The Effect of Venue and Wind on the Distance of a Hammer Throw

Abstract

The Reynolds' Balance Test was administered to selected groups of varsity athletes, physical education majors, and liberal arts majors. Significant differences in mean balance scores were found between all groups. The performance of the groups was, in descending order: varsity athletes, physical education majors, and liberal arts majors. It was suggested that the Reynolds' Balance Test gives promise of being a valuable addition to physical education testing programs.     

College Hygiene Courses

Abstract

Two prejudice scales were administered to 166 white, non-Jewish, non-Mexican male students. Ninety-two of these students were college athletes and 74 were nonathletes. The two instruments measured attitudes toward Negroes and Jews. While there was some difference in the raw scores between the athletes and nonathletes in the two 10-item scales, when treated statistically such difference proved to be of no significance with the exception of one item only. Pearson product-moment coefficients of correlation were computed and significant r's were found at the .05 level between the attitudes toward Negroes and Jews among both groups.     

Somatotype and longevity of former university athletes and nonathletes

A longitudinal study was conducted on 398 athletes and 369 nonathletes who were born before 1920 and attended Michigan State University. The subjects were compared to determine if intercollegiate athletic competition accounts for significant variation in longevity when considered with somatotype. Because some of the subjects were still alive at the time of the study, the BMDP Statistical Software was used to do a survival analysis with covariates. Preliminary comparisons considered the differences in somatotype between athletes and nonathletes. Two sample t-tests indicated that athletes were more mesomorphic and less ectomorphic (p less than .05) than nonathletes. When comparing the relationship between somatotype and longevity, the pooled data of athletes and nonathletes indicated that endomorphs were shorter lived than the other three comparison groups. When only the athletes were considered, similar results were found. However, the nonathlete group exhibited differences only between the mesomorphic and endomorphic groups. The endomorphs were shorter lived. Longevity was examined by using the Cox proportional hazards regression method with somatotype and athlete/nonathlete status as covariates. Somatotype, by itself, was found to be significantly related to longevity, (p less than .001). Athletic status was not significantly related to longevity, either by itself or when entered into the model with somatotype.     

Personality and Intelligence Characteristics of Selected High School Athletes and Nonathletes

Abstract

Selected high school athletes (junior and senior lettermen in baseball, basketball, football, swimming, and wrestling) were compared with nonathletes from the same population for differences in selected profile scales, as indicated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and intelligent quotients (I).

Personality characteristics in terms of MMPI categories of hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), hysteria (hy), psychopathic deviation (Pd), femininity (Mf), paranoia (Pa), and psychasthenia (Pt) distinguished betweeen athletic and nonathletic groups. Femininity and intelligence were significantly lower for all athletic groups when compared with the nonathletic group. Hypochondriasis was significantly higher for all athletic groups, except swimmers, when compared with the nonathletic group. Only hypomania (Ma) and the validity scale (K) failed to differentiate between athletic and nonathletic groups.     

Sex and Athletic Status as Factors in Reaction Latency and Movement Time

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of sex and athletic status on reaction latencies and movement time. One hundred subjects, categorized into five groups of 20 subjects each—male athletes (MA), female athletes (FA), male nonathletes (MNA), female nonathletes (FNA), and control group (CG)—were tested over a period of five consecutive days. Several different types of incentives were used to ensure that subjects provided the fastest times possible. Two blocks of 25 trials were administered to each subject on each day. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 × 2 mixed factorial analysis of variance was used to test for between-subject differences of group (experimental/control), sex, and athletic status and for within-subject differences of days and blocks. The four dependent variables were reaction time (RT) mean, RT consistency, movement time (MT) mean, and MT consistency. Results did not support the classic finding of male superiority over females in RT/MT or athletes' superiority over nonathletes. Evidence of athletic superiority emerged, but for the first day of practice only. As subjects were allowed extended practice over a 5-day test period in which knowledge of results (KR) and other incentives were provided, differences in the experimental groups disappeared. Sex was the predominant factor in consistency, with males being less variable in RT (p = .02) performance than females. There were no sex differences in MT consistency.     

Evaluative Criteria in Physical Education

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of iron supplementation (18 mg per day) on the serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), hemoglobin levels, and percent hemoglobin saturation with iron of female college basketball athletes. The serum iron and hemoglobin levels of ten varsity basketball athletes and seven control subjects (nonathletes) were measured (pretest) prior to the basketball season and again at the end of the season. Iron supplements, no supplements, or a placebo tablet were given during the 4-month experimental period. ANOVA statistical analyses revealed that the iron supplementation was of no value in raising serum iron, TIBC, percent saturation, and hemoglobin levels and that a 4-month basketball training regimen and season did not significantly lower serum iron and hemoglobin levels.     

