Main Sport Research Articles

A-019 Unexpectedly High Cardiac Troponin Values in Healthy Athletes after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract Background Elevated levels of cardiac troponin I or T (cTnI, cTnT) in general have immediate clinical consequences including invasive cardiac imaging and rhythm monitoring. Macro-troponin is a complex of antitroponin autoantibodies and cTnI or cTnT and may result in falsely elevated values. In athletes, a reliable exclusion of cardiac disease is crucial to allow for intensive exercise. The prevalence and causes of falsely elevated cTn in professional athletes after SARS-CoV-2 infection are unknown. Methods These are preliminary results of an observational study including 35 professional athletes (16 -75 years old, median 24 years; 19 females, 16 males) who had post-Covid-19 check-ups at their practicing sports physician mostly in the year 2022 (6 athletes in 2023). One female athlete did not have a proven SARS-CoV-2 infection but vaccination. Divergences in high sensitivity (hs) cTn concentrations were investigated according to the sex-specific cut-off values of 4 different assays (hs-cTnI: Alinity/Abbott Diagnostics, Atellica/Siemens Healthineers, Access/Beckman Coulter and hs-cTnT: Cobas/Roche Diagnostics). All athletes were advised to stop training 48h before routine blood drawing and if required underwent electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging to exclude myocardial involvement, particularly when suspicious symptoms were present. Athletes with divergent hs-cTn assay results were further analyzed for the presence of macro-troponin using the reference method sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. Results The two main professional sports were cycling (mountain biking or road biking) and soccer, further sports comprised curling, swimming, running including marathon, floorball, cross-country skiing or rhythmic gymnastics. Athletes mostly suffered from postviral exhaustion, mild infectious symptoms like headache, sore throat, dry cough, subfebrile temperature, or sniffles or had atypical thoracic pain. There were two males with known secondary diagnoses, one 25 years old with diabetes mellitus type 1 and one 75 years old with atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia. Eighteen (18/35) athletes had hs-cTn concentrations within the sex-specific cut-off values in all assays and did not undergo further investigation for macro-troponin by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. However, in 17 athletes (17/35) hs-cTn was increased in at least one assay method which was mostly a hs-cTnI method (for 2/17 all assays elevated). The sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation method proved macro-troponin in 15/17 with original hs-cTn values for Abbott Alinity: 5 - 170 ng/L; Siemens Atellica: 9.6 - 376 ng/L; Beckman Access: 0.5 - 55 ng/L and Roche Cobas 4 - 77 ng/L. However, 2/17 had the free troponin form, one with only a minor hs-cTnT increase above the sex-specific cut-off and the other with increased values in all hs-cTn assays but normal values in a 2- and 4-days control follow-up measurement. Notably, there were no ECG or cardiac imaging findings including echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging suggestive of myocarditis in the investigated athletes. Conclusions After SARS-CoV-2 infection, cTn might be increased in athletes without a correlate in ECG or imaging reports. This should prompt physicians to consider an assay interference by macro-troponin, particularly if a second troponin method such as hs-cTnT remains normal. AHL & CK share first and OH & CM share last authorship

How Athletic Swiss Patients Experience Their Return to Sports After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Results from a Retrospective Self-Assessment.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are frequent injuries, especially in athletes. Return to sports after reconstruction of the ligament is a frequently debated topic and of high relevance for these patients. It is mostly achieved at 9-12 months post-surgery. However, the risk of subsequent knee injuries is high and psychological factors play an important role in the process and success of returning to sports. Little is known about patients' perception of their journey returning to sports. This study aims to fill the gap. The study aimed to include patients treated surgically for an ACL injury over 5 years at a specialized sports-medicine clinic. Patients were surveyed on the impact of the injury on their lives, their return to sports experience, and medical history. In total, 100 (of 474) patients aged 35.9 years responded. Within 5 years, 19% experienced a reoperation and 23% a new knee injury. Overall, 83% of patients returned to their main sport, 72% reached their pre-injury level. However, 45% reported at least one distinct or severe consequence of their ACL injury. The ability to return to sports had more impact on the perception of the course of treatment than the experience of new injuries or surgery. The rate of successful return to sports was comparable to previous reports despite a higher average age in this cohort. A successful return to sports seems to be a major determinant for the perception of impact from the injury and may be more important than the avoidance of repeat trauma.

