Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine

13-20

Authors: Moosong Kim, Bradley J. Cardinal

Between late adolescence and early adulthood, people experience a precipitous decline in their participation in physical activity. Those attending college or university are often presented with opportunities to partake in physical activity, sometimes under compulsory conditions and sometimes under elective conditions. This study examined the psychological and behavioural characteristics of freshman students under these two separate conditions. The main finding was that students under the elective condition felt more competent and motivated compared to those in the compulsory condition. They were also more physically active. When offered as electives, tertiary level physical activity education courses may be limited in reach, primarily attracting those who would likely be physically active without any such coursework.

27-32

Authors: Miha Marinsek, Iva Blazevic, Silvester Liposek

Despite significant advances in the knowledge and understanding of associations between the phenomenon of excess body weight (hereafter “overweightness”) and fundamental movement skill (FMS) proficiency, the question of how overweightness affects critical features of movement remains unanswered. This study examined the differences in the proficiency of FMS between boys and girls with different weight status on the level of critical features. Three hundred and twenty-two boys and girls aged 5 to 10 years were assessed in eight FMS (run, vertical jump, long jump, ball catch, ball kick, ball pass, ball bounce, and forehand strike) and were assigned to non-overweight and overweight groups according to their waist-to-height ratio, with a cut-off point of 0.5. FMS score differences (p < 0.05) between boys and girls that can be frequently observed in the non-overweight group of children were not determined in the overweight group of children (p ≥ 0.131). Overweight boys performed worse in a higher number of skills’ critical features than overweight girls did when compared to non-overweight groups. With weight gain, boys might experience a more significant decline in FMS proficiency than girls do because of the higher scores when non-overweight. The critical features of FMS indicate that overweightness might affect postural control and coordination, which this paper discusses.

39-45

Authors: Seyed Morteza Tayebi, Marefat Siahkouhian, Mohammad Keshavarz, Mojgan Yousefi

Muscle denervation is one of the most critical pathological factors involved in muscle atrophy as a result of ageing. This study aims to investigate the chronic effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cross-sectional areas and muscle denervation genes, interpreted in the plantaris muscle atrophy of aged rats. Twenty-eight aged and young rats were divided into four different groups, including exercise and control. The training protocol included six weeks of HIIT. Animals were sacrificed 48 hours after the last training session, and the plantaris muscle was removed. To measure Gadd45a mRNA and NCAM1mRNA, we used a real-time PCR technique. The cross-sectional area was measured with photomyography using an H&E technique. The results showed that ageing significantly decreased NCAM1 mRNA in the aged control group (p=0.0001) and exercise leads to a significant increase (interaction effect) of it (p=0.003). Gadd45a mRNA was significantly increased due to ageing (p=0.009), and exercise resulted in a significant decrease in that in the aged exercise group (p=0.04). The cross-sectional area in the aged control group was significantly smaller than in the young control group (p=0.046). In contrast to young groups, exercise could increase the cross-sectional area in the aged exercise group compared with the aged control group, but it was not significant (p=0.069). It seems that HIIT could improve ageing-induced muscular atrophy, although denervation-involved gene modification leads to an increase in the muscular cross-sectional area; therefore, it improves muscular atrophy due to ageing.

55-62

Authors: Stevo Popovic, Sanja Pekovic, Radenko M. Matic

The primary goal of the present paper is to analyse and compare the criteria on the conditions and requirements for academic promotion in three countries: Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. The University of Novi Sad, the University of Ljubljana, and the University of Montenegro were selected to be subjects in this study. The sources used for the analyses in this study were the official criteria on the condition and requirements for academic promotion at the abovementioned universities. The authors used a descriptive method with the consulting of competent sources and personal experiences. First, it is interesting to note that the universities in Serbia and Slovenia follow official documents at two levels: one at the national level issued by the relevant higher education council/agency and the second at the university level issued by the senate of each university, whose criteria are more strict in terms of quantitative requirements. However, this is not the case in Montenegro, where universities follow only the national criteria in the research quality evaluation. In each country, evaluation exercises usually recognize three fields, one of which is social sciences and humanities, which is concerned with an entire range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scientific areas. Comparing the minimum standards for the appointment of university teachers, it is essential to highlight that Slovenian regulations are the most demanding, especially with regards to quantitative criteria, while Serbian and Montenegrin criteria are similar to each other; however, it is necessary to highlight that Montenegrin regulations contain some unusual criteria, such as the requirement that scientific research work must be achieved through one single-author paper published in an international journal for promotion to academic titles at all three levels (assistant, associate and full professor) in social sciences and humanities; however, this is not the case in other academic fields.

