Using a single-group pre-post design, this study examined the short-term effects of a mesocycle focused on plyometrics conducted alongside the team’s usual strength training on squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and drop jump (DJ) performance in competitive taekwondo athletes. Ten male athletes (19.57 ± 0.98 years) completed an 8-week program during the general preparation phase; strength work proceeded as part of the team routine and was not investigator-controlled or logged. Pre-post testing quantified jump height in SJ, CMJ, and DJ using a validated optical system. Reactive metrics (ground contact time [GCT] and the reactive strength index [RSI]) were obtained for the DJ only. Paired-samples analyses showed short-term improvements in jump height across tests: SJ (pre: 38.13 ± 4.69 cm; post: 41.97 ± 5.01 cm; +10.1%), CMJ (pre: 40.93 ± 5.86 cm; post: 44.50 ± 6.25 cm; +8.7%), and DJ (pre: 32.77 ± 4.96 cm; post: 36.21 ± 4.00 cm; +10.5%). In the DJ, improvements included greater jump height and shorter GCT, which together yielded a higher RSI, indicating enhanced fast stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) execution. These findings suggest that, within an ecologically valid combined-practice context, a short plyometric mesocycle may support near-term gains in jump performance, with reactive strength benefits evident in the DJ. Causal inference is limited because strength training occurred concurrently and was not controlled.

In conventional inverse dynamics analyses of the human body, the locations of the centre of pressure (COP) of external forces acting on the body segments are necessary to solve problems. In the analysis of baseball throwing, the location of the COP of the forces acting from the baseball on the palm and/or fingers remains unclear, and the centre of mass (COM) of the ball may be fixed at a point in the hand until ball release: at the COM or third metacarpal joint of the hand, for instance. This study aimed to investigate possible errors of the muscle flexion torque at the wrist joint due to an assumption that a ball is fixed at the COM of the hand until ball release in baseball throwing. Seven male collegiate baseball players each threw a baseball with their supreme effort at a target in a laboratory. The markers attached to the throwing arm and ball were captured at 500 fps with eight cameras of a motion capture system. Wrist muscle flexion torques were determined using an inverse dynamics analysis, which does not necessitate the COP location, under the following two conditions: an actual ball position and motion were considered (C1), and the COM of the ball was fixed at the COM of the hand until the release (C2). The torque determined under C1 was significantly different from (p < 0.001) and larger than that determined under C2 at the same sampling time for 0.038 s immediately before the release for each participant. Thus, kinematic information of the actual ball and analysis could be important and useful for elucidating the wrist joint mechanics in baseball throwing. This study comprehensively discusses the reasons for the differences between the results determined under C1 and C2.

This study examined the effects of Continuous Training Technique (CTT) and One Time Training (OTT) on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and body fat percentage (%BF) among youth (20 - 30 years) and adults (31 - 40 years) in a Ghanaian keep-fit club. The 12-week quasi-experimental study included 64 participants divided into CTT (3 times/week) and OTT (once/week) groups. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were analyzed using paired t-tests. Both protocols significantly reduced all health markers in youth and adults, with varying effectiveness. CTT led to greater reductions in DBP and %BF for both age groups. OTT was more effective in reducing SBP for youth, while CTT had a greater impact on adults. HR reductions were similar between protocols for youth, but CTT was more effective for adults. The study concludes that while both CTT and OTT provide health benefits, their effectiveness depends on age and the physiological parameter targeted. These findings support tailoring exercise prescriptions to optimize health outcomes for different age groups. Future research should explore the long-term sustainability of these improvements and underlying age-related differences in response to exercise.

This study explored how participating in physical activities influences the social adjustment of college freshmen, focusing on the role of perceived social support and the chain effects of cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience. A survey was conducted with 1,061 college freshmen from Zhejiang Province using five scales: the Physical Activity Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Cognitive Reappraisal Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Social Adjustment Capacity Scale. The results showed that physical activity positively enhances social adjustment, with cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience serving as mediators. Additionally, perceived social support was found to strengthen this chain-mediated relationship. This research provides new perspectives on the link between physical activity and social adjustment in college freshmen and offers practical suggestions for improving physical education programs.

Promoting the high-quality development of public services for national fitness is an essential measure to meet the people’s growing need for a better life. The literature review and theoretical analysis are used in this paper to analyze issues hindering the high-quality development of national fitness public services in China, including structural contradictions between supply and demand, unbalanced regional development, and insufficient levels of digital and smart service integration. On this basis, optimization pathways are put forward for advancing the high-quality development of national fitness public services.

