: Ten studies reported improvements in physical activity, 6 in sedentary behaviour and 9 in the components of physical fitness and/or skills related to healthy behaviours and lifestyles. Most of the interventions adopted a multidisciplinary and multi-component approach. CONCLUSIONS: Most interventions employed a school's multidisciplinary/multi-component approach to promoting physical activity, nutrition, and general education for healthier lifestyle behaviours. The impact of school-based interventions involving families on youth's physical activity levels is still a relatively emerging theme. Further research is needed given the diversity of the intervention's characteristics and the disparity in the results' efficacy.

Impact of cluster set resistance training on strength, functional capacity, metabolic and inflammatory state in older hemodialysis subjects: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hemodialysis-associated neuromuscular dysfunction appears to be counteracted by resistance training (RT) in older patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of cluster-set RT protocol on anthropometric parameters, functional capacities, and biochemical variables in older patients with CKD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-eight older patients (age: 57.55 ± 4.06 years) with CKD undergoing maintenance hemodialysis participated, and were randomly divided into control group (CG, N = 26), traditional RT (RT, N = 26) and cluster-set RT (RT-CS, N = 26) groups. Participants completed 24 weeks of RT three times per week, 1 h and 30 min before the hemodialysis session. Patients from the RT-CS group displayed increased adherence as compared to the RT group (66.35 % versus 61.73 %, p < 0.0001). There was an improvement of all anthropometric variables, handgrip strength, timed up and-go (TUG) and six-minute walking test (6MWT) following both training protocols when compared to control group and pre-intervention values. Fasting blood glucose decreased for both RT and RT-CS groups as compared with pre-intervention, without differences between training protocols and CG. Glycated hemoglobin, inflammatory cytokines, and triglycerides decreased in RT and RT-CS groups as compared with pre-intervention and CG, without differences between them. Furthermore, the RT-CS protocol resulted in a greater number of people who were responsive to training when compared to traditional training. CONCLUSIONS: RT-CS is a clinically valuable tool to improve anthropometric parameters, handgrip strength, TUG, 6MWT, fasting blood glucose, and cytokines in CKD older patients.

The Benefits of Custom Exergames for Fitness, Balance, and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objective: This research aimed to measure the benefits in older adults' motor performance and quality of life during a 12-week-long multidimensional training combining custom-made exergames and traditional exercise in a complementary manner, compared with traditional training alone. Materials and Methods: Community-dwelling older adults participated in a randomized controlled trial (N = 31) consisting of two weekly exercise sessions of 60 minutes for 12 weeks. Participants allocated to the exergames group (n = 15) had one individual session of exergames and one traditional exercise group session per week. Control group participants (n = 16) had two weekly traditional exercise group sessions. Outcome measures on fitness, balance, and health-related quality of life were measured at the start of the intervention, 6th, 12th, and 16th week (1-month follow-up). Results: The exergames group showed a significant increase in lower-body and upper-body strength from pre- to postintervention. When compared with control, participants had significantly higher developments of upper-body strength from pre- to postassessments. There was a significant decrease in shoulder range of motion between the end of the intervention and follow-up for participants in both conditions. Balance increased significantly during the intervention but decreased at follow-up in both conditions. The mental component of health-related quality of life was significantly higher at the end compared with the start of the intervention in the exergames group, and this difference was significantly higher when compared with control. Conclusion: Integrating personalized exergames designed for multidimensional fitness training in traditional settings can be an effective strategy to enhance older adults' motor performance and mental well-being.