OLYVIA DONTI | National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (original) (raw)
Papers by OLYVIA DONTI
Proceedings
Aim: It is well documented that static stretching acutely increases range of motion (ROM) in a do... more Aim: It is well documented that static stretching acutely increases range of motion (ROM) in a dose-dependent manner. However, most previous studies have utilized intermittent stretching protocols, and it is not known if intermittent and continuous stretches elicit different changes in joint ROM and, in particular, in flexibility-trained subjects. The aim of this study was to examine changes in hip joint ROM after an intermittent or a continuous static stretching protocol of equal total duration. Material & Method: Twenty-seven female subjects (age, 19.9 ± 3.0 years; height, 167.3 ± 6.1 cm; body mass, 58.2 ± 5.2 kg), 14 artistic and rhythmic gymnasts, and 13 recreationally active participants performed 3 min of intermittent (6 × 30 s with 30 s rest) or continuous stretching (3 min) of the hamstring muscles, with an intensity of 8–9 on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Hip joint ROM was measured for both legs after warm-up and immediately after stretching. The same individuals perfor...
ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or... more ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or ritual can make the difference between winning and losing. Research has shown that the adoption of superstitious behavior is a mode that athletes use to cope with the sport competition uncertainty. The aim of this study was to examine the adoption of superstitious beliefs, behaviors and rituals in sport using Greek athletes. For the purpose of this study, a new instrument was developed based on the items of Bleak and Frederick’s (1998) questionnaire, as well as, some additional items suitable for the Greek culture. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 290 athletes. Based on the criteria of items loadings and content validity, 10 items were kept for further analysis. Validity and reliability of the 10 items inventory were examined using a new sample of 176 athletes (M=20.28 years, SD=3.05), participating in 18 sports and a variety of competing experience. All athletes had at least two years of competitive experience, as a criterion for participating in the study. Principal component analysis results indicated the existence of two factors (eigenvalues over 1) explaining 50% of the total variance. Items loadings ranged from .43 to .88. The first factor included 6 items concerning superstitious rituals and the second factor comprised of 4 items concerning superstitious objects. The Cronbach’s α values were .71 and .77, respectively. Future research should examine the construct validity of the instrument through confirmatory factor analysis, as well as, concurrent and discriminant validity.
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” fac... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” factorial design, using as items the TOPS’ subscales generated by the “first order” factor analysis, might reveal valuable generalized information on the nature of the factors. The sample comprised 364 track and field athletes, aged 18.9±3.7 years (249 males and 115 females). The first order factorial analysis divided the 32 items of the competition scale into 8 competition factors. All factors had an eigenvalue more than 1 and each consisted of four items. The total variance explained was 62.5%. Applying de novo a factorial design on the eight competition factors, two new conceptual categories emerged. The first category encompasses the strategies of imagery, goal setting, self talk and activation, while the second category includes emotional control, negative thinking and relaxation. Automaticity does not correlate with either factor. The eigenvalue of the first conceptual category (mental attitudes) was 2.09 explaining 26.1% of the total variance, while the eigenvalue of the second conceptual category (emotional processes) was 2.02 explaining 25.2% of the total variance. The application of the “second order” factorial design has served a twofold purpose. First it managed to classify the competition strategies into two broader constructs that explain the logical foundation of their constituent strategies. Second the success of the “second order” factorial analysis serves as a further confirmation of the validity of the original contracts. The obtained generalized conceptual categories could be utilized in comparisons between athletes from different levels and sports and in correlations with actual and expected competition results, thus yielding valuable information on the effect of more general constructs on athletic performance.
www.mdpi.com/journal/sports, 2019
Background: Thisstudyexaminedtheeffectsof8weeksofplyometrictrainingonjumping, sprinting, andchang... more Background: Thisstudyexaminedtheeffectsof8weeksofplyometrictrainingonjumping, sprinting, andchangeof direction(COD)performance. Methods: Fiftyfemale7–9-year-old gymnasts were randomly assigned to a plyometric training group (PG; n = 33), that performed supplementary plyometric training twice per week, and a control group (CG; n = 17) that continued regular training. The following tests were performed before and after the intervention: 10 and 20 m sprints, 5 + 5 m and 10 + 10 m COD tests, one-leg and two-leg countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), squat jump(SJ),andstandinglongjump(SLJ).Results: Onlyamaineffectfortimewasfoundforalljumping performance parameters (p = 0.001). However, the improvement of one- and two-leg CMJ in PG had a greater effect size than CG (0.72 and 0.67 vs. 0.34 and 0.18, respectively). Group×time interactions were found for 10 and 20 m sprint tests (p = 0.018 and p = 0.011, respectively) and for 10 + 10 m COD (p = 0.008) with the post hoc test showing improvement only for the PG (p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.003 and d = 1.1, 1.14, and 0.6, respectively). Conclusions: Supplementary plyometric training increased sprint and COD performance more than regular gymnastics training, while jumping performance was equally improved in both groups.
