Paralympic Sport Research Articles

Mídia e Jogos Paralímpicos no Brasil: a cobertura da Folha de S.Paulo entre 1992 e 2016

The goal of this research was to characterize the coverage of the Folha de S.Paulo (FSP) during the Paralympic Games during all editions from 1992 to 2016. The study was quantitative and descriptive. We concluded that the Paralympic sport gained gradual visibility in the FSP, presenting a quantitative leap of news between 1996 and 2000 and another starting in 2012. Most of the news turned to athletes and modalities that involve competitors with physical disabilities. The newspaper also favored the publication of modalities with a greater number of medals, and more specifically, swimming and athletics. We explore hypotheses that explain these data and weave considerations that may contribute to the media's qualification in their coverage of the sport for people with disabilities.

ROLE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN ADAPTIVE SPORTS IN PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY

Introduction: According to the statistics, from a modest 400 athletes representing 23 countries at first Paralympic games in Rome (1960), the modern Paralympic games now boats 4,000 athletes from 150 nations and ever increasing global television audience. There are currently 10 Paralympic sports (summer & winter) that involve competition in the form of wheelchair. This review article provides an overview of the evidence that links exercise and sports participation to physical and psychological well-being among people with spinal cord injury. Aim of the Study: To encourage exercise and sports participation to promote health and well-being among people living with spinal cord injury. Method: A literature study was conducted using PUBMED search. Out of 65,178 papers identified relating to spinal cord injury out of which 999 papers were related to Wheelchair sports and 404 articles on Paralympic sports. Conclusion: In discovering the potential of individuals with SCI for getting involved in Physical exercises showed improvement in health parameters including- HDL Cholesterol, Physical Functioning & Independence, overcoming shoulder pain, Respiratory function and Psychological well-being. Hence, sport group should be an inherit part of the rehabilitation process. Also, individual not having access to Physical exercise should be given opportunity to participate in wheelchair mobility training. This may improve the adherence to Physical exercises of individuals with SCI in post-clinical settings. Article visualizations:

Struggling to stay and struggling to leave: The experiences of elite para-athletes at the end of their sport careers

OBJECTIVETo explore the retirement experiences of elite para-athletes. Athletic retirement has long been of interest to sport psychologists. With a few exceptions, little attention has been paid to the retirements of elite athletes with disabilities. The research that has been done on para-sport was conducted in the late 1990s and the context of Paralympic sport has changed in the interim. DESIGN: An online survey was distributed to retired para-athletes (n = 60) and qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sub-sample (n = 13). SAMPLE: The sample included 48 Paralympians (21 had medalled at the Paralympic Games) and 12 internationally competitive para-athletes. The group included 39 males and 21 females and was diverse in age (22–77 years of age), impairment history and impairment type (35 acquired impairments and 25 congenital impairments), and sport (24 different para-sports). METHODS: Guided by a subjective and transactional epistemological framework, data was thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Although most para-athletes leave sport for the same reasons as their able-bodied peers, certain reasons for retirement, such as declassification, are unique to para-sport. Para-athletes facing these types of retirements had particularly difficult transition experiences and could benefit from additional support. Para-athletes also reported that the increasing professionalization of para-sport, combined with uncertainty about post-sport employment opportunities for people with disabilities, made it more difficult to retire. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the experiences of retirement that are unique to para-sport will permit sport psychologists and other practitioners to provide better and more targeted support to para-athletes.

Kinematics and kinetics of handcycling propulsion at increasing workloads in able-bodied subjects

In Paralympic sports, biomechanical optimisation of movements and equipment seems to be promising for improving performance. In handcycling, information about the biomechanics of this sport is mainly provided by case studies. The aim of the current study was (1) to examine changes in handcycling propulsion kinematics and kinetics due to increasing workloads and (2) identify parameters that are associated with peak aerobic performance. Twelve non-disabled male competitive triathletes without handcycling experience voluntarily participated in the study. They performed an initial familiarisation protocol and incremental step test until exhaustion in a recumbent racing handcycle that was attached to an ergometer. During the incremental test, tangential crank kinetics, 3D joint kinematics, blood lactate and ratings of perceived exertion (local and global) were identified. As a performance criterion, the maximal power output during the step test (Pmax) was calculated and correlated with biomechanical parameters. For higher workloads, an increase in crank torque was observed that was even more pronounced in the pull phase than in the push phase. Furthermore, participants showed an increase in shoulder internal rotation and abduction and a decrease in elbow flexion and retroversion. These changes were negatively correlated with performance. At high workloads, it seems that power output is more limited by the transition from pull to push phase than at low workloads. It is suggested that successful athletes demonstrate small alterations of their kinematic profile due to increasing workloads. Future studies should replicate and expand the test spectrum (sprint and continuous loads) as well as use methods like surface electromyography (sEMG) with elite handcyclists.

Evaluation of Dietary Intakes and Supplement Use in Elite Paralympic Athletes

The Paralympic Games are highly competitive and athletes need to maximize performance, one crucial aspect of which is nutrition. Dietary intakes and supplement use in high‐performance, athletes with physical disabilities remain largely unexplored and specialized recommendations are lacking. Consequently, these athletes may be at risk for nutritional deficiencies and supplement misuse. The aim of this study is to assess nutritional intakes, dietary supplementation patterns, and sources of dietary supplement information in Canadian athletes with physical disabilities. Male (n=18) and female (n=22) athletes were recruited from various Paralympic sports across Canada through sporting organizations, coaches, and social media. Males had significantly greater total energy intakes than females (male=2092 kcal/day; female=1602 kcal/day, p=0.013). Males had greater protein intakes based on body weight than females (p=0.0017), while fat and carbohydrate intakes were similar in both genders. Females consumed a significantly greater percentage of their total calories from sugar as compared to males (p=0.049). Athletes' intakes met or exceeded the majority of recommended daily allowances (RDA) for vitamins and minerals, with the exception of vitamin D, vitamin E, and magnesium. Males did not meet the RDA for folate and vitamin A, while females did not meet the RDA for iron and calcium. Athletes did not meet the AI for pantothenic acid and potassium. Females had significantly lower percent of the recommendations for calcium (p=0.031), selenium (p=0.016), and iron (p<0.001) as compared to males. Supplement use is high in this population; 100% of males and 91% of females reported supplement use within the past three months. Males most regularly used sports bars, protein powder, and sport drinks, while females most regularly used vitamin D, protein powder, and fatty acids. Significant differences were noted in branched chain amino acids, as males were more likely to use this supplement (p=0.008). The top three reasons for taking supplements were “stay healthy,” “increase energy,” and “medical.” Sources of dietary supplements were reported as dietician/nutritionist, medical physician (doctor), and athletic trainer. In conclusion, elite Paralympic athletes tend to consume diets that are adequate in most macro‐ and micronutrients with a high usage of dietary supplements. Future studies should evaluate impairment levels on energy and macronutrient intakes to work towards recommendations and to adequately educate and support these athletes.Support or Funding InformationFunded by a Mount Royal University Innovation Grant (J.P.) and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (J.S.).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Financiamento do esporte paralímpico no Brasil: convênios

The financial support to the Elite Sports carried out historically through tax exemptions to the sports entities, in recent years has been added to a series of governmental actions, with emphasis on the agreements, the granting of scholarships to athletes and the Sports Incentive Law. This paper aims to describe the investment of federal public resources from agreements in paralympic sports, in addition to identifying their main beneficiaries and the types of expenses incurred. In order to do so, a descriptive research was carried out, using documentary research, in the National High-Performance Sport Secretariat of the Ministry of Sports (SNEAR), for the cataloging of agreements, onlending and decentralization agreements entered into by the federal public administration via SNEAR, to finance Paralympic sports from 2008 to 2016. It has been verified that Brazil has invested resources in the Paralympic sport with greater intensity between 2008 and 2014. However, it was evidenced that the Federal Government does not have systematized information or method to systematize the information on the transfer of financial resources through agreements, which was developed in this study. Other public entities, committees, confederations, leagues, federations, clubs and educational institutions are the destinations of the financial resources of the agreements, which can be applied in 12 different ways. Between 2008 and 2016 there was an increase in the amount of funds invested in Paralympic sports, mainly for the preparation of the Rio 2016 Games. The investments made through agreements are mainly in facilities and sports materials. It is concluded that financial resources of the Federal Government are spent without classification of the actions, entities or public to which such resources are destined. Thus, the systematization of this information, presented in this work, can substantially collaborate with the evaluation and formulation of government policies and actions.

