Exercise slows or helps reverse the shrinkage of key cognitive brain regions such as the hippocampus, which is important for information processing, learning, reasoning and planning. For this reason, ...it is thought that regular exercise of individuals, especially during adolescence, which is considered one of the most important processes of development, can increase their performance in areas where cognitive activities are at the forefront. Cross-country skiing, one of the leading branches of winter sports, has a much more complex structure, unlike the branches that are widely preferred today (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.) and is a branch where many motor skills are exhibited at the same time For this reason, the effect of cross-country skiing, which is defined as more complex and difficult in terms of biomotor than other branches, on cognitive activities is a matter of curiosity. Therefore, the aim of the research is; to examine the cognitive effects of cross-country skiing exercise. The study involved 54 (26 male, 28 female) adolescents who had no prior experience in any licensed sports. The average age of the participants was determined as 12.61 ± 1.32. The participants were divided in experimental and control groups. Reaction performances were determined using the ÇAĞIN Hand and Foot Reaction Tests, selective attention performances were evaluated using the Flanker Test and academic achievement was determined using the e-Okul system. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant group × time interactions for hand and foot simple, selective, discriminative reaction time, selective attention and academic achievement (p < 0.05) due to improved values at post-test for the experimental group but not for the control groups. No significant group × time interactions were observed for correct reaction rate for all reaction parameters (p > 0.05). The study concludes that the cross-country skiing exercise, which was applied to adolescents for eight weeks, had a positive impact on the parameters of reaction, selective attention and academic achievement. Therefore, parents are suggested to encourage their children to exercise and engage in sports practices like cross-country skiing to improve cognitive and academic performance during adolescence.
In football, diet has a highly important role in the development of performance. Assessing the nutrition-related knowledge of footballers and increasing their awareness may affect their health and ...performance. In this study, which was carried out for this purpose, whether the Mediterranean diet had an effect on the gastrointestinal health of professional footballers was investigated. The sample of the study included a total of 196 active licensed male footballers who were professional players in the 2nd and 3rd football leagues of Turkey. The mean age of the participants was 23.46±4.18 and their mean experience in licensed football was 11.73±5.07 years. The adherence of the participants to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, while the frequencies of gastrointestinal symptoms were examined using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. The data were transferred to the SPSS 26.0 program and analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Analysis, Independent-Samples T-Tests, One-Way ANOVA and descriptive statistics. According to the results of the analyses, no significant relationship was found between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and gastrointestinal symptoms (p>0.05). While the gastrointestinal symptom scores of the participants did not vary significantly based on their league tiers or positions (p>0.05), their Mediterranean diet adherence scores varied significantly based on their league tiers (p<0.05). Consequently, it was determined that the adherence of the participants to the Mediterranean diet increased as their league tier increased, but adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not create any positive or negative effect on their gastrointestinal system symptoms.
The aims of this study is to examine the effects of caffeine intake in sprinters on reaction time, speed, acceleration and balance. A total of 31 sprinters (18 female, 13 male) from the athletics ...team of university faculty of sports sciences participated in the study. Sprinters were divided into two groups, caffeine and placebo, and their balance, reaction time, 30-meter running time and 15-meter acceleration performances were measured. The Wilcoxon t-Test and the Mann-Whitney U test were applied to the data obtained on the SPSS 23.0 package program. As a result of the study, the number of errors in the balance test decreased significantly in both the experimental group and the control group while a significant decrease was observed in block takeoff reaction time only in the experimental group. In conclusion, it was determined that while caffeine intake did not have a significant effect on acceleration and running times, block take off reaction time created a significant difference in the experimental group and could provide an advantage to the sprinters. Therefore, it can be said that caffeinated gum may be a good ergogenic aid to improve reaction performance in sprinters.
The present study aims to examine the relationship between the self-efficacy and cognitive flexibility of karate referees. A total of 138 referees, 88 male and 50 female, working in the Turkish ...Karate Federation participated in the study. The mean age of the referees was 38.09±13.43 years, mean body weight was 74.33±13.46 kg, mean height was 170.23±8.09 cm, and mean active refereeing period was 9.95±8.84 years. The Referee Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Myers et al. (2012) and adapted into Turkish by Karaçam and Pulur (2017) as well as the Cognitive Flexibility Scale developed by Bilgin (2009) were applied to the referees. Independent Samples T-test, One-Way ANOVA test, Pearson correlation test and descriptive statistics were applied to the data obtained. According to the results of the Pearson correlation analysis, a significant positive correlation was found between the referees' self-efficacy and cognitive flexibility levels (p<0.05). The results of the independent samples t-test showed that there was a significant difference in the level of self-efficacy between the males and females (p<0.05). Moreover, self-efficacy level was found to be significant in relation to refereeing class (p<0.05). In conclusion, it was determined in the study that the self-efficacy levels of the karate referees increased in parallel with their cognitive flexibility levels, the male participants had higher self-efficacy levels compared to the female participants, and self-efficacy levels increased in parallel with refereeing class.
