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Sports
Special Issues
Promoting and Monitoring Physical Fitness in All Contexts
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Promoting and Monitoring Physical Fitness in All Contexts

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2025 | Viewed by 6487

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adilson Marques

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CIPER, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1495-751 Lisbon, Portugal
2. Health Institute (ISAMB), Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-020 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: physical activity; health education; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Miguel Peralta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1499-002 Cruz Quebrada, Portugal
Interests: physical activity; fitness; public health; epidemiology; physical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Élvio Gouveia

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: functional fitness; cognitive function; quality of life; physical activity; physical education; interactive technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maintaining a healthy fitness level is crucial for students' well-being and academic success. Regular physical activity enhances physical health and improves cognitive function and concentration. Engaging in fitness activities such as sports or even brisk walks can reduce stress and anxiety, enabling students to better cope with the demands of school. Physical education classes play a vital role in promoting fitness awareness among students, teaching them essential skills and encouraging an active lifestyle. Schools can further support fitness by offering physical education classes, well-equipped gyms and organizing sports events. Prioritizing fitness in school ensures that students develop healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

The scope of this Special Issue includes the following topics of interest:

  • exercise
  • healthy lifestyles
  • academic achievement
  • mental health
  • physical education
  • physical activity

Dr. Adilson Marques
Dr. Miguel Peralta
Dr. Élvio Gouveia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical education
  • fitness
  • school

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 447 KiB  
Article
Diurnal Variations in Upper and Lower Body Power in Adolescent Volleyball Players: Exploring Time-of-Day Effects on Performance
by Nebojša Trajković, Vladan Milić, Tomislav Đurković, Tomica Rešetar and Georgiy Korobeynikov
Sports 2024, 12(12), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12120320 - 26 Nov 2024
Viewed by 431
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study aims to investigate the daily variations in upper and lower body power performance in adolescent volleyball players. Methods: The sample consisted of 50 young male volleyball players (14.12 ± 0.8 years), actively involved in regular training and competition. Players were [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study aims to investigate the daily variations in upper and lower body power performance in adolescent volleyball players. Methods: The sample consisted of 50 young male volleyball players (14.12 ± 0.8 years), actively involved in regular training and competition. Players were tested for vertical jump tests and medicine ball throws twice, once in the morning (8:00–9:30 h) and once in the evening (18:00–19:30 h). Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05; ES = 0.35–0.42) in vertical jump were observed when comparing the morning and evening performance except for counter movement jump with arm swing, where there were no significant differences (p = 0.21). The results for the upper body power tests revealed a significant difference only in the standing medicine ball throw (p = 0.05; ES = 0.35). There were no significant differences in lying and seated medicine ball throw (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that lower body power, manifested in vertical jump performance, was significantly better in the evening compared to the morning. For upper body assessments, the standing medicine ball throw appears more reflective of volleyball-specific movements, while the lying and sitting throw may be less applicable. These findings suggest that volleyball training and testing, especially for leg power, may be more effective later in the day, while upper body performance appears less affected by time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting and Monitoring Physical Fitness in All Contexts)
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12 pages, 2427 KiB  
Article
Validity and Reliability of a New Wearable Chest Strap to Estimate Respiratory Frequency in Elite Soccer Athletes
by Adriano Di Paco, Diego A. Bonilla, Rocco Perrotta, Raffaele Canonico, Erika Cione and Roberto Cannataro
Sports 2024, 12(10), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12100277 - 12 Oct 2024
Viewed by 3200
Abstract
Assessing respiratory frequency (fR) is practical in monitoring training progress in competitive athletes, especially during exercise. This study aimed to validate a new wearable chest strap (wCS) to estimate fR against ergospirometry as a criterion device in soccer players. [...] Read more.
Assessing respiratory frequency (fR) is practical in monitoring training progress in competitive athletes, especially during exercise. This study aimed to validate a new wearable chest strap (wCS) to estimate fR against ergospirometry as a criterion device in soccer players. A total of 26 elite professional soccer players (mean [standard deviation]: 23.6 [4.8] years; 180.6 [5.7] cm; 77.2 [5.4] kg) from three Italian Serie A League teams participated in this cross-sectional study. The sample included attackers, midfielders, and defenders. fR was assessed during a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill using (i) a breath-by-breath gas exchange analyzer (Vyntus® CPX, Vyaire Medical) and (ii) a novel wCS with sensors designed to assess breath frequency following chest expansions. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), adjusted coefficient of determination (aR2), Bland–Altman plot analysis, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (ρc) were used for comparative analysis (correlation and concordance) among the methods. The repeated measures correlation coefficient (rrm) was used to assess the strength of the linear association between the methods. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Finn coefficient (rF) were used for inter-rater reliability. All statistical analyses were performed within the R statistical computing environment, with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) reported and statistical significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 16529 comparisons were performed after collecting the CPET data. The robust time series analysis with Hodges–Lehmann estimation showed no significant differences between both methods (p > 0.05). Correlation among devices was statistically significant and very large (r [95% CI]: 0.970 [0.970, 0.971], p < 0.01; aR2 [95% CI]: 0.942 [0.942, 0.943], p < 0.01) with strong evidence supporting consistency of the new wCS (BF10 > 100). In addition, a high concordance was found (ρc [95% CI]: 0.970 [0.969, 0.971], bias correction factor: 0.999). VyntusTM CPX, as a standard criterion, showed moderate agreement with wCS after Bland–Altman analysis (bias [95% lower to the upper limit of agreement]; % agree: 0.170 [−4.582 to 4.923] breaths·min−1; 69.9%). A strong association between measurements (rrm [95% CI]: 0.960 [0.959, 0.961]), a high absolute agreement between methods (ICC [95% CI]: 0.970 [0.970, 0.971]), and high inter-rater reliability (rF: 0.947) were found. With an RMSE = 2.42 breaths·min−1, the new wCS seems to be an valid and reliable in-field method to evaluate fR compared to a breath-by-breath gas exchange analyzer. Notwithstanding, caution is advised if methods are used interchangeably while further external validation occurs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting and Monitoring Physical Fitness in All Contexts)
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Review

