Problem statement: The front squat is a multi-joint exercise frequently used by weightlifters to improve weightlifting performance. A common training strategy is to perform the front squat at the beginning of a session as an effective whole-body warm-up and potential pre-activation exercise to increase athletes' readiness. However, it is unclear whether clean performance can be enhanced following front squats performed with light or heavy loads. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the front squat, performed with either light or heavy loads as a pre-activation exercise, on one-repetition maximum (1RM) clean performance in welltrained weightlifters. Approach: Twelve well-trained weightlifters participated in the study, including nine males (age: 28.9 ± 2.5 years; body mass: 87.7 ± 7.2 kg; height: 179.3 ± 4.1 cm) and three females (age: 25.0 ± 3.6 years; body mass: 65.0 ± 8.5 kg; height: 158.0 ± 6.1 cm). A randomized, counterbalanced crossover design was used in which athletes completed three different pre-activation conditions: (i) a control condition with no front squat performed, (ii) a light squat condition consisting of 3 sets of 3 repetitions at 75% of 1RM, and (iii) a heavy squat condition consisting of 2 sets of 1 repetition at 95% of 1RM. Eight minutes after each pre-activation condition, athletes performed a 1RM clean assessment. In addition, barbell kinematics at 85%, 95%, and 100% of 1RM were measured using the Weightlifting Analysis Bar Path Tracker application. Peak and mean velocities during both the first and second pulls were recorded. The rate of perceived exertion was also assessed. Results: Clean performance remained unchanged across the three pre-activation conditions (p = 0.142). However, the light squat condition resulted in a significantly greater percentage increase in clean performance compared to the heavy squat condition (0.61% ± 3.3% vs. −3.0% ± 5.6%; p = 0.032). The rate of perceived exertion was significantly lower following the light squat compared to the heavy squat condition (p = 0.001). No significant differences were observed in peak velocity during the first pull at 85% and 95% of 1RM; however, a statistical trend was noted at 100% of 1RM (p = 0.056) during the first pull. Conclusions: The light squat condition tended to enhance peak velocity during the maximal clean, which may influence pull technique and overall pull velocity. Percentage change analysis indicated that the light squat may elicit a greater pre-activation effect on clean performance compared to the heavy squat. Therefore, when the front squat is used as a pre-activation exercise, light loads performed with high movement velocity are recommended.
Childhood stress is being established as a significant risk factor of poor emotional regulation, social functioning, and physiological adaptation, especially in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas where formal mental-health services are less reachable. School-based physical activity is an important and available avenue of preventive intervention in such situations. The present study explored the psychological and autonomic outcomes of a culturally-grounded physical-education intervention founded on the local Peruvian games that were introduced in the rural Andean children. The quasi-experimental pre-post design was applied where 300 children ranging between 8-12 years, attending rural and peri-urban schools in the Huancavelica district of Peru were utilized. The intervention involved a six-week intervention that involved the use of structured traditional games administered thrice a week in the school physical-education environment. Perceived stress, subjective well-being, happiness and the quality of peer-relationship were measured using validated scales determined to be child-friendly. Short-term (HRV) recording of physiological adaptation was assessed using time domain, spectral and nonlinear Poincaré indices. Making of correlation models, HRV distributional analysis, Gaussian mixture modeling to determine latent response profiles, and building of a two-dimensional Gaussian vulnerability surface that fuses psychological and physiological change were all used as data analysis. Findings showed that perceived stress reduction was also always related to important changes in the psychosocial indicators such as well-being, positive affect, and peer relationships. HRV results showed significant autonomic response changes after the intervention with an increase in parasympathetic modulation and better nonlinear variability patterns. Gaussian mixture modeling found three vulnerability response phenotypes with the distinction of children based on the extent of stress reduction, autonomic recovery, socioeconomic background, and psychosocial benefits. The Gaussian vulnerability surface also indicated a protective effect which was synergistic as the greatest vulnerability was observed at times of psychological stress reduction and autonomic improvement cooccurrence. In conclusion, the results of the study furnish sound support that culturally oriented traditional games when implemented in school physical education have a promising potential in improving stress management and multidimensional well-being among vulnerable groups of children. The research justifies the incorporation of culturally responsive physical activity in physical-education courses as an inexpensive and scalable initiative towards encouraging psychophysiological well-being in rural areas.
