This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the speed of performing a complex motor task carried out under conditions requiring decision-making and the sports level of the kickboxers being ...studied. The authors constructed a test involving a complex author's kickboxing task that mirrored the competitive conditions during a sports fight. Forty-seven K-1 kickboxing Polish National Team members (37 men and 10 women) performed a specific series of strikes across three variants. The relationship between the speed of these complex movement tasks, performed under decision-making conditions, and the sports level of the kickboxers, was evaluated. Deciding to start or change an action in reaction to external stimuli significantly (p < 0.001) increased the total task completion time in the male and female subject groups. The time spent deciding to take action and the time spent on deciding on the action were not significantly different. Quick execution of complex tasks under decision-making conditions, such as selecting the appropriate technical and tactical action, can become a decisive factor in determining a sports result. Making decisions to start or change an action as a reaction to external stimuli significantly (p < 0.001) extended the total time of task execution in the studied group. However, the time spent deciding to start the action and the time devoted to deciding during the action did not differ significantly. Therefore, the tactical solution an athlete uses makes no difference, though they must perform it confidently and with minimal time loss.
StreszczenieWielu autorów podkreśla znaczenie rozgrzewki. Rozgrzewka w grach zespołowych ma na celu przyspieszenie adaptacji organizmu do wysiłku fizycznego, zaktywizowanie czynności fizjologicznych ...ze stanu spoczynkowego do stanu wysiłkowego. Rozgrzewka przynosi wiele różnorodnych korzyści m.in. fizjologiczne, psychologiczne i profilaktyczne, niezależnie od klasyfikacji jakiej użyjemy. Z psychologicznego punktu widzenia rozgrzewka ma za zadanie wygenerować stan „czujności”, aktywności i gotowości oraz chęci do skutecznego działania. Stwierdzono, że zawodnicy, którzy wykonują poprawną rozgrzewkę są lepiej przygotowani psychicznie niż ci, którzy jej nie wykonują. Sportowiec po dobrze przeprowadzonej rozgrzewce subiektywnie odczuwa pewność siebie oraz uzyskuje pozytywne nastawienie do meczu. Uważa się, że rozgrzewka też może służyć jako środek do rozładowywania napięć i lęków oraz zwiększa koncentrację i motywację przed meczem. Rozgrzewka poprawia też stany emocjonalne, obniża lęk przed porażką. Dowiedziono, że rozgrzewka wykonana w odpowiednich warunkach poprawia uwagę, percepcję wizualną, precyzję działania, pewność siebie antycypację, szybkość reagowania i działania, szybkość przetwarzania i podejmowania decyzji. Z punktu widzenia fizjologicznego „rozgrzewka”, to czynności przysposabiające organizm koszykarza do wysiłku. Jest ona ważnym czynnikiem, który wpływa na efekt udziału we współzawodnictwie. Dane z piśmiennictwa dowodzą, że konieczna jest indywidualizacja rozgrzewki pod względem czasu jej trwania i intensywności. Wyróżnia się dwa rodzaje rozgrzewek: pasywną i aktywną. Rozgrzewka pasywna to taka, która jest realizowana poprzez korzystanie z gorących natrysków, kąpieli, saun, łaźni parowych lub poprzez zastosowanie masażu energetycznego. Rozgrzewka aktywna wymaga od zawodnika znacznego zaangażowania i determinacji podczas ćwiczeń przygotowujących ciało i mięśnie do wysiłku. Środki treningowe występujące podczas tej części rozgrzewki, to ćwiczenia ogólno usprawniające, wzmacniające, rozciągające, koordynacyjne i techniczno-taktyczne, działania z piłką i bez piłki.Celem poznawczym pracy było znalezienie i sformułowania możliwie najlepszej struktury rozgrzewki przedmeczowej w oparciu o współczesne piśmiennictwo. Dane te posłużyły do kreślenia „modelu” (wzorca) optymalnej rozgrzewki.Celem praktycznym było sformułowanie wskazówek dla trenerów koszykówki w tworzeniu struktury rozgrzewki z uwzględnieniem czasu trwania oraz proporcji między ćwiczeniami dynamicznymi, a statycznymi przygotowujących funkcje organizmu do gry.Materiałem badawczym było 12 zawodników płci męskiej, drużyny grającej w najwyższej klasie rozgrywek koszykówki w Polsce, w Tauron Basket Lidze. W analizie badań niezawodności gry uwzględniono 11 zawodników, gdyż jeden z nich nie brał udziału w grze i niemożliwe było ustalenie jego efektywności gry. Badana drużyna została sklasyfikowana w pierwszej piątce tabeli ligi w sezonie 2014/2015. W badaniach wykorzystano metodę obserwacja standaryzowanej, która polega na obserwowaniu osób pod kątem celu obserwacji, z uwzględnieniem ściśle określonych kategorii interesujących badacza zachowań (reakcji). Do oceny efektywności zawodników podczas meczu, wykorzystano autorski arkusz rejestracji efektów działania zawodników w oparciu o projekt Superlaka.W efekcie przeprowadzonych badań stwierdzono brak korelacji między rodzajem wykonywanej rozgrzewki przez badanych, a niezawodnością gracza w trakcie meczu. Uzyskane wyniki upoważniają, zdaniem autorów, do wyciągnięcia następujących wniosków:• W badanej drużynie Ekstraklasy wielu zawodników ominęło fazę ogólna i wykonywało tylko fazę specjalistyczną. Wystąpił podział ze względu na rodzaj wykonywanych ćwiczeń (dynamiczne, statyczne, z piłką).