Search results

Atualmente, tem-se verificado uma grande preocupação por parte dos profissionais do desporto em desenvolver e implementar estratégias e técnicas de aperfeiçoamento motor, com o objetivo de otimizar os gestos técnicos desportivos e consequentemente a performance do atleta. Desta forma, o Imagery pode servir como uma metodologia complementar para a melhoria do processo ensino-aprendizagem de habilidades e destrezas motoras, assim como o seu nível de performance. Apesar de se registarem vários estudos sobre o Imagery, poucos são os que abordam a temática que pretendemos investigar relativamente à comparação de géneros e dentro da modalidade proposta.

O propósito deste estudo foi identificar as recomendações gerais para o treino de força na população idosa. A presente revisão de literatura foi efetuada a partir das bases de dados PubMed, Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal, assim como em livros e artigos científicos que indicassem as recomendações do treino de força em idosos quanto à sua frequência, intensidade e volume. Quanto às recomendações do treino de força, as organizações internacionais de saúde e a literatura científica são unânimes ao recomendarem a sua incorporação nos programas de exercício físico. Desta forma, o treino de força deverá ser realizado no mínimo 2 vezes por semana, a uma intensidade superior a 60% de 1RM, entre 1 a 4 séries de 8 a 15 repetições de 8 a 10 exercícios, durante 20 a 30 minutos, devendo ser solicitado os principais grupos musculares.

Imagery é um processo cognitivo que pode desempenhar um papel importante no planeamento e execução de movimentos ou ações. Vários instrumentos têm sido desenvolvidos com o intuito de avaliar a habilidade de Imagery no desporto. No entanto, nenhum se focou na modalidade cinestésica, visual interna e visual externa. O objetivo deste estudo foi traduzir e validar preliminarmente para a população desportiva portuguesa o Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3, determinando as suas qualidades psicométricas iniciais através de uma análise fatorial exploratória do modelo que a suporta. A amostra foi constituída por 176 sujeitos (N = 176) (sexo masculino N = 134; sexo feminino N = 42) com uma média de idades de 20.08 anos (SD = 5.94), composta por atletas de futebol (N = 113), basquetebol (N = 43) e ténis (N = 20). Numa primeira fase verificou-se que os procedimentos de tradução e adaptação originaram uma versão Portuguesa do MIQ - 3 semelhante à versão original. Numa segunda fase verificamos que as qualidades psicométricas comprovam a adequação da adaptação efetuada, demonstrando que a sua estrutura fatorial é igual à versão original (12 itens agrupados em 3 fatores, com 4 itens cada fator), apresentando índices bastante aceitáveis de validade e fiabilidade (alfa de Cronbach: 0.88 para MIQ - 3, 0.79 para as três modalidades), concluindo que este questionário poderá ser utilizado para avaliar a capacidade de Imagery em atletas Portugueses.

The ability to generate and control mental images is present in all of us, but it differs from person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand that imagery ability can be changed through training and experimentation, it is not a fixed ability. The aim of this study is to compare imagery ability in elite, sub-elite and non-elite athletes in a sport which involves closed and continuous motor skills, such as swimming. 79 swimmers (male N = 37; female N = 42) at an average age of 17 took part in this study. In order to assess imagery ability, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire 3 was used, Portuguese version (Mendes et al., 2016). After analysis of the results, these show that in each and every imagery modality, the scores in the three groups differ significantly. In kinesthetic and external visual imagery the elite and sub-elite groups’ scores, although not statistically different from each other, are significantly higher than those of the non-elite group. In internal visual imagery, the differences between all the compared pairs of groups are statistically significant. The elite group got the highest scores, followed by the sub-elite group average scores and finally the non-elite group average scores. According to these results, the conclusion is that athletes with better performance show greater imagery ability and that apparently the external visual imagery proved to be the best intervention method among swimming athletes.