Active ageing represents a growing priority for health care systems, as increasing life expectancy shifts the focus from longevity alone to the quality of years lived. Physical activity is widely recognised as one of the main determinants of functional capacity and well-being in older adults. However, most studies have focused on quantitative exercise indicators, often neglecting the perceptual and subjective dimensions. The aim of this study was to explore, in a non-institutionalised older population, (i) levels of physical activity and related subjective perceptions, (ii) the association between physical activity, perceived health and sedentary behaviours, and (iii) the role of functional difficulties and socio-demographic variables in physical activity engagement. A crosssectional observational study was conducted on 29 older adults (≥65 years) using a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, chronic conditions, physical activity levels, functional difficulties, perceived health and perceptions of active ageing. Associations were analysed using non-parametric tests (Spearman’s correlations, Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test). Approximately half of the participants reported regular physical activity. Physical activity frequency was inversely associated with time spent watching television and with daily sedentary hours (p < 0.01). A positive, although non-significant, trend was observed between physical activity frequency and perceived ageing-related benefits (ρ = 0.318; p = 0.092). The presence of functional difficulties was strongly associated with physical inactivity (p = 0.016; Cramer’s V = 0.648), whereas educational level showed no significant association. These findings highlight the importance of integrating subjective health perceptions into the assessment of active ageing in support of promoting physical activity among older adults.
Background and Study Aim. Background and Study Aim. This study examined the relationship between physical training and the development of technical–tactical skills in athletes specializing in advanced mixed martial arts (MMA) performance. Key performance elements (i.e., technique, tactics, striking power, sport-specific speed, endurance, and psychological factors require holistic training to be effectively integrated and applied during competition. Understanding the interaction of these components is essential for optimizing performance and achieving the highest competitive outcomes in MMA. Materials and Methods: To achieve the research objectives, the following scientific methods were employed: theoretical analysis and generalization of specialized literature data; observation and control in sports training; pedagogical observation; tabular method; pedagogical experiment; and statistical-mathematical methods for processing and interpreting recorded data Results: Based on the study of scientific literature, it was established that implementing technical actions in the training of performance athletes has a decisive influence. Ensuring the quality of the instructional-educational process at the advanced training stage and modernizing it is a major concern, influenced by the evaluation system during sports matches, which is refined throughout the instructional-educational process, as well as by the physical preparation of future high-performance athletes. To understand the interaction level of results obtained from final athlete testing, 1,056 correlation coefficients of motor, psychomotor, and technical-tactical parameters were analysed, aiding in the selection and determination of key values in motor capacity development. Following the application of technical-tactical actions based on techniques from boxing, sambo, judo, kickboxing, taekwondo, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, grappling, and pankration during the experimental phase, the experimental group achieved significant improvements (P<0.01 and P<0.05) in technical-tactical performance during sports matches. Conclusions. The study demonstrated that motor skills specific to mixed martial arts, selected as indicators of technical-tactical capacity development, were relevant in competitive activities. This underscores the importance of integrating physical and technical-tactical training to enhance athletic performance in mixed martial arts.
Visual attention is a fundamental component of instructional decision-making in group fitness contexts, as it supports instructors’ ongoing monitoring of participants’ performance and informs pedagogical intervention during class. Although previous research has independently examined fitness instructors’ pedagogical behavior, pedagogical feedback, and gaze patterns, little is known about how these dimensions interact in instructional settings. This study aimed to examine the associations between instructors’ gaze patterns, pedagogical behaviors, and pedagogical feedback during Aerobics classes, while comparing novice and expert group fitness instructors. Eight instructors aged between 21 and 42 years were classified according to professional experience as novice or expert. Pedagogical behavior was assessed using the Observation System of the Fitness Instructors Behavior – Group Activities (SOCIF-AG), and pedagogical feedback was analyzed through the Fitness Instructors Feedback Observation System (SOFIF). Gaze patterns were recorded with mobile eye-tracking technology, considering fixation count and fixation duration across total and specific areas of interest. The results showed that instructors’ visual attention profiles were associated with distinct patterns of pedagogical intervention. Novice instructors tended to adopt more reactive and execution-focused strategies, characterized by more localized gaze behavior and greater use of questioning and corrective forms of feedback. In contrast, expert instructors displayed broader and more strategically distributed visual attention, which was associated with demonstration, anticipatory instructional regulation, and more structured pedagogical feedback. These findings suggest that professional experience is reflected not only in observable instructional behavior, but also in how instructors visually explore, interpret, and respond to participants’ performance. From an applied perspective, the study highlights the integrative role of visual perception in pedagogical regulation during Aerobics instruction and reinforces the importance of perceptual-cognitive processes in the development of teaching expertise in group fitness settings.
