Sport Exerc Research Articles

Parent’s perception about motor-sport activity in Italian primary school

GOMEZ F, AGRILLO F, D’ANNA C. Parent’s perception about motor-sport activity in Italian primary school. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc2, pp. S165-S179, 2013. The educational value of motor-sport activity in Italia Primary School had its full acknowledgement through a historical development that has seen the legislative evolution and scientific research to carry on together. This increase has inevitably conditioned the school that had to adapt its educational proposals to the new cultural changes. The child with his needs and his personal needs becomes the pivot around which all educational interventions. Participation in activities polyhedral investing synergistically motor, affective and cognitive became one of the guiding principles of the program to enable the student to achieve by doing self-awareness. The school, in this sense, must be able to recognize and appreciate the personal attitudes, and aim to strengthen them through the development of basic skills in relation to levels of perception, psychomotor and manipulative, the processes of symbolization, logical skills, expressive, communicative and social, the spatial representation and rhythm. This study was addressed to the parents was analyzing their views on physical education in schools. Such opinions may, in fact, have a strong impact on the motivation and interest of their children to discipline. The parental representations, as has been amply demonstrated in studies on the construction of gender identity, affect the natural predispositions or personal attitudes of children, the tool used for the research is the Nominal Group Technique. Its aim is to study, analyze and investigate all those elements, problems, ideas, that cannot be examined through a quantitative analysis of the facts. What makes possible the survey is its structure. It presents itself as a union of two different phases: data collection and brainstorming. The collection of data (first time) appears to be a support for brainstorming (second moment), which is the true focus of the instrument. From a global analysis of parent’s statements, we perceive that: in the sport halls, children don’t learn only movement and schools are not only involved about theoretical aspect; the motor activities haven’t a subordinate role compared with the logical mathematic and linguistic disciplines; the motor activities, in the school, are not an extension of recreation; children learn even if they don’t stay seated, because the movement is not the distraction. Body and movement encourage the cognitive development; through his body kid learn himself, others and world around. Key words: MOTOR-SPORT ACTIVITY, EDUCATION, PARENT’S PERCEPTION, PRIMARY SCHOOL.

A comparative analysis of visual strategy in elite and amateur handball goalkeepers

Rivilla-Garcia J, Munoz A, Grande I, Sanchis, M, Sampedro J. A comparative analysis of visual strategy in elite and amateur handball goalkeepers. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. Proc3, pp. S743-S753, 2013. The aim of the present study was to analyze the visual strategies prior to a throw from 7 metres in elite and amateur handball goalkeepers. To this end we analyzed the visual fixations in number and order of 10 goalkeepers (29.7±5.4 years; 14.7±8.6 years of experience), 3 elite and 7 amateurs, during the life size projection of 14 different throws, made by different players. During each throw the movement of the eyeballs, the dilation of the pupil (pupillometry) and the subject’s blinking were recorded thanks to a technological system which permitted eye tracking with high speed cameras, and the subsequent presentation of the visual data for each action studied. The elite goalkeepers performed a greater number of visual fixations than the amateur goalkeepers, revealing large and significant differences. Equally the priority zones observed were differed, with the amateur goalkeepers fixating more on the thrower’s face, and the elite goalkeepers paying more attention to the area of the arm/ball. It can therefore be inferred that elite goalkeepers have a greater perceptive capacity and also use different visual strategies from the

