Handball is a globally popular and physically demanding sport that requires high-intensity intermittent activities, with a particular emphasis on frequent ball throwing or shooting. The primary aim of this systematic review was to identify the risk factors for shoulder injuries in professional male handball players. The secondary aim is to propose preventive measures for reducing shoulder injuries in professional or elite handball players. This study followed the guidelines provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were used to identify relevant studies. Only 8 studies met the eligibility requirements and were incorporated into the review. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) was assessed for the methodological quality of studies. Seven of the total eight studies were considered moderate quality, however, only one study was considered low quality. Based on this review findings, the following risk factors for shoulder injury are prominent among professional and elite male handball players. The primary factors for eventual shoulder injury are shoulder muscle imbalances, range of motion (ROM) discrepancies, glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), and scapular dyskinesis. Also, in one study authors specified player position as a potential risk factor.

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of certain technico-tactical elements of the Baskin game as a predictor of the achieved result in the 2nd European Cup matches. The following variables were analyzed: number of balls brought to the side basket, saved balls by role 2, saved balls by other roles, three-point shots by role 2, scored points from the corner by the role 2, role 2 misses, number of points by roled 1-5. The Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate the differences in relation to the outcome of the match (win, loss) and certain technico-tactical elements. The obtained results indicate statistically significant differences between the winning and losing teams in fourteen analyzed games for points scored from the points scored by players with role 3.

The exploratory study is grounded in field research, utilizing semi-structured interviews with active, former, and recreational athletes in combat sports. The first section outlines key theoretical frameworks that address everyday life, lifestyles, and the issue of doping. The second section presents the main findings from the field research. Interviewees detailed the positive effects of doping on athletic performance while also acknowledging significant side effects, including physical and psychological consequences. Participants highlighted that the availability of information on doping has increased with the advent of the Internet and specialized retail outlets. The testimonies indicate that the culture of doping is driven not only by the pursuit of enhanced sports performance but also by aesthetic considerations and social pressures, underscoring the complexity of doping use in both professional and recreational sports. The study concludes that doping is a pervasive issue in combat sports, necessitating comprehensive social action and collaboration among policymakers, social stakeholders, and researchers across multiple disciplines, with a prominent role for physical education and sports sciences.

Although sedentary behavior (SB) is still an under-researched area, some studies have shown a significant association between prolonged sitting and an increased risk of mortality, due to various causes, independent of physical activity. Despite the health risks, there are currently no specific guidelines for individuals to self-assess their SB. A pilot observational study was conducted as part of the »Knowledge for Health« event. A short online quiz “Sedentary meter” was developed, consisting of a pictorial scale to help event participants assess their daily sedentary time and to promote a better understanding of the associated health risks. The quiz questions were formulated based on the WHO definition of SB. The participants’ task was to subjectively estimate the amount of sedentary time in various types of SB on a typical day. The results obtained for SB could then be immediately compared with the figurative scale based on the WHO guidelines. The analysis confirmed SB (533.0±224.7 min/day) in all age groups, although possible differences according to the type of SB were noted. Despite statistically non-significant differences, those between age groups may indicate the extent to which SB can be individualized. The differences between age groups may indicate the importance of considering SB which can be targeted based on each age group's daily routine. The simple tool for accessing SB raised awareness of which specific type of SB accounts for the majority of participants' daily sedentary time. The self-critical acceptance of the “poor results” across all age groups shows the effectiveness of the initiative in raising awareness of SB issues.

Physical fitness (PF) is an exceptional indicator of health in childhood and prevents chronic conditions in adulthood. Various exercise modalities have been studied for their impact on children's PF, but rhythmic-based exercises have received less attention. Hence, we structured the rhythmic-based exercise program to provide an approach to developing children's PF over ten months. The non-randomized pre-post-controlled 2x2 design included 154 children (REG, rhythmic-based exercise group, n=75, CG, control group, n=79). We assessed PF performance using the modified 20 m shuttle run test, the standing long jump, the 30-second sit-up test, and the sit-and-reach test before and after 10 months of rhythmic-based exercise program. The 2x2 mixed ANCOVA showed that all PF test performances improved significantly more in REG than in CG from a small (Standing long jump for 3%), across medium (Sit-ups for the 30s for 12%), to a large extent (Modified 20 m shuttle run test for 14% and Sit and reach for 23.1%). The rhythmic-based exercise program provoked extensive flexibility and overall muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness developments. Further randomized controlled trials should be conducted to support or contrast our results.

