Hand grip strength (HGS) serves as a multifaceted and critical parameter within the domain of motor function and is widely recognized as a pivotal aspect in the comprehensive evaluation of the ...development of school-aged children. The aim of the research was to determine the values of HGS, the trend of changes and differences between boys and girls aged 11-14 years from Bosnia and Herzegovina. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 585 students. The subsample was divided into 307 boys (11y = 81; 12y = 87; 13y = 77; 14y = 62) and 278 girls (11y = 66; 12y = 83; 13 y =79; 14y = 50). Hand muscle strength was measured using the method of isometric dynamometry in laboratory conditions, with a standardized test - Hand grip (according to the American Society of Hand Therapists). The force achieved during the maximum hand grip (dynamometry) was measured with a digital hand dynamometer CAMRY-EH101, USA. Statistically significant differences between male and female respondents were confirmed (for age 12, T = -2.651, p<0.009; for age 13, T =-5.178; p<0.000; for age 14, T =-7.124; p<0.000). In both sexes, the dominance of the strength of the right (dominant) hand than left (non-dominant) hand is evident. The study confirmed a positive trend of strength development in both sexes, as well as gender differences in the HGS test between children aged 12 to 14 years.
Due to changing climatic conditions, artificial snowmaking has become a major method of ski resort adaptation globally. It is a financially intensive operation requiring high start-up investment and ...involving operating costs that are dependent on weather conditions. Operational costs and the expansion of artificial snowmaking systems increase the price of ski passes. In our work, we analyzed the operations of a public company that operates the largest ski resorts in Serbia and directs the flow of winter sports tourism. We tried to determine, by means of correlation, the extent to which ski pass prices in the biggest winter resort in Serbia are influenced by factors such as natural snow cover, number of tourist overnights, ski run length, and local wages. The results of the survey indicate an increasing transformation of the ski resort into a thematic attraction independent of climatic factors in terms of determining ski pass prices.
The Košutnjak forest in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, with an area of 259 ha, provides ecological and social benefits to its inhabitants, but its composition has changed in the last 20 years: forest ...areas have decreased, people have become irresponsible towards the forest and forest soil, and forest degradation is evident. The question is whether the forest has the potential to regenerate and survive. The horizontal assessment of attributes was carried out using data from the official forest database of the administrative unit “Košutnjak (2007–2016)”, which, in conjunction with the basic forest, defines indicators of change, stability, and self-renewal, which assume sustainability and can be a useful tool for sustainable forest management. The attributes and indicators are processed on a three-level alphanumeric scale in Microsoft Excel, and the data collected and analyzed are mapped using ArcGis 9.3. The ability of forests to survive without human intervention was evaluated using the EEFS method of ecological assessment of forest sustainability, which was used for the first time in this study. The results showed that forest change was significant, stability was medium, and self-renewal was low on most sections, so forest sustainability was rated as unlikely. The EEFS method used provided results that can form the basis for a forest management strategy in the city and a platform for the long-term monitoring of forest condition.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate and identifying the level of excess weight and obesity in older students between 15 and 18 years, as important benchmarks of the level of health in order to ...update the recommendations regarding the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 400 subjects, (186 boys and 214 girls), aged 15 to 18. Anthropometric data including: body height, body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI). Participants' BMI was estimated using the Percentile BMI calculator for children and teenagers aged 2 to 19. Study adolescents were defined as underweight, normal (healthy) weight, overweight, and obese according to the CDC child growth characteristics for age, sex, and BMI. 350 (85.5%) subjects were healthy weight; 26 respondents (6.5%) were overweight, 17 (4.25%), were obese, while 7 (1.75%) underweight. The analysis of the individual results of male and female subjects points to increased values of the body mass of males (18.81%), compared to female pupils (3%). Out of a total of 186 male students, 10.75% were in the overweight category, and 8.06% were categorized as obese, in constrast 2.80% of the girls were overweight and (1%<), in the obese category, which is an outstanding result, where obesity practically does not exist. According to the results of this study (for both sexes), in relation to gender, there were more malnourished girls (2.33%), compared to boys (1%<). Among high school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of children with overweight and obesity is relatively low compared to data from other countries. Based on the relevant results of this study, we consider it necessary to update strategies for promoting an active and healthy lifestyle regarding physical activity and eating habits for adolescents in relation to the specifics of the countries of residence and European trends. Keywords: BMI; students; overweight; obesity; weight status category; high school.
