Social support from parents serves as one of the primary influences of youth physical activity—related behaviors. A systematic review was conducted on the relationship of parental social support to the physical activity—related behaviors of youth. Four categories of social support were identified, falling under two distinct mechanisms—tangible and intangible. Tangible social support is divided into two categories: instrumental—purchasing equipment/payment of fees and transportation—and conditional—doing activity with and watching/supervision. Intangible social support is divided into the two categories of motivational— encouragement and praise—and informational—discussing benefits of. The majority of studies demonstrated positive associations among selected measures of parental tangible and intangible social support and youth activity. Overall, parental social support demonstrated positive effects. Many studies, however, combine social support categories and/or respondents into composite measures, making it difficult to disentangle the specific effects of parents and the type of support provided.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively combine and examine the results of studies examining the effectiveness of periodized (PER) compared to nonperiodized (Non-PER) training programs for strength and/or power development. Two analyses were conducted to (a) examine the magnitude of treatment effect elicited by PER strength training programs compared to Non-PER programs and (b) compare these effects after controlling for training volume, frequency, and intensity. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were coded based on characteristics that might moderate the overall effects (i.e., participant characteristics and characteristics related to the training program). Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated for each study, and an overall ES of 0.84 (± 1.41) favoring PER training was found. Further analyses identified the treatment effect specific to training variation to be ES = 0.25. Significant moderating variables included age, training status, and length of training program. As a result of this statistical review of the literature, it is concluded that PER training is more effective than Non-PER training for men and women, individuals of varying training backgrounds, and for all age groups. In line with the overload principle, additions to volume, intensity, and frequency result in additional training adaptations.

The deaths of three intercollegiate wrestlers in 1997 prompted the NCAA and governing bodies that oversee high school sports to adopt new policies prohibiting unsafe weight loss practices. Similar policies have not yet been adopted for international style wrestling, a style that attracts thousands of youth once the regulated scholastic season is over. Therefore, this study examined the rapid weight loss practices in high school wrestlers participating in international style wrestling. To do this, rapid weight gain (RWG), an index that reflects the degree of rapid weight loss (RWL), was examined. Wrestlers (N = 2638) participating in the 1997 and 1998 National wrestling championships were randomly selected to be weighed at matside with electronic scales. The methods wrestlers used to accomplish weight loss were also assessed in a subsample of wrestlers. Wrestlers gained an average of 3.4 kg, which represents a 4.81% gain of body weight. The range across weight classes and age groups was −2.68 kg (−2.1% loss of body weight) to +16.73 kg (13.4% gain of body weight). No differences in RWG existed as a function of the represented state teams. In addition, wrestlers who were older and more successful (i.e., placers) gained significantly more weight that their younger and less successful counterparts (P < 0.001). Excessive running, using saunas, and wearing vapor-impermeable suits were cited as the most common methods used to achieve RWL. These results suggest that RWL still exists in international style wrestling, and similar policies to those recently instituted by the NCAA are warranted.

Mental and physical (MAP) training is a novel clinical intervention that combines mental training through meditation and physical training through aerobic exercise. The intervention was translated from neuroscientific studies indicating that MAP training increases neurogenesis in the adult brain. Each session consisted of 30 min of focused-attention (FA) meditation and 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Fifty-two participants completed the 8-week intervention, which consisted of two sessions per week. Following the intervention, individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD;n=22) reported significantly less depressive symptoms and ruminative thoughts. Typical healthy individuals (n=30) also reported less depressive symptoms at follow-up. Behavioral and event-related potential indices of cognitive control were collected at baseline and follow-up during a modified flanker task. Following MAP training, N2 and P3 component amplitudes increased relative to baseline, especially among individuals with MDD. These data indicate enhanced neural responses during the detection and resolution of conflicting stimuli. Although previous research has supported the individual beneficial effects of aerobic exercise and meditation for depression, these findings indicate that a combination of the two may be particularly effective in increasing cognitive control processes and decreasing ruminative thought patterns.