Members Of National Team Research Articles

Doping Knowledge as an Indicator to Measure the Development Level of Civil Society

The aim of the paper is to present the model of Polish civil society development in sport, which is based on three phases: the first one consists in creating rules by international organizations; in the second one public authorities introduce legal regulations based on previously developed organizational standards; in turn, the third phase relies on checking to what extent these rules and regulations have been internalized by their addresses. The indicator for measuring the level of development of civil society in sport was the knowledge of the legal concept of doping among members of Polish national teams.

Aerobics Made in Poland: Women’s Mass Leisure Activity in the Socialist State, 1983–1989

The first aerobics club in Poland was opened in the autumn of 1983. Hanna Fidusiewicz, a former national team member in artistic gymnastics, was integral in that process. Her efforts brought about the aerobics revolution in its Polish version, and the glocalization of the leisure activity. Under her direction, socialist Poland adapted commercial aerobics as a global commodity in the 1980s. The pre-existing circumstances and available resources determined the female actors’ chances of successfully developing a Polish version of the aerobics workout. Women used their involvement in aerobics to negotiate their own status and to (re)define their self-understanding in an increasingly global community.

Test-retest reliability of four flatwater performance-related tests in canoe slalom athletes.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the test-retest reliability of four flatwater performance-related tests in canoe slalom athletes. Methods: Twenty-two Slovak national team members of junior and U23 age group racing in a category K1 men (K1M), K1 women (K1W) or C1 men (C1M) volunteered to take part in this study. During both test and retest testing sessions athletes performed 4 flatwater tests: SPS-Sprints with a turn to the preferred side (2 × 15m shuttle sprints), SNPS-Sprints with a turn to the non-preferred side (2 × 15m shuttle sprints), SBS-Sprints with turns to both sides (2 × 15m shuttle sprints) as well as 12 × 15 AOT-12 × 15m all out shuttle test (12 × 15m shuttle sprints). Each athlete completed two sessions separated by a minimum ofdays and a maximum of 5days. Results: The results have shown the excellent test-retest reliability of all four flatwater tests (ICC-SPS: 0.98; SPNPS 0.97; SBS: 0.98 and 12 × 15m AOT: 0.96). Additionally, results have shown SEM (SPS: 0.14; SPNPS 0.18; SBS: 0.13 and 12 × 15m AOT: 1.05) and SWC (SPS: 0.21; SPNPS 0.26; SBS: 0.19 and 12 × 15m AOT: 1.58). Conclusion: Based on our results we suggest that coaches use these valid and reliable tests to assess changes in their athletes' performance-related physical fitness over time, to verify the effectiveness of training programs focused on improvement in specific physical fitness of athletes as well as to identify asymmetries between the preferred and non-preferred side in canoe slalom athletes.

RELATION BETWEEN DOWNWARD AND UPWARD PHASES ON THE TRAMPOLINE BED DURING JUMPING

The time of flight in trampoline competitions relies on the jumping movement executed on the trampoline bed, which can be divided into a downward phase and an upward phase. These two phases of the jumping movement exhibit distinct characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate fundamental data regarding the vertical deflection length, time, velocity, and force involved in the vertical movement on the trampoline bed. The study involved ten trampoline athletes, including participants in the All Japan Championships and members of the Japanese national team. These athletes were instructed to perform 15 consecutive jumps on the trampoline bed, starting from a standing-still position, aiming for maximum height, and maintaining a straight trajectory in the center of the trampoline bed. The findings revealed that all measured parameters were significantly greater in the downward phase compared to the upward phase. Interestingly, it was observed that the jumping height during a prolonged flight is predominantly determined by the actions in the downward phase of the trampoline bed, rather than the upward phase. As a result, the downward phase should be executed as an active jumping movement.