The COVID-19 outbreak and svift policy response affected the everyday lives of youth in Serbia, challenging their mental well-being. Aiming to examine the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and mental well-being of adolescents during the strictest lockdown in Serbia, in April 2020, we analyzed data collected through the national online survey (N = 3089). According to the self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), participants were divided into three groups: 1) engaged in MVPA for at least 60 minutes every day; 2) engaged in MVPA for at least 60 minutes on 4-6 days per week; and 3) engaged in the same amount of MVPA on 0-3 days per week. Mental well-being measures included life satisfaction, self-rated health, and health complaints. An one-way ANOVA detected a significant effect of adolescents’ PAL on their life satisfaction, F(3,27) = 49.64, p = 0.000. The Tukey test showed that the mean life satisfaction was significantly higher in the most active group (M = 8.66, SD = 1.56) than in the moderately active group (M = 8.27, SD = 1.56), and the least active group (M = 7.93, SD = 1.76). The chi-square tests revealed significant associations between adolescents’ PAL and health complaints; less active adolescents were more likely to experience symptoms like headache, nervousness, feeling low, irritability, sleep difficulties, and dizziness (p ≤  0.00). They also experienced multiple health complaints more frequently and self-rated their health less favorably. Therefore, physical activity should be promoted as a protective factor for adolescents’ mental well-being, particularly in emergencies. 

In sprint disciplines, the start reaction (SR) time affects the final result in the sprint. This research aimed to analyze and examine whether there are significant differences in the SR in the semi-final and final groups in the 60 m and 400 m disciplines at the World Indoor Championships in Athletics, held in Belgrade in 2022 in men's and women's competition. The aim was also to determine if there were statistical differences between men and women in the 400 m event. T-test for independent samples showed statistical differences between the SR in the 60 m and 400 m athletics events in men (t=-4.434, p=0.000) and women (t=-3.210, p=0.004). For the 400 m running events, an independent samples t-test was used to examine differences between men and women in SR. No significant differences were obtained between men and women in the 400 m event (t=0.401, p=0.691). SR is part of all running disciplines and affects the time achieved in the race (result). Although it has been known for a long time that training can influence SR, a few studies still examine training's effects on SR. The question can be about how much it is possible to reduce SR with specific training exercises or to apply certain neurophysiological methods.

The author finds the reason for writing the paper in the current holding of the World Football Championship in Qatar, as one of the biggest sporting events bigger and more significant than the Olympic Games themselves. Often this great global event is seen as the last place where the small can defeat the big, thereby losing the illusion that the rich and the big always win, and that “David can beat Goliath”. Taking the facts into account, football is still primarily a game of the poor, in which the largest number of footballers came from the margins which, according to the author, reflects its greatest social strength. In his work, the author intends to describe and explain the world in which we live through the prism of not only previous championships. It is through the metaphor of football that the author deals with the issue of global order, with the fact that the main issues of this work are more cultural than economic. As the work is of a theoretical nature, the author's intention is to devote special attention to the consideration of physical culture and sport as a factor of socialization within this theoretical analysis, with a special emphasis on the sociology of football.

Monitoring the prevalence of obesity is of great importance for assessing lifestyle interventions aimed at preventing or reducing the health and economic burden of obesity. A sedentary Westerntype lifestyle results in an increase in the incidence of normal-weight (e.g., thin fat) obesity. In the present cross-sectional study, the regional body composition status (using a multifrequency, medically approved electrical bioimpedance monitor) of 844 Slovene adults was examined. The primary aim was to compare the leg fat percentage to total body fat percentage (LEGFAT%-toTOTFAT%) and to trunk fat percentage (TRUFAT%) (LEGFAT%-to-TRUFAT%) ratios of participants in the normal and obese body mass index (BMI) and categories according to the BMI and obesity classifications of the World Health Organization. In addition, examined how correlated with, sex, and age, according to obesity classification cut-offs. Results showed, for the whole sample, that increases by an average of 0.13% each year (ceteris paribus). However, females in the normal BMI and TOTFAT% categories, but not males, had significantly higher LEGFAT%-to-TOTFAT% and LEGFAT%-to-TRUFAT% ratios than those in the obese category. Furthermore, adjusted R2 (linear regression) showed that 82.5% of the variation in LEGFAT% was explained by variations in TOTFAT%, sex, and age. The present results indicated the increasing importance of studying the regional body composition status, especially of TRUFAT% and LEGFAT% compared with TOTFAT% (beyond the known sex differences). The clinical relevance of the increasing disproportionality in the regional body composition status of females with normal BMI and TOTFAT% needs to be further clarified.

Y-balance test for lower limbs (LQYBT) and upper limbs (UQYBT) are frequently used to assess dynamic single-leg balance. In this study, we aimed to examine the test-retest reliability of both tests, to compare scores on the dominant and nondominant sides and report on the magnitude of asymmetry, as well as assess any gender differences. A sample of 30 healthy, recreationally active individuals (15 men and 15 women; age, 22.83 ± 8.78 years; height, 175.46 ± 8.29 cm; body mass 72.08 kg ± 12.60 kg) completed the LQYBT und UQYBT measurements twice 12 to 14 days. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (absolute agreement, two-way random), paired-samples t-test, and typical error (expressed as coefficient of variation, CV). Both tests showed moderate to good relative reliability (ICC = 0.62 – 0.85) and acceptable absolute reliability (CV = 3.54 – 7.20 %), with a possible learning effect for certain reach directions. Men tended to score better than women, but statistically significant differences were confirmed in only 3 of 12 comparisons. Differences between dominant and non-dominant sides were mostly very small and statistically significant in only 2 of 6 comparisons. Mean asymmetry scores were in the range of ~3-6%. These results contribute to the evidence on the utility of LQYBT and UQYBT testing in healthy adults.