Faculty Of Kinesiology Research Articles

FINE MOTOR SKILLS AND BMI ARE GOOD PREDICTORS OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Athletic performance is affected by numerous factors such as genetic makeup, environmental factors, and psychological factors. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of fine motor skills and BMI on athletic performance of college students. The sample for this study consisted of 31 students (mean age 19 years, SD- 1.1 year; 7 females, 24 males) recruited from the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Sarajevo. The students were given Purdue Pegboard test of motor skills and Test of Athletic performance consisting of 8 tests: sprint running, high/low start, relay running, hurdle racing, high jump, long jump, shot put, and javelin throw. We assessed the impact of their BMI and fine motor skills on the Athletic performance. The results revealed a statistically significant effect of fine motor skills and BMI on Athletic performance. More specifically, these two factors explained around 30% of the variance in Athletic performance. These findings could be beneficial for designing more effective training programs that not only focus on general physical fitness but also consider the role of fine motor skills and body composition in improving overall athletic performance.

Inspired by Dance: A Future for Kinesiology

Although the beginning of North American post-secondary level dance education is often traced to physical education, dance programs have since migrated to Fine Arts Faculties. Despite these developments, dance has not entirely disappeared from physical education contexts which are now often under the umbrella of kinesiology. This context can hold new possibilities for dance-inspired movement education. In this paper, I, as a trained dancer with a research degree in the broad field of kinesiology, reflect upon my experiences of designing an undergraduate dance-inspired movement fundamentals course in a multidisciplinary, research-led Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation in Canada. I further contemplate possible positive implications of including dance research, dance practices, and dance education in this context and the undergraduate kinesiology curriculum.

The Influence of Protective Headgear on the Peripheral Vision Reaction Time of Recreational-Level Skiers

Alpine skiing is characterized by specific and dynamic conditions and demands constant processing of visual information and fast decision-making. A fast response time is necessary for protective movements which reduce the number and severity of additional head impacts. The apparent detriments to visual performance caused by protective headgear are concerning and should be considered moving forward in recreational alpine skiing. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of wearing the three most common combinations of protective headgear in skiing on the timing of visual stimuli perception and adequate response when simulating on-the-slope situations. The sample consisted of 45 recreational-level skiers (27 M, 18 F; age 30.6 ± 8.19 years) who had finished basic alpine skiing school, had been skiing 6–10 years continuously, and were students of Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb. They did not report any serious medical conditions regarding vision. The overall testing was conducted in the winter season during January and February of 2022. Reaction time on perceived visual stimuli was observed in a way that a skier was approaching behind a participant’s back from both the left and right side. A 2 × 3 (helmet*condition) mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA was used to determine differences between helmet users and non-users in each tested condition. When observing the results, it was confirmed that the response time of the participants was the slowest when wearing a ski helmet and goggles combined. Furthermore, one of the most important findings was the determined differences in reaction time between helmet users and non-users, i.e., prior helmet users tended to react faster to the upcoming visual stimuli when wearing combined ski helmet and goggles. In the design and construction of the goggles, it is also necessary to pay attention to reducing the thickness of the frame in order to reduce the distance between the eye and the lens, which consequently reduces interference in the peripheral parts of the field of vision. In future studies, the same testing protocol with all the possible combinations of wearing a ski cap, a helmet, sunglasses, and goggles is necessary to gain a clearer insight into the effect of each item of headgear separately and in various combinations.