The Chinese sports spirit is the essence of China formed in the process of promoting the development of the sports cause, and is the living soul of leading the high-quality development of China’s sports cause. To study the ideological source and historical characteristics of Chinese sports spirit. The research thinks: in the centennial practice of Chinese sports under the leadership of the Party, the Chinese sports spirit integrates cultural creation, cultural inheritance and cultural exchange, deeply shows the ideological understanding of the Chinese sports practice subject, the nutrition of the Chinese excellent culture and the essence of the western modern sports culture; in the new era, the Chinese sports spirit reflects the people, times, nationality, coordination and world, become the people as the center, the spirit of direction, highlighting the spiritual orientation of cultural confidence, comprehensive and coordinated development and the spirit of the world.

The present study examined: a) The abuse experiences in a sample of athletes with disabilities in Greece; b) The athletes’ physical self-perceptions and their respective association with the incidence of abuse experiences; c) The influence of certain demographic factors (e.g. gender, type of disability) on both abuse experiences and physical self-perceptions. The Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) and the Interpersonal Violence against Children in Sport (IViS) were used. Both scales have been used and validated worldwide. A total of 58 Greek athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments were selected to collect data on the three types of abuse experience (IViS) and the seven factors of the physical self-perception profile (PSPP). The two scales were further administered to a control sample of 56 non-disabled University students in the School of Physical Education and Sport Science, at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). The University students were regularly involved in physical activity and were perceived as control athletes. Contrary to the expectations, the analyses revealed no significant differences between athletes with and without disabilities in terms of abuse experiences or physical self-perceptions, indicating more similarities than differences between the groups. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed no significant association between abuse experience and physical self-perception. However, gender and disability type influenced abuse outcomes: females and individuals with visual impairments reported higher levels of abuse experiences compared to males and those with physical disabilities. The present findings may provide valuable insights for safeguarding persons with disability within the sports sector. They further underscore the need for organizations, coaches, and policymakers to establish inclusive, protective environments in sports for athletes with and without disabilities.

Accelerating the development of new quality-efficiency productive forces in China’s sports industry is crucial for gaining developmental initiative and shaping new competitive advantages in the sector. Through literature review and logical analysis, this study thoroughly examines the contemporary demands, strategic significance, and pathway selection for advancing such productive forces. Findings indicate that accelerating this development not only represents a key direction for promoting high-quality growth in the sports economy but also serves as a vital cornerstone for accelerating the construction of a sports powerhouse. This research holds significant importance: it can effectively propel the high-quality development of the sports industry while also contributing to the construction of a modern sports industry system. In the new era and on the new journey, accelerating the development of new quality and efficiency productivity in China’s sports industry requires following these pathways: ensuring policy support for the sports industry to establish a new development pattern for quality and efficiency productivity; leveraging technological innovation in the sports industry as a key driver to create a new engine for the development of quality and efficiency productivity.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate lecturers’ opinions about the university physical education student-teachers’ pedagogical preparation for inclusive practical teaching. 15 lecturers who were purposively selected from two universities in Ghana formed the sample size. A researcher designed closed ended questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics of means and standard deviations with results presented in tables and graphs. The study’s findings revealed a concerning trend in the pedagogical preparation of student-teachers for inclusive Physical Education (PE) in Ghanaian Universities. A significant proportion of practical course lecturers (46.7%) believed that student-teachers are not adequately equipped to adapt equipment for inclusive PE, suggesting a gap in the preparatory programme in the universities. Furthermore, majority of the practical course lecturers (53.3%) rarely provided student-teachers with alternative instructional strategies and adaptation skills for inclusive practical PE. This oversight is compounded by the fact that most lecturers (73.3%) felt that the pedagogy they provide was insufficient for student-teachers to successfully include Students with Disabilities (SWDs) in their practical PE lessons. The study recommends that critical measures should be taken by the two universities to revamp their training programs to ensure student-teachers are well prepared to adapt equipment and instructional strategies for inclusive PE teaching.

This paper takes the application of virtual simulation experiment teaching in track and field teaching of physical education in universities as the theme and adopts literature data and logical analysis methods. Through the analysis of the current situation of track and field referee teaching, it reveals the shortage of theoretical knowledge, experimental equipment and field, insufficient practical ability and single teaching methods. On this basis, through a brief introduction of track and field virtual simulation experiment experimental principle, experimental method, evaluation method, and experimental characteristics, further explore the teaching efficiency, teaching method innovation, traditional teaching supplement and development, teaching evaluation and feedback potential value, elaborated the track and field virtual simulation experiment in track and field teaching application value. At the same time, this paper analyzes the problems existing in the practical application of virtual simulation experiment teaching in track and field, such as the lack of virtual experiment situations and the lack of teamwork teaching activities. It provides some enlightenment and reference for the future combination of virtual simulation experiment teaching and track and field teaching in China.