Time-motion analysis in women’s team handball: importance of aerobic performance

Manchado C, Pers J, Navarro F, Han A, Sung E, Platen P. Time-motion analysis in women’s team handball: importance of aerobic performance. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 376-390, 2013. Women’s handball is a sport, which has seen an accelerated development over the last decade. Data on movement patterns in combination with physiological demands are nearly nonexistent in the literature. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to analyze the horizontal movement pattern, including the sprint acceleration profiles, of individual female elite handball players and the corresponding heart rates (HRs) during a match and secondly to determine underlying correlations with individual aerobic performance. Players from one German First League team (n = 11) and the Norwegian National Team (n = 14) were studied during one match using the Sagit system for movement analysis and Polar HR monitoring for analysis of physiological demands. Mean HR during the match was 86 % of maximum HR (HRmax). With the exception of the goalkeepers (GKs, 78 % of HRmax), no position-specific differences could be detected. Total distance covered during the match was 4614 m (2066 m in GKs and 5251 m in field players (FPs)). Total distance consisted of 9.2 % sprinting, 26.7 % fast running, 28.8 % slow running, and 35.5 % walking. Mean velocity varied between 1.9 km/h (0.52 m/s) (GKs) and 4.2 km/h (1.17 m/s) (FPs, no position effect). Field players with a higher level of maximum oxygen uptake (Vexecuted run activities with a higher velocity but comparable percentage of HRmax as compared to players with lower aerobic performance, independent of FP position. Acceleration profile depended on aerobic performance and the field player’s position. In conclusion, a high Vappears to be important in top-level international women’s handball. Sprint and endurance training should be conducted according to the specific demands of the player’s position. Key words: ACCELERATION, FEMALE ATHLETE, PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, VELOCITY.

Social-educational evolution of crawling

GOMEZ F, D’ANNA C, AGRILLO F. Social-educational evolution of crawling. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc2, pp. S180-S191, 2013. For an adult who observes, a crawling baby is a tender and fun image, even though it’s not possible to imagine what can be hidden behind this movement. There are lot of thoughts on it, for example the idea that crawling is easier than walking alone and so children prefer it as it is their first physical movement. In spite of this we considerer that crawling is a motor sequence which is neither simple or immediate, especially for a baby whose average crawling age is eight months. The interest on this issue comes out from the question “crawling or not crawling?”, which is a frequent question of parents with children who are about to walk. Many children don’t crawl and their parents wonder about what is the right path for a correct psycho-physical development. The aim of this work is to think about the value of crawling during the psycho-motor development of a person. A qualitative research has been carried out to show the changes and the evolution of this motor action from the parents’childhood period to that of their children in the same sample group. Thirty couples of parents, whose children attended the same nursery, have been analysed through a questionnaire made of 45 questions anonymously given out. The same information received about the parents and their children give us the possibility to compare the two generations. The research has allowed us to reflect on the typical motor action from all points of view: the amounts of crawling within the reference group; the changes regarding the average age when this movement starts developing; the influence by early childhood tools, for example the use of the playpen and the walker, frequently used by many parents today. The data obtained gives us some points of reflection, but it also puts in evidence the different ways of movement, the different development of human beings and the many developments that are possible in a child. The subjectivity that characterises the psycho-motor development puts in a difficult position the traditional approach and the stereotyped idea of fixed phases. It’s important to underline that apart from the neurological development of the child, there can also be psycho-motor, mechanical and environmental factors, for example their previous experiences, motivations, external stimulations and various other aspects that can change from person to person. Key words: CHILDHOOD, CRAWLING, MOTOR ACTIVITY, PSYCHO-MOTOR DEVELOPMENT, PARENTS, CHILDREN, ENVIRONMENT.

