Malaysian Journal of Sport Science and Recreation Volume 17 No. 2 15, September 2021

Community-based health programmes at workplace involves planning, implementation and evaluation with the aim of empowering employees to gain control over their health. Brisk walking was a form of exercise that was acceptable to most people and may be integrated easily into daily routine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) through a pedometer-based walking programme at the workplace. A total of 70 young men who were sedentary, achieving less than 5,000 steps/day in casual walking with 2 or more cardiovascular risk factors were recruited. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control (CG) (n=34; no change in walking) and pedometer group (PG) (n=36; minimum target: 8,000 steps/day). Blood lipid profile, anthropometric and CRF were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. At post intervention, the PG increased step count and results for lipid and anthropometrics variables were significantly improved for time and group effect (p<0.001). In PG, the CRF was significantly increased for time and effect (p<0.01) for VO2peak from 31.54 ± 9.66 to 40.15± 9.55(ml/kg/min but no change in CG (31.46 ± 6.15 vs 31.60 ± 8.99 ml/kg/min). The walking programme improved health status in terms of improving biophysical profiles and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Keywords: cardiorespiratory fitness, brisk walking, workplace programme, cardiovascular risks

Physical activity was linked with a lower risk of mortality and developing non -communicable diseases. Strong evidence shows that physical inactivity increases the risk of most chronic diseases, decreases life expectancy and it was widely reported as having an unambiguous effect on obesity levels. Physical inactivity and obesity are seen in both genders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the differences between physical activity level (PA) and body composition (BC) among male and female Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation students in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to measure physical activity level and the InBody 270 machine was used to measure the body composition of participants. Based on the results obtained there was no significant differences in Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = 0.64), Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) (p = 0.92), Physical Activity Level (PA) (p = 0.12) among male and female students. The present study confirms that there was no significant difference between gender on BMI and WHR among university students. Being physically active reduces the risk of getting chronic diseases. Students must practice a healthy and active lifestyle as they were valuable assets of the university and they played an important role to ensure the development of the whole country.

Keywords: Body mass index, waist to hip ratio, physical activity, university students.

This research investigated the effects of coconut (COC) water ingestion during exhaustive intermittent running exercise performance. On separated two trials, 12 recreational male athletes (age 20 ± 2 years, body mass 59.9 ± 5.9 kg, fat percentage 11.8 ± 5.4%) completed a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test-Level 1 (Yo-yo IRT-1), running to exhaustion in a randomised counterbalanced order. The subjects were given 4 mL.kg-1 of either COC or carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO-e) solution to be ingested prior to exercise. The distance covered, level of exhaustion, heart rate (HR), blood glucose, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived arousal scale (FAS), and gastrointestinal discomfort (GI) were recorded intermittently during each trial. The distance covered with COC did not differ significantly from those data with CHO-e (CHO: 1066.7 ± 449.4 m; CHO-e:1106.7 ± 554.9 m, p = 0.85). There were also no significant differences in HR, RPE and FAS GI comfort between the trials (all p > 0.05) expect for GI (p< 0.05). The blood glucose was increased at the exhaustion of exercise, although, no significant difference was observed between the trials (p > 0.05). Ingesting COC provided no ergogenic benefits during intermittent running exercise compared to CHO-e. The result of the current study suggests that COC ingestion and CHO-e were incapable of reducing perceive exercise intensity during the trials.

Keywords: Running, Carbohydrate, Yo-Yo IRT-1, Exhaustion, Coconut

The purpose of this study was to compare nutritional status and dietary habits among student athletes and non-student athletes of UiTM as well to study the relationship between the body mass index (BMI), dietary habits and nutritional status. An online questionnaire was used to collect data of respondents. Dietary habits questionnaire was modified from Marino (2001) which comprised 18 questions. Nutrition knowledge questionnaire was modified from Paugh (2005) which comprised of 29 questions. There was a significant difference in total dietary habits score between student athletes and non-student athletes, t (198) = -3.145, p = 0.002 meanwhile, there was no significant difference in total nutrition knowledge score between student athletes and non-student athletes, t(198)=0.334, p=0.433. Null hypothesis accepted for both student athletes and non-student athletes, showing that their BMI did not have significant relationship with their dietary habits and nutrition knowledge. The mean dietary habits score of student athletes were higher than non-student athletes, so there was a significant difference in total dietary habits score between two groups. Meanwhile, there was no huge difference between the mean score for nutrition knowledge between student athletes and non-student athletes. There was no significant difference in total nutrition knowledge score between the two groups.