Relationships between Psychological Functions Tests and Selected Sport Skills of Boys in Junior High School

Abstract

Junior high school boys (N=181) took part in this study. There were 91 athletes and 90 nonathletes who took five psychological function tests² and eight sport skill tests to determine (a) whether differences existed in selected psychological functions and selected sport skills between junior high school boy athletes and nonathletes, (b) the degree of relationship between psychological functions and sport skills, (c) the implementation of a six-multiple variation equation in predicting probable individual sport skill scores, and (d) the degree of relationship between a long and short form psychological functions test and a long and short form sport skills test.

The Stoelting visual reaction timer apparatus was used to test for simple reaction time. The Howard-Dolman apparatus was used to test for depth perception. The McClure perimeter was used to test for peripheral vision left eye, right eye, and total angle. The sport skill tests used were soccer combination skills and volley; basketball dribble shoot and volley; volleyball volley and serve; and baseball volley and repeat throws.

Significant differences existed on all psychological function tests and sport skill tests between athletes and nonathletes, in favor of athletes. The psychological function tests were independent of each other except for peripheral vision total angle with right eye and left eye. There was a low to moderate relationship between the psychological functions and the sport skills. The six-variable multiple R regression equation had a 70 percent predictive accuracy on individual scores for each sport skill test. The short form psychological functions test and the short form sport skills test could replace their respective long forms. The short form psychological functions test could moderately predict sport skill performance in the sport skill areas selected.     

Estimation of Errors in Force Platform Data

Abstract

Young, healthy varsity swimmers were studied over a period of 14 months with regard to the effect of a typical training and competitive collegiate swimming program on plasma cholesterol and phospholipids. Chemical analyses on blood cholesterol and phospholipids were made and compared for competitive and noncompetitive seasons. A dietary analysis was also made during the competitive season. In both the original and subsequent study involving the current (1960–61) varsity swimmers analyses were made of the acute effect of physical exertion on plasma cholesterol and phospholipids.

The exercise, used for conditioning varsity swimming athletes did not significantly lower blood cholesterol and phospholipids. However, this result is not necessarily at variance with the view of some investigators that exercise does exert a hypocholesterilizing effect. Several factors are discussed which are thought to have influenced ultimate results.     

The Impact of Previous Athleticism on Exercise Habits,Physical Fitness,and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors in Middle-Aged Men

Abstract

A longitudinal study was performed to determine differences in physiologic variables, health behaviors, risk factors, or clinical status between former athletes (FA) (N = 345) and nonathletes (NA) (N = 75). The subjects, 420 self-referred white males aged 25-60 years old, were examined for prior athleticism and health. Athleticism was determined through self-reported high school or college athletic history. Baseline physiologic and health behavior characteristics were not different between the two groups. Of those study participants (N = 203 FA, 48 NA) who were sedentary at baseline, 208 (N = 167 FA, 41 NA) voluntarily began an exercise program during the followup period (average followup = 56 months). These numbers correspond to exercise adoption rates of 82 and 85 % for FA and NA respectively, and were not statistically different (95% CI FA = 0.76, 0.88, NA = 0.73, 0.97). Repeated measures analysis of covariance was performed to determine if physiologic responses to adoption were different between FA and NA. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups, time effects were similar in the two, and no significant interaction of time by group was observed. We conclude that prior athleticism has little apparent impact on health and health behaviors, thus suggesting that contemporaneous exercise has more impact on clinical variables.     

Acquisition of Elementary Swimming Skills by Negro and White College Women

Abstract

This study was undertaken to compare Negro and white college women in beginning swimming on performance, motor ability, buoyancy, and body measurements. Thirteen Negro and 44 white nonswimmers were assigned to one of four classes for eight weeks of instruction. The criterion of a nonswimmer was the inability to propel the body 15 feet in a prone position with the face immersed. Preliminary tests included the Scott Motor Ability Test and measurements of height, weight, sitting height, leg length, shoulder width, hip width, and breathing capacity. Buoyancy was assessed by hydrostatic weighing. Learning rate was recorded as the number of trials required to execute successfully 15 progressive swimming skills. The Fox Power Test was administered as a measure of terminal achievement. Evidence indicated that the Negro group was significantly superior in motor ability, while the white group was significantly superior in swimming performance and was more buoyant. Because of the difficulty experienced by the Negro group with skills demanding buoyancy, swimming progressions for nonbuoyant college women should not utilize horizontal flotation as an integral component.     

Personality Traits of Women in Team Sports vs. Women in Individual Sports

Abstract

The problem under investigation was to determine if were distinguishing personality traits when women who compete in team sports were compared to women who compete in individual sports. The subjects were chosen from a selected group of 156 women AAU athletes and the 1964 United States Olympic team. Those women who agreed to take part in the study were sent a copy of Form A of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, which was the instrument used to measure selected personality factors. Differences between groups were analyzed by means of the t test.