77-80

Authors: Michael Yong Hwa Chia, Lee Yong Tay, Terence Buan Kiong Chua

Digital media engagement in families in Singaporean society is increasing at an unprecedented pace. Limited research in the last five years in Singapore shows that young children experience significant amounts of screen time from television, computers and other forms of mobile digital devices, even before primary school. For children, digital media use can aid with learning, but its overuse has inimical effects on learning and health. As digital media use in children increases faster than research on its impact, it is essential to develop a tool that can monitor changes in digital media habits of children over time. This study aimed to develop an online questionnaire for parents to report on the digital media habits of children. An online questionnaire bundle, Surveillance of digital-Media hAbits in earLy chiLdhood Questionnaire (SMALLQ™), organized into sections ((I) Digital-media use of parent and child, (II) Non-digital media behaviour of the child, (III) Parent and child information) was developed for the purpose of charting digital media use and changes over three years (2018, 2019, and 2020). The results showed that SMALLQ™ has face and content validity and was practicable for Singapore. Furthermore, based upon a similar methodology for developing the SMALLQ™, the development of Child-SMALQ (Surveillance of digital MediA use in chiLdhood questionnaire) and Adolescent-SMALQ (Surveillance of digital MediA use in adoLescence questionnaire) are directions for future research.

11-16

Authors: Betul Coskun, Gurcan Unlu, Bahman Golshaei, Settar Kocak , Sadettin Kirazci

Balance is fundamental in sport, especially when there is an opponent. Although balance can be improved with practice, it is highly aff ected by nervous system disorders, particularly by vestibular disorders and visual impairment. Th e purpose of this study was to compare static and dynamic balance between normal and hearing-impaired wrestlers. Th e participants were 52 young male hearing-impaired wrestlers (n=29, age=18.76±3.54) and normal-hearing athletes (n=23, age=19.09±2.76) competing at the national level. Th e static and dynamic balance were measured using the stork test on one foot and the Y-balance test (in anterior, posteromedial & posterolateral directions). MANOVA indicated signifi cant diff erences between groups (Wilks’ L=.284, F12,39=8.21, p<.05, η2 =.72). Diff erences were detected in how long the participant had been active in the sport F(year) (F1,50=145.95, p<.025, η2 =.75) and right leg static balance (F1,50=73.63, p<.025, η2 =.60). As for the Y balance test, there was also a signifi cant diff erence in the anterior direction for the right leg (F1,50=4880.66, p<.025, η2 =.99) and left leg (F1,50=3563.87, p<.025, η2 =.99). Hearing-impaired wrestlers performed better balance abilities in the dynamic balance test of right and left legs in the anterior direction. In contrast, the amount of time active in the sport and the static balance of the right leg were found better in normal-hearing wrestlers. Being better than normal wrestlers only in the anterior direction of the dynamic balance might be due to the diff erences related to the directions of the test. Future studies are recommended for investigating the reasons for this diff erence.

23-28

Authors: Tara B. Blackshear

African American girls’ physical activity signifi cantly declines during adolescence. Single mothers are raising many African American girls. Research on the benefi ts of fathers’ involvement on physical activity is minimal, especially regarding girls. Th e current study examines the impact that fathers’ involvement and family structure have on physical activity behaviours among African American adolescent girls (n=40). Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire, a father involvement scale, and a leisure time exercise instrument. Data were analysed via descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and multiple regression. African American girls’ physical activity habits are positively associated with involved fathers. Girls reporting high father involvement had higher rates of physical activity than girls reporting low father involvement did. Girls from two-parent families had higher physical activity rates than girls in single-parent households, but these fi ndings were non-signifi cant. Fathers being actively engaged in physical activities was a signifi cant predictor of physical activity among the study population. Fathers demonstrating nurturing and participatory behaviours, irrespective of residential or biological status, may be instrumental in promoting physical activity among African American adolescent girls. Physical activity programming targeting African American girls should include fathers and other male fi gures, as they may be instrumental in keeping African American girls physically active.