Keyword: dietary habits, body mass index, students athletes, non- students athletes, nutritional

This study aim is to determine the effect of short-term (5-day) polysulphide-enriched garlic (PEG) administration on cognitive function and physiological responses to high-intensity intermittent exercise performance. Fifteen recreational team-sport players underwent a randomized, double blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial of PEG and PLA (placebo) supplementation, with a washout period of 14-day separating each trial. Following a 4-day supplementation of 4 g PEG and PLA (placebo), participants consumed a single dose of the supplement 3 hours in day-5 prior to the completion of a Yo–Yo intermittent recovery level 1 test (YYIRTL1). Resting exhaled hydrogen sulphide was 42% greater, while systolic BP and mean arterial pressure was lower by 3% in PEG compared to PLA (p < 0.05). Performance in the cognitive function test was 4% and 3% faster at rest and during YYIRTL1, respectively, with performance in YYIRTL1 only tended to increase in PEG compared to PLA (p = 0.08). Mean heart rate was lower during YYIRTL1 (p < 0.05). These results indicate that PEG supplementation, with dose equivalent to average sized garlic clove, lower both resting BP and heart rate during exercise. Short term PEG supplementation may also enhance cognitive function during high-intensity intermittent performance.

Keywords: Garlic, Supplementation, Cognitive, Exercise Performance, Ergogenic

This study aim is to determine the effects of short-term polysulfide-enriched garlic (PEG) on resting blood pressure (BP) and physiological responses to continuous, high-intensity exercise in collegiate-level athletes. Twelve collegiate-level male athletes underwent a randomized, double blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial of PEG and PLA (placebo) supplementation, with a washout period of 14-day separating each trial. Following a 4-day supplementation of 4 g PEG and PLA (placebo), participants consumed a single dose of the supplement 3 hours prior to the completion of high- intensity exercise tolerance in Day-5. The systolic BP and mean arterial pressure levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05), following 5-day PEG supplementation, compared to the pre-supplementation (PRE; no supplement) and PLA condition, but not diastolic BP. In addition, exhaled hydrogen sulphide (eH2S) was significantly greater (p < 0.05) following PEG, compared to PRE and PLA condition. Although PEG did not significantly alter time-to-exhaustion in intense constant load exercise (p = 0.11), the results indicate substantial improvements (~6%) in 8 out of 12 participants. Blood [glucose] was lower during constant-load exercise (p < 0.05) but no changes in blood [lactate]. In this study, for the first time the BP-lowering effect of PEG supplementation was reported, and this vasorelaxant effects likely related to enhanced bioavailability of hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Additionally, there was appreciable inter-subject variability in the response of PEG on exercise tolerance which requires further study to elucidate the factors that influence its ergogenic potential.

Keywords: Garlic, Supplementation, Hydrogen Sulphide, Exercise Capacity, Blood Pressure

The carbohydrate-electrolyte mouth rinse has been widely documented as one of the cooling strategies that attenuate the rise in core temperature and subsequently contribute to enhanced exercise performance. However, this is the first study investigating the effects of sports drink mouth rinse (100Plus®) on trained junior cyclists during 15-min time trial performance in the warm-humid environment. This study aimed to investigate whether sports drink mouth-rinse (carbohydrate-electrolytes) conferred performance and thermoregulatory responses benefits while cycling in a hot and humid environment; and whether the timing (pre and during exercise) of rinses was of importance when compared with a control rinsing with plain water only. Eight male Kelantan state junior cyclists ages 17 ± 1.8 years old completed carbohydrate-electrolytes (100Plus®) mouth rinse and control trial (plain water) during the fixed intensity cycling at 55% VO2max for 45-min and 15-min work-dependent self-paced cycling time trial. Each cyclist rinsed his mouth with 25 ml bolus (100Plus®) sports drink or plain water at every 15-min (15,30 and 45-min) for 10-second during the duration of fixed intensity cycling. Heart rate, rectal and skin temperatures, and Borg's rating of perceived exertion (RPE), thermal discomfort and sensation scale were recorded. Results showed that 100Plus® mouth rinse did not improve cycling performance in thermally stress and demonstrated a higher work completed in control (144.7 ± 15.8 kJ) compared to sports drink mouth-rinse (126.2 ± 20.2 kJ) trials. Thus, the most obvious finding from this study was that sports drink mouth-rinse before and during exercise were unable to improve exercise performance in a warm and humid environment.

Keywords: Mouth rinse, cycling performance, warm and humid

Unethical decision-making among athletes has become a much-discussed topic in the sports world today. This practice is definitely caused by the lack of emphasis on sportsmanship and an overemphasis on the mentality of “winning at all cost” that motivates them to commit unethical conduct. The main objectives of this study were to determine the differences of the moral decision – making on behaviours among Johor SUKMA athletes based on gender. This study was carried out on 214 of Johor SUKMA athletes. The data were obtained through a questionnaire containing 24 items which was administered to measure the domains of athletes’ moral decision-making in sports which covered acceptance of cheating, acceptance of gamesmanship and keeping winning in proportion. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient value of the instrument was above 0.70 for each domain. The data was analysed using inferential analysis (Mann-Whitney Test). The findings showed that “keeping winning in proportion” was the main domain for the athletes’ moral decision-making in sports and that there is no significance different in the mean score for the moral decision-making based on gender for the two domains which are “acceptance of cheating proportion” (p = 0.68 > 0.05) and “keeping winning in proportion” (p = 0.18 > 0.05). Meanwhile there is a significance different in “acceptance of gamesmanship” based on gender (p = 0.02 < 0.05). Thus, understanding about the moral decision-making among Johor SUKMA athletes may help Johor National Sports Council (MSNJ) and coaches to encourage a more positive decision-making towards sportsmanship conduct among athletes.