• Na podstawie wykonanej obserwacji, rozgrzewka wykonana przez badanych koszykarzy Ekstraklasy nie była zgodna z modelem rozgrzewki wynikającym z zaleceń piśmiennictwa i nie wpłynęła na niezawodność oraz skuteczność gracza podczas meczu.• Jako wniosek praktyczny należałoby zalecić trenerom stosowanie racjonalnych, mocno zindywidualizowanych modeli rozgrzewki. SummaryMany authors emphasize the importance of warm-up. Warm-up in team games aims at enhancing the body adaptation to the physical activity and to activate physiological functions from the rest state to the active state. Warm-up brings many different benefits, for example: physiological, psychological, and preventive, regardless of the classification of the above. From a psychological standpoint, the warm-up is performed to create the body "alertness", activity and readiness, and a willingness to act effectively. It was found that the players who perform the correct warm-up are better mentally prepared than those who do not perform it. After a well performed warm-up, the athlete is self-confident and has a positive attitude to the match. It is believed that the warm-up can also be the way to relieve tension and anxiety and to increase concentration and motivation before the match. Warm-up also improves the emotional states and reduces fear of failure. It has been verified that the warm-up, performed under appropriate conditions, improves focus, visual perception, action accuracy, self-confidence, speed and responsiveness, speed of processing and decision making. From the physiological point of view, the warm-up is an activity that adapts the basketball player’s body to an effort. It is an important factor that affects the effect of participation in the competition. Data from the literature suggest that the warm-up individualization is necessary in terms of duration and intensity. There are two types of warm-ups: passive and active. Passive warm-up is the one that is performed by using hot showers, baths, saunas, and steam baths or by using energetics massage. Active warm-up requires a lot of commitment and determination from the athlete during exercises that prepare the body and muscles for an effort. The training measures used during this part of warm-up are the general exercises that improve strength, stretch, coordination, and technical-tactical activities, and activities with the ball or without it.The cognitive purpose of the paper: was to find and develop the best possible pre-match warm-up structures based on current literature. These data were used to determine a "model" (pattern) of optimal warm-up.The practical aim was to formulate guidelines for basketball coaches to develop the warm-up structures, taking into account the duration and proportion of dynamic and static exercises that prepare the body for play.The research material was 12 male players from the basketball team playing in the top tournaments in Poland and in the Tauron Basket League.11 players were included in the play reliability study, because one of them did not participate in the play and it was impossible to determine his play effectiveness. The team was ranked in the top five of the 2014/2015 league table.The standardized observation method was used in the study. The method consisted in observing people with respect to the purpose of observation, taking into account strictly defined behavioral (reactions) categories the researchers were interested in. To evaluate the players’ effectiveness during the match, the original result sheet of the players’ performance based on the Superlak project was used.As a result of the research, no correlation between the type of warm-up performed by the respondents and the player’s reliability during the match was observed. According to authors, the results allow formulating the following conclusions:• In the Extra-class team, many of the competitors skip the general phase and performed only the specialist phase. There is a division based on the type of exercises (dynamic, static, ball).• Based on the observation made, the warm-up performed by the Extra-class basketball players did not match the warm-up model resulting from the literature recommendations and it did not affect the player's reliability and performance during the match.• As a practical proposal, trainers should use rational, highly personalized warm-up models.
