The Effect of Workplace-Based Sports Participation on the Mental Status of Japanese Workers

Whether workplace-based sports are part of a company’s employee welfare program in terms of mental status is unknown. This study examined the impact of workplace-based sports participation on the mental status of Japanese workers. It involved a single-arm intervention comprising participation in a company’s volleyball team. Data on mental status were collected using a simplified version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Overall, 11 individuals participated, 9 (81.8%) of whom were women;the mean participant age was 38.2 years. Because the intervention was conducted during busy periods, the median (25th and 75th percentiles) score for qualitative job overload significantly increased from 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) to 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) (p = 0.03). Nonetheless, the fatigue score significantly decreased from 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) to 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) (p = 0.03). These results indicate that participation in workplace-based sports can prevent the deterioration of mental status during busy periods.

The Effect of Workplace-Based Sports Participation on the Mental Status of Japanese Workers

Whether workplace-based sports are part of a company’s employee welfare program in terms of mental status is unknown. This study examined the impact of workplace-based sports participation on the mental status of Japanese workers. It involved a single-arm intervention comprising participation in a company’s volleyball team. Data on mental status were collected using a simplified version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Overall, 11 individuals participated, 9 (81.8%) of whom were women;the mean participant age was 38.2 years. Because the intervention was conducted during busy periods, the median (25th and 75th percentiles) score for qualitative job overload significantly increased from 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) to 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) (p = 0.03). Nonetheless, the fatigue score significantly decreased from 3.0 (3.0, 4.3) to 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) (p = 0.03). These results indicate that participation in workplace-based sports can prevent the deterioration of mental status during busy periods.

Regulating Learning Within a Sport Education Program of Physical Education

This study adopts a historical and cultural approach to interactions(Bernié,2012)in order to propose a comparative analysis of the work of physical education(PE)teachers,focusing on team sport specialists and non-specialists and their teaching of handball in a school environment.Our goal is to understand the modes of language employed by teachers in the regulatory phase of the learning process.Our hypothesis is that the sporting specialization of teachers influences their use of language in terms of both form(speech acts)and content.The aim of this study is to use linguistic analysis as a means of better understanding the regulating actions deployed by PE teachers when teaching handball in a French middle school.

Sex differences in injury rates in team-sport athletes:A systematic review and meta-regression analysis

Background:Team-sport players have a particularly high injury risk.Although female sex is considered a risk factor,it is still unknown whether female and male team-sport players,in fact,differ in their injury rates.We aimed to compare injury rates between female and male players by systematically reviewing and meta-analyzing injury surveillance studies of both sexes in order to evaluate sex-specific differences in team-sport injuries.Methods:Studies that prospectively collected injury data for high-level female and male players(age≥16 years)in basketball,field hockey,football(soccer),handball,rugby(union and sevens),and volleyball were included.Two reviewers(AZ and ALR)independently assessed study quality and extracted data for overall,match,training,and severe injuries(>28 days’time loss)as well as data regarding injury locations and types.Incidence rate ratios(IRRs)were pooled in a meta-analysis,and meta-regression analysis was performed when 10 or more studies were available.Results:Of 20 studies,9 studies reported injury data from football,3 studies from rugby,3 studies from handball,1 study from basketball,1 study from field hockey,2 studies from volleyball,and 1 study from basketball and field hockey.For overall injuries,the pooled IRR=0.86(95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.76-0.98)indicated significantly more injuries in male than in female players.For injury location,the pooled IRR showed higher injury rates in male athletes than in female athletes for upper extremity,hip/groin,thigh,ande foot injuries.Female players had a significantly higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries(IRR=2.15,95%CI:1.27-3.62)than male players.No significant sex-specific differences in IRR were found for match,training,severe injuries,concussions,or ankle sprains.Conclusion:Our meta-analysis provides evidence for sex-specific differences in the injury rates in team sports.Further epidemiological studies including both sexes in sports other than football are needed in order to strengthen the evidence.

