Competitive Sporting Events Research Articles

Public relations strategy in a Japanese college tennis team during COVID-19: Factors for joining the team

The spread of the novel coronavirus infection that began in 2020 has forced the cancellation of many competitive sports events. This has made it difficult for college sports teams to recruit top athletes at athletic venues and has also forced the cancellation of face-to-face recruiting activities for general freshmen. Under these unprecedented circumstances, online publicity strategies have become particularly important. In this study, we attempted to analyze the effectiveness of the public relations strategy of the Y tennis team of K University by focusing on the factors that were decisive in new students’ decisions to join the team. The results showed that the decisive factors were “enriched practice environment” and “compatibility with academic work.” It was also found that approximately 40% of the new members decided to join the team after receiving information on Twitter and participating in online information sessions. In this paper, we propose effective public relations strategies while drawing actual examples from public relations strategies in practice.

Good performance-high attractiveness effect: an empirical study on the association between athletes’ rankings and their facial attractiveness

ABSTRACT Face attractiveness has been found to play an important role in human evolution, possibly because highly attractive faces were more likely to be associated with good health and reproductive ability. It is important to explore the association between athletic performance and face attractiveness of the world-class elite athletes to further understand the dominance of physical fitness of facial features in competitive sporting events environment. In this study, Experiment 1, Experiment 2, and Experiment 3 investigated the association between facial attractiveness scores and athletic performance in the conditions of absence of sports information, with sports information, and real-time measurement during the Tokyo Olympics, respectively. Experiment 4 further explored the variations in facial features of athletes in different sports through the sport judgment task. It was found that athletes with better performance were considered more attractive, demonstrating the existence of the good performance-high attractiveness effect. Female athletes showed a good performance-high attractiveness effect in the 3-meter diving and floor exercises, which emphasised fine control and aesthetics. Male athletes had the similar effect in the 100-meter sprint, although it was not so robust as the female athletes. Compared with triathlon, high attractiveness was considered to be the facial feature that floor exercise athletes should have. In conclusion, this study found that sports performance can be reflected in face attractiveness, and that different skill related physical fitness requirements have different performance patterns in face attractiveness, providing new evidence for the evolutionary theory of facial attractiveness.

Core body temperature responses during competitive sporting events: A narrative review.

Due to the lack of research in real-world sports competitions, the International Olympic Committee, in 2012, called for data characterising athletes' sport and event-specific thermal profiles. Studies clearly demonstrate that elite athletes often attain a core body temperature (Tc) ≥ 40°C without heat-related medical issues during competition. However, practitioners, researchers and ethical review boards continue to cite a Tc ≥ 40°C (and lower) as a threshold where athlete health is impacted (an assumption from laboratory studies). Therefore, this narrative review aims to: (i) summarise and review published data on Tc responses during competitive sport and identify key considerations for practitioners; (ii) establish the incidence of athletes experiencing a Tc ≥ 40°C in competitive sport alongside the incidence of heat illness/heat stroke (EHI/EHS) symptoms; and (iii) discuss the evolution of Tc measurement during competition. The Tc response is primarily based on the physical demands of the sport, environmental conditions, competitive level, and athlete disability. In the reviewed research, 11.9% of athletes presented a Tc ≥ 40°C, with only 2.8% of these experiencing EHI/EHS symptoms, whilst a high Tc ≥ 40°C (n = 172; Tc range 40-41.5°C) occurred across a range of sports and environmental conditions (including some temperate environments). Endurance athletes experienced a Tc ≥ 40°C more than intermittent athletes, but EHI/EHS was similar. This review demonstrates that a Tc ≥ 40°C is not a consistently meaningful risk factor of EHI/EHS symptomology in this sample; therefore, Tc monitoring alongside secondary measures (i.e. general cognitive disturbance and gait disruption) should be incorporated to reduce heat-related injuries during competition.

Gastrointestinal bleeding in athletes.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (GIB) in athletes has previously been reported in several studies, as an important factor of underperformance in competitive sports events. Yet it is still underreported, partly because it is usually occult and self-limited soon after the effort. It can originate in either the upper or the lower GI tract and can be proportionally related to the amount and duration of effort. Key pathophysiological factors seem to include splanchnic hypoperfusion, mechanical trauma of the GI wall, and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Appropriate nutrition, hydration and regulation of exercise, along with substances such as arginine and citrulline can relieve upper and lower GI symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, and possibly hemorrhage. Cessation of NSAIDs, use of proton pump inhibitors and H2-receptor-antagonists, as well as "training" the gut, also seem to be effective in reducing the incidence of GIB in athletes. Maintenance of hemodynamic stability and identification of the source of bleeding are key elements in the management of this condition. Endoscopy might be necessary for both. GIB should not be immediately attributed to endurance exercise, and endoscopy should always be performed to rule out other existing pathology.