Jednym z kierunków optymalizacji procesu treningowego mogą być działania wspomagające. Wspomaganie dotyczy obydwóch składowych procesu treningowego tj. treningu jak i wypoczynku. Wspomagając trening ...dążymy do zintensyfikowania obciążeń treningowych lub takiego ukierunkowania procesów adaptacyjnych, żeby były w jak największym stopniu zgodne z celami treningu. Przeciwne cele przyświecają stosowaniu metod wspomagających mechanizmy wypoczynkowe. Chodzi tu o przyspieszenie procesów regeneracji i odnowy. Pojęciem tym będziemy określać wszystkie działania zmierzające do przywrócenia pełnej zdolności wysiłkowej zawodnika po pracy. Wspomaganie psychologiczne procesu treningowego może być jednym ze sposobów minimalizacji zakłóceń treningowych, a co za tym idzie powinno być niezbędnym elementem kierowania procesem treningowym sportowców prezentujących najwyższy poziom światowy.Aby przystąpić do usprawniania systemu wspomagania psychologicznego procesu treningowego, a co za tym idzie do poprawy jakości tego systemu konieczne jest dokonanie analizy sytuacji istniejącej. Postanowiono więc zapytać członków polskiej ekipy olimpijskiej udającej się na Igrzyska Olimpijskie w Rio de Janeiro 2016’ o to, jakie sposoby relaksacji przed zawodami akceptują i stosują. Świadomie ograniczono się do technik relaksacji przed startem, gdyż potraktowano te badania jako badania pilotażowe prowadzące do całościowej identyfikacji problemu.Dlatego autorzy pracy formułowali jej cel, jako identyfikacja preferencji zachowań związanych z relaksacją przed startem członków Kadry Olimpijskiej.Aby cel pracy zrealizować postawiono następujące pytania badawcze:• Jakie sposoby relaksacji przed zawodami deklarują i akceptują badani Olimpijczycy?• Czy preferowane sposoby relaksacji przed startem można uznać za racjonalne, zaplanowane i świadomie realizowane?Jako metodę badawczą wykorzystano wywiad pisemny z użyciem ankiety wypełnianej internetowo (on-line). Badanie przeprowadzono przed Igrzyskami Olimpijskimi w Rio de Janeiro 2016’ wśród reprezentantów Polski zakwalifikowanych do udziału w tych igrzyskach. Ankieta składała się z metryczki i 10 pytań, na które respondenci odpowiadali wg skali: zdecydowanie nie zgadzam się, nie zgadzam się, nie mam zdania, zgadzam się i zdecydowanie zgadzam się. Wypełnienie ankiety było dobrowolne i całkowicie anonimowe.W badaniach wzięło 54 uczestników IO Rio de Janeiro 2016’, w tej liczbie 25 osób, to mężczyźni, a 29 osób – kobiety. Spośród badanych 43 sportowców posiadało klasę sportową MM (mistrzowską międzynarodową), a pozostałych 11 klasę sportową M (mistrzowską). Średni wiek badanych, to 27 lat i 5 miesięcy (min – 19 lat, max 38 lat), a staż treningowy średni 13 lat i 5 miesięcy (minimum 5 lat, maksimum 24 lata).W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań okazało się, że:większość badanych Olimpijczyków zna i stosuje trening wizualizacyjny jako sposób na relaksację przed startemponad 70% akceptuje i stosuje muzykę w relaksacji przedstartowejbadani Olimpijczycy bardzo sobie cenią spotkania z przyjaciółmi przed startemaż 70% badanych nie akceptuje i nie stosuje gier komputerowychbadani stosują również zabiegi fizjoterapeutyczne w celach relaksacyjnychtrzy osoby przyznały się do akceptowania alkoholu, jak środka relaksacji przez zawodami.Generalnie preferowane zachowania sprawiają wrażenie zachowań przypadkowych, nieplanowanych i niekontrolowanych. Postuluje się więc zatem, aby zarówno relaksacja przed zawodami, jak i każde działanie zaliczone do wspomagania psychologicznego było ściśle zaplanowane ze względu na realizowane cele treningowe, precyzyjnie realizowane w całym cyklu treningowym oraz kontrolowane, tak jak to się dzieje w przypadku obciążeń treningowych. AbstractSupportive activities may be one of the ways of the training process optimization. Support involves both components of the training process, i.e. training and rest. The training support is aimed at the training load increase or at such orientation of the adaptation processes to meet the training goals as closely as possible. The different aims lay behind the methods that support the rest mechanisms. It is about increasing the peace of the regeneration and recovery processes. This term describes all activities aimed at restoring the full exercise capacity of the athlete after work. The psychological support of the training process can be one of the ways to minimize training