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This study investigated the prevalence of depression and levels of physical fitness in high school students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. One hundred fifty participants were divided into four groups according to the number of days that they felt depressed due to the COVID-19 during the last 7 days: no-depression group (NDG, n=17), some-depression group (SDG, n=32), occasional-depression group (ODG, n=81), and most-depression group (MDG, n=20). Shuttle run for endurance capacity and standing long jump for muscle power were selected to estimate the states of type I and type II muscle fibers, respectively. This study found that the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of MDG was significantly higher than those of other three groups. In addition, ODG and MDG showed the lowest interest in their school studies compared with other groups. Endurance capacity showed a significant difference among groups, whereas muscle power showed no significant difference among groups. In conclusion, this study suggests that higher levels of depression reflect a greater lack of interest in life and academics. Furthermore, lower endurance capacity appears to be associated with more severe levels of depression. This highlights the importance of maintaining type I muscle fibers through regular aerobic exercise.

This study investigated the effect of winter skiing on stress levels in collegiate students and also observed psychological factors related to heart rate, apprehension, and enjoyment. Two hundred thirty-eight male students were randomly classified into the control group (n=117) or the ski group (n=121). The control group received lectures on skiing; however, the ski group received practical ski training. Psychological measures included stress, apprehension, and enjoyment; physical measures included heart rate at pre- and postday. There were significant correlations between stress and apprehension (r=0.366) and stress and enjoyment (r=−0.441). Specifically, apprehension negatively correlated with enjoyment (r=−0.599). Between both groups, a significant interaction effect was found among stress, apprehension, and enjoyment. Moreover, compared with the control group, the ski group’s stress and apprehension were significantly reduced, whereas the enjoyment was significantly enhanced. This study suggests that winter skiing is a suitable sport for reducing stress and providing a high level of enjoyment for collegiate students.

This study was to analyze bullying experiences, physical fitness, and stress and social support in young students who have taken part in a soccer program for approximately 3 years. Fifty-two participants who were divided into two groups: a control group that had not experienced alienation (NAG; n=45, 86.5%) and an experimental group that had ex-perienced alienation (AG; n=7, 13.5%). The frequency of alienation in AG was '1-2 times' or 'a few times' per week. NAG believed their in-volvement in the soccer program helped them improve their relation-ships with friends, cope with alienation, and overcome bullying. Muscle mass and basal metabolic rate of NAG showed higher levels than those of AG. Strength of NAG was significantly higher than that of AG. Stress levels of NAG were significantly lower than those of AG. Although so-cial support was not significantly different between groups, there was a higher tendency in NAG to have stronger social support compared to AG. In conclusion, this study suggests that physical fitness and stress levels can be improved by playing soccer. In particular, participating in a soccer program for an extended period of time can benefit individuals who are socially alienated.

Performing warm-ups increases muscle temperature and blood flow, which contributes to improved exercise performance and reduced risk of injuries to muscles and tendons. Stretching increases the range of motion of the joints and is effective for the maintenance and enhancement of exercise performance and flexibility, as well as for injury prevention. However, stretching as a warm-up activity may temporarily decrease muscle strength, muscle power, and exercise performance. This study aimed to clarify the effect of stretching during warm-ups on muscle strength, muscle power, and muscle endurance in a nonathletic population. The subjects of this study consisted of 13 physically active male collegiate students with no medical conditions. A self-assessment questionnaire regarding how well the subjects felt about their physical abilities was administered to measure psychological readiness before and after the warm-up. Subjects performed a non–warm-up, warm-up, or warm-up regimen with stretching prior to the assessment of the isokinetic moments of knee joints. After the measurements, the respective variables were analyzed using nonparametric tests. First, no statistically significant intergroup differences were found in the flexor and extensor peak torques of the knee joints at 60°/sec, which were assessed to measure muscle strength. Second, no statistically significant intergroup differences were found in the flexor and extensor peak torques of the knee joints at 180°/sec, which were assessed to measure muscle power. Third, the total work of the knee joints at 240°/sec, intended to measure muscle endurance, was highest in the aerobic-stretch-warm-ups (ASW) group, but no statistically significant differences were found among the groups. Finally, the psychological readiness for physical activity according to the type of warm-up was significantly higher in ASW. Simple stretching during warm-ups appears to have no effect on variables of exercise physiology in nonathletes who participate in routine recreational sport activities. However, they seem to have a meaningful effect on exercise performance by affording psychological stability, preparation, and confidence in exercise performance.