A contribuição da mídia na construção dos ídolos paralímpicos brasileiros

The Brazilian paralympic sport is living a moment of sporting highlight because of their recent achievements: eigth place in the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games 2016 and leader for three consecutive editions of the Para-PanAmerican Games (2007, 2011, 2015). These results makes Brazil as been viewed how a world paralympic power. The media can contribute to the country remain in this status, not only the visibility of great athletes, but also so that more people know the Paralympic sport and are encouraged to join the sport. Thus, this essay aims to reflect on the influence of the media in the creation and construction of Brazilian Paralympic idols from the years 2000 to the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games in 2016. It has a qualitative approach with exploratory and descriptive procedures. Through theoretical reflection with literature, the text seeks to provide some relevant discussions and reflections on the subject. Since 2000s the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) has invested in the coverage of the Paralympic sports, and this initiative has generated positive results for the country, since many idols have been created and contribute to the emergence of new Paralympic generations.

“Twittando” sobre os jogos paralímpicos Rio/2016: uma análise do sentimento paralímpico sob o ponto de vista de internautas

Paralympic sport over the years has been gaining visibility in the different media, and along with this growth, the participation of the public as consumer and producer of information is also highlighted by the interaction allowed through the digital convergence. The purpose of this study was to characterize the contents that were produced and circulated about the sport and paralympic athletes during the opening and closing of the JP of Rio / 2016 on the social network Twitter. We conducted an observational and descriptive research based on the official hashtags of the open channel Tv Brasil and the cable channel Sportv, official stations of the megaevento (#vemprapara and #jogosparalimpicosnoSportv, respectively), during the previous days and the days of the opening and closure ceremonies of the JP, on 06, 07, 17 and 18 of september of 2016. We conclude that the postings revealed a sense of emotion, affection and enchantment, or recognition of athletes' abilities and skills, as well as a critique of the formatting of paralympic sport as a space of inclusion and accessibility.

Sociology of sport, media and disability in Spain

Today, Spain is an advanced country in the field of sport for people with disabilities. Thanks to social movement led by National Blind Organization (ONCE) since the mid-80s, the Paralympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, the birth of the Spanish Paralympic Committee in 1995 and the Paralympic Sport Support Plan (ADOP) by the Government, Spain is a Paralympic power and many athletes with disabilities are socially known and admired people. However, there are yet situations of social and economic discrimination. Surely the media have powerfully influenced for improve the image of these athletes with disabilities, but still they use to give the sport for people with disabilities much less coverage than they give to other sports. From a sociological point of view, the study of sport is consolidating as a scientific area and in recent decades it has highlighted the connections between sport and society in various fields. In particular, sport for people with disabilities has become one of the areas that has evolved, especially in relation to their physical, psychological and social benefits. However, the study area relating adapted sports and mass communication is poorly developed in Spain and the references are still sporadic. The aim of this article is to show the current state of studies on sport for people with disabilities from the point of view of sociology and communication sciences in Spain, as well as the relevance of deepening these studies to achieve understanding and, as far as possible, improve the situation of these people.

