Journal of Asian Paralympic Movement (Humanistic Approach to Sport and Exercise Studies)

Visual impairment significantly impacts physical activity participation, often leading to reduced fitness levels among affected individuals. This study aims to compare the physical fitness characteristics of male and female goalball athletes aged 14-20 years, a critical developmental period for performance enhancement. A total of 100 athletes (50 male, 50 female) were assessed for strength, endurance, power, flexibility, and balance through various standardized tests. Results indicated significant differences in hand grip strength, medicine ball throw distance, vertical jump, and balance, with males outperforming females (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in push-up and sit-up performance, suggesting comparable endurance capabilities across genders. These findings underscore the necessity for gender-specific training regimens to address identified disparities, particularly in strength and power. The study contributes to a limited body of literature on the physical fitness of goalball players and highlights implications for inclusive training strategies that enhance athletic performance regardless of gender. Future research should explore the correlation between physical fitness attributes and on-court performance metrics to further inform coaching practices.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of swimming training on negative emotional states in male university students. Male university students aged 18 to 25 were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (15 people) or a control group (15 people). Negative emotional states were tested using the depression, anxiety, and stress scales (DASS) (Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995). Differences over time between the experimental and control groups were assessed by 2×2 (group by time) repeated-measures analysis of variance. The mean scores of depression, anxiety, and stress significantly improved post-intervention in both groups, but the level of significance was higher in the experimental group. Therefore, it can be said that swimming training had a significant impact on improving negative emotional states in male university students. So, swimming training and the use of physical and sports activities for young people can help to improve and reduce the level of negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, and stress in these people and even strengthen positive emotions in them.

Several metabolic changes caused by regular exercise, can lead to adaptive mechanisms in athletes. These changes create a new dynamic balance that ensures better performance. On the other hand, because most studies on changes in the metabolic profile of the blood have been conducted in male athletes, this study investigated the effects of different exercise conditions on reactive oxygen species (ROS), adiponectin, and subjective mood in female athletes. A cohort of 30 females, 20 professional players (10 target shooters and 10 basketball players), and 10 sedentary females as control group were enrolled in the study. Capillary blood samples and the Brunel Mood Scale questionnaire (BRUMS) were collected at noon before the training session. ROS and adiponectin were determined by the ELISA method. To compare among groups, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test were used at the significance level of P<0.05. Physiological evaluations showed a significant high level of adiponectin in basketball players (p=0.005). The anger subscale in the basketball group had a significant increase compared to other groups (p=0.04). The tension subscale exhibited a higher level in the shooting group than in the control group. (p=0.017). Regarding the vigor subscale, there was no significant difference in experimental groups, and there was a significant difference in the non-athlete group (control) (p=0.001). Basketball, being a team sport, exhibits a greater degree of aggression in contrast to shooting, which is classified as an individual sport. More focus of coaches on adjusting in another sport with non-competitive and non-confrontational features to reduce anger is suggested.

Over the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in the study of using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the effect of a 6-week AI-generated core stability training program on balance and flatfoot in blind female students. This quasi-experimental study selected 30 female students aged 9-12 years with flatfoot in Tehran City, dividing them into two groups: one for experimental (N = 15) and another for control (N = 15). The experimental groups had six weeks of AI-based intervention with three sessions per week. During this period, the control group engaged in the routine activities of the physical education class. The navicular drop index and Y balance test were done as pre-posttest, respectively. The Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for inferential statistics. Data analysis was conducted at a significance level of 95% with an alpha level less than or equal to 0.05. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in the scores of the Y balance test (p<0.035) and the navicular drop test (p<0.001), even when the pre-test effect was taken into account (covariate). By leveraging AI to design tailored exercise regimens, practitioners can enhance postural control and musculoskeletal health in visually impaired individuals. These results underscore the potential of AI-assisted rehabilitation strategies in special education settings, highlighting the need for further researc

As people get older some may experience reduced mobility and more physical challenges that can affect their quality of life negatively. The research focused on investigating how two different types of training programs sensori-motor and Otago affect the abilities, functional balance and overall well being of men.This study was semi-experimental. This research included 45 men aged 65 to 70 who were selected in an accessible and purposeful and then randomly divided into three groups.. With 15 individuals, in each group, for sensorimotor training group the Otago training group and a control group. Respective exercise groups underwent a total of 24 training sessions done in 8 weeks. To measure abilities and being impact effectively, in this study various assessment methods were used such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPBB) tests together with time up and go (TUG) evaluations besides implementing SF36 quality of life survey questionnaire. ANOVA and paired sample t-tests were done for data analysis with a significance level set at p≤ 0.05 using SPSS software version 23. The outcomes showed a Significant different, in groups prior and post exercise experimental (p=0.001). Significant variations were noted in the test results when comparing the sensorimotor and Otago groups to the control group at a significance level of p=0.001 for inter group comparisons; whereas no notable variations were observed among the groups during the pre test phase.Both sensorimotor and Otago exercises effectively enhance physical performance, functional balance, and quality of life in elderly men. Since no significant difference was found between the two experimental groups, it can be concluded that either type of exercise can be beneficial for improving these aspects of

Abstract Background and Objectives: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face mobility challenges compared to their typically-developing peers. ASD is characterized by significant communication impairments and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Motor difficulties, including impaired balance, gait, slower movement speeds, delayed motor development, coordination issues, and exaggerated movements, are commonly associated with ASD, affecting 21% to 100% of individuals. Moreover, individuals with ASD often struggle with recognizing and assessing stressful situations, leading to heightened stress responses. They typically respond faster to fear, experience high levels of self-perceived stress, and find it difficult to cope with everyday stressors. Sensitivity to stress may be linked to dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in increased fatigue and fatigability. Studies have shown that skills taught through explicit methods tend to be less robust in demanding situations such as fatigue, psychological stress, and multi-tasking. Consequently, less prescriptive approaches like analogy learning have been suggested. Analogies help learners grasp new concepts by relating them to familiar, similar concepts. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of analogy learning and explicit learning on javelin-throwing performance in individuals with ASD and compare the effectiveness of both methods. Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with one control group. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics