The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a global health crisis, leading to many pathological alternations regarding cells, tissues, organs, and biological systems. Extensive research during the past three years has revealed that even if symptoms of the COVID-19 infection and disease are not severe, the complications after may be critical. Evidence has indicated that apart from the most characteristic complications caused by COVID-19 infection, such as respiratory tract disorders, severe damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems is possible, resulting in neuronal and mental complications. For this reason, the quality of life of severe COVID-19 survivors requires targeting therapy. The most studies focused on a wide spectrum of COVID-19 complications, however, direct evidence of the virus-specific neuropathogenicity and molecular mechanisms involved in this complication are only emerging. We have actual scientific knowledge of post-COVID-19 neurological complications and provide the current evidence on biological mechanisms operating in this process. This review also aims to present how inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to the disease severity. Finally, we discuss the use of physical exercise (PE) interventions to reduce physical and mental complications in COVID-19 survivors. Findings show that dysregulation of the immune system is characteristic for COVID-19 disease severity. PE can increase muscle strength, respiratory function, decrease dyspnea, and improve survivors’ quality of life. However, randomized controlled trials and observational studies of higher methodological quality are needed to determine effective, individualized and safe amount of exercise to support the evidence.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of an 11-week sprint resisted swimming training programme on the front crawl mean swimming velocity and the intra-cyclic velocity variation (IVV). Twelve female swimmers assigned into an experimental (N= 6) and a control group (N= 6) followed the same training programme including a specific sprint protocol. The only difference between the two groups was the use of a swimming parachute from the experimental group during the specific sprint protocol. A 50 m maximal intensity front crawl trial, before and after the 11-week intervention period, was recorded by 4 digital video cameras. The Ariel Performance Analysis System was used for the digitization of selected anatomical landmarks and two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for the statistical treatment of the data. After the intervention programme, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the mean swimming velocity, the stroke rate, the propulsive phase duration and the index of coordination, and a significant decrease in the non-propulsive phase duration, the total stroke duration and the IVV. These modifications could be considered a positive effect, helping the swimmers to become more efficient to overcome the inertial forces and to improve their swimming performance.

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the return-to-play performance after injury in National Basketball Association (NBA) players according to their surgery status, skin color, player positions, injury location, type, and duration. Fifty-four NBA players who sustained an injury between 2018 and 2022 seasons were identified and only five match before and after the injury were examined to determine the acute effect of the injury. A significant decrease in minutes per game (MPG, pre-injury: 27.4±8.4min, post-injury: 25.5±6.9min, p=.019), field goal points (FGP, pre-injury: 5.4±2.9, post-injury: 2.4±0.3, p=.008), and field goal attempted (FGA, pre-injury: 11.6±5.9, post-injury: 5.2±0.7, “large” ES: 1.52, p=.004) in NBA players after the injury. 70.4% of the injured athletes underwent surgery, 72.2% were black skin color players, the most injured player position was guards (37%), the most injured area was the lower extremity (40.7%), 59.3% were broken, and most of them had an injury duration between 7-30 days (31.5%). The NBA players who returned to play after injury showed a significant decrease in MPG, FGP, FGA. The findings of this research provide important indicators for sports medicine physicians, coaches, and practitioners and can be a guide to understanding how return-to-play performance is affected by injury factors.

Background: The present study aims to investigate the criterion validity and reliability of three different BF% assessing methods i.e., skinfold caliper (SF), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and air-displacement plethysmography (BOD POD). Methods: Present study was conducted on 51 trained male Indian athletes (aged: 19 - 29 years). The BF% was measured via SF, BIA, and BOD POD with standard protocol. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: The BF% from BIA was reported significantly (p < 0.001) higher than skinfold (∆ 28.7%), and BOD POD (∆ 25.4%). Very good reliability was found for BOD POD vs skinfold [with ICC = 0.891 (0.809-0.938)] and good reliability for Skinfold vs BIA [ICC = 0.669 (-0.207 – 0.895)] and BIA vs BOD POD [ICC = 0.736 (-0.164 – 0.912)]. Pearson’s correlation depicted a positive correlation among various BF% methods (Pearson’s r varies = 0.800 to 0.849; p < 0.01).Limits of agreement were reported significant for skinfold vs BIA (p < 0.001, β= -0.530), and BOD POD vs skinfold (p < 0.01, β= 0.453). Conclusion: Validity analysis depicts that BIA overestimates BF% in male athletes compared to BOD POD and SF methods. All BF% methods were found reliable although BOD POD vs Skinfold depicted major reliability (ICC = 0.891) over other methods.

Our study aimed to assess and compare the physical activity levels of female students in urban and rural secondary schools in Slovakia, given the well-established health benefits of regular physical activity and the recognized risks of a sedentary lifestyle. Using a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire delivered online via Google Forms, we gathered data from 1271 female students, averaging 17.34 years old, attending the final year of grammar and secondary vocational schools in specific Slovak regions. After categorizing participants based on their residence, statistical analyses, including two-sample t-tests and chi-square tests, were employed with a significance level set at p < 0.01 or p < 0.05. Unexpectedly, participants residing in towns with over 30,000 inhabitants exhibited the highest levels of physical activity, yet they also spent the most time sitting during the week (354.69 minutes on average). Statistical significance was found in only two instances at the p < 0.05 level: walking physical activity between the first and second group and vigorous physical activity between the second and third group. These findings shed light on the nuanced relationship between residence and physical activity levels among female students in Slovakia.