The results indicated that women athletes who compete in individual sports rated higher on the personality factors of dominance, adventurousness, sensitivity, introversion, radicalism, and self-sufficiency and lower on the factor of sophistication when compared to women athletes who compete in team sports. No differences were found in the factors of sociability, intelligence, stability, surgency, conscientiousness, suspecting, guilt-proneness, high self-sentiment, or high ergic tension.     

Experiences of sexual harassment and abuse among Norwegian elite female athletes and nonathletes

This paper compares the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse among 660 Norwegian elite female athletes and an age-matched control sample of nonathletes. It also explores differences in the prevalence of harassment and abuse in sport and work or school settings and compares harassment and abuse perpetrated by male authority figures and peers in these different contexts. No differences were found between the athletes and controls in overall prevalence of sexual harassment or abuse. However, the athletes experienced significantly more harassment from male authority figures than did the controls. Based on these results, the article considers whether or not sport offers women any particular immunity from sexual harassment and abuse. The implications of the findings for structural and cultural change in sport are discussed.     

How does visual manipulation affect obstacle avoidance strategies used by athletes?

Research examining our ability to avoid obstacles in our path has stressed the importance of visual input. The aim of this study was to determine if athletes playing varsity-level field sports, who rely on visual input to guide motor behaviour, are more able to guide their foot over obstacles compared to recreational individuals. While wearing kinematic markers, eight varsity athletes and eight age-matched controls (aged 18–25) walked along a walkway and stepped over stationary obstacles (180° motion arc). Visual input was manipulated using PLATO visual goggles three or two steps pre-obstacle crossing and compared to trials where vision was given throughout. A main effect between groups for peak trail toe elevation was shown with greater values generated by the controls for all crossing conditions during full vision trials only. This may be interpreted as athletes not perceiving this obstacle as an increased threat to their postural stability. Collectively, findings suggest the athletic group is able to transfer their abilities to non-specific conditions during full vision trials; however, varsity-level athletes were equally reliant on visual cues for these visually guided stepping tasks as their performance was similar to the controls when vision is removed.     

Former athletes’ lifestyle and self-definition changes after retirement from sports

BackgroundEvery high-level athlete will eventually see his or her sport career come to an end. Most former athletes will experience changes in their self-definition and everyday behaviors as they accept a nonathletic way of life. The present study aimed to identify discrepancies between actual and former athletes regarding athletic identity, physical activity (PA), and nutrition habits.MethodsActual athletes (AA; n = 122), former athletes (FA; n = 230), and nonathletes (NA; n = 74) were asked to complete an online questionnaire on athletic identity, duration and intensity levels of occupational and leisure time PA, and nutritional habits.ResultsFA healthy nutrition score was the lowest of the 3 groups and significantly different from that of AA. Athletic identity and intense and moderate PA during leisure time consistently decreased (p < 0.01) across the 3 groups (AA > FA > NA). No significant difference between FA and NA was found regarding either nutritional habits or type of PA.ConclusionSport retirement may affect FA quality of nutritional habits that tends to decline below the NA level, as well as the amount of time spent practicing physical activities during leisure time. Athletic status does not ensure PA practice during sport postcareer.     

Lung Volumes and Maximal Respiratory Pressures in Collegiate Swimmers and Runners

Abstract

To determine whether respiratory muscle strength is related to pulmonary volume differences in athletes and nonathletes, 11 intercollegiate female swimmers, 11 female cross-country runners, and two nonathletic control groups, matched to the athletes in height and age, were evaluated for pulmonary parameters including maximal inspiratory pressure (P_lmax) and maximal expiratory pressure (P_Emax). Swimmers exhibited larger (p < .05) vital capacities (VC), residual lung volumes (RV), inspiratory capacities (IC), and functional residual capacities (FRC) than both the runners or the controls but no difference (p > .05) in either P_lmax or inspiratory flow (FIV_25%-75%). Timed expiratory volumes (FEV Q.5 m and FEV_1.0 were significantly (p < .05) lower in the swimmers than in the controls. These data suggest that an adaptational growth may be responsible, in part, for the augmented static lung volumes demonstrated in swimmers     

Tissue mass ratios and the reporting of distal lower extremity injuries in varsity athletes at a Canadian University

Abstract

The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to determine the relative role of the distal lower extremity tissue masses of varsity athletes in predicting distal lower extremity injury sustained during a competitive season. One hundred male and female varsity athletes (basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country) completed a questionnaire on general health, physiological, and psychosocial variables, during each sport's respective training camp. A series of anthropometric measurements were used as inputs to distal lower extremity tissue mass prediction equations to calculate lean mass, fat mass, bone mineral content and wobbling mass (lean mass + fat mass) and tissue mass ratios. Athletes were monitored throughout their respective seasons and were instructed to report any distal lower extremity injuries to a certified athletic therapist who was responsible for assessing and confirming the reports. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine which variables significantly predicted distal lower extremity injury. Mean leg fat mass:bone mass (OR = 1.6, CI = 1.0 – 2.5), and competition surface (rubber OR = 8.5, CI = 1.5 – 47.7; artificial turf OR = 4.0, CI = 0.77 – 22.9) were identified as significant predictors of injury. Overall, tibia bone injuries were significantly associated with the ratio of fat mass:bone mineral content and the surface on which the athletes compete.     

