Effects Of Sports Participation Research Articles

Effects of Sport Participation on the Lifestyle of Secondary School Adolescents in Uyo Metropolis

Effects of Sport Participation on the Lifestyle of Secondary School Adolescents in Uyo Metropolis

Rationale and design of the SPREAD study: Sport Practice and its Effects on Aortic Size and Valve Function in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease.

The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect among adults, often leading to severe valve dysfunction and aortic complications. Despite its clinical significance, uncertainties persist regarding the impact of sports participation on the natural course of BAV disease. The SPREAD (Sport PRactice and its Effects on Bicuspid Aortic valve Disease) study is a multicenter and multinational project designed to investigate this relationship. This paper outlines the study's design, and objectives. The study is divided into two phases; phase one involves a cross-sectional analysis comparing aortic dimensions and valve function among competitive athletes with BAV, athletes with tricuspid aortic valves (TAV), and sedentary individuals with BAV. The second phase is a prospective, longitudinal follow-up aiming to evaluate the impact of regular sports training on disease progression. The SPREAD study seeks to provide evidence-based insights into the effects of sports participation on BAV disease progression, guiding clinical decision-making regarding sports eligibility and risk stratification for individuals with BAV.

The athletic work force: Sport as a key to employment for people with intellectual disabilities?

People with disabilities are employed at lower rates than non-disabled individuals and, among people with disabilities, those with intellectual disabilities have most difficulty finding and keeping employment. The reasons for the low labour participation among people with intellectual disabilities are many. Sport participation has a number of positive effects for the individual, and it is reasonable to hypothesise that sport participation favours labour-force participation for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The dual aim of the current study was to investigate labour market participation among Swedish athletes with intellectual disabilities attending Special Olympics Invitational Games, and to investigate these athletes' experiences regarding the effect of sport participation on finding and keeping a job. The study design includes two parallel data collections, a survey and an interview study. The survey was analysed using descriptive statistics and the interviews were analysed using content analysis. The major result of the survey was the large number of individuals with intellectual disabilities who were in work: among men, 72% and, among women, 44%. This result was encouraging and differs from previous statistics on employment among Swedes with intellectual disabilities. The content analysis resulted in a first step in the categories manual work, individual sports and team sports, and in a second step, where the relation between sports and work was analysed, in two categories, namely indirect and direct relations between sport and work. To improve chances for individuals with intellectual disabilities to find and keep a job, sports participation should be encouraged.

Effects of Sport Participation on Gait Coordination, Symmetry, and Variability in Older Adults.

The aim of this study was to compare the interlimb coordination, asymmetry, and variability between older adults who participated in sports (n = 25; age = 72.6 ± 6.46years) and sedentary older adults (n = 20; age = 70.85 ± 3.82years). The sport participants were selected from tennis and badminton clubs, whereas the sedentary participants were recruited from local community centers. The participants walked at their preferred speed in a 10-m walkway for 2min. The interlimb coordination was measured by the phase coordination index. Other walking metrics were speed, cadence, swing time, stance time, double-support time, stride time, and swing time asymmetry. The results showed that the sport participants relative to the sedentary group had better interlimb coordination, higher walking speed and cadence, and less swing time variability. Young older adults also had a better interlimb coordination. In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that long-term participation in sports has some antiaging benefits on gait coordination and symmetry in older adults.

Effect of Sports Participation on Academic Performance in High School Student

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of sports participation on academic performance in high school students in Uk.
 Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
 Findings: The impact of sports participation on the academic performance of high school students is a subject of substantial interest. While research suggests a positive association between sports involvement and academic success, there is a notable gap in understanding the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that either mediate or moderate this relationship. Additionally, the influence of sports specialization and the duration of sports engagement on academic outcomes require further exploration. Furthermore, cross-cultural studies beyond specific geographical contexts are limited, leaving questions about the universality or context-specific nature of this phenomenon.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Integration Theory, The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and The Physical Activity and Academic Performance (PAAP) Model may be used to anchor future studies on the effect of sports participation on academic performance in high school students. High schools should prioritize creating balanced schedules that allow students to participate in sports without compromising their academic commitments. Education policymakers should ensure that opportunities for sports participation are inclusive and equitable across schools, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Global trends and future prospects of COVID-19 and physical activity: Bibliometric analysis.

