The Effect of Judo Training on Set-Shifting in School Children

Effects of Fitlight training on cognitive-motor performance in élite judo athletes

Aims

The aims of this study were to verify if a 5-week cognitive-motor training (CMT) using FitlightsTM induced changes in young adult judo athletes compared to a non-intervention group. Specifically, it was verified if CMT influenced executive functions (EFs), physical fitness and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Additionally, athletes' competitive results were compared between groups.

Method

Twenty-seven athletes (14 males and 13 females; age = 19.5 ± 2.0 years) were assigned to the Fitlight (FG) and control (CG) groups which performed 5 weeks of CMT, respectively, including 25 min per day of Fitlight training or traditional judo practice. All participants performed cognitive (flanker task and forward/backward digit span) and fitness tests (counter movement jump, handgrip test, dynamic and isometric chin up). In addition, BDNF was collected by saliva sampling and competitive results after the intervention period were considered.

Results

RM-ANOVA showed significant differences in FG for the accuracy of flanker (p = 0.028) and backward digit span (p < 0.001). Moreover, significant differences in FG were found for relative dynamic chin up (p = 0.027) and counter movement jump (p = 0.05). In addition, a significant difference in FG was found for competitive results after the intervention period (p < 0.01).No significant differences were found for BDNF and other cognitive and fitness measures (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

A 5-week judo-specific CMT improved EFs and motor performance in élite judo athletes. It seems that CMT with Fitlight™ could be considered an additional support to coaches during the training period.

A New Developmental Approach for Judo Focusing on Health, Physical, Motor, and Educational Attributes

Judo is currently the most practiced combat sport in the world. There is no doubt of its importance for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. However, due to its inherent complexity, coaches tend to place greater or lesser emphasis only on one of its multiple domains during the judoka formative years. The present study presents a novel developmental approach signaling Judo as an excellent way for physical, motor, educational, and health development across the lifespan. In this study, we consulted 23 Judo coaches, aiming to clarify the relevance and adequacy of the domains (Competitive, Health, Technical-Tactical, and Philosophical-Educational) and phases of the proposed model. Our findings showed that the model contents-physical, motor, educational, and health-are entwined with its four domains, which were considered of utmost importance by experts in the development of judokas. We, therefore, contend that our model is essential to better understand the growth and development of young judokas. Also, it may be a useful tool for Motor Development experts.

Effect of Physical Exercise in Real-World Settings on Executive Function of Typical Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of research on physical exercise in real-world settings on executive function of typical children and adolescents.

METHODS

The CNKI, WOS, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched by computer. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included literature. Statistical analysis was performed using frequency and percentage and the χ² test.

RESULTS

A total of 49 articles was included. Acute (moderate intensity lasting 30-50 min) and long-term (interventions of moderate intensity of 30-50 min at least 3 times a week for 17 weeks or more) physical exercises in real-world settings have positive intervention effects on executive function. Furthermore, for acute interventions, closed skills are more efficient for inhibitory control, open skills are more efficient for working memory and cognitive flexibility, and open-continuous and closed-sequential skills are the most efficient; long-term interventions with open skills, sequential skills, and open-sequential skills are more effective.

CONCLUSION

Physical exercise in real-world settings has a good promotion effect on typical children and adolescents, and motor skills with open and/or sequential attributes are more helpful in improving executive function.

Improving motor skills and psychosocial behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder through an adapted judo program

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of an adapted judo program on the motor skills and psychosocial abilities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Methods

All participants had been diagnosed with ASD and were assessed twice, one time at the start of the intervention and again 6 months later, with the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) and the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition (GARS-3). A one-way repeated measures MANOVA was carried out in order to evaluate these assessments, and a mediation analysis was done to determine the relationship between them.

Results

The experimental group significantly improved (p &lt; 0.05) from the pre-test to the post-test for several subtests of the TGMD-3 and the GARS-3.

Conclusion

The study shows that participation in an adapted judo program clearly helps to improve the motor skills and psychosocial behaviors of children with ASD.

Sports, Executive Functions and Academic Performance: A Comparison between Martial Arts, Team Sports, and Sedentary Children

It is well known that curricular physical activity benefits children’s executive functions and academic performance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there is an influence of extracurricular sports on executive functions and academic performance. However, it is less known which specific types of the sport better enhance executive functions in children; to investigate this issue, this study compared the performance on executive functions tasks and academic performance in one hundred and two boys and girls with an average age of 11.84 years recruited from Italian schools and gyms (N = 102), who participated in martial arts or team sports or were sedentary children. Executive functions were measured with the tests: Attenzione e Concentrazione, Digit Span test, Tower of London, IOWA Gambling task BVN 5-11, and BVN 12-18. Results demonstrated that children practicing martial arts showed better executive functioning and higher school marks than those involved in team sports or not involved in any sports. Furthermore, participants aged 12 to 15 years old outperformed in cool and hot executive functions tasks and had a better academic performance. Thus, the present findings supported the view that regular practice of extracurricular sports enhances executive functions development and consequently influences academic performance.

Aerobic Exercise Attenuates Pain Sensitivity: An Event-Related Potential Study

In this study, electroencephalography (EEG) was utilized to explore the neurophysiological mechanisms of aerobic exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) and provide a theoretical basis for the application of aerobic exercise in pain assessment and treatment. Forty-five healthy subjects were randomly divided into moderate-intensity aerobic exercise [70% heart rate reserve (HRR)], low-intensity aerobic exercise (50% HRR), or control groups (sitting). Aerobic exercise was performed with cycling. Pressure pain threshold (PPT), heat pain threshold (HPT), event-related potential (ERP) induced by contact heat stimulus and pain scoring were measured before and after the intervention. We found that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can increase the PPT (rectus femoris: t = -2.71, p = 0.017; tibialis anterior muscle: t = -2.36, p = 0.033) and HPT (tibialis anterior muscle: t = -2.219, p = 0.044) of proximal intervention sites rather than distal sites, and decreased pain scorings of contact heat stimulus. After moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, alpha oscillation power reflecting the central descending inhibitory function was enhanced (t = -2.31, p < 0.05). Low-intensity aerobic exercise mainly reduced the pain unpleasantness rating (Block 1: t = 2.415, p = 0.030; Block 2: t = 3.287, p = 0.005; Block 4: t = 2.646, p = 0.019; Block 5: t = 2.567, p = 0.022). Aerobic exercise had an overall EIH effect. Its hypoalgesic effect was related to exercise intensity and affected by the site and type of pain stimulus. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise effectively reduced the sensitivity to various painful stimuli, and low-intensity aerobic exercise selectively inhibited the negative emotional pain response. The hypoalgesic mechanism of aerobic exercise involves the enhancement of the central descending inhibitory function.

Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children's Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.