The effects of plyometric jump training on physical fitness attributes in basketball players:A meta-analysis`

Background:There is a growing body of experimental evidence examining the effects of plyometric jump training(PJT)on physical fitness attributes in basketball players;however,this evidence has not yet been comprehensively and systematically aggregated.Therefore,our objective was to meta-analyze the effects of PJT on physical fitness attributes in basketball players,in comparison to a control condition.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed,Web of Science,and Scopus,up to July 2020.Peer-reviewed controlled trials with baseline and follow-up measurements investigating the effects of PJT on physical fitness attributes(muscle power,i.e.,jumping performance,linear sprint speed,change-of-direction speed,balance,and muscle strength)in basketball players,with no restrictions on their playing level,sex,or age.Hedge’s g effect sizes(ES)were calculated for physical fitness variables.Using a random-effects model,potential sources of heterogeneity were selected,including subgroup analyses(age,sex,body mass,and height)and single training factor analysis(program duration,training frequency,and total number of training sessions).Computation of metaregression was also performed.Results:Thirty-two studies were included,involving 818 total basketball players.Significant(p<0.05)small-to-large effects of PJT were evident on vertical jump power(ES=0.45),countermovement jump height with(ES=1.24)and without arm swing(ES=0.88),squat jump height(ES=0.80),drop jump height(ES=0.53),horizontal jump distance(ES=0.65),linear sprint time across distances≤10 m(ES=1.67)and>10 m(ES=0.92),change-of-direction performance time across distances≤40 m(ES=1.15)and>40 m(ES=1.02),dynamic(ES=1.16)and static balance(ES=1.48),and maximal strength(ES=0.57).The meta-regression revealed that training duration,training frequency,and total number of sessions completed did not predict the effects of PJT on physical fitness attributes.Subgroup analysis indicated greater improvements in older compared to younger players in horizontal jump distance(>17.15 years,ES=2.11;≤17.15 years,ES=0.10;p<0.001),linear sprint time>10 m(>16.3 years,ES=1.83;≤16.3 years,ES=0.36;p=0.010),and change-of-direction performance time≤40 m(>16.3 years,ES=1.65;≤16.3 years,ES=0.75;p=0.005).Greater increases in horizontal jump distance were apparent with>2 compared with≤2 weekly PJT sessions(ES=2.12 and ES=0.39,respectively;p<0.001).Conclusion:Data from 32 studies(28 of which demonstrate moderate-to-high methodological quality)indicate PJT improves muscle power,linear sprint speed,change-of-direction speed,balance,and muscle strength in basketball players independent of sex,age,or PJT program variables.However,the beneficial effects of PJT as measured by horizontal jump distance,linear sprint time>10 m,and change-of-direction performance time≤40 m,appear to be more evident among older basketball players.

Visual function,performance,and processing of basketball players vs.sedentary individuals

Background:Athletes tend to have better visuo-motor performance than do sedentary individuals.However,several basic visual-function and perceptual parameters remain unexplored to date.In this study,we investigated whether differences exist in visual function,performance,and processing between basketball players and individuals without a sport-involvement background.Methods:A total of 33 healthy men with no visual impairment or pathology were divided into 2 groups,depending on the involvement in sport(semi-professional basketball players and sedentary individuals).We tested their baseline heart-rate variability in the resting position apart from subjective questionnaires to determine their physical fitness level,and we checked their visual function,performance,and processing through an extended battery of optometric tests.Results:The 2 groups differed in resting heart-rate variability parameters(p<0.001),confirming their dissimilarities in regular time practising sports per week.The basketball players showed a closer breakpoint and recovery nearpoint of convergence,a higher fusional-vergence rate,better discriminability halos,and better eye-hand coordination(all p values<0.05).Conclusion:These results show evidence that athletes,basketball players in this case,exhibit better performance in several visual abilities in comparison to a group of individuals without sporting backgrounds,suggesting an improvement due to the systematic involvement of those skills during basketball practice.

Defensive pressure affects basketball technical actions but not the time-motion variables

Background: Novel player tracking technologies can change the understanding of performance determinants in team sports by allowing to accurately measuring the activity demands. The aim of this study was to identify how the defensive pressure affects the time-motion variables and the technical actions in basketball.Methods: Twenty international male players(age: 16.05 ± 2.09 years, weight: 73.13 ± 8.10 kg, height: 183.10 ± 5.88 cm) played two 10 min basketball quarters, where they used a man-to-man 1/4-court defense until the 4th min(F1/4), changed to man-to-man full court(FULL) for 3 min and, from the 7th to the 10 th min returned to 1/4-court defense(S1/4). A computerized notational analysis was performed using Simi Scout and positional data were captured with the Ubisense Real Time Location System(mean sampling rate 3.74 ± 0.45 Hz per transmitter/player).Results: The time-motion variables presented similar results between defensive conditions, showing a total distance covered around 90 m/min.However, results suggested possible vertical jump impairments in S1/4 periods. There was more distance covered while jogging in the offensive court(38.15 ± 12.17 m/min offensive court vs. 32.94 ± 10.84 m/min defensive court, p < 0.05) and more distance covered while running in the defensive court(16.41 ± 10.27 m/min offensive court vs. 19.56 ± 10.29 m/min defensive court, p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest how to improve task representativeness during specific conditioning or game-based training situations and also to help coaches' strategic decisions during the games.