Keywords: moral decision-making, SUKMA athletes, gamesmanship

Academic stress is the emotional or mental state that students experience during their university life as they pursue their studies. Stress is known as a major factor that contributes to weight gain. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between stress level and body composition (BMI) of FSR Sports Science male and female undergraduate students. This is the causal-comparative study which involves female and male students of SR243 from the Faculty of Sport Science and Recreation, UiTM Shah Alam. The sample analysed was N = 291 consist of 148 female students and 143 male students. This study used PSS-14 questionnaire distributed among the sample to collect demographic details and body composition measured by BMI calculation data. The findings reported that there is no significant difference, p = > 0.05 between genders (male and female) on stress level but shows a significant difference, p = < 0.05 on Body Mass Index (BMI). Findings described a weak positive relationship between stress level and BMI among gender for female r = 0.102, and for the male is r=0.029. A weak positive correlation between stress level and body composition, r = 0.049. BMI has significant difference with female and male SR243 undergraduates’ students and has no significant difference among gender on stress level. A weak positive linear relationship was found between stress level and body composition among gender in Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation.

Keywords: Academic Stress, Mental state, Body Mass Index, Body Composition

The coach's actual conduct is thought to be influenced directly by his or her personal characteristics, such as age, gender, appearance, skill, and experience, as well as the demands of the situation. However, the coach's behavior set by both the organisational structure and the environment, and include factors including sport, team size or level, role variability, and playing conditions. This study aims to investigate on the different of perceived coaches’ behaviour in terms of gender and type of sports among athletes in Federal Territory Sports Council, Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) 2021 contingent. The research design of the study is quantitative research design. Total number of 468 samples was randomly selected from Federal Territory Sports Council, Sukan, Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) 2021 contingent. The instrumentation used in this study is questionnaire which is Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport. The statistical analysis used is Independent T-test. The results showed significance result in the factor of negative personal rapport between gender and significance result showed in the technical skills between types of sports. In conclusion, depending on the pandemic scenario, all genders have a good view of coaches' actions, except for a negative personal rapport. Different types of sports exhibited similar perceptions of coaching behavior, except for technical skills, where individual athletes reported higher positive feedback than team athletes.

Keywords: coaching behavior, Physical training and planning, technical skills, goal setting, mental preparation, competition strategies, personal rapport, negative personal rapport

The present study aimed to investigate whether athlete perceptions of coaching effectiveness mediate the longitudinal relationships between perceptions of transformational leadership (TL) and athlete outcomes. 174 team-sport athletes (Rugby = 35, Basketball = 46, Football = 93) participated by completing psychometric measures of the study variables at two time points (retention rate = 93.5%). Data analyses revealed athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s character-building effectiveness at Time 1 did not mediate a negative predictive effect of perceptions of coach appropriate role model behaviour at Time 1 on athlete antisocial opponent behaviour at Time 2. However, such perceptions did mediate a negative effect of perceptions of coach appropriate role model behaviour at Time 1 on athlete antisocial teammate behaviour at Time 2. Further, athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s motivation effectiveness at Time 1 mediated a positive effect of coach individual consideration behaviour at Time 1 on trust at Time 2. The findings of this study suggest athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s transformational leadership behaviour may at times influence athlete outcomes through changes in athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s effectiveness.

Keywords: Coaching effectiveness, transformational leadership behaviour, antisocial behaviour, trust, team sport

Student athletes have to balance numerous demands such as academic pursuit, training and competition, thus these could bring stress and challenges. This study examined personal issues as sources of stress experienced by university student athletes. A total of 273 student athletes (Males = 160, Females = 113; Age = 20.4 + 2.5 years) participated in this study. A 16-item questionnaire was adopted from the Organizational Stress Inventory developed by Fletcher and Hanton (2003). The inventory was divided into three sub-scales of ‘nutrition’, ‘injury’, and goals and expectations’. The results suggested that both male and female student athletes were stressed, in order of importance by ‘nutrition’, ‘injury’ and ‘goal & expectation’ respectively. Inferential statistics showed that there were no significant differences in ‘nutrition’, ‘injury’ sub-scales according to gender. However, for the ‘goal and expectations’ sub-scale, there was a statistically significant difference in ‘unclear goals’ and ‘tension because of personal goals within the team’ where male athletes demonstrated higher stress than female athletes. The findings are important to coaches and sport managers in addressing personal issues among athletes. More research is needed to include athletes from other educational institutions and from national sport associations.

Keywords: Personal issues, sources of stress, student athletes, nutrition, injury. Goal setting.