Search Results (16)

Background: In recent years, comprehensive analyses using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) have been conducted to identify genetic factors related to athletic performance. In this study, we investigated the association between genetic variants and elite wrestling status across multiple ethnic groups using a genome-wide genotyping approach. Methods: This study included 168 elite wrestlers (64 Japanese, 67 Turkish, and 36 Russian), all of whom had competed in international tournaments, including the Olympic Games. Control groups consisted of 306 Japanese, 137 Turkish, and 173 Russian individuals without elite athletic backgrounds. We performed a GWAS comparing allele frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between elite wrestlers and controls in each ethnic cohort. Cross-population analysis comprised (1) identifying SNPs with nominal significance (p < 0.05) in all three groups, then (2) meta-analyzing overlapped SNPs to assess effect consistency and combined significance. Finally, we investigated whether the most significant SNPs were associated with gene expression in skeletal muscle in 23 physically active men. Results: The GWAS identified 328,388 (Japanese), 23,932 (Turkish), and 30,385 (Russian) SNPs reaching nominal significance. Meta-analysis revealed that the ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms were associated (p < 0.0001) with elite wrestling status across all three populations. Both variants are located in intronic regions and influence the expression of their respective genes in skeletal muscle. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate gene polymorphisms associated with elite wrestling status in a multi-ethnic cohort. ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms may represent important genetic factors associated with achieving an elite status in wrestling, irrespective of ethnicity. Full article

Sleep is critical for cognitive and psychomotor performance in demanding decision-making contexts such as sports officiating. Given the lack of research in the field, the cognitive complexity, and the high-pressure environment of judo refereeing, this study aimed to evaluate the sleep quality of active judo referees and examine differences based on gender, age, refereeing experience, and athletic background. This cross-sectional study included 73 active Turkish judo referees (42 male, 31 female; age = 29.8 ± 11.0 years). Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and data were analysed using t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, and mediation analyses. Data showed a mean sleep time of 7:43 + 1:27 and a total PSQI score of 7.21 + 3.53, and participants had been referees for a mean of 6.58 + 8.12 years. The overall sleep quality was suboptimal, with female referees reporting significantly poorer sleep than males. No significant differences in PSQI scores were found across referee seniority levels or educational levels. Correlation analysis showed significant negative associations between PSQI scores and both age and refereeing experience. The final hierarchical regression model with the age, gender, and athletic background significantly predicted PSQI scores. Mediation analysis further revealed that referee qualification level indirectly influenced sleep quality through age. The study is the first one in this area of judo referring, and it highlights poor sleep quality among judo referees, regardless of experience or qualification level, with gender, age, and athletic background emerging as key predictors. The lack of sleep education in both athletic and refereeing careers suggests a need for targeted interventions, especially for younger and female referees, to improve performance and prevent health issues. Further research is needed to explore these relationships over time and in elite-level referees. Full article

The psychological well-being of athlete–students during higher education is important in their healthy growth and adaptation to college and social life, and emotional intelligence is one of the key factors linked with psychological well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being among Turkish athlete–students in higher education studying physical education and sports. A total of 226 athlete–students studying physical education and sports participated in this study. The results of our mediation analysis revealed that emotional intelligence was positively related to psychological well-being. Additionally, the results indicated that self-efficacy and burnout act as partial mediators between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being. As a result, academic administrators and instructors should promote strategies that help athlete–students to gain better emotional intelligence skills, which may also help these students to cope with burnout and increase their self-efficacy, thus increasing their psychological well-being. Full article

Background: This study examines child abuse in sports environments through Ecological Systems Theory, revealing the multifaceted nature of abuse and the impact of environmental factors at various levels. Methods: With a study design using the phenomenology approach, a qualitative research method, data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 Turkish participants, including 5 athletes, 4 coaches, and 2 academics with coaching experience in Sports Sciences. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data, categorizing findings into four levels: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. Results: Findings show that at the microsystem level, children are exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, largely through interactions with coaches and teammates. Physical abuse includes non-contact forms, like dehydration and forced training, and contact abuse, such as violence from coaches and peers. Emotional abuse manifests through psychological pressures and verbal attacks, creating a toxic environment. At the mesosystem level, excessive parental trust in coaches reduces oversight, leaving children vulnerable. In the exosystem, inadequate supervision of coaches and a lack of response to abuse cases by sports clubs worsen the issue. At the macrosystem level, cultural norms and societal attitudes normalize abuse, especially affecting female athletes. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for comprehensive interventions, including family awareness, stricter coach oversight, and robust policies within sports organizations to protect children. By emphasizing the interaction of individual, familial, and societal factors, this research underscores the importance of collective efforts to ensure safer sports environments. Full article

