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Item Āra rekreācijas aktivitāšu ietekme uz taekvondo sportistu stresa līmeni un psihisko noturību sacensību periodā. Promocijas darba kopsavilkums(Latvijas Sporta pedagoģijas akadēmija, 2023) Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Litwiniuk, ArturSaskarsme ar dabu var ietekmēt mūsu domas, jūtas un darbības, lai tās darbotos efektīvāk. Cilvēkus iedvesmo daba, un daba un dabiskās sistēmas tiek izmantotas kā resurss jaunu produktu vai risinājumu radīšanai (Kim, Kim, Pegard, Oh, Kagan, Fleischer, & Loo, 2012). Pētījumi ir parādījuši, ka dažādas saskarsmes formas ar dabu mums sniedz dažādu labumu (Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, & Pullin, 2010; Capaldi, Dopko, & Zelenski, 2014; Grinde, & Patil, 2009). Tomēr daži pētnieki (Collado, Staats, & Sorrel, 2016; Von Lindern, Bauer, Frick, Hunziker, & Hartig, 2013) ir parādījuši, ka daži cilvēki norādīja uz nozīmīgāku atjaunošanās ietekmi, atrodoties dabā, nekā citi. Šie pierādījumi liecina, ka saskarsmi ar dabu var ietekmēt citi faktori, kas saistīti ar dabisko vidi (piemēram, sajūta, ka esat prom no ikdienas rutīnas). Pētījumi par saskarsmes ar dabu kognitīvo ietekmi ir saistīti ar uzmanības procesiem. Ohly, White, Wheeler, Bethel, Ukoumunne, Nikolaou, & Garside (2016) ir apgalvojuši, ka nav skaidrs, tieši kuri uzmanības procesi izskaidro novēroto terapeitisko efektu. Attiecībā uz iespējamām kognitīvajām funkcijām ir jābūt lielākai skaidrībai par to, vai tiek izmantoti citi garīgi produkti. Atchley, Strayer, & Atchley (2012) minēja, ka nav skaidrs, vai pozitīvas radošuma sekas ir saistītas ar atrašanos dabiskajā vidē vai citiem ar šādu vidi saistītiem faktoriem. Spēja izteikt emocijas un pielietot profesionālās iemaņas stresa situācijās rada atšķirību starp spēcīgiem un vājiem sportistiem. Kallus & Kellmann (2000) apgalvoja, ka stress, tā pārvarēšana un atjaunošanās nosaka sportista stāvokli, kas savukārt nosaka sportista reakciju uz turpmākajiem stresa faktoriem un ietekmē sniegumu. Būtisks faktors ir ne tikai stresa intensitāte, bet arī stresa ilgums, sadalījums laikā un stresa raksturs. Saskaņā ar Gucciardi, Daniel, Sandy Gordo, James, & Dimmock (2009), ja sportista fiziskā, tehniskā un taktiskā sagatavotība ir vienādā līmenī, šiem mentālajiem faktoriem ir izšķiroša nozīme uzvarā vai zaudējumā. Paaugstinot savu psihisko noturību, sportisti ar labām fiziskajām īpašībām un sporta veidam nepieciešamajām prasmēm var palielināt savas iespējas gūt stabilus panākumus sacensībās. Zinātniskajā literatūrā psihiskā noturība ir viens no sporta psiholoģijas visplašāk lietotajiem, bet vismazāk izprastiem terminiem. Daži sporta psihologi sportista psihisko noturību sacensību laikā saista ar psihisko regulējumu – sportista spēju atslābināties un regulēt gan mentālā stresa ietekmi, gan paša psihoemocionālo stāvokli un uzvedību (Weinberg, Joanne Butt, & Culp, 2011). Taekvondo kā olimpiskais sporta veids ir cīņas sporta veids, kas ietver zinātniskus un tehnoloģiskus aspektus. Lai sasniegtu labākos starptautiskos rezultātus, valstis meklē informāciju par dažādiem sporta procesā iesaistītajiem mainīgajiem lielumiem. Mūsdienu taekvondo sportisti, tāpat kā to senie priekšteči, ievēro noteiktu filozofiju (Park, & Gerrard, 2000), un treniņos bieži tiek iekļauti psiholoģiskie, fiziskie un garīgie aspekti (Lee, 2010). Lai labāk ievērotu cīņas mākslas pamatprincipus, praktizētāji gaida cieņu pret sevi un citiem, trenē pazemību, neatlaidību, savaldību un godīgumu (Park et al., 2000). Pētījums par taekvondo ietekmi uz psiholoģisko veselību liecina, ka ir saistība ar vairākiem pozitīviem rezultātiem. Tie ietver pastiprinātu kognitīvo un afektīvo pašregulāciju un prosociālo uzvedību bērniem (Lakes, & Hoyt, 2004) un samazinātu agresīvu uzvedību jauniešu un pusaudžu vidū (Harwood, Lavidor, & Rassovsky, 2017). Pētījumi liecina arī par taekvondo sportistu garastāvokļa uzlabošanos (Yang, Ko, & Roh, 2018) un stratēģiju stresa pārvarēšanai pilnveidi (Petrovic, 2017). Tomēr taekvondo sporta veidā plašu psiholoģisko pētījumu nav. Gāzizlādes vizualizācija (GDV), kuras pamatā ir Kirliana efekts, ir zinātniska metode individuālā stresa novērtēšanai (Korotkov, 2017). Mērījumu, izmantojot GDV, veic, stimulējot elektronus plaukstu pirkstu galos. Tā ir elektronu plūsma no pētījumu objekta augstas intensitātes frekvences (1024Hz) elektromagnētiskā impulsa ietekmē, kas gaisā rada gāzes fotonu starojumu (spīdumu) (Hacker, 2005). Šis spīdums rodas, jonizējot gāzveida molekulas apkārtējā gaisā, izmantojot no pirkstu galiem izlādētos elektronus. Tiek fiksēts uzlādētas-savienotas ierīces ( CCD) kameras mirdzums (Korotkov, Williams , & Wisneski, 2004). GDV attēlu iegūst no desmit abu roku pirkstiem divos veidos ar un bez filtra. Filtrs ir plāna plastmasas plēve, kuru mērījuma laikā novieto starp pirkstu un dielektrisko plāksni. Filtrs novērš svīšanas ietekmi uz simpātiskām un psihosomatiskām reakcijām un nodrošina fizioloģisko stāvokli (Korotkov, Shelkov , Shevtsov , Mohov , Paoletti, Mirosnichenko, 2012). Salīdzinot šos attēlus ar un bez filtra, veidojas aktivizācijas koeficients, cilvēka stresa līmeņa kvantitatīvs novērtējums, kas balstīts uz autonomā līdzsvara novērtējumu (Korotkov, 2002). GDV mērījumu datu rezultāti liecina, ka GDV var izmantot, lai izmērītu autonomās reakcijas aktivitāti. Moss (2012) norāda, ka pēdējos gados liela uzmanība ir pievērsta attiecībām starp dabu un pusaudžiem, un parāda, ka pusaudžu atrašanās dabā laiks samazinās. No otras puses – palielinās laiks, ko viņi pavada telpās. Daudzos pētījumos ir pētīta kaitīgā ietekme, ko rada pusaudžu pastiprināta tehnoloģiju lietošana (Von Marees, & Petermann, 2012). Tomēr ir nedaudzi pētījumi par to, kāpēc pusaudži pavada laiku mobilajos tālruņos un spēlējot datorspēles. Lietojot mobilos tālruņus, pusaudži galvenokārt uzturas iekštelpās, nevis iesaistās citās aktivitātēs dabā. Daži pētījumi šajā jomā ir veikti laboratorijas