disturbances and it should therefore be an essential part of the training process management in case of the top ranked athletes.To improve the psychological support system of the training process and to improve the system quality, it is necessary to analyze the current situation. That’s why, authors of the paper decided to ask the members of the Polish Olympic team competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on types of relaxation techniques they accepted and used before the competition. The relaxation techniques were deliberately limited to the pre-start relaxation techniques as the study was treated as a pilot study dedicated to the problem identification.Therefore, the authors of the paper formulated its aim, as the identification of the pre-start relaxation preferences of the Olympic team members.The following research questions were formulated to meet the aim of the study: • What types of the pre-start relaxation techniques are declared and accepted by the Olympians?• Could the preferred pre-start relaxation techniques be considered rational, planned, and consciously implemented?A written interview with an online questionnaire was used as a research method. The study was conducted before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, among the representatives of Poland qualified for the Games. The questionnaire consisted of demographics and 10 questions answered by the respondents in accordance with the scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, and Strongly agree. The survey was voluntary and completely anonymous.The study involved 54 participants of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 25 of them were men, and 29 were women. The 43 athletes had the International Champion title, while the remaining 11 athletic had the Champion title. The average age of the respondents was 27 years and 5 months (min 19 years, max 38 years), and the training period amounted to 13 years and 5 months on average (minimum 5 years, maximum 24 years).The research results show the following:• Most of the investigated Olympians know and apply visualization training as a pre-start relaxation technique,• Over 70% of them accept and apply music during pre-start relaxation,• The Olympians are very appreciative of meeting friends before the start,• As many as 70% of respondents do not accept or use computer games,• The subjects use also physiotherapy as a relaxation technique,• Three people admitted they accept alcohol as a pre-start relaxation technique.Generally speaking, preferred behaviors seem to be accidental, unplanned, and uncontrolled. Therefore, it is recommended that both the pre-start relaxation and all psychological support activities are strictly planned in accordance with executed training objectives, accurately implemented throughout the training cycle, and controlled, as in case of training loads.
Sportowcy, trenerzy i uczeni zajmujący się sportem nieustannie pracują nad tym, aby maksymalizować tzw. formę sportową w terminie najważniejszych zawodów. Szczyt formy osiąga się zwykle wskutek ...obniżenia obciążenia treningowego we wcześniej zaplanowanym okresie przed zawodami. Taki okres „okrojonego” treningu określany jest jako tapering (taper). Tapering jest złożonym procesem, na który oddziałuje wiele czynników, między innymi objętość, intensywność oraz częstość treningu. Jeśli proces ten przebiega właściwie, to możliwe jest przygotowywanie formy szczytowej w terminie głównych zawodów. Tapering może się wiec stać jednym z najbardziej rozstrzygających czynników przygotowania sportowca do zawodów. Cel pracy i pytania badawczeBadania podjęto w ramach grantu nr RSA2 023 52, którego celem było wspomaganie sportu akademickiego. Celem pracy stało się zidentyfikowanie rodzaju i wielkości taperingu zastosowanego przez trenerów sekcji lekkoatletyki KS AZS AWF Wrocław w odniesieniu do zawodników elity, kandydujących do startów w Akademickich Mistrzostwach Świata, w Mistrzostwach Świata i Europy, a także w Igrzyskach Olimpijskich. Celem utylitarnym było opracowanie zaleceń, co do optymalnej strategii tapering.Metoda i materiał badawczyZastosowano metodę obserwacji i pomiaru. Rejestrowano obciążenia treningowe i reakcje na te obciążenia w mezocyklu bezpośredniego przygotowania startowego (BPS) w cyklu treningowym lekkoatletów w roku 2014. Badania dotyczyły dwóch grup treningowych prowadzonych przez trenerów TT