The effect of asymmetry on flexibility and jump in taekwondo athletes and the influence of vibration foam rolling on asymmetry and frequency speed of kick test has not been examined. This study examined the effects of three warm-up protocols on subsequent sports performance in elite male taekwondo athletes. Fifteen elite male taekwondo athletes (20.63 ± 1.18 years) completed three warm-up protocols in a randomized order: general warm-up [GW], GW with vibration foam rolling [GW + VR], and GW with double VR for the weaker leg [GW + double VR]), was delivered before the subsequent tests: flexibility, single-leg countermovement jump (CMJ), 505 agility, hexagon test, and multiple frequency speed of kick tests (FSKTs). Relative to GW, the GW + VR significantly improved the hexagon test (GW + VR = 11.60 ± 1.01 s; GW = 12.80 ± 1.58 s). In addition, the GW + VR and GW + double VR yielded greater kick numbers in FSKT 5 (GW + VR = 21.13 ± 1.96 reps; GW + double VR = 20.93 ± 1.67 reps; GW = 19.27 ± 1.62 reps) and a higher kick decrement index (GW + VR = 5.45 ± 2.57%; GW + double VR = 5.88 ± 3.22%; GW = 9.54 ± 5.00%). However, the GW + VR and GW + double VR did not significantly improve the flexibility and CMJ asymmetry performance. The GW + VR is more beneficial for warming up than the GW is among male collegiate taekwondo athletes.

The purpose of this study is to explore whether religious tourism activities can create a safe leisure environment and improve the well-being of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the participants in the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage in Taiwan as the subjects of this study. A mixed research method was used. First, statistical software and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Then the respondents’ opinions were collected. Finally, a multivariate analysis method was used to discuss the results of analysis. The findings showed that the elderly respondents thought that the epidemic prevention information and leisure space planning for the pilgrimage made them feel secure. The elderly believed the scenery, religious atmosphere, and commodities en route could reduce the perception of environmental risks to tourists, relieve pressure on the brain, and increase social opportunities. Therefore, the friendlier the leisure environment around the pilgrimage, the greater the leisure satisfaction among the elderly respondents. The happier the elderly felt, the less they considered the concentration of airborne contaminants, including viruses. The better their physical and mental health was, the less likely they were to want to ask for religious goods.

The purpose of the study is to explore the antecedents of university students’ fitness application usage behaviours by combining the theory of planned behaviour and the technology acceptance model. An anonymous questionnaire survey was adopted to address the objectives of the study. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to select eligible students from six universities in Zhanjiang City. An online survey was used to collect data from 634 eligible subjects, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected data. The results indicated that the students’ perceived usefulness (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.32, p < 0.05) concerning the application and their attitude (β = 0.31, p < 0.05) toward it significantly influenced their usage intentions. Furthermore, perceived usefulness (β = 0.11, p < 0.05) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.38, p < 0.05) fully mediated the relationship between subjective norms and usage intentions. However, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control did not enhance the students’ intentions to use fitness applications. That is, students’ attitudes and fitness application design are the determinants of usage intention. Accordingly, improving students’ fitness applications usage intention requires strategies that involve customised services, social networking, and collaboration with schools; this would further increase students’ engagement in physical exercise.

(1) Background: This study compared the effects of mouth rinsing with a carbohydrate trial (CMR) and a placebo trial (PL) on concentric and eccentric contraction strength in multi-joint resistance exercise performance. (2) Methods: Twenty healthy adult men (age: 22.4 ± 3.7 years, body mass index: 26 ± 3.8, peak power: 378.3 ± 138.7 W) were recruited in this study. Participants were employed in a double-blind, randomized crossover design to divide participants into carbohydrate mouth rinsing trial (CMR) and placebo trial (PL). After warming up, participants used 6.6% maltodextrin (CMR) or mineral water (PL) to rinse their mouth for 20 s. Next, the participants underwent tests of maximum inertial Romanian deadlift resistance exercise comprising five sets of six reps, with 3 min rests between sets. After deducting the first repetition of each set, the mean values from the five sets were analyzed. (3) Results: The concentric peak power of the CMR trial was significantly higher than that of the PL trial (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.46), the eccentric peak power of the CMR trial was significantly higher than that of the PL trial (p = 0.008, Cohen’s d = 0.56), and the total work of the CMR trial was significantly higher than that of PL trial (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.51). (4) Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that mouth rinsing with carbohydrates before exercise can improve concentric and eccentric contraction strength in multi-joint resistance exercise performance.

We compared the effects of three warm-up protocols (static stretching (SS), static stretching with vibration foam rolling (SS + VFR), and static stretching with nonvibration foam rolling (SS + FR) on the blood pressure and functional fitness performance in older women with prehypertension. Thirteen older women went through different protocols in separate visits, and their systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, brachial pulse pressure (BPP), functional fitness test (back scratch (BS), chair-sit-and-reach, 30 s arm curl (AC), 30 s chair stand, 2 min step, 8-foot up and go), and single-leg standing balance (SLB) were recorded. The SBP and BPP were significantly higher after SS and SS + VFR than after SS + FR. Both SS + FR and SS + VFR significantly improved the 2 min step, when compared with SS. Additionally, SS + VFR significantly improved the BS and AC performance. However, compared with SS and SS + FR, SS + VFR significantly reduced the SLB performance. Therefore, SS + FR may be a better warm-up protocol for older women in maintaining blood pressure. On the other hand, even though SS + VFR induced superior shoulder flexibility, aerobic endurance, and arm strength, it could impair balance.

Data science has become an essential component in professional sports, particularly for predicting team performance and outcomes. This study aims to develop and evaluate machine learning models that accurately predict game outcomes in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Method: A total of 859 games from the 2021 to 2023 regular seasons were analyzed, using both traditional baseball statistics and advanced sabermetric indicators such as the Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA), and Percentage of Leadoff Batters on Base (PLOB%). Five machine learning models—decision tree, logistic regression, Neural Network, Random Forest, and XGBoost—were constructed and assessed through a five-fold cross-validation. Evaluation metrics included accuracy, F1 scores, sensitivity, specificity, and the AUC-ROC. Results: Among the models, logistic regression and XGBoost achieved the highest performance, with an accuracy ranging from 0.89 to 0.93 and an AUC-ROC from 0.97 to 0.98. The feature importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis revealed that the wRC+ and PLOB% were the most influential predictors, reflecting the offensive efficiency and pitching control. Conclusion: The results suggest that combining interpretable machine learning with sabermetrics provides valuable insights for coaches and analysts in professional baseball. Furthermore, incorporating performance weighting based on game context may further enhance model accuracy. This research demonstrates the potential of data-driven strategies in sports analytics and decision-making.