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of practicing sports activities on manual skills, focused on reaction time depending on manual laterality. The objectives of the study were to ...identify the differences in improving simple, optional, and cognitive reaction times in the manual executions of student athletes who practice team sports involving the manual handling of the ball (volleyball, basketball, handball) in comparison with student athletes who practice individual sports and with non-athletic students; to identify the differences regarding the reaction time of the right- and left-handed executions depending on the manual lateralization of the subjects (right- and left-handedness) between the three experimental samples: team sports group (TSG), individual sports group (ISG), and the group of non-athletes (NAG) through the use of computer tests. The study included 335 subjects who were divided into three groups: TSG with 102 subjects, ISG with 112 subjects, and NAG with 121 subjects. The subjects of the study were given five computer tests to evaluate three types of reaction time: simple reaction time (Start/Stop Test), choice reaction time (Check Boxes Test, Hit-the-dot Test), and time of cognitive reaction (Trail making Test part A and B). The results were analyzed regarding right- and left-handedness, as well as the execution hand (right hand or left hand) in solving the tests. The results of the study highlighted significant statistical differences between the three groups: TSG, ISG, and NAG. The best results were recorded by TSG in all tests, and the lowest by NAG. Statistically significant differences were also recorded between the executions with the dominant hand compared to the executions with the non-dominant hand in relation to right- and left-handedness. The study highlighted that the smallest differences in all the study groups were recorded in the simple reaction time test, where the differences between the right-handed and left-handed executions were the lowest, reflecting the best level of symmetrization of the motor executions.
Background and Study Aim. Students are often injured while playing sports. The main condition for preventing injuries is the correct technique of movements. In the literature, rock climbing has not ...been analyzed in terms of prevention of student injuries. Therefore, the development of programs to prevent injuries of students-rock climbers is relevant. Aim: to determine the impact of the use of exercises in a closed kinematic chain on the technical skill and the number of injuries to the elbows of student-rock climbers based on the analysis of the one-arm hang technique.
Material and methods. First, to substantiate the correct technique in rock climbing, the technique of performing one-arm hang was analyzed by 20 leading male climbers of Ukraine and 20 students - novice male climbers. Then a randomized control study was conducted. The participants in the randomized control study were 40 male students-climbers in the intervention group and 44 male students-climbers in the control group aged 18-19 years. The one-arm hang technique was determined based on the angles between the shoulder and the collarbone during the movement. The experiment lasted 1 year. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, the analysis of the one-arm hang technique was carried out. The number of elbow injuries in both groups was also recorded.
Results. The main parameters of the one-arm hang technique for qualified and unskilled climbers have been substantiated. For qualified climbers, one-arm hang involves the muscles of the shoulder girdle, torso, and legs. In unskilled climbers, one-arm hang is provided only by the muscles of the arm. In a control randomized study, there was a significant improvement in the results of biomechanical analysis of the hang technique in athletes in the intervention group (p <0.001). The use of exercises in a closed kinematic chain significantly reduces the incidence rate of elbow injuries in student-climbers (p <0.05). The odds rate of mild elbow injuries in the control group was 4.625 times higher than the intervention one (95% CI: 1.198; 17.854), the odds rate of moderate injuries in the control group was 5.588 times higher than in the control group than the intervention one (95% CI: 1.143; 27.324).
Conclusions. Exercises in closed kinematic chains are an effective means of improving climbing technique and injury preventing to university students during rock climbing.