Code of Points, the International Gymnastics Federation document directing gymnasts’ training pro... more Code of Points, the International Gymnastics Federation document directing gymnasts’ training process in every Olympic Cycle, evaluates artistic gymnastics performances. The aim of this study was twofold: first to examine the most important changes of the Code of Points since 1996, affecting gymnasts’ basic preparation and in particular the changes concerning choreography. Second, this paper aimed to review the relevant literature on the topic of choreography preparation in artistic gymnastics and to analyze finalists’ performances in official competitions, thus exploring the contribution of choreography preparation in gymnasts’difficulty score. For the purpose of the present study Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Codes of Points since 1996 were analyzed. In addition, the content of the finalists performances on floor exercises and balance beam in the Olympic Games of London 2012, World Championship inAntwerp, 2013 and European Championship in Moscow 2013 were also analyzed. The results ...
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2007
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” fac... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” factorial design, using as items the TOPS’ subscales generated by the “first order” factor analysis, might reveal valuable generalized information on the nature of the factors. The sample comprised 364 track and field athletes, aged 18.9±3.7 years (249 males and 115 females). The first order factorial analysis divided the 32 items of the competition scale into 8 competition factors. All factors had an eigenvalue more than 1 and each consisted of four items. The total variance explained was 62.5%. Applying de novo a factorial design on the eight competition factors, two new conceptual categories emerged. The first category encompasses the strategies of imagery, goal setting, self talk and activation, while the second category includes emotional control, negative thinking and relaxation. Automaticity does not correlate with either factor. The eigenvalue of the first conceptual category (mental attitudes) was 2.09 explaining 26.1% of the total variance, while the eigenvalue of the second conceptual category (emotional processes) was 2.02 explaining 25.2% of the total variance. The application of the “second order” factorial design has served a twofold purpose. First it managed to classify the competition strategies into two broader constructs that explain the logical foundation of their constituent strategies. Second the success of the “second order” factorial analysis serves as a further confirmation of the validity of the original contracts. The obtained generalized conceptual categories could be utilized in comparisons between athletes from different levels and sports and in correlations with actual and expected competition results, thus yielding valuable information on the effect of more general constructs on athletic performance.
Σκοπός της εργασίας ήταν η ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που αφορά τη φυσιολογική βάση της οξείας ... more Σκοπός της εργασίας ήταν η ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που αφορά τη φυσιολογική βάση της οξείας και χρόνιας επίδρασης των στατικών διατάσεων στην αθλητική απόδοση, με αναφορά σε πρακτικές εφαρμογές στον αθλητισμό. Κύριοι μηχανισμοί αύξησης του εύρους κίνησης μιας άρθρωσης είναι οι αλλαγές στο μήκος και στη σκληρότητα των μυοτενόντιων μονάδων, οι νευρομυϊκές προσαρμογές και η αυξημένη ανοχή στη διάταση, μηχανισμοί οι οποίοι είναι υπεύθυνοι και για τη μείωση της μυϊκής απόδοσης σε δραστηριότητες με υψηλές απαιτήσεις ισχύος και δύναμης. Η οξεία αρνητική επίδραση των στατικών διατάσεων εξαρτάται από την ένταση και τη διάρκεια της διάτασης, το προπονητικό υπόβαθρο των ασκουμένων και την υπό εξέταση παράμετρο απόδοσης. Σε διατάσεις διάρκειας μεγαλύτερης από 90 s και έντασης ως το όριο έντονης ενόχλησης, υπάρχει ισχυρή ένδειξη για μείωση της απόδοσης, ενώ σε διατάσεις διάρκειας <30 s ή/και μικρότερης έντασης, τα αποτελέσματα είναι αντικρουόμενα. Συνεπώς οι έντονες και παρατεταμένες στα...