CONSTRUCTION OF A SPECIFIC TEST FOR ESTIMATING COORDINATION IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Rhythmic gymnastics is a combination of sport and art in which the ability of coordination plays a very important role. Since there are not enough specific tests that would assess coordination, both in the selection of children for potential rhythmic gymnasts, as well as in monitoring the training process, the main purpose of this paper is to construct a coordination assessment test that will be applied specifically to rhythmic gymnastics. The sample consisted of 93 students of the 3rd year of integrated undergraduate and graduate study at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb (average age 21 ± 1 year). In addition to the newly constructed test "Echappe" with the rope (MKEV), three other tests were used: ground maneuverability (MAGONT), the jumping hoop forward (MKOOPO), and the back polygon (MREPOL). Microsoft Excel 365 was used to facilitate data preparation and visualization, while IBM SPSS Statistics 26 was used for statistical analysis, with arithmetic mean and standard deviation as descriptive indicators, Shapiro-Wilks test to determine distribution normality, Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni correction for validation, and Fleiss Kappa for reliability determination, which was further determined by Spearman’s Rank correlation. The results showed that there is no evidence that "Echappe" with the rope measures the coordination required for success in rhythmic gymnastics, and that further research is needed with redefined criteria that will contribute to the improvement of metric characteristics of the test.

Individual Dispositions and Situational Stressors in Competitive Sport: The Role of Stress Mindset in the Cognitive Appraisals Processes.

Personality has widely been documented to play an important role in the cognitive appraisal and stress processes. Emerging studies highlight the stress mindset as a new concept that could add to the understanding of individual differences in stress experiences. This study aimed to examine the relative contribution of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset in accounting for measures of cognitive appraisals of stress among the competing athletes. The study was conducted on a sample of 125 collegiate athletes of both genders who actively compete in sport. All the participants were regular undergraduate or graduate students at the Faculty of Kinesiology of the University of Zagreb. A questionnaire including demographic information about athletes and their sport career, stress mindset measure (SMM), situation-specific cognitive appraisal scale, sources of stress scale, and personality scale measured by IPIP-50 was administered in an online form using the Google Forms platform. Multivariate hierarchical regression procedures resulted in somewhat different predictor structures accounting for cognitive appraisals of threat, loss, and challenge, used as criterion variables. The set of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset measure proved to have a significant additive contribution to the explanation of each of the three cognitive appraisal criterion variances. The study results support the current body of literature suggesting a unique role of the stress mindset construct in explaining individual differences in cognitive stress appraisal among athletes above and beyond general personality dimensions.

Association of Laboratory and Field Balance Test

Balance can be defined as keeping the center of gravity of the body within the surface of the support and has crucial role in sport. However, there are insufficient knowledge regarding balance field testing. The main aim of this study was to determine association between Biodex laboratory balance test and Y balance field test. The participants in this study were 12 students (6 males, 6 females) of Faculty of Kinesiology in Split, Croatia. The set of variables includ- ed anthropometric measures (body height, body weight, body mass index), two laboratory balance tests conduct- ed on Biodex (Postural stability test, Limits of stability test) and field balance test (Y balance test). The correlations between observed variables were calculated by Pearson's product moment correlation. No significant correlations were found between Y balance test and both Postural stability test (r=-0.06 and 0.02 respectively for left and right leg) and Limits of stability test (r=-0.06 and 0.02). The results of this study indicate that Y balance test is not a precise measure of balance ability in well-trained individuals. Authors hypothesize that Y balance test performance is great- ly influenced by lower extremity strength and mobility. There is an obvious need for the construction and validation of new field tests to assess the level of balance in amateur and professional athletes.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS AND VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: THE CASE FOR SPORTS MANAGEMENT

The assessed importance of each of the four basic language skills in a foreign language varies, and the relationship between a person’s knowledge of vocabulary and the four macro language skills is highly elaborate in a foreign language of a particular profession, i.e. domain. In addition to the vocabulary in general language, a person must also master the knowledge of concepts that form the theoretical basis of the profession in question as well as the terms assigned to these concepts, first in one’s native language and then in the foreign one. The first aim of the research in this paper was to determine how respondents assessed the import of each sub-skill within the four groups of basic language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking on the one hand, and on the other to determine the weight of knowledge of sports management-specific terminology in a foreign language for working in sports management in the Republic of Croatia. The second objective was to establish, also in the context of sports management, the correlation between the estimated importance of each of the four language skills and the estimated importance of the knowledge of sports management-specific vocabulary. The sample consisted of 70 students (men: n = 44; women: n = 26) of the fourth and fifth study years at the Faculty of Kinesiology, the University of Zagreb. The students filled out a questionnaire consisting of 58 items. They rated the relevance of all the sub-skills within the four basic language skills with the highest ratings. As for the order of skills given their criticality, the results indicated that the subjects considered reading skills as the most important, followed by listening, speaking and finally writing. The respondents also assessed the significance of the command of sports management-specific vocabulary with the highest rating. However, contrary to expectations, the analysis pointed to a low or only marginally moderate correlation between the assessed merit of each of the four language skills and the assessed weight of knowledge of the sports management-specific vocabulary.

