The general purpose of this study was to examine multiple sources of parental influences on adolescents' physical activity motivation and behavior using Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991) as the main theoretical framework. More specifically, this study attempted to develop and verify a Model of Parental Influences in the context of physical activity. It was hypothesized that the predicted relationships in the model would be significant and in the expected direction. A questionnaire, composed of several validated scales, that assessed: physical activity motivation, physical activity behavior and perceptions of parental influence, was administered to 829 ninth grade physical education students from the Ottawa, Canada region. Results from a recursive path analysis consisting of two multiple regressions revealed that perceived parental motivation towards physical activity, perceived parental involvement in their physical activities and perceived parental autonomy support in the context of physical activity significantly influenced adolescents' physical activity motivation. Results also revealed that perceived parental expectations with regards to physical activity and adolescents' physical activity motivation were significant predictors of their physical activity behavior. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

La presente etude vise a analyser et ameliorer la comprehension de certains aspects relatifs aux pratiques de sante et d'activite physique d'un groupe de femmes cheffes de familles monoparentales. L'etude a consiste a interviewer 7 femmes cheffes de familles monoparentales francophones du Quebec qui vivent dans des conditions socio-economiques precaires. Le protocole de recherche utilise une approche qualitative fondee sur des principes feministes et postmodernistes (Harding, 1991; Rail, 1998). La cueillette et l'analyse des donnees se sont deroulees selon des techniques empruntees a l'ethnographie et la socio-phenomenologie. NUD-IST. Enfin, la forme narrative a ete employee lors de la redaction afin de se coller le plus fidelement possible, a la parole des participantes. Les resultats ont ete divises en cinq chapitres: (a) la monoparentalite, (b) la perception de la sante, (c) les pratiques de sante, (d) les contraintes aux pratiques de sante et (e) les manifestations des contraintes aux pratiques de sante. De facon generale, les participantes reconnaissent l'importance d'une bonne sante mais s'adonnent a peu de pratiques de sante et d'activite physique. Plusieurs obstacles ont ete mentionnes a cet egard. Les limites reliees a l'education et l'emploi, le fardeau des responsabilites familiales, les conflits avec l'ex-conjoint, les politiques sociales deficientes et les elements repressifs de l'environnement social sont apparus comme des contraintes indirectes aux pratiques de sante et d'activite physique. De plus, d'autres types de contraintes affectent leur participation de facon plus directe: le manque de temps, le manque de ressource financiere, l'interiorisation forcee d'une ethique du soin et le surmenage. Les resultats de l'etude ont mene a quelques recommandations qui pourraient permettre d'accroitre la participation des femmes cheffes de familles monoparentales a diverses pratiques de sante et d'activite physique.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the ankle supports chosen were able to provide increased resistance to inversion, as measured by moment of force, without limiting plantar flexion or dorsiflexion. Resistance to inversion moment of force was measured on an isokinetic dynamometer (KinCom) in passive mode, for six support conditions (low-top (LT) and midcut (MC) shoes with semi-rigid and flexible orthoses). The braces used were the Active Ankle T1 Trainer (AA) and the Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis (ASO). The shoes were ASICS Gel Airier volleyball shoes in low-top and midcut models. It was found that there was a significant difference in resistance to inversion moment of force mean, between the MC alone and the LT with AA. It was concluded that the best support condition was the combination of LT and AA. It decreased sagittal range of motion the least and provided increased force to resist inversion as compared to the control condition (LT). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Studies have shown the importance of focusing skills at the elite level. For example, Orlick and Partington (1988) found that attentional focus was one of the two most important skills related to high level performance at the Olympic games. However there has been minimal research investigating how athletes themselves perceive focus. Furthermore, the question of how athletes develop focus and what kinds of focusing skills they use in order to eliminate distractions, to keep concentrated on the immediate task, and to get properly aroused for the task at hand has not been fully answered in the literature. The research objectives of this study on focusing skills among elite athletes in a risk-endurance sport (cross-country mountain bike racing) were fivefold. The first objective was to advance our knowledge on how elite athletes perceive and define focus in relation to their sport. The second and third objectives were to assess what focusing skills the athletes used before and during competition, as well as what kinds of focusing skills the athletes used in training. The fourth objective was to shed light on how the athletes developed and improved their focusing skills. The final objective was to discover other concepts that may have interacted with focus. The present study provides a clearer understanding of how elite athletes perceive focus and the different dimensions it entails. The findings also present a clearer picture of how focus is developed over the course of an athlete's career. There were both commonalities among the athletes and a uniqueness in the way each athlete perceived and developed focusing skills. These findings may enable coaches and sport psychologists to prevent or work more effectively with potential problems and issues that can hinder a great focus in the sport of mountain biking.