Varsity athletes have lower 2D:4D ratios than other university students

The second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is a sexually dimorphic trait with lower finger ratios considered more masculine. These digit ratios are believed to reflect the prenatal hormonal environment with higher exposure to androgens in utero leading to more masculine digit ratios. The 2D:4D ratio has been negatively correlated with many factors, including aggression, physical fitness, and athleticism. We compared 2D:4D finger ratios of (1) male and female varsity athletes (n = 99) versus male and female student non-athletes (n = 122), and (2) males (n = 104) versus females (n = 117). Our results confirmed that both male (mean ± s(x) : 0.97 ± 0.004) and female (0.98 ± 0.005) varsity athletes had significantly lower ratios than their non-varsity peers (males: 0.99 ± 0.004; females: 1.00 ± 0.006), and that male athletes had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios than female athletes. Overall, males had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios than females (0.98 ± 0.003 vs. 0.99 ± 0.004). A smaller 2D:4D ratio appears to be consistent with participation in varsity sports among both males and females.     

Role Conflict and the High School Female Athlete

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to assess perceived and experienced role conflict of high school female athletes in enacting the roles of female and female athlete. Data were collected on 133 high school varsity athletes by the use of a 33-item questionnaire designed to assess perceived and experienced role conflicts of the subjects, their socioeconomic backgrounds, and specific instances of encouragement or discouragement from significant others experienced during their athletic careers. Thirty-two percent of the subjects responded that they perceived little or no problem with role conflict, and 50% had experienced little or no role conflict. Seventeen percent of the subjects responded that they perceived role conflict to be a great or very great problem with 11% experiencing role conflict to the same degree. A chi square analysis of perceived and experienced role conflict computed for the entire group of subjects indicated that the athletes perceived greater role conflict than they had experienced (p<.01). A one way analysis of variance was performed comparing the means of the athletes in traditionally socially approved sports, those in non-traditionally socially approved sports, and those participating in both categories. Results indicated a tendency for those participating simultaneously in both socially approved and non-socially approved sports to have experienced more role conflict (p≤.07).

A distinction between internal and external role conflict was suggested as a method of understanding the different types of pressures with which the female athlete must deal.     

Correlates of Sport Participation among Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Most research on the correlates of sport involvement has utilized male samples. The present study focuses on a sample of high school girl gymnasts, basketball players, track participants, and a control group of nonathletes. The correlates of participation investigated include familial factors, peers, teachers and coaches' encouragement to participate in sports, and the social psychological variables of perceived femininity, self-reported athletic ability, and body image. The findings indicate that socialization into sport begins in childhood and continues into high school with considerable encouragement from significant others. The basketball players reported somewhat less encouragement and tend to see themselves as less feminine than the other athletes. Athletes had higher self-perceptions of athletic ability than the nonathletes. The athletes' perceptions of their body image were generally more positive than the nonathletes. This latter finding suggests a reduction of stigma formerly associated with female involvement in sport.     

The impact of previous athleticism on exercise habits, physical fitness, and coronary heart disease risk factors in middle-aged men

A longitudinal study was performed to determine differences in physiologic variables, health behaviors, risk factors, or clinical status between former athletes (FA) (N = 345) and nonathletes (NA) (N = 75). The subjects, 420 self-referred white males aged 25-60 years old, were examined for prior athleticism and health. Athleticism was determined through self-reported high school or college athletic history. Baseline physiologic and health behavior characteristics were not different between the two groups. Of those study participants (N = 203 FA, 48 NA) who were sedentary at baseline, 208 (N = 167 FA, 41 NA) voluntarily began an exercise program during the followup period (average followup = 56 months). These numbers correspond to exercise adoption rates of 82 and 85% for FA and NA respectively, and were not statistically different (95% CI FA = 0.76, 0.88, NA = 0.73, 0.97). Repeated measures analysis of covariance was performed to determine if physiologic responses to adoption were different between FA and NA. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups, time effects were similar in the two, and no significant interaction of time by group was observed. We conclude that prior athleticism has little apparent impact on health and health behaviors, thus suggesting that contemporaneous exercise has more impact on clinical variables.