THE THROWING VELOCITY AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF TEACHING HANDBALL ELEMENTS

The aim of this research is to study the ball throwing velocity at different phases of teaching handball elements to female students in their first year of study at Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb. The set of variables contains three throwing velocity tests: 1. handball throwing velocity from the standing position (ST), 2. basic shot throwing velocity (RT) and 3. jump shot throwing velocity (JT). The speed of the ball was estimated by a radar gun (Stalker ATS) three times for each shooting type and it was expressed in km/h unit. Measuring was conducted twice in the course of the summer semester of the academic year 2017/2018. The first measuring was carried out after the first lesson and the second one a month later. The average throwing velocities recorded during the first measuring were: ST - 59.25 km/h, RT - 61.60 km/h and JT 61.62 km/h. On the following occasion, the average results were: 59.36 km/h (ST), 61.33 km/h (RT) and 61.33 km/h (JT). No statistically significant differences in the observed set of variables were found by using the t-test for the dependent samples on either occasion. The obtained results can be interpreted in regard to the methods of directing and evaluating the teaching process, as well as in regard to an effective program for improving explosive throwing power.

Kvantitativna analiza studentske procjene važnosti stranih jezika u sportskome menadžmentu

The aim of the analysis was to find out how future kinesiologists assess the importance of 15 foreign languages in sports management. The sample was comprised of 70 male and female students from the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb. The results showed that most of the students had learned English and German, and for the longest period. As many as 62.86% had learned two foreign languages, whereas 20% had learned three, 10% had learned only one, and only 7.14% had learned four foreign languages. The students assessed the command of English and German as the most important asset for work in sports management. The factor analysis yielded three latent dimensions interpreted on the basis of the aspects of tourism, success in sport, and economic power. By means of factor scores of the three obtained factors, a multivariate analysis of variance did not show differences between students’ assessment of the importance of the 15 foreign languages based on the number of foreign languages they had learned.

Movement quality in adolescence depends on the level and type of physical activity

ObjectivesThis study examined the relationship between functional movement and physical activity (PA) levels in adolescents. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingThis research is a part of the CRO-PALS longitudinal study conducted in a random sample of adolescents in Zagreb at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia. ParticipantsSeven hundred and twenty-five adolescents aged between 16 and 17 years were included. Main outcome measureTotal Functional Movement Screen score (total FMS score). ResultsAfter adjusting for age, body fat and SES, both VPA and MVPA showed minor but significant effects on total FMS score among girls (β = 0.011, p = 0.001, β = 0.005, p = 0.006, respectively), but not in boys (β = 0.004, p = 0.158; β = 0.000, p = 0.780). Regarding PA type, volleyball and dance improved total FMS score (β = 1.003, p = 0.071; β = 0.972, p = 0.043, respectively), while football was associated with lower FMS score (β = −0.569, p = 0.118). ConclusionResults suggest that the PA level is positively associated with the functional movement in adolescent girls, but not in boys, where the type of PA moderates these associations. Therefore, functional movement patterns incorporated into physical education curriculum could be beneficial to the musculoskeletal health of the children.

Injuries in Short Track Speed Skating

Research & Investigations in Sports Medicine Injuries in Short Track Speed Skating Kolenc M* Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia *Corresponding author: Kolenc M, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia Submission: October 01, 2019;Published: December 17, 2019 DOI: 10.31031/RISM.2019.05.000625 ISSN 2578-0271 Volume5 Issue5

Reliability of acute training responses elicited by exhaustive work intervals prescribed with the delta concept

Reliability of acute training responses elicited by exhaustive work intervals prescribed with the delta concept

CrossTalk proposal: Exercise training intensity is more important than volume to promote increases in human skeletal muscle mitochondrial content.

