Match Running Performance on Three Different Competitive Standards in Norwegian Soccer.

The aim of the study was to compare running performance of three competitive standards and to examine the effects of being promoted to a higher league in Norwegian football. One club's first and second team were included. The first team consisted of professional soccer players playing at Level 2 (2015 season) and Level 1 (2016 season). The second team consisted of amateurs playing at Level 4. A fully automatic tracking system was used to examine running performance, divided into different running-speed categories and playing position. Forty-one matches were included containing 278 observations. Level 1 performed 61 and 51% sprinting compared to Level 2 and Level 4 but similar high-speed running. Similar high-speed running distances were observed only for the different playing positions at Level 1 compared to Level 2 and 4. The sprinting distance was greater for the central defender and attacker, and the number of accelerations was greater for central midfielders and wide midfielders' playing at Level 1 compared to lower competitive standards. In conclusion, better competitive standards resulted in greater high-intensity actions than lower leagues in Norwegian soccer. Furthermore, only central defenders and attackers increased their high-intensity locomotions when the team was promoted.

Running Performance and Position is Not Related to Decision-Making Accuracy in Referees.

We aimed to assess if running performance is related to decision-making accuracy in referees. We also investigated the relationships between movement, position, decision-making and time of infringement. The study included 347 free kicks and penalties awarded during all 15 home field matches for one team in the Norwegian top league. Movement and position were measured by a radio-based positioning system, and two external experts analysed the video clips. The referees made the correct decision in 98% of the assessed foul situations. There were no associations between the correctness and running speed at the time of the infringements or total distance accumulated during the 30 s prior to the infringement (p>0.08). Decision-making accuracy was not associated with the referees' position in relation to the infringements (p=0.82) or the area where the infringements occurred (p=0.28). Most foul play incidents were sanctioned in the central area of the field (84%) where the distance to the infringements was shorter (13.4 m, 95% CI 12.8-14.0) than in the lateral areas (21.9 m, 95% CI 20.4-23.4). Norwegian top referees were practically always right when they interfered, possess the necessary fitness to avoid fatigue that would influence decision-making accuracy, and maintain adequate positional ability throughout the matches.

Effects of a physical activity intervention on schoolchildren's health-related quality of life: The active smarter kids (ASK) cluster-randomized controlled trial.

We investigated whether a seven-month (November 2014 to June 2015), school-based cluster-randomized controlled physical activity intervention improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 10-year old children. The participants (N = 1229) from 57 elementary schools in Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway, were cluster-randomized by school either to the intervention (I) or control (C) group. The planned intervention in the 28 I-schools was 300 min of physical activity per week, compared to 135 min in the 29C-schools. HRQoL was assessed by self-report, using the Kidscreen-27 questionnaire. Objectively measured physical activity did not differ between the I-schools and C-schools during the intervention. No effect of the intervention was found for HRQoL: Physical well-being (P = 0.789), Psychological well-being (P = 0.682), Autonomy & parents (P = 0.662), Social support & peers (P = 0.828) and School environment (P = 0.074). In conclusion, the ASK school-based physical activity intervention showed no significant effect on HRQoL.

Associations between health-related quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity and waist circumference in 10-year-old children: the ASK study.

PURPOSE: To examine the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity and waist circumference with self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis that included 1129 school children aged 10 years from 57 schools in Sogn and Fjordane County, Norway. The HRQoL outcome was assessed by the self-reported KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, which covers five life domains. Independent variables were cardiorespiratory fitness assessed by the Andersen intermittent field running test, handgrip strength measured by a hand dynamometer, explosive strength in the lower body using a standing broad jump test, physical activity (counts per minute) using an accelerometer and abdominal adiposity measured by waist circumference. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed-effect models including school site as a random effect. Age and sex were entered as covariates. RESULTS: Only cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with higher scores on all five KIDSCREEN-27 domains (P < 0.047 for all). Explosive strength in the lower body was positively associated with higher autonomy and parents scores (P = 0.018), while physical activity was positively associated with higher physical well-being scores (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Improving cardiorespiratory fitness might be especially useful for improving HRQoL in children.

Effects of physical activity on schoolchildren's academic performance: The Active Smarter Kids (ASK) cluster-randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a seven-month, school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial on academic performance in 10-year-old children. METHODS: In total, 1129 fifth-grade children from 57 elementary schools in Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway, were cluster-randomized by school either to the intervention group or to the control group. The children in the 28 intervention schools participated in a physical activity intervention between November 2014 and June 2015 consisting of three components: 1) 90min/week of physically active educational lessons mainly carried out in the school playground; 2) 5min/day of physical activity breaks during classroom lessons; 3) 10min/day physical activity homework. Academic performance in numeracy, reading and English was measured using standardized Norwegian national tests. Physical activity was measured objectively by accelerometry. RESULTS: We found no effect of the intervention on academic performance in primary analyses (standardized difference 0.01-0.06, p>0.358). Subgroup analyses, however, revealed a favorable intervention effect for those who performed the poorest at baseline (lowest tertile) for numeracy (p=0.005 for the subgroup∗group interaction), compared to controls (standardized difference 0.62, 95% CI 0.19-1.07). CONCLUSIONS: This large, rigorously conducted cluster RCT in 10-year-old children supports the notion that there is still inadequate evidence to conclude that increased physical activity in school enhances academic achievement in all children. Still, combining physical activity and learning seems a viable model to stimulate learning in those academically weakest schoolchildren.

Active Smarter Kids (ASK): Rationale and design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of daily physical activity on children's academic performance and risk factors for non-communicable diseases.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is emerging from school-based studies that physical activity might favorably affect children's academic performance. However, there is a need for high-quality studies to support this. Therefore, the main objective of the Active Smarter Kids (ASK) study is to investigate the effect of daily physical activity on children's academic performance. Because of the complexity of the relation between physical activity and academic performance it is important to identify mediating and moderating variables such as cognitive function, fitness, adiposity, motor skills and quality of life (QoL). Further, there are global concerns regarding the high prevalence of lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The best means to address this challenge could be through primary prevention. Physical activity is known to play a key role in preventing a host of NCDs. Therefore, we investigated as a secondary objective the effect of the intervention on risk factors related to NCDs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of the ASK study, the ASK intervention as well as the scope and details of the methods we adopted to evaluate the effect of the ASK intervention on 5 (th) grade children. METHODS & DESIGN: The ASK study is a cluster randomized controlled trial that includes 1145 fifth graders (aged 10 years) from 57 schools (28 intervention schools; 29 control schools) in Sogn and Fjordane County, Norway. This represents 95.3 % of total possible recruitment. Children in all 57 participating schools took part in a curriculum-prescribed physical activity intervention (90 min/week of physical education (PE) and 45 min/week physical activity, in total; 135 min/week). In addition, children from intervention schools also participated in the ASK intervention model (165 min/week), i.e. a total of 300 min/week of physical activity/PE. The ASK study was implemented over 7 months, from November 2014 to June 2015. We assessed academic performance in reading, numeracy and English using Norwegian National tests delivered by The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training. We assessed physical activity objectively at baseline, midpoint and at the end of the intervention. All other variables were measured at baseline and post-intervention. In addition, we used qualitative methodologies to obtain an in-depth understanding of children's embodied experiences and pedagogical processes taking place during the intervention. DISCUSSION: If successful, ASK could provide strong evidence of a relation between physical activity and academic performance that could potentially inform the process of learning in elementary schools. Schools might also be identified as effective settings for large scale public health initiatives for the prevention of NCDs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov ID nr: NCT02132494 . Date of registration, 6(th) of May, 2014.