International Journal of Sport and Health Science 

About: International Journal of Sport and Health Science is an academic journal published by Japan Society of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Psychology & Physical education. It has an ISSN identifier of 1348-1509. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 443 publications have been published receiving 2802 citations.

Motor Development during Infancy and Early Childhood: Overview and Suggested Directions for Research

Abstract: The development of motor competence during infancy and childhood is dependent upon and influenced by the growth and maturity characteristics of the child interacting with the environment in which a child is reared. Environmental opportunities and restraints for movement interact with the biological substrates of growth and maturation to determine the motor repertoire of the child. This paper provides a brief overview of motor development during infancy and early childhood and then highlights several specific areas and/or questions: critical evaluation of stages for specific movement patterns; extension of the dynamical systems framework; genotypic contributions to motor development; metabolic and physiological correlates of motor development; relationship of motor development to the growth of the brain, status at birth and early postnatal growth; and social contexts of motor development.

Motivational Profiles and Stages of Exercise Behavior Change

Abstract: The present study examined the relationship between exercise motivational profi les and stages of exercise behavior change. Four hundred and eighty-six Japanese adults participated in this study. In the fi rst analysis, a cluster analysis identifi ed four meaningful clusters in exercise motivational profi les. The fi rst cluster was labeled the 'self-determined motivation profi le' as the participants in this cluster had relatively high levels of intrinsic motivation and identifi ed regulation. The second was the 'moderate motivation profi le' with moderate scores on all measured motivational variables. The third was the 'nonself-determined motivation profi le' as subjects in this group demonstrated higher nonself-determined motivation than self-determined motivation. The last cluster was the 'amotivation profi le', which consisted of participants who had the highest scores in amotivation, and the lowest scores in intrinsic motivation and identifi ed regulation. The second analysis explored how motivational profi les are related to stages of exercise behavior change. Participants in the fi rst cluster were most likely to be classifi ed in the maintenance stage. The results from this study provided the foundation for successful strategies to develop exercise adherence in adults focusing on motivational profi les.

New Zealand Physical Education and Critical Pedagogy: Refocusing the Curriculum

Abstract: The need for critical pedagogy to be used in physical education has created significant discussion and debate over the last decade. While many scholars advocate for critical pedagogy, there is concern that there is a lack of practical applications. In New Zealand, recent neo-liberal economic imperatives have necessitated the complete revision of the school curriculum. The curriculum revision was designed to ensure that New Zealand was economically competitive on the world stage. In revising the physical education curriculum, the curriculum writers of this document took a socio-critical stance and have produced a document, mandated by the state that advocates for critical pedagogy. This paper explores critical pedagogy within New Zealand's physical education context including the curriculum and discusses how physical education in New Zealand is attempting to address the challenge of engaging in critical pedagogical praxis.

Site-related Differences in Muscle Loss with Aging

Abstract: The studied muscle loss with aging, focusing on differences due to muscle group location. Muscle thickness at nine sites-forearm, upper arm anterior and posterior, abdomen, subscapular, thigh anterior and posterior, and lower leg anterior and posterior-were determined using a brightness-mode ultrasonography in 348 Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years. Only the upper arm anterior did not show a significant effect of age. For other sites, the starting age group that significantly decreased from 20-29 yr and 30-39 yr was 40-49 yr for the forearm and abdomen, 50-59 yr for the thigh anterior, 60-69 yr for the upper arm posterior, lower leg anterior and posterior, and subscapular, and 70-79 yr for the thigh posterior. The relative reduction between the 20-29 yr and 70-79 yr groups in the muscle thickness at the abdomen and thigh anterior were greater than those in the other sites. In addition, the upper arm and thigh showed a preferential loss with aging at the posterior and anterior sites. Thus, the present results indicated that the loss of muscle thickness with aging differed between body segments and between sites within the same segment. The reasons for the site-related differences in muscle loss with aging may be attributed to age-related changes in the patterns of loading to individual muscles and/or their activations, which are encountered during daily life.

The Effect of Sprint Training on Skeletal Muscle Carnosine in Humans

Abstract: It has been suggested that histidine-containing dipeptide carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine), which is believed to act as a cytosolic buffering agent, is present predominantly in skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sprint training (30-s maximal cycle ergometer sprinting) on muscle carnosine concentration. Six untrained males trained 2 days per week for 8 weeks on an electronic-braked cycle ergometer. Muscle biopsy samples were taken from the vastus lateralis before and two days after the last training session and were analyzed for carnosine concentration by the use of an amino acid autoanalyzer. The carnosine concentration was significantly increased after sprint training (P < 0.05). The mean power during 30-s maximal cycle ergometer sprinting was significantly increased following training. When dividing the 30-s sprinting into 6 phases (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30 s), the magnitude of increase in mean power was significantly larger for the last 2 phases than the first phase (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the increases in skeletal muscle carnosine concentration following sprint training may be associated with the increase in sustainability of high power during 30-s maximal cycle ergometer sprinting.