CrossTalk proposal: Exercise training intensity is more important than volume to promote increases in human skeletal muscle mitochondrial content.

Impairments In Lower Limb Microvascular Function Associated With Cycle Phases In Young Healthy Women.

Impairments in lower limb microvascular function associated with cycle phases in young healthy women. Rogerio N Soares, Anmol T Mattu, Juan M Murias. University of Calgary, Faculty of Kinesiology. PURPOSE: Differences in women’s hormone concentrations throughout the menstrual cycle affects vascular responsiveness. Previous investigations have shown that these changes can be modulated by regular use of oral contraceptives. However, most of these studies only assessed changes in vascular function at the upper limb conduit artery level. This study investigated whether vascular function at the lower limb microvasculature of healthy young women might be affected by the phase of the menstrual cycle. METHODS: 14 young (25 ± 5 years of age) physically active women participated in the study. The participants were assigned to two groups of seven participants each according to oral contraceptive use: non-contraceptive group (women who did not use any contraceptive within the last two years prior to the intervention - NCP) and oral contraceptive group (seven women who used oral contraceptive regularly for at least two years prior to the intervention – OCP). The participants underwent two lower limb vascular occlusion tests (5 min of baseline, 5 min of occlusion, and 8 min following cuff release) in two different phases of the menstrual cycle (follicular and luteal phase). Microvascular responsiveness was assessed by the percent of change of the NIRS-derived muscle oxygen saturation (StO2) reperfusion slope (%/sec) of the tibialis anterior muscle. RESULTS: There was no difference in the reperfusion slope of the NCP group between the follicular (1.18 ± 0.5 %/sec) and luteal (1.01 ± 0.3 %/sec) phases. The reperfusion slope of the OCP group was significantly steeper in the follicular (0.85 ± 0.2 %/sec) compared to the luteal phase (0.63 ± 0.2 %/sec). CONCLUSION: Use of oral contraceptive is associated with reduced microvascular function in the luteal phase in young physically active women.

How could ancient Greek athletes jump 16 meters and why modern athletes not? A multidisciplinary approach to unravel the technique of the ancient Greek halma

The halma, which the ancient Greek pentathletes performed, included a standardized 10,5-meter run-up, which means that they still had to jump at least 5,5 meters with halteres in their hands in order to reach a record length of more than 16 meters. So the question is whether our modern record holders of the long jump are able to jump such a distance with halteres in their hands? They are probably capable to do so, but -as the English saying states that “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”- the proof of the jumping with halteres is in the testing! Which faculty or department of physical education or kinesiology will prove that such a jump is feasible?

Horizon meeting on cardiovascular physiology: Dedicated to Dr. Mike Sharratt.

This perspective document summarizes discussions held at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Annual Meeting in Winnipeg on October 27, 2017, when an expert panel was assembled to discuss the key questions and challenges for future research in cardiovascular exercise physiology. We were inspired by the example of the late Dr. Mike Sharratt, an accomplished and impactful Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Sharratt had a unique ability to bring experts together and translate theory into action, with a central goal of optimizing the health benefits of exercise, particularly in the fields of cardiac rehabilitation and aging (University of Waterloo Applied Health Science Department 2016; University of Waterloo Health Science Newsletter, 10-1-2017 ( http://uwaterloo.ca/applied-health-sciences/news/remembering-mike-sharratt )).

Correlation Between Salivary Biochemical Stress Indicators and Psychological Indicators.