Journal of sports science & medicine, 2014
This study examined the effects of baseline flexibility and vertical jump ability on straight leg... more This study examined the effects of baseline flexibility and vertical jump ability on straight leg raise range of motion (ROM) and counter-movement jump performance (CMJ) following different volumes of stretching and potentiating exercises. ROM and CMJ were measured after two different warm-up protocols involving static stretching and potentiating exercises. Three groups of elite athletes (10 male, 14 female artistic gymnasts and 10 female rhythmic gymnasts) varying greatly in ROM and CMJ, performed two warm-up routines. One warm-up included short (15 s) static stretching followed by 5 tuck jumps, while the other included long static stretching (30 s) followed by 3x5 tuck jumps. ROM and CMJ were measured before, during and for 12 min after the two warm-up routines. Three-way ANOVA showed large differences between the three groups in baseline ROM and CMJ performance. A type of warm-up x time interaction was found for both ROM (p = 0.031) and CMJ (p = 0.016). However, all athletes, irr...
Introduction: Technical execution in rhythmic gymnastics is determined by deductions for faults i... more Introduction: Technical execution in rhythmic gymnastics is determined by deductions for faults in elements’ technique. Age-specific strength and conditioning programs found the basis of technical skill acquisition (Di Cagno, et al. 2008). This study examined the association between selected physical fitness parameters and technical execution score in young rhythmic gymnasts of two different performance levels. Methods: Forty-six rhythmic gymnasts assigned to two groups, took part in this study. Group 1 consisted of 22 gymnasts (aged 10.24±0.94 years, training experience 2.48±1.12 years), who ranked above the 24th place (qualifiers of the all-around). Group 2 consisted of 24 gymnasts (aged 9.69±1.59years, training experience 2.38±1.50 years) who ranked below the 24th place in national competitions. The gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests (body composition, active and passive flexibility, muscular power and endurance, agility and balance). Technical execution was ev...
Introduction: Rhythmic gymnastics Code of Points emphasizes on artistry, in order to reshape a co... more Introduction: Rhythmic gymnastics Code of Points emphasizes on artistry, in order to reshape a competitive routine into an artistic performance. Overall performance improves with enhanced physical capacities (Hume, et al. 1998). However, it remains to be confirmed, which physical capacities are associated with artistic performance. This study examined the association between selected physical fitness parameters and artistic performance in young rhythmic gymnasts. Methods: Forty-six rhythmic gymnasts (aged 9.92±1.33 years, training experience 2.41±1.31 years) competing at a national level took part in this study. The gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests (body composition, active and passive flexibility, muscular power and endurance, agility and balance). Artistic performance score (in deductions) was the sum of the sub-scores of unity, relation of movement with music, use of space and expression and was evaluated by two international judges according to the Internati...
ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or... more ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or ritual can make the difference between winning and losing. Research has shown that the adoption of superstitious behavior is a mode that athletes use to cope with the sport competition uncertainty. The aim of this study was to examine the adoption of superstitious beliefs, behaviors and rituals in sport using Greek athletes. For the purpose of this study, a new instrument was developed based on the items of Bleak and Frederick’s (1998) questionnaire, as well as, some additional items suitable for the Greek culture. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 290 athletes. Based on the criteria of items loadings and content validity, 10 items were kept for further analysis. Validity and reliability of the 10 items inventory were examined using a new sample of 176 athletes (M=20.28 years, SD=3.05), participating in 18 sports and a variety of competing experience. All athletes had at least two years of competitive experience, as a criterion for participating in the study. Principal component analysis results indicated the existence of two factors (eigenvalues over 1) explaining 50% of the total variance. Items loadings ranged from .43 to .88. The first factor included 6 items concerning superstitious rituals and the second factor comprised of 4 items concerning superstitious objects. The Cronbach’s α values were .71 and .77, respectively. Future research should examine the construct validity of the instrument through confirmatory factor analysis, as well as, concurrent and discriminant validity.