Background. This thesis was guided by a series of research objectives, which were to: examine the literature to identify motivational factors for regular vigorous physical activity; draft an instrument that measures these motivational factors and pre-test it; conduct additional testing into how the items and instruction sets of the instrument were being understood; conduct an initial evaluation of the content, criterion-related, and construct validity of the instrument; and to assess the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the instrument. Methods. (1) Instrument: Following scale development work, the final scale comprised 82-items that were scored on a five-point type scale, measuring the following fifteen sub-scales: Affect, Attitude, Affiliation, Barriers, Goals, Outcome expectancy, personal Normative Beliefs (PNB), Rewards, Self-determination, Self-efficacy, Self-evaluation, Self-presentation, Social comparison, Social support, Time. (2) Procedure: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a non-probability sample recruited from several private and governmental worksites or organizations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

There are two basic models that are used to calculate the internal work involved in movement. The first, an energy-based model, calculates the changes in the energy of the segments. There are many variations of this model but Aleshinsky (1986) has shown that this approach lacks mathematical validity. The other, a power-based model, integrates the joint powers to find work. A modified power model (using absolute values) was shown by Aleshinsky (1986) to be mathematically valid but has only been used in two studies (Chapman et al., 1987; Caldwell and Forrester, 1992) each having only one subject. A version of this model was used in this study and was termed the absolute power method. For comparison purposes a modified version of the energy approach, called the absolute work method, was used. The internal work was then normalized for body mass and running velocity to obtain the "internal biomechanical cost" (IBC). The IBCs of normal running for four elite male and four elite female runners were compared to their IBCs of four inefficient running styles. The absolute power method was able to detect that the inefficient runs produced significantly higher internal work than normal running in 30 out of 32 cases (94%). Absolute work (the energy approach) could detect the inefficient runs in only 15 out of 32 cases (46%). As well, the absolute work approach was shown to be more variable and less reliable than the absolute power approach. The absolute power method also proved to be a useful tool for examining the work performed at each joint during a movement, thereby providing insight into where significant inefficiencies occur.

The purpose of this study was to explore the mental skill used by top taekwondo athletes and to determine how well Orlick's "Wheel of Human Excellence" (1995) could be applied to these athletes. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine Canadian taekwondo athletes who had completed and won medals at the international level. The results indicated that Orlick's element of commitment, belief, full focus, positive images, mental readiness, distraction control and, constructive evaluation were common to all subjects. The presentation of rich quotes and experiences offer valuable insights and strategies for taekwondo athletes. A survey of the mental skills of Canadian taekwondo athletes was also completed by 29 athletes to determine the importance of each of the mental skills indentified in Orlick's model. All were ranked as important to success; means ranged between 8.14 and 9.70 on a Likert Scale of 10.

