fitness – The Sport Journal

A Review of the Physical, Societal and Economic Effects of Wearable Devices in Sports

Authors: Ashley N. Smith

¹Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic and State Institute, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Corresponding Author:
Ashley N. Smith
ashleys20@vt.edu
336-408-3745

Ashley N. Smith is a graduate student in The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, pursuing a master’s degree in computer engineering and specializing in computer vision. Her areas of research interest include: the effects of technology in sports and developing software to reduce costs or improve efficiency for sports organizations.

A Review of the Physical, Societal and Economic Effects of Wearable Devices in Sports

ABSTRACT

Wearable technology has permeated the sports world throughout the last couple of decades because of the numerous advantages from collecting ample device data. Benefits of wearable devices, or wearables, in sports are extensive data analysis on performance, injury mitigation, and encouragement to monitor one’s physical health. With the diffusion of wearables into sports, its resulting effects have influenced all levels of athletes as well as the cadre of athletic personnel. Physical effects include increased general fitness and injury prevention, whereas societal effects encompass ethical changes, unprecedented privacy concerns and added stress on mental well-being. Economic effects consist of additional career opportunities as well as lucrative avenues for professional organizations and sports companies alike. This review of these various consequences helps guide the decision-making process for those investing in existing wearables and those developing novel devices in this nascent industry.

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U.S. Sports Academy2021-08-20T11:43:20-05:00August 6th, 2021|Research, Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

Measuring ice hockey skills in a repeated measures testing context: The effects of fatigue on skating efficiency, passing, agility, and shooting

Authors: Gaetan Martini, M.Sc., JF Brunelle, M.Sc., François Trudeau, Ph.D., & Jean Lemoyne PhD

Corresponding Author:
Jean Lemoyne, Ph.D.
Department of Human Kinetics [Sciences de l’activité physique]
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
3351, des Forges, Trois-Rivières (Québec) Canada G9A 5H7
jean.lemoyne@uqtr.ca

Gaetan Martini is a graduate student (master degree in exercise) and works in the field of fitness testing and sport training. Jean Lemoyne is professor at the Department of Human Kinetics at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Canada), and work in the domain of quantitative research in sport sciences. JF Brunelle is a graduate student and physical preparation specialist who work with the UQTR varsity teams. François Trudeau is a professor at UQTR (Human Kinetics), and a certified exercise physiologist.

Measuring ice hockey skills in a repeated measures testing context: The effects of fatigue on skating efficiency, passing, agility and shooting

ABSTRACT
Purpose: Ice hockey testing traditionally consists of isolated, skills-specific tests that are performed in less realistic contexts. Global testing approaches should offer an improved assessment of players’ skills and performance fluctuations during a hockey game. This study aims to measure ice hockey players’ skills and analyze their fluctuations via a protocol that reproduces the demands of a hockey game. Methods: Fifty-nine hockey players (14.6 ± 2.1 years) participated in the study. The protocol involved four repeated measures assessing five components: speed, acceleration, passing, agility, and shooting, with supervised, 2-minute rest periods. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA_s were used to analyze performance fluctuations. Results: Findings revealed that the best scores were obtained at the first and second repetitions. A significant decline in performance was observed for speed, acceleration, and shooting (p < .01). Inversely, participants seemed to adapt to puck control and passing stations, as they became faster without decreasing skating abilities. Perceived exertion and recovery time increased during the protocol. Conclusions: In summary, performance was affected by fatigue starting the third repetition of the testing protocol, and should be considered when assessing players’ skills. This study demonstrated the feasibility of an on-ice testing protocol to evaluate players in a hockey-specific context. Applications in sport: This study demonstrated the feasibility of an “on-ice” testing protocol that represents a more realistic context for measuring players’ abilities. Such protocols allow coaches to evaluate the effects of fatigue on multiple determinants associated with performance in ice hockey.

