Differences in Physical Performance According to the Competitive Level in Amateur Handball Players.

Estibaliz, R, Fabio, N, Rodrigo, RC, Daniel, C, Josune, RN, and Javier Y. Differences in physical performance according to the competitive level in amateur handball players. J Strength Cond Res 34(7): 2048-2054, 2020-The aim of this study was to compare physical performance in amateur handball players of 2 different competitive levels. Thirty-four senior handball players were divided into 2 groups according to their competitive level (regional category: REG or national category: NAC). Although no significant differences were found between groups in any of the horizontal jump (HJ) or vertical jump (VJ) variables (p > 0.05), NAC players obtained a better performance in the repeated sprint ability (RSA) test (RSABest [the best attempt] and RSATT [the total time in the total of sprints] in 15 m and 30 m), in change of direction ability (CODA) and in the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIR1) test (p < 0.01, effect size = -1.32 to 1.75, large). A significant association was observed between the body mass index (BMI) and the HJ or VJ capacity (r = -0.35 to -0.55, p < 0.01), the RSA15mBest and RSA30mBest (r = 0.41 to 0.59, p < 0.01), and YYIR1 distance (r = -0.54, p ≤ 0.05), and a also between the performance in the HJ or the VJ and the RSA15mBest and RSA30mBest, the CODA and the YYIR1, and between the RSA30mBest and the YYIR1 (r = -0.54, p ≤ 0.05). Specific strength and conditioning programs should aim toward improving RSA, CODA, and YYIR1, as these abilities may be needed at higher levels of competition. The programs also should aim toward improved HJ and VJ abilities, given their association with RSA, CODA, and YYIR1 performance. Moreover, maintaining an adequate BMI may aid players to sustain greater physical performance levels.

Clinical, physical, physiological, and dietary patterns of obese and sedentary adults with primary hypertension characterized by sex and cardiorespiratory fitness: EXERDIET-HTA study.

The main purpose of this study was to determine some key physical, physiological, clinical, and nutritional markers of health status in obese and sedentary adults (54.0 ± 8.1 years, 141 men and 68 women) with primary hypertension (HTN) characterized by sex and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level. The studied population showed a high cardiovascular risk (CVR) profile including metabolically abnormal obese, with poor CRF level (22.5 ± 5.6 mL·kg-1·min-1), exercise-induced HTN (Systolic Blood Pressure>210 mmHg in men and >190 mmHg in women at the end of the exercise test) and with non-healthy adherence to dietary pattern (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, 46.3%; Mediterranean Diet, 41.1%; and Healthy Diet Indicator, 37.1%). Women showed a better biochemical and dietary pattern profile than men (lower values, P < 0.05, in triglycerides, mean difference = 26.3; 95% CI = 0.9-51.7 mg/dL, aspartate transaminase, mean difference = 4.2; 95% CI = 0.3-8.0 U/L; alanine transaminase, mean difference = 8.2; 95% CI = 1.6-14.8 U/L; gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, mean difference = 11.0; 95% CI = -1.1-23.2 U/L and higher values, P = 0.002, in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mean difference = 5.0, 95% CI = -13.3-3.3 mg/dL), but physical and peak exercise physiological characteristics were poorer. A higher CRF level might contribute to the attenuation of some CVR factors, such as high body mass index, non-dipping profile, and high hepatic fat. The results strongly suggest that targeting key behaviors such as improving nutritional quality and CRF via regular physical activity will contribute to improving the health with independent beneficial effects on CVR factors.

Influence of warm-up duration on physical performance and psychological perceptions in handball players.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the effect of two warm-up protocols of different duration on physical performance, perceived load and perception of being ready for a match in handball players. Eighteen handball players were randomly divided into two groups (Wup34min, warm-up protocol of 34 min, Wup17min, warm-up protocol of 17 min). Before and after the warm-up protocols, they performed a battery of physical tests and recorded their perception of feeling ready for a match. At the end of the warm-up protocols, all the players evaluated their differentiated perceived effort (dRPE). The results showed that neither of the protocols significantly modified (p > 0.05) the players' physical performance. However, the Wup34min group showed higher values in the differentiated warm-up perceived load (dRPE-WL) (p < 0.01, TE = 0.97-1.27, high) than the Wup17min group. The players with a greater perceived muscular load (RPEMUSC) experienced a greater decrease in their acceleration capacity (r = 0.48-0.49, p < 0.05). In spite of the fact that neither of the warm-up protocols significantly modified the players' physical performance, a greater perceived muscular load may cause a greater decrease in acceleration capacity.