Containment measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to drastic changes in daily life and effects on health behaviors such as decrease in physical activity (PA) levels. This study aims to present a general framework to researchers on COVID-19 and PA research in relation with changes in studies within years, current trend topics, gaps in the research field and possible future trends. A total of 1819 articles indexed in the WoS core collection database were analyzed according to publication year, citation, country and institution collaborations, coword, co-citation networks, concept-topic trends and topic clusters using bibliometric analysis. The most productive country was the USA(n = 335), and the most productive institution was University of London in UK (n = 38). The most cited publication was the study by Ammar et al, (2020) (n = 188). In 2020, the most popular topics were PA and health meanwhile in 2021 behavior, lifestyle, social media and in 2022 habits, long COVID, sleep quality topics were in the foreground. Studies in 2023 focus on how COVID-19 affects PA habits and the associations between COVID-19-based anxiety and sleep patterns. These studies focused especially on effects of sport participation on life quality, diet, depression, mental health on young athletes, children, adolescent persons, older adult groups. An important gap in the study area is research on effect of changing lifestyle due to pandemic on individuals and the society during the Post COVID-19 period. If benefits of PA will not be limited to only physical benefits and psychological emotional, cognitive and social benefits are also taken into consideration, it is important that researchers conduct long-term and widescale observations.

Effect of Sports Participation on Social Development in Children Ages 6-14

Sports have been proven to help promote physical health and prevent rising conditions such as obesity in children. However, not much is known about the social development that is associated with exposure to sports from an early age. Understanding the relationship between sports and social health can help determine measures to promote prosocial behaviour. The databases that were used in this review include Web of Science, OVID Medline(R), and Pubmed. After the inclusion and exclusion process, we were left with 24 studies to review. The results indicate that children that engage in sports are more likely to be confident and demonstrate higher degrees of assertiveness. Furthermore, studies show that children engaging in both team and individual sports show higher degrees of academic and social competence. Children that engage in sports from an early age tend to show more respect towards authority. According to the social learning theory, through imitation, children can learn social norms such as fair play, healthy competition, and the values of collaboration. Children not engaging in sports are more likely to display depressive symptoms that may inhibit them from engaging socially with their environment. Moreover, social anxiety is more common in those that do not participate in sports since exercise is a known anxiolytic due to its properties of releasing endorphins and reducing the body’s stress hormones. The results suggest that more opportunities should be made for children to engage in sports, not only for physical development, but also for social development.

The Influence of Previous Lifestyle on Occupational Physical Fitness in the Context of Military Service.

The Estonian Defense Forces are the basis of military service, mandatory for all male citizens of the Republic of Estonia who are at least 17 years old. The physical load in military service, especially in the first stage, is significantly greater than for men in everyday life. Therefore, it is important to know if health promotion in civilian life adequately prepares young people for military service and to what extent pre-military health behaviors affect physical performance during service. The purpose of this work was to examine conscripts' physical fitness at different stages of military service and its relationships with previous lifestyle. Soldiers' physical fitness was estimated three times during military service using three tests: sit-ups, push-ups and 2-mile run. Lifestyle and socio-economic background data was collected by a web-based questionnaire (n = 235). Linear regression analysis was performed using Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) scores as dependent variables and questionnaire data as independent variables. The socio-economic background variables had no effect on physical fitness scores throughout the training period (p > 0.05). Young men that were physically more active daily, did sports, had healthier diet and did not smoke before entering military service showed better physical fitness test results throughout the period of service (p < 0.05). The effect of participation in sports was evident, as the conscripts with previous sports experiences demonstrated higher fitness tests scores (p < 0.01). These findings show that health promotion initiatives or programs for promoting physical activity and healthy diet, and preventing obesity and tobacco use, can also have a positive effect on the physical performance of young men during military service.

The effect of participation in sports on happiness and loneliness: an analysis of university students during the pandemic

This study aimed to assess whether students who were involved in sports felt happier and less lonely than their peers who were not involved. The sample comprised 549 students who were enrolled in a provincial state university in Turkey, and who volunteered to take part in the study. The survey was comprised of two parts. The first part contained questions to identify gender and the extent of the student’s active and passive participation in sport. Active participation was defined by the status of licensed athlete. The second part comprised the Oxford Happiness questionnaire compact version and the UCLA Loneliness Scale-III. Before the analysis, the Levene test was conducted to confirm the homogeneity of the variances. After determining that the variances were homogeneous, four two-way ANOVAs were carried out to test the hypotheses that students’ active and passive involvement in sport was associated with lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of happiness and that this effect was significantly different for males and females. The results confirmed that both licensed athletes and those who had greater levels of passive involvement in sport reported less loneliness and higher levels of happiness. However, this outcome applied irrespective of the student’s gender.

