This study compared self reported physical activity (PA) (MET min/week) with
pedometer determined PA (steps/day). Participants in this study were 300 adults, (25 - 56 years
of age). PA was assessed with the IPAQ long form and the number of steps was assessed with
the Yamax model SW-200. Participants wore the pedometer for 7 consecutive days. Data
(categorical score) was analyzed using cross-tabs analysis. Two-way ANOVA (gender 2 x level
of PA 3) was performed on the number of steps/day. Significant main effect was reported only
for the factor ìlevel of PAî with adults in the moderate and the high activity group performing
more steps/day than adults in the low PA group. Adults in Greece performed less steps/day than
the international recommendations PA suggest even though the majority of them were assigned
by IPAQ long form at the moderate and very high PA groups.

The risks of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease could be reduced by increasing the number of individuals receiving adequate levels of physical activity (PA). Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that about 30% of Americans do not engage in any PA and about 40% engage in some levels of PA, but still not meeting the recommended levels defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Studies have shown that the greatest declines in PA occur during the transitions from high school to college and beyond. Thus, it is important to identify students at young age that are at health risk due to lack of PA, so that specific steps could be taken toward helping these individuals develop a healthier lifestyle. We used data on 100 college students to develop a preliminary computer program (using a backpropagation multilayer neural network approach) to automatically identify individuals at risk of being not sufficiently physically active. Besides various types of demographic variables, data included information on the association between studentsí self-reported levels of PA and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs (e.g., self- efficacy, self-regulation, social support, expectations), as predictors of participation in PA. The results of this study indicated that the backpropagation multilayer neural network identified and classified individuals at risk of being not sufficiently physically active into right categories (atrisk individuals or not at-risk individuals) 77% of the time. Collecting additional data points that contain more at-risk individuals will improve the neural network's prediction of at-risk individuals.

Skeletal muscle is extremely adaptable to various stresses which can be placed upon it. In spite of importance of skeletal muscles, little is known about genetic factors which demonstrate high influence to muscle size, function, strength and adaptation to various environmental factors. Because endurance performance is a multifactorial trait, the list of candidate genes which could account for human variation in related phenotypes is extensive. One of the first characterized and most frequently studied genetic variant is a polymorphism in the angiotensin converting enzyme I gene. The ACTN3 gene is the first structural skeletal muscle gene with a relation between its genotype and elite sprinterí performance. Nevertheless, current genetic testing cannot provide an extra advantage over existing testing methods in determining sports selection in young athletes. The main challenge still remains to identify other, complex polygenetic variants and their interactions with environmental factors which could provide benefit in the sports selection and existing talent identification.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a 7-week shoulder specific strength training program additional to tennis training sessions on the service velocity of junior tennis players. Initially 60 junior tennis players (29 boys and 31 girls) with at least 2 years of tennis experience and never followed a routine strength program, volunteered to participate in the study. All the subjects followed a regular tennis training session (75 min). The subjects were randomly assigned into three groups: i) group-A, which practiced in addition 15 min service after the tennis session, ii) group-B which practiced a 7-week strength training program (15 min per session, 3 times per week) after the tennis session, and iii) a group-C, control group, which did not follow any extra programs after the tennis session. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to detect differences in each group before and after the experimental period. The independent variable was the group (two experimental groups with different training protocol and the control group with only tennis training), and the repeated factor was the ìtestî (pre and post test, before and after the training period). Statistical significance was accepted at p<.05. It was measured an overall significant quantitative improvement on service performance while, the qualitative findings showed significant improvement in service technique only in group A. 

Mere enrollment on the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education assumes that the population has been selected according to several criteria. One of the most typical criteria is motor development, hence students of sport and physical education might be treated as persons of above-average motor abilities. Test battery of 17 anthropometrical tests and 14 strength tests has been applied on the sample of 149 males, students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education in Novi Sad. The purpose of this paper is to determine relations between anthropometrical measures and latent dimensions of strength. Within the latent space of strength, after Promax rotation of major components and based on KG criteria, three strength factors have been isolated: static and repetitive strength, especially that of hands and trunk to a lesser degree, explosive strength of legs, and explosive strength of arms. Finaly, three statistically significant canonical correlations have been isolated. The first is that of explosive strength of arms having negative correlation with all anthropometrical variables, the second is explosive strength of legs which is in negative correlation with subcutaneous fat tissue of upper leg and triceps, but in positive correlation with the measures of longitudinal dimensionality of skeleton, whereas the third is static and repetitive strength of arms (and trunk to a lesser degree) being in negative correlation with body height and leg length.

In recent years Italian primary school, as called in the past time elementary school, that goes between 5 years old to 10, has been updated in the ministerial documents relating to the educational activities. At the same time, recent discoveries about the brain have changed the scientific bases on which are based educational psycho-pedagogy theories concerning movement learning on motor control system such as closed loop, open loop and motor imagery. The purpose of this work is to identify into the ministerial documents regarding the educational activities such as aspects of psycho-pedagogy in the field of body and movement research that relates to neurological and scientific discoveries on motor control and movement learning. The method of research is mixed: theoretical-argumentative approach about scientific paradigms regarding the motor learning in the early years of life and historical-documentary one about the ministerial documents relating to the teaching activities. The results did not carry out particular aspects of education and didactics that can be connected to the new neuro-scientific theories and suggest to update them. All ministerial documents published do not provide any reference to recent discoveries related to the theory of movement and to correlate these according to didactics of motor activities. It may be useful to deepen further the study and deliver the results to the governmental Experts for the necessary updates to fill up the vacuum. 

A basic posture is thought to be inherited, but it can be modified by environmental factors such as illness, age, physical activity, living conditions, physical environment, diet, and many others. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in postural status between trained athletes and untrained children of the same age. The population sample included boys aged 8-10 years from elementary schools in the city of Novi Sad, as well as from sport clubs in the same area. They were assigned to either of the three groups: A) pupils participating in an individual sport (N=50); B) pupils participating in a team sport (N=51), and C) pupils attending physical education (PE) classes only (N=50)(control group). All measurements of postural status were taken using the Napoleon Wolanski method. The analyses showed that the situation in the control group is rather worrisome, where postural status is very poor. The weakest links are the abdominal muscles, but also the head, shoulders, shoulder blades, spine, feet and legs. 

The investigation aimed to determine if sport motivation for engagement to the sitting volleyball differed between groups of participants, sorted by 6 criterions. 88 athletes (M: 83 and F: 5) participated in this research, including sitting volleyball players in origin from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Greece. The data are collected using the Sitting Volleyball Participation Survey, which is modified version of Disability Sport Participation Questionaire (Wu, & Williams, 2001), designed for investigation of motives for sport participation among persons with disability. Descriptive statistics and Non parametric Mann- Whitney-U test within the SPSS 16.0, were used for statistical analysis. The results inicated that motiv of Socialisation (78.8 %) is the prime factor of sitting volleyball participation. Statistically significant differences between chosen groups of participants haven't been found, except the fact that players who experienced injury in younger age emphasize the importance of sport competition for their sport participation.