Young women's leisure time physical activity determinants: a mixed methods approach.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to analyze the habits, motives and barriers related to Leisure Time Physical Activity (LTPA) among young women of Gipuzkoa, from a mixed approach. Methods: A total of 526 women aged 18-29 (24.60 ± 3.30 years) responded to the Gipuzkoa Women's Physical Activity Questionnaire (GWPAQ), seven of which were later interviewed. Results: The main motives for LTPA were intrapersonal - related to health and enjoyment - and to interpersonal networks. However, the main barriers facing LTPA were mostly intrapersonal, such as lack of time, tiredness, and laziness. Contextual factors such as the availability of safe spaces, previous negative experiences, or negative self-perception of motor competence also emerged as conditioning factors in young women's LTPA habits. Discussion: This study may help to promote policies aimed at incentivizing LTPA for young women based on their needs and interests, by addressing the diversity of factors.

"Out-of-Hospital and with Qualified Exercise Professionals": Keys to the CORTEX-SP Physical Exercise Program According to the Experience of the Participants.

Physical exercise programs are useful and necessary for the treatment of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the experiences of participants with schizophrenia in an out-of-hospital exercise program designed and supervised by qualified exercise professionals. Thirty-five individuals with schizophrenia from the intervention group of the CORTEX-SP study were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was performed using inductive coding. Two main categories emerged: the importance of the program being conducted out-of-hospital, and the individuals responsible for the program being qualified exercise professionals. The participants highlighted the importance of conducting the program outside the psychiatric center since it gave them greater satisfaction. They perceived greater seriousness and a greater number of resources and felt encouraged to repeat the program or prolong it. The success of the program, in addition to the space, was due to the personnel in charge of the program, i.e., the qualified exercise professionals, and the fact that the activities were designed and supervised. Participants emphasized the qualifications of the exercise professionals, key for this type of program, their social skills and the level of involvement with participants and their follow-up.

Neuromuscular Fatigue after Small-Sided Games in Wheelchair Basketball Players with and without Spinal Cord Injury.

Purpose: The aim was to analyze the differences between wheelchair basketball players with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and without Spinal Cord injury (Non-SCI) in psycho-physiological response and neuromuscular fatigue in a series of small-sided games (SSG). Methods: Thirteen high-level wheelchair basketball male players (age 28.8 ± 9.2 years, body mass 75.9 ± 11.3 kg) participated in four versus four SSG once a week for five consecutive weeks. Absolute and relative heart rate (HR) during SSG and muscular and respiratory perceived exertion (RPEmus and RPEres), tympanic temperature, and acceleration capacity were recorded at the end of each SSG. Results: No significant differences were observed between SCI and non-SCI players in relative HR variables in SSG series. However, the SCI group had a lower absolute HR (mean HR and peak HR) (p < .05 or p < .01, ES = 0.73-1.39) and higher perceived muscular load (RPEmusTL) (p < .01, ES = 0.75-0.82) during SSG. Regarding the evolution of the physiological response, no differences were observed between the four bouts in the SCI group. However, the Non-SCI group showed an increase in the absolute and relative variables of HR and RPEres and RPEmus (p < .05 or p < .01, ES = 0.45-1.06). On the contrary, only the SCI group showed a loss of acceleration capacity between the four series (p < .05, ES = 0.28-0.35). Conclusion: The results of this study show that there are differences between SCI and non-SCI wheelchair basketball players in their physiological response and acceleration capacity during SSG tasks.

Analysis of the Barriers and Motives for Practicing Physical Activity and Sport for People with a Disability: Differences According to Gender and Type of Disability.