BACKGROUND: Warm-up is considered essential to optimize running performance, but little is known about the effect of specific warm-up tasks, specifically in the real competitive context. The current study aimed to verify the acute effects of a warm-up including ballistic exercises in 30m running performance. In addition, a second 30m trial was assessed to better understand the warm-up effects in training/competition. METHODS: Twenty-two men (19.32±1.43 years-old) randomly completed the time- trials on separate days and after a typical warm-up (WU), a WU complemented with ballistic exercises (post-activation potentiation - PAP) or no warm-up (NWU). Biomechanical, physiological and psychophysiological variables were assessed. RESULTS: The participants were 1.9% faster in the first 30m sprint after WU compared with NWU, mainly increased performance in the first 15m (p=0.03, ES=0.48). WU resulted in greater stride length in the last 15m of the first sprint. PAP did not differ from NWU and WU, despite eight participants performed better after this warm-up. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the positive effects of warm- up for sprinting, despite failed to evidence positive effects when ballistic exercises are included. In addition, the influence of warm-up in the running technique was highlighted by the changes in the running kinematics and a need for individualization of warm-up procedures.

This study aimed to verify whether the presence of siblings and the type of delivery had an influence on the motor skills development of children in the first 48 months of life. We developed a quantitative study with a sample of 405 children of both genders, divided according to the studied variables: children with siblings, children without siblings, children born via eutocic delivery, and children born via dystocic delivery. The instrument used in the study was the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2. Overall, the results indicated that children who had siblings had, on average, better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine). Furthermore, those born via eutocic delivery, on average, had better outcomes regarding all motor skills (global and fine) when compared to children born via dystocic delivery. Thus, the presence of siblings in the family context and the type of delivery positively influenced motor development, especially after 24 months of age, showing that the presence of siblings providing cooperative activities through play and challenges improved cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Furthermore, a eutocic delivery, in addition to providing a better recovery from labor and the immediate a ective bond between mother and child, also led to better results in terms of global and fine motor skills.

Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze the acute responses of oxygen uptake and its kinetics, blood lactate concentration, total metabolic energy and energetic contributions to swimming tests performed at 90%, 92.5% and 95% of the 400 m front crawl test mean speed. Methods Fourteen male swimmers (26.7 ± 5.4 years) performed a 400 m front crawl test and three swimming sets at 90%, 90.5%, and 95% of the mean 400 m test swimming speed. Oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentration, oxygen uptake kinetics (amplitude, time in seconds of the fast phase, time delay and constant time adjustment in the fast phase), total metabolic energy and energetic contributions were obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results Among the results, the oxygen uptake and time in the 400 m test were: 55.0 ± 5.8 ml.kg−1.min−1 and 324.2 ± 20.0 s. At 90, 92.5 and 95% sets, the oxygen uptake was, respectively, 45.6 ± 4.4, 49.0 ± 6.0, and 52.4 ± 5.8 ml.kg−1.min−1. For 90%, 90.5%, and 95%, total time to exhaustion was, respectively: 1466.1 ± 730.9; 888.71 ± 324.0 and 562.7 ± 166.6 s. The amplitude of the kinetics was higher at 95% set. The slow component of the VO2 kinetics on the 90%, 92.5% and 95% sets were, respectively: 120.7 ± 82.9 ml.min−1, 171.8 ± 140.6 ml.min−1, and 182.6 ± 120.2 ml.min−1. No differences were identified among the slow component’s values. Aerobic contribution was predominant and has decreased as the intensity increased. Conclusion The results suggest that, as there was an increase in intensity (90%, 92.5%, and 95%): (i) increase in oxygen uptake, in blood lactate concentration, in the amplitude of oxygen uptake kinetic; and (ii) decrease in total metabolic energy. Regarding the aerobic and anaerobic percentage contribution, as expected, as the intensity of the exercise increased, the aerobic percentage decreased, in turn, the anaerobic component increased.

Sports performance is influenced by the interaction of several physical variables. For this reason, most sports need both strength and endurance capacities to maximize overall performance. Therefore, a combination of resistance and aerobic training, usually called concurrent training (CT), has been used recently as a way of simultaneously improving strength and aerobic performances according to the needs of a specific sport. This combination can be challenging and can influence training adaptations, being a problematic issue for coaches. The main objective is to provide coaches with a practical proposal for CT to improve athletes' performance in different sports.