Annals of Applied Sport Science
Volume:6 Issue: 3, Autumn 2018

The determination of the genetic endowment of athletic performance in sports is an important step in developing personal training sessions or nutritional supplements for success in sports. Information about the genetic parameters responsible for these metabolisms will help sport’s scientist to develop new insights for better performance. Muscle metabolism is one of the key points in better personal athletic performance.

The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme (MTHFR) rs1801133 (C677T) genotype and allele distribution in a Turkish professional cyclist cohort.

There were 25 Turkish cyclists enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood used for DNA isolation and the conventional polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR- RFLP) methodology were used for genotyping.

There were 14 (56%), 10 (40%) and 1 (4%) cyclist who had CC, CT, and TT genotypes, respectively. C allele was counted as 38 (76%), and T alleles as 12 (24%). 9 (50%) of the male cyclist had CC, 8 (44.4%) had CT and only 1 had TT (5.6%) genotypes. C allele was counted as 26 (72.2%), and the T allele as 10 (27.8%) in the male cyclists. In the females, the respective genotypes for CC and CT were 5 (71.4%) and 2 (28.6%). C allele was counted as 12 (85.7%) and T allele as 2 (14.3%).

In our cohort, both of the two genders, the CC genotype and C allele were found to be higher when compared to the other genotypes and T allele. Larger prospective studies focusing on the influence of MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism in athletic performance are required for confirmation of our findings.

Most studies related to the effect of Ramadan fasting on aerobic and anaerobic performances found in the literature were concerned with individual sports; even studies on team sports were mostly dedicated to football, and none of those studies were involved basketball competitions.

This field investigation examined the effects of a training program in the basics of small-sided games (SSGs) and repeated sprint ability (RSA) during Ramadan observance (R) and a month after Ramadan (AR) (control month)on aerobic and (chr('39')chr('39')anaerobicchr('39')chr('39')) performances in fasting basketball players.

Sixteen basketball players (age, 23.4 ± 2.3 years; height, 1.86 ± .09 m; body mass, 78.3±11.0 kg; and VO2max, 51.0 ± 2.7 ml.min-1.kg-1) performed two training programs (SSG and RSA) during R and AR, interrupted by fifteen days of total recovery, and were randomly allocated into two groups (GSSG, n=8 and GRSA, n=8). RSA parameters, mean heart rate (HR), and aerobic performances were measured on four occasions: before (P1) and after (P2) R and before (P’1) and after (P’2) AR.

The results have shown that RSA and Ramadan show no significant differences in aerobic and anaerobic performances when compared with SSG and non-Ramadan in senior basketball players. However, there was a significant difference in mean HR (p=0.03) between groups when comparing R and AR for GSSG.

This study indicated that Ramadan fasting combined with SSG and RSA training has no significant effect on most aerobic and anaerobic performances in male senior basketball players.

Body adaptations and the high level of achievement in different sporting fields depend on the degree of fitness and training. Hence, it is important for basketball players to have suitable body fitness for tactics and skill performance.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of selective plyometric exercises using an unstable surface on the movement performance of female basketball players.

In this pre-/post-designed clinical trial, the subjects were selected from among qualified female basketball players (n=24) having a history of two-year regular specialized training in a team considered as elite. They were randomly assigned into two, experiment (age: 20.25±2.34, training history: 2.55±0.29, and BMI: 23.28±0.93) and control (age: 21.16±2.79, training history: 2.60±0.75, and BMI: 24.80±1.04) groups. The experiment group performed for eight weeks (three sessions each week with a duration of 80 min/session) progressive plyometric exercises on an unstable surface. The assessment of dependent variables was performed using functional movement screening and the star excursion balance test. The results of the control and experiment groups were compared using multivariate covariance and post hoc Bonferroni test, while the pre- and post-test results were compared using the dependent t-test at a significance level of (p<0.05).

Comparing the results between the groups through the functional movement screening test and dynamic balance showed a significant difference. An improvement was seen in the results of relevant tests for the experiment group (p<0.001).

The use of progressive plyometric exercise on an unstable surface shows an improvement in the results of the functional movement screening test and movement performance. This, in turn, results in an improvement in exercise performance.

Mental skills are defined as a set of trainable mental abilities and methods that are held to underpin successful learning and performance.

The aim of the present research was to study and compare the mental skills of adolescent elite and competitive volleyball and soccer players.

The sample consisted of 100 players (54 elite soccer, 13 elite volleyball, 18 competitive soccer and 15 competitive volleyball) selected via a purposive sampling method. Data were collected using the Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool-2 (OMSAT-2).

Elite and competitive volleyball players had higher scores for stress reactions than elite soccer players. In addition, elite soccer players had more self-confidence than competitive soccer and volleyball players. Also, competitive volleyball players had higher levels of fear than elite soccer players. There were no other significant differences in mental skills between soccer and volleyball players.