37-42

Authors: Ivan Chulvi-Medrano, Moises Picon-Martinez, Miguel Garcia-Jaen, Juan Manuel Cortell-Tormo, Yasser Alakhdar, Gilberto Laurentino

Blood fl ow restriction training (BFRT) has been shown to be an eff ective alternative technique to conventional resistance training to increase skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength. However, neuromuscular response to BFRT in combination with nutritional supplementation has rarely been studied. Th e purpose of this study was to investigate the eff ects of BFRT combined with creatine monohydrate (CrM) and/or hydroxymethyl butyrate (HMB) on skeletal muscle size and strength. Fift een healthy males were randomly divided into three groups: a) BFRT without supplementation (C-BFR); b) BFRT with CrM supplementation (0.3 g / kg-1) (CrM-BFR); and c) BFRT with CrM (0.3 g / kg-1) and HMB (3 g) supplementation (CrM + HMB-BFR). Participants performed elbow fl exion exercise (30% of maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC)) at 30% of total occlusion pressure, twice a week, for three weeks. MIVC of the elbow fl exion and brachial biceps muscle thickness were assessed pre- and post-training. Th ere was no signifi cant group-by-time interaction for MIVC values (p>0.05). Biceps muscle thickness was signifi cantly increased from pre- to post-test in all groups (p<0.05). Th e C-BFR group obtained a greater value of eff ect size (d=2.2). Th ese fi ndings suggest that 3 weeks of CrM and HMB supplementation had no infl uence on BFRT-induced neuromuscular adaptations.

51-59

Authors: Alper Aslan, Yasar Salci, Alpay Guvenc

Recreational soccer (RS) has a great potential to improve the physical fi tness levels of diverse populations when performed two to three times per week. However, to date, only Beato and collaborators have examined the eff ects of once-a-week RS on physical fi tness, even though this frequency is widespread among participants. Th us, this study aimed to investigate the eff ect of weekly performed RS intervention on components of physical fi tness in sedentary young men. Twenty-healthy men aged 20-27 years were randomly assigned to a soccer (n=10) group or a control (n=10) group. Participants in the soccer group played a 60-min. small-sided soccer game once-a-week for eight weeks. Before and aft er the intervention period, body composition, aerobic fi tness, blood pressure, anaerobic performance and isokinetic leg strength were assessed. Aft er eight weeks of the once-a-week intervention period, in the soccer group, body fat and thickness of skinfolds were signifi cantly decreased (p<0.05). Peak oxygen uptake, running distance, squat and countermovement jump (p<0.01), concentric quadriceps and eccentric hamstring strength were also improved only in the soccer group (p<0.05). In contrast, other variables, including body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass (FFM), heart rate responses, blood pressure, and anaerobic performance remained the same as before the intervention period (p>0.05). Participating in weekly RS programme can lead to some health and performance benefi ts. However, the people who wish to further improve their health status and performance level should increase the frequency of RS activity.

69-76

Authors: Bojan Masanovic, Tonci Bavcevic, Ivan Prskalo

Th is study aimed to test average body heights in both the male and females of Kosovo, as well as the diff erences in heights of both sexes in relation to the Kosovo administrative regions. A total of 1623 subjects participated in the research: 830 boys and 793 girls all attending their fi nal year of secondary school. Th e anthropometric measurements were taken for subjects of both sexes from fi ve diff erent administrative regions of Kosovo. Th e measurements of body heights were taken by trained measurers in conformity with the ISAK protocol. Means and standard deviations were calculated for ages and body heights, as were frequencies for the calculation of the density of very short and very tall subjects. Th e results indicated that the average height of the male population of Kosovo was 179.52±5.96 centimetres and of the female population 165.72±4.93 centimetres. Th ese results classify both the male and female populations of Kosovo among the tallest in the world. Regarding the regional diff erences, some variations have been observed, and the diff erences in body heights among specifi c regions clearly confi rm the assumption that the population living in the Dinaric Alps is taller in relation to the rest of the population, while the specifi c average height of the central region, where the capital city is located, refl ects the expected situation conditioned by continuous migrations from all other parts of Kosovo, as well as the fact that there is a growing secular trend towards the territory of the capital city, due to better economic and living conditions