The effects of sports participation on the dental age in adolescents.

The present study aims to assess the effect of sports on the dental maturity using two different dental age assessment methods and to determine whether there is a significant correlation between dental maturity and body mass index. One hundred and thirty-eight students from Sports High School (study group) and 126 from Fine Arts High School (control group) with standard panoramic radiographs were included in the study. Dental age was assessed using Nolla's and Haavikko's methods. Demographic information regarding the weekly training hours and sports age of the study group participants was gathered. Body mass index values of all participants were calculated. Factorial analysis of variance and Tukey's test were performed and the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. The mean age of the students was 15.93 ± 1.13 years for the study group and 15.99 ± 1.09 years for the control group. Mean dental age values were lower than the mean chronological age values in both high schools. The difference between the dental and chronological ages was insignificant in Sports High School (p > 0.05). Differences in the body mass index between high schools and genders were statistically significant (p<0.05). Significant correlations were detected between the sports and dental ages and between dental age and body mass index values. Sports participation could have positive effects on the dental maturity as well as on the bone development.

Factors Responsible for Non Participation in Sports Among Transgender. A Cross Sectional Approach

Transgenders are not actively participating in sports in Pakistan. There may be many factors and barriers involved for their non-participation Objective: To investigate the factors responsible for the non -participation of transgender in sports. Methods: Cross-sectional approach was applied for the collection of required data. Snowball sampling technique for the selection of purposive sampling was applied. Appropriate questionnaire was prepared and used for data collection from a sample of (n=118) individuals with mean age 16 years. Feasibility of the questionnaire was obtained with the help of pilot testing by selecting 30 individuals. Results: The analyzed data have shown that almost all transgender have agreed upon the importance of sports in their lives. At the same time, the results have shown that different factors such as governmental, societal and personal significantly contributing for their non-participation in sports (0.024 &lt; 0.05, 007 &lt; 0.05 &amp; 0.009 &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study indicated a viewpoint of the transgender that describes sports as one of the important means for getting recreation and satisfaction. Given this stance, one might expect that transgender would experience discomfort while participation in sports. However, the research findings do not reveal any deleterious effect of sports participation in light of the views of transgender.

Growth, body composition and bone mineral density among pubertal male athletes: intra-individual 12-month changes and comparisons between soccer players and swimmers

BackgroundPuberty is a period of intense changes in human body and, additionally, participation in sports is viewed as prominent form of physical activity among male adolescent athletes. The current study was aimed to examine the intra-individual changes in body composition and bone tissue during years of maximal growth and the effect of 12-month participation in sports contrasting in mechanical impact.MethodsThe sample included 40 male adolescent athletes (soccer: n = 20; swimming: n = 20) aged 12.57 ± 0.37 years who were followed for 12 months. Stature and body mass were measured, bone mineral content (BMC), areal bone mineral density (aBMD), lean soft and fat tissues assessed using DXA. Food intake was estimated using a questionnaires and training sessions individually monitored. Repeated measures ANOVA tested the differences between sports and 12-month intra-individual variation (time moments: TM1, TM2). The analyses on aBMD for total body and total body less head were repeated controlling for variation in stature at baseline.ResultsSoccer players completed 63 ± 31 sessions (95 ± 47 h). Respective values for swimmers were 248 ± 28 sessions and 390 ± 56 h. In general, the analysis of aBMD as dependent variable evidenced significant effect of sport-associated variation (F = 5.254, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.35) and 12-month increments, particularly at lower limbs (F = 97.238, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.85). Respective mean values for aBMD were SCCTM1 = 0.885 g.cm−2, SWMTM1 = 0.847 g.cm−2, SCCTM2 = 0.939 g.cm−2, SWMTM2 = 0.880. Regarding the lean soft tissue, the magnitude of effects was very large for intra-individual variation (F = 223.043, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.92) and moderate between sports (F = 7.850, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.41): SCCTM1 = 30.6 kg, SWMTM1 = 34.9 kg, SCCTM2 = 35.8 kg, SWMTM2 = 40.5 kg). Finally, d-cohen values reporting percentage of intra-individual changes in aBMD between soccer players ad swimmers were large for the trochanter (d = 1.2; annual increments: SCC = 8.1%, SWM = 3.6%).ConclusionPuberty appeared as a period of significant intra-individual changes in lean soft tissue and bone mineral density. With increasing accumulated training experience, mean difference between sports contrasting in mechanical impact tended to me more pronounced in particular at the lower limbs.

