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Background: Supervised online exercise training (OET) may help to counteract physical inactivity in healthy older adults. Few studies to date have compared the effect of OET and traditional face-to-face exercise training (TET). Aims: With this study we compared the effect of OET and TET on physical function in healthy older adults and investigated the feasibility of OET. Methods: Power analysis indicated that a sample size of n = 20 per group was necessary to detect a moderate effect size. Of 80 individuals potentially interested in the study, 32 did not meet the inclusion criteria and 22 declined participation; 26 were assigned to receive OET via Zoom© and 19 to receive TET twice a week for 12 weeks. The exercise training program was the same for both groups: fine finger and muscle strengthening and balance exercises. Performance was measured using the 400-m Walk, Timed Up and Go, Four Square Step, One Leg Stance, Five Time Chair Stand, and Hand Grip tests. Results and conclusions: In general, physical function was improved after OET and TET (ηp2 range, 0.349–0.642). No improvement in upper limb strength was observed in either group (p > 0.05), whereas endurance on the 400-m Walk Test was increased for the OET group and decreased for the TET group (Time × Group interaction F 5.540, ηp2 0.187; p = 0.007). Good adherence was noted for the OET group (82%). No adverse events during the 12-week study period were recorded. Our findings suggest a positive effect of exercise training on physical function over time, regardless of how delivered. OET was found to be feasible and acceptable, making it a viable alternative to conventional exercise programs for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the actual and wished supports to promote a successful dual career for Italian student-athletes. Methods: An ad hoc questionnaire (nine items) was administered to 711 academic Italian student-athletes (age = 23 ± 4 years). A binomial regression for categorical outcomes was applied to discriminate subcategories for each item. Results: According to the items which could be considered as more related to the actual and wished supports to promote a successful dual career, student-athletes mostly answered that tutoring (≤ 24 years old, 95%, OR 3.55; team, 95%, OR 2.27; elite, 97%, OR 3.33; not sport science path, 93–96%, OR range 3.45–7.69), e-learning (last year, 95%, OR 1.97), and extra-academic merits (team, 71%, OR 1.47; elite, 77%, OR 2.13) resulted as not satisfactorily supported by university, but highly wished by student-athletes. Also the flexibility in lesson frequency and exam sustainability resulted as strongly considered, but perceived as limited (≤ 24 years old, 84%, OR 2.43; Medical and Humanistic, 87%, with respect to Sport Science path, OR 9.01). In addition, in terms of identity, female (68%, OR 2.22), > 24 years old (68%, OR 2.22), sub-elite (68%, OR 2.22), not sport science (57–65%, OR 2.48–2.03), and last year of attendance (62%, OR 3.45) participants showed to be more student-oriented, whereas elite (60%), sport science path (61%), and out of course (56%) student-athletes perceived themselves as mainly athletic-oriented. Conclusion: Italian student-athletes could be better supported by University in complying sport and academic requirements, especially by means of an improvement in tutoring, e-learning and a more flexible schedule, in line with the European Commission guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate dual-career issues of Italian student-athletes according to gender, age, type of sport, competition level, university path, and year of attendance variables to highlight their main problems and solutions. Methods: An ad hoc 24-item questionnaire was administered to 711 academic Italian student-athletes (Mean age = 23; SD = 4 years). A multivariate analysis was applied for data related to the first 21 (section A), whereas answers from the last 3 items (section B) were only described. Results: For section A items, two factors (factor 2: items 5, 7, 8, 14; Cronbach alpha = 0.728; factor 5: items 10, 11; Cronbach alpha = 0.78) related to sport participation and education for future job emerged. For both factors, effects emerged between "year of attendance" subcategories (i.e., lower values for "out of course" subgroup), whereas only for factor 5, differences emerged in terms of age (i.e., higher values for younger than older subgroup). For section B, most student-athletes declared to wish schedules of lessons and exams (e.g., higher number of sessions; oral online interrogations) for better combining sport and academic requirements. Conclusion: The present study represents a further step to better understand the Italian student-athletes' daily and weekly limitations and wished solutions related to the combination of sport and academic tasks. Institutional bodies should consider the present findings in case of future policies in supporting dual career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The rationale of our study derived from the important changes in judo rules, with particular consideration of the leg grabs. Therefore, the present study aimed at demonstrating the relationships between stature and successful matches in elite judo, in relation to both genders and seven weight categories.Methods: Stature levels and final ranking position of each participant were recorded on the base of the year of Olympic Game (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016), gender, and weight class. A one-way ANCOVA was applied to determinate possible differences (p ≤ 0.05) among judoka’s statures related to each Olympic Game.Results: Results showed that no difference has been reported for stature level of each judo Olympic Game in all and only male judoka. On the contrary, for female, difference (p = 0.007) on judoka’s stature levels among ranking positions generally emerged, reporting increases in stature levels between the first and the fifth (from 163.62 ± 7.95 to 167.90 ± 8.88 cm; p = 0.004), and the seventh (from 163.62 ± 7.95 to 168.26 ± 8.53 cm; p = 0.016) ranking position.Conclusion: Considering that no relationship between stature and successful matches in elite judo emerged in the analyzed four Olympics Games, it can speculate that no advantage can be attributed to the taller judoka’s for the rule changes regarding the leg grabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the perceived importance of competencies related to entrepreneurship as starting point for a new career in European athletes.Methods: A Focus Group Interview (FGI) within AtLETyC project (Erasmus+) was administered to 78 European athletes (i.e., 26 female: 27 ± 7 years; 52 male: 28 ± 9 years) related to six countries (i.e., Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Slovenia, Hungary, and Italy). Among 22 items of the FGI, 8 items were focused on general aspects, contact information, the evaluation of the educational background, the sport entrepreneurship expertise, and learning capacity, whereas the remaining 14 Likert scale (i.e., 1-7) items were specifically oriented to determine the perceived importance of entrepreneurship-related competences. For the latter part of the FGI, not-parametric analyses (i.e., Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U) were applied.Results: Results showed that all athletes highly consider the importance of both general and entrepreneurship-related competencies, excepting for the latter items in Slovenian athletes. However, main effects between athletes of different countries emerged in 12 of the 14 items, with the highest mean values (6.0-7.0) reported from Bosnia and Herzegovina athletes and the lowest ones (range 3.6-4.8) from Slovenian counterpart.Conclusion: Although a cross-national scenario in relation to the perceived importance of sport entrepreneurship competences seems to be influenced by different institutional supports for dual career, general results showed that European athletes highly perceived the importance of such competences, confirming the substantial necessity to apply the AtLETyC action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]