The aim of this study was to evaluate body fat content (BF) of elite athletes obtained by two different field methods for body composition measurements and to compare it with body mass index (BMI) values. The research was conducted on 40 male athletes (20 runners and 20 handball players) and 30 non athletes. BF was calculated from the skinfold values (BFsft) and estimated using a hand-held impedance analyzer (BFbia%). Body mass index, waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to stature ratio (WSR) were calculated from adequate anthropometric values. Comparing the BF content between non athletes and two different sport groups, significant difference was found in all parameters between runners and non athletes (p < 0.05). Significant difference was found between BF values of runners and handball players (p < 0.05). Runners have had significantly lower BF, estimated by both methods. They also have had significantly lower WHR and WSR (p < 0.05). In the group of athletes and non athletes with BMI higher than 25 kg/m 2 , or lower than 20 kg/m 2 , comparing with others, no significant difference was found in BFsft and WHR. BMI is not a good predictor of BF, because it does not provide specific information about body fatness, but rather body heaviness. Bioimpedance and anthropometry methods could be used to monitor non obese subjects in clinical routine and population based studies. For BF estimation in athletes, we recommend anthropometry, rather than bioimpedance because of inter individual and inter sports variations in arms length and regional masculinity.

The article intends to show the impact of a pedagogical proposal in Physical Education (PE). The proposal was focussed on autonomy, personal and social responsibility, and decision-making in order to prepare the individual to be able to keep an active lifestyle, in terms of exercising, after finishing compulsory education. This proposal could be considered as an interactive teaching model (Blanchard, 2009) in which the students play an active and reflexive role in all the decisions taken during the teaching-learning process. Also, it shares aspects with the Sport Education model by Daryl Siedentop and the Social and Personal Responsibility model by Don Hellison. The research is a longitudinal study that used an ethnographic methodology to study the teaching-learning process of a mixed group of 25 students led by a PE teacher at a school in CataluÒa, Spain. The aim was to learn about studentsí opinion on their learning in PE lessons, their current exercise habits and their own autonomy and initiative to keep on exercising. The results show that the specific learning environment, the personality of the teacher, the teacher- student relationship, the strategies and the contents had had a significant impact on students. This impact exceeded any expectations related to concepts of physically active lifestyles and it included aspects of social awareness, responsibility, respect, empathy and recognition of the importance of PE in their lives.

Physical activity (PA) levels of community-dwelling adults aged 60 and over were assessed in Greece, in order to determine age and gender effects. PA was assessed using the PA Scale for the Elderly in 591 persons (287 males and 304 females), (Ã=74.04, SD=5.46). Participants were assigned into two age groups: A=65-75 and B=76-86 years. According to two way ANOVA, no significant differences were reported in total PA between men and women (p>.05) even though a significant age effect was reported with participants in Group A having higher scores than participants in Group B (p<.001). Men reported greater participation in recreational activities of moderate intensity (p<.001) and in exercises for muscular strength and endurance (p<.05). Women were more active in PA related to household (p<.001). Age effects resulted in favor of older adults in Group A 61-70 years when compared to older adults in Group B for walking, for recreational activities and for housework (p<.001). In conclusion, both gender and age affect PA participation of older adults in Greece.

Women generally live longer than men because of both biological and behavioural advantages; still womenís longer lives are not necessarily healthy lives. Considering that women from rural areas are often recognized as particularly vulnerable social groups concerning quality of life and physical activity, the study was conducted aiming to determine physical functioning and general health of women from urban and rural areas, as well as to examine differences between them in these health domains. Sample comprises of females aged 30 to 60 yrs, totally 146 participants (73 from urban areas, 73 from rural areas). For the purposes of this study two scales, Physical functioning and General health perceptions, from the SF-36 Health Survey. The results obtained show that significant differences between two groups of participant exist in both domains, with more positive self-perceptions of physical functioning in urban females and more positive global health perceptions in rural females. These results confirm that personal satisfaction and perception of oneís global health are affected not merely by the physical functioning, but by other health components as well.

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.

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. 

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.

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.