The effects of the basic meso-cycle of the general preparation period on the improvement of long jump performance and fitness level

One of the most competitive sports events is long jump event. Most of the athletes prioritize performance over fitness level. The aim of the study was to increase an athlete's long jump performance and overall fitness. This article describes how to determine and implement training loads for the athlete. An athlete who had stopped participating in sport was selected and his fitness components were assessed at baseline performance. Utilizing baseline data, an annual plan was created, and the training load was thoroughly evaluated. The athlete received the first meso-cycle for eight weeks. The same test was again given following the eight-week training course in order to assess his current performance and compare it to his baseline performance. Performance on the pretest and posttest was compared. The subject was an amateur athlete at the Sabaragamuwa University in Sri Lanka. Through this training program, the participants' initial performance was improved by 1.6%, 2.9%, 1.8%, 12.5%, 14.2%, 17.3%, 20%, and 8.6%, respectively, in the 30m acceleration test, leg elastic strength, standing board jump, upper body strength test, lower body strength test, sit up test, sit and reach test, and vertical jump test. The results indicate that the introduced approach should be utilized to determine the training load, and this mesocycle can be used by beginner and intermediate athletes throughout their initial period of preparation.

Research on the influence of psychological quality on the level of athletes' competition and the training approach

In competitive sports events, the competitive ability, psychological quality and mental state of athletes are all important factors that affect the performance of athletes. However, on the basis of the equal strength of the athletes, having good psychological quality is the key to optimize the state, strengthen the strength and win the competition. It can be seen that having good psychological quality is particularly important for athletes in the event. This article first starts with the characteristics of athletes' psychological quality, and understands the influence of self-confidence, reaction ability, concentration and thinking on athletes' psychological quality. Then it analyzes the reasons that affect the mental state of athletes from multiple angles, summarizes the impact of internal and external factors on athletes, and analyzes the significance of psychological quality training on this basis. Finally, it puts forward the methods of training athletes' psychological quality.

Relative age effect presence among swimmers within Youth Olympic Games

Purpose: Swimming is one of the oldest activities known to man. In the context of sports performance, swimmers became a subject of admiration due to their superior technique and untouchable records. However, such a tendency toward the absolute results increases the danger of Relative Age effect (RAE) occurrence within swimming. Methods: Therefore, the authors of this research aimed to enlighten the possible existence of RAE in swimming during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2018. Data were retrieved through the web source, and afterward analyzed through the Chisquare test. Results: Results revealed there is an unequal distribution of four generations within the same competition age (youth) category The great value of the Chi-square test (χ2= 289.869; P= .000) indicates the (enormous) magnitude of the effect occurring within the analyzed competition. The youngest 2003 generation was present at less than 10% (7.15%) while the oldest one (2000) represents almost half (42.55%) of the overall sample. Conclusions: Managers of competitive sports events should pay attention to this issue because there is up to four years of difference between some competitors, and that system may include both pre-pubertal and post-pubertal competitors in the same age category. Youth categories, especially cadets in early pubertal stages are being affected. The authors suggest that the separation of this youth category into more than one would be of much help for athletes and sports organizations to ensure more fair competition system. Keywords: talent identification, youth Olympics, RAE, swimming, YOG.

Current Status of Sports Behavior among Competitive Athletes: Input to Proposed Regulatory Program to Address the Issue of Misconduct among Athletes

With the continuous development of competitive sports events, more and more moral misconduct behaviors in sports competitions are constantly emerging, which deeply affects the moral values of competitive sports and hinders the normal development of competitive sports. This article uses research methods such as literature review, interviews, and logical analysis to gather information on moral misconduct in sports competitions, explore the moral misconduct of athletes in sports competitions, summarize the main manifestations of existing moral misconduct in sports competitions at the level of competitive sports, use exploratory factor analysis to identify various dimensions of moral misconduct, analyze its internal reasons, and propose corresponding countermeasures and suggestions, In order to provide reasonable opinions or suggestions to avoid the occurrence of moral misconduct by athletes in sports competitions, and promote the healthy and orderly development of competitive sports.

