# Study on the Role of College Sports Games and Taekwondo Teaching Based on Information Health

Authors: Jiaxin Zhang; Wei Fang
Journal: Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
 (2022)

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## Abstract

Sports games and taekwondo have hitherto been core facets in colleges and university physical education curricula. This owes to the significant benefits derived from the duo, especially with the increase in sedentary lifestyles, resulting in dreaded repercussions when strenuous exercise is not brought into play. Taekwondo is a type of martial art known to have originated from Korea but has now gained popularity internationally. Some of the known benefits of taekwondo are reducing stress and improving cardiovascular system (CVS) physiology. On the other hand, sports games also help immensely in the physiological and mental health of college and university students. For instance, outdoor games are essential in the pulmonary system as indoor games are for mental health. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of sports games and taekwondo teaching in colleges and universities. The prospective study was conducted on a sample of 195 students. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by random means. The data collected was then analyzed to find the type of distribution. The results indicated a normal distribution with a resultant bell curve. The central tendency and dispersion were calculated. A high level of decision-making, confidence, and fitness was noted in students practicing these activities in their colleges and universities vis-à-vis those who do not. Sports and taekwondo increase the level of training, which enhances the skeletal system to take up and utilize lipids. This process reduces the level of plasma lipids, thus preventing chronic health conditions like obesity and diabetes. In conclusion, sports and taekwondo are essential in maintaining a healthy standard and should always be incorporated into the college and university curriculum.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Because sports and taekwondo play an important core role in developing life skills and maintaining health, they have become the central content of university courses. Schools and other training and education institutions should provide a better environmental support for the smooth progress of sports and taekwondo activities [1]. As we all know, the core role of sports is to maintain physical and mental health, which has a positive domino effect on physical and mental health. Taekwondo is popular because of its positive effect on reducing stress and improving the vascular system. It may only be used in South Korea, but now, it is used in more than 209 countries around the world. As shown in previous research and relevant literature, this is due to the positive promotion of physical education. The tone of sports competition has been introduced into colleges and universities, from indoor to outdoor, and more diversified, so as to ensure students' wholehearted health [2].A 2018 research indicated the importance of these two activities in improving the life skills of the participants. In this research, a sample of 375 participants was randomly chosen from a college institution, males comprising 90% while females only 10%. Quantitative data was collected and analyzed by the use of both open-ended and close-ended questionnaires. The results of this study showed that among the respondents, 51.8% strongly saw that sports games improve life skills and decision-making ability, 25.6% saw it in the perspective of developing quality time management, and 22.6% saw it on quality planning development [3]. This research is summarized in Table 1.Table 1
Definition and effects of peer, active, and lecturing strategies.
DemographicsDetailFrequencyPercentage (%)Age18–2222–25Above 2615020019405010SexMaleFemale300339010Sport typeTeamIndividual32022955Table1 shows the demographical characteristics of the 2018 research conducted on the role of sports in college and university students’ wellbeing.Another research was conducted on the effect of taekwondo on physical fitness. The same results were recorded. This research study was prospective, where the investigators collected data from DBpia, RISS, and KISS databases, where 164 studies were collected and analyzed. From these studies, three indicated an 8.9% increase of muscle strength after taekwondo; four studies indicated a 12.2% increase in the right grip strength, a 6.1% increase in the left grip strength, and a 16.7% increase in muscle endurance [4]. Based on these results, it is imminent to conclude that taekwondo teaching is fundamental in maintaining individuals’ physical fitness and improving their health status.The graph in Figure1 shows the result summary of the first research study. These two studies directed our study to study the roles and benefits of sports games and taekwondo training in college and university institutions and are the basis for the study design and methodology.Figure 1
Graph of demographics against % frequency.


