Browsing by Author "Vaz, Vasco"
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- Efficacy of pilates in functional body composition : a systematic reviewPublication . Pereira, Mário; Dias, Gonçalo; Mendes, Rodrigo; Mendes, Rui; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Gomes, Ricardo; Gama, José; Castro, Maria António; Vaz, VascoThe aim of this review was to collect and systematize results of studies from the last 5 years concerning the influence of the Pilates method (PM) on functional body composition (FBC). Methods: The criteria of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used in this review. We conducted research in three scientific databases: (i) Web of Science Core Collection, (ii) SCOPUS, and (iii) search directory of the library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services. We found 334 articles, covering the period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. After the selection process, we found 33 eligible articles. Results: The main results seem to point to a tendency to get a better body weight and body fat percentage (BFP), hip circumference (HC), waist, and skinfolds from the chest, abdomen, triceps, and supra-iliac in mostly female samples. Available evidence indicates that, in body composition (BC) and FBC, Pilates practice tends to be effective in reducing obesity as a multifactorial condition. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a marked trend in the benefits of Pilates in FBC, which is in line with other systematic reviews at the BC level (which includes body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI)) and in the reduction of the percentage of fat mass (FM). It is also concluded that there is a vast lack of studies on the male population, preventing further scientific development in this area. The limitations of this systematic review can be overcome with studies that bring together multidisciplinary aspects of FBC, better designed and methodologically more robust, which will allow more reliable analyses for the implementation of the Pilates method in terms of FBC. In addition, further studies with a male sample or mixed samples (men vs. women) could confirm the trend of no gender differences in the benefits of Pilates practice.
- Golf-putting performance in skilled golfers at different distances to the holePublication . Dias, Gonçalo; Couceiro, Micael; Mendes, Pedro; Gomes, Ricardo; Mendes, Rui; Vaz, Vasco; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Gama, José; Castro, Maria AntónioGolf putting occurs under highly variable conditions. Therefore, adapting to different putting distances is a challenge that the golfer faces and understanding the variables underlying performance in this task is important. The main objective of this study was to analyse the golf-putting performance in skilled golfers at different distances to the hole. Fourteen highly skilled golfers, adult male and right-handed (41.5 ± 13.2 years with an average handicap of 2.3 ± 1.7) performed the golf putting on a natural grass green, completing a total of 120 randomly ordered trials, 30 trials at each of the four different practice conditions (1, 2, 3, and 4 m away from the hole). A smart engineered putter (InPutter) was used as the data acquisition instrument to record several process variables at 100 Hz. Results indicated that golf-putting distances constrained movement organisation variables in specific ways. For example, as the distance to the hole changes, so do the informational constraints, shaping how a golfer needs to regulate performance. We concluded that the effects of different golf-putting distances required the implementation of functional solutions uniquely adjusted to each player. Furthermore, the perception that the player withdrew from the properties of the context (e.g., distance to the hole) was important to adapt the golf-putting process variables (e.g., amplitude and duration of the movement, among others). All these factors led to a decisive influence on how the golfer hit the ball and adjusted his performance. A major implication of developing a better understanding of the role of performance in golf putting is that coaches and players should allow functional movement behaviours to emerge during practice.
- Monitoring a national Open Access funder mandatePublication . Carvalho, José; Laranjeira, Cátia; Vaz, Vasco; Mendes Moreira, JoãoAcknowledging the benefits associated with open access (OA) to scientific literature, the Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT), the national funding agency for science in Portugal, defined an OA policy that aims at ensuring free, online access to publications arising from FCT-funded research. Key to the implementation of FCT OA policy is the existence of a solid and mature repository infrastructure, the Scientific Open Access Repository of Portugal – RCAAP. Furthermore, RCAAP is part of PTCRIS, an integrated research information ecosystem whose holistic vision of the research information landscape allow us to link implementation of FCT OA mandate to added value services, with great benefits for the research community. In these paper, we describe the strategy adopted to implement and monitor a funder’s OA mandate in an unprecedented integrated manner, using ground-breaking technical solutions built upon an existing infrastructure to address new challenges.