i MR sekcji lekkoatletycznej AZS AWF we Wrocławiu.Materiał badawczy stanowiły zapiski trenerów, zapiski w dzienniczkach treningowych oraz notatki z pomiarów obciążeń dokonywanych bieżąco w czasie realizacji jednostek treningowych. Dane te weryfikowano poprzez dokonywanie pomiarów stężenia mleczanu i częstości tętna, co pozwoliło na kontrolę wybranych fizjologicznych efektów treningu.Najważniejsza informacja wynikająca z przeprowadzenia badań jest taka, że obaj trenerzy realizowali tapering wyłącznie w zakresie objętości treningu. W żadnym przypadku nie zmieniano częstotliwości treningów. Struktura 7-dniowego mikrocyklu została zachowana aż do dnia startu. Nie zrezygnowano z żadnej jednostki treningowej. Obaj trenerzy nigdy nie zmniejszali intensywności stosowanych środków, a nawet, poprzez pomiar czasu biegów i motywowanie zawodników, powodowali zwiększanie intensywności, czyli prędkości pokonywanych odcinków biegowych. Strategia taperingu przyjęta przez trenerów nie dotyczyła więc ani częstotliwości treningów, ani intensywności, a jedynie objętości stosowanych środków treningowych.Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników badań i ich analizy można sformułować następujące wnioski:1. Trenerzy realizują zindywidualizowane programy taperingu.2. W analizowanych przypadkach okres taperingu wynosił ok. 16 dni.3. Tapering polegał na zmniejszeniu objętości obciążenia do wartości 30-60% w zależności od rodzaju jednostki treningowej.4. Nie zmniejszano intensywności obciążenia oraz częstotliwości treningu.AbstractAthletes, coaches, and sports academics are constantly working to maximize the, so called, sports form during the most important competitions. The form peak is usually achieved by decreasing the training load in the pre-scheduled period before the competition. This period of "cut-down" training is referred to as the tapering (or the taper). Tapering is a complex process affected by the number of factors, including volume, intensity, and frequency of training. If this process is successful, it is possible to achieve the peak form at the time of the major competitions. Tapering can thus become one of the most decisive factors in preparing an athlete for a competition.Aim of the paper and research questions.The research was undertaken under the grant RSA2 023 52 aimed at supporting the academic sport. The aim of the study was to identify the type and size of tapering used by coaches from the athletic section of KS AZS AWF Wroclaw in relation to top ranked athletes competing for the Academic World Championships, World and European Championships, and the Olympic Games. The utilitarian purpose was to develop recommendations for optimal tapering strategies.Method and test materialThe method of observation and measurement was applied. The training loads and responses to these loads during the direct competing preparation mesocycle (BPS) were recorded during the athlete's training cycle in 2014. The study involved two training groups coached by the TT and MR coaches from the athletic section of AZS AWF in Wrocław.The research material consisted of coaches' recordings, training diary entries, and records of training loads measurements performed during training units. These data were verified by lactate level and pulse rate measurements, which allowed controlling the selected physiological effects of training.The most important information from the study is that both coaches performed tapering only in the volume of training. In no case did the training frequency change. The structure of the 7-day microcycle was kept until the start day. No training unit had been canceled. Both coaches had never decreased the intensity of the means used, and they even motivated the athletes by measurements of the running time to increase the intensity, i.e. the speed for the running sections. Therefore, the tapering strategy adopted by the coaches did not concern either the frequency or the intensity of trainings, but only the volume of training measures used.Based on the results of the research and their analysis, the following conclusions can be formulated:1. Trainers implement personal tapering programs.2. In the analyzed cases, the tapering period amounted to approximately 16 days.3. Tapering consisted in reducing the volume of workload to 30-60%, depending on the training unit type.4. No workload intensity and training frequency have been decreased.