Smartphone addiction (SA) is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine the level of SA in athletes affiliated to the Turkish Handball Federation in Izmir and to examine its relationship with factors such as sociodemographic status, health status, eating attitude, and body perception. This cross-sectional study was conducted in March–April 2021 in Izmir Province. The sample of the study consisted of 212 licensed handball athletes. The short SA scale, three-factor nutrition scale, and body perception scale were used. A chi-square test was used for bivariate comparisons and logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate comparisons. The study was completed with 202 individuals (the coverage rate was 95.3%). The prevalence of SA was found to be 27.7%. The risk of SA increased 2.49-fold (CI: 1.17–5.31, p = 0.018) in female participants, 2.01-fold (CI: 1.01–4.06, p = 0.048) in participants with alcohol use, 2.17-fold (CI: 1.04–4.58, p = 0.042) in participants with low nutritional scores, 2.65-fold (CI: 1.15–6.10, p = 0.022) in individuals with high-income status, and 2.66-fold (CI: 1.07–6.64, p = 0.036) in individuals with high body perception scale score. In total, 27.7% of the athlete sample had scores above the SA threshold. These results point out that a behavioral addiction such as SA can occur even in professionals of an activity such as sports, known for beneficial effects in terms of healthy life. Full article

The aim of the current study was to determine whether the rs17602729 polymorphism in the Adenosine monophosphate deaminase-1 (AMPD1) gene is related to elite athlete performance. A total of 60 elite athletes, aged 18–35, who were split into two groups—31 sprinters/power athletes and 29 endurance athletes—as well as 20 control/sedentary individuals, willingly participated in the study. The performance levels of the athletes, based on their personal bests (PBs), were rated using the World Athletics (WA) score. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the genomic DNA that was extracted from the subjects’ blood samples. Using linear regression models, the study sought to determine the relationship between the athletes’ PB, sex, and sport type and the rs17602729 polymorphism both within and between the groups. The distribution of the GG, GA, and AA genotypes of the rs17602729 polymorphism differed significantly within and between the groups, according to the data (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, no statistically significant variations were observed in the correlation between the athletes’ PBs and the rs17602729 polymorphism among the groups (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the G allele of the ADMP1 rs17602729 polymorphism appears to provide a benefit to sprinters and power athletes. Nonetheless, to confirm this hypothesis, additional research with more participants and a multi-genetic analysis approach is required. Full article

There are multiple influences on food choice for athletes. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a Turkish Athlete Food Choice Questionnaire (Turkish-AFCQ) and describe the main factors influencing food choices. A multi-step process of language and content validation, Explanatory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and test–retest reliability were used to examine factorial structure and construct validity (convergent and discriminant) and reliability (internal and external). The translated Turkish-AFCQ was administered to 446 athletes (59% male, median age = 21 years) from a variety of sports. The original nine-factor structure was validated, external reliability was acceptable, and all factors achieved acceptable discriminate validity. Convergent validity and internal reliability received tenable-ideal ratings for seven and eight factors, respectively. Interpretation and future application are discussed for low-performing factors ‘food and health awareness’ and ‘influence of others’. The factor most frequently (never 1—always 5) influencing choices was ‘performance’ (Md = 4.33) and the least was both the ‘influence of others’ and ‘food values and beliefs’ (Md = 2.67). The Turkish-AFCQ can be used to expand researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of the relative influence multiple factors have on food choices, and this study provides a model for AFCQ linguistic translation and validation. Full article