An Efficient and Enjoyable Way for Physical Fitness Development among Women at Midlife

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Newcomb ball (also known by the name of catchball) training on the physical fitness of women at midlife. One hundred and eighteen women, aged 29 - 45 yrs, were assigned to an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG), and completed two similar sets of tests before and after seven months of training. The EG performed two Newcomb ball training sessions per week that included technical and tactical drills with and without the ball, small sided games and full games at different variations. The CG remained non-active throughout the seven months. Leg power, arm power, agility, speed, and aerobic scores were significantly higher for the EG compared to the CG at baseline (p < 0.001 for all). EG showed significant training-related improvement in arm power (5.3 ± 0.9 vs 5.6 ± 0.9 m), agility (10.68 ± 0.95 vs 10.37 ± 0.89 sec), speed (4.11 ± 0.45 vs 4.01 ± 0.33 sec), and aerobic fitness (563 ± 328 vs 680 ± 378 m) (ES = 0.45 – 0.61, p < 0.001 for all), while no significant changes, except for a significant increase in arm power (ES = 0.42, p < 0.05), were found for the CG in any of the other fitness variables. The findings indicate that amateur Newcomb ball training can be used as an efficient and enjoyable tool for fitness development among midlife women.

Monitoring Competition Jump Load in Division I Female Collegiate Volleyball Athletes

Aim Tracking competition jump data provides a practical approach for assessing external load in volleyball.Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze competition jump load in collegiate volleyball players.Methods Data from nine National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)Division I female volleyball players from the 2018 and 2019 competitive seasons were analyzed.Jumps were individually assigned,time-stamped,and recorded for height.Jump count and rate overall and at low,moderate,high,and maximal intensities were calculated.One-way ANOVAs were used to assess the variance in mean jump height from all jumps(HT_(all))and top five jump heights from each match(HTtop5)across positions(middle blocker vs.outside hitter vs.right-side hitter),timepoint in season(early vs.mid-vs.late),match length(3-vs.4-vs.5-set match),and Friday/Sunday matches and two-way ANOVAs were used to analyze jump count and rate differences across intensities.Results Significant differences in HTall and HTtop5 across positions(P<0.001)were shown.Main effects were found for jump count and rate by position(P<0.001)and for jump count by match length(P<0.001).Significant intensity×position interactions for jump count and rate by position(P<0.001)and by timepoint(P<0.01)and jump count by match length(P<0.001)were found.No statistically significant variance was observed in HTall or HTtop5 based on timepoint(P>0.05),HTall,HTtop5,or jump rate by match length(P>0.05),or HTall,HTtop5,jump count,or jump rate between Friday/Sunday matches(P>0.05).Conclusion Significant differences in competition jump height and load exist in NCAA Division I female volleyball players.Jump load alterations during training sessions may be warranted to maximize athlete readiness and performance.

Changes in markers of body composition of professional male soccer players during pre-season

To evaluate changes achieved in whole-body and regional(upper limbs,lower limbs,and trunk)estimates of body composition,twenty professional male soccer players(7 defenders,7 midfielders,6 forwards)underwent dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry(DXA)analysis at the beginning and end of pre-season.Measures included:mass,fat mass(FM),fat-free mass(FFM),and body fat per cent(BF%).Players’activity during on-field training sessions was monitored using Global Positioning System(GPS)units,with GPS data used to obtain estimations of energy expenditure(EE).Whole-body mass remained unchanged across the pre-season.Moderate significant increases and decreases were achieved in whole-body FFM(Pre:59.58±5.27 kg;Post:60.61±5.18 kg;p=0.001;d=0.87)and FM(Pre:10.60±1.88 kg;Post:9.56±1.81 kg;p=0.001;d=0.85),respectively.Moderate significant decreases were achieved in whole-body BF%(Pre:14.4±2.3%;Post:12.9±2.0%;p<0.001;d=0.94).No significant inter-positional differences were observed for the changes achieved in any global or regional estimate of body composition.Total EE was significantly correlated withΔFM(r=0.65,p=0.002),ΔFFM(r=0.46,p=0.03),andΔBF%(r=0.67,p=0.002).The total EE of pre-season training accounted for 42%,21%,and 45%of the variance inΔFM,ΔFFM,andΔBF%,respectively.These findings suggest that the pre-season period is a suitable time for initiating favourable alterations in body composition following the off-season in elite soccer players.