This study evaluated the acute effect of the exergame Kinect Sports^® beach volleyball on state anxiety level in adult women. Thirty healthy adult women (age: 21 [4] years, body mass: 54.70 [19.50] kg, height: 1.61 ± 0.05 m, and body mass index: 21.87 [5.76] kg/m², data are expressed as median [interquartile range] and as the mean ± standard deviation) were assigned to play an exergame of beach volleyball in singleplayer mode session (intervention session) for ~ 30 min using the Xbox 360 Kinect^® or remained seated (control session). State anxiety was evaluated before and after the intervention and control sessions through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. State anxiety obtained in both sessions (exergame and control) was classified as intermediate before (median: 36.00 [IQR: 4.75] and mean = 38.73 ± 7.23, respectively) and after (mean: 34.86 ± 6.81 and mean: 37.66 ± 8.44, respectively). Friedman test found no time significant effect on state anxiety of the sessions (χ² [3] = 6.45, p-value = 0.092, Kendall’s W = 0.07 “trivial”). In conclusion, the present study showed that there were no significant differences in the state anxiety level after an acute session of the exergame beach volleyball.

Purpose: To compare the academic performance of undergraduate students in physical education who studied exercise physiology before and after studying human physiology and investigate students’ perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courses. Methods: This study included 311 undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Participants were divided into two groups: those who had previously attended and completed the human physiology course (group 1, n = 212, 68.2%) and those who had not previously attended or had attended but failed the human physiology course (group 2, n = 99, 31.8%). The prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using a Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator. The second aim comprised 67 students with bachelor’s degrees in physical education who completed an electronic questionnaire about their perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology curriculum. Results: Compared with those who attended human physiology and passed, those who had not previously attended or had attended but failed the human physiology course have a higher PR of 2.37 (95% CI, 1.68–3.34) for failing exercise physiology. Regarding the students’ perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courses, most students reported that they were challenging (58.2% and 64.2%, respectively), but they also recognized the importance of these courses for professional practice (59.7% and 85.1%, respectively). Conclusion: Human physiology should be considered a prerequisite for an undergraduate course leading to a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Furthermore, students considered human physiology and exercise physiology courses important yet challenging. Therefore, continuous student assessment is vital for improving the teaching–learning process.

Introduction: Beach tennis has become a popular sport, but research on its mental health benefits is scarce. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined the effects of beach tennis on anxiety symptoms. Objectives: To assess the effect of a single session of beach tennis, in both singles and doubles modes, on anxiety symptoms. Methods: Twenty-two recreational players (11 women, age: 35.00 [13.50] years) were evaluated. Each participant underwent three intervention sessions in random order: one-on-one match (singles), two-on-two match (doubles), and a control session (non-exercise). State anxiety and affective responses were measured before and after each intervention. Results: For men, no significant interaction between time and session was found (p = 0.646). In women, there was a significant interaction between time and session (p = 0.002). Anxiety symptoms significantly decreased from pre- to post-singles condition (p = 0.007) and from pre- to post-doubles condition (p = 0.010). A significant difference was observed between the post-singles and post-control conditions (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Beach tennis demonstrated an anxiolytic effect in women, with significant reductions in anxiety symptoms following both singles and doubles sessions. However, no such effects were observed in men. These findings suggest that beach tennis could be a viable intervention for managing anxiety symptoms in women. The study was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (registration code: U1111-1293-7949).

Over the last 40 yr., there has been a relative consensus that incremental exercise tests used to determine Maximal Oxygen uptake (V̇O₂max), maximal aerobic intensity, and ventilatory thresholds should last between 8 and 12 min. However, recent studies have questioned this recommendation, suggesting that it may be outdated, although this is not yet established in the literature. This study compared V̇O₂max, Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP), and ventilatory thresholds between two incremental exercise protocols in amateur endurance athletes. Thirteen women and 15 men (aged 24-53 yr) completed two maximal progressive tests, performed in random order (short-term and long-term), with a 2- to 4-day interval. In the short-term test, the workload increased by 25 W per minute, while in the long-term test, the workload increased by 25 W every 3 min. Both protocols were performed until exhaustion. The variables assessed included ventilatory threshold (VT), Respiratory Compensation Point (RCP), V̇O₂max, MAP, Maximal Heart Rate (HRmax), and maximal oxygen pulse. No significant differences were found between the short-term (8-12 min) and long-term (19-28 min) protocols for V̇O₂max (p = 0.79), HRmax (p = 0.715), or maximal oxygen pulse (p = 0.40). However, absolute and relative MAP (p < 0.001) and power at RCP (p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the short-term protocol. Moreover, men showed a greater reduction in MAP during long-term tests than women. These findings suggest that 1-min stage tests are more time-efficient and effective for assessing V̇O₂max and MAP.