Analysis of Movement Pattern among Referee in 2012 Malaysian Cup

Adnan R, Muzayin N, Sulaiman N. Analysis of Movement Pattern among Referee in 2012 Malaysian Cup. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. Proc3, pp. S642-S650, 2013. This study is to determine the contributing factors of the movement patterns toward the total distance covered by the football referees during the Malaysia Soccer Cup 2012. Seven (7) of referees who officiated the 2012 Malaysian Cup matches were been chosen into this study. All seven matches from the tournament were recorded using Astro beyond decoder and were coding with SportCode Elite Software on the selected performance indicators (P.I) as main movement patterns variables. This movement patterns were categorized as forward walking, forward jogging, forward running, standing, backward walking, backward running and sidestep running. The results analyze the frequency and the total time from the executed movement patterns for correlation and regression analysis by using the Pearson correlation and linear regression test respectively. The Pearson correlation test have shown that there is significant correlation between three movement patterns and the total distance covered by the referees which are sidestep(r= 0.97, p=0.000, p<0.01), forward walking (r= 0.930, p=0.002, p<0.01), and forward running (r= 0.807, p=0.028, p<0.05). The linear regression test have shown a positive correlation between contributing factors of the movement patterns towards the total distance covered by the football referees where the total distance covered result is 132.161 + 2.012 (sidestep) ‐ 4.575 (forward walking) + 0.570 (forward jogging) ‐ 2.940 (forward running) + 1.404 (backward walking) + 3.328 (backward running). Hence, this study found that movement patterns that performed by referees are contributed towards the total distance covered by football referees during a match. Thus, this study can give added values to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), to consider the three significant movement patterns in designing physical fitness criteria for the referees). Key words: REFEREES, MOVEMENT PATTERN, DISTANCE COVERED, MALAYSIAN CUP.

Relationship between score and coaches’ verbal behaviour

Calpe V, Guzman J, Grijalbo C. Relationship between score and coaches’ verbal behaviour. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc3, pp. S728-S737, 2013. The way the coach act the most during the development of the game is meanwhile verbal behaviour directed to their players (Moreno et al., 2000), being it influenced by his own cognitions, motivations, and emotions, together with players behaviours and playing situation (Borrie, 1996; Smoll & Smith, 1989). The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between a situational variable, the score during the game, and verbal behaviour of handball coaches in competitive situation. To do this, five coaches were analysed in five games. Two variables were studied in that games, coach’s verbal behaviour and score, defining three situations in the second case: large win, set score and large defeat. Coaches’ verbal behaviour was coded according to Coach Analysis and Intervention System (Cushion et al., 2012). Results showed significant differences in the coaches’ verbal behaviour depending on the score (Chi-Square=239.44; df=40; p<.001). Specifically, ‘general feedback positive’ was most repeated in set score. ‘Instruction’ appeared more frequently and ‘management-criticisms’ less often in large win situation. ‘Management-direct’, ‘confer with assistant’ and ‘question’ were more repeated in the large defeat. Prevalence of confers with assistant and questions on large defeat situation represents low quality of verbal behaviour. This result is consistent with those obtained by Guzman & Calpe-Gomez (2012), which reported that negative actions generated increasing doubts and insecurity in the coach. On the other side, the low number of management-criticisms and the high percentage of instructions on large win imply a high quality of intervention. Results confirm that having good results allows coaches to feel less pressed, enabling them to show a more relaxed and variable intervention (Moreno et al., 2004). Key words: COMMUNICATION PATTERNS, MANAGEMENT TEAM IN COMPETITION, CONTEXTUAL VARIABLES, CAIS.

Testing protocol for monitoring upper-body strength using medicine balls

Palao JM, Valades D. Testing protocol for monitoring upper-body strength using medicine balls. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. 2, pp. 334-341, 2013. The purpose of this paper is to present a specific testing protocol for monitoring upper-body strength using medicine ball throws. The protocol is composed of three tests: throw without countermovement, throw with countermovement, and throw with countermovement of a medicine ball drop. These tests are done from a lying position and involve throwing overhead with both arms. This paper provides the characteristics of the tests (warm-up, organization, execution, rest, etc.) as well as possible applications of the protocol. Key words: MONITORING, TESTS, POWER, THROW, MEDICINE BALL.

Analysis of Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model-based programmes applied in USA and Spain

Caballero-Blanco P, Delgado-Noguera, MA, Escarti-Carbonell, A. Analysis of Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model-based programmes applied in USA and Spain. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 427-441, 2013. Over the last three decades, several studies have applied Hellison’s Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model; most of them have generated strong empirical evidences that support that theoretical framework. TPSR is a programme for positive youth development through physical activity. This article compares the different studies that have implemented the TPSR model in the United States and Spain. This paper reviews those researches by analysing their key features such as the research contexts, the profile of participants, the programme duration, the kind of physical activity used during the research, the research methodology employed and the results obtained by these researches. This article stresses some similarities and differences between those previous studies. Key words: RESPONSIBILITY MODEL, POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.