Sexual Violence at University: Are Varsity Athletes More at Risk?

Some studies report that the sport context increases the risk of exposure to sexual violence for athletes. In contrast, others indicate a protective effect of sport participation against sexual violence, particularly among varsity athletes. Studies of sexual violence towards varsity athletes are limited by their failure to include control groups and various known risk factors such as age, graduate level, gender and sexual identity, disability status, international and Indigenous student status, and childhood sexual abuse. The purpose of the present study is to fill in these gaps to determine whether varsity athletes are at greater risk than non-athletes of sexual violence towards them or whether, on the contrary, involvement in a varsity sport is coherent with the Sport Protection Hypothesis. Data for this article come from the ESSIMU study (Enquête sur la Sexualité, la Sécurité et les Interactions en Milieu Universitaire), a broad survey of students, professors, and other employees at six francophone universities regarding sexual violence on university campuses. A total of 6,485 students with complete data on sexual violence, athlete status, and gender were included in the study. From this total, 267 participants identified themselves as varsity athletes. Data were analyzed using a series of logistic regressions on each form of violence using athlete status as a predictor and characteristics associated with sexual violence victimization or distinguishing between varsity athletes and non-athletes as confounding variables. When considering all confounding variables in the regression analyses on four yearly incidence rates of sexual violence, the results revealed that being a varsity athlete did not significantly increase the risk of exposure to sexual violence at university. All considered other variables were more significant predictors of the past year’s risk of sexual violence victimization than athlete status was.

Attendance at sporting events and sports participation: analysis of the relationship with subjective wellbeing between level groups, men and women

The objectives of the study were to determine the existence of differences in the levels of subjective well-being in individuals with different levels of sports participation, attendance at sporting events, and between men and women. This investigation was focused on subjective well-being, a relevant and meaningful perspective from which we can understand the well-being of the sports consumer, as a sport can affect the psychological state through hedonic experiences (eg, joy, excitement, anxiety) resulting from attendance at sporting events and sports participation. Gaps in the literature expressed in divergent results regarding subjective well-being were found between individuals who have no interest in sport and spectators and those who follow sport through the media (Inoue et al, 2017; Kim &amp; James, 2019; Kim et al., 2017; Mutz, 2019). On the other hand, inconsistency was found in the results of several investigations concerning the effects of sports participation on subjective well-being. A convenience sample of 374 adult individuals was selected. To assess the research questions about the existence of significant differences, a series of Student t-tests were performed using the groups of individuals: 1) reduced levels of sports participation and attendance at sporting events; 2) high levels of sporting participation and attendance at sporting events, and; 3) men and women. The results showed that individuals with higher and lower attendance at sporting events did not show significant differences in the levels of subjective well-being, either in the group of men or women. Individuals with a higher frequency of sports participation manifested significantly higher feelings of subjective well-being than individuals with a lower frequency of sports participation. This conclusion is very relevant because it confirms the strong role that sports participation plays in promoting individuals' subjective well-being. The recommendations are aimed at legitimizing and appealing to a stronger investment by decision-makers in public policies for the population's sports participation because higher levels of sports participation lead to higher levels of subjective well-being. Public investments in hosting and organizing sporting events, with a view to stimulating assistance and the hedonic dimension, should be well evaluated.