## 2. Method

We conducted this study by randomly selecting college students and did not limit the criteria for selecting respondents; only students who belong to colleges and universities are required. The sample size of students isn=195, which is also randomly selected, but the demographic data of participants are considered in the selection process. However, gender is one of the factors. Of the 195 students interviewed, 72% (including 140 students) are male and only 28% (54 respondents) are female. The respondents were then divided into four groups based on the level of activity each group was to be involved in. The first group was not placed at any intervention level; that is, there was no form of activity they were to be involved in. They were neither involved in taekwondo nor sports games. This was the negative control group. For the second group, there were only put on the sports game curriculum. They mostly participated in track and field events. The third group, on the other hand, was only involved in taekwondo [5]. The final group was the positive control involved in both sporting games and taekwondo activities. Both the test and control groups were in a temporary curriculum for three weeks. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by employing both open-ended and close-ended questionnaires and measuring their muscle strength quality. The qualitative data collected by questionnaires were based on the effect of the activities on the participants. In contrast, the quantitative data was based on the measurement of changes that took place as a result of these activities.Based on the respondents’ questionnaires, six important target qualities were to be assessed. These qualities were a sense of responsibility, self-discipline, responsibility, teamwork, accountability, and self-confidence [6]. For the second, third, and fourth groups, 72%, 70%, and 90%, respectively, fully agreed that these qualities were boosted in the three weeks the exercise was conducted. Though a double-blind statistical approach was conducted on both the test and control groups, there was no positive response for the first group. This is because there was no change in any variable and thus no increase in the activity level, causing stagnation in these qualities. 95% of respondents in the latter trio responded that they were now conversant and acknowledged the importance of teamwork not only in the course of their activities but also in their daily endeavors. Only a small percentage recorded that their level of self-confidence and accountability increased. In the second group, 2% reported this while 3% and 5% recorded the same in the third and fourth groups. This can be attributed to the time constraint of the research. The research only took three weeks which was not enough to realize the self-confidence and accountability change effect. Notwithstanding this study’s results on these duo qualities, previous research has indicated an exponential increase in self-confidence and accountability for sports games and taekwondo activities. Table 2 shows a summary of respondents and their divisions.Table 2
Various divisions of the respondents in the study.
GroupDescriptionGroup1No sports games or taekwondo activitiesNegative control2Only sports gamesTest3Only taekwondoTest4Both sports games and taekwondo activitiesTest and positive controlQuantitative data was collected through a series of tests. For instance, muscle strength was assessed by estimating the participants’ one repetition maximum (1RM). This score was calculated from the amount of load given to each participant and the number of repetitions counted. The variables were then fed into the Epley equation below [7]:
(1)1RM=0.033×No.ofrepetitions×loadweight+50.This score was used to classify the participants on the quality of muscle strength they had acquired throughout the experiment and indicate any improvement before and after the intervention. For the second, third, and fourth groups, there was an 8%, 10%, and 15% increase in muscle strength, respectively. There was no difference for the first group because there was no intervention provided and thus no change in the variables. According to the different nature of sports competition, the changes of muscle strength of the first and second groups of college students are slightly lower than those of the third and fourth groups. This is because the sports of Taekwondo students in the third and fourth groups usually involve the upper body, and they are mainly targeted exercises, and the gap between them is also obvious. The graph in Figure2 shows a line graph of the three test groups over the test period.Figure 2
Broken line diagram of three test groups during physical fitness test. The figure shows that the test curve value of group 4 combined with sports competition and taekwondo activities is increasing compared with other groups. This is because the integrated application of sports and taekwondo in colleges and universities can improve muscle strength and significantly improve students’ overall physical fitness. On the other hand, the muscle strength of the first group of participants engaged in only one activity did not change during the study.Figure2 shows a much steeper curve for group 4 as compared to the other groups. This is because both sports games and taekwondo work synergistically to improve muscle strength resulting in a significant improvement instead of only engaging in one activity. Group 1, on the other hand, shows no change in the participants’ muscle strength for the research period.The aerobic assessment was also investigated. In this case, the participants were exposed to sprinting, jogging, and cycling exercises. After which, the lipid profile of all the participants was analyzed. After the research period, the second, third, and fourth groups recorded an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), good cholesterol, as it is commonly known. The difference between the HDL increase was so small between the three groups requiring no special attention.On the other hand, the levels of TAGs (triglycerides) and bad cholesterol (LDL) dropped [8]. Maximum aerobic power (VO2max) was calculated on the participants. For this course, the Queen’s college test was applied due to its simplicity. The formula below was then used to find the score of every participant:
