Post-exercise recovery is essential for maintaining athletic performance and facilitating physiological adaptation. Cold water immersion (CWI) is widely utilized as a recovery strategy, although its effects on performance and physiological outcomes remain contentious. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated recent literature to determine the impact of CWI on athletic performance, recovery, and biochemical markers. In accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, PubMed and Scopus were searched for articles published between 2021 and 2026. Of 1,919 identified articles, 21 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies were rated as moderate to high quality based on the PEDro Scale. Findings indicated that CWI significantly improved countermovement jump (CMJ) performance (MD = 2.62 cm; 95% CI: 1.54 to 3.70; p < 0.00001), reduced blood lactate concentrations (MD = -0.27; 95% CI: -0.44 to -0.09; p = 0.002), and decreased creatine kinase (CK) levels (MD = -46.19; 95% CI: -65.91 to -26.47; p < 0.00001), suggesting enhanced metabolic recovery and reduced muscle damage. Conversely, CWI did not significantly affect sprint performance (MD = -0.02; p = 0.72) or maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) (SMD = 0.44; p = 0.18). Overall, CWI supports short-term recovery but does not consistently enhance high-intensity performance. Its use is most beneficial when rapid recovery is required, such as during competitions, whereas frequent application during training should be limited to avoid potential adverse effects on long-term adaptation.
This study aimed to identify the effect of using explosive power training on improving shooting accuracy for handball students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Yarmouk University. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design using two groups (experimental and control). The study population consisted of handball students registered at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Yarmouk University for the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, totaling 180 students. A sample of (50) male and female students was selected using simple random sampling from the study population and divided into two equal groups: an experimental group (n=25) receiving a moderate explosive power training program in addition to the regular course program, and a control group (n=25) receiving the regular program. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-test means in both the standing vertical jump and shooting accuracy, with the post-test scores being higher. Statistically significant differences were also found in favor of the post-test scores in the control group, but to a lesser extent compared to the experimental group. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group in both the standing vertical jump and shooting accuracy. The training program was highly effective in improving the standing vertical jump and shooting accuracy. The improvement in the experimental group was significantly greater than the improvement in the control group. The results support the study's hypotheses that the proposed rehabilitation or training program has a clear and positive effect on the variables under study. Keywords: Training, Explosive Power, Shooting Accuracy, Handball, Students, Yarmouk University.
Background: Physical education (PE) offers a unique pedagogical context for the transmission of universal values; however, empirical evidence regarding whether teacher gender or educational level moderates this process remains limited. Objective: This study examined the extent to which PE teachers implement universal values across five dimensions Ethics and Morals, Knowledge and Understanding, Social, Psychological, and Leadership and Organization and investigated whether implementation differs by gender or educational level. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed with 169 in-service PE teachers (113 male, 56 females; 148 Bachelor's degree holders, 21 Master's degree holders) drawn from multiple educational levels. The Universal Values in Sport Instrument (UVSI), a validated 23-item measure across five dimensions (Cronbach's α = 0.990), was used for data collection. Independent-samples t-tests, preceded by Levene's test for equality of variances, were conducted to compare group means. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between male and female teachers across all five dimensions (all p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences emerged between Bachelor's and Master's degree holders (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: The implementation of universal values in PE appears to be independent of teacher gender and formal educational attainment. These findings suggest that professional development initiatives targeting values-based teaching should be made universally accessible across teacher demographics, and that school policies should prioritize structured, curriculum-embedded approaches to character education rather than relying on individual teacher characteristics.
Objetives; This study aimed to examine the effects of cup stacking activity on cognitive flexibility in 20 male e-sports players at Surindra Rajabhat University. Methods: The subjects were divided into two groups. The experimental group; EG (n = 10; age 20.80 ± 1.50 years; height 173.40 ± 6.45 cm; weight 65.54 ± 12.01 kg; experience 4.16 ± 1.51 years; cognitive flexibility 6.70 ± 1.34 times) received the cup stacking activity intervention 3 sessions a week for 4 weeks. The control group; CG (n = 10; age 19.50 ± 1.58 years; height 173.90 ± 5.70 cm; weight 68.81 ± 12.69 kg; experience 3.97 ± 1.63 years; cognitive flexibility 7.00 ± 1.15 times) received regular training. The subjects were assessed for their cognitive flexibility using the Witty SEM System. Pre- and post-test scores were recorded for all subjects. Results: Following the experiment, no difference was observed in the cognitive flexibility of the EG and CG. Discussions: However, the cup stacking activity intervention group showed a significantly higher increase in cognitive flexibility than the CG (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that systematic cup stacking can foster cognitive flexibility in e-sports athletes, providing valuable insights into the thought processes that enable athletes to solve immediate problems effectively.
Las experiencias de prácticas en la formación inicial docente configuran un dispositivo esencial para la adquisición de habilidades profesionales por parte de profesores en formación. El estudio explora las percepciones de profesores supervisores o profesores guías universitarios acerca del practicum en la formación inicial docente de educación física con el objetivo de comprender cómo se configura el acompañamiento formativo en contextos reales del practicum y los saberes adquiridos en la etapa universitaria. Desde un enfoque cualitativo se realizaron 36 entrevistas semiestructuradas a profesores supervisores quienes acompañan el practicum, lo que derivó en temáticas emergentes a partir de sus respuestas. Los resultados evidencian cuatro temas centrales que estructuran la experiencia del practicum. En primer lugar, los estilos de enseñanza emergen como un eje clave que orienta tanto las prácticas pedagógicas como las formas de retroalimentación hacia los estudiantes en formación. En segundo lugar, las expectativas sobre la labor docente revelan tensiones entre ideales formativos y las demandas concretas del sistema escolar. En tercer lugar, el acompañamiento se configura como un proceso situado, heterogéneo y altamente dependiente de las condiciones institucionales y relacionales. Finalmente, la tensión entre teoría y realidad da cuenta de brechas persistentes entre la formación universitaria y las dinámicas del contexto escolar, lo que incide en la apropiación de saberes pedagógicos por parte de los futuros docentes. En conjunto, los hallazgos permiten problematizar el rol del profesor supervisor como un actor clave en la mediación entre formación y práctica, destacando la necesidad de fortalecer estrategias de articulación entre universidad y escuela que promuevan procesos formativos más coherentes, reflexivos y contextualizados.