apstākļos. Dalībniekiem tika prezentēti attēli un video ar neparastu fonu, un tika izmantotas pašnovērtējuma anketas, lai novērtētu viņu vēlmes un sniegtās atbildes (Valtchanov, & Ellard, 2010). Turklāt pētnieki ir dokumentējuši psihiskās noturības labvēlīgo ietekmi uz sniegumu sportā. Tomēr Truelove (2014) pētījumā minēts, ka tikai 5-10% sportistu treniņu laika ir paredzēti būtisku psiholoģisko prasmju, piemēram, psihiskās noturības, attīstīšanai. Arī psiholoģiskie mainīgie ir būtiski pozitīvi ietekmējuši sportisko sniegumu. Psihiskā noturība tiek uzskatīta par ļoti svarīgu. Otrs iemesls, lai pētītu taekvondo sportistu psihisko noturību, ir pētījumu trūkums. Kad nav gūti sekmīgi rezultāti attiecībā uz sacensībām un sniegumu, daudzi sportisti un viņu treneri plāno vairāk strādāt fiziskās vai tehniskās sagatavotības virzienā. Viņi uzskata psiholoģisko aspektu par mazāk svarīgu. Taekvondo un daudzos citos sporta veidos sportisti smagajos fiziskajos treniņos un sacensībās var nepievērst uzmanību psiholoģiskajam treniņam saistībā ar stresu. Psiholoģiskā, sociālā vai nesportiskā fiziskā stresa pievienošana var izraisīt allostatisku slodzi, kas pārsniedz adaptācijas slieksni, izraisot fizisku nepareizu adaptāciju un stresa un noguruma uzkrāšanos (Polman, & Houlahan, 2004). Tāpēc, lai nodrošinātu optimālu atjaunošanos pēc stresa un adaptāciju un līdz ar to uzlabotu sniegumu, taekvondo sportistiem ir īpaši jātrenējas, lai pielāgotu izvēlētās spējas atbilstoši sporta veida izpildei un līdz minimumam samazinātu nespecifisku psihosociālo stresa faktoru ietekmi ar atbilstošu atjaunošanos; optimālam sacensību sniegumam sportists var trenēties ar nepieciešamo intensitāti un/vai pabeigt slodzi nākamajā treniņā. Taekvondo ir sporta veids telpās, un sportisti dod priekšroku visu veidu treniņiem klubā, piemēram, ja ir kardiotreniņš, viņiem patīk to veikt uz skrejceliņa klubā, bet neiet ārā skriet vai soļot, un pēc treniņa viņi dodas mājās un spēlē datorspēles vai pavada laiku ar mobilajiem tālruņiem. Tādēļ viņi galvenokārt atrodas telpās, nevis iesaistās citās aktivitātēs dabā. Stress, tā pārvarēšana un atjaunošanās nosaka sportista stāvokli, kas savukārt nosaka viņa reakciju uz turpmākajiem stresa faktoriem un ietekmē sniegumu. Paaugstināta stresa un nepietiekamas atjaunošanās dēļ sportists piedzīvo vēl vairāk stresa. Ja atjaunošanās nenotiek pilnvērtīgi, sportists būs saspringts, kas var radīt neveiksmi, un viņam, iespējams, būs jāatrod citi veidi, kā tikt galā ar stresu. Nelīdzsvarotība starp stresu un atjaunošanos var izraisīt sportistu snieguma īstermiņa un ilgtermiņa samazināšanos. Nepietiekama atjaunošanās un paaugstināts stress var izraisīt pārtrenēšanās sindromu. Pārtrenēšanās sindroms rodas no nepietiekamas atjaunošanās, pārmērīgi augstas intensitātes treniņa, palielinātas treniņu slodzes un ar treniņu nesaistītiem stresa faktoriem. Pārtrenēšanās var palielināt uzņēmīgumu pret traumām un slimībām, palielināt negatīvo garastāvokli un samazināt sniegumu. Pamatojoties uz iepriekš minēto, tika pētīta promocijas darba tēma “Āra rekreācijas aktivitāšu ietekme uz taekvondo sportistu stresa līmeni un psihisko noturību sacensību periodā”.Item Body composition and knowledge about a healthy lifestyle of selected combat sport athletes(2022) Litwiniuk, Artur; Grants, Juris; Boobani, Behnam; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Introduction. Nowadays, the level of physical condition as well as the proper composition of the body gains special importance in terms of proper psychomotor development of children and adolescents. The aim of this research was to obtain knowledge about body tissue composition and selected elements of a healthy lifestyle of combat sports athletes. Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 21 taekwondo athletes. The age of the respondents was 17-18.5 years, training experience M=5.2 years, body height M=175.05 cm and body weight M=71.9. The tool that was used to assess the body composition was the BCA Tanita 545N device and a specially constructed interview questionnaire regarding information on a healthy lifestyle. Results. in the body composition of combat sports athletes, it was found that both partial results and averages are at an adequate level for combat sports athletes to systematic training. Conclusion. It was observed that all individual results of the subjects diagnosed with the BCA Tanita 545 N device are correct and fall within the norms of physically active people, such as people training combat sports. This proves the application of the principles of a healthy lifestyle. We can say that the level of knowledge of taekwondo athletes about a healthy lifestyle is high, because they are able to make a diagnosis, interpret the results and, in the case of values outside the health norm, use a repair algorithm in a professional sense.Item Effect of different sports on young athlete's posture swimmers and cyclists(2023-08-30) Solovjova, Jelena; Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Jakubovskis, German; Avotina, Ilze; Obminski, Zbigniew; Litwiniuk, Artur; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Background & Study Aim: In each sports discipline morphological characteristics, elements of technical, tactical, and psychological preparation can be distinguished whose high level may affect sports results. The aim of this study is knowledge about the express diagnostic program and the possibility of detecting changes in musculoskeletal posture in young athletes practicing various sports disciplines. Material & Methods: The participants were 38 athletes from sports clubs in Riga, Latvia, swimmers (n = 19), and cyclists (n = 19) aged 14-15 years old with experience in National competitions. Body posture was assessed once before the training for visual diagnostics and muscular functional testing. A diagnostic program was developed from these methods, which included measuring the changes of 8 sagittal points from the vertical