Many authors emphasize the importance of warm-up. Warm-up in team games aims at enhancing the body adaptation to the physical activity and to activate physiological functions from the rest state to ...the active state. Warm-up brings many different benefits, for example: physiological, psychological, and preventive, regardless of the classification of the above. From a psychological standpoint, the warm-up is performed to create the body "alertness", activity and readiness, and a willingness to act effectively. It was found that the players who perform the correct warm-up are better mentally prepared than those who do not perform it. After a well performed warm-up, the athlete is self-confident and has a positive attitude to the match. It is believed that the warm-up can also be the way to relieve tension and anxiety and to increase concentration and motivation before the match. Warm-up also improves the emotional states and reduces fear of failure. It has been verified that the warm-up, performed under appropriate conditions, improves focus, visual perception, action accuracy, self-confidence, speed and responsiveness, speed of processing and decision making. From the physiological point of view, the warm-up is an activity that adapts the basketball player’s body to an effort. It is an important factor that affects the effect of participation in the competition. Data from the literature suggest that the warm-up individualization is necessary in terms of duration and intensity. There are two types of warm-ups: passive and active. Passive warm-up is the one that is performed by using hot showers, baths, saunas, and steam baths or by using energetics massage. Active warm-up requires a lot of commitment and determination from the athlete during exercises that prepare the body and muscles for an effort. The training measures used during this part of warm-up are the general exercises that improve strength, stretch, coordination, and technical-tactical activities, and activities with the ball or without it. The cognitive purpose of the paper: was to find and develop the best possible pre-match warm-up structures based on current literature. These data were used to determine a "model" (pattern) of optimal warm-up. The practical aim was to formulate guidelines for basketball coaches to develop the warm-up structures, taking into account the duration and proportion of dynamic and static exercises that prepare the body for play. The research material was 12 male players from the basketball team playing in the top tournaments in Poland and in the Tauron Basket League. 11 players were included in the play reliability study, because one of them did not participate in the play and it was impossible to determine his play effectiveness. The team was ranked in the top five of the 2014/2015 league table. The standardized observation method was used in the study. The method consisted in observing people with respect to the purpose of observation, taking into account strictly defined behavioral (reactions) categories the researchers were interested in. To evaluate the players’ effectiveness during the match, the original result sheet of the players’ performance based on the Superlak project was used. As a result of the research, no correlation between the type of warm-up performed by the respondents and the player’s reliability during the match was observed. According to authors, the results allow formulating the following conclusions: • In the Extra-class team, many of the competitors skip the general phase and performed only the specialist phase. There is a division based on the type of exercises (dynamic, static, ball). • Based on the observation made, the warm-up performed by the Extra-class basketball players did not match the warm-up model resulting from the literature recommendations and it did not affect the player's reliability and performance during the match. • As a practical proposal, trainers should use rational, highly personalized warm-up models.
Supportive activities may be one of the ways of the training process optimization. Support involves both components of the training process, i.e. training and rest. The training support is aimed at ...the training load increase or at such orientation of the adaptation processes to meet the training goals as closely as possible. The different aims lay behind the methods that support the rest mechanisms. It is about increasing the peace of the regeneration and recovery processes. This term describes all activities aimed at restoring the full exercise capacity of the athlete after work. The psychological support of the training process can be one of the ways to minimize training disturbances and it should therefore be an essential part of the training process management in case of the top ranked athletes. To improve the psychological support system of the training process and to improve the system quality, it is necessary to analyze the current situation. That’s why, authors of the paper decided to ask the members of the Polish Olympic team competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on types of relaxation techniques they accepted and used before the competition. The relaxation techniques were deliberately limited to the pre-start relaxation techniques as the study was treated as a pilot study dedicated to the problem identification. Therefore, the authors of the paper formulated its aim, as the identification of the pre-start relaxation preferences of the Olympic team members. The following research questions were formulated to meet the aim of the study: • What types of the pre-start relaxation techniques are declared and accepted by the Olympians? • Could the preferred pre-start relaxation techniques be considered rational, planned, and consciously implemented? A written interview with an online questionnaire was used as a research method. The study was conducted before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, among the representatives of Poland qualified for the Games. The questionnaire consisted of demographics and 10 questions answered by the respondents in accordance with the scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, and Strongly agree. The survey was voluntary and completely anonymous. The study involved 54 participants of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 25 of them were men, and 29 were women. The 43 athletes had the International Champion title, while the remaining 11 athletic had the Champion title. The average age of the respondents was 27 years and 5 months (min 19 years, max 38 years), and the training period amounted to 13 years and 5 months on average (minimum 5 years, maximum 24 years). The research results show the following: • Most of the investigated Olympians know and apply visualization training as a pre-start relaxation technique, • Over 70% of them accept and apply music during pre-start relaxation, • The Olympians are very appreciative of meeting friends before the start, • As many as 70% of respondents do not accept or use computer games, • The subjects use also physiotherapy as a relaxation technique, • Three people admitted they accept alcohol as a pre-start relaxation technique. Generally speaking, preferred behaviors seem to be accidental, unplanned, and uncontrolled. Therefore, it is recommended that both the pre-start relaxation and all psychological support activities are strictly planned in accordance with executed training objectives, accurately implemented throughout the training cycle, and controlled, as in case of training loads.
