Sport psychology is becoming a bona fide field of study, although specialists have yet to come to terms with their own definitions. While practitioners stick mostly to performance enhancement and emotional control, researchers range the field. Eventually research is expected to yield information that will help physicians get their patients…

To establish the net energy cost of dribbling a soccer ball, eight males ran on a treadmill while dribbling a ball against a rebound box. Oxygen uptake, perceived exertion, and blood lactate levels were measured and compared with results from subjects running without dribbling. Results are discussed. (Author/DF)

Recorded activity level was not related to parental perception of activity level and did not differentiate children with differing behavioral styles. Parental perceptions of activity level significantly differentiated children's behavioral style. (Author/RH)

Results indicate a significant genetic component for activity level in twins rivaling that found for intelligence. (Author)

Validated the Godin-Shephard questionnaire for assessing habitual activity in pre-pubertal children, evaluating the physical activity of female competitive gymnasts and recreational non-gymnasts age 7-11 years over 15 months. Based upon comparison with multiple single day measures of activity, the Godin-Shephard questionnaire did not provide a…

Describes the Perceived Intensity-Level Assessment Task (PILAT), an instructional tool designed as an assessment device to help students feel various intensity levels and properly code themselves as they jump rope in a regular physical education class. The paper highlights justification for its use, instructional uses and procedures, instructional…

Discusses exercise adherence from the perspective of adhering to an exercise treatment in a controlled trial, focusing on: adherence (to intervention and measurement); the development of randomized clinical trials; exemplary randomized clinical trials in exercise science (exercise training studies and physical activity interventions); and study…

Proposes a paradigm shift in physical activity prescription which involves: an idiographic approach; preferred exertion rather than a given percent of maximum in the prescription of exercise intensity; and purposeful physical activity. A summary of 10 cases is presented, revealing adherence figures ranging from 5 to 79 years. Adherence of 100…

An active lifestyle is important in helping overweight people both lose and manage their weight. Exercise has many health benefits beyond weight control. The traditional exercise prescription of regular bouts of continuous vigorous exercise may need modification to increase rates of adoption and compliance, with people needing encouragement to…

The purpose of this study was to compare the percentages of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in soccer games with different team sizes. Twenty-two university physical education majors evenly divided between males and females volunteered for the study. Students were blind to the purpose of the study. Data were collected over three…

In rural communities, physical activity may influence and predict nutritional behaviors. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if an individual's stage of participation in moderate physical activity was related to select measures of a healthy diet. Data were collected using a mail-in survey from a random sample conducted in the…

The authors sought to determine whether a greater academic incentive would improve the effectiveness and student adherence to a 12-week voluntary exercise program designed to decrease students' percentage of body fat. They randomly assigned 210 students to 1 of 2 groups with different academic reward structures. The group with the greater reward…

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggest at least 30 min of moderate physical activity at least 5 days a week or 20 min of vigorous physical activity at least 3 days a week. The overall aim of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of a web-based intervention--one that relied on…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine overweight students' perceptions of and experiences in physical education. Specifically, the applicability of learned helplessness as a framework to understand their experiences was explored. Participants were seven female and five male high school students whose body mass index was at or higher…

This study examined change in binge eating symptoms reported by moderately overweight adolescents following participation in a behavioral weight control intervention. A total of 194 adolescents across two randomized controlled trials participated. Adolescents in both study samples endorsed a mild level of binge eating symptoms at baseline. Results…