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Physical Activity and Behavior: Training and Education Models for Sustainable Health and Performance

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 9298

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Filip Kukić

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Guest Editor

Police Sports Education Center, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi 253, United Arab Emirates
Interests: applied exercise interventions; physical activity and health; physical activity behavior; body composition changes; data analysis; health promotion; tactical populations; obesity; sarcopenia; fitness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jay Dawes

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Guest Editor

Tactical Fitness and Nutrition (TFAN) Collaborative, Oklahoma State University, CRC 183 Colvin Center, Stillwater, OK 74074, USA
Interests: tactical strength and conditioning; health and fitness; occupational health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Nenad Koropanovski

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Guest Editor

Department of Criminalistics, University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: physical education; specialized physical education; combat sports; occupational health; tactical strength and conditioning

Dr. Robin Orr

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Guest Editor

Tactical Research Unit (TRU), Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia
Interests: tactical strength and conditioning; injury mitigation; human performance; load carriage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sports, exercise, and physical activity permeate all aspects of today’s society. Having an active lifestyle is important for physical health (exercise is medicine), for mental health (exercise is wellness), for learning (exercise is education), for the economy (exercise is business) and for technological development (exercise is innovation). Physical inactivity has deleterious effects on population health and can lead to numerous diseases. Physical activity and an active lifestyle can counterbalance these effects, promoting both physical and mental wellbeing.

However, only noting that being physically active is good for health is not sufficient for a sustainable active lifestyle. It requires changes in physical activity behavior, whereby these changes require multi-layered parallel processes such as education, government policies, municipal initiatives, occupational initiatives and interventions. To this end, the purpose of this Special Issue is to publish original, high-quality articles, as well as narrative and systematic reviews with particular regard to physical education, occupational health and wellbeing interventions, as well as municipal and governmental initiatives and policies. Underlying physiological mechanisms in the fields of sport, exercise, and physical activity are also welcome.

Considering this, we look forward to receiving contributions related but not limited to the following topics: (i) experimental studies and interventions using physical education in various settings; (ii) observational analytical studies identifying the effects of practicing sport and exercise on psychophysical health, quality of life, and physical performance; (iii) systematic reviews and meta-analyses that may summarize the evidence about the effects of sport, exercise, and physical activity on health, mental health, and overall wellbeing.

This Special Issue welcomes new ideas and approaches that could change paradigms in our understanding of the benefits of physical education, practicing sport, exercise, and physical activity across the entire population, regardless of gender, age, country, income, or social background.

Dr. Filip Kukić
Dr. Jay Dawes
Prof. Dr. Nenad Koropanovski
Dr. Robin Orr
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

physical education
physical activity
behavior
public health
occupational health
physical education for health

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in Fitness between Firefighter Trainee Academy Classes and Normative Percentile Rankings

by Robert George Lockie, Robin M. Orr, Fernando Montes, Tomas Jason Ruvalcaba and J. Jay Dawes

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6548; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116548 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1880

Abstract

Fire academy training classes may have trainees with a range of different fitness capabilities. Documentation of trainee fitness could indicate the need for flexibility in physical training emphases. Therefore, data from six academy classes (males = 274; females = 31) were analyzed, including: Illinois agility test (IAT), push-ups, pull-ups, leg tucks, multistage fitness test, backwards overhead 4.54 kg medicine ball throw (BOMBT), 10-repetition maximum deadlift, and 18 kg kettlebell farmers carry. A one-way ANOVA, with the Bonferroni post hoc test, calculated between-class fitness differences. Normative fitness test data were produced via percentile ranks. Classes 5 and 6 had the most females (n = 15). Class 1 completed the IAT faster than all classes (p ≤ 0.009). Classes 1 and 4 had a further BOMBT distance than Classes 5 and 6, and Class 3 outperformed Class 6 (p ≤ 0.044). Class 4 completed more leg tucks than Class 5 (p = 0.047). Class 1 had a greater deadlift than Classes 3, 4, and 6, and Class 2 outperformed Classes 3–6 (p ≤ 0.036). Class 3 was slower in the farmers carry compared to all classes (p ≤ 0.002). Percentile rankings showed that most females (48–100%) were in the 0–29% rank. Staff should implement individualized programs where appropriate for trainees as cohort fitness differences exist. Female trainees may need targeted maximal strength and power development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Behavior: Training and Education Models for Sustainable Health and Performance)

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14 pages, 2090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does the Level of Training Interfere with the Sustainability of Static and Dynamic Strength in Paralympic Powerlifting Athletes?

