Background: Maintaining physical activity (PA) throughout the lifespan is crucial for overall health. Purpose: This study aimed to identify if organised sports (OS) can mitigate the age-related decline in PA among children and adolescents during five years of follow-up. Methods: The Swiss population-based SOPHYA cohort included participants aged 6-16 years at SOPHYA1 (2014) with complete accelerometer data from baseline and follow-up (SOPHYA2, 2019). Information on sex, age, BMI, and sociodemographic factors were collected by self-report. Participation in OS was calculated by linkage with the Youth and Sports (Y+S) database as the number of days participating in OS during the follow-up period. Participants were categorised as improvers or worseners based on counts per minute (CPM) and minutes in moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA). Participants who maintained or increased their PA in the respective domain were considered improvers. A generalised linear model examined the relationship between OS participation, baseline characteristics, and the probability of becoming a PA improver. Results: The analysis included 432 participants. There was a strong decline in CPM and MVPA from 2014 to 2019. The prevalence of improvers was 22.5% for CPM and 9.5% for MVPA. Participation in OS between 2014 and 2019 was positively associated with CPM and MVPA improvement. For 30 additional days of participation in OS, the log odds of being an improver vs. being a worsener increased by about 3.9% for CPM (p=0.04) and by about 6.1% for MVPA (p=0.03). Conclusions: As organised in the Swiss national Y+S program, OS partially counteracts age-related PA decline from childhood to young adulthood. Practical implications: This finding underscores the relevance of population-level OS promotion with specific attention to girls and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds who are at a higher risk of PA decline. Funding: Swiss Federal Office of Sport, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Health Promotion Switzerland.
Background: This study examines genetic variations in the systemic oxygen transport cascade during exhaustive exercise in physically trained tactical athletes. Research goal: To update the information on the distribution of influence of eleven polymorphisms in ten genes, namely ACE (rs1799752), AGT (rs699), MCT1 (rs1049434), HIF1A (rs11549465), COMT (rs4680), CKM (rs8111989), TNC (rs2104772), PTK2 (rs7460 and rs7843014), ACTN3 (rs1815739), and MSTN (rs1805086)—on the connected steps of oxygen transport during aerobic muscle work. Methods: 251 young, healthy tactical athletes (including 12 females) with a systematic physical training history underwent exercise tests, including standardized endurance running with a 12.6 kg vest. Key endurance performance metrics were assessed using ergospirometry, blood sampling, and near-infrared spectroscopy of knee and ankle extensor muscles. The influence of gene polymorphisms on the above performance metrics was analyzed using Bayesian analysis of variance. Results: Subjects exhibited good aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max): 4.3 ± 0.6 L min−1, peak aerobic power: 3.6 W ± 0.7 W kg−1). Energy supply-related gene polymorphisms rs1799752, rs4680, rs1049434, rs7843014, rs11549465, and rs8111989 did not follow the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Polymorphisms in genes that regulate metabolic and contractile features were strongly associated with variability in oxygen transport and metabolism, such as body mass-related VO2 (rs7843014, rs2104772), cardiac output (rs7460), total muscle hemoglobin content (rs7460, rs4680), oxygen saturation in exercised muscle (rs1049434), and respiration exchange ratio (rs7843014, rs11549465) at first or secondary ventilatory thresholds or VO2max. Moderate influences were found for mass-related power output. Conclusions: The posterior distribution of effects from genetic modulators of aerobic metabolism and muscle contractility mostly confirmed prior opinions in the direction of association. The observed genetic effects of rs4680 and rs1049434 indicate a crucial role of dopamine- and lactate-modulated muscle perfusion and oxygen metabolism during running, suggesting self-selection in Swiss tactical athletes.
