Background and Study Aim: In particular, taekwondo as practiced in the Olympics has long been established as a professional sport. In South Korea, the 'school sports team' system is utilized to foster taekwondo athletes as professionals starting from childhood. As student-athletes, they invest significantly more time and effort into training than academics and must overcome extreme competition to become national representatives. In this process, they are required to fulfill a dual-career role, balancing academics and sports; this duality acts as a factor that increases physical and psychological stress along with the possibility of burnout or dropout. The purpose of this study was knowledge about the psychological pathways through which perceived parental autonomy support affects dropout intention among Korean high school taekwondo student-athletes. Material and Methods: A survey was conducted with 366 high school taekwondo athletes (226 males, 140 females) registered with the Korea Taekwondo Association. Measured the parental autonomy support, self-regulation motivation, based on variables of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), and dropout intention. The collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: The results indicated that parental autonomy support in the home context significantly promoted athletes' autonomous motivation while weakening their controlled motivation. In the transfer context, autonomous motivation significantly predicted all three TPB variables-attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control-within the sports setting, whereas controlled motivation showed a limited negative impact only on attitude. Ultimately, attitude and subjective norms acted as protective factors that significantly reduced dropout intention, but perceived behavioural control did not have a statistically significant effect. Conclusions: These findings suggest that parenting styles shape athletes' motivational resources, which then transfer to cognitive belief systems in the sports context and influence dropout decisions. In particular, this study demonstrates that in the Korean elite sports environment, value judgments and social expectations play a more pivotal role in the decision-making process for withdrawal than individual controllability.
Background and Study Aim: Boxing is a combat sport where repeated brain trauma can increase the risk of escalating neurological and mental disorders. High scores on certain negative personality traits in young, healthy individuals are associated with health problems in adulthood. The aim of the study was knowledge regarding the mental health of amateur boxers. Material and Methods: Seventy-eight boxing male athletes and seventy-eight boxing female athletes were examined by psychological test. The ages of the athletes in both groups ranged from 19 to 23 years. A personality profile was determined using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), also known as the BIG FIVE, which includes scores on five personality traits: Neuroticism (Nu), Extraversion (Ex), Openness to Experience (Op), Agreeableness (Ag), and Conscientiousness (Co). Furthermore, the level of Trait Anxiety (TA) was assessed. The level of mental health expressed by the MHI was calculated using the formula: MHI = Ex/48 + Op/48 + Ag/48 + Co/48 + Nu/48-Ta/80. Intergroup comparisons for each psychometric variable were performed using the Mann-Whitney test. Within each group, the relationships between variables were expressed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATISTICA software package vs. 13.3. Results: Statistically higher scores for Ex, Ag, and Co were observed in women. The level of mental health expressed by MHI was also significantly higher in female boxers, while TA and Nu levels were similar between genders. Different correlation coefficients were observed between the variables for both groups. Significantly fewer than one in three male participants (27%) reported a knockdown in the two years preceding the study, while none of the women reported such an incident. Based on sporting achievement, female boxers were somewhat more successful athletes than the male ones. Conclusions: It has been observed that the gender differences in personality traits found in our study contradict the findings of other researchers, who have reported higher levels of negative traits such as TA and Nu in women. It was found that when interpreting the differences between personality traits and mental health levels in the groups we monitoring, one must take into account different sporting achievements in tournaments against foreign opponents, and also the fact that women's punches are weaker, and therefore their exposure to punches directed at the head is lower than that of men It seems that another possible factor differentiating the personality profiles of both sexes is the significantly smaller population of women practicing boxing, and consequently, it is easier for those with talent to achieve success without the risk of compensating for multiple blows to the head from their opponents. Further research into the health effects of boxing for women is warranted.
