PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week gluteus medius strengthening exercise on back pain, balance, and strength in female office workers with low back pain. METHODS The participants of this study were female office workers aged 30 to 48 years old who reported low back pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 3 to 7. Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to the exercise (n=13) and control (n=13) groups. The study applied a gluteus medius strengthening program to the exercise group for 8 weeks, three times a week, and 60 minutes per session. The participants in the control group were asked to maintain their normal life patterns during the period of intervention. Data collected from the test were analyzed through repeated two-way ANOVA, paired t-test, and independent t-test. RESULTS First, there has been a significant decrease in the pain level, as evidenced by VAS and Korean oswestry disability index (KODI) scores. Second, there was a statistically significant improvement in both static and dynamic balance capabilities. Last, back strength also significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS Application of the gluteus medius strengthening exercise appears to be effective for low back pain, static and dynamic balance capabilities, and back strength.
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effects of continuous exercise and the accumulation of short-duration exercise for 12 weeks on body composition, physical fitness, and lifestyle disease indices in overweight men in their 30s. METHODS Participants in the continuous exercise group (CE; n=13) performed a circuit exercise program of 30 min/session, 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks. Participants in the accumulation of short duration exercise group (ASE; n=12) performed the same exercise time of 30 min per day, divided into three sessions of 10 min. Body composition, physical fitness, and lifestyle disease indices were measured pre- and post-test and were compared by utilizing a repeated two-way ANOVA. RESULTS 1) Regarding body composition, body weight, body mass index, skeletal muscle mass, waist circumference, and fat mass decreased significantly, while hip circumference increased significantly in the CE group. Waist circumference and skeletal muscle mass decreased significantly, while hip circumference increased significantly in the ASE group. 2) Regarding physical fitness, right grip strength, sit and reach, sit up, and maximal oxygen uptake increased significantly in both groups. 3) Regarding hypertension indices, there were no significant differences in both groups, but they showed a tendency to improve. 4) Regarding hyperlipidemia indices, triglycerides (TG) decreased significantly in both groups, and total cholesterol (TC) decreased significantly in the CE group. 5) Regarding diabetes indices, there were no significant differences in both groups, but a tendency to improve was noticed. 6) Regarding arteriosclerosis indices: TG/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio decreased significantly in both groups, and the TC/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio decreased significantly in the CE group. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that both the accumulation of short duration exercise and continuous exercise can be effective in improving body composition, physical fitness, and lifestyle disease in overweight men.
PURPOSE This study aimed to: 1) compare the differences in static lower-extremity alignment (SLEA) between female ballet dancers (BD) and non-ballet dancers (NBD); 2) investigate the differences among gesture leg (GL) and supporting leg (SL) in BD and dominant leg (DL) in NBD; and 3) compare limb asymmetry between groups. METHODS Twenty-nine female BD and 20 NBD were recruited for this study. The quadriceps, tibiofemoral, rearfoot, and genu-recurvatum angles, tibial torsion and varum, and navicular drop height were measured. An independent t-test was conducted to compare SLEA and limb asymmetry between groups. One-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post-hoc tests were performed to determine the differences among the GL, SL and DL. RESULTS BD showed lower quadriceps and rearfoot angles, less tibial varum and navicular drop, and greater tibiofemoral angle (p<.005) than NBD. BD showed less quadriceps angle asymmetry but greater tibial torsion asymmetry (p<.01) than NBD. GL and SL in BD showed differences in quadriceps, tibiofemoral, rearfoot angle, tibial torsion and navicular drop compared to NBD. CONCLUSIONS Repetitive dance movements can transfer varying forces to the GL and SL, potentially contributing to SLEA asymmetry. An intervention strategy that can reduce SLEA asymmetry in BD is needed, as is the identification of elements of ballet training that contribute to maintaining a normal SLEA.