Men's sexual behavior during sports tourism

ABSTRACT Although Both sport and sex tourism have been studied extensively in recent decades, until now, no research has been devoted to the sexual behavior of sports tourists. This article seeks to present an initial perspective on the phenomenon and to examine the behavior and characteristics of sports tourists’ sexual behavior when vacationing abroad. To this end, the research adopted a qualitative approach that entailed interviewing 22 young Israeli sports fans who traveled overseas with friends to attend competitive sporting events. Three main themes emerge from the findings of the study: the dynamics of being on vacation as a catalyst for sexual behavior; the individual tourist’s circumstances and his willingness to take an active role in the group’s activities; and the attitude of the tourists toward women and the sex industry. Two main conclusions emerge from the findings. The first is that group dynamics and free time beyond attending sporting events constitute a key component in shaping the tourist’s sexual behavior. The second is the perceived legitimacy of attending sporting events as a trigger for gender-based tourism.

Comparative study of strength and flexibility of gymnastics and Mallakhamb players of age 11 and 12 years

Basic Gymnastics and Mallakhamb both competitive sporting events are being used as activities to develop fitness components since very long time. Gymnastics involves more space, equipments and variety of movements whereas in Mallakhamb various yogic postures and movements are performed only on a single wooden pole which requires very less space and some mats for safety. The researcher has carried comparative study of developments of motor components strength and flexibility. For the study total 60 novice players (30 from each discipline) of age 11 and 12 of each discipline were selected as samples from five various Cenetrs within state of Maharashtra. It was hypothesized that there will be no significant difference in strength and flexibility in Gymnastics and Mallakhamb players of age 11 and 12 years. Medicine ball throw and bend and reach tests were used as standardized tests to collect data. Mean standard deviation and t- test was applied for statistical findings and draw conclusions. From the statistical treatments it was concluded that there was a significant difference in strength and flexibility in Gymnastics and Mallakhamb players. Hence hypotheses were rejected.

The Conception of Application of Computer Virtual Reality Technology in Sports Training

In recent years, with the rapid development of the economy and the rapid progress of science and technology, computer technology has also made great progress, and the computing power of the computer has been improved unprecedentedly. The progress of computer technology has also brought technological innovation and new human-computer interaction experience, and a large number of frontier technology has emerged in the field of computer. Virtual reality technology is one of the outstanding representatives. At present, virtual reality technology has been applied in many industries and has played an important role. Athletic sports will also be promoted by the spirit of “science and technology to serve the Olympic Games” of the State Sports Administration. Among them, all kinds of advanced sports science and technology, including virtual reality technology, will also penetrate the daily training and scientific research of competitive sports, and provide scientific and technological support for coaches and athletes in various sports to create better results. Therefore, this paper will focus on the advantages of virtual reality technology, and study the possibility of combining virtual reality technology with the training of many competitive sports events. So as to promote the development of the physical education industry, bring fundamental changes, and promote the progress of sports in China.

Clinical outcomes in adult athletes with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a 7-year follow-up study

ObjectiveCurrent guidelines recommend precautionary disqualification from competitive sports in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We assessed the incidence of cardiovascular events in a cohort of patients with HCM engaged in...

The intersubjective accomplishment of power by medical professionals within unregulated combat sports

The lack of power experienced by medical professionals working in various sport settings has been consistently evidenced by sociologists researching the provision of medical care to athletes. In this paper, which focuses on the work of medical professionals within unregulated combat sports in England, we extend this discussion by focusing on the means by which such professionals attempt to (re)construct power within contexts where it cannot be taken for granted. To explore this issue, we conducted 200 hours of observational fieldwork at competitive combat sports events, along with interviews with 25 medical professionals with experience in this field, 7 combat sports referees and 9 event promoters and their staff. Employing the concept of power as ‘intersubjective accomplishment’, we argue that the influence necessary for medical professionals to undertake their work must be actively won within specific situations, principally relying on their ability to tactically interact with various other people. In so doing, we evidence both successes and failures of medical staff in this respect, arguing that such informal means of securing power make caring for the health of combat athletes a challenging proposition.

