Aymen Hawani

Background: Competitive anxiety is a critical factor influencing performance in explosive, self-paced sports such as sprinting. Although mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches are increasingly used in sport psychology, evidence for their effects in young female track athletes remains limited. Purpose: This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of an 8 week Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment (MAC) program on pre-competitive anxiety, mindfulness skills, and 200 m sprint performance in junior female sprinters. Methods: Thirty national-level junior female sprinters aged 17–18 years participated in the study. Fifteen athletes recruited from two regional clubs participated in the MAC intervention, whereas fifteen athletes recruited from a third club continued their usual training. Because intervention condition was completely confounded with club membership, differences in coaching practices, training environment, team culture, and expectancy may have contributed to between-group differences. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and an electronically timed 200-m sprint test. The intervention consisted of one 60-min group session per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Results: Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence (all p < .001). In the MAC group, cognitive anxiety decreased from 15.47 ± 1.41 to 10.07 ± 1.33, somatic anxiety decreased from 17.20 ± 2.11 to 13.80 ± 1.57, and self-confidence increased from 10.47 ± 1.68 to 16.67 ± 1.45. Significant Group × Time interactions were also observed across all five FFMQ facets, including Describing, Acting with Awareness, Non-judging of Inner Experience, Non-reactivity to Inner Experience, and Observing, with greater pre–post improvements in the MAC group than in the control group. For example, Nonjudging of Inner Experience increased in the MAC group from 19.80 ± 2.18 to 21.20 ± 2.04, whereas the control group remained unchanged (20.60 ± 1.64 to 20.60 ± 1.64). Mean 200-m sprint time decreased from 26.63 ± 0.60 s to 26.20 ± 0.54 s in the MAC group, representing a 0.43-s reduction (1.61%), whereas the control group changed from 26.68 ± 0.78 s to 26.72 ± 0.75 s (0.04 s increase). Conclusion: Participation in the 8-week MAC intervention was associated with more favorable pre-competitive psychological outcomes, changes in mindfulness facets, and faster objectively measured 200 m sprint performance in this sample of junior female sprinters. Given the quasi-experimental, club-based allocation, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary associations rather than definitive evidence of a causal effect of MAC. Randomized, adequately powered multicenter studies with active control conditions are needed to determine the specificity, durability, and mechanisms of these potential benefits.

Background: Intermittent fasting (IF) is increasingly adopted for weight and metabolic health management, yet its impact on lipid profile and physical performance in young and middle-aged men remains unclear. Aim: The present study examined the effect of a five-month (IF) on body composition, lipid profile, and physical performance. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of this eating pattern. Forty active male participants were divided into two age groups (a young group from 23 to 28 years and a middle-aged group from 46 to 59 years) and then randomly assigned to experimental (young experimental group (YE), middle-aged experimental group (ME)) or control groups (young control group, middle-aged control group). Before and after the five-month (IF) intervention (4 days per week), all participants performed the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint and the Test Blood for the determination of lipids profile. Results: Both young (YE) and middle-aged (ME) experimental groups showed significant reductions in weight ( p = 0.012 for YE and p = 0.011 for ME), body mass index (BMI) ( p = 0.011 for YE and p = 0.012 for ME) and fat-free mass ( p = 0.004 for YE and p = 0.043 for ME) compared to control groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant main effects of time and group for weight ( p < 0.001; p = 0.012), BMI ( p = 0.012; p = 0.038), and fat-free mass ( p = 0.023; p = 0.037), with significant time × group interaction for weight ( p = 0.017) and trends for BMI ( p = 0.048) and fat-free mass ( p = 0.07); no significant effects were observed for body fat percentage ( p > 0.05). In addition, our results showed that (IF) was associated with significant decrease in total cholesterol ( p = 0.004 for YE and p = 0.0024 for ME) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels ( p = 0.004 for YE and p = 0.009 for ME) in both experimental groups. Low-density lipoprotein decreased significantly only in the young IF group ( p = 0.041). However, IF did not affect triglyceride levels or physical performance. ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between time and group for HDL ( p < 0.001), with greater reductions in middle-aged participants, and a significant group effect for triglycerides ( p < 0.001), which were higher in middle-aged groups at both time points. Conclusion: These results suggest that while IF can positively influence body composition and is associated with selective changes in lipid profiles, its effects on triglycerides and physical performance may be limited. These findings underscore the need for further research to explore the long-term metabolic implications of IF, as well as potential age-related differences in response to fasting regimens.

This study investigated the effect of the motor game 'Exchequer Motor Game' (EMG) on first-grade children's Level of Geometric Thinking (LGT) and their post-learning mood tracking (PLMT). Thirty children (age 6.1 ± 0.7 years; physical education experience: 0.6 ± 0.4 years), classified at level 1 of van Hiele's geometric thinking, were randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups engaged in the Exchequer Motor Game and the Conventional Geometry Course (CGC) in a counterbalanced, randomized cross-over design. CLGT and PLMT were measured for all participants after the intervention using the Van Hiele Geometry Test (level 1) and a mood chart. For the CLGT, statistical analyses showed a significant difference in geometric thinking after EMG (p < 0.05, Hedges'g =-0.91, large effect) compared to that recorded after CGC, and revealed a significant increase in CLGT scores when switching from CGC to EMG (p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in scores when switching from EMG to CGC. Similarly, the PLMT was significantly higher after the EMG session than after the CGC session (p < 0.001) and the statistical analyses showed that there was a significant increase in PLMT scores when switching from CGC to EMG (p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in scores when switching from EMG to CGC. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that practicing the Exchequer Motor Game can positively contribute to improving the level of children's geometric thinking.