Supportive activities may be one of the ways of the training process optimization. Support involves both components of the training process, i.e. training and rest. The training support is aimed at ...the training load increase or at such orientation of the adaptation processes to meet the training goals as closely as possible. The different aims lay behind the methods that support the rest mechanisms. It is about increasing the peace of the regeneration and recovery processes. This term describes all activities aimed at restoring the full exercise capacity of the athlete after work. The psychological support of the training process can be one of the ways to minimize training disturbances and it should therefore be an essential part of the training process management in case of the top ranked athletes. To improve the psychological support system of the training process and to improve the system quality, it is necessary to analyze the current situation. That’s why, authors of the paper decided to ask the members of the Polish Olympic team competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on types of relaxation techniques they accepted and used before the competition. The relaxation techniques were deliberately limited to the pre-start relaxation techniques as the study was treated as a pilot study dedicated to the problem identification. Therefore, the authors of the paper formulated its aim, as the identification of the pre-start relaxation preferences of the Olympic team members. The following research questions were formulated to meet the aim of the study: • What types of the pre-start relaxation techniques are declared and accepted by the Olympians? • Could the preferred pre-start relaxation techniques be considered rational, planned, and consciously implemented? A written interview with an online questionnaire was used as a research method. The study was conducted before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, among the representatives of Poland qualified for the Games. The questionnaire consisted of demographics and 10 questions answered by the respondents in accordance with the scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, and Strongly agree. The survey was voluntary and completely anonymous. The study involved 54 participants of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 25 of them were men, and 29 were women. The 43 athletes had the International Champion title, while the remaining 11 athletic had the Champion title. The average age of the respondents was 27 years and 5 months (min 19 years, max 38 years), and the training period amounted to 13 years and 5 months on average (minimum 5 years, maximum 24 years). The research results show the following: • Most of the investigated Olympians know and apply visualization training as a pre-start relaxation technique, • Over 70% of them accept and apply music during pre-start relaxation, • The Olympians are very appreciative of meeting friends before the start, • As many as 70% of respondents do not accept or use computer games, • The subjects use also physiotherapy as a relaxation technique, • Three people admitted they accept alcohol as a pre-start relaxation technique. Generally speaking, preferred behaviors seem to be accidental, unplanned, and uncontrolled. Therefore, it is recommended that both the pre-start relaxation and all psychological support activities are strictly planned in accordance with executed training objectives, accurately implemented throughout the training cycle, and controlled, as in case of training loads.
Many authors emphasize the importance of warm-up. Warm-up in team games aims at enhancing the body adaptation to the physical activity and to activate physiological functions from the rest state to ...the active state. Warm-up brings many different benefits, for example: physiological, psychological, and preventive, regardless of the classification of the above. From a psychological standpoint, the warm-up is performed to create the body "alertness", activity and readiness, and a willingness to act effectively. It was found that the players who perform the correct warm-up are better mentally prepared than those who do not perform it. After a well performed warm-up, the athlete is self-confident and has a positive attitude to the match. It is believed that the warm-up can also be the way to relieve tension and anxiety and to increase concentration and motivation before the match. Warm-up also improves the emotional states and reduces fear of failure. It has been verified that the warm-up, performed under appropriate conditions, improves focus, visual perception, action accuracy, self-confidence, speed and responsiveness, speed of processing and decision making. From the physiological point of view, the warm-up is an activity that adapts the basketball player’s body to an effort. It is an important factor that affects the effect of participation in the competition. Data from the literature suggest that the warm-up individualization is necessary in terms of duration and intensity. There are two types of warm-ups: passive and active. Passive warm-up is the one that is performed by using hot showers, baths, saunas, and steam baths or by using energetics massage. Active warm-up requires a lot of commitment and determination from the athlete during exercises that prepare the body and muscles for an effort. The training measures used during this part of warm-up are the general exercises that improve strength, stretch, coordination, and technical-tactical activities, and activities with the ball or without it. The cognitive purpose of the paper: was to find and develop the best possible pre-match warm-up structures based on current literature. These data were used to determine a "model" (pattern) of optimal warm-up. The practical aim was to formulate guidelines for basketball coaches to develop the warm-up structures, taking into account the duration and proportion of dynamic and static exercises that prepare the body for play. The research material was 12 male players from the basketball team playing in the top tournaments in Poland and in the Tauron Basket League. 