The potential effects of relevant symptoms perceived by athletes and coping strategies upon athletics performance in competitive sport events

Objectives: The current study aimed to underline the relevant symptoms perceived by athletes as well at examining the coping strategies which help them improve their performance in competitive sport events. Methods: 18 Tunisian national male athletes specialty 400m were voluntary recruited for this study. All of them were ranked in the top scorers at Tunisian national championship and competing at recent World Championships. Athletes first completed the inventory of stress symptoms before the competition and immediately following the trial, then they were asked to complete the Inventory Questionnaire of Coping Strategies in Sports competition. Results: The findings revealed that the development of the physical and psychological symptoms can impair the performance of the athletes. To cope with this stress, athletes use the Task-focused coping strategies and especially Effort expenditure and relaxation one. Likewise, athletes used more often Seeking support and Distraction distancing when the source of stress was related to physical problems. Conclusion: Its recommend that coaches should keep up related strategies in training sessions in order to control and modify the tension and stress before competition in a planned and regular method and coping strategies

P3688Familial recurrent autoimmune myocarditis associated with a truncating nonsense mutation of the desmoplakin gene

Abstract Background Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is an important cause of ventricular arrhythmias in children and young adults. AC is associated with mutation of desmosomal proteins, however, cardiac disease penetrance is incomplete and the clinical course varies widely without recognizable exogenous or epi/genetic co-factors. Importantly, DSP mutation carriers may also display entirely non-cardiac e.g. dermatological phenotypes. Methods and results In two brothers with recurrent fulminant myocarditis, mutation screening of 218 cardiomyopathy-related genes identified a truncating mutation Arg1458* of desmoplakin (DSP). DSP immunhistology unexpectedly revealed complete loss (“knockout”) of DSP protein in endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs), but none of the histological anomalies of AC. Criteria for histological diagnosis of myocarditis were not either fulfilled, and cardiac MRI revealed no features associated with AC. Screening for infections was negative, there was no substance abuse, medication or vaccination. Possible disease triggers were competitive sport events. Myosin and troponin I autoantibodies were detected at titers up to 1:320. We used allele-specific RT-PCR to distinguish if the patients' allele classified as “normal” was actually defective due to promotor mutation or epigenetic silencing. RT-PCRs were done on EMBs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In a cohort of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients we were able to detect DSP transcripts in both, PBMC and left-ventricular heart tissue. RNA sequencing of human PBMC subpopulations suggested that DSP transcription may be restricted to certain immune cell subtypes. RT-PCRs revealed that both Arg1458* carriers have a functional second DSP allele, indicating that their “DSP knockout” occurs at the protein level and may be due to protein instability and degradation within desmosomes. We screened additional existing cohorts for such variants and identified stopgain variant Gln307Ter in a 37-yrs-old woman with ARVC. This patient's sister died from heart failure at the age of 39. In a 59-yrs-old female LVNC patient, stopgain variant Y1391X was identified. Here, family history was unclear, her brother probably died from coronary artery disease. In a 71-yrs-old female DCM patient with no family history, stopgain variant Tyr1512Ter was identified. Conclusions The described patients with DSP truncations strongly suggest the existence of additional genetic or exogenous modifiers driving pathogenesis either way. DSP defects may cause recurrent myocarditis, and mutation screening is advisable to enable early detection of high-risk patients with similar phenotypes. Our finding of complete myocardial DSP protein loss emphasizes that DNA sequencing may miss critical molecular disturbances. It is indispensable to also analyze transcriptome and protein level in the tissue actually affected in a patient in order to recognize his/her individual pathogenesis.

Leisure Involvement and Continuous Competitive Sport Events Participation by Older Adults

Leisure Involvement and Continuous Competitive Sport Events Participation by Older Adults

Team identification and sports fandom as predictors of fan aggression: The moderating role of ageing

In the current study, the explored the moderating role of ageing in the relationship between team identification/fandom and fan aggression. The authors used an online panel-based survey that offered access to a realworld population of sports fans. Participants were 740 fans of Israeli professional basketball. Results from structural equation modelling demonstrated that older fans reported higher levels of mere sports fandom and lower levels of self-reported aggression and acceptance of aggression. Moreover, age moderated the relationships between team identification (or fandom) and self-reported aggression, such that team identification (or fandom) was more strongly associated with selfreported fan aggression among younger fans than among older fans. The moderating role of age in the relationships between team identification (or fandom) and perceptions of appropriateness of aggression was not supported. The findings contribute to our theoretical understanding of the role of ageing in the relationship between fan identification and fan aggression. Based on these findings, the authors assert that managers might particularly benefit from leveraging the potential, but often neglected, segment of senior fans, since older fans can play a key role in reducing the level of aggression during competitive sports events. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Traumatic Dental Injuries Resulting from Sports Activities; Immediate Treatment and Five Years Follow-Up: An Observational Study.