O projeto paradesportivo de Sergipe e o legado social para as pessoas com deficiência

This research aims to identify and cognize the contributions of the Sergipe Paralympic Sport Project (PPdSE), which is provide by Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) to athletes with eficiency. Four major groups were categorized, sporting practice (1), social and inclusive visibility (2), overcoming the deficient body through technological apparatuses (3), and inclusion by income (4), as a form of empowerment. In order to achieve this goal, the qualitative analysis method was adopted using a semi-structured interview, which involved five athletes participating in the UFS extension project for over a year. As a historical context, we assume that the Brazilian universities have as principle three alicerces (teaching, research and extension) as an interlaced approach to promote actions that may impact the communities of their environment. In this way, extension projects represent a powerful tool for professional development (supervised learning) as well as an opportunity to research and promote sports practices in their various dimensions or interests, whether through Agon (disputes, competitions) or Aratê (identified as what enables a person to live well or succeed). Therefore, these sports practices offer opportunities to acquire life skills and achieve higher levels of personal achievement, both as an athlete and as a participatory and responsible citizen. The results found that PPdSE participants improved their motor skills, muscle tone, self-esteem and confidence, improved sociability, and improved their ability to take on their own decisions.

Jogos Paralímpicos Rio 2016: memórias esportivas de atletas sul-rio-grandenses

The research aims to investigate how the sporting route of Rio Grande do Sul athletes who participated in the 2016 Paralympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro. This research is supported by oral sources, newspaper reports and magazines, information from social networks, as well as bibliographical review on the subject. The results evidenced that the insertion in the sports practice of Rio Grande do Sul paralympic athletes happened from the adult life. The athletes were introduced to paralympic sport through their peers and faced difficulties in remaining in high-performance sport due to restricted sports incentives. We conclude that new public policies of incentive to the high-performance sport in the state of Rio Grande do Sul are necessary. Moreover, the increase in financial incentives will probably have an impact on the increase in the number of Paralympic athletes.

Optimization-based motor control of a Paralympic wheelchair athlete

The following research approximated how the central nervous system of Paralympic wheelchair athletes resolve kinematic redundancies during upper-limb movements. A multibody biomechanical model of a tetraplegic Paralympic athlete was developed using subject-specific body segment parameters. The angular joint kinematics throughout a specified Paralympic sport movement (i.e., wheelchair curling) were experimentally measured using inertial measurement units. The motor control system of the Paralympian was mathematically modelled and simulated using forward dynamics optimization. The predicted kinematics from different optimization objective functions (i.e., minimizing resultant joint moments, mechanical joint power, and angular joint velocities and accelerations) were compared with those experimentally measured throughout the wheelchair curling movement. Of the optimization objective functions under consideration, minimizing angular joint accelerations produced the most accurate predictions of the kinematic trajectories (i.e., characterized with the lowest overall root mean square deviations) and the shortest optimization computation time. The implications of these control findings are discussed with regards to optimal wheelchair design through predictive dynamic simulations.

Classification for winter Paralympic sports

Classification for winter Paralympic sports

The structural and human resources support for Brazilian Paralympic athletes

The purpose of this study is to describe the importance of structural and human resources support for Brazilian Paralympic athletes. It is characterized as descriptive and qualitative approach. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Twenty Paralympians, from both Athletics and Swimming modalities, participated of this research, all of them contemplated by grant Bolsa Atleta Podio from Bolsa Atleta program of Ministry of Sports in Brazil. The results show that Structural Support (n = 20; 100%) and Human Resources Support (n = 19; 95%) are considered fundamental by the interviewed athletes. Actions focused on improving training conditions and the support of human resources are fundamental for the development of Paralympic sport and can guarantee the emergence of new generations of Paralympic athletes in Brazil.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PARALYMPIC ATHLETES IN BRAZIL

Brazilian Paralympic sport is growing rapidly due to its results and to more people with disabilities desiring to join it. The purpose of this study is to describe the importance of financial support for Brazilian Paralympic athletes’ careers. It is characterized as a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. Information was collected through a semi-structured interview. Twenty Paralympians, from both Athletics and Swimming modalities, participated of this research, all of them contemplated by Ministry of Sports grant programs – Bolsa Atleta and Bolsa Atleta Podio. Results show financial support being indicated as fundamental by all interviewed participants (n = 20, 100%). Many are the funding actions, especially from Brazilian Paralympic Committee and Brazilian Ministry of Sports, which provide better conditions for athlete development and can also guarantee the advent of new generations of Paralympic competitors in Brazil.