Einleitung und Problemstellung Ausgehend von einer sich rasant entwickelnden Sportwelt (Digitalisierung, Professionalisierung) stellen sich für Bildungsinstitutionen im Sportbereich Fragen zur Passung der sportwissenschaftlichen Ausbildung zu den benötigten Kompetenzen in Sportberufen. Die aktuelle Forschung – wie z. B. durch Mrkonjic et al. (2022) für das Feld des Sportmanagements – untersucht, welche Kompetenzen in aktuellen Arbeitstätigkeiten oder Berufen nachgefragt sind und formulieren daraus auch Empfehlungen für Bildungsinstitutionen. Während für die Bildungsinstitutionen, im Besonderen für die Fachhochschulen, primär die Berufsbefähigung im Zentrum steht (FH Schweiz, 2018), interessiert die Studierenden aber auch die Chance auf eine Anstellung. Dafür ist aus der Sicht eines Abgängers oder einer Abgängerin nicht nur die Berufsbefähigung per se relevant, sondern auch, ob in den avisierten Berufen überhaupt Stellen angeboten werden. Mit diesem Beitrag wird deshalb das Arbeitsmarktangebot beleuchtet. Im Zentrum dieser Arbeitsmarktanalyse steht die Frage, welche Stellen für Hochqualifizierte, d. h. für Akademiker/innen im Jahr 2022 im Sportbereich in der Schweiz angeboten wurden. Analysiert wird, wie viele Stellen in welchen Berufen und welchen Bereichen (z. B. Verbände, Ämter, private Unternehmen) ausgeschrieben worden sind und welche konkreten Aufgaben in einer solchen Stelle zu übernehmen sind. Zudem wird auch ein Blick auf die in den Stellenbeschreibungen integrierten verlangten Kompetenzen geworfen. Methodik Für diese Arbeitsmarktanalyse werden sämtliche ausgeschriebenen Stellen im Bereich Sport erfasst. In den Suchalgorithmus eingeschlossen sind dabei nur solche Stellen, die für Akademiker/innen also für Personen mit einem sportwissenschaftlichen Hochschulabschluss relevant sind. Damit werden z. B. Stellen als Verkäufer/in im Sportdetailhandel oder als kaufmännische Angestellte in einem Sportamt nicht berücksichtigt. Ebenfalls nicht mitanalysiert werden Stellen als Sportlehrpersonen, weil hierfür eine spezifische Berufsbefähigung an einer pädagogischen Hochschule erworben werden muss und ein sportwissenschaftliches Studium nicht ausreicht. Mit spezifischen Stichworten und Suchbegriffen werden ausgewählte Job-Plattformen wöchentlich abgesucht. Die relevanten Informationen werden aus den Stelleninseraten in eine Datenbank übertragen. In einem Piloten wurde das Vorgehen während zwei Monaten (Juni und Juli 2021) mit einer rückwirkenden Suche getestet und anschliessend verfeinert und optimiert. Seit Februar 2022 läuft die Datenerhebung. Ergebnisse An der Tagung werden die Ergebnisse der Datenerhebungen von Februar bis Dezember 2022 präsentiert und diskutiert. Während der Pilotphase im Sommer 2021 wurden bereits von n = 155 Stellenausschreibungen Inhalte gesammelt. Rund die Hälfte der Stellen (n = 76; 49%) wurden von Verbänden, 19% von Vereinen (n = 29) und 17% im Bereich Sportmanagement (n = 27) ausgeschrieben. Weniger häufig ausgeschrieben waren Stellen in der öffentlichen Verwaltung (n = 12; 8%) und von Stiftungen (n = 11; 7%). Die häufigsten genannten Aufgaben waren: Trainingsleitung, Projektmanagement und Administration, gefolgt von Aufgaben im Marketing, bei der Weiterentwicklung von Organisationen, Konzepten oder Projekten, im Support und der Betreuung von Kunden. Im Zentrum der gesuchten Kompetenzen standen mehrheitlich überfachliche Kompetenzen wie Kommunikations-, Organisations- und Planungsfähigkeiten. Literatur FH Schweiz (2018). Das FH-Profil. Letzter Zugriff am 28.10.2022 unter https://www.fhschweiz.ch/fh-profil. Mrkonjic, M., Pillet, F., Weber, A., Burk, W., Dinner, K., Lang, M., Mendes Fonseca, D., & Bayle, E. (2022). Sportmanagement in der Schweiz. Analyse der Arbeitsstellen und Kompetenzen. Magglingen: Bundesamt für Sport BASPO.
