International Journal of Sport Studies for Health
Volume:6 Issue: 2, Oct 2023

 Currently, the scientific evidence available on plyometric training in young basketball players is limited.

 The aim of this study was to analyze the effects produced by plyometric training over a period of 8 weeks, with a frequency of two weekly training sessions, combining vertical and horizontal force vectors.

 The study involved 28 young men (14.54 ± 0.6 years, a height of 182.76 ± 7.1 cm and a body weight of 68.05 ± 9.8 kg) high-level basketball players and aimed to investigate the effects of this training program on athletes at different maturational states, specifically based on their peak height velocity (PHV) and post-pubertal (post-PHV) stages.

 Substantial improvements were achieved in the subjects who have carried out this type of plyometric training in all the parameters evaluated related to the improvement of the jump, linear speed and change of direction.

 Therefore, it is crucial to provide valuable information to trainers and physical trainers, enabling them to improve and individualize the conditioning work for optimal performance of their athletes.

 The psychological and physiological effects of music have become an attractive field of sports research in the past decade.

 This study investigated the effect of classical music on two sports skills, agility and free throw shooting, in female basketball players.

 The study population consisted of all female basketball players on a team. From those who met the study criteria, 26 participants were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (without classical music) and an experimental group (with classical music). The research variables were measured using pre-tests and post-tests. Independent t-test was used to test the research hypotheses.

 The results of the statistical tests showed a significant difference in post-test scores between the experimental and control groups (P < .05).

 Listening to classical music significantly improved the performance of female basketball players on agility and free throw shoo ting tasks.

 Dart sport has become a sport that has recently become widespread among sports branches and its popularity is increasing rapidly day by day. With this popularization, research on darts is increasing. It is stated that athletes can do the training they do at any time of the day with a much better performance at a different time, as in many changing conditions. In addition, at a different time of day, fatigue may be reached later or recovery may occur more quickly. For these reasons, knowing the effect of training at different times of the day is important for both the coach and the athlete.

 The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different times of the day on throwing performance in darts, an indoor skill in which focus, attention, concentration are at the forefront and environmental factors are less effective than outdoor skill.

 In this study, 16 dart athletes (8 boys, 8 girls) with a sport age of 2 - 3 years and an age of 12 - 14 years, who did not have any health problems in Mardin province, participated voluntarily: 2 m and 2.37 m from two different distances at 8.00 and 17.00, 1 day apart. Before the dart throws, the Daily Rhythm Determination Scale for Children was administered to the participants. The center of the dartboard was placed at eye level for each subject. After the throws, the Perceived Difficulty Scale was applied. In the analysis examining the relationship between perceived degree of difficulty, morningness-eveningness and throwing, the subjects’ evening throwing scores and evening perceived degree of difficulty scores were examined; a negative and significant relationship was observed in the eveningist group (r = -1, P = 0.01). No significant relationship was observed in the morning group.

 In the study, a statistically significant difference was found between the subjects’ morning and evening throws at 2 m and 2.37 cm. In both morning and evening groups, it was determined that the throwing performance increased in the evening measurements.

 As a result, this study concluded that there is an effect of time of day in dart sport and that dart throws made in the evening give better results than dart throws made in the morning. Based on these results, it is recommended that a program should be made by the coaches considering the school programs and daily routines to reduce the effect of time of day. It is thought that this study will be important for chronobiological researches to reveal the factors affecting performance as well as the effect of time of day in darts sport.

 Anabolic steroids and bodybuilding supplements are products that are readily available in the market and are increasingly being used by young people and athletes. This trend has become a social issue worldwide.

 The purpose of this study is to examine and determine the changes in the prevalence and trends of anabolic steroid usage in Iran.

 This ecological study utilized the Google Trends database as its primary source. Initially, we searched for specific keywords related to "anabolic steroids (AS)", "Body-building supplements (BBS)", and "COVID-19" among all searches conducted using GTs from January 2017 to December 2022. Subsequently, Spearman's correlation coefficient was employed to assess the association between the keywords "AS" and "BBS" with the term "COVID-19" during various years.

 The preference for consuming protein (58.19 ± 15.24) was highest among BBS, while recovery (12.14 ± 17.09) was the lowest. In the case of AS, the highest search frequency was related to Testosterone (56.64 ± 9.57), while the lowest was related to Primobolan (13.72 ± 8.21). In early 2020, we observed a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the inclination to use BBS and AS, leading to a substantial decrease in willingness to use. However, we did not observe a statistically significant correlation between keyword searches for COVID-19 and AS & BBS.

 The trend of AS and BBS usage in Iran is on the rise. The indiscriminate use of supplements is a cause for concern and calls for educational interventions.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has put immense pressure on global health systems, especially developing countries with weaker health systems.

 In the present study, we were looking to see if lifestyle behaviors could predict the severity and recovery duration of COVID-19.

 A total of 1 192 participants between the ages of 18 and 70 years participated voluntarily in a web-based survey. Food pattern and physical activity levels were respectively evaluated using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was also used to evaluate sleep disorders. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The significance level was P ≤ 0.05.