ABSTRACT Introduction Previous studies suggested that the total stretch time in a day is more imp... more ABSTRACT Introduction Previous studies suggested that the total stretch time in a day is more important than single stretch duration for flexibility enhancement (Cipriani et al., 2003). However, little evidence exists on the acute effect of different stretch durations on the ability of the stretched muscles to generate power output. The aim of this study was to examine changes in leg muscle power after two static stretching protocols with the same total stretch time, but different duration of single stretches. Methods Nine elite male gymnasts members of the Greek national team (age: 21±2 y, training experience: 15.8 ±2 y, height: 168±5 cm, body mass: 66.3±4.1 kg) participated in this study. A repeated measures, within subject randomized design was used to compare the effects of the two different stretching protocols on single-leg counter-movement jump (CMJ) height and power. The stretching movement of the modified Thomas test with force applied by an investigator, was used to stretch the quadriceps muscle of one leg. On one occasion, the static stretching protocol included 3 stretches of 30 sec (intermittent or INT protocol) with a 30 s rest interval in between. On the other occasion one stretch of 90 s (continuous or CON protocol) was applied on the other leg. One leg CMJ was measured after warm-up, immediately (15 s) after stretching and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min after stretching. Data were analyzed using a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA (protocol x time) and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p<0.05). Results The two stretching protocols had different effects on CMJ and leg power (main effect “protocol”, p=0.045, and “protocol x time” interaction, p=0.01). The INT protocol resulted in an increase in CMJ that peaked on the 4th min after stretching (from 18.6±1.9 to 23.5±2.7 cm, p<0.001). In contrast, the CON protocol resulted in a decrease in CMJ performance that peaked 1 min after stretching (from 19.5±1.5 to 15.9±1.2 cm, p<0.001). CMJ performance returned to baseline levels after the 6th and the 2nd min after stretching in the INT and CON conditions, respectively. Discussion The results of this study showed that INT and CON stretching protocols have opposite effects on CMJ performance in elite athletes. The decrease of CMJ performance after the CON protocol may be due to impaired muscle activation due to the prolonged stretch (Behm et al., 2001), while the increase of CMJ performance after INT may be due to the force applied on the stretched quadriceps muscle during the stretching movements in an intermittent, short-term manner that prevented muscle inactivation. References Behm DG, Button DC, Butt JC (2001). Can J Appl Physiol, 26(3):261-72. Cipriani, D., Abel B., RirritzD. (2003). J Strength Cond Res, 17(2), 274-278.
Proceedings
Aim: It is well documented that static stretching acutely increases range of motion (ROM) in a do... more Aim: It is well documented that static stretching acutely increases range of motion (ROM) in a dose-dependent manner. However, most previous studies have utilized intermittent stretching protocols, and it is not known if intermittent and continuous stretches elicit different changes in joint ROM and, in particular, in flexibility-trained subjects. The aim of this study was to examine changes in hip joint ROM after an intermittent or a continuous static stretching protocol of equal total duration. Material & Method: Twenty-seven female subjects (age, 19.9 ± 3.0 years; height, 167.3 ± 6.1 cm; body mass, 58.2 ± 5.2 kg), 14 artistic and rhythmic gymnasts, and 13 recreationally active participants performed 3 min of intermittent (6 × 30 s with 30 s rest) or continuous stretching (3 min) of the hamstring muscles, with an intensity of 8–9 on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Hip joint ROM was measured for both legs after warm-up and immediately after stretching. The same individuals perfor...
ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or... more ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or ritual can make the difference between winning and losing. Research has shown that the adoption of superstitious behavior is a mode that athletes use to cope with the sport competition uncertainty. The aim of this study was to examine the adoption of superstitious beliefs, behaviors and rituals in sport using Greek athletes. For the purpose of this study, a new instrument was developed based on the items of Bleak and Frederick’s (1998) questionnaire, as well as, some additional items suitable for the Greek culture. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 290 athletes. Based on the criteria of items loadings and content validity, 10 items were kept for further analysis. Validity and reliability of the 10 items inventory were examined using a new sample of 176 athletes (M=20.28 years, SD=3.05), participating in 18 sports and a variety of competing experience. All athletes had at least two years of competitive experience, as a criterion for participating in the study. Principal component analysis results indicated the existence of two factors (eigenvalues over 1) explaining 50% of the total variance. Items loadings ranged from .43 to .88. The first factor included 6 items concerning superstitious rituals and the second factor comprised of 4 items concerning superstitious objects. The Cronbach’s α values were .71 and .77, respectively. Future research should examine the construct validity of the instrument through confirmatory factor analysis, as well as, concurrent and discriminant validity.