(2)VO2maxml/kg/min=111.33−0.42×heartrate.For the first group (control group), there was no change in VO2max. For the second group, 65, 66, and 79 ml/kg/min was averagely recorded in the second, third, and fourth groups, respectively. The Queen’s test was chosen for the Harvard one due to how tough the Harvard test may seem and the research time constraint [9]. This test was conducted using 40 cm steps from which the participants were to jump at the rate of 25 steps per minute in a 4-step cadence. The heart rate was then taken for 15-20 seconds after 20 seconds of recovery from the exercise. The time in minutes and the 4-step cadence were then used to calculate the heart rate, which was incorporated in the equation above. Table 3 shows a summary of the results from the group of participants.Table 3
Results on aerobic Queen’s test.
GroupDescriptionQueen’s test results (ml/kg/min)1No activity402Sports games653Taekwondo664Sports games and taekwondo79The corresponding graph in Figure3 indicates the results of this study. The results in group 1 are as a result of no activity of the participant. On the other hand, groups 2, 3, and 4 were involved in high levels of activity that increased the uptake of oxygen, which increased VO2max of the individuals in particular groups.Figure 3
Graph on the results of Queen’s test on the different groups.The anaerobic activity was also assessed using the vertical jump move [10]. Vertical jump entails a test to assess how much someone stays in the air after a particular exercise. The groups stayed in an upright position with their lower limbs straight and the upper limbs on their hips. They were advised to conduct the exercise on bare feet to prevent imbalances that might be brought about by different sizes of shoe heels. They were then advised to jump high with their legs straight, with their feet thrusting from the ground at the same time. They were then to return to the ground in the same manner, no foot reaching the ground before the other. Using the parameters acquired from the test, a score of jump height was then calculated, and results were recorded. The formula below was used in the calculation process of jump height [11]:
(3)Jumpheight=4.9×0.5×timeofftheground2.Results recorded a high level of fitness in the second, third, and positive control groups. For instance, the second group had an average of 60 cm jump height during the third 63 cm jump height. The positive control group recorded a 70 cm jump height. These results go without saying that sports games and taekwondo help immensely develop the lower portion of the body [12], that is, both the lower quadrant and the limbs. For the negative control group, there was only a 40 cm jump height recorded. This owes to the absence of any activities, which meant that the group had very poor physical fitness [13].Sports games and taekwondo teaching not only are important parts that affect the healthy life of college students but also are important to improve and maintain the healthy life of all systems of the body. Engaging in sporting activities and taekwondo improves the lipid profile by reducing TAGs [14] and LDL while increasing HDL levels [15]. These activities increase the level of lecithin-cholesterol acyl trans (LCAT), an enzyme utilized in the esterification of HDL [16]. Exercise also increases lipase activity, which is an enzyme responsible for breaking down lipids in the body. This, together with other mechanisms, make sports and taekwondo very important in school curricula [17]. The flow chart in Figure 4 shows the physiological processes enhanced by the activities discussed in this research study.Figure 4
Effects of taekwondo and sports games on human physiology.In summary, sports games and taekwondo’s roles in higher learning institutions range from interpersonal and intrapersonal skill development to physiological, psychosocial, and mental health improvement [18]. The addition of sports games and taekwondo teaching can enrich the content of physical education in colleges and universities, improve college students’ interest in participating in physical education, and then improve the effect of physical education in colleges and universities [19]. Taekwondo itself has strong moral education values, which can open up a new path for moral education teaching in colleges and universities in China and promote Chinese college students to lay a solid foundation for cultivating comprehensively developed talents in China by learning taekwondo [20]. For interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, exercise increases self-confidence and teamwork, as discussed in the research paper’s preceding section.Table4 shows the summary of different roles these activities play in college and university curricula regarding interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and mental and physiological health.Table 4
Roles of sports and taekwondo in schooling institutions.
CategoryImprove/developInterpersonal skillsLeadership, motivation, time management, networking, teamwork, creative thinkingIntrapersonal skillCompetence, communication, self-confidence, commitmentPhysiologicalCardiopulmonary improvement, reducing LDL and TAGs, increasing HDLMentalCreative thinking and assertiveness


## 3. Conclusion

In recent years, in the field of physical education in colleges and universities, the traditional teaching methods have been unable to meet the development needs of the current era, and it is difficult to play a good role in physical education, which will have an adverse impact on the cultivation of students’ physical education professional knowledge and literacy. Therefore, in college physical education, it is of great significance for teachers to build a relatively perfect sports game and taekwondo teaching mode in combination with students’ learning characteristics and needs. This study is aimed at investigating the role of sports and taekwondo courses in colleges and universities and conducting descriptive and experimental research. In the descriptive study, the questionnaire in the qualitative data was used to collect some interpersonal relationships and personal qualities. Quantitative data are collected from the demographic divisions of a sample of individuals undergoing health tests. The results show that the improvement of physical fitness is related to muscle strength, jumping height, and aerobic test parameters. The research results explain the impact of these activities on students’ social, physical, and mental health and believe that the application of sports games and taekwondo teaching can stimulate college students’ interest in participating in physical education learning and promote the healthy and sustainable development of physical education teaching in colleges and universities.



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