Produção científica sobre esporte adaptado e paralímpico em periódicos brasileiros da educação física

Esse estudo objetivou analisar a produção científica sobre esporte adaptado e paralímpico em periódicos nacionais da Educação Física. Realizou-se pesquisa bibliométrica entre 1998 a 2013. Examinaram-se 61 periódicos, sendo que 26 publicaram artigos sobre o tema, nove periódicos apresentaram conteúdo inacessível e em 26 periódicos não publicaram sobre o tema. Nos 26 periódicos com publicações sobre a temática, 121 artigos foram publicados. Em 2002 houve maior número de publicações em relação a 1998 a 2007. Esses artigos demonstram diferentes objetivos e metodologias. Conclui-se que as publicações sobre os esportes adaptados e paralímpicos encontram-se em expansão no país.

Issues and Prospects for the Codification of Sports Legislation of The Russian Federation

It is studying the relevance of the systematization of Russian sports legislation and issues of thepublication of a codified sports act. The essence of codification as a kind of systematization ofnormative legal acts is revealed, the current state of Russian sports legislation is studied, foreignexperience of systematization and codification of sports legislation is considered. Particular attentionis paid to the analysis of the practice of codification of sports legislation in France. It is concludedthat the presence of a sufficiently specific system of sports legislation of the Russian Federationobjectively raises the question of the need to develop and adopt the Sporting Code of the RussianFederation. It is substantiated that the French experience of the codification of sports law studied inthe publication is a graphic illustration of how in the course of systematization of sports legislation thetasks of raising the status of physical culture and sports, the understanding of law enforcement, arebeing laid, a vector is being laid for the successful development of the branch of legislation and therelevant branch of law. The arguments in favor of the Sporting Code are the priority of physical cultureand sports government support and regulation; relevant foreign experience; the large number oflaws and regulations of the Russian Federation in the field of sports rights, the incompleteness ofthe legislative process in this area; forecasting the adoption of further rules and regulations bringingchaos in law understanding and enforcement. It is proved that there are no current objectiveobstacles to the development and approval of the Sporting Code of the Russian Federation. Thebasis for codification may be the Federal Law “On Physical Culture and Sports”, and gaps in legalregulation can be eliminated by introducing in the text of the code provisions of model laws on sportstraining, professional and paralympic sports. The author expresses conviction that the adoption ofthe Sports Code of the Russian Federation, in many respects, anticipates and warns the problemsin the legal understanding and enforcement expected in the coming years in connection with theactive state interference in the regulation of legal relations in the field of physical culture and sports,conditioned by the priority nature of the latter’s development.

An eHealth Application of Self-Reported Sports-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Paralympic Sport: Pilot Feasibility and Usability Study.