THE HISTORY OF THE LUZHNIKI STADIUM: FROM THE SETTLEMENT TO THE ARENA

The article examines the history of the territory of the Moscow settlement, which was called “Luzhniki”. The article analyzes versions of the name of this area. The author in his article touches on the history of the Novodevichy Convent ensemble. The article examines the process of settling the territory of Luzhniki, how the appearance of Luzhniki has changed over several centuries. The natural features of the Luzhniki territory are analyzed in detail. The article examines the history of the construction of the main sports arena of the Soviet state. The author analyzes the social conditionality of the creation of this unique sports complex, which has become one of the main symbols of the city.

Female officials in Europe and their sport’s diversity climate

ABSTRACT Research Question Drawing from the Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity, the purpose of this study was to examine how individual-, interpersonal-, and sport-level factors related to female officials’ perceptions of their sport’s diversity climate. Research Methods The authors draw on data from a comprehensive, European-based survey of female officials in various sports. Respondents reported about their officiating biography, characteristics of their main sport, and individual characteristics (n = 3,214). Information about a sport’s level of subjectivity and contact with athletes was added to the data. Diversity climate was assessed using the mean of a 12-item scale. Results and Findings The results of regression analyses show that years officiating, officiating with more male than female officials, and education all held negative associations with the sport’s diversity climate. On the other hand, the presence of a mentor was positively associated with diversity climate. Implications Collectively, the findings suggest that different factors shape female officials’ perceptions of the diversity climate in their sport. Sport organizations need to be aware of these factors and develop measures to improve the diversity climate for female officials and ultimately foster their retention in the sport.

Natural environments of the city for sport activity: Case study of Malaga (Spain)

Previous studies support the direct relationship between outdoor physical activity and natural spaces in cities. The Active City and Nature concept explores the relationship between urban, green and active environments; it aims to demonstrate the scientific evidence for the need for action to be taken to increase participation in active living and sport, leading to healthier cities and communities. Our research seeks to analyse the city’s natural spaces as scenarios to encourage physical activity and sport, through a combined study of qualitative research techniques: the use of a digital webGIS platform, collaborative maps made by citizens, and surveys conducted with citizens and the local government. This methodology has been tested in the city of Malaga, the European City of Sport 2020. The study of the city’s main sport areas, the waterfront and natural green spaces provided data on the types of physical activity taking place in each of these areas and the physical activity needs of citizens. This research argues that it is important to know the criteria of local communities for physical activity and/or sport in natural environments, as well as the main demands expressed. This will provide valuable information to design and manage natural public spaces as a means of promoting physical activity and healthy habits.

Leveraging para sport events to create para sport legacies: a case study of the world para snow sport championship 2021

PurposeThis study examines how the World Para Snow Sports Championship 2021 was leveraged to create para sport outcomes. The purpose of this study is to add to the knowledge of how different organisations can create positive para sport legacies from elite para sport events.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative case study used interviews with representatives from key stakeholders and archival materials as main sources. An event leverage model was used to better understand the context, structures, and resources relevant to the development of para sport outcomes.FindingsThe main findings show how a variety of organisations set goals and implemented strategies to create para sport legacies. While the short-term increase in para sport participation remained rather limited, the new infrastructure, new para sport policies, and increased awareness of para sport were the main para sport legacy outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe main contribution of this study is empirical knowledge on how different organisations can leverage a para sport event to create legacies for para sport. Future research can examine the perspectives of additional groups, such as other athletes, spectators, and people with disabilities.Practical implicationsFor organisations involved in para sport, this study shows the opportunities and challenges of using a sport event to recruit new para sport participants.Originality/valueWhile there are some studies on the legacy outcomes of the Paralympic Games, this study focuses on a different para sport event and adopts the leverage perspective.

