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- Impact of flexibility on vertical jump, balance and speed in amateur football playersPublication . Bogalho, Daniel; Gomes, Ricardo; Mendes, Rui; Dias, Gonçalo; Castro, Maria AntónioMuscle strength, power, balance and speed assume decisive roles in football performance. This study aims to investigate whether lower limb flexibility, particularly the hip flexors and knee extensor and flexor muscles, are correlated with vertical jump performance, balance and speed in adult football players. A sample of 22 male amateur football players (age: 22.3 ± 3 years; height: 175.4 ± 7.4 cm; weight: 74.9 ± 11.6 kg; BMI: 24.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2) were assessed for lower limb flexibility, vertical jump, balance and speed. Results indicated that vertical jump ability is moderately correlated with left knee extensors flexibility (ρ = −0.426; p = 0.048), which did not occur on the right side. There were no statistically significant correlations between vertical jump and knee flexors flexibility (ρ = 0.330; p = 0.133). In balance, the reaching distance on the right side presented a moderate and statistically significant correlation with the knee flexors flexibility (ρ = 0.411; p = 0.040), which was not observed on the left side. Velocity was not correlated with the knee extensors flexibility (right: ρ = 0.360; p = 0.100; left: ρ = 0.386; p = 0.076), or with the knee flexors flexibility (ρ = −0.173; p = 0.440). In conclusion, the influence of flexibility on vertical jump ability, balance and speed appears to exist. Further research should seek to clarify the associations between these abilities.
- Benefits of pilates in the elderly population : a systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Pereira, Mário; Mendes, Rodrigo; Mendes, Rui; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Gomes, Ricardo; Gama, José; Dias, Gonçalo; Castro, Maria AntónioThe aim of this systematic review is to collect and summarize the benefits of Pilates in the elderly population (>60 years old), within the current scientific production, assessing its contribution to Healthy Ageing (HA). We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) to select, collect, and analyse this thematic. The methodological procedures were registered in the PROSPERO database. The main results of the studies analysed (n = 30) point to significant differences between the intervention and the control groups in dynamic balance, strength, mobility, functional capacity, risk of falling reduction, and mental and psychological health. Thus, the results showed that Pilates may be beneficial for the health of the elderly. The meta-analysis found statistical differences between means on the dynamic balance (mean difference (MD) = −0.0, 95% CI [−0.71, −0.50]; I2: 0%) and the aerobic capacity and aerobic resistance [(MD) = 38.29, 95% CI [6.82, 69.77]; I2: 0%). Thus, it is concluded that the efficacy of Pilates has been shown in various areas of HA and has proven to be affordable and safe for the majority of people, using just a mat on the floor. Future studies should focus on the analysis of the relationship between the cost and the benefit of a Pilates intervention in the elderly population, to better understand how health costs can be minimized and to contribute to a multidisciplinary and generalized HA. Pilates has practical application for the clinicians, therapists, and health professionals that work with the elderly population.
- Perception of the special troops (comandos) soldiers regarding physical fitness, motor control and psychological skillsPublication . Monteiro, Carlos; Dias, Gonçalo; Ramos, Susana; Gomes, Ricardo; Gama, José; M. L. Martins, Fernando; Mendes, Rui; Castro, Maria AntónioPhysical fitness and motor skills are considered important attributes for the military, affecting their professional performance. The high physical and psychological demand that the special forces are subjected to requires the acquisition of a set of volitional skills such as resilience, effort, perseverance, or resistance to frustration, which are worthy of further research. This study aimed to analyse the perception of the special troops (commandos) in physical fitness, motor control and psychological skills. A total of 35 male soldiers that ended the commando recruit training program (21.69 ± 2.36 years old) were investigated. A questionnaire was applied to verify differences in perception of physical fitness, motor capacity, physical effort and military training during recruit training according to age, education, work experience and sports background. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants. All data collected were analysed using IBM-SPSS Statistics, version 24. Our results revealed differences in the importance given to the training of motor skills within military training (χ2 = 19.284; p = 0.023), conditional motor skills – speed (χ2 = 17.378; p = 0.043), coordinative motor skills—motor control (χ2 = 20.616; p = 0.014), psychological skills in a military context (χ2 = 13.730; p = 0.008), volitional skills—resistance to frustration (χ2 = 21.568; p = 0.043) and volitional skills—psychological resistance (χ2 = 29.144; p = 0.004). The participants highlighted the importance of instructors having scientific knowledge in physical education to provide military physical training to be better prepared for this purpose. We concluded that motor skills and psychological abilities tend to be equally important in the context of military training. Physical fitness and motor skill development can be considered essential in military training for most of the inquired participants.
- 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.