plane and functional testing of 8 muscle groups. The analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS version 26. The Shapiro-Wilk test, an independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. Results: The results showed that both groups (n = 38); standing posture was falling forward. There were significant differences between the two groups. Cyclists demonstrated significant results than swimmers for the following posture indicators - External Ear Opening (EEO), Radial Point (RP), Highest Point of the Iliac Crest (HPIC), M. Pectoralis Major Upper part (MPMU), Outer Points of the Palm (OPP), Acromion (ACR), Trochanter (Tro), Upper End of Fibula Bone (UEFB), M. Rectus Abdominis (MRA) and Blade Fixators (BF). There were significant results for swimmers in M. Quadriceps Femoris (MQF) and M. Gluteus Medium (MGM) at the 5% level. There was not a significant difference between the two groups in Hamstring Muscles (HM) and for M. Iliopsoas (MI). Conclusions: It can be concluded that each sport leads to postural changes in athletes due to specific functional muscle changes, as the results highlighted changes in both groups. Early postural changes in young athletes can be identified by applying express diagnostics. Early detection should lead to the prevention of injury.Item Effect of outdoor recreation activity on mental toughness of taekwondo athletes in competition period(2023-07-10) Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Boge, Iveta; Glaskova-Kuzmina, Tatjana; Bula-Biteniece, Inta; Jagiello, Wladyslaw; Litwiniuk, Artur; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Background & Study Aim: Taekwondo mixes mental and physical training into a helpful leisure activity. The research focusing on the impact of taekwondo on psychological health, although limited, suggests it is associated with several positive outcomes. These include increased cognitive and affective self-regulation and prosocial behaviour in children and reduced aggressive behaviour in the youth and teenager population. The aim of this study is knowledge about the effect of outdoor recreation activity (walking in nature) on mental toughness components (confidence, control, and constancy) of taekwondo athletes during the competition period. Material & Methods: The participants of this study were 12 Latvian taekwondo athletes, including males (n = 6) and females (n = 6), aged 17-23. The experiment was held four weeks before the International Sweden Taekwondo Competition (2022). The participants had twelve sessions, including 40 minutes of outdoor recreation (walking in nature), in zones 1 and 2 (HR 101-141 bpm). The Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) measured the mental toughness components (confidence, constancy, and control). The data was analyzed using the mean, standard deviations, the Shapiro-Wilk test, and paired sample t-test. Results: The outdoor recreation activity (walking in nature) did not significantly affect the component of mental toughness (confidence t (11) = 0.451 as the p-value 0.837 >0.05, for constancy t (11) = −0.233; as the p-value 0.820 >0.05 and control t (11) = 0.117; as the p-value 0.909 >0.05) at the 5% level. Conclusions: Gender disparities exist in the mental toughness components of confidence, constancy, and control among Latvian taekwondo athletes. In particular, male athletes revealed higher average scores in confidence and constancy, with control scores remaining consistent across both male and female athletes. Furthermore, male athletes showed less variability in their confidence and constancy scores when compared to their female counterparts.Item Effect of Outdoor Recreation Activity on Stress Level and Mental Toughness on Taekwondo Athletes in the Competition Period. Doctoral Thesis(Latvian Academy of Sport Education, 2023) Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Litwiniuk, ArturContact with nature may influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions to function more effectively. People are inspired by nature, and nature and natural systems are used as a resource to create new products or solutions (Kim, Kim, Pegard, Oh, Kagan, Fleischer, and Loo, 2012). Research has demonstrated that various contact forms with nature benefit us differently (Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, and Pullin, 2010; Capaldi, Dopko, and Zelenski, 2014; Grinde, and Patil, 2009). However, some researchers (Collado, Staats, and Sorrel, 2016; Von Lindern, Bauer, Frick, Hunziker, and Hartig, 2013) have shown that some people reported more significant restoration effects of being in nature than others. This evidence suggests that contact with nature may be affected by other factors associated with natural environments (e.g., a sense of being away from daily routine). Research on the cognitive impacts of contact with nature is on attentional processes. Ohly, White, Wheeler, Bethel, Ukoumunne, Nikolaou, and Garside (2016) have argued that it is unclear which precise attentional processes explain the observed therapeutic effects. Regarding the potential cognitive functions, there needs to be more clarity about whether other mental products are used. Atchley, Strayer, and Atchley (2012) mentioned that it is not clear that positive creativity effects are due to exposure to the natural environment or other factors associated with such an environment. The ability to express emotions and apply professional skills in stressful situations makes a difference between strong and weak athletes. Kallus and Kellmann (2000) stated that stress, coping with it, and recovery determine the athlete's state, which determines the athlete’s reaction to subsequent stressors and influences performance. Not only is the intensity of the stress an essential factor, but the duration, distribution over time, and the nature of the stress play important roles. According to Gucciardi, Daniel, Sandy Gordo, James, and Dimmock (2009), if