Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain syndrome of high prevalence that primarily affects women of working age. Eccentric exercise and turmeric have each demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential; however, no prior evidence exists regarding their combined use in this population. Objective: To determine the effects of an eccentric strength preconditioning program, with and without turmeric supplementation, on muscle strength, pain, and associated symptoms in women aged 30 to 65 years diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Methodology: Quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest study with two groups (n=30; 16% dropout adjustment): Strength Group (n=15) and Strength + Turmeric Group (n=15). Five dropouts were recorded; analyzed sample: 25 participants. Intervention duration: eight weeks, two sessions per week, Slow/Superslow eccentric technique, 40–60% of maximum repetition. The Strength + Turmeric Group additionally received 1,500 mg/day of turmeric supplementation. Results: Significant reductions were observed in the Widespread Pain Index (Strength Group: 11.8 to 5.1; Strength + Turmeric Group: 12.5 to 5.8; p=0.001) and the Symptom Severity Scale (p≤0.002 in both groups). Muscle strength increased significantly in upper (+45.4 N) and lower limbs (+22.4 N) in both groups. Discussion: Covariance analysis revealed no significant between-group differences, confirming eccentric exercise as the primary active component of the intervention. Conclusions: The eccentric strength program effectively reduces pain and improves functional capacity in women with fibromyalgia; turmeric supplementation did not add a statistically significant differential benefit under the evaluated protocol.
Introduction: School-based play is a fundamental learning tool during childhood. Through play, children explore their environment, develop their identity, and naturally acquire essential life skills while simultaneously integrating physical, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. Objective: To evaluate how the development of fundamental motor skills (FMS) during early childhood provides a foundation for sports initiation. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were performed in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, and SciELO), supplemented by an updated search. Eleven studies were ultimately included in the qualitative synthesis. Results: The reviewed studies demonstrated positive associations between play-based experiences and the development of coordination, balance, motor competence, and social interaction. Appropriate stimulation through play significantly contributes to improvements in four fundamental areas of development: coordination, balance, motor competence, and social interaction. Discussion: These findings are consistent with the existing literature on motor development across the lifespan and highlight the role of FMS as a key mediating variable linking school-based play with participation in sports. Conclusions: School-based physical education represents a relevant context for promoting motor development and creating opportunities for continued engagement in introductory sports experiences. However, the heterogeneity of the studies limits the ability to establish definitive causal relationships.
Introduction: Physical Education requires didactic approaches that integrate motor action with contextualized and meaningful learning processes. The Motor Challenge was proposed as a didactic-praxeological approach aimed at designing motor situations that promote active participation and the development of motor behavior. Objective: To provide evidence of the content validity of the Motor Challenge construct through expert judgment in Physical Education. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted through expert judgment, complemented by qualitative analysis. The overall study involved a multidisciplinary panel of six experts. The subpanel, comprising three Physical Education specialists, evaluated 17 items using a Likert-type scale. Quantitative evidence was obtained using Aiken’s V coefficient and Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio. Results: Satisfactory content validity values were obtained. The items achieved values ≥ 0.83 for clarity and practical relevance; didactic usefulness ranged from 0.75 to 1.00, while one item obtained a value of 0.67 for feasibility, resulting in its reformulation. Thirteen items were considered essential. The qualitative observations supported the didactic coherence of the construct. Discussion: The evidence obtained is consistent with recent research highlighting the usefulness of expert judgment in strengthening the content validity of educational proposals and the importance of integrating qualitative indicators into the validation process. Conclusions: The didactic-praxeological Motor Challenge construct presents favorable evidence of content validity from the perspective of Physical Education specialists, allowing further evaluation through its application in school contexts.
Introduction: Functional physical performance is one of the main indicators of health and survival in the elderly. Objective: To examine the metric properties of the Alusti Test in a Peruvian geriatric hospital population Methodology: Cross-sectional methodological study in a sample of 110 older adults hospitalized in a Peruvian clinic. Together with the Alusti Test, a battery of tests was administered (Barthel Index, Gait Speed Test, Timed Up and Go Test, Short Physical Performance Battery, Mini-Mental State Examination). Statistical programs such as SPSS v. 25 for Windows, JAMOVI version 2.2.2, R, and RStudio version 4.3.1 Results: The results showed that the Alusti Test, complete and abbreviated versions, correlate with other physical performance scales, evidencing concurrent validity. Also, concurrent validity is evidenced because there is very good concordance with the Barthel index. The evidence of validity based on the internal structure of the construct corroborates the unidimensionality of the Alusti Test. Likewise, inter-observer reliability and internal consistency show high precision in the two versions of the test. Conclusions: the versions of the Alusti Test show validity and reliability to measure functional physical performance in the hospitalized geriatric population.
Introduction: Sports participation is generally associated with higher academic performance. However, excessive levels may prove counterproductive. Objective: This study examines the association between the self-reported weekly frequency of extracurricular sports participation, academic performance, and sense of belonging at school among 15-year-old students. Methodology: We used a representative sample of 30,800 students in Spain, with data drawn from the PISA 2022 international assessment. Linear regression models with school fixed effects were estimated, controlling for socioeconomic status, grade repetition, age, gender, and body mass index. Results: The relationship between sports participation and academic performance is not linear but follows an inverted U-shaped curve. Moderate sports participation, one to three times per week, is associated with higher average academic performance than that of students who spend no time on sport in a typical week. Sense of belonging maintains a positive association with sports participation at every level. Boys and girls differ markedly in how much they participate, with boys reporting a higher frequency of sports participation. However, no gender differences are detected in the direction or magnitude of the effects of sports participation on either outcome. Conclusions: These findings support the promotion of moderate, regular, and inclusive sports participation. Opening schools in the afternoon as a space for sport is proposed, beyond its health value, as an instrument of educational equity.