노인의 스포츠 참여가 우울에 미치는 영향에 대한 체계적 문헌고찰 연구

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the trends of domestic studies on the effects of sports participation on depression of the elderly through systematic review, and to present the direction of follow-up studies on sports participation and depression in the elderly.<BR> Method: To analyze the systematic review, a total of 4,035 documents were collected from 2000 to 2021 through the DBpia, KISS, NDSL, RISS and National Assembly Library databases using 14 keywords such as the elderly, sports, and depression. 21 documents were analyzed through a systematic review.<BR> Results: First, as a result of the study, the general characteristics of the subjects were all 21 subjects, male and female elderly. Second, all the selected literatures were studied by quantitative research. Third, there were 8 studies that presented sports in detail in 21 papers. Lastly, the depression of the elderly who participated in sports was lower than that of the elderly who did not participate in sports.<BR> Conclusion: In summary, the results of this study show that the elderly who participated in sports and the elderly with high participation frequency and duration have less depression. This result could help to prevent the depression of sports participants in the elderly.

The effect of sports participation in obese boys on some obesity indicators and physical fitness parameters

Background. To examine the effects of sports participation in obese boys on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, muscle strength, muscular endurance, balance and agility. Materials and methods. Sixty-three obese children with a mean age of 10.80 ± 0.58 were included in the study. Participants participated in sports, including judo, table tennis and basketball, for three months at their schools. Body weight, waist circumference and hip circumference of the participants were measured before and after participating in sports. Before and after participating in sports, grip strength, bent arm hanging, single-leg stance balance and plate tapping tests were applied to the participants. Results. While before participating in sports, BMI, waist and hip circumference outcomes of the participants were 23.04 ± 2.89 cm/m2, 81.61 ± 8.56 cm and 87.69 ± 6.52 cm, respectively; after participating in sports, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference outcomes were 22.51 ± 2.88 cm/m2, 79.38 ± 8.74 cm and 85.73 ± 6.65 cm, respectively. The results of the single leg balance and bent arm-hanging tests after participation in sports increased compared to the results which before participating in sports (p &lt; 0.05). However, the results of plate tapping test results that after participation in sports were less than the results which before participating in sports (p &lt; 0.05). The result obtained from the grip strength after participation in sports was not different from the result obtained before participating in sports (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions. Participation in regular sports in obese children has positive effects on BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference, which are associated with chronic diseases. Additionally, the participation of obese children in regular sports contributes to the development of physical fitness parameters, which are indicators of health.

Sports participation and its implication on the academic performance of students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria: A literature review

The study focused on sports participation and its implication on the academic performance of students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. To ascertain the objective of the study, the study focused on Overview of sports, Sports participation, Implication of sports on academic performance of students and Benefits of Sports Performance on academic Performance of Students however, concluded that, sports participation would have no negative implication on students’ academic performance in tertiary institutions. The study also concluded that students of tertiary institution in Nigeria should not be discouraged from participating in sports with the misconception that participation in sports worsens students’ general performance and specifically performance of students of tertiary institution. What this study implies is that, coaches, lecturers and school management should not seize students from participating in sporting activities as this go a long way in assisting them in all ramifications. It was suggested that future researcher should broaden the scope of the study to at least two to three countries so as to encourage participation in sports. It was further suggested that the Study should be conducted on the effects of sports participation among secondary and primary school students in Nigeria.

The effect of participation in sports on depression and anxiety levels in adolescence

Amaç: Düzenli yapılan egzersizin başta depresyon ve kaygı bozuklukları olmak üzere birçok ruh sağlığı bozukluğu riskini azaltabildiği gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı düzenli egzersizin ergenlerde depresyon ve kaygı düzeyleri üzerine etkisini araştırmaktır.&#x0D; Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya yaş ortalaması 16 olan 42 kız basketbol sporcusu ve benzer yaşlardaki düzenli spor yapmayan kızlar katılmıştır. Egzersizin ruh sağlığı üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendirebilmek amacı ile katılımcılara psikiyatrik muayene yapılmış, Okul Çağı Çocukları İçin Duygulanım Bozuklukları ve Şizofreni Görüşme Çizelgesi-Şimdi ve Yaşam boyu Şekli Türkçe uyarlaması (ÇDŞG-ŞY), Beck depresyon ölçeği, Beck kaygı ölçeği, Yeme tutumu testi – 40 (YTT – 40) ve Beden algısı ölçekleri uygulanmıştır. İstatiksel yöntem olarak ölçekler kesme puanlarına göre kategorize edildikten sonra gruplar arasında karşılaştırma yapmak amacı ile Pearson ki-kare testi uygulanmıştır. Parametreler arasında ilişki olup olmadığını incelemek için Spearman korelasyon testi yapılmıştır.&#x0D; Bulgular: Düzenli olarak spor yapan kişilerin depresyon ve kaygı düzeyleri istatiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük olarak saptanmıştır (p = 0,041ve p = 0,002; sırasıyla). Yeme davranışlarındaki bozukluk riski düzenli egzersiz alışkanlığı olmayan kızlarda daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p = 0,023). Beden algısı açısından ise gruplar arasında anlamlı bir fark gözlenmemiştir (p = 0,682). Beden algısı ile depresyon ve kaygı düzeyleri arasında istatiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde negatif bir ilişki gözlenmiştir (r = - 0,396, p = 0,000; r = - 0,437, p = 0,000; sırasıyla).&#x0D; Sonuç: Bu çalışmanın sonucuna göre düzenli yapılan egzersizin ergenlerde depresyon ve kaygı düzeylerini azaltabileceği düşünülmektedir. Özellikle de aktivite düzeyi az olan ergenlerin spora katılımlarının teşvik edilmesi, ruh sağlıklarının gelişmesine katkıda bulunabilir