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” fac... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” factorial design, using as items the TOPS’ subscales generated by the “first order” factor analysis, might reveal valuable generalized information on the nature of the factors. The sample comprised 364 track and field athletes, aged 18.9±3.7 years (249 males and 115 females). The first order factorial analysis divided the 32 items of the competition scale into 8 competition factors. All factors had an eigenvalue more than 1 and each consisted of four items. The total variance explained was 62.5%. Applying de novo a factorial design on the eight competition factors, two new conceptual categories emerged. The first category encompasses the strategies of imagery, goal setting, self talk and activation, while the second category includes emotional control, negative thinking and relaxation. Automaticity does not correlate with either factor. The eigenvalue of the first conceptual category (mental attitudes) was 2.09 explaining 26.1% of the total variance, while the eigenvalue of the second conceptual category (emotional processes) was 2.02 explaining 25.2% of the total variance. The application of the “second order” factorial design has served a twofold purpose. First it managed to classify the competition strategies into two broader constructs that explain the logical foundation of their constituent strategies. Second the success of the “second order” factorial analysis serves as a further confirmation of the validity of the original contracts. The obtained generalized conceptual categories could be utilized in comparisons between athletes from different levels and sports and in correlations with actual and expected competition results, thus yielding valuable information on the effect of more general constructs on athletic performance.
www.mdpi.com/journal/sports, 2019
Background: Thisstudyexaminedtheeffectsof8weeksofplyometrictrainingonjumping, sprinting, andchang... more Background: Thisstudyexaminedtheeffectsof8weeksofplyometrictrainingonjumping, sprinting, andchangeof direction(COD)performance. Methods: Fiftyfemale7–9-year-old gymnasts were randomly assigned to a plyometric training group (PG; n = 33), that performed supplementary plyometric training twice per week, and a control group (CG; n = 17) that continued regular training. The following tests were performed before and after the intervention: 10 and 20 m sprints, 5 + 5 m and 10 + 10 m COD tests, one-leg and two-leg countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), squat jump(SJ),andstandinglongjump(SLJ).Results: Onlyamaineffectfortimewasfoundforalljumping performance parameters (p = 0.001). However, the improvement of one- and two-leg CMJ in PG had a greater effect size than CG (0.72 and 0.67 vs. 0.34 and 0.18, respectively). Group×time interactions were found for 10 and 20 m sprint tests (p = 0.018 and p = 0.011, respectively) and for 10 + 10 m COD (p = 0.008) with the post hoc test showing improvement only for the PG (p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.003 and d = 1.1, 1.14, and 0.6, respectively). Conclusions: Supplementary plyometric training increased sprint and COD performance more than regular gymnastics training, while jumping performance was equally improved in both groups.
Code of Points, the International Gymnastics Federation document directing gymnasts’ training pro... more Code of Points, the International Gymnastics Federation document directing gymnasts’ training process in every Olympic Cycle, evaluates artistic gymnastics performances. The aim of this study was twofold: first to examine the most important changes of the Code of Points since 1996, affecting gymnasts’ basic preparation and in particular the changes concerning choreography. Second, this paper aimed to review the relevant literature on the topic of choreography preparation in artistic gymnastics and to analyze finalists’ performances in official competitions, thus exploring the contribution of choreography preparation in gymnasts’difficulty score. For the purpose of the present study Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Codes of Points since 1996 were analyzed. In addition, the content of the finalists performances on floor exercises and balance beam in the Olympic Games of London 2012, World Championship inAntwerp, 2013 and European Championship in Moscow 2013 were also analyzed. The results ...
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2007
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” fac... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether the application of a “second order” factorial design, using as items the TOPS’ subscales generated by the “first order” factor analysis, might reveal valuable generalized information on the nature of the factors. The sample comprised 364 track and field athletes, aged 18.9±3.7 years (249 males and 115 females). The first order factorial analysis divided the 32 items of the competition scale into 8 competition factors. All factors had an eigenvalue more than 1 and each consisted of four items. The total variance explained was 62.5%. Applying de novo a factorial design on the eight competition factors, two new conceptual categories emerged. The first category encompasses the strategies of imagery, goal setting, self talk and activation, while the second category includes emotional control, negative thinking and relaxation. Automaticity does not correlate with either factor. The eigenvalue of the first conceptual category (mental attitudes) was 2.09 explaining 26.1% of the total variance, while the eigenvalue of the second conceptual category (emotional processes) was 2.02 explaining 25.2% of the total variance. The application of the “second order” factorial design has served a twofold purpose. First it managed to classify the competition strategies into two broader constructs that explain the logical foundation of their constituent strategies. Second the success of the “second order” factorial analysis serves as a further confirmation of the validity of the original contracts. The obtained generalized conceptual categories could be utilized in comparisons between athletes from different levels and sports and in correlations with actual and expected competition results, thus yielding valuable information on the effect of more general constructs on athletic performance.