The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of blood pressure (pressor) response to isometric handgrip contractions between older and younger males with and without blood occlusion. Ten older males (mean age 54.7 +/- 3.0 yrs) and ten younger males (mean age 26.6 +/- 1.9 yrs) normotensive at rest and dynamic exercise participated in this study. Following the determination of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), subjects performed handgrip contractions (dominant) at 20%, 40%, and 60% MVC (for 30 seconds), and at MVC (for 12 seconds), with and without blood occlusion. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) responses were recorded at every 5 seconds for the 20%, 40%, and 60% MVC, and at every 2 seconds during the MVC test using a Finapres BP monitor. Results indicated that without blood occlusion the mean absolute SBP, DBP, and MAP to isometric handgrip contractions were significantly higher in the older males than in the younger males for all contraction intensities although the mean absolute HR at all intensities was significantly lower in the older males. With blood occlusion, the mean absolute SBP was also significantly higher for all contraction intensities in the older males; mean absolute DBP was significantly higher in the older males only at MVC and mean absolute MAP was significantly higher in the older males except at 60% MVC. Mean absolute HR was again significantly lower in the older males during blood occlusion. However, there were no significant differences with and without blood occlusion between the two age groups in the slopes of SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR responses to the isometric contractions except for DBP at 60% MVC with blood occlusion, which was higher in the younger males. Within the younger age group, the mean absolute SBP was significantly greater with blood occlusion than without blood occlusion at 20% and 40% MVC, but similar at F 60% MVC and at MVC; mean absolute DBP and MAP were significantly higher with blood occlusion than without blood occlusion at 20%, 40%, and 60% MVC but not at MVC. Mean absolute HR was similar between blood occlusion and no blood occlusion for all contraction intensities. Within the older age group, there were no significant differences between with and without blood occlusion for mean absolute SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR responses to isometric handgrip contractions. It is concluded that although absolute pressor response to isometric handgrip contractions is higher in older males, the pattern of pressor response to isometric handgrip contractions is similar between the two age groups. Blood occlusion during isometric handgrip contractions did not influence the pressor response of older males. However, blood occlusion increased in the pressor response of younger males at lower percentages of MVC.

Abstract not available.

In previous research, resistance exercise reduced HbA1c primarily in studies of older type 2 diabetic (T2DM) subjects (age>55), while aerobic exercise reduced HbA1c primarily in studies of relatively younger subjects. We compared changes in HbA1c, fitness and body composition in response to 6 months of exercise training in older (55-70 yrs: n= 53) vs. younger (40-54 yrs: n=44) T2DM participants in a randomized trial. Previously inactive T2DM subjects were randomized to aerobic exercise (A; progressing to 45min at 75% HR max, n=24), resistance exercise (R; 2-3 sets of 8-12 RM, n=23), combination aerobic and resistance training (AR; n=25) or a waiting control-list group (C; n=25). Each exercise group trained 3x/wk for 6 months. Strength testing was done using an 8 repetition maximum (RM) protocol for seated row, leg press and bench press. V02peak was assessed using graded treadmill protocols to volitional fatigue. A single cut CT scan was used to quantitate abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat and mid-thigh muscle cross-section. All tests were performed at baseline and 6-months. The responses of older and younger subjects did not differ significantly on any measure. A1c decreased from 8.0% to 7.1% in younger A, and from 7.4% to 6.7% in older A. In AR decreases were similar: 7.9% to 6.8% in younger AR, 7.8% to 6.8% in older AR. A1c changed little in R: 7.8% to 7.7% in younger R, 7.7 to 7.3% in older R. No significant change in HbA1c occurred in either older or younger subjects in C. Mean increases in VO2peak for A were 6.9% in old and 7.4% in young and for AR were 7.6% in old and 4.9% in young. Strength increased in AR by 47.5%, 51.0% and 37.9% in young and 41.1%, 46.0% and 30.4% in young for bench press, leg press and seated row respectively. The R young group improved by 68.6%, 86.2% and 47.6% and the old by 44.3%, 72.3% and 31.9% for bench press, leg press and seated row respectively. The aerobic only group also improved in strength. Neither VO2peak nor strength changed significantly in C. Therefore, older (55-70 years old) and younger (40-54 year old) T2DM subjects responded similarly to aerobic, resistance or combined exercise in terms of glycemic control, strength, and aerobic fitness.