Athletes with fear of failure are at risk of developing the symptoms of a wide range of psychological problems, including burnout. Understanding the risks and protective factors of athletes’ psychological health is an essential step in tailoring strategies and interventions to promote athletes’ psychological and mental health. This study examined the mediating roles of resilience and extrinsic motivation in the relationship between fear of failure and burnout among Turkish athletes. The study included 335 young athletes (93.4% males) whose ages ranged from 18 to 55 years (M = 24.95, SD = 8.22). Participants completed the self-reported measures of fear of failure, resilience, extrinsic motivation, and burnout. The analysis revealed that fear of failure had significant predictive effects on resilience, extrinsic motivation, and burnout. Resilience and extrinsic motivation also had significant predictive effects on burnout. The mediation analysis results showed that both resilience and extrinsic motivation partially mediated the effect of fear of failure on athlete burnout. The findings of the study provide a better insight into the underlying mechanisms between fear of failure and athlete burnout by considering resilience and extrinsic motivation as mediators. These results suggest that the adverse impact of fear of failure on athlete burnout can be mitigated by cultivating resilience and hindering extrinsic motivation. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many disruptions to individuals’ everyday lives and caused wide-ranging, drastic effects on their well-being, mental health, and physical health. This study sought to validate the Dark Future Scale (DFS) and examine its reliability and validity in Turkish. The present study also examined the relationship between fear of COVID-19, dark future anxiety, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Four hundred and eighty-nine Turkish athletes (mean age = 23.08 ± 6.64) completed measures on fear, anxiety, resilience, and demographic information. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the DFS had a one-factor solution with good reliability. Fear of COVID-19 significantly predicted resilience and future anxiety. Furthermore, resilience significantly predicted anxiety and mediated the effect of fear of COVID-19 on future anxiety. The findings have important implications for improving mental health and developing the resiliency of athletes during public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

The aim of the study was to identify genetic variants associated with personal best scores in Turkish track and field athletes and to compare allelic frequencies between sprint/power and endurance athletes and controls using a whole-exome sequencing (WES) approach, followed by replication studies in independent cohorts. The discovery phase involved 60 elite Turkish athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 ethnically matched controls. The replication phase involved 1132 individuals (115 elite Russian sprinters, 373 elite Russian endurance athletes (of which 75 athletes were with VO_2max measurements), 209 controls, 148 Russian and 287 Finnish individuals with muscle fiber composition and cross-sectional area (CSA) data). None of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reached an exome-wide significance level (p < 2.3 × 10⁻⁷) in genotype–phenotype and case–control studies of Turkish athletes. However, of the 53 nominally (p < 0.05) associated SNPs, four functional variants were replicated. The SIRT1 rs41299232 G allele was significantly over-represented in Turkish (p = 0.047) and Russian (p = 0.018) endurance athletes compared to sprint/power athletes and was associated with increased VO_2max (p = 0.037) and a greater proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers (p = 0.035). The NUP210 rs2280084 A allele was significantly over-represented in Turkish (p = 0.044) and Russian (p = 0.012) endurance athletes compared to sprint/power athletes. The TRPM2 rs1785440 G allele was significantly over-represented in Turkish endurance athletes compared to sprint/power athletes (p = 0.034) and was associated with increased VO_2max (p = 0.008). The AGRN rs4074992 C allele was significantly over-represented in Turkish sprint/power athletes compared to endurance athletes (p = 0.037) and was associated with a greater CSA of fast-twitch muscle fibers (p = 0.024). In conclusion, we present the first WES study of athletes showing that this approach can be used to identify novel genetic markers associated with exercise- and sport-related phenotypes. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the consumption of dietary supplements (DS) and to determine related topics in Turkish football players of different sexes and competition levels. A total of 117 footballers (79 males and 38 females) completed a specific survey regarding DS consumption in athletes. The type of DS ingested was classified based on the level of scientific evidence by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS): group A (high level of scientific evidence), group B (DS that could have a positive effect, but require more evidence), group C (evidence is against their use), and group D (prohibited substances). After a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, a t-test or Mann–Whitney U test was performed for quantitative variables, while Pearson’s chi-square and odds ratio (with the confidence interval) were performed for qualitative variables. Of the sample, 87.2% reported having consumed DS, with a higher consumption rate in males (males: 93.7%, females: 73.7%; p = 0.006; OR = 5.3 [1.7–16.8]) and professional players (professional: 98.2%, non-professional: 77.4%; p < 0.001; OR = 7.9 [1.2–52.3]). Males and professional players consume more sports foods (p < 0.001), performance supplements (p < 0.001), and total group A supplements (p < 0.001) compared to females and non-professionals. In addition, males consume more medical supplements (p = 0.012) and total group C supplements (p < 0.001) than female footballers. The most consumed DS were sports drinks (63.2%), magnesium (52.1%), vitamin C (51.3%), vitamin D (46.2%), caffeine (38.5%), sports bars (37.6%), whey protein (28.2%), meat protein (25.6%), vitamin E (24.8%), and omega-3 fatty acids (24.8%). The supplement consumption was higher in male and professional footballers. According to the AIS classification, there were significant differences in the consumption of sports foods, medical supplements, performance supplements, and the total number of group A and group C supplements according to sex, and there were significant differences in the consumption of sports foods, performance supplements, and the total number of group A supplements according to competition level. Full article