SUMMARY – Saliva is a complex body fluid that has various functions in the oral cavity. Central nervous system has the most important role in regulating salivation. Saliva as a sample is suitable for simplicity of sampling and because it contains analytes in the free active form. Stress is a condition in which the internal (psychophysical) balance of the body is disturbed. It activates the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, so salivary cortisol is a free cortisol indicator that correlates well with its serum value and reflects the free fraction that is biologically active. At the same time, stress conditions stimulate the sympathetic neuronal system causing change in the secretion of salivary α-amylase from salivary glands. The hypothesis of this study was that students with daily intensive physical activity are exposed to chronic stress compared to other students who have minimal physical activity. The study included 54 healthy volunteers, students of the University of Zagreb, divided into two groups. One volunteer group consisted of physically active volunteers (n=27) from the Faculty of Kinesiology (FK), and the other group consisted of physically inactive volunteers (n=27) from other faculties (OF). The subjects were first administered a psychological test that consisted of two questionnaires, Quality of Life Questionnaire and Questionnaire of Stressful Styles, and then underwent sampling of saliva. By comparing biochemical and psychological indicators in relation to stress, it was concluded that the two groups of students were equalized and that there was no objective support for either group to be considered exposed to chronic stress. Despite the substantial differences in physical activity, there was no difference between the two student populations.

The Kinesiology Curriculum: Using Student Responses to Evaluate Course Content

The academic discipline of kinesiology is relatively new (1960s) and is devoted to the study of human movement. The knowledge base and subject of study continues to develop and now includes inquiry regarding the impact of physical activity on health, society, and quality of life. The purpose of this course content evaluation was to identify kinesiology students’ views on the addition of public health content in the curriculum. A lecture addressing the background history of public health, with supported reading, was given to forty students enrolled in an upper level Bachelor of Kinesiology-health course. Students were advised of the inclusion of this topic on the final exam and that their responses would be used to inform future direction of the course material. Students were asked to provide their opinion, through a written response to the question: Does public health belong in the Faculty of Kinesiology? A content analysis was employed and seven themes were identified from students’ responses. The themes highlighted professional experience, enhanced leadership, and health promotion and physical activity’s contribution to health. In summary, students positively evaluated the inclusion of public health within the kinesiology curriculum and perhaps this is not surprising given the scoring associated with the question. Despite this limitation, students provided insightful responses worthy of reflection that should be considered in a dialogue about the inclusion of public health content in the kinesiology curriculum.

National identity and language: students′ usage of English terminology within the Croatian language

Abstract This article explores the issue of whether the strength of a country’s national identity can determine extensive use of English instead of Croatian equivalents among Croatian students of kinesiology, both in their professional (i.e. expressions related to sport) and everyday language usage. The study addresses the following issues: a) what does having stronger national identity mean; b) is there correlation between strength of national identity and gender differences in knowledge and preferences in using Croatian equivalents over English terms; c) in which context (everyday or sports) do students use more Croatian terms than English ones? A questionnaire was given to a sample of 100 students from the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Croatia. The Spearman Rank Order Correlations were used in establishing a correlation between national identity and the usage of Croatian equivalents, while the Mann-Whitney U Test was used in testing gender differences. To conclude, the results show a negative correlation between strength of national identity and knowledge of Croatian equivalents (in 51% of cases, in sports terminology, students do not know the Croatian word, and 78% prefer using English sport terms). Furthermore, gender differences were only found on the scale regarding English grades in high school (women had better grades than men).

Motor abilities necessary to be successful at dancing

The aim of the study was to determine the relation between motor abilities and the rate of success in dancing of 85 students of the Faculty of Kinesiology. Efficiency in dancing was represented by the marks given to the subjects by five experts after performing each dance on the basis of a video recording. The variables’ sample to determine motor abilities consisted of the results achieved by measuring motor abilities of coordination, realization of rhythmical structures, balance, movement frequency, flexibility and explosive strength. By means of regression analysis a statistically significant relationship was established between a predictor set of the students’ motor abilities and the overall dancing efficiency criterion (R = 0.67), the predictor set and the folk dances efficiency criterion (R = 0.67) and the predictor set and the social dances’ efficiency criterion (R = 0.62) (p < 0.01). Predictors with the highest rate of the relationship of the predictor set with the overall dancing efficiency criterion and folk dancing efficiency are drumming without the rhythm and side-steps with a 360° turn. The students with a higher level of rhythmic abilities and coordination will be more successful in performing dancing structures.