The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of proprioceptive training in the prevention of lower extremity injuries, especially the ankle and knee joint, in team athletes. PRISMA recommendations were applied for this research. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and BioMed Central were used to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database-PEDro scale. Only 7 research met the eligibility criteria, and their outcomes were presented. Proprioceptive training has been shown to be very effective in preventing ankle injuries, especially in recurrent ankle sprains. However, in 3 of 4 studies lacked the effects of proprioceptive training in the prevention of knee and ACL injuries. Based on the results of the analyzed research, I can conclude that proprioceptive training is a very effective training tool in the prevention of ankle sprains in the population of team athletes, but proprioceptive training is not sufficient as the only training component in preventing knee injuries.

In this article we reviewed the literature on injuries and their mechanisms in bodybuilders. Bodybuilding is a weightlifting sport where the main goal is to increase muscle mass while maitaining body symmetry. From a biomechanical point of view, it is important to analyse technical performance of exercises to improve sports technique. Compound exercises based on the development of muscle hypertrophy must be included. The training is different before and during season, in pre-season it is based on reduction of body fat to a low level and a high volume of aerobic exercise. Adequate nutrition, use of supplements and banned substances are widespread in the sport. In that case athletes should be very careful for banned substances in accordance with WADA Code. The most commonly performed exercises where injuries happen are the squat, deadlift and benchpress. The majority of injuries (60 %) are acute, with 93 % shoulder joint injuries, 85 % lower back injuries and 80 % knee injuries. The incidence of injuries is low compared to other sports, between 0.24/1000 hours of training or 0.12 injuries per lifter per year. The most common type of injury is muscle strain, followed by tendinitis and cartilage wear. So it is therefore important to identify risk factors to allow the development of appropriate prevention programs. Muscle ruptures are common with high eccentric loads, with pectoralis major tendon being the most vulnerable to be injured. Than followed by a rupture of biceps femoris during the deadlift exercise, during sudden flexion of the hip joint while the knee is extended. Eccentric contraction and rupture also occurs in the quadriceps muscle, which lifters try to avoid by performing low-bar squat. Uncontrolled abdominal pressure during high-weight exercises causes discus hernias, which lifter can prevent by breathing correctly and using strong muscle stabilizers. The most well-known injury of all is elbow burzitis or »Bodybuilders elbow« due to repetitive flexion and extension movements of elbow joint. To prevent this injuries we have to include preventive measures such as medical check-ups, education of athletes, ensuring safety in competitions, appropriate training and load distribution, treating the body as a whole and regular equipment check-ups.

The frequency and nature of sports injuries depend primarily on the specific sport that an individual play. In this article we review systematic reviews to identify and highlight the most prevalent injuries in basketball, football, volleyball, ice hockey, rugby, and handball. We collected data on the prevalence rates of the most common injuries across these sports, revealing that the most common injuries are lateral ankle sprains, concussions, hamstring strains, quadriceps strains, and various internal knee derangements. Notably, the majority of these injuries affect the lower extremities, which are under the most stress during athletic activities. We also provide insights into preventive measures for the three most common injuries. This compilation of data from different sports will prove valuable to kinesiologists, coaches, and sports professionals, helping them to develop comprehensive training programs aimed at preventing injury and improving overall athletic performance.

The development of video games can be traced back to the 80s of the last century. The final phase of the gaming industry’s development brought with it another phenomenon — e-sport. “Electronic sport” presupposes playing video games in a competitive setting, with emphasis on increased “institutionalization” of gaming activity through the organization of e-sports teams and official international competitions. In order to define esports, it’s important to note that not every activity of playing video games can be described as e-sport, but every e-sport is essentially playing video games. The interest for the phenomenon of electronic sport has increased over the past several years in all social sciences, including sociology. This paper aims to present several dimensions of the “electronic sport” phenomenon, review the existing research in this field, compare various aspects of e-sports and “traditional” sports, and discuss the formation of new subcultural group gathered around video games. The key task of this paper is to examine the distance between e-sports and “traditional” sport and frame the socio-economic scale of the phenomenon.

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.

The aim of our research was to determine the effects of small-sided games on explosive strength in young volleyball players. The authors hypothesized that this program might significantly improve explosive strength in adolescent volleyball players. Thirty-eight adolescent volleyball players participated in this study (12.26±1.01). They were tested for lower body explosive power and passing accuracy. Players were randomly allocated into a small-sided games group (n = 20) and instructional training group (n = 18). Each player participated in a 12-week training program that included 3 organized court training sessions per week. Both groups made significant increases in block jump (p < 0.05) after 12 weeks of training, with significant interaction effect between the groups. There were no significant interaction effects between the groups (p>0.05) for spike jump. In SJ and CMJ results revealed a statistically significant difference between groups pre- to post- training (p < 0.05). Both groups made significant increases in passing accuracy with significant interaction effect between the groups. Small-sided games appears to be an effective way of improving explosive power and passing skills in young volleyball players. The results of this study indicate that game-based training method was more effective for lower body explosive power than traditional instructional programme.

Abstract This study’s objective was to analyze the relationship between mental toughness and martial artists’ performance strategies. Two hundred athletes (male: 105, female: 95) with an age range of 18-36 years (mean:25.12, s=4.96) who competed at university to the national standard of martial arts participated in this study. Participants answered mental toughness questionnaires and performance strategies inventory. The Pearson correlation results showed a positive and significant relationship between mental toughness and automaticity, goal-setting, imagery, self-talk, and emotional control, and a negative and significant relationship between mental toughness and attentional control in practice. Furthermore, there is a positive and significant relationship between mental toughness and activation, relaxation, self-talk, imagery, goal-setting, and emotional control in the competition. The multiple linear regression analysis results showed that goal-setting and imagery in practice and competition, self-talk in practice, and relaxation in the competition could predict mental toughness. In analyzing the subscales of mental toughness, it was concluded that tough emotions could be loaded on eight subscales of performance strategies. In the Independent-Sample T-Test, the significant differences related to gender were that men reported higher levels of self-talk (t=3.24, p<0.001), automaticity (t=2.76, p<0.006), goal-setting (t=2.63, p<0.009), imagery (t=2.18, p<0.03) and relaxation (t=2.17, p<0.03) than women.

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.

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.