- Movement variability in pilates : a scoping reviewPublication . Pereira, Mário José; Dias, Gonçalo; Mendes, Rui; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Gomes, Ricardo; Gomes, Maria António; Vaz, VascoObjective: This scoping review aimed to identify studies that analyzed movement variability in Pilates. Following a systematic approach to mapping evidence on this topic would highlight concepts, theories, sources, and knowledge gaps in this area. Methods: This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria for the selection, reading, and analysis of studies in this area. We searched five literature databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar). Eligible articles contained the word “Pilates,” and the human movement variability was analyzed. Any type of study (except reviews) could be eligible and must have been published between 1 January 2002 and 30 November 2022, in Portuguese, Spanish, French, or English. Results: Our search identified five eligible entries. Only one study used the Pilates method in its intervention, pointing to a more significant variability of hip–knee coordination, suggesting more diversified coordination patterns, and maintaining the variability of the angular position of the joint. Conclusion: Very few studies have examined movement variability in Pilates, and only one applied an ecological framework
- Observação e análise do jogo - variabilidade, constrangimentos e padrões de comportamento no futebolPublication . Gama, José; Dias, Gonçalo; Mendes, Rui; Martins, Fernando; Vaz, VascoEste livro, intitulado “Observação e Análise do Jogo - Variabilidade, Constrangimentos e Padrões de Comportamento no Futebol”, aborda, de forma didática, pedagógica e sistemática, os princípios teóricos e práticos relacionados com a observação e análise do Futebol, contemplando a variabilidade do jogo e os constrangimentos que influenciam a dinâmica do comportamento individual e coletivo. Concomitantemente, oferece ferramentas metodológicas para a análise quantitativa e qualitativa, incluindo a utilização de novas tecnologias, como softwares de análise de vídeo e dispositivos de monitorização em tempo real. O compêndio é destinado a estudantes do ensino superior, treinadores, atletas e profissionais do Futebol que procurem aprofundar o conhecimento sobre a complexidade do jogo baseada em evidências científicas. Na obra, destaca-se a sua abordagem interdisciplinar, potenciando o seu uso como recurso para a formação de profissionais qualificados na área das Ciências do Desporto e domínios do conhecimento correlatos. Os estudos práticos, expressos nesta obra, foram desenvolvidos na unidade curricular de Seminário (Licenciatura de Desporto e Lazer, Escola Superior de Educação - Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, 2023-2024), sob a supervisão científica do Professor Doutor Gonçalo Dias.
- The re-organization of action in golf putting under different task constraintsPublication . Couceiro, Micael; Dias, Gonçalo; Araújo, Duarte; Davids, Keith; Gama, José; Mendes, Rui; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Vaz, VascoBackground: The behaviours of golfers could be interpreted as emergent, resulting from the cyclical relations of perception-action couplings established under the interacting constraints of competitive performance environments. Underpinned by an ecological dynamics approach, the aim of this study was to investigate how a simple adaptation of task constraints constrained the (re)organization of putting actions in skilled golfers. Methods: Ten skilled golfers, male and right-handed (42.6 ± 14.4 years old) (average handicap of 2.3 ± 1.7) were investigated when putting at different distances from the hole. Results: Our results have revealed how the coupling of perception and action captures the mutual relationship that emerges between a performance environment and each golfer’s abilities,during task performance. In this sense, the manipulation of distance constraints selectively constrained movement organization variables in specific ways. As distance to the hole increased, there was a clear increment in backswing, downswing and follow-through amplitude, speed of putter impact on the ball and maximum acceleration of the putting movement. Moreover, heart rate (HR) decreased with distance to the hole, which may have indicated that a golfer was adapting to increasing distance constraints, or that a greater distance from the hole may require a greater attentional focus. Conclusions: Underpinned by an ecological dynamics approach, these and other findings in our study suggested some regularities in the behaviour of golfers when environmental constraints (e.g., distance) are manipulated. Thus, golfers’ behaviours can be interpreted as an emergent process resulting from the perception-action coupling relations established during practice and performance.