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effect of an ankle strap on kinetic variables of the lower limb during forward jump landing. METHODS Twelve healthy adult men (mean age, 23.58±2.22 years; mean height, 177.83±5.37 cm; mean weight, 75.00±7.72 kg) participated. The participants stood barefoot on both legs at a horizontal distance of 40% of their body height from the center of the force plate, then jumped forward and landed on the force plate with their dominant or non-dominant leg over a 30-cm hurdle while wearing or not wearing an ankle strap. Joint angle, peak vertical force, loading rate, and leg stiffness were calculated. Paired t-test and repeated-measures two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni’s post hoc tests were used to compare the characteristics of both lower limbs and the effect of wearing an ankle strap. The significance level was α < .05 RESULTS Our results showed significant differences in kinematic variables between the dominant and non-dominant legs without the ankle strap. With the ankle strap, the inversion angles at the ankle joints of both lower extremities were significantly decreased, and an interaction effect between both legs and the ankle strap occurred in the internal rotation angle of the ankle joint. Kinetic variables did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS The ankle strap did not completely compensate for ankle instability in the non-dominant leg, but it significantly reduced the angle of internal rotation at the ankle joint. Thus, we recommend that correct wearing of the ankle strap in sports since it reduces the possibility of lateral ankle sprains to some extent.
PURPOSE This study aimed to extract football coaches’ categories of performance evaluation factors (PEF) and examine the reflective characteristics of the football coaches’ player and casting judgments. METHODS PEF were extracted through an open-ended questionnaire and categorization from 80 AFC C or higher football coaches. Reflection was calculated in player and casting judgments through an analytic hierarchy process. The difference between the football coaches’ player and casting judgments was examined using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS First, the PEF of football coaches were categorized into four general categories: physical intelligence, psychological intelligence, growth potential, and competition intelligence. Second, the importance of football coaches’ player judgments were reflected by the PEF as football intelligence, situation judgment, football talent, tactical understanding, tactical operation, etc. The importance of the casting judgment were reflected by the PEF as tactical understanding, mediative skills, fitness, tactical operation, situation judgment, etc. Third, a statistically significant difference was noted between player and casting judgments. Football coaches tended to value growth potential and talent as sub-factors in the player evaluations. Football coaches’ PEF were aligned with the importance of player and casting judgments in psychological and competition intelligence as sub-factors such as skills, physical, attitude, passion, etc., but differed from physical intelligence and growth potential as sub-factors including mediative skills, physical, football talent, and tactical understanding. CONCLUSIONS In the football coaches’ player evaluations, the idealistic principle centered on growth potential. However, in the casting evaluation, the realistic principle centered on victory takes effect.
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the effects of motion analysis and image training using self-modeling with visual cues on the skill performance, imagery, and sports confidence of adolescent female soccer players. METHODS The participants were elite soccer players from two girls’ high school soccer teams divided into an experimental group (D girls’ high school, n=16) and a control group (I girls’ high school, n=13). The experimental group underwent motion analysis and image training when performing penalty kicks, short kicks, and long kicks using self-modeling with visual cues, while the control group underwent training using self-modeling videos without visual cues. Before and after the training, the evaluation score was calculated according to kick performance, and the imagery and sports confidence factors were measured. For the statistical analysis of all collected data, descriptive statistics, the Friedman test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance were used. RESULTS First, on the motion analysis using self-modeling with visual cues, the experimental group’s penalty kick and short kick scores were improved and differed significantly, but no significant change was noted in long kick score. Second, as a result of image training using self-modeling with visual cues, all visual, kinesthetic, mood, and controllability factors of the experimental group improved except for the auditory factor, and the interaction effect was confirmed. In addition, the stated sports confidence of the experimental group was improved and the interaction effect confirmed. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of kick motion using self-modeling with visual cues was effective for the penalty kicks and short kicks of adolescent female soccer players. Moreover, this study confirmed that the analysis of kick motion improved the visual, kinesthetic, mood, and controllability sub-factors of imagery and significantly affected the players’ stated sports confidence.
