The present cross-over study investigated whether a half-marathon race might impose changes in lipid profile, muscle function, hematological parameters, and oxidative status in 10 amateur male runners and whether polyphenol-rich aronia juice may counteract these potential alterations.

Subjects (age 30.8 ± 2.3 years) ran a simulated half-marathon race (21.1 km), after they had consumed breakfast with 200 mL of aronia juice/placebo on two occasions separated by one week. Blood samples were taken at baseline, 15 min, 1 h, and 24 h after the run. 

Results revealed a significant increase in the levels of total, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides immediately after the run (by 6.97%, 9.23%, and 38.46%, respectively), which tended to return to the baseline values after 24 hours. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase increased significantly after the race and started decreasing 24h after the race, still being 16.18% higher compared with the baseline. The run induced a marked increase in total number of leukocytes, and granulocytes, with an eventual return to the baseline levels.

The obtained results suggest that a half-marathon run is intense enough to cause lipid mobilization, muscle damage and compromise the immune response in recreational male runners. Acute aronia juice intake was not sufficient to attenuate the observed changes.

This study investigates the potential benefits of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy for recovery following a fatiguing exercise protocol in recreational athletes. Despite growing interest in PEMF therapy for athletic recovery, few studies have evaluated its effects across a wide range of performance and recovery measures, particularly among recreationally active individuals. This study is the first-ever investigation to examine the effects of PEMF therapy on recovery from fatiguing exercise across multiple performance outcomes, including maximal strength, power, vertical jump height, and muscle soreness, in a sample of recreationally active college-aged individuals. Thirty participants (mean age: 23.7 ± 3.7 years; 19 males, 11 females) were randomly assigned to one of three recovery conditions: PEMF therapy (n=10), placebo (n=10), or control (n=10). The fatigue protocol used in this study was the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRT1), designed to induce neuromuscular fatigue. Recovery was assessed through quantitative measures of performance (peak power, peak cadence, vertical jump, and isometric strength) and qualitative measures of muscle soreness. No statistically significant differences were observed between the recovery groups in terms of performance outcomes. However, PEMF therapy did show trends toward improved recovery, particularly in peak power at 24-, 48-, and 72-hours post-exercise, and was the only group to show consistent reductions in muscle soreness. These findings underscore the need for further research in this area and suggest that PEMF therapy may offer marginal recovery benefits, particularly for perceived recovery and power restoration. This study addresses a crucial gap in the scientific literature by providing empirical evidence on the efficacy of PEMF therapy for recreational athletes, suggesting potential applications in non-elite athletic populations, though further research is required to confirm its mechanisms and long-term effects.

This systematic review analyses the existing research on service quality in football academies, focusing on its impact on user satisfaction and loyalty. Several factors can influence user satisfaction in football academies. Some of them are: academy infrastructure, quality of training, expert and professional staff, location and environment of the academy, status and reputation of the academy, levels of competition, as well as prospects in terms of career progression and career management in youth football. All of these factors contribute to better service and directly influence the increase in user satisfaction and loyalty, i.e., future members of the academy. For this reason, it is necessary to analyse the existing research on this topic to understand the measurement of service quality and the impact it has on the value and satisfaction of athletes. This systematic review aims to investigate service quality and to analyze the current state and factors that influence quality in the management of football academies. For this research, the electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched to find relevant articles on this topic. The following inclusion criteria were applied during the search: only topics related to service quality, scientific papers covering the field of management, papers written in English, papers published from 2009 to the present, and full-text papers available. The results of the selected studies for this research showed that service quality is a key factor in achieving a high level of user loyalty towards a football academy.

Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) experience motor and non-motor symptoms that decrease their quality of life. The non-pharmacological management of PD is imperative to improve the quality of life for patients with the disease. Non-pharmacological management options such as exercise, medical, and surgical interventions can improve function and independence in patients with PD. Many non-pharmacological management options target specific symptoms commonly associated with PD. The Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) model was adapted to develop a questionnaire that assesses patient and practitioner knowledge of non-pharmacological management options for PD. The questionnaire consisted of 11 questions. To assess the relationship between sociodemographic variables and patient and practitioner knowledge of non-pharmacological management options likelihood-ratio chi-squared, Spearman's correlation, simple logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed on the collected data. Six hundred and forty-one participants completed the questionnaire. For patients (n = 492) and practitioners (n = 149), the most widely known non-pharmacological management option was regular exercise, and the least-known was subthalamotomy. Compared to patients, practitioners were more likely to have knowledge of most non-pharmacological management options (OR 1.73 - 7.36). Higher education level (OR 3.10 - 10.96), younger age (OR 0.09 - 0.32), geographical location (North America OR 0.05 - 0.49, Europe OR 2.24), employment status (OR 4.81 - 12.02), and sex (OR 0.59) had a significant relationship with patient and practitioner knowledge of non-pharmacological management options. Practitioners were more likely to have knowledge of most non-pharmacological management options for PD compared to patients. Several sociodemographic variables impacted one's ability to identify non-pharmacological management options in both populations. Increasing patient and practitioner knowledge of non-pharmacological management options could improve the care and quality of life of patients with PD.

Vascular entrapment syndromes of the lower extremities represent a diagnostic challenge in athletes, with emerging evidence suggesting sport-specific presentations. This study aimed to characterize and compare patterns of vascular compression, anatomical variants, and hemodynamic consequences across different sporting disciplines. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 210 athletes with confirmed vascular entrapment syndrome from a 10-year cohort (2014-2023). Athletes were categorized as long-distance runners (n=87), cyclists (n=71), triathletes (n=24), soccer players (n=19), and other sports (n=9). All participants underwent standardized clinical assessment and vascular imaging during provocative maneuvers. Multivariable analyses and latent class analysis were performed to identify independent predictors and distinct phenotypes. Sport-specific patterns of vascular compression were identified. Long-distance runners exhibited highest compression during plantarflexion (85.7±8.6%), predominantly with Type III gastrocnemius variants (60.9%). Cyclists demonstrated highest compression during knee extension (79.2±11.4%), with predominant Type II variants (49.3%). Soccer players exhibited primarily Type I variants (57.9%) with lower compression severity. Latent class analysis identified three distinct phenotypes: "runner phenotype" (43.8%), "cyclist phenotype" (37.1%), and "low compression phenotype" (19.0%), each with characteristic anatomical, hemodynamic, and clinical features. Sport category remained an independent predictor of compression severity after adjusting for potential confounders (p<0.001). Vascular entrapment syndrome manifests with distinct sport-specific patterns reflecting the interplay between anatomical predisposition and functional demands. The identification of sport-specific phenotypes provides a framework for tailored diagnostic approaches and management strategies. Recognition of these characteristics may enhance diagnostic accuracy, inform individualized treatment, and improve outcomes for affected athletes across diverse sporting disciplines.

Exercise-induced energy expenditure (ExEE) is commonly adopted as a mean to volitional body mass loss. ExEE can also modulate physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and potentially limit the rate of body mass loss. The detrimental effect of ExEE on PAEE may be more prevalent in women than in men. This study was to investigate the sex differences in regulation of PAEE and body mass change following an acute exercise-induced perturbation in energy balance.  In this 3-week study, 4 men and 6 women with body mass index (BMI) of 28.8 ± 2.3 kg/m² were required to exercise on a leg ergometer, expending 15% of their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) in each exercise session of week two (Exercise week). Participants had to complete three exercise sessions within the same week and on non-consecutive days. PAEE was assessed via wrist-worn accelerometers over the entire study period. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition were measured at the beginning of the study. Men had significantly greater stature (p=0.021), body mass (p=0.035) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) (p=0.01) than women. Whereas women body fat % was significantly greater than men (p=0.004). At the end of the study, there was no significant difference body mass % change (p=0.409) and ExEE (p=0.91) between men and women. There was no significant main effect of time for PAEE (p=0.613), or between sex (p=0.470). Three bouts of ExEE performed within the same week did not alter PAEE in men and women with overweight and obesity.