Introduction The Swiss Armed Forces have released a fitness app for personalised physical training that takes into account the current endurance performance. This is done by means of an integrated digital self-test of physical performance. The Cooper test (12-minute run), which is widely used in the military setting, is too long for the digital selftest. This study aims to investigate whether a self-paced 4-minute all out outdoor run (4Minmax run) is a valid method to assess endurance performance for personalised training planning in the app. Methods On the same day, the subjects completed a 4Minmax run on a flat 300 m circular track and a maximal exercise test (VO2max-Test) using a graded protocol (figure 1). Average speed was calculated from the 4Minmax run (v4Min), the relative maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and the maximum speed (vend) from the VO2max-Test. Maximum heart rate (HRmax) was measured during the 4Minmax run and the VO2max-Test. Respiratory gases were analysed during the VO2max-Test using a mixing chamber (Cosmed srl, Rome, Italy). Pearson correlations and linear regressions were used to test whether v4Min predicted vend and the relative VO2max. Two regression analyses were performed separately for women and men. Results Table 1 shows the descriptive statistics of the 4Minmax run and the VO2max-Test of the 18 subjects. In both men and women, vend and v4Min were strongly correlated (r = 0.79, p = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.424 - 0.934 and r = 0.974, p = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.647 - 0.998, respectively; figure 2). Also the VO2max and the v4Min were strongly correlated in men and in women (r = 0.742, p = 0.004, 95% CI: 0.324 - 0.918 and r = 0.897, p = 0.039, 95% CI: 0.073 - 0.993, respectively; figure 3). The linear regression model of the relative VO2max explained by the v4Min was statistically significant in women (adjusted R2 = 0.74, F(1,3) = 12.41, p = 0.039) and in men (adjusted R2 = 0.51, F(1,11) = 13.504, p = 0.004). The regression equation for women was: VO2max [ml*min-1*kg-1] = -28.792+5.758 (v4Min [km*h-1]). The regression equation for men was: VO2max [ml*min-1*kg-1] = -21.627+4.709*(v4Min [km*h-1]). Conclusion The performance in the 4Minmax run can accurately estimate both VO2max and vend with a slightly higher adjusted R2 between v4Min and vend than between v4Min and VO2max. As the VO2max is comparable to reference values, it is recommended to calculate the estimated VO2max from the 4Minmax run to assess the endurance performance in the digital self-test. The regression equation for women should be further investigated with a larger number of subjects and should therefore be used with caution. Military Impact The Swiss Armed Forces offer their recruits and soldiers a digital solution for physical training before and between military service. The digital performance test implemented in this application, which can be carried out independently, regardless of time and place, and without any special equipment, enables the generation of a personalised physical training. The 4Minmax run is a promising solution to assess the endurance performance and is an alternative to conventional laboratory and field tests.