Σκοπός της εργασίας ήταν η ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που αφορά τη φυσιολογική βάση της οξείας ... more Σκοπός της εργασίας ήταν η ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που αφορά τη φυσιολογική βάση της οξείας και χρόνιας επίδρασης των στατικών διατάσεων στην αθλητική απόδοση, με αναφορά σε πρακτικές εφαρμογές στον αθλητισμό. Κύριοι μηχανισμοί αύξησης του εύρους κίνησης μιας άρθρωσης είναι οι αλλαγές στο μήκος και στη σκληρότητα των μυοτενόντιων μονάδων, οι νευρομυϊκές προσαρμογές και η αυξημένη ανοχή στη διάταση, μηχανισμοί οι οποίοι είναι υπεύθυνοι και για τη μείωση της μυϊκής απόδοσης σε δραστηριότητες με υψηλές απαιτήσεις ισχύος και δύναμης. Η οξεία αρνητική επίδραση των στατικών διατάσεων εξαρτάται από την ένταση και τη διάρκεια της διάτασης, το προπονητικό υπόβαθρο των ασκουμένων και την υπό εξέταση παράμετρο απόδοσης. Σε διατάσεις διάρκειας μεγαλύτερης από 90 s και έντασης ως το όριο έντονης ενόχλησης, υπάρχει ισχυρή ένδειξη για μείωση της απόδοσης, ενώ σε διατάσεις διάρκειας <30 s ή/και μικρότερης έντασης, τα αποτελέσματα είναι αντικρουόμενα. Συνεπώς οι έντονες και παρατεταμένες στα...
Journal of sports science & medicine, 2014
This study examined the effects of baseline flexibility and vertical jump ability on straight leg... more This study examined the effects of baseline flexibility and vertical jump ability on straight leg raise range of motion (ROM) and counter-movement jump performance (CMJ) following different volumes of stretching and potentiating exercises. ROM and CMJ were measured after two different warm-up protocols involving static stretching and potentiating exercises. Three groups of elite athletes (10 male, 14 female artistic gymnasts and 10 female rhythmic gymnasts) varying greatly in ROM and CMJ, performed two warm-up routines. One warm-up included short (15 s) static stretching followed by 5 tuck jumps, while the other included long static stretching (30 s) followed by 3x5 tuck jumps. ROM and CMJ were measured before, during and for 12 min after the two warm-up routines. Three-way ANOVA showed large differences between the three groups in baseline ROM and CMJ performance. A type of warm-up x time interaction was found for both ROM (p = 0.031) and CMJ (p = 0.016). However, all athletes, irr...
Introduction: Technical execution in rhythmic gymnastics is determined by deductions for faults i... more Introduction: Technical execution in rhythmic gymnastics is determined by deductions for faults in elements’ technique. Age-specific strength and conditioning programs found the basis of technical skill acquisition (Di Cagno, et al. 2008). This study examined the association between selected physical fitness parameters and technical execution score in young rhythmic gymnasts of two different performance levels. Methods: Forty-six rhythmic gymnasts assigned to two groups, took part in this study. Group 1 consisted of 22 gymnasts (aged 10.24±0.94 years, training experience 2.48±1.12 years), who ranked above the 24th place (qualifiers of the all-around). Group 2 consisted of 24 gymnasts (aged 9.69±1.59years, training experience 2.38±1.50 years) who ranked below the 24th place in national competitions. The gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests (body composition, active and passive flexibility, muscular power and endurance, agility and balance). Technical execution was ev...