Group-based exercise for people with mild cognitive impairment: a pilot study

Tortosa-Martinez J, Caus-Pertegaz N, Martinez-Canales C. Group-based exercise for people with mild cognitive impairment: a pilot study. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No.Proc3, pp. S702-S710, 2013.The number of neurodegenerative diseases associated to aging, such as Alzheimers disease (AD), is rapidly increasing. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is diagnosed when a person presents cognitive deficits, usually memory related, but still does not meet criteria for a diagnosis of dementia. It is usually considered a transitional phase between normal aging and dementia. The benefits of exercise for people with mild cognitive impairment are not fully clear and deserve further research. The aim of this pilot study was to analyse the physical benefits of a group-based exercise program for people with mild cognitive impairment. Using a pre-post design, twenty people with MCI were recruited and divided into an experimental group (10), who followed a three-month exercise program, and a control group (10) who followed routine care. The results of this study show that engaging in a supervised exercise program was effective for improving performance in the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT), the Timed Get Up and Go Test (TGUP), and the 8-meter walk test, implying gains in cardiovascular capacity, gait and dynamic balance. After the intervention period, the control group not only did not improve in any of the fitness tests, but also showed significant worse performance in the (6MWT) and the Tinetti total score. Thus, a supervised group-based exercise program can represent a feasible and effective strategy for improving physical function in people with MCI. Key words: MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ALZHEIMERS DISEASE, GAIT, BALANCE.

Body and didactic mediation. Experimental use of a Sense Wear Armband in a university context

Rossi PG, Sgambelluri R, Prenna V, Cecoro G, Sibilio M. Body and didactic mediation. Experimental use of a Sense Wear Armband in a university context. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc2, pp. S10-S18, 2013. The aims of this study was to understand whether instruments used for motion analysis can detect significant information about the processes of learning and teaching. Moving from Enactivism and the awareness of the embeddedness of the brain in the body and world during cognition, we tested a tool that provide data related to caloric and energetic expenditure of subject (Sense Wear Armband) in a non specialistic school setting, to understand if it is possible to detect the effective bodily participation during cognitive processes (in our experiment, during didactic mediation). For starting the experiment within using a Sense Wear Armand we monitored the activity of didactic mediation done by the professor to detect the energetic expenditure, compared with the other kinds of activities during the day; we also monitored two volunteers students that followed the lectures. Data of every lecture were then elaborated by the specific Sense Wear Software and shown through graphs that we analyzed. Graphs showed that didactic mediation developed as a succession of dynamic and static moments, with different levels of energetic expenditure; what we found interesting is that a minimal but not negligible component of metabolic activity seem to be involved even in essentially intellectual activities. This paper describes only the first step with the first results of our work. The analysis performed here has only an exploratory value and we think it might be useful to the development of the experiment; we don’t believe we have obtained definitive results, but only useful information for the development of the survey. We hope to move forward as soon as possible. Key words: ENACTIVISM, EMBODIMENT, SENSE WEAR ARMBAND, DIDACTIC MEDIATION.

Researching the aptitude of young volleyball players (children and adolescents)

Ilics KB, Bakk AB, Suskovics C. Researching the aptitude of young volleyball players (children and adolescents). J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc2, pp. S61-S71, 2013. In order to establish a child’s calculated performance in a selected branch of sport we need to clarify if he or she has the external and internal conditions with which he or she can be competitive. In our research the target age group of boys and girls are teenagers (13-16 year-olds) (N= 124). This research has a wide range of aspects; it covers anthropometrical measurements, general motor testing, parental and players’ questionnaires. Our aim is to determine the player’s aptitude for high performance. Based on the listed literature the right person is whose height at women is 175-195cm, at men is 185-210cm; moreover his or her motor skill standards are far better than the peers or the individual has favorable parental, environmental or any other kind of condition. Key words: VOLLEYBALL, APTITUDE, HEIGHT, MOTOR ABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