Dead or Alive: How Amateurism Shaped Marathons in Norway, 1896–1906

The marathon in the Olympic Games in 1896 immediately inspired the sporting community both in Europe and in the United States. Some organizers sought to surpass the record set in Athens and awarded their marathon winners generously. In Norway, the main sports federation wanted to control the competition, and how it would be perceived. According to the Secretary of the Federation, the military Captain F.G. Seeberg, no participant should finish a long race in bad style, or even worse, dead. His organization managed, to some extent, to impose this partly aesthetic ideal on the many marathons during the following years. This restricted the striving for records, largely due to the shared ideology of amateurism among sportswriters and athletes. The story of marathons’ development in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia from 1896 to 1906 illuminates early cooperation and standardization in international sports, as well as national divergencies. More crucially, it details how the broader ideology of sports amateurism shaped a new long-distance running event due to its intensified attention to style.

Opposites attract? Mixed-sex parents' and siblings' sport participation differentiates youth athletes' perceived parenting climates.

Guided by family systems and achievement goal theories, this study examined how the sex of athletes and their main sport parents, as well as sport participation patterns (same sport, different sports, and no sports) of parent-athlete and sibling sex compositions (same-sex and mixed-sex), differentiated athlete perceptions of parenting climates-task-involving (emphasizing individual improvements, effort, and mastery) and ego-involving (emphasizing winning and performance comparison). Participants were 353 U.S. high school athletes (Mage=15.52 and SD=1.18; 55% male) who completed a survey on perceived parenting climates, family compositions, and sport backgrounds of their parents and siblings. We conducted six moderated regression analyses, two of which used (1) athlete sex and main sport parents' sex, (2) sport participation patterns of parent-athlete sex compositions, or (3) sport participation patterns of sibling sex compositions as independent variables. Four of the analyses were statistically significant with small effect sizes, showing that (1) boys perceived greater ego-involving climates than girls; (2) athletes whose same-sex parents played sports (same or different sports) compared to no sports-perceived greater task-involving climates: (3) athletes whose mixed-sex parents played (same or different sports) compared to no sports-perceived greater task-involving climates and less ego-involving climates; and (4) athletes whose mixed-sex siblings played different sports than they did, compared no sports, and perceived greater task-involving climates. None of the interactions were significant. Findings provide theoretical and practical implications by incorporating motivational climates, addressing the potential relationships of parents' and mixed-sex siblings' sport participation to adaptive parenting climates.

ECG screening and prevention of sudden cardiac death in endurance athletes over 40