Health Education programme provides needed preparation of students which should build their personal competence towards avoidance of body mass index (BMI) problems. Therefore, the study compared university students with different health education achievements by mean BMI and determined if the achievements, gender, age range, and class level have significant interactions on mean BMI of the students. Descriptive survey was used and from 222, a sample of 87 Health Education students were purposively selected in the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education, University of Benin. A ‘BMI Scale’, a Xiaomi Mi Smart Scale 2 (Model: XMTZC04HM), a standardized measuring tape and the 2022/2023 Senate Approved 100, 200, 300 and 400 Levels Health Education Programme Results were used to collect data. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that the BMI of university students with different Health Education achievements is possible normal weight with majority of the participants (54.0%), with the possible normal weight having a GPA of 2.40 – 3.49 while the least number of them (4.6%), had a GPA of 4.50 – 5.00. However, different Health Education achievements, gender, age range and class level had no interactions on mean BMI of the students at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore, Health Education students should be encouraged by their lecturers to continuously apply knowledge of Health Education into healthy behaviours appropriate to maintain possible normal weight.

The goal of the research was to determine the effects of six weeks of isoinertial training on explosive strength, speed, and agility compared to traditional strength training in tennis players. The subjects, thirty male tennis players aged 20 to 35, were divided into three groups: the experimental group 1 (E1; n=10), which performed strength training on an isoinertial device; the experimental group 2 (E2; n=10), which performed traditional strength training; and the control group (C1; n=10). E1 and E2 groups had a total of six weeks of training with two training sessions per week, with three exercises per training session performed in four series for six to eight repetitions. The results showed that isoinertial strength training has a positive effect in the variables squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), 5-meter sprint (5M), 20-meter sprint (20M), agility T-test (T-test), and 505 agility test (505). Post hoc analysis revealed that there are significantly better effects of isoinertial training compared to isodynamic training in the countermovement jump (CMJ), 5-meter sprint (5M), and 20-meter sprint (20M). The E1 group had significantly better results than the C1 group in all tests. The E2 group had significantly better results compared to the C1 group in the variables SJ, 20M, and T-test. The results also show that six weeks of isoinertial training produce better results in the development of variables CMJ and 20M compared to the traditional strength training group. Accordingly, fitness and tennis coaches should also use this training method when working with tennis players.

Well-being is the assessment of individual experiences with pleasant feelings like happiness and life satisfaction. Combined training is recommended for older adults to decrease age-related psychological changes and functional limitations. This systematic review aimed to assess the effects of a combined exercise program on happiness and life satisfaction in physically active older adults. The electronic databases of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched between 2000 and 2023 for available literature. The searched keywords were: older adults, training, exercises, happiness, and life satisfaction. After completing the investigation, 931 publications were found. Inclusion criteria comprised physically active participants aged 60 years and above, along with studies composed in English. Studies in which participants had obesity, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases were excluded from investigation. The qualitative analysis involved eight studies. These studies ranged in publication date from 2008 to 2022. The participants in the studies were men and women aged from 60 to 79 years. The sample size was 1849 and ranged from 35 to 656 participants. Physical activity was a combination of aerobic training, strength training, stretching exercises, and balance exercises. The most used questionnaire was the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The findings indicate that older adults of both genders who underwent combined training programs had higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Research has shown that leading an active lifestyle enhances older persons' happiness and satisfaction with life. These results support the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle to improve the mental and emotional well-being of older adults.

Modern directions in the development of physical education in the world emphasize the importance of health-related physical fitness (HRPF), with special attention to the development and monitoring of knowledge about HRPF through the application of a targeted questionnaire. The main goal of this research was to analyze the characteristics of the HRPF questionnaire adapted to the Serbian language. After adjustment to Serbian language and terminology, questionnaire was administered to a sample of 270 children, 175 children of the fifth grade (11 to 12 years) and 95 children f the eighth grade (14 to15 years). In both subsamples, the questionnaire has shown good internal consistency (Cronbach's α was 0.73 for fifth grade and 0.67 for eighth grade) and good features of most questions. The results also suggested problems with three questions which needed adjustment for further use: Question Q2 - Jana wants to do something after school what would help her to become successful in the football team she plays in, she should; Question Q11 - Volleyball is good; Question Q25 - If you want to be stronger, you should. After that kind of implementation, the questionnaire can be recommended for evaluation of HRPF of older primary-school children.