Features of the natural course of subclinical hypothyroidism in young athletes

Objective: to assess the natural course of subclinical hypothyroidism in young athletes.Methods: In the prospective single-center uncontrolled study, data from 3,062 outpatient records of young athletes (members of the Russian national team) of both sexes (middle age — 15 [14; 16] years) and underwent medical examination in the period from January 2021 to September 2022 were studied. All athletes were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of subclinical hypothyroidism (an increase in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone from 5 to 10 mUn/l with a normal level of T4 free). During a dynamic follow-up (1 year), athletes with subclinical hypothyroidism underwent a repeated study of the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine and antibodies to thyroperoxidase.Results: Signs of subclinical hyperthyroidism were found in 58 young athletes (30 boys (51.7 %) and 28 (48.3 %) girls). During dynamic observation with continued habitual physical activity, spontaneous normalization of the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone was observed in 74 % of young athletes. At the same time, normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone in girls was observed less often compared to boys (p = 0,272). In no case did clinically pronounced hypothyroidism develop.Conclusion: The majority of young male and female athletes with subclinical hypothyroidism have spontaneous normalization of hormonal profile against the background of persistent physical and psycho-emotional stress. The data obtained make it possible, subject to the possibility of dynamic observation, to recommend doctors working with young elite athletes not to prescribe hormonal replacement therapy and not to modify the usual lifestyle.

Genome-wide association study identifying variants related to performance and injury in high-performance athletes.

A growing body of evidence exists supporting the role that genetic variation plays in athletic performance and injury. This study sought to identify genetic variants associated with performance and lower limb musculoskeletal injury in a high-level athletic cohort. A total of 126 Estonian National Team members (Olympic athletes and participants of International Championships) (104 males, 82.5%) underwent a genome-wide association analysis between 2017 and 2018, to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with performance and/or injury. The athletic cohort was stratified within each sport based on performance and whether they were a medalist (n = 29) or not (n = 97), whether they sustained an injury (n = 47) or not (n = 79), and the type of injury (patella tendinopathy n = 22, Achilles tendinopathy n = 17, hamstring injury n = 3, anterior cruciate ligament rupture n = 6). Three SNPs demonstrated strong genome-wide association with athletic performance (podium/medalist versus not), including DSG1 (rs10502567, OR 14.3) and DSG4 (rs73410248, OR 17.4), while 76 SNPs demonstrated suggestive significance. Overall, 37 SNPs gave genome-wide suggestive association with any type of injury, including PAPPA2 (rs11580456, OR 13.8) and MAS1 (rs220735, rs170219, OR 3.1) which demonstrated positive signal with multiple SNPs. Several genes demonstrated positive association for the specific injury types, including COL22A1 (rs3924862) and PLXNA2 (rs11799530), as well as PAPPA2 (rs11580456), DOK5 (rs73142922), GNG12 (rs28435277), and DAP (rs267959, rs2930047, rs1080440, rs267939). The current study identified genetic variants associated with high-level athletic performance and musculoskeletal injury. Further work is required to permit integration of this and future knowledge into individualized training practices, as well as injury mitigation and rehabilitation programs.

Assessment of physical capacity level in recreational athletes

Introduction: In the majority of the available source materials, research on the level of physical capacity of athletes concerns members of sports clubs and national teams, in a word, professional athletes. Does this mean that such research should not be conducted on recreational athletes? Of course not. The main aim of this article was to assess physical capacity (based on VO2max) in recreationally active people from the Podkarpackie region of Poland. The authors intended to determine whether practicing recreational sports without adequate technical facilities and staff influenced the course of their training and achievements.Material and Methods: The study involved 413 participants (body height 174.5 9.5 cm; body weight 73.4 20.3 kg) aged 18-60 years. Each participant followed the same treadmill test protocol and completed a questionnaire survey related to the number of injuries sustained. To determine the level of fitness, AT (VT1), RCP (VT2), VO2peak, and HRmax were determined during the study.Results: Based on the Powers and Howley classification, almost 50% of the participants were classified in the subgroup with the highest possible peak oxygen uptake (41.4%). More than one in four participants had a peak oxygen uptake at a very good level (28.3%), nearly one in five at good (18.9%), while more than one in ten reached an average (9.4%), low (1.5%), or very low (0.5%) levels. Individuals with multiple injuries achieved significantly higher scores on average in contrast to those without injuries (p=0.004).Conclusions: Physically active people have a high above-normal level of physical capacity, despite the recreational form of their sport. The study showed the importance of research on physically active people not only in the context of fitness. This group includes outstanding individuals achieving high performance similar to professional athletes.

Using Multivariate Data Analysis to Project Performance in Biathletes and Cross-Country Skiers.

To determine whether competitive performance, as defined by International Biathlon Union (IBU) and International Ski Federation (FIS) points in biathlon and cross-country (XC) skiing, respectively, can be projected using a combination of anthropometric and physiological metrics. Shooting accuracy was also included in the biathlon models. Data were analyzed using multivariate methods from 45 (23 female and 22 male) biathletes and 202 (86 female and 116 male) XC skiers who were all members of senior national teams, national development teams, or ski-university or high school invite-only programs (age range: 16-36y). Anthropometric and physiological characteristics were assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and incremental roller-ski treadmill tests, respectively. Shooting accuracy was assessed via an outdoor standardized testing protocol. Valid projective models were identified for female biathletes' IBU points (R2 = .80/Q2 = .65) and female XC skiers' FIS distance (R2 = .81/Q2 = .74) and sprint (R2 = .81/Q2 = .70) points. No valid models were identified for the men. The most important variables for the projection of IBU points were shooting accuracy, speeds at blood lactate concentrations of 4 and 2mmol·L-1, peak aerobic power, and lean mass. The most important variables for the projection of FIS distance and sprint points were speeds at blood lactate concentrations of 4 and 2mmol·L-1 and peak aerobic power. This study highlights the relative importance of specific anthropometric, physiological, and shooting-accuracy metrics in female biathletes and XC skiers. The data can help to identify the specific metrics that should be targeted when monitoring athletes' progression and designing training plans.

The Relationship among the Performance and the ACE I/D and ACTN3 R577X Polymorphisms and some Anthropometric Factors in Arm Wrestlers.

Sport genetics has become increasingly important in recent years. The concept of performance includes genetic and anthropometric factors. These factors have not been adequately examined when the current literature is examined. One of the aims of this study is to identify a possible interaction between the ACE ID and ACTN3 R577X polymorphisms and the sedentary, national arm wrestlers and amateur arm wrestlers, while another aim is to reveal some physical differences between the same persons. The research included 24 arm wrestlers who were members of the Turkish national team, 23 amateur arm wrestlers with club licenses, and 34 sedentary, all of the wrestlers participated voluntarily in the research. The genotype distribution of the ACE gene and ACTN gene and the statistical significance of the R, X, I, and D allele frequencies were compared by the Chi-Square test. The Anova one-way variance analysis was used to assess the difference among the palm circumference, wrist circumference, and forearm width among the groups, the significance was tested at p<.05 level. After the data was evaluated, significant differences were not found statistically in ACE nor ACTN3 polymorphisms in terms of the three groups (p>0.05). In addition, statistically significant differences were found in the palm, wrist, and forearm circumferences of the arm wrestlers who were the members of the Turkish national team compared especially to the sedentary (p<0.05). From the conducted research it was concluded that the success of the athlete in arm wrestling could not be directly explained by the ACE and ACTN3 genotypic characteristics. Another result revealed by this study was that the success of the athlete in arm wrestling was more related to palm, wrist, and forearm circumferences.

THE TECHNIQUE OF ELITE ATHLETES SPECIALIZED IN 50 KM RACE WALK

Purpose: to reveal trends of changing the technique of highly skilled 50 km race walkers along with the increase of sports results based on biomechanical characteristics analysis. Material and methods. Technique biomechanical analysis data of the best world and Ukrainian athletes, obtained in the course of studies at 2015–2018 national race walk championships in 50 km and 35 km distances are presented. Biomechanical characteristics of 22 highly skilled athletes (14 males and 8 females) specialized in 50 km race walk (total number of sports results 30) have been determined and analyzed. Results. Improvement of sports result in the men’s 50 km race walk to the world best level occurs mainly at the expense of stride length increase 1.10 m (p &lt; 0.05). Result improvement to the world level from 4:10:00 (S = 0:07:50) to 3:56:27 (S = 0:02:08) mainly occurs at the expense of stride frequency increase to 3.32 stride·s–1 (S = 0.10) at statistically significant differences with indices of the national level athletes (p &lt; 0.01). It has been revealed that in females of the high national level specialized in 50 km race walk (results close to 4:31:37), the indices of stride length and frequency constitute 0.95 m (S = 0.02) and 3.22 stride·s–1 (S = 0.12), respectively. Conclusions. Comparative analysis of race walk technique kinematic characteristics of athletes of different skill levels specialized in 50 km race walk has been conducted. Prospects and directions for improving sports results of potential national team members have been revealed on the basis of comparison with the indices of national team members and elite athletes. A sharp improvement of sports results of female athletes in 50 km race walk during the last few years is noteworthy. It was due to this discipline inclusion in the program of Track and Field World Championships.

