Purpose: This study aimed to examine direct and indirect associations of mood states and religious motivation with academicmotivation and perceived physical performance among Omani female physical education (PE) students during Ramadanfasting (RF). It tested fasting-related adaptation as an affective and religious-motivational process in a Muslim Gulf context.Methods: In total, 374 PE students aged 18–24 years participated during weeks 2-3 of RF. They completed an onlinequestionnaire assessing negative mood states (NMood), positive mood (PMood), intrinsic religious motivation (IRM),extrinsic religious motivation (ERM), perceived physical performance (PPP) and academic motivation (AM). The hypothesizedstructural model tested 12 direct and 8 indirect paths. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).Results: Both the measurement model and the structural model showed generally acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.90, CFI = .903, TLI= .895, RMSEA = .071, SRMR = .063). Eight of 20 hypotheses were significant. Among the direct relationships, PMood showedthe strongest link with PPP (β = .39, P < .001), followed by NMood (β = −.29, P = .004) and IRM (β = .19, P = .034). For AM,NMood (β = −.23, P = .014) and IRM (β = .33, P = .001) showed significant but opposite relationships, whereas PMood andERM were unrelated to AM. NMood also showed a strong negative association with IRM (β = −.41, P < .001). For mediation,significant indirect associations through IRM were observed for NMood–AM (b = −.176, 95% BC CI [−.392, −.052], P = .001, β= −.135) and NMood–PPP (b = −.048, 95% BC CI [−.121, −.005], P = .027, β = −.076). No other indirect effects were significant.Conclusions: Female PE students’ adaptation during RF was associated with mood states and internal religious motivation.RF should therefore be understood not only as a scheduling, but also as an affective and c
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate pre- to post-match changes in hydration status and examine associationsbetween dehydration markers and GPS-derived external load variables in elite academy football players during officialcompetition.Methods: Thirty-eight elite male academy football players (15–19 years) participated in the study, resulting in 69 matchobservations collected across 10 official matches. Hydration-related variables included pre- and post-match body mass(BM), urine specific gravity (USG), handgrip strength (HS), percentage dehydration (%deh), fluid intake (W), and estimatedrehydration requirements (REHA). External load was monitored using 10-Hz GPS devices and included total distancecovered, relative running intensity, maximal velocity, high-intensity running distance, sprint distance, and accelerations/decelerations. Pre- to post-match differences were assessed using paired-samples t-tests, while associations betweendehydration and GPS variables were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients.Results: Significant reductions in body mass were observed following match play (P < 0.001), with players losing 0.9 ± 0.5 kgon average, corresponding to a mean dehydration level of 1.2 ± 0.7%. Urine specific gravity increased significantly post-match(P = 0.001), indicating deterioration in hydration status. Although mean dehydration remained below the commonly cited2% threshold, 11.6% of observations exceeded this value. Fluid intake during matches (1.0 ± 0.5 L) appeared insufficientrelative to estimated rehydration requirements (2.9 ± 1.1 L). A significant positive correlation was observed between %dehand total distance covered (rho = 0.283, P = 0.019), whereas no significant associations were found for other GPS variables.Midfield players demonstrated significantly greater relative running intensity than defenders and forwards (P < 0.001),although no positional differences in dehydration were identified.Conclusions: Elite academy football players demonstrated significant match-induced deterioration in hydration statusduring official competition. Individualized hydration monitoring and fluid replacement strategies may be important foroptimizing recovery and reducing exercise-induced fluid deficits in elite youth football.
