Browsing by Author "Izquierdo, Mikel"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Anthropometric Characteristics, Handgrip Strength, and Upper Limb Asymmetries in Highly Trained Chilean Shot Put Para-Athletes
    (2023-08) Garcia-Carrillo, Exal; Yáñez-Sepúlveda, Rodrigo; Cortés-Roco, Guillermo; Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Izquierdo, Mikel
    Anthropometric characteristics, including body size, shape, and composition, can have a significant impact on sports performance due to their influence on various physiological and biomechanical factors. However, limited research has been conducted on the anthropometric characteristics of highly trained throwing para-athletes. The purpose of this study was to describe the anthropometric characteristics, handgrip strength, and upper limb bilateral asymmetries of highly trained Chilean shot put para-throwers. Five male Chilean shot put para-athletes (average age of 38.8 ± 7.7 years) were assessed for their anthropometric characteristics, including skinfold thickness at six anatomical sites, girth at five sites, and bone breadth at two sites. Handgrip strength and bilateral asymmetries were also measured. The body mass and height of the athletes were found to be 90.5 ± 5.1 kg and 179.1 ± 8.9 cm, respectively. The athletes were found to have an endo-mesomorph somatotype (4.4-6.9-1.0) with high levels of fat mass (25.7 ± 2.8 %) and skeletal muscle mass (39.1 ± 3.7 %). The handgrip strength of the athletes was found to be 66.4 ± 6.7 kg with a bilateral asymmetry of 6.5 ± 6.2 %, with the dominant hand showing greater strength. The results indicate that the shot put para-athletes have a somatotype characterized by increased muscularity and body fat, along with a considerable stature. Although handgrip strength was found to be high, the athletes showed bilateral asymmetry, which requires further investigation to determine the cause and implications.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effects of active exergames training on physical functional performance in older females
    (2022-02-18) Hernandez-Martínez, Jordan; Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Álvarez, Cristian; Valdés-Badilla, Pablo; Moran, Jason; Izquierdo, Mikel
    Objective: To analyze the effects of 8 weeks of an active exergames training program on walking speed, static balance, timed up-and-go test, and sit-to-stand performance in older females. Methods: Two groups of participants were formed by block-design randomization as follows: (i) control group (n=12; age, 74.1±7.9 years); (ii) 8 week exergames training group (n=13; age, 75.6±9.1 years). Training was undertaken three times per week, including athletic, bowling and table tennis exergames. Each exergame had a duration of 8 min, with 2 min of recovery between exergames. The intensity of the training sessions was controlled using the 10-point rating of perceived exertion scale. Results: Group×time interactions were observed for the 4 m walking speed test, static balance test, timed up-and-go test and the 5-repetition sitto- stand test (all p<0.01; d=0.46–0.80). Conclusion: Exergames training improve physical functional performance in older females. These results should be considered when designing appropriate and better training programs for older adults, since active exergames training it is an affordable and low-cost alternative for community centres and preventive health units working with this population.