Sabine Würth

Alpine Skiing With total knee ArthroPlasty (ASWAP): physical activity, knee function, pain, exertion, and well-being.

This study focused on the psychological and quality of life aspects of resuming alpine skiing practice after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in elderly skilled skiers. Two data pools were used in order to analyze psychological states: (a) at the beginning, at the end, and 8 weeks after a 12‐week skiing intervention; and (b) concerning diurnal variations of states (i.e., skiing days compared with everyday life during intervention and retention phase). In particular, effects of skiing on amount of physical activity and perceived exertion, perceived pain and knee function, and subjective well‐being were analyzed using a control group design. Results reveal that the skiing intervention substantially increases the amount of physical activity by the intervention group (122.30 ± 32.38 min/day), compared with the control group (75.14 ± 21.27 min/day) [F (2, 32) = 8.22, P < 0.01, η2 = 0.34)]. Additionally, the analyses of psychological states demonstrated that skiing goes along with enhanced well‐being and no significant impact on perceived pain, exertion or knee function. In sum, alpine skiing can be recommended for older persons with TKA with respect to well‐being, perceived pain and knee function, and perceived exertion.

Die subjektive Wahrnehmung der Trainer-Athlet-Interaktion in Individualsportarten und Mannschaftsspielen

Zusammenfassung. Am Beispiel des Nachwuchsleistungssports wird der Einfluss der aus Athletensicht wahrgenommenen Trainer-Athlet-Interaktion auf die Leistungsentwicklung und Zufriedenheit junger Sportlerinnen und Sportler in Mannschafts- und Individualsportarten dargestellt. In einer Studie uber zwei Messzeitpunkte wurden neben der subjektiven Beurteilung des Fuhrungsverhaltens (Leadership Scale for Sports; LSS) und des motivationalen Trainingsklimas (Perceived Motivational Climate in Sports Questionnaire; PMCSQ) Daten zur Zufriedenheit und Leistungsentwicklung von 212 Sportlern (76 weiblich und 136 mannlich) und deren Trainer (5 Frauen und 13 Manner) erfasst. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Trainer-Athlet-Interaktion in Abhangigkeit von der Sportart betrachtet werden muss. In Individualsportarten geht die Leistungsentwicklung mit einem hohen Mas an subjektiv wahrgenommenen Instruktionen und einem ausgepragten aufgabenorientierten Trainingsklima einher und steht in einem negativen Zusammenhang mit der beri...

Alpine Skiing With total knee ArthroPlasty (ASWAP): physical self-concept, pain, and life satisfaction.

Physical self‐concept in the elderly is assumed to be structured in terms of different domains and to contribute substantially to life satisfaction. However, little is known about the role of the physical self‐concept in older persons that are engaged in physical activity while suffering from typical age‐related impairments or chronic diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the structure of physical self‐concept in a group of older persons with total knee arthroplasty (TKA), its development throughout a 12‐week skiing intervention, and its importance to life satisfaction. Factor analyses of the present data reveal that the physical self‐concept consists of four dimensions addressing strength, flexibility/coordination, endurance, and sportiness. One higher order factor extracted by hierarchical factor analyses reflects a global physical self‐concept. The 12‐week skiing intervention had no substantial impact in terms of an improvement of self‐concept. Life satisfaction is best predicted by positive changes in the subjective ratings between pre‐ and post‐test (i.e., global physical self‐concept, flexibility and coordination, and perceived sportiness) and not by objective physical performance (isokinetic strength, endurance, or coordination). Results support the assumption that physical self‐concept of older people with TKA is only marginally sensitive to a 12‐week skiing intervention.

Sport type determines differences in executive functions in elite athletes

Objectives: Past research has indicated the significance of Executive Functions (EF) in several sports. According to the cognitive skill transfer hypothesis, training in specific cognitive tasks may have beneficial effects on related but untrained tasks. Considering the differing cognitive demands of several sports, differences in EF between sport types were addressed. Design: EF performances of elite athletes in static, interceptive, and strategic sports were compared using a cross sectional study design. Method: Austrian elite athletes (N = 184; 110 male/64 female; mean age 23.21 ± 4.48 years) of various sports conducted three tests at the starting point of their sport‐psychological consultancy, measuring inhibition and interference control (flanker task), cognitive shifting (adopted flanker task including a second task to shift response reactions) and working memory (2‐back task). Results: MANOVAs for each test indicated differences between sport types: Strategic sports revealed benefits in comparison to static sports in mean reaction times, cognitive shifting and to a certain extent working memory. Discriminant analysis clarified a significant differentiation between these three sport types considering the main scores of all three tests as independent variables. Conclusions: The results emphasize the role of EF in high‐performance sports and demonstrate that athletes differ in EF according to their individual sports. This finding suggests that the development of EF might be favored by the deliberate practice of strategic sports, and/or that EF might play a more prominent role in strategic sports. HighlightsDifferences in Executive Functions (EF) between sport types were detected.184 elite athletes of various sports conducted three tests measuring core EF.Athletes of strategic sports showed benefits on inhibition and shifting.Athletes of static sports showed worse EF performances.

Consumer-Grade Brain Stimulation Devices in Sports: A Challenge for Traditional Sport Psychology?

The implementation of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques to improve sports performance is getting more and more popular. There are, however, practical and ethical concerns about the benefits of using NIBS in sports psychology. Two studies on the efficacy of two specific NIBS devices—AVWF method and OGIRO Modulation—were conducted and revealed no obvious benefits for cognitive and mental skills and psychophysiological activity in pupils and sport students. Recommendations derived from the empirical effectiveness of NIBS for the ethical application in routine training protocols are discussed. Finally, we suggest guidelines for sports psychologists who are faced with modern technological devices.