The aim of the study was to analyse the perception of the barriers and motives for the practice of physical activity (PA) in people with a disability, according to gender and type of disability. The participants in this investigation were 103 people with a disability (33.25 ± 11.86 years) who were habitual users of PA or sports programmes. They completed the questionnaire Motives and Barriers for Physical Activity and Sport (MBAFD). The results showed that personal barriers were more important than environmental ones and that the most outstanding motives were those related to leisure, enjoyment or social aspects. Regarding gender, women perceived more barriers than men. For the people with physical (PD) and intellectual (ID) disabilities, the most common barriers were of an intrinsic nature, and for those with a visual disability (VD), barriers of an environmental nature. With respect to the motives, people with PD gave higher scores to the items related to aspects of physical improvement and rehabilitation. In contrast, people with ID and VD placed more importance on reasons of leisure, enjoyment and social relations. Knowledge of these findings can be a tool to help increase the provision of PA for people with a disability.

Design and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess the Leisure Time Physical Activity of Adult Women in Gipuzkoa.

Inactivity is higher among women than among men, and there are few specific questionnaires used to assess physical activity (PA) in women that are truly meaningful to them. This article tackles the design and validation process of an ad hoc multidimensional questionnaire to assess leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among adult women of Gipuzkoa. The questionnaire was completed by 3595 adult women (43.5 ± 12.1 years), 32% of which were inactive and 68% of which were active. Content validation, ecological validation, and internal consistency analysis results were satisfactory. The Gipuzkoa Women's Physical Activity Questionnaire (GWPAQ) consists of four dimensions and 21 items. Barriers to PA were found related to intrapersonal, environmental, and socio-cultural aspects. The importance of family and spousal support in increasing PA levels was also observed. It is concluded that the GWPAQ is valid for obtaining evidence that can be used by public institutions to optimise women-specific PA promotion policies.

Associations between Well-Being State and Match External and Internal Load in Amateur Referees.

The main aim of this paper was to examine the association between prematch well-being status with match internal and external load in field (FR) and assistant (AR) soccer referees. Twenty-three FR and 46 AR participated in this study. The well-being state was assessed using the Hooper Scale and the match external and internal loads were monitored with Stryd Power Meter and heart monitors. While no significant differences were found in Hooper indices between match officials, FR registered higher external loads (p < 0.01; ES: 0.75 to 5.78), spent more time in zone 4 and zone 5, and recorded a greater training impulse (TRIMP) value (p < 0.01; ES: 1.35 to 1.62) than AR. Generally, no associations were found between the well-being variables and external loads for FR and AR. Additionally, no associations were found between the Hooper indices and internal loads for FR and AR. However, several relationships with different magnitudes were found between internal and external match loads, for FR, between power and speed with time spent in zone 2 (p < 0.05; r = -0.43), ground contact time with zone 2 and zone 3 (p < 0.05; r = 0.50 to 0.60) and power, speed, cadence and ground contact time correlated with time spent in zone 5 and TRIMP (p < 0.05 to 0.01; r = 0.42 to 0.64). Additionally, for AR, a relationship between speed and time in zone 1 was found (p < 0.05; r = -0.30; CL = 0.22). These results suggest that initial well-being state is not related to match officials' performances during match play. In addition, the Stryd Power Meter can be a useful device to calculate the external load on soccer match officials.

Health and Wellness Status Perception of Half-Marathon Runners: Influence of Age, Sex, Injury, and Training with Qualified Staff.