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in behavior and communication and social interaction of the diagnosed person, having negative consequences on functioning and performance in different areas. With different forms of manifestation and degrees of impairment, the individual with ASD presents difficulties in contextual and/or sensory perception of stimuli, which causes maladaptive responses from him/her, often accompanied by motor difficulties. The purpose of this article is to identify the existence of the benefits that the practice of motor and sports activities have on sensory processing in children with ASD. The results highlight that there are associations between sensory processing difficulties and motor impairments, even from the first years of life, with the motor and sensory areas being in neural connection and developing at the same time at an accelerated pace. Practicing motor and sports activities leads to improvements in different areas: physical and mental health, motor skills (oral and visual, gross and fine motor skills, manual dexterity, balance, ability to relax and control body movements), cognitive and sensory processing (memorization, sequencing, attention, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control of body movements, academic performance), communication and social interaction skills (establishing and maintaining friendships, acceptance from others), adaptive behaviors (reduction of stereotyped and self-aggressive behaviors, self-stimulation, hyperkinetic behavior).

The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of training protocol on maximal power during concentric phase of movement. Changes in maximal power were studied in individuals subjected to conventional strength training and strength training using TENDO destabilizers limiting barbell stability in recreational trainees without prior strength training experience. The study contains 3 randomized groups, 2 experimental and 1 control. After 4 weeks of the training program, the subjects underwent a retest following the same protocol as prior to the experiment. During bench press and bench pull, peak maximal power and peak velocity were recorded, along with an average for each repetition and for the series of six repetitions. After 4 weeks of the training program, subjects from group A and B showed a significant improvement in best bench pull and press. The relative improvement in power in experimental group with destabilizers was 18% (p ≤ 0.05), significantly higher compared to group without destabilizers (12%, p ≤ 0.05). The hereby presented results document the effectiveness of power-oriented training with destabilizers. The improvement observed in the experimental group was most evident in the case of bench pull power. The use of destabilizers is an effective method for improving power, especially in bench pull exercises. This training method also effectively develops stabilization, coordination, and movement control under conditions of reduced barbell stability.

The study investigates metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), a subgroup of obese individuals seemingly protected from cardiometabolic diseases. The lack of a standardized definition for MHO has led to variations in classification criteria. The research, involving 263 participants (64 meeting obesity criteria), assessed body composition using multi-frequency bioimpedance and determined biochemical parameters with Biolis 24i Premium. Statistical analysis employed STATISTICA 13 and MedCalc, with significance set at p < .05. Despite metabolically healthy subjects displaying elevated anthropometric values, their biochemical and somatic parameters remained within normal ranges. Surprisingly, a healthier metabolic profile did not correlate with reduced mortality risk. The study highlights the significant impact of different MHO definitions on prevalence estimates within the same population. Stricter criteria yielded lower prevalence, while broader criteria, such as a higher BMI plus one critical parameter, resulted in higher prevalence. Using various parameter combinations, the study identified MHO subjects, revealing significant differences in triglycerides, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure between MHO groups (p < .05). For instance, based on BMI and HDL, 56 subjects were identified, while BMI and TAG identified 38 subjects. The findings emphasize the necessity of considering all diagnostic criteria when diagnosing MHO. The study cautions against viewing MHO as a state of complete health, especially given the multifaceted health risks associated with obesity, encompassing cardiovascular, metabolic, orthopedic, dermatological, psychological, and other conditions. The research underlines the importance of accurate MHO classification in understanding its implications and underscores the need for a standardized definition in future studies to facilitate meaningful comparisons across diverse populations.

Life skills are a combination of psychosocial and interpersonal skills that can have an impact on physical, mental and social well-being. Social skills include the ability to make judgments and act in different social situations. Physical education (PE) can play an important role in developing life skills in Moroccan secondary school students. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the impact of handball on the development of social and teamwork skills in 150 Moroccan secondary school students, and to explore the relationship between social skills and teamwork. In our research, we used two different methods to gain an in-depth understanding of students' views on how they perceived the development of their social and teamwork skills. To do this, we conducted mixed-method research using both the Sports Life Skills Scale (LSSS) and participant observation on a sample of 150 schoolchildren, including 76 boys and 74 girls aged between 14 and 20, in the rural BITT commune of El Hajeb (Morocco), during a 12-session handball learning cycle during the school season (2022/2023). Data analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and multiple regressions. The results showed that BITIT secondary school students felt they were developing their teamwork skills with (WM=3.62, SD=0.662) and their social skills with (WM=3.54, SD=0.740) through playing handball. There was a significant correlation (r=0.429; p0.01) between social skills and teamwork skills. The results of this study suggest that team sports can be an excellent medium for the development of social skills and teamwork in students. In this way, students not only improve their physical health, but also acquire essential skills that will be useful in all areas of their lives.

In this study, a basic football training model for students at Padang football schools is developed. The method employed in this research was research and development on the basis of Borg and Gall’s references; data from needs analysis were collected and then used to create a training model. The data were analyzed statistically to determine the effectiveness of this model. The mean difference test (t-test) is utilized to determine the difference between the structurally controlled exercise group and the uncontrolled group. The sample in this study involved 32 football school students aged 11–12 years. After the entire research process was conducted, a basic game-based training technique model was generated, which was named the Football Basic Technique Training Model. The results of data analysis and interpretation show that (1) the model follows the principles of necessary skills training in playing football; (2) it is useful to be used to optimize the basic technical skills of playing football; and (3) it can be applied as a guide in carrying out the training process, especially for children aged 11–12 years