Abstract Introduction CV diseases increase with age. There are many athletes aged >40 years who practise in certain endurance sports (marathon, ultramarathon and cycling), that involve very high intensity physical exertion and prolonged efforts. This population, like others athletes, undergo to annual examination with a medical history, spirometry, urine test and exercise test. CVdisease and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are the main cause of mortality in athletes during sport and this specific population group are at increased CV risk due to their multiple comorbidities, so this kind of screening remains controversial. Aims The primary aim of the study is to evaluate whether a 5-minute 'mini Holter ECG', associated with the conventional examination, can have an additional role for early screening and prevention of CV diseases in older endurance sport population. Materials The population were selected as part of the larger 'Heart And Run' project, an ECG collection of endurance athletes of the main sports clubs in Rome - Italy. A control group of healty individiuals was collected for comparison. The ECG traces were recorded at rest for 5 minutes with the Kardia Mobile device 6L™. HRV indices were analysed using the software Kubios. The study group were compared for an ECG morphological analysis and HRV parameters in the time and frequency domain. Results A total of 353 subjects (182 athletes, 171 controls) were analysed. The athlets show a significantly higher incidence of sinus arrhythmias, LAFB, 1°degree AVB, Jpoint elevation and STsegment abnormalities. We found also a significantly shorter QTc in athlets compared to controls (395.95 ± 29.51 ms vs. 411.6 ± 29.01 ms), suggestive of greater protection from malignant ventricular arrhythmias. In line with the ECG findings, the HRV PNS (-0.25 ± 1.25 vs -1.05 ± 1.45) and SNS (0.69 ± 1.44 vs 2.38 ± 1.89) indices were respectively higher and lower in the athletes group than in the controls group. Differences between the two groups were also found in the time and frequency HRV domain analysis (SDNN, RMSSD, NN50 and pNN50). Due to the absence of normality range, we considered values lower of the 5th or higher of the 95th percentile range, for the main HRV parameters, as abnormals. We identified 29/182 virtually abnormal HRV individuals. Those patients could be at increased CV risk, worthy of further investigation. In total, out-of-range HRV values or morphological abnormalities were detected in 54 athletes (29%), a population that will need further attention through follow-up and additional examinations. Conclusions Despite competitive endurance sports are associated with increased vagal tone, which is virtually protective against CV diseases, even in athletes over 40, the addition of the 5-minute cardiac 'mini Holter' could increase the sensitivity in detection of CV disease, in a specific high-risk group of athletes, suggesting additional clinical and instrumental investigations in such patients.

Development of world class ski performance: Similarities and differences in pathways to expertise for freeskiers and cross-country skiers

The overall purpose of the present study was to investigate similarities and differences in pathways to expertise for freeskiers and cross-country skiers. Specifically, 1) Entrance to the main sport, 2) Amount of training hours and organization of training, and 3) Variability in activities and content in training. Sampling athletes had to be on the highest level in their sport by competing in, e.g., the World Cup, World Championship, Olympic games, freeride World Tour. In total, 18 world-class skiers participated in the study. Eight freeskiers (age range 19-37) and ten cross-country skiers (age range 22-32 years). They answered a digital questionnaire designed to collect retrospective data describing their pathways to expertise. The first section elicits biographical information, age for entering sport and practice. The second section focused on sport-specific training, accumulated hours of training, and the distribution of organized versus self-organized training. The third section recalled the variability of activities they participated in and how they perceived the relevance of the content of different types of training for their sport-specific development. The results showed similarities in athletes’ entrance to the main sport, specialization age and total amount of training. At the same time, differences were observed in their training history regarding the organization of training. In contrast to cross-country skiers, freeskiers seem to be more self-organized and more involved in additional activities besides their main sport. Interestingly, the two groups of world-class athletes representing sports with distinctive demands share several common variables in their paths to expertise, amplified by perceived specificity. Practitioners and academics should substantiate patience in expertise development, driven by a multi-disciplinary understanding of distinct and individual characteristics or conditions that may be beneficial in fulfilling varied future demands. Hence, research should explore the rationale behind and potential learning effects between sports and training content.

The Growing Importance of Women in Portuguese Football and in the Sports Press

This study aims to investigate the processes of change in valuing women's participation in the world of football, as well as their recognition by sports journalism. The initial research question was: "What difficulties do women encounter in gaining acceptance in the world of football and in sports journalism in Portugal?". The main objectives were: 1) To analyse the role of women football players in Portugal; 2) To understand the position of women's football in Portugal; 3) To find out how Portuguese sports journalism treats women's football; 4) To investigate the role of communication in publicising women's football in Portugal; 5) To understand the perception of women's football in Portugal. In order to achieve these objectives, the methodology involves carrying out an exploratory empirical study based on analysing the content of the main Portuguese sports newspapers and applying a questionnaire survey to the Portuguese population in general. The main aim of analysing the sports newspapers is to find out how Portuguese sports journalism treats women's football and how regularly and relevantly women's football is covered in the news. In turn, the questionnaire survey seeks to understand the perception, acceptance and information that the Portuguese population has about women's football. The results obtained were very enlightening, showing that women's football in Portugal still needs a lot of development and acceptance and that the mass media is blamed for the lack of publicity and promotion of women's football in Portugal, which means that the majority of the population has no knowledge or information about what goes on in women's football. On the other hand, it was also possible to ascertain that there is still a certain stigma regarding women's football, denoting the existence of prejudice and unequal treatment, as reflected in its presence in sports journalism.

