The current study evaluated the effect of different anxiety states on information processing as measured by an electroencephalography (EEG) using emotional stimuli on a smartphone. Twenty-three healthy subjects were assessed for their anxiety states using The State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and divided into two groups: low anxiety (I, II) or high anxiety (III and IV, V). An EEG was performed while the participant was presented with emotionally laden audiovisual stimuli (resting, pleasant, and unpleasant sessions) and emotionally laden sentence stimuli (pleasant sentence, unpleasant sentence sessions) and EEG data was analyzed using propagation speed analysis. The propagation speed of the low anxiety group at the medial coronal for resting stimuli for all time segments was higher than those of high anxiety group. The low anxiety group propagation speeds at the medial sagittal for unpleasant stimuli in the 0–30 and 60–150 s time frames were higher than those of high anxiety group. The propagation speeds at 150 s for all stimuli in the low anxiety group were significantly higher than the correspondent propagation speeds of the high anxiety group. These events suggest that neural information processes concerning emotional stimuli differ based on current anxiety state.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to confirm the correlation between racket velocity during the forehand smash movements with shoulder extensor strength and internal rotator strength in the neutral and abducted positions. [Subjects and Methods] Fourteen collegiate badminton players participated in the study. Measurements were performed shoulder strength, using torque calculated from the upper extremity length and the isometric force, and racket velocity during the forehand smash movements. The shoulder extensor strength and internal rotator strength were measured in the neutral and abducted positions. [Results] The extension torque and internal rotation torque of the shoulder in the neutral position were not significantly correlated with racket velocity. Additionally, correlations between extension torque of the shoulder in the maximum abducted position and racket velocity were insignificant. However, the internal rotation torque of the shoulder in the abducted external rotated position was significantly correlated with racket velocity (r=0.652). [Conclusion] The shoulder internal rotator strength in the abducted external rotated position are suitable measurements for evaluating badminton players.

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This study compared the diŠerences in board velocity, stroke rate, and stroke length during 40-m maximal board paddling between elite and sub-elite paddlers. Sixteen Japanese male lifesavers (eight each of elite and sub-elite paddlers) performed 40-m maximal board paddling using the knee paddling (K-paddling) and prone paddling (P-paddling) techniques, respectively. Board velocity (BV), stroke rate (SR), and stroke length (SL) were calculated from videorecorded time trials. Board velocity was signiˆcantly higher in the elite group with both paddling techniques. The present study identiˆed that the diŠerences in the BVs between the two groups were mainly due to greater SL in K-paddling and higher SR in P-paddling, respectively, in the elite group. Furthermore, peak BVs were signiˆcantly related to SL with both paddling techniques in the elite group. Therefore, board paddlers and coaches should understand the diŠerences in the SR-SL ratios for diŠerent performance levels based on the results of the present study. They should focus on the increases in the SL and SR values for K-paddling and P-paddling, respectively, based on the SR-SL ratios of the elite group in the present study, when improving sub-elite paddlers' BV to reach elite paddler levels.