the athlete's physical, technical, and tactical training is at the same level, these mental factors play a crucial role in victory or loss. By increasing their mental toughness, athletes with good physical qualities and the skills necessary for their sport can increase their chance of achieving stable success in competitions. In scientific literature, mental toughness is one of sports psychology's most widely used but least understood terms. Some sports psychologists associate an athlete's mental toughness during competitions with psychic regulation – an athlete's ability to relax and regulate both the effects of mental stress and one's own psycho-emotional state and behavior (Weinberg, Joanne Butt, and Culp, 2011). As an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is a combat sport involving scientific and technological aspects. Countries seek information from the different variables involved in the sport process to achieve the best international results. Present-day taekwondo follows a philosophy like its ancient predecessor's (Park, and Gerrard, 2000), with psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects often incorporated into training (Lee, 2010). Practitioners expect to display respect for themselves and others, humility, perseverance, self-control, and honesty to better refer to the guiding principles of martial art (Park et al., 2000). The research focusing on taekwondo's impact on psychological health, suggests it is associated with several positive outcomes. These include increased cognitive and affective self-regulation and prosocial behavior in children (Lakes, and Hoyt, 2004) and reduced aggressive behavior in youth and teenager’s population (Harwood, Lavidor, and Rassovsky, 2017). Studies have also shown improvements in mood (Yang, Ko, and Roh, 2018) and enhanced strategies for coping with and managing stress (Petrovic, 2017) in taekwondo athletes. However, taekwondo has not been widely examined in psychological research. Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV) based on the Kirlian effect is a scientific method to assess individual stress (Korotkov,2017). The measurement through GDV is performed by stimulation of electrons at the fingertips. It is the flow of electrons from a conducting object under the influence of a high-frequency (1024 Hz) electromagnetic pulse of high intensity, which creates photon radiation (glow) in the gas air (Hacker, 2005). This glow results from ionizing gaseous molecules in the surrounding air through the discharged electrons from the fingertips. A chargedcoupled device (CCD) camera's glow is captured (Korotkov, Williams , and Wisneski, 2004). The GDV image is obtained from ten fingers of both hands in two ways, with and without a filter. A filter is a thin plastic film placed between the finger and the dielectric plate during the measuerment. The filter removes the effects of sweating on sympathetic and psychosomatic responses and gives the physiological state (Korotkov, Shelkov , Shevtsov , Mohov , Paoletti, Mirosnichenko, 2012). Comparison of these images with and without filter forms an Activation Coefficient, a quantitative assessment of a person's stress level based on the evaluation of autonomic balance (Korotkov, 2002). The data findings of GDV measures suggest that GDV can be used to measure the activity of autonomic response. Moss, 2012 points out that the relationship between nature and adolescents in recent years got a great deal of attention and shows that adolescents have a declining relationship with nature. On the other hand, the time they spend indoor increses. Many studies have examined the detrimental effects of adolescents' increased engagement with technology (Von Marees, and Petermann, 2012). However, some studies try to understand why adolescents spend time on cell phones and playing computer games. Cell phones keep them primarily indoors when they might be engaging in other activities in natural environments. Some research in this area was in laboratory settings, with images and videos of unusual backgrounds presented to participants and self-report questionnaires used to evaluate their preferences and measure their affective responses (Valtchanov, and Ellard, 2010). Besides, researchers have documented the beneficial effects of mental toughness on sports performance. Still, Truelove’s research (2014) mentioned that only 5-10% of athletes' training time is for developing essential psychological skills such as mental toughness. Also, psychological variables have been one of the crucial facilitators in terms of sports performance. Mental toughness has been considered very important. The other reason to study the mental toughness of taekwondo athletes is the absence of studies. When the results are not successful regarding the competition and performance, many athletes and their coaches plan to work more on the physical or technical fitness routine. They neglect the psychological aspect as less critical. Athletes in heavy physical training and competition may be limited to non-training stress in taekwondo and many sports. Adding psychological, social, or non-athletic physical stress may result in an allostatic load over the adaptation threshold, leading to physical maladaptation and an accumulation of stress and fatigue (Polman, and Houlahan, 2004). Therefore, for optimum stress recovery and adaptation and ultimately improved performance, taekwondo athletes must train specifically to adapt selected capacities relevant to event performance and minimize the impact of non-specific psychosocial stressors with appropriate recovery; the athlete can train at the required intensity and or complete the load at the next training session for optimal competition performance. Taekwondo is an indoor sport, and athletes prefer to do all kinds of training inside the club, for example, if there is cardio training, they like to do it on the treadmill inside the club but not go outdoors