Physical Activity Para Report Card for Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Lithuania.

Despite the recognized benefits of physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD), collective information on this is lacking in Lithuania. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current "state of the nation" PA levels of CAWD, based on the 10 indicators from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Global Matrix 4.0 methodology. Scientific articles, practical reports, and published theses related to the 10 indicators from the Global Matrix 4.0 on CAWD age 6-19 years were reviewed, and data were converted to grades from A to F. (A) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis was carried out to interpret the grades by four experts. Data on organized sport participation (F), school (D), community & environment (D), and government (C) were available. Data on other indicators are largely missing yet are needed for policymakers and researchers to be aware of the current state of PA among CAWD.

Combined strength exercises on dry land and in the water to improve swimming parameters of athletes with paraplegia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present research was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of combined dry land strength and resistance swimming training for increasing upper body strength, swimming performance and stroking parameters in swimmers with paraplegia and to determine correlation between these parameters. METHODS: The preliminary, the second (after 4 weeks), the third (after 8 weeks) and the last (after 12 weeks) testing were performed. The measurements consisted of the following assessments: the assessment of isometric strength in dry land (tension force), the assessment of swimming performance and stroke parameters during 50-m backstroke, the assessment of strength during tethered swimming (tension force). Sixteen swimmers with paraplegia after complete spinal cord injury in thoracic and lumbar lesion participated in the investigation. Subjects with paraplegia represent the experimental and control groups. The participants of the experimental group had five training sessions per week, two hours per training session on dry land (two times per week) and in the water (three times per week). The subjects of the control group had five swimming training sessions per week for two hours each. RESULTS: The strength, performance and stroke characteristics of the experimental group reveal differences among pre-test, after month, after two months and post-test values. The strength, performance and stroke characteristics of the control group did not change after a month, after two months and after the experiment. The coefficient of determination of the experimental group revealed a positive correlation (r2=0.67) between 50-m result and the number of strokes, between the force tension in water and in dry land (r2=0.5), between the number of strokes and the force tension in water (r2=0.53). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the swimmers with paraplegia involved in 12 weeks combined strength on dry land and resistance training in the water program improved strength, swimming performance and stroke parameters in comparison with swimmers training swimming alone. Isometric force in dry land and tethered swimming force in the water are good markers for strength of swimmers with paraplegia.

Short-term moderate intensive high volume training program provides aerobic endurance benefit in wheelchair basketball players.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of short-term period, moderate intensity and high volume endurance training on physiological variables in elite wheelchair basketball players. METHODS: Eight wheelchair basketball players were examined. The subjects participated in a two-week intervention program of mainly two training types: wheelchair basketball and wheelchair driving endurance training. The subjects performed the continuously increasing cycling exercise (CCE) at the constant 60 rpm arm cranking speed at the beginning of the program and after two weeks of the program. The initial workload was 20 W, then the workload was increased by 2 W every 5 seconds until fatigue. RESULTS: The post training of the wheelchair basketball group in the study showed a significant improvement in the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and the peak power output (POpeak). VO2peak increased by 9% from 2.32±0.16 L/min to 2.53±0.2 L/min (P<0.05). POpeak increased by 28% from 141.75±14.23 W, to 181.63±26.3 W (P<0.05). The pre-training and post training test power output (PO [w]), relative power output (PO [w/kg]) increased significantly in all zones of energy production. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study indicated that the wheelchair basketball squad had relatively high levels of aerobic fitness prior to participating in the endurance training program. Nevertheless, the high-volume, moderate-intensity, short-term training program, which evolved over the two-weeks period, resulted in the improvement of the athlete's aerobic endurance. The ventilatory threshold (VT) and the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) are good markers for aerobic capacity of wheelchair athletes.

Relationships Between Anaerobic Performance, Field Tests and Game Performance of Sitting Volleyball Players.

The aim of this study was to evaluate relationships between anaerobic performance, field tests, game performance and anthropometric variables of sitting volleyball players. Twenty elite Polish sitting volleyball players were tested using the 30 s Wingate Anaerobic Test for arm crank ergometer and participated in six physical field tests. Heights in position to block and to spike, as well as arm reach were measured. Players were observed during the game on the court in terms of effectiveness of the serve, block, attack, receive and defense. Pearson analysis and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used. The strongest correlations were found between the chest pass test and mean power and peak power (r=.846; p=.001 and r=.708; p=.0005, respectively), and also between the T-test and peak power (r= -.718; p=.001). Mean power correlated with the 3 m test (r= -.540; p=.014), the 5 m test (r= -.592; p=.006), and the T-test (r= -.582; p=.007). Peak power correlated with the 3 m test (r= -.632; p=.003), the 5 m test (r= -.613; p=.004), speed & agility (r= -.552; p=.012) and speed & endurance (r=-.546; p=.013). Significant correlations were observed between anthropometric parameters and anaerobic performance variables (p≤.001), and also between anthropometric parameters and field tests (p≤.05). Game performance and physical fitness of sitting volleyball players depended on their anthropometric variables: reach of arms, the position to block and to spike. The chest pass test could be used as a non-laboratory field test of anaerobic performance of sitting volleyball players.