Journal of Motor Control and Learning
Volume:4 Issue: 4, Autumn 2022

Baseball pitchers experience a high rate of injury to the elbow joint which may be prevented through proper warm-up techniques. However, few studies have investigated the effect of baseball-specific warm-ups on muscle activity during pitching. This study aimed to compare the muscle activity differences that occurred during pitching with and without the utilization of a J-Band warm-up.

Fourteen male colligate baseball pitchers volunteered to complete two separate bullpen sessions; one following a standard warm-up and one following a J-Band warm-up. Muscle activity of the triceps brachii and serratus anterior was recorded and independent sample t-tests were run to compare peak and mean muscle activity differences between the two pitching sessions.

Average muscle activity was higher in the triceps brachii during pithing following the completion of a J-Band warm-up (p = 0.047, d = 0.336). There were no other statistically significant differences in the triceps brachii or serratus anterior.

A J-band warm-up elicits higher average muscle activity in the triceps brachii in subsequent pitching. Given the stabilizing role of the triceps, this may lead to a reduction in pitching-related injuries.

The speed and accuracy of performance are affected by various factors, including mental fatigue. The current study investigated the effect of two durations of 15 and 30 minutes of mental fatigue on the speed and accuracy of throwing performance in skilled men handball players.

The present study was semi-experimental with the participation of 45 skilled players (24.98 ± 3.66 years) who were randomly assigned to 15-minute, 30-minute mental fatigue, and the control group. Mental fatigue was induced by the Stroop task, and the accuracy of the throwing, Hit percent, and speed of performance were measured before and after the induction of mental fatigue. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measure.

Throwing speed and accuracy, as well as the Hit percent, decreased in both groups after 15 and 30 minutes of mental fatigue (P<0.05). In the two groups of 30 and 15 minutes of mental fatigue, no significant difference was observed in the decrement of throwing accuracy (P<0.05).

The impact of mental fatigue goes beyond specialized technical performance in a sport, and any decline in performance due to mental fatigue is likely related to motivational issues. Also, mental fatigue causes attention to be diverted from target stimuli to stimuli that are irrelevant to task performance, leading to a reduced capacity to tight control over the primary task. To protect the accuracy of performance in tasks requiring speed, the mental activity of the athlete should be avoided before the performance.

Consolidation in motor memory depends on various factors. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of physical exercise (PE (combined with motor imagery (MI) and self-talk (ST) on motor memory consolidation in adolescents.

The participants were 45 unskilled right-handed young males (13 ± 1.8 years), randomly divided into three groups of PE, ST + PE, and MI + PE. After the pre-test participants practiced finger overhead passing and forearm passing for 3 sessions on three consecutive days. The acquisition test was performed immediately after the last training session and the retention one a week after that.

The results of ANOVA with repeated measures indicated that all three groups had experienced consolidation. We found that better performance means of the combined ST+PE group with that of the MI+PE one and the PE group (P = 0.005). Comparing motor performance indicated that the combined ST group, more than the other two groups, and the combined MI group experienced more enhancements in consolidating their motor memory than the PE group (P = 0.005).

Overall, these findings indicated the importance of ST in improving motor memory consolidation.

The present study aims to determine whether motor skill intervention children sustained fundamental motor skill proficiency after one year of follow-up.

The study was carried out among 39 girls (5.31± 0.23 yrs.) and boys (5.23 ± 0.2 yrs.) preschoolers without any previously-identified health problems. Participations were randomized to motor skill intervention with physical education specialists (N=19) and a control group that performed ordinary preschool physical activity (N=20). The TGMD-2 was used to measure children's FMS. The intervention was implemented 2 days a week for 12 months. Data were collected and analyzed in 12 months’ follow-up to examine the long-term effect of motor skill intervention on FMS.

Using repeated measure MANCOVA with gender covariate showed that participation in motor skill intervention was more improvement in locomotor and object control skills during both post-test and follow-up. In the control group, children developed locomotor skills, but object control in this group did not improve significantly (p>0.01).

The results of this study illustrate that FMS not only requires natural growth and maturity for its development but also requires constant interaction with the stimuli coming from the educational program and especially environmental object control skills equipment in preschools.

With the increase in obesity and overweight statistics, it will be difficult to implement many movement skills from childhood. Among these skills, fundamental movement skills which are known as prerequisites for specialized skills need special attention. The purpose of the present research is to investigate the effect of core stability training on fundamental motor skills in overweight and obese girls.

This research is of a quasi-experimental type. After school selection randomly and after initial screening, 30 girls’ students of 7 years (15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) were selected who were in the obese and overweight categories based on body mass index. Students Object Control and locomotor skills in the pre-test and post-test were assessed using Gross Motor Development Test 2 (TGMD2). The method of the present study was experimental and its design was pretest-posttest with a control group .

One-way analysis of covariance showed that core stability exercises can improve the fundamental motor skills of overweight and obese students.

According to the findings of this study, by designing and implementing core stability exercises in primary schools, it is possible to help improve the fundamental motor skills (locomotor and ball skills) of children, especially children with motor deficits due to overweight and obesity.

Having an additional impairment similar to Down Syndrome (DS) might increase defects in motor development in people with intellectual impairments (II) and, therefore, affect their physical fitness and body composition. Thus, this study compared the physical fitness and body composition of people with II who did not have additional impairments with those who had additional impairment.

This cross-sectional study included N= 272 young people with II, aged 18 to 30 (19.67 ± 2.66 years). According to Wechsler Intelligence Test, their IQ was in the range of 55 to 70. Participants were allocated purposefully to three different II groups, including II without additional disabilities (n= 90), II with DS (n= 89), and II with other disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy (CP), ADHD, Hydrocephaly, Microcephaly, Speech Disorders, or Behavioral Disorders (n= 93). Eurofit Battery Tests assessed physical fitness, and body composition was measured by Biospace (In Body 230).

The results of one-way ANOVA showed significant differences in all physical fitness factors among the three groups (P ≤ 0.05), except for the endurance of abdominal muscles (P= 0.463). There were significant differences in BMI, body fat percentage, and body fat mass among the three II groups (P≤0.05), but not in skeletal muscle mass nor in the waist to hip ratio (WHR) among groups (P>0.05).

People with II who also have DS have the lowest physical fitness and exhibit a weaker body composition than their peers with other impairments or without additional impairment. Improving and maintaining physical fitness have to become a critical part of care and support for these people.