Browsing by Author "Uylas E."

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    The Effect of Fluid Restriction and Intake Conditions on the Shooting Performance of Competitive Adolescent Handball Players
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024) Uylas E.; Mancı E.; Rodriguez-Sanchez N.; Bediz C.Ş.; Günay E.
    (1) Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fluid restriction and intake (water vs. sports drink) on shooting accuracy and speed in adolescent handball players, a population with high sensitivity to hydration levels yet understudied in this context. (2) Methods: A total of 47 adolescent competitive handball players (15.04 ± 1.5 years) were included in this study, and the participants were divided into low, average, and high performance according to their shooting performance in the familiarization session. All participants were exposed to fluid restriction and intake conditions during handball training on different days. Before and after the training sessions, changes in shooting accuracy and speed were evaluated. (3) Results: The training protocol resulted in body mass loss in the Average Performer group (p = 0.001). Compared to fluid restriction, fluid intake (water intake and sports drink intake) post-training had a positive main effect on shooting accuracy, F(2, 88) = 34.32, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.44, and shooting speed, F(1, 61) = 4.05, p = 0.35, ηp2 = 0.84. (4) Conclusions: Hydration level plays an important role in shooting accuracy and speed performance in adolescent handball players. Therefore, fluid intake integrated into training or match sessions may contribute to the maintenance and improvement of shooting performance. © 2024 by the authors.
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    Integrating Kata Training into School Education: Effects on Sustained Attention and Cognitive Performance in 8–9-Year-Old Children
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Gökdere F.; Uylas E.; Çatıkkaş F.; Günay E.; Ceylan H.İ.; Özgören M.
    (1) Background: The ability to sustain attention in primary school children aged 8–9 years plays a critical role in maintaining focus for extended periods, enabling them to comprehend and integrate large amounts of information. Enhancing sustained attention during this formative stage significantly improves a child’s capacity to acquire and consolidate new skills and knowledge, laying a strong foundation for academic and cognitive development. (2) Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of an 8-week kata training program on attention and its components in 8–9-year-old school-age children, a critical developmental period for attention. (3) Methods: After excluding the participants who gave a low number of correct answers in the pre-test or created a ceiling effect, 43 participants, aged 9.12 ± 0.40 years, were included in this study. This study, conducted during the academic term, included three measurement phases and a familiarization session. Attention parameters were evaluated using the Bourdon–Vos Test, and participants were categorized into Low Performers (LP) and High Performers (HP) based on pre-test scores. The intervention group (INT) underwent kata training thrice weekly for 8 weeks, while the control group (CON) followed their regular activities. Post-training, attention parameters were reassessed using the Bourdon–Vos Test. (4) Results: In the post-intervention analysis, significant improvements in the number of correct responses were observed in both the LP (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = −1.333) and HP (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = −1.644) groups within the INT group. In the CON group, significant improvement was observed only in the HP group (p = 0.031, Cohen’s d = −0.948). Regarding attention processing speed, significant pre-post improvements were found exclusively in the INT group (p < 0.001). Block-wise analysis revealed significant differences only in Block 1 of the CON group (p = 0.011, Cohen’s d = −0.522). However, in the INT group, significant improvements were observed in both Block 1 (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = −1.200) and Block 2 (p = 0.004, Cohen’s d = −0.678). (5) Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the effectiveness of an 8-week kata training program in enhancing sustained attention and cognitive processing speed among 8–9-year-old children, particularly in low-performing groups. This suggests that integrating structured kata-based motor and cognitive activities into school curricula can serve as a promising strategy for addressing attention deficits and promoting cognitive development during this critical developmental period. Future studies should examine the long-term effects of kata training on attention and related cognitive functions, such as working memory and executive control. Investigating neurophysiological mechanisms through neuroimaging and including diverse age groups with larger samples could further validate these findings. © 2025 by the authors.