Perceptual-cognitive expertise of handball coaches in their young and middle adult years

There is little research investigating the maintenance of perceptual-cognitive expertise in general and even less comparing coaches of different ages. The aim of this study was to test for perceptual-cognitive differences between age groups, licence levels, and their interaction. This study investigated differences in skilled performance between young and middle-aged coaches of three different skill levels. Participants performed an accuracy-oriented pattern recall (mean distance in pixel) and a time-oriented flicker test (mean detection time in ms). There were some significant differences between age groups and between skill groups for both tests, but no interactions. For the pattern recall test, the effect sizes were larger for skill level differences, while for the flicker test effects were larger for ageing. These results suggest coaches are able to maintain accuracy skills better than reaction timed tasks. This is in line with findings on speeded performance in general populations, which show declines with age. Moreover, results also support findings on perceptual expertise in skills where accuracy was important.     

Konsumverhalten von Eventbesuchern der Olympischen Jugend-Winterspiele am Beispiel Innsbruck 2012

The aim of this article is to gain insights into the economic impacts of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Taking the example of Innsbruck 2012 (YOG 2012)—the first ever Winter YOG—the economic dimension of the event is comprised by calculating the primary economic impulse as well as the induced economic impulse (total economic effect). For the purpose of this study the region (Tirol) and the period of time (13^th to 22^th January 2012) were chosen.     

Motorische Leistungsfähigkeit von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland

Motor performance is an important health resource. Review articles revealed a decline of motor performance of approximately 10?% between 1975 and 2006. In the past most of the data available for such comparisons came from ad hoc studies with non-standardized methods. Within the framework of the ”Motorik-Modul“ (MoMo) study as part of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), it is possible for the first time to directly compare two cohorts in the ages of 4–17 years in a nationally representative database for Germany. The aim of this article is to report changes in motor performance of children and adolescents in the time period 2003–2006 (cohort baseline n = 4528) compared to 2009–2012 (cohort wave 1, n = 2820). Overall, it is clearly shown that the motor performance of children and adolescents in Germany did not decrease within the observational period of 6 years. The comparison of mean values of the baseline cohort compared to those of wave 1 showed that 28 out of 52 mean values of the two cohorts with a high probability did not differ based on 95?% confidence intervals (CI). In 24 out of the 52 mean values positive changes could be noted based on the individual 95?% CI values. There were more positive changes in primary school aged children than in other age groups. Within these positive changes, most effect sizes were small to medium. The results indicate that recent activities aiming at elevating motor performance levels may have started to make an impact and should be expanded, also in secondary schools. The comparative cohort study presented in this article is currently being checked by the ongoing MoMo wave 2 survey of 2014–2017.     

Mapping International Health onto Domestic Health: A Pentadic Cartography of Kathleen Sibelius’s Global Health Strategy

Pentadic cartography is a useful way to examine the motivational vocabularies of discourses and to provide alternative vocabularies for negotiating rhetorical terrains. Pentadic cartographers have used Kenneth Burke’s principles to examine and critique the motivational vocabularies of texts as their vocabularies compete against one another. This article expands the application of pentadic cartography by exploring maps as “overlays” or when two pentadic vocabularies do not necessarily compete but can complement one another. This study examines two potential competing mappings present in former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius’s (2012) speech outlining a new global health strategy, as well as an overlay map that negotiates domestic and global health. Each mapping is assessed for its abilities to open and to close the universe of discourse. The possibility of overlays as a supplement to pentadic cartography is outlined.     

Effects of glucose–fructose versus glucose ingestion on stride characteristics during prolonged treadmill running

Scarce research has examined the effects of carbohydrate composition on running stride characteristics. On two occasions, 14 males and 6 females completed a 120-min sub-maximal run followed by a 4-mile time trial. Participants consumed glucose (GLU) or glucose–fructose (GLU–FRU) beverages supplying 1.3 g/min carbohydrate. Substrate use, psychological affect [Feeling Scale (FS)], and stride characteristics (stride frequency, stride length, and contact time) were assessed. Effects were expressed as Cohen’s d (90% confidence limits [90% CL]). CLs for stride frequency differences at 53 min (90% CL = 0.04–0.21) and 113 min (90% CL = 0.02–0.24) did not cover 0, indicating a positive effect of GLU–FRU. However, effect sizes were small (d = 0.13) and likely-to-very-likely trivial. Energy expenditure differences at sub-maximal end were very likely trivial (d = 0.08; 90% CL = 0.00–0.17), while FS ratings were possibly higher for GLU–FRU at 50 (d = 0.19; 90% CL = ?0.10–0.48) and 110 min (d = 0.16; 90% CL = ?0.13–0.45). During the time trial, stride length was possibly higher with GLU–FRU (d = 0.13; 90% CL = ?0.08–0.33). Glucose–fructose co-ingestion has no significant effect on stride characteristics during constant-velocity running but may result in slightly higher stride length during self-paced running.     

Physical fitness normative values for 6–18-year-old Greek boys and girls,using the empirical distribution and the lambda,mu, and sigma statistical method

The aim of the this study was to establish age- and gender-specific physical fitness normative values and to compare percentiles and Z scores values in a large, nationwide sample of Greek children aged 6–18 years. From March 2014 to May 2014, a total of 424,328 boys and girls aged 6–18 years who attended school in Greece were enrolled. The studied sample was representative, in terms of age–sex distribution and geographical region. Physical fitness tests (i.e. 20?m shuttle run test (SRT), standing long jump, sit and reach, sit-ups, and 10?×?5?m SRT) were performed and used to calculate normative values, using the percentiles of the empirical distributions and the lambda, mu, and sigma statistical method. Normative values were presented as tabulated percentiles for five health-related fitness tests based on a large data set comprising 424,328 test performances. Boys typically scored higher than girls on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and speed/agility, but lower on flexibility (all p values <0.001). Older boys and girls had better performances than younger ones (p?相似文献   

Bilateral practice improves dominant leg performance in long jump

Benefits of bilateral practice both for the non-dominant and for the dominant body side have been shown in several studies. Thereby, most of the studies included movement tasks of the upper extremity or investigated sports games in which the ability of acting bilaterally is an essential basis for success and, thus, a bilateral practice is reasonable anyway. Individual unilaterally performed sports including movement tasks of the lower extremity are rarely investigated. Therefore, the aim of our study was to test if contralateral transfer due to bilateral practice can be found in an unilaterally performed sport including the lower extremity. We trained and tested 61 adolescent athletes in long jump to compare the jumping performance of the dominant leg after a 12-week practice period between two groups: a bilateral practice group that practiced specific long jump exercises with both the dominant and non-dominant leg and an unilateral practice group that practiced specific long jump exercises only with the dominant leg. Results showed a superior effect of bilateral practice compared to unilateral practice regarding the jumping performance of the dominant leg. The performance increase at post-test and retention-test for the dominant limb was significantly higher for the bilateral practice group (pre-to-post: 5.2%, pre-to-retention: 7.4%) compared to the unilateral practice group (pre-to-post: 3.4%, pre-to-retention: 4.5%). Thus, bilateral practice should be established in the early practice programmes of track and field athletes to improve the performance of the dominant take-off leg.