Acoustic Evaluation of Trabzon Beşirli Central Tennis Court Multi-Purpose Hall

Today, although acoustic designs for different purposes are not realized in sports halls designed for sports activities, these halls are widely used for various events such as conferences and concerts. In this study; The main activity area in the Beşirli Central Tennis Court building, which was built for sports activities within the scope of the European Youth Games in Trabzon Province, was evaluated in terms of acoustics for different functional uses by computer simulation method. First of all, 3D models were prepared for the current conditions of the main sports event areas according to different audience occupancy rates. Then the models were transferred to the simulation program to evaluate the objective parameters of the sound. After obtaining the objective parameter values of the sound, 3D models of the hall were prepared again with the sound-absorbing mechanisms placed between the existing steel structural system on the ceiling plane of the hall, designed for the realization of sports, music and speech activities in the sports activity areas. The prepared 3D models were transferred to the ODEON V10 program and the simulation process was repeated. As a result of all simulations, the values of the objective parameters of the sound obtained for indoor sports activity areas were compared and evaluated with each other and the accepted optimum value ranges.

Exploring consumers' perceptions and biases on eating behaviors and sport nutrition: A twitter perspective

Sports and endurance activities have become a growing practice as people adopt a more active lifestyle. However, most physically active Twitter users seem to have limited knowledge about nutritional needs or supplementation. This study aimed to mine Twitter data to provide insight into the consumers’ perceptions related to food and nutrient needs in physical activities. Using the search terms Food and Fitness, and Gym and Fitness, a total of 62,130 tweets were retrieved, filtered, and analyzed to obtain co-occurrence networks. Data showed that the primary goal for physically active users on Twitter was found to be muscle gain, primarily through bodybuilding exercises. Most of these users tend to follow either a vegan or ketogenic diet. In addition, the study highlighted disparities between people's understanding of various fitness clusters and the scientific literature. Generally, the knowledge level of physically active Twitter users matched well with the clusters related to diet and physical objectives. However, significant gaps were observed particularly in understanding macronutrient composition and the usage of supplements before workouts, where their knowledge deviated significantly from scientific consensus. Therefore, this study represents a cost-effective technique to identify the main sport activities and food categories used by physically active Twitter users, as well as to investigate the general levels of nutritional knowledge.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SPORTS INJURIES

The article presents the results of an analysis of the causative factors of sports injuries, organizational issues and epidemiological aspects based on a questionnaire implemented among athletes with traumatic injuries of various types. The results of the study showed that the main sports injuries were injuries to the knee joint and ankle joint, accounting for a total of 36.6% of all identified cases. At the same time, the largest number of injuries among the studied contingent of athletes is determined at the age of 18-22 years in basketball (50.0%), weightlifting (50.0%) and boxing (45.5%). And among people under 18 years of age in gymnastics (53.8%) and football (46.2%), the lowest values were determined among athletes aged 27 years and older (11.5%), which is associated with a high level of skill and sportsmanship. experience among athletes of this age category. KEY WORDS: injuries, sports, causative factors, prevention program, questionnaires, organizational and methodological aspects of epidemiology

Validation of the Ankle Ligament Reconstruction-Return to Sports after Injury (ALR-RSI) Score as a Tool to Assess Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport in an Active Population After Ankle Fracture Surgery: A Cross-sectional Study