Introduction: Rhythmic gymnastics Code of Points emphasizes on artistry, in order to reshape a co... more Introduction: Rhythmic gymnastics Code of Points emphasizes on artistry, in order to reshape a competitive routine into an artistic performance. Overall performance improves with enhanced physical capacities (Hume, et al. 1998). However, it remains to be confirmed, which physical capacities are associated with artistic performance. This study examined the association between selected physical fitness parameters and artistic performance in young rhythmic gymnasts. Methods: Forty-six rhythmic gymnasts (aged 9.92±1.33 years, training experience 2.41±1.31 years) competing at a national level took part in this study. The gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests (body composition, active and passive flexibility, muscular power and endurance, agility and balance). Artistic performance score (in deductions) was the sum of the sub-scores of unity, relation of movement with music, use of space and expression and was evaluated by two international judges according to the Internati...
ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or... more ABSTRACT Athletes, competing under stressful conditions, tend to believe that any little thing or ritual can make the difference between winning and losing. Research has shown that the adoption of superstitious behavior is a mode that athletes use to cope with the sport competition uncertainty. The aim of this study was to examine the adoption of superstitious beliefs, behaviors and rituals in sport using Greek athletes. For the purpose of this study, a new instrument was developed based on the items of Bleak and Frederick’s (1998) questionnaire, as well as, some additional items suitable for the Greek culture. The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 290 athletes. Based on the criteria of items loadings and content validity, 10 items were kept for further analysis. Validity and reliability of the 10 items inventory were examined using a new sample of 176 athletes (M=20.28 years, SD=3.05), participating in 18 sports and a variety of competing experience. All athletes had at least two years of competitive experience, as a criterion for participating in the study. Principal component analysis results indicated the existence of two factors (eigenvalues over 1) explaining 50% of the total variance. Items loadings ranged from .43 to .88. The first factor included 6 items concerning superstitious rituals and the second factor comprised of 4 items concerning superstitious objects. The Cronbach’s α values were .71 and .77, respectively. Future research should examine the construct validity of the instrument through confirmatory factor analysis, as well as, concurrent and discriminant validity.
ABSTRACT Introduction Previous studies suggested that the total stretch time in a day is more imp... more ABSTRACT Introduction Previous studies suggested that the total stretch time in a day is more important than single stretch duration for flexibility enhancement (Cipriani et al., 2003). However, little evidence exists on the acute effect of different stretch durations on the ability of the stretched muscles to generate power output. The aim of this study was to examine changes in leg muscle power after two static stretching protocols with the same total stretch time, but different duration of single stretches. Methods Nine elite male gymnasts members of the Greek national team (age: 21±2 y, training experience: 15.8 ±2 y, height: 168±5 cm, body mass: 66.3±4.1 kg) participated in this study. A repeated measures, within subject randomized design was used to compare the effects of the two different stretching protocols on single-leg counter-movement jump (CMJ) height and power. The stretching movement of the modified Thomas test with force applied by an investigator, was used to stretch the quadriceps muscle of one leg. On one occasion, the static stretching protocol included 3 stretches of 30 sec (intermittent or INT protocol) with a 30 s rest interval in between. On the other occasion one stretch of 90 s (continuous or CON protocol) was applied on the other leg. One leg CMJ was measured after warm-up, immediately (15 s) after stretching and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min after stretching. Data were analyzed using a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA (protocol x time) and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p<0.05). Results The two stretching protocols had different effects on CMJ and leg power (main effect “protocol”, p=0.045, and “protocol x time” interaction, p=0.01). The INT protocol resulted in an increase in CMJ that peaked on the 4th min after stretching (from 18.6±1.9 to 23.5±2.7 cm, p<0.001). In contrast, the CON protocol resulted in a decrease in CMJ performance that peaked 1 min after stretching (from 19.5±1.5 to 15.9±1.2 cm, p<0.001). CMJ performance returned to baseline levels after the 6th and the 2nd min after stretching in the INT and CON conditions, respectively. Discussion The results of this study showed that INT and CON stretching protocols have opposite effects on CMJ performance in elite athletes. The decrease of CMJ performance after the CON protocol may be due to impaired muscle activation due to the prolonged stretch (Behm et al., 2001), while the increase of CMJ performance after INT may be due to the force applied on the stretched quadriceps muscle during the stretching movements in an intermittent, short-term manner that prevented muscle inactivation. References Behm DG, Button DC, Butt JC (2001). Can J Appl Physiol, 26(3):261-72. Cipriani, D., Abel B., RirritzD. (2003). J Strength Cond Res, 17(2), 274-278.