Bu araştırmanın amacı; karate hakemlerinin öz yeterlikleri ile bilişsel esneklikleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. Araştırmaya Türkiye Karate Federasyonu’nda görev yapan 88 erkek ve 50 kadın olmak üzere toplam 138 hakem katılmıştır. Hakemlerin yaş ortalaması 38.09±13.43 yıl, vücut ağırlığı ortalaması 74.33±13.46 kg, boy uzunluğu ortalaması 170.23±8.09 cm, faal hakemlik süreleri ise 9.95±8.84 yıl olarak tespit edilmiştir. Hakemlere Myers ve ark. (2012) tarafından geliştirilen, Karaçam ve Pulur (2017) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanmış Hakem Öz Yeterlik Ölçeği ve Bilgin (2009) tarafından geliştirilen Bilişsel Esneklik Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen verilere Bağımsız Gruplar T-testi, Tek Yönlü ANOVA testi, Pearson korelasyon testi ve tanımlayıcı istatistikler uygulanmıştır. Pearson korelasyon analizi sonucuna göre hakem öz yeterlilik seviyesi ile bilişsel esneklik düzeyi arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir (p<0.05). Bağımsız gruplar t-testi sonuçlarında ise öz yeterlilik seviyesinde erkeklerin kadınlara göre anlamlı bir farklılık gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir (p<0.05). Bunun yanı sıra öz yeterlik seviyesi hakemlik klasmanına göre de anlamlı bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Sonuç olarak, yapılan çalışmada karate hakemlerinin öz yeterlik seviyeleri arttıkça bilişsel esneklik düzeylerinin arttığı, erkeklerin kadınlara oranla öz yeterlilik seviyelerinin yüksek olduğu ve klasman arttıkça öz yeterlilik seviyesinin de yükseldiği tespit edilmiştir.
The present study aims to determine and comparatively examine the relationship between the self-efficacy and decision-making styles of wrestling referees. In the research, the relational screening ...model, one of the quantitative models, was used, and the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in sampling selection. A total of 106 man referees, 77 national and 29 international, participated in the study. The mean age of the participating referees was 39.18±7.60 years, and the mean years of wrestling refereeing was 13.62±7.53 years. The decision-making styles of the wrestling referees were measured using the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and their self-efficacy was measured using the Referee Self-Efficacy Scale. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of the scales were determined as 0.78 for the Melbourne Decision Making Scale and 0.92 for the Referee Self-Efficacy Scale. The data obtained were transferred to the SPSS 26.0 program and the Pearson Correlation Analysis, Independent Samples T-Test, One-Way ANOVA and descriptive statistics were applied. According to the findings of the study, there was a significant positive correlation between the self-efficacy scores of the referees and their self- esteem in decision-making and careful decision-making scores, and a significant negative correlation between the suspensive and panic decision-making scores (p<0.05). In conclusion, it was determined that as referee self-efficacy increased, the level of self-esteem in decision-making and careful decision-making increased, and the level of suspensive and panic decision-making decreased.
Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and meaning of life levels of students studying in the faculty of sports sciences. Method: The research was ...conducted on 2018-2019 SUBU Faculty of Sport Sciences students using relational screening model. A total of 152 students, 44 females and 108 males, selected by simple sampling, participated in the research. As a data collection tool, “Cognitive Flexibility Scale" developed by Bilgin (2009a), “Meaning of Life Scale” developed by Steger, Frazier, Oishi and Kaler (2006) and translated by Demirdag and Kalafat (2015) and “Personal Information Form” were used. Parametric tests were applied to the data showing normal distribution. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent groups t-test and Pearson correlation analysis. Findings: The students' cognitive flexibility and meaning of life subscale scores did not differ significantly according to gender and sporting status (p gt; .05). There was no significant relationship between cognitive flexibility scores and age of students (p gt; .05). There was a positive correlation between age and existing meaning (p lt;.05), but there was no significant relationship between age and meaning (p gt; .05). Conclusion: While there was a positive correlation between cognitive flexibility scores and existing meaning (p lt;.05), there was no significant relationship between cognitive flexibility scores and wanted meaning (p gt; .05).