Ankle injuries account for 15% to 25% of all sports injuries resulting in significant pain and loss of function. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to validate a scale to help surgeons quantify the psychological readiness to Return To Sport (RTS) in patients undergoing ankle fracture surgery. ALR-RSI was used to assess the psychological readiness for RTS in athletic patients who underwent ankle fracture fixation between January 2020 and January 2021. Participants filled out ALR-RSI and 2 Patient-Related Outcome Measurement (PROM) tools: Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) and Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score (SEFAS). A total of 93 patients were included. There was a strong correlation between ALR-RSI and both OMAS and SEFAS, with Pearson coefficients of r = 0.58 and 0.53, respectively. ALR-RSI was significantly higher in the RTS group than in those who no longer practiced their main preinjury sport. Moreover, the discriminant validity of ALR-RSI (AUC = 0.81) was better than that of the SEFAS and OMAS (AUC = 0.64 and 0.65, respectively, p = .001). The intra-class correlation coefficient ρ of 0.94 showed excellent reproducibility. At an optimal cutoff value of 76.7, ALR-RSI had a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 75% with a Youden index of 0.56. In conclusion, ALR-RSI was a valid and reproducible tool to evaluate the psychological readiness for RTS in an active population after an ankle fracture. This score could help surgeons identify athletes who may have unfavorable postoperative outcomes and provide support on the ability to RTS.

Sports motivation in Chinese college students: A systematic review

BackgroundAccording to the 2014 National Physical Fitness and Health Monitor, people aged 9 to 22 exhibit limited physical activity, with a large proportion exercising for less than 1 h daily. China has focused on the study of college student sports motivation. This study comprehensively analyzed sports motivation studies and their relevant factors on Chinese college students. MethodsThe researchers searched CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WANFANG DATA, Cqvip, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library for sports motivation in Chinese college students. Articles from 2018 to 2023 were searched. The final analysis included 30 pieces of literatures that met the topic criteria. ResultsThe results show that Chinese college students' sports motivation studies used large sample sizes and covered most of China. The main sports motivations are health, shape, and relaxation. Demography, psychology, social support, physical environment, and policy aspects affect sports motivation. Lack of use of qualitative and longitudinal studies. ConclusionIn the future, scholars who research the sports motivation of Chinese college students need to pay more attention to social support, physical environment, and policy. Furthermore, scholars may try to use qualitative and longitudinal studies.

Peer Teaching Model in Gymnastic Education

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of peer teaching model in gymnastics education, which is one of the main sports branches and in which the participants are involved in studies with their peer groups. The research was carried out in a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. The research was carried out in Akhisargücü Sports Club in Manisa. A total of 29 children aged 7-9, (Experimental=15, Control=14), voluntarily participated in the study. Participants do not have any previous gymnastics experience. Random sampling method was used to determine the groups, and which would be the control or experimental group. To assess social skills, Social Skills Assessment Scale (SSAS) developed by Akçamete and Avcıoğlu (2005) was scored by each participant's primary school teachers. Observation forms prepared by the researchers were used to evaluate movement skills. Measurements were taken twice before and after 8 weeks of practice. Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the experimental and control groups data, Wilcoxon Signed Rank was used in the pre-test-post-test difference comparisons of the groups. According to the analysis results, in terms of social skills, the difference scores of the peer education were found to be statistically significant (p<.050) while the difference scores of the control group were statistically insignificant (p>.050). According to the results of the analysis of movement development specific to gymnastic, significant difference was found in both groups (p< .050). As a result, it has been seen that both the peer teaching model and the traditional method support movement development in gymnastics education. In addition, it has been found that the peer teaching model in gymnastic education improves social skills more than traditional teaching.