by Felipe J. Aidar, Stefania Cataldi, Georgian Badicu, Ana Filipa Silva, Filipe Manuel Clemente, Valerio Bonavolontà, Gianpiero Greco, Márcio Getirana-Mota and Francesco Fischetti

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5049; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14095049 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1513

Abstract

Background: Paralympic powerlifting (PP) presents adaptations that the training tends to provide, mainly concerning the mechanical variables. Objective: Our aim was to analyze mechanical, dynamic and static indicators, at different intensities, on the performance of paralympic powerlifting athletes. Methods: 23 athletes of PP, 11 national level (NL) and 12 regional level (RL) performed dynamic and static tests over a comprehensive range of loads. The study evaluated regional and national level athletes and the influence on the training level on the performance of strength. The study was carried out in four weeks, with the first week to familiarize with the one repetition maximum (1RM), day 1, and there was a 72-h rest and familiarization with dynamic and static tests carried out day 2. In week 2, the 1RM tests were performed (day 1 and 72 h later), and the static tests were performed with a distance of 15 cm from the bar to the chest, with the tests of maximum isometric strength, time to maximum isometric strength, rate of force development (RFD), impulse, variability and fatigue index (IF) taking place on day 2. In weeks three and four dynamic tests were performed, including means propulsive velocity, maximum velocity, power and prediction of one maximum repeat. Results: Differences were found, with better results than for RL in relation to NL in MVP (45%, 55%, and 75% 1RM), in VMax (50%, 55%, 75% and 95% 1RM). In power, the NL had better results (40%, 45%, 50%, 60% and 95% 1RM). Conclusion: RL athletes tend to present better results with regard to velocity, however in power, NL athletes tend to present better performances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Behavior: Training and Education Models for Sustainable Health and Performance)

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11 pages, 1120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Attentional Span Is Determined by Sport Discipline

by Rafael E. Reigal, Rocío Enríquez-Molina, Sara Herrera-Robles, Rocío Juárez-Ruiz de Mier, José Luis Pastrana Brincones, Antonio Hernández-Mendo and Verónica Morales-Sánchez

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2524; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052524 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2472

Abstract

Many studies have highlighted the impact of sport on cognitive functioning. However, more evidence is needed to explain which type of sport is more relevant. The main purpose of this study was to determine the level of attention span based on the type of sport practiced (open vs. closed). In addition, this problem was also analyzed based on gender and training hours. The study sample consisted of 547 participants (27.20% male; 72.80% female), aged between 19 and 35 years old (M = 24.19; SD = 3.74). The “Modrian Images” computerized test, hosted in MenPas Cell software(MenPas 1.0), was used to assess the attention span. The results showed that athletes playing open sports have a better attentional span than others playing closed sports. Moreover, this was also replicated when assessing by gender. Likewise, a greater number of hours in a week participating in sports is related to a better level of attentional span, being less determinant than the type of sport practiced. Data obtained suggest that playing open sports would be more related to the greater development of attention span than playing more closed sports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Behavior: Training and Education Models for Sustainable Health and Performance)

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Review

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12 pages, 445 KiB

Open AccessReview

Flywheel Training in Older Adults—A Systematic Review

by Nebojša Čokorilo, Maja Horvatin, Dušan Đorđević, Mima Stanković and Damir Pekas

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4137; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14074137 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1994

Abstract

The process of healthy aging might be reconsidered, based on the nonfatal outcomes of falls in older adults. Flywheel training is a relatively new training method used by different age groups, which enables the muscles to contract at maximum force in minimum time. The study aim was to summarize the relevant literature about the effects of flywheel training in older adults and to determine its efficiency and feasibility. PRISMA guidelines were followed for both the search and analysis. Electronic databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science and SPORTDiscuss) yielded 9915 studies, but we have included studies published in English between 2005 and 2021, cross-sectional and pre-post treatments, with older adults (≥60 years) as the sample, where flywheel training was conducted. A total of nine studies have met the pre-defined criteria and entered the systematic review, with a total of 216 participants, both male and female. After analyzing the obtained results, it can be concluded that flywheel training showed physical, neuromuscular, and functional improvements in older adults. However, the review did not reveal an optimal duration, frequency, intensity, or volume. Furthermore, it can be stated that this training method can be considered as an appropriate form of activity in older adults, as a tool for improving overall health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Behavior: Training and Education Models for Sustainable Health and Performance)

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