It seems that adolescent volleyball players stand in more immediate need of learning strategies for coping with stress, fear and self-confidence management than soccer players. Results are discussed in terms of an athlete’s levels, the nature and characteristics of the sport and choking during performance.

Previous studies have shown that postural stability can be enhanced by directing performers’ attention to the effects of their movements (external focus), rather than to the body movements producing the effect (internal focus).

This study aimed to investigate the effects of attentional focus and a Supra postural task on postural control in older adults.

The study method involved the focus of attention which was manipulated by instructing subjects to hold a glass full of water while focusing on either hand or glass. The center of pressure (COP) tests were performed on the participants in the following four conditions: baseline, control, the external focus of attention (EFA), and the internal focus of attention (IFA). Balance assessment and training were conducted using the Biodex Stability System (BSS).

Analysis of variance with repeated measures showed that attentional focus affected both the postural and the supra-postural task (p<0.05). Also, the results of independent t-test showed that no significant difference existed between internal-external focus conditions (p<0.05).

This study suggests that application of automatic control processes can be facilitated by simply directing performers’ attention away from their own movements.

Choisir de Gagner is a Quebec (Canada) company associated to AlterGo and Défi sportif. Its mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle for youth with disabilities.

This article analyzes this organization, especially its strengths and weaknesses of its environments.

The study took place over a three-year period, from 2012-2015. The first two data collections (2012-2013 and 2013-2014) aimed at analyzing the organization’s internal components. In reference to these results, the third collection’s goal (2015) was to analyze the transfer of knowledge that was developed during the organization’s mandate.

Moreover, following the first data collection, a few weaknesses were identified regarding time management and the decision-making process. With regard to these results, certain adjustments were made in the organization which have led to a considerable improvement if we rely on the results from the second data collection. At the end of the article, the organization’s external communication is specifically examined by an analysis of the transfer of knowledge. Several tools have been elaborated by the organization between 2012 and 2015.

The main issues with respect to these tools are the respect and follow-up of each stage of the transfer process in order to ensure its sustainability.

Building strong brands has become a marketing priority for many organizations. The brand is an important criterion for the marketing situation. Power of brand effects on customer maintenance, financial benefit, brand broadening, and rivalry advantages… and is a concept, which was made by the consumer. The presumption is that building a strong brand yields a number of marketing advantages.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the strong brand questionnaire among the consumers of sports products.

The questionnaires were administrated to 340 customers. The psychometric properties were determined based on the appropriate statistical methods.

The results obtained from the factor analysis via varimax rotation indicated the five factors of the strong brand scale, The relationship between 4 scales on the first scale were more than 0.49, 4 scales on the second scale were more than 0.46, and 4 on the third scale were more than 0.57, 5 scales on the fourth scale were more than 0.33, and 6 scales on the fifth scale were more than 0.35, which later fitted the confirmatory factor analysis. According to conformity indicators for brand strength, the first factor was brand development, the second factor was brand identity, and brand image, brand personality and brand equity respectively were the third to fifth factors. The reliability coefficients of the internal consistency including Cronbach’s alpha was satisfactory for elements and factors (0.859).

According to the estimated psychometric properties, this instrument can be used by the researchers in order to assess the achievement goals orientations among the sports product’s customer.

“Sport for all” is associated with the heart of the community and aims to spread joy and happiness, boost morale, increase motivation, promote healthy individual and social life, reduce family and social abnormalities, strengthen physical power, and eliminate mental problems for all people, including men and women, and old and young people.

This study aims to evaluate the pathology of the policy-making process in sport for all in Iran.

The methodology of this study utilized an applied mixed-method study. The population of the study consisted of executives and experts of sports for all in Iran. In the qualitative study, by using targeted and criterion sampling methods, 16 subjects were selected as a sample. Data was collected by conducting interviews. Then, the data from the interviews by Streubert and Carpenter’s method (2011) were coded and analyzed. In the quantitative study, the samples were selected by using a simple random sampling method; the data was collected by using a questionnaire that was extracted from qualitative research. Data analysis in this section was performed by using the SPSS software and the Friedman test.

In the qualitative study, the findings showed that the organizational components, beliefs and cultures, economic conditions, scientific analysis and interpretation of studies, and research were factors that affected the policy-making process of sport for all in Iran. The existing weaknesses of the policy-making process in sport for all in Iran included weak control and monitoring, weak structure, weak planning and execution, weak performance of media, limited financial resources, weak performance of human resources, rules, and limited partnership of academic and research centers.

In general, the findings showed that the policy-making process for sport for all in Iran was associated with certain weaknesses and challenges; they must be recognized and modified based on scientific methods. Strengthening the close communication between the individuals responsible, policy-making organizations, and universities in the field have been suggested.