FORMATION OF MOTIVATION AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS IN TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL SPORTS ATHLETES

The article highlights the problems of forming motivational and value orientations among team and individual sports athletes. It showed that in the majority of scientific works devoted to the study of sports motivation, consideration of individual motivational variables, mainly the main sports motives of activity, prevails. Three main aspects of the study of motivation in general and sports motivation are highlighted, in particular: the topological (content) aspect, which involves consideration of the content of the main motives of activity; the structural aspect, which focuses attention on the internal structural characteristics of motivation and assumes the presence of a certain structure of interdependent motivational variables as a single entity, which, in fact, is motivation; dynamic aspect, which includes the entire complex of factors that ensure the process of formation, development, extinction of motivation, as well as the development of demotivation. Motivational variables have been studied that will allow to consider and characterize the structure of sports motivation in a socio-psychological context, in representatives of team and individual sports, in which the fact of having a team can determine the uniqueness of the combination and the degree of manifestation of these motivational variables: external and internal motives of sports activity, valuable orientations, types of orientation of the athleteʼs personality, as well as jealousy as one of the motives that ensure success in a competitive situation. It was revealed that the structure of sports motivation is a system of interrelated internal and external motives that ensure the desire to achieve high results in sports of higher achievements, which is determined by the social and psychological context ‒ the presence or absence of a team as a group (“a single whole”), factors, that determine the specifics of the professional development of athletes. We see the prospect of further research in the development of programs that provide training for professional athletes to perform at national and international competitions.
 Keywords: formation; motivation; motives; values; orientations; motivational variables; young athletes; interaction team and individual sports; team.

Rational Use of Energy in Sport Centers to Achieving Net Zero—The SAVE Project (Part B: Indoor Sports Hall)

Sports centers are significant energy consumers. This article outlines the engineering design for a comprehensive energy performance upgrade of the indoor sports hall in Arkalochori, Greece, and presents the projected results. The indoor sports hall constitutes a major sport facility on the mainland of Crete, hosting a broad cluster of sport municipal activities and the official basketball games of the local team in the 2nd national category. Having been constructed in the mid-1990s, the facility exhibits very low thermal performance, with considerably high U-factors for all constructive elements (from 4 to 5 W/m2∙K), still use of diesel oil for indoor space heating and domestic heat water production, and ineffective old lamps and luminaries covering the lighting needs of the facility. The energy performance upgrade of the indoor sports hall was studied, and the following passive and active measures were considered: Opaque-surfaces’ thermal insulation and openings’ replacement, stone wool panels, installation of heat pumps for indoor space conditioning, removal of diesel oil for any end use, production of domestic hot water from a novel solar-combi system, upgrade of lighting equipment, installation of solar tubes on the main sports hall roof for natural lighting as well as of a photovoltaic system for covering the remaining electricity consumption. With the proposed interventions, the studied building becomes a zero-energy facility. The payback period of the investment was calculated at 26 years on the basis of the avoided energy cost. This work was funded by the “NESOI” Horizon 2020 project and received the public award “Islands Gamechanger” competition of the NESOI project and the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.

Sports-related factors predicting maintained participation and dropout in organized sports in emerging adulthood: A four-year follow-up study.

This study explored sports-related factors predicting organized sports participation in emerging adulthood. In the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study, 354 sports club participants aged 15 at baseline reported their main sport, onset age, training volume, current competitive level, and future competitive orientation and participated in the follow-up study at age 19. There were differences in the proportions of maintainers and dropouts in a few sports: football (maintainers 58.6%), and among females, skating (maintainers 60.7%), and swimming (dropouts 80.0%). A binary logistic regression analysis showed that those who had started their main sport by school age (females OR 3.05/95% CI 1.34, 6.98; males OR 3.97/95% CI 1.48, 10.64) and had competed at national top level plus had aimed at success at the adult level competitions in future (females OR 3.42/95% CI 1.16, 10.09; males OR 3.58/95% CI 1.12, 11.41; among females, also had competed at national top level plus had aimed at success at junior level competitions [OR 3.42/95% CI 1.20, 9.78]) were more likely maintainers than dropouts. Early onset in the main sport and competitiveness were related to maintained sports participation while the opposites were related to dropouts in the current organized sports system.