BackgroundSport participation is associated with a risk of sports-related injuries and illnesses, and Paralympic athletes’ additional medical issues can be a challenge to health care providers and medical staff. However, few prospective studies have assessed sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic sport (SRIIPS) over time. Advances in mobile phone technology and networking systems offer novel opportunities to develop innovative eHealth applications for collection of athletes’ self-reports. Using eHealth applications for collection of self-reported SRIIPS is an unexplored area, and before initiation of full-scale research of SRIIPS, the feasibility and usability of such an approach needs to be ascertained.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to perform a 4-week pilot study and (1) evaluate the monitoring feasibility and system usability of a novel eHealth application for self-reported SRIIPS and (2) report preliminary data on SRIIPS.MethodsAn eHealth application for routine collection of data from athletes was developed and adapted to Paralympic athletes. A 4-week pilot study was performed where Paralympic athletes (n=28) were asked to weekly self-report sport exposure, training load, general well-being, pain, sleep, anxiety, and possible SRIIPS. The data collection was followed by a poststudy use assessment survey. Quantitative data related to the system use (eg, completed self-reports, missing responses, and errors) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The qualitative feasibility and usability data provided by the athletes were condensed and categorized using thematic analysis methods.ResultsThe weekly response rate was 95%. The athletes were of the opinion that the eHealth application was usable and feasible but stated that it was not fully adapted to Paralympic athletes and their impairments. For example, it was difficult to understand how a new injury or illness should be identified when the impairment was involved. More survey items related to the impairments were requested, as the athletes perceived that injuries and illnesses often occurred because of the impairment. Options for description of multifactorial incidents including an injury, an illness, and the impairment were also insufficient. Few technical issues were encountered, but athletes with visual impairment reported usability difficulties with the speech synthesizer. An incidence rate of 1.8 injuries and 1.7 illnesses per 100 hours of athlete exposure were recorded. The weekly pain prevalence was 56% and the impairment contributed to 20% of the reported incidents.ConclusionsThe novel eHealth-based application for self-reported SRIIPS developed and tested in this pilot study was generally feasible and usable. With some adaptation to accommodate Paralympic athletes’ prerequisites and improved technical support for athletes with visual impairment, this application can be recommended for use in prospective studies of SRIIPS.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02788500; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02788500 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6v56OqTeP)

Evaluation of Dietary Intakes and Supplement Use in Paralympic Athletes.

Dietary intakes and supplement use in Paralympic athletes remains largely unexplored, and specialized recommendations are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutrient intakes and supplement use in high-performance athletes with physical disabilities using three-day food records and a validated dietary supplement use questionnaire. A secondary aim examined gender differences in nutrient and supplement intakes. Male (n = 18) and female (n = 22) athletes were recruited from nine Paralympic sports through sporting organizations, coaches, and social media. Athletes generally met able-bodied recommendations for macronutrients. Male and female athletes often failed to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI) for vitamin D, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. On average, females did not meet the RDA for iron and calcium, whereas males did not meet the RDA for vitamin A and folate. Commonly consumed supplements were vitamin D, protein powder, sport bars, and sport drinks. Analysis of diet and supplement use within this population shows several micronutrient deficiencies and irregular use of specific supplements. Athlete support and education is required to optimize nutrition in Paralympic athletes.

Manual Dexterity and Intralimb Coordination Assessment to Distinguish Different Levels of Impairment in Boccia Players with Cerebral Palsy.

Boccia is a paralympic sport played by athletes with severe neurological impairments affecting all four limbs. Impaired manual dexterity (MD) and intralimb coordination (ILC) may limit individuals' ability to perform certain activities such as grasping, releasing, or manipulating objects, which are essential tasks for daily life or to participate in para sports such as boccia. However, there are currently no specific instruments available to assess hand-arm coordination in boccia players with severe cerebral palsy (CP). To design new sport-specific coordination tests to assess impaired MD and ILC in boccia players; afterward, quantify to what extent their coordination is impaired compared to a control group (CG) without neurological impairments. Seventy-three recreational boccia players with severe CP (BC1: age = 34.01 ± 16.43 years; BC2: age = 33.97 ± 14.29 years), and 19 healthy adults (age = 27.89 ± 7.08 years) completed the test battery. The Box and Block test (BBT) and Box and Ball test (BBLT) were used to assess MD and four tapping tests to assess upper ILC. Both MD tests were able to discriminate between sport classes. Boccia players obtained better scores in the BBLT in comparison to the BBT, showing that the BBLT had more appropriate testing features. On the other hand, only one of the ILC tests was able to discriminate between sport classes, displaying the highest practical significance (d = -1.12). Participants with CP scored significantly worse in all the coordination tests compared to the CG. Using sport-specific equipment facilitated grasp function during the MD assessment. Regarding the ILC, the type of movement (continuous vs. discrete) seems to be more relevant for classification than the movement direction (vertical vs. horizontal) or the presence of a ball.