Background and Study Aim. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding the relationship between daily training time, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance. The connection ...between daily training time, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance continues to be a subject of research debate. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate whether maximal strength performance is affected by daily training time routines. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional study involved a total of 36 male bodybuilding athletes, who were divided into three equal groups (n=12); Noon Group, Afternoon Group, and Evening Group. The distinguishing feature amongst the groups was that they had been training at different times of the day for the past 6 months, and within each group, athletes had been training at the same time of day (Noon Group 12:00-14:00; Afternoon Group 17:00-19:00; Evening Group 21:00-23:00). A one-repetition maximum squat test was administered to each group with there being a 72-hour interval between the tests. Results. The findings from the research indicate that there is a relationship between athletes' daily training time routines and maximal strength performance. Athletes perform at their best during the time that corresponds to their daily training routine. The analysis reveals a statistically significant advantage in 1-RM squat performance for athletes adhering to their daily training time routines at various times of the day (p <0.001). Notably, Group Noon, Group Afternoon, and Group Evening achieved their highest 1-RM squat performance when following their respective daily training time routines. Conclusions. Results underscore the importance of aligning training schedules with athletes' natural rhythms, enhancing performance optimization strategies. It is believed that effective planning for training time by coaches and conditioning experts, taking into account competition times, would be a valuable strategy.
The practical value of monitoring is that well-chosen performance indicators can help coaches identify the good and bad performance of individuals or teams. External monitoring of matches is useful ...in establishing the physiological requirements of the sport and assessing how a player compares to the requirements of the event in this regard. This study aimed to analyze the trend component of running performance during a game of professional soccer in Montenegro. The research included a sample of 82 professional soccer players. The first subsample included 44 professional soccer players of the club Budućnost from Podgorica, height 185.89 ± 6.29 cm, mass 81.06 ± 5.47 kg, BMI 23.47 ± 0.96 kg/m
2
, age 28.86 ± 3.85 yrs. The second subsample included 38 professional soccer players from the Sutjeska club from Nikšić, height 181.88 ± 6.35 cm, mass 77.28 ± 6.78 kg, BMI 23.32 ± 1.08 kg/m
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, age 29.43 ± 5.68 yrs. The InStat kinematic system captured the outfield players by using six cameras placed around the perimeter of the field at the minimal height of 12 m. The frame frequency was 25 frames per second; data were centralized for further analysis. Statistically significant differences were noted only in the variable sprint distance in the 2017 season. The results of the current research indicate that the soccer players who compete in Montenegro are below the values achieved by those who compete in Europe.
Depopulated or abandoned spaces are a consequence of the emptying of settlements and the complete disappearance of the human factor in the use of space. The aim of this paper is to determine the size ...and structure of this space—clusters that can be considered abandoned at the regional level. In the focus of this paper is the space at the district level in Serbia, within which significant changes in land use occurred in the period 1990–2018. Time series of formal databases and data obtained by GIS tools were analysed in order to observe the changes in the structure of surfaces and to define the trend of merging or increasing the empty space during the last two decades. This paper analyses planning documents and strategies in order to determine with which problems the state identifies abandoned areas and what planning solutions are possible. A new method for calculating the homogenization of abandoned space is presented. The results indicate the homogenization of the abandoned space in the border regions in the south of Serbia, as well as major changes in land use, such as reforestation and reclamation of agricultural land.
Background and Study Aim. The aim of this research was assessment and correction of highly skilled swimmers’ operative status during competitions. Material and Methods. The authors carried out ...complex assessment of 46 high-skilled swimmers during competition period. The body impedance analysis and functional status express diagnosis were conducted before and after competitions. Results. The components limiting the operational state of swimmers were determined: “component composition of the body” (44.83% of the total load), “functional” (19.97%). Correlation relationships were established between the main indicators that determine the level of the operational state of athletes. The multiple regression equation was calculated, which made it possible to determine the influence of individual significant parameters on the level of the operational state of athletes and the confidence interval. A group of athletes with operational status indicators below the confidence interval received sport supplementation. Conclusion. The main characteristics of the athletes’ operative status are cellular biomarker phase, fat free mass, extracellular water, intracellular water, strength index. These characteristics should be used in assessment of both operative status and complex functional diagnosis of highly-skilled swimmers during competitions.
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