High School Sports During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effect of Sport Participation on the Health of Adolescents.

During the fall of 2020, some high schools across the United States allowed their students to participate in interscholastic sports while others cancelled or postponed their sport programs due to concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission. What effect this has had on the physical and mental health of adolescents is unknown. To identify the effect of playing a sport during the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of student-athletes. Cross-sectional study. Sample recruited via email. A total of 559 Wisconsin high school athletes (age = 15.7 ± 1.2 years, female = 43.6%, male = 56.4%) from 44 high schools completed an online survey in October 2020. A total of 171 (30.6%) athletes played (PLY) a fall sport, while 388 (69.4%) did not play (DNP). Demographic data included sex, grade, and sport(s) played. Assessments were the General Anxiety Disorder-7 Item for anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item for depression, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale for physical activity, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 for quality of life. Univariable comparisons between the 2 groups were made via t tests or χ2 tests. Means for each continuous outcome measure were compared between groups using analysis-of-variance models that controlled for age, sex, teaching method (virtual, hybrid, or in person), and the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The PLY group participants were less likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety (PLY = 6.6%, DNP = 44.1%, P < .001) and depression (PLY = 18.2%, DNP = 40.4%, P < .001). They also demonstrated higher (better) Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale scores (PLY = 23.2 [95% CI = 22.0, 24.5], DNP = 16.4 [95% CI = 15.0, 17.8], P < .001) and higher (better) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory total scores (PLY = 88.4 [95% CI = 85.9, 90.9], DNP = 79.6 [95% CI = 76.8, 82.4], P < .001). Adolescents who played a sport during the COVID-19 pandemic described fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and had better physical activity and quality-of-life scores compared with adolescent athletes who did not play a sport.

Motor Control and Achilles Tendon Adaptation in Adolescence: Effects of Sport Participation and Maturity.

An important but unresolved research question in adolescent children is the following: “Does sport participation interact with maturation to change motor control and the mechanical and morphological properties of tendons?” Here, we address this important research question with a longitudinal study around the age of peak height velocity (PHV). Our purpose was to characterize the interactive effects of maturation and sports participation on motor control and the mechanical and morphological properties of the Achilles tendon (AT) in adolescent athletes and non-athletes. Twenty-two adolescent athletes (13.1 ± 1.1 years) and 19 adolescent non-athletes (12.8 ± 1.1 years) volunteered for this study. We quantified motor control as the coefficient of variation of torque during a ramp task. In addition, we quantified the AT morphological and mechanical properties using ultrasonography from 18 months before to 12 months after PHV. We found that motor control improved with maturation in both athletes and non-athletes. We found that athletes have a greater increase in body mass with maturation that relates to greater plantarflexion peak force and AT peak stress. Also, athletes have a thicker and longer AT, as assessed with resting cross-sectional area and length. Although the rate of increase in the morphological change with maturation was similar for athletes and non-athletes, the rate of increase in normalized AT stiffness was greater for athletes. This increased AT stiffness in athletes related to peak force and stress. In summary, maturation improves motor control in adolescent children. Further, we provide novel longitudinal evidence that sport participation interacts with maturation in adolescents to induce adaptive effects on the Achilles tendon morphology and mechanical properties. These findings have the potential to minimize the risk of injuries and maximize athletic development in talented adolescents.