 The findings suggested that patients with lower levels of physical activity, sleep disorders, and unhealthier dietary patterns were affected by more severe COVID-19 and longer recovery time (P ≤ 0.05). We found that physical activity and sleep quality predicted the severity of COVID-19, and physical activity and dietary patterns predicted the recovery time from COVID-19 (P ≤ 0.05).

 In conclusion, lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diets, inactivity, and sleep quality disturbance, affect the severity and duration of COVID-19.

 The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lemon aroma (LA) and music on anaerobic power and balance in athletes following sporting activity. Recognizing the potential influence of sensory stimuli on performance, we sought to contribute valuable insights into optimizing recovery strategies for athletes.

 The primary objective was to assess the effects of LA and music on anaerobic power and balance, employing a comprehensive set of physical fitness factors.

 Twelve male amateur athletes were randomly included in our study. These individuals were given LA, music, and with no supplementation (control) for 72 hours, followed by a standardized recovery phase using a Monarch ergometer, and lactic acid levels were measured after the intervention to assess the physiological effect. Balance analysis covering both static and dynamic conditions was performed using a specialized balance machine. Isometric dynamometer measurements and detailed assessments of Sargent's jumping performance were performed to analyze physical fitness factors.

 Significant differences were observed in balance parameters, with both static balance (SB) and dynamic balance (DB) registering higher values in the control time (P = 0.006; P < 0.001, respectively). Lemon aroma exposure resulted in the highest values for peak power (PP) and relative PP (RPP) (P < 0.001; P < 0.001, respectively). Conversely, in the control time exhibited the lowest values for relative anaerobic power (RAP) and vertical jump (VJ).

 The findings suggest a positive influence of stimulating aroma (lemon) and music elements on sportive performance. Lemon aroma was associated with enhanced anaerobic power, while the control group exhibited superior balance outcomes. These results underscore the potential benefits of incorporating sensory interventions into athletes' recovery protocols for optimized performance.

Inflammatory markers have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and heart failure in the elderly individuals. Resistance exercises are one effective method to manage inflammation in this population.

This meta-analysis aimed to explore the impact of resistance training on inflammatory markers in the elderly.

All randomized controlled clinical trials (from 2004 to 2023) that examined the effect of resistance training on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in individuals over 50 years old were selected through a systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science and SID databases, that out of 600 studies identified, 31 met the inclusion criteria for our analysis. Random and fixed effects models, along with the I2 heterogeneity test, Egger test, and funnel plot, were used to determine publication bias using CMA2 software. The effect size (ES) was reported in terms of the standard mean difference (SMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI).

The meta-analysis results indicated that resistance training significantly reduced CRP (ES = -0.49, 95% CI = -0.34 to -0.64, P = 0.001) and IL-6 (ES = -0.27, 95% CI = -0.41 to -0.13, P = 0.001) levels. However, it did not have a significant effect on TNF-α levels (ES = -0.22, 95% CI = 0.02 to -0.47, P = 0.075). Subgroup analyses revealed that resistance training for more than 16 weeks and a training frequency of three times a week led to a greater decrease in CRP and IL-6 levels in the elderly.

The findings of this meta-analysis suggest a significant decrease in CRP and IL-6 levels in the elderly due to resistance training. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis indicated that higher training volumes (training duration and frequency) result in a greater reduction in these markers' levels. Based on these findings, it is advisable for elderly individuals to consider incorporating resistance training into their regular exercise routines.

 The global COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced athletes worldwide.

 This research aims to investigate the effects of a 4-week aerobic exercise program on athletic performance in both recovered and uninfected COVID-19 athletes during the post-COVID-19 period.

 Fourteen male student-athletes aged 18 - 25 years from Imam Khomeini International University participated in this study. The participants comprised 7 recovered COVID-19 athletes and 7 athletes with no prior COVID-19 infection. The study employed a pre-test/post-test design conducted in 2 phases. During the pre and post-test phases, participants underwent baseline assessments of athletic performance, including maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and anaerobic power. Subsequently, the participants engaged in a 4-week aerobic exercise intervention. Pre- and post-intervention outcomes within groups were compared using paired t-tests, while independent t-tests were utilized for comparisons between the recovered COVID-19 athlete group and the uninfected athlete group.

 Independent t-tests demonstrated significant increases in VO2 max and peak power after 4 weeks of aerobic exercise in both the recovered COVID-19 group (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001) and the uninfected COVID-19 group (P = 0.012, P = 0.001). However, dependent t-tests revealed a significant difference between the recovered COVID-19 group and the uninfected COVID-19 group in the post-test of VO2 max (P = 0.044) and peak power (P = 0.001).

 This study indicates that a 4-week aerobic exercise regimen can improve athletic performance in both recovered and uninfected COVID-19 athletes. However, recovered COVID-19 athletes exhibited a notably slower rate of improvement compared to their uninfected counterparts. Therefore, it is recommended that, in addition to aerobic exercise, recovered athletes integrate supplementary strategies to optimize their return-to-sport timeline and maximize performance recovery.