In military service, marching is an important, common, and physically demanding task. Minimizing dropouts, maintaining operational readiness during the march, and achieving a fast recovery are desirable because the soldiers have to be ready for duty, sometimes shortly after an exhausting task. The present field study investigated the influence of the soldiers' cardiorespiratory fitness on physiological responses during a long-lasting and challenging 34 km march.; Heart rate (HR), body core temperature (BCT), total energy expenditure (TEE), energy intake, motivation, and pain sensation were investigated in 44 soldiers (20.3 ± 1.3 years, 178.5 ± 7.0 cm, 74.8 ± 9.8 kg, body mass index: 23.4 ± 2.7 kg × m-2, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak): 54.2 ± 7.9 mL × kg-1 × min-1) during almost 8 hours of marching. All soldiers were equipped with a portable electrocardiogram to record HR and an accelerometer on the hip, all swallowed a telemetry pill to record BCT, and all filled out a pre- and post-march questionnaire. The influence of aerobic capacity on the physiological responses during the march was examined by dividing the soldiers into three fitness groups according to their $\dot{\rm{V}}$O2peak.; The group with the lowest aerobic capacity (VO2peak: 44.9 ± 4.8 mL × kg-1 × min-1) compared to the group with the highest aerobic capacity (VO2peak: 61.7 ± 2.2 mL × kg-1 × min-1) showed a significantly higher (p
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting containment measures had and still have a profound impact on everyday life. Both the fear of infection and the imposed restrictions can have biopsychosocial consequences. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether there is a difference in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of primary school children in 2014/15 compared to in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The present study included 1,712 children aged 5 to 11 years who either participated in the baseline assessment of the SOPHYA cohort study in 2014/15 or were newly recruited during follow-up of the cohort in 2020. In both surveys, the children invited for participation were identified based on registry data. HRQoL was assessed with the validated KINDL-R questionnaire, which scores HRQoL along six different dimensions. RESULTS: The overall scores (82.4 [81.8; 83.0] vs. 79.6 [79,1; 80.2]), and in particular the emotional well-being scores (85.6 [84.6; 86.6] vs. 83.3 [82.4; 84.2]), were lower during the year of the pandemic (2020) compared to the survey year 2014/15. The highest decrease between 2014/15 and 2020 in the adjusted models was seen for the youngest age group (–3.9 points), followed by children from families with a high income (–3.2 points), girls (–3.1 points), Swiss citizens (–3.1 points) and children from the German-speaking part of Switzerland (–3.1 points). HRQoL was particularly low during periods with restrictions and at the height of the COVID-19 waves in 2020. CONCLUSION: The SOPHYA-study showed that HRQoL, and especially emotional well-being, was lower in 5 to 11-year-old children in Switzerland during the first year of the pandemic compared to the results from the survey conducted in 2014/15. In the year of the pandemic, the scores were lowest at the height of the COVID-19 waves and their associated restrictions. As it cannot be distinguished whether fear of the disease itself or the restrictions caused this decrease in HRQoL, containment policies should keep COVID-19 infections as low as possible, but still enable children to profit from protective factors such as leisure activities, physical activity and social contact.
We tested whether objectively assessed neighbourhood characteristics are associated with moderate-to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cycling in Swiss children and adolescents and assessed the mediating role of the perception of the environment.; The cross-sectional analyses were based on data of 1306 participants aged 6-16 years of the population-based SOPHYA study. MVPA was measured by accelerometry, time spent cycling and the perceived environment by questionnaire. Objective environmental parameters at the residential address were GIS derived. In all analyses, personal, social and environmental factors were considered.; MVPA showed significant positive associations with perceived personal safety and perceived access to green spaces but not with respective objective parameters. Objectively assessed main street density and shorter distance to the next public transport were associated with less cycling in adolescents. Parents' perceptions did not mediate the observed associations of the objectively assessed environment with MVPA and cycling.; Associations between the environment and physical activity differ by domain. In spatial planning efforts to improve objective environments should be complemented with efforts to increase parental sense of security.
Youth+Sport (Y+S) is the largest sports promotion program, run by the Swiss Federal Office of Sport. The program was launched in 1972 and has been continuously developed ever since. Y+S subsidizes sports clubs with more than 100 Million Swiss Francs every year. In addition to direct financial support for sports courses and camps, the program structure is based on two other pillars: training of sports coaches and provision of rental material for courses and camps. Until now, there is no scientific evaluation looking for mechanisms of the program. Because the program management has set itself the goal of making more evidence-based decisions, an evaluation system is currently being set up with the main purpose of optimizing Y+S. The article discusses the Contribution Analysis – a hardly known method in sports science. In this theory-based approach, mechanisms for possible impacts of Y+S are postulated based on scientific theories. These mechanisms are checked for plausibility by means of research results, expert assessments and, if necessary, by own evaluation studies. In the best case, the plausible impact mechanisms show how sport affects the target groups and quantifies the contribution of Y+S. The focus of interest is on the program's contribution to lifelong sports activities, personality development and benefits for society as a whole, such as mass sports development and volunteering in sport.