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15 pages, 606 KiB  
Review
Does the Installation or the Improvement of Existing Outdoor Parks Increase Physical Activity Levels? A Systematic Review
by Miguel Peralta, Gianluca Viscioni, Xavier Melo, Élvio R. Gouveia, Thorsten Griesser, Alexander Blocher, Maurizio Bertollo, Andrea Di Blasio and Adilson Marques
Sports 2023, 11(11), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11110221 - 9 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2104
Abstract
Investment in outdoor parks is proposed as a promising large-scale strategy to promote physical activity (PA). This study aimed to systematically review the impact of park renovations or installing new ones in increasing PA. Searches were conducted using predefined terms in three databases [...] Read more.
Investment in outdoor parks is proposed as a promising large-scale strategy to promote physical activity (PA). This study aimed to systematically review the impact of park renovations or installing new ones in increasing PA. Searches were conducted using predefined terms in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) in March 2022. Studies examining the effectiveness of park renovations or developing new ones in increasing PA and having control or comparison were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data were extracted from the included records using a predefined extraction table. The database search yielded 959 records, and 26 were included. For park renovations (n = 17), 11 (65%) studies presented findings supporting a positive effect on PA. The other six (35%) studies found no PA benefits when compared to control or pre-renovations/improvement levels. Regarding new installations (n = 9), five (56%) studies presented improvements in PA, and four (44%) did not. A promising positive impact of park renovations and new installations on park use and PA was observed. The review findings reflect the need to understand the context, daily routines, and interests of the surrounding population before renovating or installing new outdoor parks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting and Monitoring Physical Fitness in All Contexts)
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