PURPOSE This study aimed to verify the influence of imposter syndrome tendencies in athletes on their achievement goal orientation, and regulatory focus. METHODS Data collected from 413 athletes through surveys were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0 and AMOS version 21.0 to assess reliability and validity, conduct independent sample t-tests, perform correlation analysis, and conduct multiple regression analyses. RESULTS The findings revealed significant sex-based differences in imposter syndrome tendencies, achievement goal orientation, and regulatory focus. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between sub-factors of imposter syndrome, achievement goal orientation, and regulatory focus. Imposter syndrome tendencies had varying effects on achievement goal orientation, with the discount factor significantly influencing approach orientation, the fake factor significantly affecting avoidance orientation, and fear factors significantly impacting self-avoidance. Additionally, imposter syndrome tendencies influenced regulatory focus, as the discount factor significantly affected both promotion focus and prevention focus, while fake and fear factors significantly influenced prevention focus. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the importance of athletes' imposter syndrome tendencies as significant contributors to psychological variables related to motivation, including achievement goal orientation and regulatory focus.
PURPOSE This study focuses on the experiences of novice tennis enthusiasts in Korea, aligning with the rising popularity of tennis as a burgeoning cultural phenomenon. METHODS Employing an ethnographic approach, we included eight participants with <5 years of tennis, in addition to three auxiliary participants. RESULTS The primary findings of this study are as follows: First, novice tennis players from the MZ generation actively employ tennis as a means of personal expression, sharing their tennis-related fashion and experiences on SNS. Second, most novice tennis players report a sense of detachment from the traditional club-centric tennis culture, gravitating toward casual court usage, spontaneous activities, and flexible membership structures. F inally, despite their modest technical proficiency, they avidly engage in knowledge-based consumption, displaying a profound grasp of tennis-related information. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide valuable insights into comprehending this burgeoning cultural phenomenon in Korean society, stemming from the escalating interest in tennis, and can serve as a valuable benchmark for establishing development strategies for tennis.
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility PR message appeals employed by professional sports teams. METHODS The authors categorized message appeals into self-benefit inclusion and self-benefit exclusion, and evaluated their impact in both public and private evaluation contexts. A 2 (beneficiary message appeal: self-benefit inclusion vs. selfbenefit exclusion) × 2 (message evaluation: public vs private) design model was employed. Data were collected from 165 respondents at a major university in Korea and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. RESULTS The findings revealed that team loyalty was higher among individuals exposed to self-benefit inclusion messages than those exposed to self-benefit exclusion messages. Additionally, an interaction effect was observed between beneficiary message appeal and message evaluation. Specifically, the self-benefit appeal message was more effective when individuals had lower public self-image concern, while the self-benefit exclusion message was more effective when public self-image concerns were higher. CONCLUSIONS Team loyalty was found to be significantly higher in private evaluation situations for self-benefit inclusion messages, whereas, for self-benefit exclusion messages, the impact of public evaluation situations on team loyalty was greater than in private evaluations.
PURPOSE This study aimed to identify and establish ESG activity assessment factors tailored for sports brands, offering a foundational framework for fostering sustainability within the sports industry. METHODS A Delphi survey was conducted between December 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, involving university professors, sports brand executives, ESG researchers, sports marketing majors , a nd sports brand influencers. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 24.0 and MS Excel, encompassing research subject classification, consistency verification, and empirical analysis. RESULTS The assessment of ESG activity evaluation factors of sports brands revealed that governance, social, and environmental dimensions ranked in descending order of relative importance. Among specific evaluation criteria, the adoption of employee ethics regulations was deemed paramount in the governance evaluation area, while support for stakeholder welfare and social well-being took precedence in the social evaluation category. In the environmental sector, the production and delivery of eco-friendly, durable products held the highest significance. Further analysis, considering the weighted priorities of all evaluation factors, emphasized the importance of factors, such as the adoption of employee ethics regulations, support for stakeholder welfare, social well-being, and the production and delivery of eco-friendly, durable products. Conversely, disclosure of company information and issues, support for the underprivileged, and general shareholders' meeting or agenda for the protection of shareholders' rights and interests ranked lower. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study validates the role of governance (G) aspects within ESG activities for sports brands, alongside environmental and social dimensions. It highlights the importance of a balanced ESG framework, particularly in an era marked by heightened social responsibility awareness among consumers. Prioritizing governance in marketing strategies not only distinguishes sports brands but also necessitates impactful promotion and advertising efforts.