for jogging or walking and after training they go home and play computer games or spend their time on cell phones. Cell phones keep them primarily indoors when they might be engaging in other activities in natural environments. Stress, coping with it, and recovery determine the athlete's state, which determines their reaction to subsequent stressors and influences performance. Increased stress demands and insufficient recovery lead to the athlete experiencing more stress. If recovery demands cannot be met, the athlete will be stressed beyond the point of failure and may need to find other ways of coping with the stress. Imbalances between stress and recovery can lead to short-term and longterm reductions in the athletes’ performance. If recovery is not adequate and increased stress may result in overtraining syndrome. The overtraining syndrome results from insufficient recovery, excessive high-intensity training, increases in training load, and non-training stressors. Overtraining can increase susceptibility to injury and illness, increase negative mood states, and decrease performance. Based on the above, the doctoral thesis topic, "Effect of outdoor recreation activity on stress level and mental toughness on taekwondo athletes in the competition period," was studied.Item Effect of Outdoor Recreation Activity on Stress Level and Mental Toughness on Taekwondo Athletes in the Competition Period. Summary of the Doctoral Thesis(Latvian Academy of Sport Education, 2023) Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Litwiniuk, ArturContact with nature may influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions to function more effectively. People are inspired by nature, and nature and natural systems are used as a resource to create new products or solutions (Kim, Kim, Pegard, Oh, Kagan, Fleischer, and Loo, 2012). Research has demonstrated that various contact forms with nature benefit us differently (Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, and Pullin, 2010; Capaldi, Dopko, and Zelenski, 2014; Grinde, and Patil, 2009). However, some researchers (Collado, Staats, and Sorrel, 2016; Von Lindern, Bauer, Frick, Hunziker, and Hartig, 2013) have shown that some people reported more significant restoration effects of being in nature than others. This evidence suggests that contact with nature may be affected by other factors associated with natural environments (e.g., a sense of being away from daily routine). Research on the cognitive impacts of contact with nature is on attentional processes. Ohly, White, Wheeler, Bethel, Ukoumunne, Nikolaou, and Garside (2016) have argued that it is unclear which precise attentional processes explain the observed therapeutic effects. Regarding the potential cognitive functions, there needs to be more clarity about whether other mental products are used. Atchley, Strayer, and Atchley (2012) mentioned that it is not clear that positive creativity effects are due to exposure to the natural environment or other factors associated with such an environment. The ability to express emotions and apply professional skills in stressful situations makes a difference between strong and weak athletes. Kallus and Kellmann (2000) stated that stress, coping with it, and recovery determine the athlete's state, which determines the athlete’s reaction to subsequent stressors and influences performance. Not only is the intensity of the stress an essential factor, but the duration, distribution over time, and the nature of the stress play important roles. According to Gucciardi, Daniel, Sandy Gordo, James, and Dimmock (2009), if the athlete's physical, technical, and tactical training is at the same level, these mental factors play a crucial role in victory or loss. By increasing their mental toughness, athletes with good physical qualities and the skills necessary for their sport can increase their chance of achieving stable success in competitions. In scientific literature, mental toughness is one of sports psychology's most widely used but least understood terms. Some sports psychologists associate an athlete's mental toughness during competitions with psychic regulation – an athlete's ability to relax and regulate both the effects of mental stress and one's own psycho-emotional state and behavior (Weinberg, Joanne Butt, and Culp, 2011). As an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is a combat sport involving scientific and technological aspects. Countries seek information from the different variables involved in the sport process to achieve the best international results. Present-day taekwondo follows a philosophy like its ancient predecessor's (Park, and Gerrard, 2000), with psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects often incorporated into training (Lee, 2010). Practitioners expect to display respect for themselves and others, humility, perseverance, self-control, and honesty to better refer to the guiding principles of martial art (Park et al., 2000). The research focusing on taekwondo's impact on psychological health, suggests it is associated with several positive outcomes. These include increased cognitive and affective self-regulation and prosocial behavior in children (Lakes, and Hoyt, 2004) and reduced aggressive behavior in youth and teenager’s population (Harwood, Lavidor, and Rassovsky, 2017). Studies have also shown improvements in mood (Yang, Ko, and Roh, 2018) and enhanced strategies for coping with and managing stress (Petrovic, 2017) in taekwondo athletes. However, taekwondo has not been widely examined in psychological research. Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV) based on the Kirlian effect is a scientific method to assess individual stress (Korotkov,2017). The measurement through GDV is performed by stimulation of electrons at the fingertips. It is the flow of electrons from a conducting object under the influence of a high-frequency (1024 Hz) electromagnetic pulse of high intensity, which creates photon radiation (glow) in the gas air (Hacker, 2005). This glow results from ionizing gaseous molecules in the surrounding air through the discharged electrons from the fingertips. A chargedcoupled device (CCD) camera's glow is captured (Korotkov, Williams , and Wisneski, 2004). The GDV image is obtained from ten fingers of both hands in two ways, with and without a filter. A filter is a thin plastic film placed between the finger and the dielectric plate during the measuerment. The filter removes the effects of sweating on sympathetic and psychosomatic responses and gives the physiological state (Korotkov, Shelkov , Shevtsov , Mohov , Paoletti, Mirosnichenko, 2012). Comparison of these images with and without filter forms an Activation Coefficient, a quantitative assessment of a person's stress level based on the evaluation of autonomic balance (Korotkov, 2002). The data findings of GDV measures suggest that GDV can be used to measure the activity of autonomic response. Moss, 2012 points out that the relationship between nature and adolescents in recent years got a great deal of attention and shows that adolescents have a declining relationship with nature. On the other hand, the time they spend indoor increses. Many studies have examined the detrimental effects of adolescents' increased engagement with technology (Von Marees, and Petermann, 2012). However, some studies try to understand why adolescents spend time on cell phones and playing computer games. Cell phones keep them primarily indoors when they might be engaging in other activities in natural environments. Some research in this area was in laboratory settings, with images and videos of unusual backgrounds presented to participants and self-report questionnaires used to evaluate their preferences and measure their affective responses (Valtchanov, and Ellard, 2010). Besides, researchers have documented the beneficial effects of mental toughness on sports performance. Still, Truelove’s research (2014) mentioned that only 5-10% of athletes' training time is for developing essential psychological skills such as mental toughness. Also, psychological variables have been one of the crucial facilitators in terms of sports performance. Mental toughness has been considered very important. The other reason to study the mental toughness of taekwondo athletes is the absence of studies. When the results are not successful regarding the competition and performance, many athletes and their coaches plan to work more on the physical or technical fitness routine. They neglect the psychological aspect as less critical. Athletes in heavy physical training and competition may be limited to non-training stress in taekwondo and many sports. Adding psychological, social, or non-athletic physical stress may result in an allostatic load over the adaptation threshold, leading to physical maladaptation and an accumulation of stress and fatigue (Polman, and Houlahan, 2004). Therefore, for optimum stress recovery and adaptation and ultimately improved performance, taekwondo athletes must train specifically to adapt selected capacities relevant to event performance and minimize the impact of non-specific psychosocial stressors with appropriate recovery; the athlete can train at the required intensity and or complete the load at the next training session for optimal competition performance. Taekwondo is an indoor sport, and athletes prefer to do all kinds of training inside the club, for example, if there is cardio training, they like to do it on the treadmill inside the club but not go outdoors for jogging or walking and after training they go home and play computer games or spend their time on cell phones. Cell phones keep them primarily indoors when they might be engaging in other activities in natural environments. Stress, coping with it, and recovery determine the athlete's state, which determines their reaction to subsequent stressors and influences performance. Increased stress demands and insufficient recovery lead to the athlete experiencing more stress. If recovery demands cannot be met, the athlete will be stressed beyond the point of failure and may need to find other ways of coping with the stress. Imbalances between stress and recovery can lead to short-term and longterm reductions in the athletes’ performance. If recovery is not adequate and increased stress may result in overtraining syndrome. The overtraining syndrome results from insufficient recovery, excessive high-intensity training, increases in training load, and non-training stressors. Overtraining can increase susceptibility to injury and illness, increase negative mood states, and decrease performance. Based on the above, the doctoral thesis topic, "Effect of outdoor recreation activity on stress level and mental toughness on taekwondo athletes in the competition period," was studied.Item Effects of breathing exercises on young swimmers’ respiratory system parameters and performance(2024-09-24) Jakubovskis, Germans; Zuša, Anna; Solovjova, Jeļena; Boobani, Behnam; Glaskova-Kuzmina, Tatjana; Grants, Juris; Žīdens, Jānis; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Breathing exercises are widely used to enhance respiratory function and athletic performance. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a modified exercise regimen on respiratory parameters and its effect on the performance of young swimmers in competition. Thirty-one swimmers aged 16–17 from various clubs in Latvia were selected, comprising an experimental group (n = 15, height: 174.36 ± 7.85 cm, weight: 65.80 ± 9.35 kg, body mass index: 21.60 ± 1.54) and a control group (n = 16, height: 180.78 ± 7.05 cm, weight: 69.90 ± 6.49 kg, body mass index: 21.40 ± 1.56). With an average of eight years of experience, participants trained for approximately 43–45 weeks annually (pool and gym sessions), with an average training duration of 20 ± 2 hours per week. Measurements were conducted on days one and 30, involving spirometry and swimming performance assessment based on the best results in the freestyle 100-meter distance. The experiment consisted of a modified breathing exercise performed thrice weekly for four weeks. Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group in forced vital capacity (p = 0.02), peak inspiratory flow (p = 0.001), and performance (p = 0.001), with p-values < 0.05. However, no significant changes were noted in peak expiratory flow (p = 0.46 > 0.05). The findings indicate that modified breathing exercises effectively enhance respiratory parameters and performance in competitive swimmers.Item EFFECTS OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITY, ELECTRO PHOTONIC IMAGING TECHNIQUE ON STRESS LEVEL AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS ON LATVIAN TAEKWONDO ATHLETES(2022) Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Boge, Iveta; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Research investigating sources of stress in athletes has identified physical, social, environmental, general life and secondary (emotional/cognitive/goal oriented) events which cumulatively and interactively contribute to allostatic load. The purpose of this study is 1) to compare measurements made with an Electro Photonic Imaging (EPI) technique before and after an outdoor recreation activity on Taekwondo athletes’ stress level, and 2) to find out the effects of outdoor activity on mental toughness in Taekwondo athletes. Forty Taekwondo athletes who will volunteer to participate in the research (15-19 years old, at least for 2 years have participated in national or international competitions) for 5 weeks walking (3 sessions per week /40 minutes) in the nature, in pre-competition phase will be selected. The current athletes’ stress level and mental toughness will be assessed by Bio-Well pro 2.0 camera and the mental toughness questionnaire (SMTQ). In the procession and analysis of the results MS. Excel software and methods of descriptive statistics will be used. Methods are based on scientific literature review of outdoor activities, questionnaire, and then using statistical analysis. The results and conclusion of the study will be according to the analysis.Item EVALUATION OF THE EMOTIONAL STATE IN THE OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES(2021) Ulme, Gundega; Boobani, Behnam; Arne, Daina; Grants, Juris; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)The aim of the study is to evaluate the emotional state of volunteer participants in outdoor recreational activities (downhill skiing, cycling) by analysing their facial expressions and self-assessments of emotional state before and after the outdoor recreational activities. Twenty-four volunteers (8 women and 16 men with the average age of 38 years old) participated in the study. The emotional state of the participants was assessed by using Sports Emotion Questionnaire (SEQ) and a software "Face Reader 3.0."Item INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OPINION ON STUDIES AT LASE(2020-06-15) Boge, Iveta; Boobani, Behnam; Līcis, Renārs; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)International students make a significant number of students in many universities around the world, including Latvia. The desire to increase opportunities for higher education for students from abroad is motivated by various factors including also the economic one. LASE also has a six-year experience in international full degree student admittance. As strategies are set to attract international students, the educational and cultural experiences of these students should also be considered. The aim of the research was to find out the opinion of foreign students studying at LASE about their studies. The research was carried out applying questionnaire method. The respondents were 25 full degree international students studying at LASE. The results show that foreign students’ express satisfaction in most issues concerning their studies at LASE.Item THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAXIMUM STRENGTH OF LOWER EXTREMITY AND BALANCE IN YOUNG MEN ATHLETES(2010-12) SOKHANGOUEI, YAHYA; SADEGHI BOROUJERDI, SAEED; HAJEBI, HIMAN; Boobani, BehnamIntroduction: Balance is a very important factor in many sports; it is one of the main factors that reduces injury and causes high sport performance. Purpose: considering the importance of balance, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between maximum strength of lower extremity with balance in young men athletes; for this purpose 30 young men athletes with mean age17±2years and mean weight 63±2 KG were selected randomly. Method: The maximum strength of lower extremity was tested with 1 Repetition. The maximum leg press and static balance were measured with Stork Stand and dynamic balance tested with Star excursion balance test. Pearson correlation coefficient was used in a meaningful level (p≤0.05) in order to analyze data. Results: The results of this study indicated that there is no significant correlation between lower body strength and balance in athletes. Conclusion: considering the importance of balance in this study, it seems that Strength is not an important index factor for balance in athletes, and the other training programs are better than strength training for balance.Item THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECREATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY(2022-06-29) Ulme, Gundega; Boobani, Behnam; Grants, Juris; Bernāns, Edgars; Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)Physical activity is associated with better mental health, but the literature does not distinguish which types of activity (e.g. recreational versus other types) are more strongly associated with better mental health. Physical activity has benefits for reducing levels of anxiety. However, the level of the trait anxiety of STAI-Y (p<.05) related