The relationship between the incidence of winners/errors and the time spent in different areas of the court in elite tennis

Martinez-Gallego R, Guzman JF, James N, Ramon-Llin J, Crespo M, Vuckovic G. The relationship between the incidence of winners/errors and the time spent in different areas of the court in elite tennis. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc3, pp. S601-S607, 2013. Winners and errors have been two of the most studied performance indicators in tennis, contributing to the prediction of match outcome and definition of the playing style of the players. Furthermore, the position occupied by the player on the court has also been shown to be a good indicator of both the final result and style of play. The aim of this study was to examine whether there were differences between game winners and losers in terms of number of winners and errors, and if there were differences in them according to the player's position. 8 matches of the 2011 ATP tournament 500 Valencia were recorded and analysed using SAGIT, a computer vision tracking system that allowed both players’ movements to be tracked automatically. The software was programmed to divide each half of the court into offensive and defensive zones. The data were divided in games (N = 188) for analysis purposes and the outcomes of the rallies were classified as winners, forced and unforced errors. The proportionate frequency of unforced errors for losers was higher than winners, and the proportionate frequency of winners and opponent’s forced errors was higher for winners than for losers. The time spent of winners in the offensive zone correlated with the percentage of winners and opponent’s forced errors, while for the losers time spent in the offensive zone correlated with the percentage of unforced errors. These results suggest that when game winners are in offensive zone they take advantage to hit more winners or force opponent’s error. On the contrary when game losers are in offensive zone, they commit more

Determinants of competitive performance in rhythmic gymnastics. A review

Bobo-Arce M, Mendez-Rial B. Determinants of competitive performance in rhythmic gymnastics. A review. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 8, No. Proc3, pp. S711-S727, 2013. Rhythmic Gymnastics is as a complex artistic and aesthetic sport with a particular training process and which demands high levels of physical and psychological stress in competition. Not many studies explain a good which determinate the predictors of a competitive performance and a useful interaction-model of training and sport performance for the different context, ages and levels in rhythmic gymnastic. In this perspective, based on a critical examination of the literature about “Rhythmic Gymnastics” and “Performance”, the aim of this research was to identify the factors that have been studied to predict a higher performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics, analyze them and determinate an effectively training proposal to achieve the higher results in competitions. We divided the references in different groups: a) Physiological and biological condition; b) Technical aspects; c) Psychological factors; d) Training process, e) Other dimensions and f) Performance analysis. The results show that most studies on rhythmic gymnastics are descriptive studies about a topic, fewer studies have examined one or more variables related with the performance and more scarce are the studies that show a global perspective and try to explain the predictor of the level of performance. In conclusion, we found some determinants of a competitive performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics which define our proposal. Further intervention studies and studies on the way of the Metamodel studies, “The theoretical and interaction of training and sport performance”, would permit identify the contribution of each

Performance analysis through the use of temporal activity patterns of elite players in beach tennis

Perez-Turpin JA, Grau D, Santos-Bailon D. Performance analysis through the use of temporal activity patterns of elite players in beach tennis. J Hum Sport Exerc. Vol.8, No. Proc3, pp. S694-S701, 2013. In order to identify the real components of beach tennis performance, we need to know the time structure of the competition. This study was designed to identify the distribution of time in real and absolute play during the matches, sets and points played by professional beach tennis players. To do so, we made video recordings of 12 players playing four matches at the Spain Beach Tennis Championships (Barcelona 2009). We measured the total length of the matches, sets, games and points while differentiating real playing time. We observed that the absolute time per match was 43min 2sec±15min 32sec, while real playing time was 8min 49,75sec±4min 51,16sec. The average length of the total duration of the sets was 15min 36,25sec±8min 21,9sec and real playing time was 4min 24,86sec±2min 26,41sec. The average length of the total duration of the games was 1min 42,6sec±1min 3,45sec and real playing time was 29,03sec±16,99sec. The average time taken to play a point was 4,56sec±2,99sec. An improved understanding of absolute and real playing time provides valuable information that allows us to create specific training patterns for beach tennis. Key words: REAL TIME, ABSOLUTE TIME, MALE, BEACH TENNIS.

