Muscle activity and pedal force profile of triathletes during cycling to exhaustion

The purpose of this study was to analyze pedaling cadence, pedal forces, and muscle activation of triathletes during cycling to exhaustion. Fourteen triathletes were assessed at the power output level relative to their maximal oxygen uptake (355 +/- 23 W). Cadence, pedal forces, and muscle activation were analyzed during start, middle, and end test stages. Normal and tangential forces increased from the start to the end of the test (-288 +/- 33 to -352 +/- 42 N and -79 +/- 45 to -124 +/- 68 N, respectively) accompanied by a decrease in cadence (96 +/- 5 to 86 +/- 6 rpm). Muscle activation increased from the start to the middle and the end in the gluteus maximus (27 +/- 5.5% and 76 +/- 9.3%) and in the vastus lateralis (13 +/- 3.5% and 27 +/- 4.4%), similar increase was observed from the start to the end in the rectus femoris and the vastus medialis (50 +/- 9.3% and 20 +/- 5.7%, respectively). Greater normal force along with enhanced activation of knee and hip extensor muscles is linked with fatigue and declines in cadence of triathletes during cycling to exhaustion.     

Effects of a nonlinear pedagogy intervention programme on the emergent tactical behaviours of youth footballers

Purpose: This study analysed the effects of a training intervention programme using principles of Non-Linear Pedagogy (NLP) on the decision making (DM) and performance behaviours (P) of youth footballers.

Method: 19 footballers (U12 yrs) participated in 14 training sessions, spread over three phases: Pre-intervention, Intervention, Retention. The intervention was based on Small-Sided and Conditioned Games. We assessed progress during the intervention phase at two different points: intermediate and final. The GPET instrument was used to analyse the DM and P during the completion of 3208 passes in the intervention.

Results: Results shown significant improvements in the DM and P after the intermediate and final points of the acquisition phase. Moreover, significantly higher values were also obtained in both variables in the retention, compared to the pre-intervention phase.

Conclusion: Results indicated that the NLP intervention programme was effective in improving both aspects of team games performance in youth players, with effects consolidated over time.     

The path to information in the public domain: Official publications in Spain

Official publications are aimed towards editing and spreading the messages created by governments and other bodies of the public domain. At the beginning, the aim of this activity is twofold: on the one hand, fulfilling the principle of publicity of the norms, as it constitutes a basis for the efficiency of those, and, on the other hand, fulfilling a general function of information about the activities of public authorities. As the action of government generalises, this function of communication between those governing and those governed has extended to other fields of activity, thus, free and pay materials, both printed and electronic, are published.     

The child’s emotional management in school competition: under-seven football / La gestión emocional del niño en la competición escolar: el fútbol prebenjamín

Abstract

Football is one of the most common extracurricular activities among schoolchildren. Illusions and expectations are poured into a competitive sport that complements their formal education at school. The controversy over competition in schoolchildren aged six and seven opens up a debate on the lessons that are constructed. This study explores the emotional management that children develop in order to participate in sports activities in relation to the lessons promoted by the school. This article presents an ethnographic study grounded upon participant observation, with 101 schoolchildren in the first and second years of primary school during one academic year in 207 sessions, and semi-structured interviews with 21 teachers. After analysing the narratives, the results reveal previous expectations and stresses, a level of activation adequate for the competitive demands of the environment, the development of the ability to be competent in a stressful situation, the emotional capitalization of knowing how to win and lose, the impact of social recognition on adaptative construction of self-esteem, and the management of episodes of stress.     

Effects of cigarette smoking on cardiac autonomic function during dynamic exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of cigarette smoking on cardiac autonomic function in young adult smokers during dynamic exercise. Fourteen healthy young smokers (21.4 ± 3.4 years) performed peak and submaximal exercise protocols under control and smoking conditions. Resting and submaximal beat-to-beat R-R series were recorded and spectrally decomposed using the fast Fourier transformation. Smoking resulted in a significant decrease in work time, VO(2peak) and peak O(2) pulse (P < 0.05). Heart rate increased at rest and during submaximal exercise after smoking (P < 0.05). The raw high frequency and low frequency power were significantly reduced by smoking, both at rest and during exercise (P < 0.05). The low to high frequency ratio was higher after smoking (P < 0.05). The normalised low frequency power was also significantly increased by smoking, but only at rest (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that the tachycardic effect elicited by smoking is accompanied by acute changes in heart rate spectral components both at rest and during exercise. Therefore, the cardiac autonomic control is altered by smoking not only at rest, but also during exercise, resulting in reduced vagal modulation and increased sympathetic dominance.     

Parental Monitoring of Children’s Television Viewing in a Sample of Peruvian Caregivers

Parental monitoring of children’s television viewing is an important family practice that helps children understand the messages they find on advertisements and program content. Research points at different dimensions of monitoring, including parental co-viewing, rules about when and how much time children can watch television, and active parental mediation. The study describes different dimensions of parental monitoring in a sample of 303 caregivers of primary school children living in Lima. Main findings reveal that about a third of the sample engaged in parental monitoring never, rarely or sometimes, the education level of the caregiver was positively associated with limiting the time children can watch television, and that child’s age was negatively associated with the frequency of active mediation and limits on the content children may watch on TV. Further research is needed in order to understand the practice of parental monitoring across children’s age groups in the context of Peru.     

Modelos de lectura y dislexias

Resumen

En este artículo se hace una revisión de las dislexias a partir de los modelos de lectura. Para ello se comienza por describir el modelo de lectura que, según los datos empíricos, rige la ejecución de los lectores normales. A partir de la literatura publicada se puede comprobar que los diferentes tipos de trastornos lectores se pueden explicar a partir del modelo. Se termina comentando las importantes implicaciones de este enfoque en el tratamiento de las dislexias en particular y en los métodos de enseñanza de la lectura en general.     

Sound representations in preschool students / Las representaciones del sonido en estudiantes de educación preescolar

Abstract

Studies of the representations that students construct, within the framework of embodied cognition, have shown that perception, action and cognition are linked and are the basis of these representations. From this framework of analysis, this study attempted to identified the representations of 23 preschool students (ages four and five) of sound production, perception and propagation. In-depth interviews were conducted using hypothetical situations and experimental tasks. Three representations were identified. The first one shows a conception of sound centred on objects. Representation 2 also focuses on objects and their relationship with the subject, but it begins to attribute characteristics to the sound itself, and in representation 3, sound has more intrinsic characteristics that expand its possibilities of interacting with the subject and other objects. We conclude that the construction of representations of sound starts from perceptual elements and is linked to actions, although its complexity also shows that they incorporate characteristics that go beyond this corporal correlate.