The aim of this study was to analyze the health and wellness status perception in amateur half-marathon runners according to sex, age, being injured or not during the two months prior to the race, and having the support or not of qualified staff for race preparation. Six hundred and twenty-four amateur level half-marathon athletes (515 men and 107 women; 41.5 ± 10.1 years) participated in the study. One week before competing in a half-marathon, participants answered the Hooper Index and the SF-36 questionnaire. Women stated higher stress before competing in the race (p < 0.01) compared to men and the group of runners of <40 years stated greater fatigue (p < 0.05) compared to the group of >40 years. Women showed a better quality of life in physical and emotional role dimensions (p < 0.05), and the group of >40 years showed a better quality of life in the emotional role dimension (p < 0.05). The group that had suffered an injury (InjuryYes) declared greater muscle soreness (MusclSore; p < 0.01), and the group that had qualified staff (QualifStaffYes) declared a higher level of stress (p < 0.05) and fatigue (p < 0.01). The Injury No (InjuryNo) group showed a better quality of life in the physical function dimension (p < 0.01). The group that did not have qualified staff (QualifStaffNo) showed a better quality of life in the dimensions of body pain, general health, vitality, social function (p < 0.05), and mental health (p < 0.01), while the QualifStaffYes group showed better results in the dimensions of physical function and emotional role (p < 0.05). Sex, age, being injured or not during the two months prior to the race, and having the support or not of qualified staff for the race preparation can influence the health and wellness status perception.

Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Scores and Vascular Age After Aerobic Exercise and Nutritional Intervention in Sedentary and Overweight/Obese Adults with Primary Hypertension: The EXERDIET-HTA Randomized Trial Study.

INTRODUCTION: The EXERDIET-HTA study was a multi-arm parallel, a randomized, single-blind controlled experimental trial comparing the effects of 16 weeks of different aerobic exercise programs two days per week, and dietary intervention in a hypertensive, overweight/obese and non-physically active population. AIM: To evaluate the influence of diet and aerobic exercise program intervention on cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors and predicted CVR and vascular age (VA) profiles in overweight/obese people with primary hypertension (HTN), and to analyze the potential sex differences in the ability to predict VA and CVR via different methods. METHODS: The CVR and VA determined (n = 167, 53.7 ± 7.8 years) using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and the new equation for the prediction of 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, before and after the 16-week intervention period (different aerobic exercise programs + hypocaloric diet). The sex-specific risk factors considered were age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes mellitus (DM) and smoking status. RESULTS: From baseline to follow-up, participants reduced (p ≤ 0.001) FRS-CVR score and VA, and SBP. Total cholesterol decreased significantly, but specifically in men (p ≤ 0.001), and antihypertensive medication (%) in women (p = 0.047). No significant differences over time were observed for HDL-C, smoking, DM overall for either sex. For ASCVD-CVR there was no overall change or for either sex. After the intervention, women had a lower CVR score than men (p ≤ 0.001), irrespective of the calculation method. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in CVR factors after 16-week lifestyle changes reduced the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event in overweight/obese adults with HTN through the FRS estimation tool, but not with the ASCVD score. The risk score algorithms could underestimate CVR in women. In contrast, VA could be a useful and easier tool in the management of individuals with CVR factors.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk and vascular age in overweight/obese adults with primary hypertension: the EXERDIET-HTA study.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension (HTN), obesity and low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with an increased risk for a cardiovascular event. Enrolling overweight/obese individuals with HTN, the current study aimed to estimate cardiovascular risk (CVR) and vascular age (VA) profiles analyzing potential sex differences, determine whether VA is higher than chronological age, and whether CVR is associated with a low level of CRF. METHODS: Overweight/obese non-Hispanic White participants (n=209; 141 men and 68 women) with primary HTN had their CVR and VA determined using the New Pooled Cohort Risk Equations and The Framingham method, respectively. Considering values of peak oxygen uptake, participants were divided into tertiles for each sex. RESULTS: The CVR, but not VA (P=0.339), was higher (P<0.001) in men compared with women irrespective of age. Irrespective of sex, VA was higher than chronological age (P<0.001). Age and BMI were higher (P<0.05) in the low CRF group compared with that in other groups. There were no differences in CVR (P=0.907) and VA (P=1.643) when values were separated into CRF groups. CONCLUSION: Pooled Cohort Equations could underestimate the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event in the following 10 years in overweight/obese non-Hispanic White women with HTN compared with men. The VA appears to be a useful tool in communicating CVR in this population irrespective of sex. The CRF alone may not be enough to moderate the CVR.