Purpose: This exploratory study investigated kinematic characteristics associated with successful (hit) and unsuccessful (miss) outcomes in elite Chinese skeet shooters, aiming to identify movement strategies that contribute to shooting success. Methods: Video data were collected from five finalists of the Chinese national skeet team during internal qualification competitions for the Paris Olympics. Three cameras (50 Hz) recorded double-targettrials atstation 3. Each athlete contributed three successful and three unsuccessful trials. Four critical time points were analyzed: initiation of gun movement (T1), gun stock contact with the cheek (T2), first shot (T3), and second shot (T4). Variables included gun muzzle displacement and velocity, center of mass (COM) velocity, joint angles (shoulder, elbow, hip, knee), and stability/balance angles. Results: At T2, hit shots exhibited significantly smaller gun displacement compared with missed shots (19.555 +/- 1.526cm vs. 22.496 +/- 2.375cm, P<.001, Cohen's d=-1.474), including both horizontal (17.279 +/- 1.266cm vs. 19.400 +/- 2.388cm, P=.004, Cohen's d=-1.110) and vertical components (9.081 +/- 1.480cm vs. 11.292 +/- 1.524cm, P<.001, Cohen's d=-1.427). Vertical velocity was also reduced (.247 +/-.104m/s vs..284 +/-.099m/s, P=.033, Cohen's d=-.355). In addition, hit shots demonstrated a greater rear stability angle (13.580 +/- 1.841 degrees vs. 13.100 +/- 1.750 degrees, P=.009, Cohen's d=.267) and a smaller right elbow angle (70.840 +/- 3.363 degrees vs. 72.937 +/- 2.710 degrees, P=.026, Cohen's d=-.686). At T4, hit shots were characterized by a larger right knee angle (165.319 +/- 6.516 degrees vs. 162.019 +/- 4.446 degrees, P=.032, Cohen's d=.592) and a smaller right elbow angle (62.552 +/- 6.025 degrees vs. 66.878 +/- 3.609 degrees, P=.013, Cohen's d=-.871). Other joint angles and COM velocity showed no significant differences, though some variables indicated small to moderate effect sizes. Conclusions: Effective skeet shooting is closely associated with reduced gun displacement and vertical velocity at T2, accompanied by a greater rear stability angle and a smaller right elbow angle. At T4, a larger right knee angle and a smaller right elbow angle further distinguished hit shots from misses. These findings highlight the importance of muzzle control, trunk posture, and upper limb configuration in enhancing shooting stability and mitigating recoil effects.
Purpose: Social support is a key factor in the quality of life for individuals over 60, impacting their social functioning andsuccessful aging. Family support, in particular, strengthens intergenerational ties and fosters a sense of belonging. This studyaimed to explore the social support network of people over 60 and assess their self-rated quality of life.Methods The survey involved 322 participants, with 300 completing the survey (271 women, 29 men). Two tools were used:the Polish adaptation of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) and the Short Form-36v2 Health Survey for selfassessmentof quality of life (QualityMetric's PRO CoRE License Agreement. License Agreement: QUO-04385-V4P6T6)Results: The results revealed no significant correlation between the participants' age and their NSSQ or SF-36 scores.However, better self-assessment of material situation and health was linked to more indications of individuals providingsupport (P=.0016). Additionally, as health self-assessment improved, limitations due to physical health problems decreased(P=.04). A positive correlation was found between physical fitness self-assessment and the NSSQ subscales, including supportreceived and provided (P<.05).Conclusions: The quality of life for older adults remains closely tied to family, with the extent of these relationships influencedby various individual mechanisms and preferences.
Purpose: Laboratory tests are fundamental for assessing handball performance, but their ecological validity for amateurfemale players is unclear. This exploratory study compared physiological and perceptual responses between commonmaximal exercise tests and official match play to determine if they replicate competitive demands.Methods: Sixteen amateur female handball players completed three laboratory tests (Wingate, cycle ergometer, treadmill)and were monitored during ten official matches. The data collection included both physiological and psychological indicators:heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived stress, and mood states.Results: Peak HR values recorded in the Wingate and Cycle ergometer were lower than those reached during actualcompetition (d = -.77 to -.75, P< .05). In addition, compared with the Wingate and cycle ergometer tests, competitive matchesrequired players to spend a significantly larger proportion of time with their HR exceeding 90% of its maximum. Thiscontrast was less evident when compared with the treadmill test. A clear mismatch was observed between physiological andperceptual measures. Despite showing stronger physiological strain during matches -such as greater weight loss and higherpre-exercise lactate levels- players reported significantly lower RPE values than in the laboratory conditions (d = .27 to .36,P< .05).Conclusions: None of the laboratory-based tests accurately reproduced the full demands of a handball match. Althoughthe treadmill test elicited similar peak HR values, it failed to reflect the sport’s intermittent nature. The Wingate and cycletests showed even greater discrepancies in cardiovascular intensity. These findings underline the importance of developingsport-specific or hybrid assessment protocols that integrate intermittent workloads and cognitive demands for a more validevaluation of performance.