Background/Objectives: The main objective of this manuscript is to evaluate the effects of training, music, and movement intervention on motor functions, social engagement, and behaviors in autistic children. Methods: Twenty-one children with a diagnosis of mild autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with an age range of 5-to-13 years, were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n = 10) and the control group (n = 11). All participants were examined before (T0) and after the intervention (T1) to evaluate their motor functions (Bruininks–Oseretsky Motor Performance Test (BOT-2)), maladaptive behavior (RCS (Response to Challenge Scale)), and enjoyment and engagement (PACES (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale)). Results: Statistical analysis showed that music and movement intervention significantly improved motor functions such as balance and bilateral coordination (p < 0.0001), social engagement (p = 0.002), and adaptive behaviors (p = 0.005) in children with ASD. Our research supports the feasibility of music and movement intervention and documents the interest in participating in children with ASD. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the benefits of movement and music interventions and can be considered a useful way to manage autism spectrum disorders in the future.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the motor game “Treasure Game” (TG) on first-grade children’s level of geometric thinking and post-learning mood tracking (PLMT). Methods: The study employed 24 first-grade children aged 6.1 ± 0.7 years from a public primary school in Tunisia, all classified at Level 1 of van Hiele geometric thinking (GT). Participants were randomly in a counterbalanced, randomized crossover design in 2 groups and engaged in both the TG during physical education sessions and the conventional geometry course (CGC) during mathematics sessions over a 3-week period, with sessions counterbalanced to avoid order effects. The Van Hiele geometry test was administered to assess GT, and a mood chart was used to track PLMT. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (Chicago), applying paired and independent samples t-tests to compare the effects of TG and CGC on GT and mood, with significance set at P < .05 and effect sizes calculated using Cohen D and Hedges g. Results: The results indicated that the TG had a significant positive impact on both GT and PLMT in first-grade children. In group 1, there was no significant difference in GT after the CGC compared to TG; however, group 2 showed a significant improvement in GT after TG compared to CGC, with a large effect size. Additionally, PLMT scores were significantly higher after TG than after CGC in both groups, with mood scores increasing when transitioning from CGC to TG and decreasing when transitioning from TG to CGC. Overall, the data demonstrate that TG significantly enhances both cognitive and emotional outcomes in young learners compared to traditional geometry instruction. Conclusion: The study confirms that participation in the TG significantly enhances GT and improves post-learning mood in first-grade children. This suggests that integrating motor activities like TG into the curriculum could be a viable strategy for enhancing early geometric education. Further research with larger sample sizes and considerations of gender differences is recommended.

This study aimed to explore the effect of the motor game, “Clock Motor Games”, on the improvement of “Reading and Recording of Time” (RRT) in children with Grade 1 mathematical learning difficulties (MLDs). A within-school cluster-randomized intervention study was conducted with 232 children (aged 6–7 years) with limited physical education experience (0.7 ± 0.3 years). The participants were divided into two groups: a control group, which received conventional teaching on time without any additional motor activities, and an experimental group, which incorporated the concept of time with the “Clock Motor Game”, for 3 weeks. The Clock-Reading Test was administered before the intervention (T₀), immediately after each session (T₁), and five weeks after the intervention (T₂) in both groups. The results demonstrated that the experimental group exhibited significantly greater improvements in RRT performance compared to the control group (U = 4416.5; p < 0.001; r = 0.3; medium effect). Additionally, the experimental group was more likely to show progress and less likely to experience regression or stagnation compared to the control group (25% vs. 38.4%). The findings suggest that practicing “Clock Motor Games” can positively contribute to the RRT ability in children with Grade 1 MLD.

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been recently the main target in research on sports psychology. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relation between self-report measures of emotional intelligence, pre-competitive anxiety, and performance among students during the physical education exam of the high school final year. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 350 students attending the physical education exam in the year 2021–2022. Analysis of the correlations between the scores of Emotional intelligence and anxiety showed that self-confidence was positively correlated with all dimensions of Emotional intelligence (Beta = 0.524; p = 0.000). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the most related items to performance were self-confidence in a positive direction (r = 0.56; p = 0.000) and negatively with somatic anxiety (r = −0, 39; p = 0.000). Considering the Emotional intelligence subscales, hetero-emotional management was significantly positively associated with performance (p = 0.000) however emotional perception was negatively correlated with performance (p = 0.003). These results demonstrate the importance of social and emotional learning programs for improving self-confidence and better management of emotions during physical education and sports.

The feeling of pleasure during physical education (PE) could increase with physical activity participation and adherence for overweight children. While traditional games are known to have positive benefits on motor skill development, especially for children with poorer motor skills, and on the body mass of children, little is known about overweight children’s feelings of enjoyment when playing these games. To identify a program of physical activity appreciated by overweight children, we tested the effect of different activities, namely soccer (SO), shot put (SP), and traditional motor games (TMGs), on the feelings of pleasure for 28 overweight male children (aged 12.11 ± 0.63 years, BMI 26.89 ± 0.15 kg·m⁻²) participating in a 3-month cross-over study. To measure affective responses to exercises, we applied a validated feeling scale. The data were collected during eight PE lessons, which were organized for each cycle taught. Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed a significant difference (Z = −3.195, p < 0.01) between the mean feeling score reported after the SO cycle (2.48 ± 0.41) and that after the TMGs (3.04 ± 0.32). A similar significant difference (Z = −3.304, p < 0.01) was found between the mean feeling scores reported after the SP cycle (2.27 ± 0.32) and the TMGs (3.04 ± 0.32). There was no significant difference between the mean feeling scores reported after the SO (2.48 ± 0.41) and SP cycles (2.27 ± 0.32). In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that TMGs may have beneficial effects on the feelings of pleasure for overweight children. Therefore, TMGs might potentially be considered as an alternative to conventional physical activities.