Background:Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) represent 18-30% of all oral pathologies and a considerable number of these are sports related. It is very important to treat sports-related injuries and prevent complications. However, very few studies investigate the most expedient therapeutic strategies for the treatment of dental trauma correlated to sports.Objective:The aim of this work was to focus on the average recovery time for different lesions, to assess adequate times for each athlete, to identify any association with complications and to investigate whether or not the use of mouth-guards interfered with a full recovery to normal health.Methods:This study involved a group of 30 athletes (15 male and 15 female) who had dental injuries of varying severity.For the purposes of data collection, two classifications were taken into account: a classification for hard tissue trauma and another for periodontal lesions. The athletes were subdivided in “type of lesion’ groups”.They were then treated depending on their individual lesions and followed up for 5 years. A statistical analysis was carried out to study the association between recovery time, lesion types and occurrence of complications.Results:The time for recovery was different for each type of lesion and ranged from 3-5 days (only uncomplicated fractures) to 14 days (all hard-periodontal tissue traumas). The total number of recorded pulp complications amounted to 6 cases. Among 30 athletes, 20 had begun and maintained, during the five-year follow-up period, the habit of using mouth-guards when practicing their sport activities.Conclusions:Recovery time and the severity of lesions are statistically associated: the more serious the injury, the more time an athlete needs to recover and return to competitive sports events. Furthermore, recovery time and precautionary measures (mouth-guards) did not influence the onset of complications. The subjects’ habit of wearing a mouth guard continued even after the end of the therapy and follow-up periods.

Competitive Balance in the NBA Playoffs

The uncertainty-of-outcome hypothesis suggests that, subject to a rooting-interest constraint, fans prefer competitive sporting events with uncertain outcomes. In a logical extension of that preference, professional-sports leagues institute rules, such as reverse-order-of-finish drafts and salary caps, intended to help achieve competitive balance among their franchises. This article analyzes the results of the 34 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs held since 1984 to determine whether they reflect the competitive imbalance observed for regular-season play, relying on the entropy concept as a measure of uncertainty/information content to do so. It is shown that unlike regular-season competitive balance, playoff entropy has not systematically changed over time. JEL Classifications: D47, D84, Z20, Z21

Does Caffeine Enhance Athletic Performance?

Aim: A plethora of studies have been conducted to examine the effect of caffeine on athletic performance, with conflicting results. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of caffeine on muscle activity, physical training, competitive sports events and short-term physical activity.Methods: For the purpose of the research, a literature review was conducted to determine the optimal dosage of caffeine for athletes, and collected scientific evidence about the caffeine’s effect on athletic endurance. The inclusion criteria contain original articles with primary data collection, both quantitative and qualitative published research studies, and studies with athletic subjects. The exclusion criteria comprises review articles without outcome data, incorrect study type, studies with < 10 subjects, and studies with physical inactive subjects.Results: An issue for dietitians and other sports medicine personnel is that all recommend that exercising athletes should avoid the use of caffeine because it is a diuretic, and that it may exacerbate dehydration and hyperthermia. Evidence indicates that consuming a moderate level of caffeine results in a mild increase of urine production. There is no evidence suggesting that moderate caffeine intake (<456 mg) induces chronic dehydration or negatively affects exercise performance. In addition, pre-exercise feeding may significantly affect plasma caffeine concentrations and the potential for caffeine to improve performance. On the other hand, recent studies suggest that caffeine might indeed have ergogenic potential in endurance events. Also, reports concerning caffeine’s effect on V̇O2 max and exercise performance during incremental exercise are not in agreement. However, few caffeine studies have been published to include cognitive and physiologic considerations for the athlete. Furthermore, the effects of different doses of caffeine play important role on endurance. In addition, exercise time to exhaustion seems to be different between users and nonusers with the ergogenic effect being greater and lasting longer in nonusers.Conclusion: Caffeine consumption may enhance athletic endurance, based on strong evidence, but further research needs to be conducted. High caffeine doses than the optimal, 3-6 mg/kg, before exercise does not confer any additional improvement in athletic performance. Additional, higher caffeine doses may cause side effects in athletes.