11 players were included in the play reliability study, because one of them did not participate in the play and it was impossible to determine his play effectiveness. The team was ranked in the top five of the 2014/2015 league table. The standardized observation method was used in the study. The method consisted in observing people with respect to the purpose of observation, taking into account strictly defined behavioral (reactions) categories the researchers were interested in. To evaluate the players’ effectiveness during the match, the original result sheet of the players’ performance based on the Superlak project was used. As a result of the research, no correlation between the type of warm-up performed by the respondents and the player’s reliability during the match was observed. According to authors, the results allow formulating the following conclusions: • In the Extra-class team, many of the competitors skip the general phase and performed only the specialist phase. There is a division based on the type of exercises (dynamic, static, ball). • Based on the observation made, the warm-up performed by the Extra-class basketball players did not match the warm-up model resulting from the literature recommendations and it did not affect the player's reliability and performance during the match. • As a practical proposal, trainers should use rational, highly personalized warm-up models.
Wykonanie treningu Fran powoduje istotne zmiany w homeostazie sportowca. Czas trwania wysiłku wykazuje bardzo słabą korelację ze stażem treningowym. Największą korelację czasu wysiłku ze zmierzonym ...parametrem wykazuje aktywność kinazy kreatynowej przed wysiłkiem. Ta zależność sugeruje, że próby najszybciej wykonują osoby stale intensywnie trenujące. Badani osiągali HR max w około pierwszej minucie wysiłku i utrzymywali podobną wartość do końca trwania próby. Stężenie mleczanu 3 minuty po wysiłku średnio wynosiło 16,8 mmol/l, co klasyfikuje workout do wysiłków kwasomlekowych. Kilkuminutowy, intensywny trening miał wpływ na uszkodzenia włókien mięśniowych 4 i 24 godziny po wysiłku.
Athletes, coaches, and sports academics are constantly working to maximize the, so called, sports form during the most important competitions. The form peak is usually achieved by decreasing the ...training load in the pre-scheduled period before the competition. This period of "cut-down" training is referred to as the tapering (or the taper). Tapering is a complex process affected by the number of factors, including volume, intensity, and frequency of training. If this process is successful, it is possible to achieve the peak form at the time of the major competitions. Tapering can thus become one of the most decisive factors in preparing an athlete for a competition. Aim of the paper and research questions. The research was undertaken under the grant RSA2 023 52 aimed at supporting the academic sport. The aim of the study was to identify the type and size of tapering used by coaches from the athletic section of KS AZS AWF Wroclaw in relation to top ranked athletes competing for the Academic World Championships, World and European Championships, and the Olympic Games. The utilitarian purpose was to develop recommendations for optimal tapering strategies. Method and test material The method of observation and measurement was applied. The training loads and responses to these loads during the direct competing preparation mesocycle (BPS) were recorded during the athlete's training cycle in 2014. The study involved two training groups coached by the TT and MR coaches from the athletic section of AZS AWF in Wrocław. The research material consisted of coaches' recordings, training diary entries, and records of training loads measurements performed during training units. These data were verified by lactate level and pulse rate measurements, which allowed controlling the selected physiological effects of training. The most important information from the study is that both coaches performed tapering only in the volume of training. In no case did the training frequency change. The structure of the 7-day microcycle was kept until the start day. No training unit had been canceled. Both coaches had never decreased the intensity of the means used, and they even motivated the athletes by measurements of the running time to increase the intensity, i.e. the speed for the running sections. Therefore, the tapering strategy adopted by the coaches did not concern either the frequency or the intensity of trainings, but only the volume of training measures used. Based on the results of the research and their analysis, the following conclusions can be formulated: 1. Trainers implement personal tapering programs. 2. In the analyzed cases, the tapering period amounted to approximately 16 days. 3. Tapering consisted in reducing the volume of workload to 30-60%, depending on the training unit type. 4. No workload intensity and training frequency have been decreased