Background: The first purpose of the study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sports (ASTQS) in the Turkish language and the secondary purpose was to examine the relationship between the quality of the coach–athlete relationship and athletes’ self-talk. Methods: 477 athletes (females = 252, males = 225) completed the Turkish versions of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) and the ASTQS. Results: ASTQS showed good psychometric properties in the Turkish language. Findings on the construct validity of the scale were consistent with the original scale’s 8-factor structure. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.65 to 0.91. Furthermore, path analysis results showed that closeness had a direct effect on disengagement, psych-up, and anxiety control. The commitment had a direct effect on somatic fatigue, and complementarity had a direct effect on worry, confidence, and instruction. Conclusions: Finally, the results from the present study indicated that the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire provided a reliable and valid measure for Turkish athletes. The results revealed the importance of the coach–athlete relationship in sport and its’ role in shaping athletes’ self-talk. Full article

Background: Within the 3Cs (closeness, commitment, and complementarity) theoretical framework of the quality of two-person relationships, a coach–athlete relationship quality questionnaire (CART-Q) was developed and validated to assess the nature of the coach–athlete relationship. In this study, a modified version of the CART-Q for physical education (PE) was adapted to assess the teacher–student relationship quality in the PE context in Turkey and Kuwait. The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial validity of the teacher–student relationship quality questionnaire (TSRQ-PE) within a sample of Turkish and Kuwaiti physical education teachers. Methods: Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) was used to test the measurement of cultural invariance between these two groups. A total of 175 teachers from Turkey (n = 73) and Kuwait (n = 102) completed the TPRQ-PE. Results: MGCFA supported the factorial validity of the TPRQ-PE in a three first-order factor model across the two countries. Overall, these results add evidence to the psychometric properties of the TPRQ-PE and suggest that this instrument can be applied to measure the quality of the teacher–student relationship within Turkey and Kuwait, although caution may be required when applied to drawing comparisons between these two counties. Conclusions: The results of the present study could help physical educators and researchers in this field to understand the reasons and methods that lead to a quality teacher–student relationship. Full article

While courage is widely attributed to athletic pursuits, it has received little scientific attention from both researchers and applied practitioners. A reliable measurement is required to examine courage in sports and competitive activities. Therefore, this research aimed to adapt the original Turkish Sports Courage Scale-31 into American English (SCS-AE). The SCS-31 measure was translated from Turkish into the American English language by the Brislin forward and backward translation technique and language validity. Then, the translated SCS-AE was administered to 548 American university college students (Mean age = 19.02, SD = 1.21). All participants played a sport (e.g., football, soccer, basketball, gymnastics). Based on confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), 31 items of SCS-AE were reduced to 24 items with four factors (i.e., assertiveness, determination, mastery, and venturesome). The fit indices were satisfactory (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.06, NFI = 0.96 and NNFI = 0.97). The internal consistency measured by Cronbach alpha, ranging from 0.73 to 0.78, were considered acceptable. The convergent validity and discriminant validity of SCS-AE were also achieved. Our findings indicate strong support for research using the four-factor model of the SCS-AE and adequate support for the five-factor model with sufficient caution regarding the internal consistency of the self-sacrifice factor. While cultural differences in courage perception might exist between these countries, the findings showed more similarities than differences in courage. Results indicated that the SCS-AE is usable for research purposes in the suggested format. Future directions are discussed using the SCS-31 and SCS-AE for research. Full article

Debates about the conditions in which the frequency and intensity principles of regular exercise, depending on the fact that a sports background can be accepted as extremism, are still a controversial topic. The purpose of this research was to investigate the exercise dependence of athletes who practice Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai. The study included 141 athletes, consisting of 87 men and 54 women. The Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21), composed of 21 items developed by Hausenblas and Downs and adapted into the Turkish version by Yeltepe and İkizler, was applied to the athletes. As a result of the research, while athletes showed more sensitivity to the EDS (=71.41), this scale was also defined as symptomatic. It was found that five athletes (3.5%) were asymptomatic-nondependent, 117 athletes (83.0%) were symptomatic-nondependent, and 19 athletes (13.5%) were at risk for exercise dependence. It was determined that athletes were at risk for exercise dependence as follows: Eight athletes were doing Kickboxing, ten athletes were doing Taekwondo, and one athlete was doing Muay Thai. A significant difference was observed according to years of regular training and number of trainings per a day. Other variables presented no significant differences. It was possible to say that years of regular training could be effective in revealing exercise dependence. Full article