Journal of Applied Sports Sciences

22-36

Authors: Diana Dimitrova, Lubomir Mladenov, Anna Nikolova

The aerobic capacity is considered to be a prerequisite for high training and competitive performance in judo. However, it is not clear how the differences in the body composition of judokas affect their aerobic performance. The present study was aimed at comparing the body composition variables and aerobic capacity among judo players from different weight categories and examining the best method for scaling the VO2max for differences in body mass. The subjects were109 male and 108 female judokas 15-26 years old, grouped in three weight categories for each sex. Percentage of body fat (%BF) was predicted by skinfold equations. Fat mass, fat-free mass (FFM) and BMI were also calculated. The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured during a graded maximal bicycle ergometer test. The correlations between VO2max, normalized by different methods, and body size variables were tested by Pearson’s product-moment correlations. The %BF and body composition variables significantly differed among weight categories and were with the highest values in the heaviest athletes. The average V̇O2max.BM-1 of the en-tire groups of male and female judokas were respectively 48.4±4.7 ml.kg-1.min-1 and 39.7±4.0 ml.kg-1.min-1. The lightweight classes demonstrated the highest relative to BM values of V̇O2max.When VO2max was adjusted to BM with derived allometric exponents (0.77 for males and 0.69for females) the results for the three weight categories of male and female judokas were similar,regardless of the differences in their body composition.The interpretation of the between-weight categories differences in aerobic capacity in judo-kas is dependent on the method of expression of VO2max. The VO2max, normalized for BM or FFM, did not remove the effect of body size and still correlated with body composition variables in both sexes. The power function expression of VO2max produced size-free variables, which did not correlate with body size in judokas.

46-54

Authors: Marina Petrova, Bonka Dimitrova

The methodological classification of the volume of the exercises is in the basis of the multi-annual preparation in gymnastics. A number of authors (Dimitrova, 2015; Borisenko, 2000; Fisenko, 2005; Gaverdovskiy, Smolevskiy, 2014) note that for the apparatus of female all around – balance beam and floor exercise, the volume material united in different structural groups is equal. The basic motor habits differ only as regards the specificity of the particular apparatus.The aim of the research is to establish the role of the velocity gradient for the learning algorithm in a multi-annual aspect and on floor exercise. We used kinematic analysis, comparative data analysis and variation analysis when we processed the results. The analysis of the results allowed us to establish the role of the velocity gradient for learning algorithm in the multi-annual aspect and of floor exercise. Our research has shown that the basic exercises sequence on floor exercise according to the gradient velocity does not fully correspond to the methodical sequence of training used for years so far. We established the following dependence: the greater number of movements in the main action phase executed for shorter time increases the velocity gradient. It was confirmed for the apparatuses of the gymnastic all around too. The obtained values for the velocity of basic exercises of floor exercise by structural group confirmed their direct proportional dependence on difficulty.

63-76

Authors: Tatiana Iancheva, Gancho Prodanov

Examining the place and influence of emotional intelligence in sports context attracts the attention of a number of researchers. Their surveys are done mostly among athletes and more rarely among coaches. In the last years some researchers have begun to study the relation be-tween emotional intelligence and coaches’ leadership style. Authors have found out that emotional intelligence of the coaches was shown to directly predict leadership style and coaching efficacy (Hwang et al., 2013). The aim of the present research is to study the interdependence between Emotional intelligence and Leadership style among Bulgarians football coaches.Methodology: The research was done among 172 football coaches aged between 20 and 56 years, who differ in age, license, age group of their competitors, coaching experience, and sports experience as football players. In order to fulfill the aim of the research we used: 1) Background information, 2) Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS; Schutte et al., 1998), 3) Revised Leadership Scale for Sport (RLSS; Zhang et. al., 1997). Results:The results reveal that the researched coaches possess the greatest skills in managing their own emotions and the smallest – as regards “Perception of emotions”. They most often prefer behavior related to “Training and instruction behavior”, choose more seldom Positive feedback behavior, and prefer to take authoritative decisions. We found significant relations be-tween the subscales of Emotional intelligence and Leadership style. Our results did not wholly confirm the results found in literature about the role of Emotional intelligence as a predictor of “Positive feedback behavior” and “Autocratic behavior”.

86-93

Authors: Almaz Galimov, Liubov Botova, Andrey Nazarenko, Marat Galyautdinov

A majority of the students at physical education universities are actual athletes who have “double career”. They combine getting professional education with professional sport activities. In this regard, sport activities of students form an important part of their future career, because it is the informal way of getting professional knowledge and skills. However, today there are no officially recognized organizational and pedagogical approaches to the formalization and assessment of informal education outcomes, which student-athletes demonstrate during their sport activities. Consequently, there are very few practices of making individual university programs for student-athletes based on their informal education outcomes. The study purpose was to develop and approbate a model of substantial integration of study process and sport training at the sports university as a method of combination of formal and informal education types for student-athletes. The study included a comparative analysis of educational and professional standards, elaboration of measures for substantial integration of sport and educational process, and study of athletes’ academic performance. In addition, we used methods of modeling, interviewing, expert assessment and mathematical statistics in our study. The study revealed the coherence of athletes’ knowledge, skills and activities and the competencies they acquire at the sports university. We demonstrated that elite athletes gain knowledge, skills and attitudes envisaged in the educational program in the framework of their sport activities. We have designed the model of individual university program for elite athletes, which corresponds to the techniques of integration of formal and informal education types.