Effects of the corona pandemic on competitive sports – an online survey amongst 2981 German and Austrian elite athletes

Background: The impact of the corona pandemic on competitive sports has not yet been studied in a larger group of athletes. Methods: Using an online questionnaire, junior and adult elite athletes from Germany and Austria were asked about their infection status, potential symptoms of COVID-19, and the impact of the pandemic on their athletic activity. Results: Between April 21, 2020 and February 16, 2021, a total of 2981 questionnaires were recorded (50.3% female, 25.7% professional athletes, 37.9% national team members). 78 athletes (2.6%) reported a positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, 67 (2.3%) athletes reported that they had experienced the disease but were self-diagnosed. In 19 athletes (0.6%), infection was suspected by a physician but without testing. 841 (28.2%) athletes stated that they were in quarantine at least once. At least one symptom that might be associated with COVID-19 was observed in 38.7% of all athletes. Cardiac symptoms were reported significantly more often in PCR-positive athletes than in the group of athletes without confirmed infection or no infection. 15 athletes (0.5%) were admitted to hospital due to COVID-19, 8 of them were hospitalized for more than 1 week. Conclusion: The corona pandemic has a massive impact on competitive sports. In addition to indirect consequences due to quarantine measures or cancellation of competitions, infections with SARS-CoV-2 occurred in a significant proportion of athletes. Severe courses with hospitalization were also recorded among competitive athletes.

DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL FITNESS PROFILES OF ATHLETES IN CYCLIC ACTIVITIES (RUNNING, CYCLING, BIATHLON)

Endurance-type disciplines (running, cycling, biathlon) define the cyclic structure of an athlete's movements, which, in addition to functional parameters, also includes an adequate fitness profile. Based on the detection, analysis and evaluation of these parameters, it is possible to define the fitness profile of the competitors as well as possible mutual differences. The current case study analyzes the fitness profile of competitors of three different disciplines (middle and long distances, cycling, ski biathlon) of top-level competitors, members of national teams. The study was conducted: Uroš Gutić (UG) - runner middle and long distances, member of AK "Sarajevo" and the BIH athletic national team; Milan Milivojević (MM) – cyclist, member of Cycling club "Borac" Čačak (Serbia), and the member Serbian national team; Stefan Lopatić (SL) – ski biathlete, member SK "Romanija" Pale, and BIH national team. A total of 12 parameters were measured to assess the fitness profile (repetitive strength, explosive strength, speed and agility). The results recorded considerable homogeneity of the sample with mutual differences. In addition to mutual differences, all study participants are characterized by an extremely good fitness profile, as shown by the measurement results.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0056/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Generic and Specific Fitness Profile of Elite Youth Greco-Roman Wrestlers; Differences According to Quality and Weight Category

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Specific Wrestling Fitness Test (SWFT), correlating it with generic anaerobic tests in elite youth wrestlers and determining whether wrestlers differ according to quality and weight categories in all tests. The research included 23 advanced-level Greco-Roman wrestlers (aged 16-19 years) who were divided into two quality categories (National team members and Non-team members) and two weight categories (lighter and heavier). Variables included anthropometric characteristics, generic fitness tests, and SWFT. Results evidenced that only vertical jump height was associated with SWFT (Pearson’s R=0.48, p&lt;0.05). Team members had higher results in the vertical jump height (p=0.02, moderate ES), while wrestlers from the heavier category had higher body mass (p=0.001, large ES) and body height (p=0.01, large ES) than lighter wrestlers. Moreover, wrestlers did not differ in the SWFT according to quality and weight categories. SWFT was not associated with generic fitness tests, possibly because of its high specificity. Furthermore, team members and non-team members did not differ in the SWFT, which could be explained by the fact that only advanced-level wrestlers were included in this study. Thus, future studies should include lower-quality wrestlers and different testing protocols.

Bone Mineral Density and Content among Iranian Elite Male Athletes in Different Sports.