to frequency and type of recreational physical activity. Conclusions: there is significantly less research about the effects of physical activity on anxiety. As a consequence, there is not enough evidence to draw conclusive connections between exercise and anxiety is not enough evidence to draw conclusive connections between exercise and anxiety. Limitations: The use of self-rating measures which bears the risk of an under-or overestimation of symptoms.Item Role of adenosine deaminase in alteration of cortisol and tumor necrosis factor α concentration following exhaustive exercise sessions(2014-12) Boobani, Behnam; Abdi, Mohammad; Sheikholeslami-Vatani, Dariush; Alijani, Eidy; Mohammadi, Hamid; Gharib, AlirezaContext: Cortisol and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) has a significant role on the immune system. Previous studies have shown a significant increase in cortisol and TNF-α in athlete; however, the alteration of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in athletes has not been previously reported. Aims: This study was aimed to investigate the effect of exhaustive exercise on cortisol, TNF-α and serum ADA activity in endurance runners. Settings and Design: All endurance male athletes were enrolled in this case control study. Subjects and Methods: The participants were submitted to the same experimental protocol used in the exercise trials, they run on a treadmill until exhausting state. Saliva and blood sample were collected in resting and immediately after exercise; serums were separated and stored at −70°C pending assays. Serum was analyzed for ADA activity and TNF-α. Salivary cortisol measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago) and one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results were presented as mean ± standard deviation and independent samples t-test used to compare mean differences. In addition, linear regression analysis was performed and means of the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) were determined to show the correlation between variables. Results: Cortisol and TNF-α elevated following intensified training compared with the resting state. There was a significant increase in serum ADA activity between athletes and non-athletes groups. In addition, our results showed a strong direct correlation between serum total ADA activity and TNF-α. Conclusions: Based on the obtained data, an acute period of intensified training can induce an increase of ADA activity accompanies with the increase of cortisol and TNF-α. ADA is involved in the immune system development. Our results hypothesized that ADA can be associated with an increase in fatigue which lends to reduced physical activity. We showed that excessive exercise can induce an inflammatory response resulting in elevated levels of cortisol and TNF-α and perhaps by increasing activity of adenosin deaminaseItem Swimmers' shoulder injury prevention by correctly evaluate the technical errors(2024) Solovjova, Jeļena; Boobani, Behnam; Glaskova-Kuzmina, Tatjana; Jakubovskis, Germans; Grants, Juris; Žīdens, Jānis; Romero Ramos, Oscar; Litwiniuk, Artur; Rīga Stradiņš UniversityBackground and Study Aim: Shoulder pain is common in young swimmers. The aim of this study is the knowledge about the occurrence and reasons behind shoulder injuries and muscle imbalances on adolescent Latvian freestyle swimmers. Material and Methods: Thirty-six male competitive freestyle swimmers from 3 age groups (13-18 years old) from different clubs in Riga, Latvia, were selected. A questionnaire, a body posture assessment, and a video analysis were used to collect the data to find out the causes of shoulder injury and muscle imbalance. The data were analysed using the mean, standard deviations, Chi-square test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Post hoc Tukey's tests. Results: The questionnaire showed significant relationships between using small and big paddles and experiencing pain, especially in group two. The body posture analysis for points of external ear opening, acromion, radial point, outer points of the palm, highest point of the Iliac crest, trochanter, and upper end of fibula bone showed significant differences (p<0.05). The body deviation forward, the so-called ‘body falling’ forward, was in groups. The video analysis showed that the streamlined position is not achieved because the body is not in line. Conclusions: The coaches should correctly evaluate the swimmers' technical errors. The present study's findings illustrate the need for a validated shoulder injury prevention program in swimming.Item The Tensile, Thermal and Flame-Retardant Properties of Polyetherimide and Polyetherketoneketone Processed via Fused Filament Fabrication(2024-02) Glaskova-Kuzmina, Tatjana; Dejus, Didzis; Jātnieks, Jānis; Vīndedze, Elīna; Bute, Irina; Sevcenko, Jevgenijs; Aniskevich, Andrey; Stankevich, Stanislav; Boobani, Behnam; Latvian Academy of Sport Education PlatformPolymer materials are increasingly widely used in high-fire-risk applications, such as aviation interior components. This study aimed to compare the tensile, thermal, and flame-retardant properties of test samples made from ultra-performance materials, polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), using the fused filament fabrication process (FFF). The tensile tests were performed for these materials at different raster angles (0, 45, and 90°). The thermomechanical tests were done in the axial, perpendicular, and through-thickness directions to the extruded filaments. The impact of printing parameters on the flame retardancy of 3D-printed samples was investigated in vertical burn tests with varying specimen thicknesses and printing directions. Experimentally, it was testified that PEKK had better isotropic behaviour than PEI for mechanical performance, thermal expansion, and fire-resistant properties, which are essential in fabricating intricately shaped products.