Performance Processes Within Affect-Related Performance Zones: A Multi-modal Investigation of Golf Performance

Individual affect-related performance zones (IAPZs) method utilizing Kamata et al. (J Sport Exerc Psychol 24:189-208, 2002) probabilistic model of determining the individual zone of optimal functioning was utilized as idiosyncratic affective patterns during golf performance. To do so, three male golfers of a varsity golf team were observed during three rounds of golf competition. The investigation implemented a multi-modal assessment approach in which the probabilistic relationship between affective states and both, performance process and performance outcome, measures were determined. More specifically, introspective (i.e., verbal reports) and objective (heart rate and respiration rate) measures of arousal were incorporated to examine the relationships between arousal states and both, process components (i.e., routine consistency, timing), and outcome scores related to golf performance. Results revealed distinguishable and idiosyncratic IAPZs associated with physiological and introspective measures for each golfer. The associations between the IAPZs and decision-making or swing/stroke execution were strong and unique for each golfer. Results are elaborated using cognitive and affect-related concepts, and applications for practitioners are provided.

The effects of external and internal focus of attention on physiological responses during running

Ziv G, Meckel Y, Lidor R, Rotstein A. The effects of external and internal focus of attention on physiological responses during running. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 608-616, 2012. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of external focus of attention and internal focus of attention instructions on physiological responses in experienced adolescent basketball players (n = 17; mean age = 15.1±0.6 years). After a 10-min warm-up at a running velocity equal to 60% of the heart rate reserve, participants ran on a treadmill under two 10-min conditions: (a) internal focus instructions – focusing on the legs and running motion, and (b) external focus instructions – focusing on a film of a basketball game that did not provide visual feedback on running speed. It was found that oxygen consumption and respiratory exchange ratio did not significantly differ among the three conditions. It was concluded that an external focus of attention that does not provide additional visual feedback pertinent to the task of running (e.g., a film clip from the runner's perspective that shows advancing in a virtual environment) does not affect physiological

The value of didactic-pedagogical skills of canoe-polo technical

Vastola R, Sgambelluri R, Di Tore S, Buglione A, Prosperi R, Cecoro G, Carlomagno N, Sibilio M. The value of didactic-pedagogical skills of canoe-polo technical. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 489494, 2012. Canoe-polo is a team sport. It is played in over 50 countries around the world. The role of coach concerns not only the technical – tactics skills but also the managerial, organizational and logistical skills of the players. From the point of view of teaching methodology, the canoe polo coach must be aware of the fact that his role always involves the role of teacher, and to excel in the performance of this function, must possess a number of characteristics that define the area of his specifically pedagogical jurisdiction The aim of the research is to define the elements characterizing the performance model in canoe polo that are the most important in developing a technique, tactics and conditional plan in order to provide the coach the most appropriate knowledge to organize a didactically coherent process to the requires of the group – team. The experimental research was carried out on two subjects of the 2010 Italian champions (CN Posillipo in Naples), during eight matches of the Italian Canoe Polo Championship. The research project provided for the monitoring of the heart rate (HR) during the races by teams polar heart rate monitors system, with a sampling rate of 5s per subject. The acquisitions were subsequently analyzed with a dedicated software Polar Pro Trainer 5.2. The results in this pilot study show, canoe-polo like many other team games where you use a ball, it is an intermittent sport with a high metabolic intensity (4.8). Key words: CANOE POLO, TECHNICAL, PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS, DIDACTIC METHODOLOGY

Correlations of anthropometric characteristics with physical fitness tests in Indian professional hockey players