Sport is one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis; however, not all sports have the same impact on bones, for instance, swimming (SW) may have no effect or be harmful. Elite athletes are the best choice to detect the effects of any sport. Thus, this study was conducted firstly to compare the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of elite athletes in volleyball (VB), basketball (BB), and long-distance running (LR) together, and secondly to compare those corresponding values in SW athletes with those of non-athletes (NA). The subjects (n=58) of this cross-sectional study included elite male athletes (members of Iran's national teams, with a minimum of 12-15 hours of training per week) and NA (control; C) who were divided into BB, VB, LR, SW (n=12 for each), and C (n=10) groups. The DEXA scan measured the amount of BMD and BMC values in the lumbar spine (LS; L2-L4) and proximal femur (PF; neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle) areas. In the LS areas, LR had significantly higher BMD than the BB, VB, SW, and C groups (P<0.001), while for BMC, both LR and VB were significantly superior to other groups (P<0.001). Moreover, the BMD and BMC of the PF areas of VB and BB were significantly higher than those of the LR, SW, and C groups (P<0.001). Finally, in all areas, SW showed significantly higher BMD and BMC, compared to the C group (except for trochanter and femur neck BMC) (P<0.05). LR athletes showed the most bone acquisition in the LS areas and VB players in the PF areas, while BB players ranked third in osteoporosis prevention in the mentioned regions. Unexpectedly, SW athletes also had better BMD and BMC than NA; therefore, after weight-bearing sports, this type of sport can be effective in bone acquisition.

Sport-specific performances in elite youth sport climbers; gender, age, and maturity specifics

Abstract Study aim: The increase in the number of professional climbers led to the development of climbers since early age. Therefore, the average age of elite climbers has decreased over the last decade. Consequently, age and maturity specifics should be investigated with the influential factors in climbing. This research aimed to investigate the forearm muscle strength in youth sport climbers and determine the gender, age, and maturity status as factors of influence on forearm muscle performance in elite youth climbers. Materials and methods: This research included 18 elite sport climbers (Croatian National team members), divided into two age groups: younger (aged 13–15 years) and older (aged 16–18 years). Variables included anthropometric indices (body mass, body height, body fat percentage, ape index), handgrip strength, and climbing-specific forearm strength. Results: Climbers did not differ between age groups in the studied variables. Also, no significant correlations were found among anthropometric/body-built indices and forearm muscle performances, with age and maturity offset. However, when gender stratified, there were associations between forearm capacity in sitting position and maturity offset in girls (r = 0.73; p &lt; 0.05) but not in boys. Conclusion: Results could be explained by the assumption that each subsequent generation is better than the previous one. Also, the associations between performance variables and biological age in girls are probably related to girls’ earlier maturation and specificity of sports selection. Forearm muscle capacities are a crucial determinant of success in sports climbing, and a good assessment of these muscle groups could serve as a tool for sport-specific selection.

Comparison of selected aspects of strength conditioning among junior boulderers and speed and lead climbers

Background: Comprehensive preparation of climbers for participation in multi-event competitions requires knowledge of the motor characteristics and fitness profiles of successful athletes competing in their individual events. Such knowledge can be used to prepare training programs to prepare for multi-event climbing competitions. The study aimed to compare the fitness profiles of young athletes specializing in different climbing disciplines: lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering. Methods: The study included 13 climbers participating in national and international speed climbing, bouldering, and lead climbing competitions. All athletes were members of the junior national team, aged 17.21.9 years. The measurements included: rope climbing power test of the upper limbs, upper limb power test on a campus board, the agonist-to-antagonist ratio of upper body strength, bent arm hang test, core strength test, simple and complex reaction time measurements, Margaria-Kalamen stair climb power test, vertical jump, pull-up shoulder endurance test. Results. There were no significant differences between the groups. However, for effect sizes, large values of Cohen’s d were reported in the campus board power in which speed climbers reached the highest results and in the pull-up test with stops in which boulderers scored highest. Small-to-medium effect sizes were observed also in the rope climb test and simple reaction time measurements in which speed climbers scored higher than lead climbers and boulderers, and in prone plank in which speed climbers scored lowest. Conclusions. Speed climbers generated higher power of the lower limbs and had shorter simple reaction times, while boulderers had greater strength in mixed dynamic-static conditions. However, in most strength and conditioning parameters, juniors specializing in different climbing disciplines did not differ significantly.