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U.S. Sports Academy2018-10-24T08:06:41-05:00November 8th, 2018|Research, Sports Coaching|Comments Off

Relationship Between Physical Training, Ratings of Perceived Exertion, and Mental Toughness in Female NCAA Division I Volleyball Players

Authors: Mathieu Castello, Jacob P Reed, Robin Lund, Mick Mack
Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614

Corresponding Author:
Jacob Reed
University of Northern Iowa
203 Wellness and Recreation Center
Cedar Falls, IA 50614
Phone: 319-273-2071
Email: jacob.reed@uni.edu

Relationship Between Physical Training, Ratings of Perceived Exertion, and Mental Toughness in Female NCAA Division I Volleyball Players

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between participating in a conditioning program, ratings of perceived exertion, heart rate (HR), and mental toughness. Thirteen Division I Volleyball players were recruited while 10 participated in an 8-week off-season conditioning program aimed at improving physical fitness. Before and after the training period, the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test and Mental, Emotional, and Bodily Toughness Inventory (MeBTough) were completed. While performing the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test, heart rate was collected. During the 8-week program, session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) was obtained following each training session. Significant improvement in physiological capacity was observed following the 8-week training protocol; pre (844m ± 196.37) to post (980m ± 200.67), t(9) = -5.50, p = 0.00. Mental toughness scores (as assessed by the MeBTough) did not change significantly during that same time period; pre (145.2 ± 12.3) to post (144 ± 16.72), p > 0.05. Additionally, no significant correlation between the capacity to perform on the physical test, the mental toughness score, sRPE, or maximum HR was found.

Based on these observations, coaches should be cautious in their judgement of an athlete’s mental toughness based on fitness, sRPE, and HR. Finally, it appears that an 8-week conditioning program was not enough to elicit any changes in mental toughness. Mental toughness is a complex phenomenon. As such, coaches should be cautious when assessing an athlete’s mental toughness based solely on the results of a physical test or values provided from the session RPE. Furthermore, the researchers observation that mental toughness did not change over an 8-week training protocol demonstrates that hard physical training does not necessarily improve mental toughness. This result is not definitive but does warrant further investigation.
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U.S. Sports Academy2018-06-29T10:34:30-05:00August 9th, 2018|Sports Studies and Sports Psychology|Comments Off

A Comparison of Perceived Physical Fitness and Objective Measurements

Authors:
Elizabeth K. Wells, Exercise Science Department, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA
Megan L. Avery, Valencell Inc., Exercise Science Department, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA
L. Chris Eschbach, Valencell Inc., Raleigh, NC 27609
Jennifer Bunn, Department of Physical Therapy, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA

Corresponding author:
Jennifer Bunn
Campbell University, Department of Physical Therapy
4250 US 421 South
Lillington, NC 27546
910-893-1361
bunnj@campbell.edu

A Comparison of Perceived Physical Fitness and Objective Measurements

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study sought to analyze the contribution of perceived physical fitness compared to one’s actual level of fitness. In this study, participants subjectively assessed their own cardiovascular fitness (CVF; n = 85) and body composition (BC; n = 110) on a scale of one (poor) to ten (excellent). The participants then underwent body composition testing, via 7-site skinfold, and completed a maximal graded exercise test on either a treadmill or cycle ergometer. Data from the exercise and body composition tests were compared to normative data to determine their percentile rank. Cohen’s Kappa Statistic was used to determine congruence between the predicted and observed CVF and BC values. Results indicated that the participants’ perceived BC had poor agreement (κ < 0.20), and perceived CVF had no agreement (κ < 0), when compared to actual measurements taken. These results suggest that an individual’s perception of their CVF and BC were not accurate. Similarly to how participants will provide inaccurate reports of diet and physical activity, these individuals are likely to have an inaccurate report of their fitness level. While most research suggests these discrepancies are due to pressures from society and a desire to conform, other research demonstrates that society is uneducated and unable to report an accurate fitness level. Keywords: body composition, cardiovascular fitness, maximal oxygen consumption, fitness

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U.S. Sports Academy2016-08-18T11:42:03-05:00October 20th, 2016|Sports Health & Fitness|Comments Off