Sharma A, Tripathi V, Koley S. Correlations of anthropometric characteristics with physical fitness tests in Indian professional hockey players. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 698-705, 2012. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations of anthropometric characteristics with isotonic strength (handgrip strength), lower limb power, aerobic strength, and skill tests in purposely selected 60 Indian professional male hockey players of different levels players (35 national and 25 state level) aged 18-23 years collected from Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy, Amritsar, Punjab, India. To serve this purpose, three anthropometric characteristics (height, weight and percent body fat), right and left handgrip strength, vertical jump, multi stage fitness test, slalom sprint and dribble tests were performed on each subject. Results indicated statistically significant (p<0.05) differences only in lower limb power between Indian national and state level male hockey players. In Indian professional male hockey players, height has significantly positive correlations with weight, right and left handgrip strength, lower limb power and negative correlations with % body fat and dribble test, and body weight has significantly positive correlations with % body fat, right and left handgrip strength, lower limb power and negative correlations with slalom sprint. Significantly positive correlations were noted among the fitness component variables too.

Differences in Body Composite and Physical Match Performance in Female Soccer Players According to Team Position

Milanovic Z, Sporis G, Trajkovic N. Differences in Body Composite and Physical Match Performance in Female Soccer Players According to Team Position. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. Proc1, pp. S67-S72, 2012. The aim of this research was to determine the differences between body composition and physical match performance among female soccer players according to the team’s position. Twenty two elite female soccer players (aged 23.95 ± 4.52, height 168.82 ± 7.19 cm, body mass index 21.5 ± 1.3kg) from Serbian A-national team participated in this study. Players were tested for aerobic endurance, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRL1), body mass and body height. The percentage of body fat and body mass index (BMI) was determinate according to body height and body weight parameters. The average value of body weight among female soccer players has been 61.4±6.0kg. The biggest average value for body weight has been found among midfielders 62.7±7.7kg, while the smallest values have been found among goalkeepers 59.5±10.6kg. Opposite to the body weight, goalkeepers have been the tallest players with average body high of 172.5±3.5cm, than the defenders with 170.0±7.2cm, while the midfielders (168.7±8.7cm) and the attackers (164.7±5.0cm) have shown the smallest average values. The YYIRL1 test’s results have shown that all positions have similar value within range of 880-930m, which indicates group homogeneity. The average values of the body fat was 25.9±2.0%. Significant difference between the tested variables according to the player’s position in the team could not be established (p<0.05). The selection process and the orientation towards specific team position represent an important aspect of the realization of the top athletic results, but it cannot be based merely on morphological and functional results. According to this research, differences cannot be precisely defined in both morphological and functional abilities of the women soccer players based on their position in the team. Key words: YO-YO TEST, BODY MASS, FEMALE, SOCCER.

Endurance ability characteristics of professional sportsmen

Rozenstoka S. Endurance ability characteristics of professional sportsmen. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 7, No. Proc1, pp. S166-S172, 2012. Cycling and kettlebell sport are cyclic kinds of sport. For sport achievement is important the development of endurance ability. In kettlebell sport high performance is based on the strength endurance. One of the conditions for success in competition is sportsman’s high aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Complex cardiopulmonary exercise testing allows for simultaneous study of the responses of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems to a stated physical load stress. There is direct correlation between physical work capacity and functional ability of the body. Determining aerobic and anaerobic ability is equally important for estimating functional abilities of the body. The performance of muscular work requires physiological responses of the body systems to be coupled in order to increase metabolic rate. The aim of the study is to assess the difference of basic parameters of physical work capacity during physical load between professional cyclists and kettlebell lifters. Physiological testing of sportsmen as an integral part of professional sport now can show the physical work capacity and the functional ability of the body. Regular endurance load causes one of the adaptation changes of cardiovascular system with decreasing of heart rate during the rest and load. Relative maximal physical work capacity is relevantly higher for professional cyclists for about 27% than it is for kettlebell lifters. Aerobic and anaerobic thresholds increase in regular endurance trainings. The body clearly has an upper limit for oxygen uptake at present state of condition, physical training of the body and person’s practice regime. Maximal oxygen uptake is relevantly higher about 24% for professional cyclists than it is for the kettlebell lifters. Key words: ENDURANCE, CARDIOPULMONARY TEST, HEART RATE, OXYGEN UPTAKE.