Predicting BMX Performance with Laboratory Measurements in Elite Riders

ABSTRACT In Bicycle Motocross (BMX) performance is determined by the riders’ sprint ability and power output. Therefore, descriptive and predictive performance assessments through laboratory and field tests are of interest. Twelve members of the Spanish BMX National Team performed 4 laboratory tests, including 1RM in squat, a Wingate test, a 5x6-s repeated sprint test (RST) and a force-velocity profile test. These tests were compared with the riders’ field performance using the best lap of a simulated BMX competition consisting of 6 all-out laps on a standard BMX track. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression analysis showed a significant association (p < 0.05) between the riders’ field performance and the 1RM (r = 0.84; R2 = 0.65), the peak power output in the RST (r = 0.87; R2 = 0.78) and the peak power, the mean power and the lactate production in the Wingate test (r = 0.68–0.77; R2 = 0.14–0.65), as well as maximal power from the force-velocity profile (r = 0.71; R2 = 0.53). The laboratory tests included in this study can show information about BMX riders’ performance, with the highest values for the peak power obtained in the repeated sprint test (78% of the variance in common).

EFFECT OF ASSEMBLÉ-STEP ON KINETIC AND KINEMATIC PARAMETERS OF STAG RING LEAPS WITH AND WITHOUT THROW-CATCH OF THE BALL IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

This study was conducted to compare the kinetic and kinematic factors of stag ring leap with and without throwing the ball using the two-leg take-off ballet-step “Assemblé” between three different modes in rhythmic gymnastics (RG). Seven members of the Tunisian RG national team (age 18.71±2.69 years; height 1.67±0.04 m; weight 58.43±4.03 kg) took part in this study. A kinetic and kinematic analysis of three stag ring leap execution modes (i.e., assemblé stag ring leap without ball, throw ball assemblé stag ring leap and assemblé throw ball stag ring leap) using two cameras on a specially designed floor carpet where a force plate was integrated was conducted. The result showed that the vertical component of force, the rate of force development, the angle of split legs and the horizontal and vertical velocity were significantly different (P&lt;0.01). In this study, it was found that while performing the stag ring leap element, gymnasts present the highest value in both kinetic and kinematic parameters when throwing the ball during the jump (i.e., assemblé throw ball stag ring leap). In light of the obtained results, it is recommended that coaches start working with gymnasts on the throws during the jump from their youngest age, as this could help them attain the optimal performances in competition.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Body Composition of Athletes in Cyclic Endurance-Type Activities: A Case Study

Endurance-type disciplines (running, cycling, biathlon) define the cyclic structure of an athlete's movements, which, in addition to functional parameters, also includes an adequate morphological profile and body composition. Based on the detection, analysis and evaluation of these parameters, it is possible to define the body composition of the competitors as well as possible mutual differences even though it is endurance sports. The results are all the more relevant if the profile of top athletes with notable results is being evaluated. The current case study analyzes the morphological dimensions and body composition of competitors of three different disciplines (middle and long distances, cycling, biathlon) of top-level competitors, members of national teams. The study was conducted: Uroš Gutić (UG) - runner middle and long distances, member of AK "Sarajevo" and the BIH athletic national team; Milan Milivojević (MM) – cyclist, member of Cycling club "Borac" Čačak (Serbia), and the member Serbian national team; Stefan Lopatić (SL) – biathlete, member SK "Romanija" Pale, and BIH national team.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Body Composition of Athletes in Cyclic Endurance-Type Activities: A Case Study

Endurance-type disciplines (running, cycling, biathlon) define the cyclic structure of an athlete's movements, which, in addition to functional parameters, also includes an adequate morphological profile and body composition. Based on the detection, analysis and evaluation of these parameters, it is possible to define the body composition of the competitors as well as possible mutual differences even though it is endurance sports. The results are all the more relevant if the profile of top athletes with notable results is being evaluated. The current case study analyzes the morphological dimensions and body composition of competitors of three different disciplines (middle and long distances, cycling, biathlon) of top-level competitors, members of national teams. The study was conducted: Uroš Gutić (UG) - runner middle and long distances, member of AK "Sarajevo" and the BIH athletic national team; Milan Milivojević (MM) – cyclist, member of Cycling club "Borac" Čačak (Serbia), and the member Serbian national team; Stefan Lopatić (SL) – biathlete, member SK "Romanija" Pale, and BIH national team.