Background and Study Aim: The concept of `personal safety' encompasses concern for health without assigning hierarchical weight to its key components: physical, mental and social. However, this perspective separates individual responsibility for the various components of health. The primary responsibility for the physical and mental health of an adult lies with the individual themselves. Parents or other legal guardians are directly responsible for the personal safety of minors. Responsibility for social health lies with the governments of individual states. Whilst governments have the tools to control and impose restrictions on individuals who harm physical or mental health (or both dimensions of health simultaneously), societies are no longer in such a comfortable position. On the contrary, due to the passivity of governments, and even more so as a result of the creation of counterproductive laws, the spread of numerous pathologies is becoming a common occurrence. Sanctions against the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes are often mitigated, yet governments do not face the courts of justice. A key factor in the deepening crisis of personal security within the global society of the Internet and AI is the lack of coherent recommendations from the scientific community, including those of a complementary nature. The aim of this work is to propose an original scale of weekly psychomotor activity, with the potential for its application beyond scientific research. Material and Methods: : The Weekly Psychomotor Activity Scale (WPAS) is somewhat opposed to the 'physical activity' paradigm. WPAS Index '0' indicates the 'counterproductive' category of stimuli (sedentary lifestyle, particularly work at a computer); '1 to 7' indicate stimuli that are 'increased impulse force without guaranteeing an optimal level of personal safety'; '8 to 10' indicate stimuli that have a 'positive impact on personal safety. Results: Effective use of the WPAS also requires, particularly in published academic works, a clear distinction between activities which, in the propaganda surrounding these sports, are disguised under the appealing name of `mixed martial arts', and those that are genuinely extreme (without people maiming one another), which carry a high risk of loss of life or health. Although some of these activities qualify as extreme sports, even with Olympic status, the majority do not meet the criteria for inclusion in WPAS. The most striking example is mountaineering, apart from isolated, unique feats involving a high risk of loss of life or health. Conclusions: The inclusion of WPAS in scientific analyses of indicators recorded particularly during interdisciplinary research opens up new avenues for cognitive and practical applications. Even if, in the initial conceptualisation of research projects involving human subjects, the factor of weekly psychomotor activity appears to be of little significance, new scientific discoveries, even after many years, present an opportunity to apply the innovative method of reviewing omitted implication. This recommendation refers to the not always recognised dimension of scientific solidarity and responsibility for the collective fulfilment of science's social mission (not to discard raw research data and to be open to sharing it with other researchers whilst respecting the principles of priority and reciprocity).
Background and Study Aim: The unified K44 classification and the revised five-minute single-round format have reshaped tactical demands in para taekwondo. The purpose of research is empirical evidence that can significantly influence training practices and competition strategies in the evolving landscape of para taekwondo. Material and Methods: A total of 173 athletes from the 2023 World Para Taekwondo Championships and the 2024 Paris Paralympics were analysed using notational analysis. Offensive frequency, kick-to-score ratio, defensive success rate, and technical diversity were examined to compare winners and non-winners and to identify predictors of victory. Results: Cross-tabulation analysis showed that non-winners exhibited a higher overall offensive frequency than winners (69.5% vs. 61.3%, p<0.001, V = 0.087) and also demonstrated a higher frequency of technical actions during the final 4-5 min phase of the match (23.7% vs. 20.6%, p<0.001, V = 0.042). In contrast, independent-samples t-tests showed that winners had significantly higher kick-to-score ratios (40.17% vs. 16.09%, p<0.001) and defensive success rates (83.91% vs. 59.83%, p<0.001) than non-winners. Logistic regression analysis further identified defensive success rate (OR = 1.135, 95% CI = 1.102 to 1.169, p<0.001) and kick-to-score ratio (OR = 1.051, 95% CI = 1.029 to 1.074, p<0.001) as significant predictors of match outcomes. Conclusions: Under the revised para taekwondo rules prioritizing technical efficiency (kick-to-score ratio) and defensive stability (defensive success rate) is significantly more critical for winning than merely increasing offensive volume. In male K44 competition strategic pacing and robust defence emerge as the central performance determinants.
Background and study Aim: Wrestling is a strength and endurance sport. Understanding the methods and means that support the development and enhancement of muscle strength and anaerobic capacity can provide valuable insights and facilitate the design of appropriate training programs in competitive wrestling. The aim of this study was the effect of supplementation with ashwagandha on changes in muscle strength and endurance of the upper and lower limbs in highly skilled wrestlers during an 8-week training program. Material and Methods: The study included 26 elite wrestlers. All participants were enrolled in a structured sports training program. During the 8-week training period, the athletes received either a placebo or an ashwagandha supplement (2 x 300 mg/day). Before and after the 8-week supplementation period, selected indicators of muscle strength and anaerobic capacity of the upper and lower limb muscles were assessed. Results: No differences in muscle strength were observed in wrestlers after the placebo and ashwagandha supplementation periods. The rate of decline in maximum upper and lower limb muscle power and the time to maintain maximum lower limb muscle power worsened in the placebo group, which may be a result of the intensive 8-week preparation period. This effect was not observed in the ashwagandha group. Conclusions: Ashwagandha does not improve muscle strength in elite wrestlers; however, it may enhance athletes tolerance to fatigue resulting from an intensive training period, as evidenced by measures of anaerobic capacity in the upper and lower limbs. To identify measures and methods for optimizing the training process, further research should be conducted by extending the duration of supplementation or increasing the dose of ashwagandha or other supplements while developing various motor skills in wrestlers, taking into account their athletic level, gender, and fighting style.
